Middle School English Language Arts Instructional Guide

Sample Question Stems and Prompts for Assessment

Literature (RL): ● "How are [character 1] and [character 2] similar and different? Provide specifc details from the text." ● "Compare the settings of [setting 1] and [setting 2]. How do they infuence the story?" ● "What are the differences and similarities between [event 1] and [event 2] in the story? Use specifc details from the text." Informational Text (RI): ● "How is the key individual introduced in the text? What details illustrate and elaborate on this individual?" ● "Describe how the key event is introduced in the text. How is it illustrated and elaborated on?" ● "How does the author introduce, illustrate, and elaborate on the key idea in the text? Provide detailed examples."

Sample Formative Assessments

Sample Formative Assessments for the Standard (RL)

Character Comparison Graphic Organizer ● Activity: Students fll out a graphic organizer comparing two characters from a story or drama. The organizer includes sections for character traits, actions, motivations, and how other characters perceive them. Students must support their comparisons with specifc textual evidence.

● Objective: To assess students' ability to analyze and compare characters based on details from the text.

Setting Analysis ● Activity: Students write a short answer response comparing the settings of two different scenes or acts from a drama. They must describe each setting in detail, discuss how each setting affects the mood and atmosphere of the story, and provide specifc textual evidence to support their analysis. ● Objective: To assess students' understanding of how settings contribute to the overall narrative and their ability to analyze and compare settings using evidence from the text. Sample Formative Assessments for the Standard (RI) Event Analysis Timeline ● Activity: Students create a timeline of events related to a key event in an informational text. For each event, they must describe how it is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated upon in the text. They provide specifc textual evidence for each stage of the event's development.

Last Updated May 30th, 2024 Middle School ELA, Page 94