Middle School ELA Mini Academy Quarter 4 WINNER Hello, and welcome to the 4th quarter mini academy for Middle School English Language Arts.

Big Ideas Idea 1: Quarter 4 Standards Idea 2: Novels/Plays Idea 3: Narrative Writing Idea 4: Resources This presentation will focus on 4 big ideas as they relate to middle school ELA during the 4th quarter. This presentation will discuss the standards for quarter 4 as they are addressed in the district scope and sequence, MTPs, and AR documents, teaching novels, narrative writing, and resources for planning, implementation, and learning.

Big Idea #1: Quarter 4 Standards At this point in the year, all assessed standards should have been taught. Note that writing should still continue in quarter 4. Though narrative writing is not listed as an essential standard, it is a supporting standard on each of the literary MTPs, which conclude the year.

Big Idea #2: Novels/Plays Throughout the course of the year, teaching excerpts has been strongly recommended in order to prepare students for the many text types and topics they will encounter on FSA. The 4th quarter is a good time to teach novels or pieces of novels if that is the desire of the teachers and meets the student needs. The last three MTPs of quarter 4 in each grade level are conducive to the teaching of a novel and incorporating literary standards.

Novels/Plays and Standards When teaching novels, standards must still be emphasized. When asking questions or having students complete assignments, the tasks should not be content-driven by the novel, but standards-driven. For example, asking students to identify physical attributes of the characters does not address the middle school RL.1.3 standards.

Novels/Plays and Standards Incorporating other fictional texts Incorporating nonfiction texts Incorporating multimedia Thematic units Incorporating narrative writing When teaching novels and plays, teachers can make the lessons more engaging by incorporating texts and excerpts from other sources and stories. Creating thematic units allows for students to gain exposure to other texts as well as teach them how to activate prior knowledge, build background, and make connections across texts.

Example: Grade 6 6th Grade: Taming of the Shrew (Q4) Other texts that could be paired: Literary: Salinas, “The Scholarship Jacket” Literary: Poetry (Palanco’s “Identity,” Angelou’s “Still I Rise,” Shrew Poetry, www.hellopoetry.com) Informational: Schafer’s “A Shrew and the Shrew” Informational: Thematic articles Multimedia that could be used Clips from plays or movies Kiss Me Kate (1953) Taming of the Shrew (1967) 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Pictures Incorporating narrative writing Consider how using the texts can inspire students to write narratives. Incorporate the writing process throughout the lesson. Here is an example of a text that can be taught 4th quarter for grade 6. They are also listed in the AR documents and paired with a narrative writing standard, which can be found in the supporting standards on the AR documents. When incorporating other texts, consider how you want to use the additional texts. It may be more beneficial to your students and standards-aligned, if you use chunks of text. While the anchor text can be found in the SpringBoard resource, do not forget about the additional resource documents for other text suggestions.

Example: Grade 7 7th Grade: Twelfth Night (Q4) Other texts that could be paired: Literary: Nesbitt’s “Twelfth Night” Literary: Poetry (Rich’s “Diving into the Wreck,” Brooks’ “Still Do I Keep My Look, My Identity…”) Informational: Thematic articles (identity) Multimedia that could be used Clips from plays or movies Twelfth Night (1995) Twelfth Night (1996) She’s the Man (2006) Pictures Incorporating narrative writing Consider how using the texts can inspire students to write narratives. Incorporate the writing process throughout the lesson. Here is an example of texts that can be taught 4th quarter for grade 7. They are also listed in the AR documents and paired with a narrative writing standard, which can be found in the supporting standards on the AR documents. Again, it may be more beneficial to your students and standards-aligned, if you use chunks of text. While the anchor texts can be found in the SpringBoard resource, do not forget about the additional resource documents for other text suggestions.

Example: Grade 8 8th Grade: Midsummer Night’s Dream (Q4) Other texts that could be paired: EngageNY: Module ending with narrative writing https://www.engageny.org/resource/grade-8-ela-module-2b (This module suggests numerous informational and literary texts.) Informational: Other thematic articles Multimedia that could be used Clips from plays or movies A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1968) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (BBC-2016) Pictures Incorporating narrative writing Consider how using the texts can inspire students to write narratives. Incorporate the writing process throughout the lesson. Here is an of a text and a resource that can be taught 4th quarter for grade 8. This anchor text can also be found in SB and the engageNY link can be found in the AR documents.

Big Idea #3: Narrative Writing LAFS.6.W.1.3 LAFS.7.W.1.3 LAFS.8.W.1.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events. Writing narratives is very different from writing arguments or explanatory essays. For W.1.1 and W.1.2, students are expected to write in response to text, using information from the text to plan and support their writing. When writing narratives, students might be able to draw inspiration from other texts; however, they are not writing about other texts or responding to other texts. Students will develop writing based on real or imagined experiences. This type of writing can be used to craft personal narratives or even stories. It is recommended teachers give examples of different types of narrative writing to help students develop their own. When scaffolding the writing process for narratives, it is still recommended students plan their writing so that it encompasses all of the requirements to meet standard W.1.3, and then revise their writing to create a polished product. This process can be scaffolded or chunked throughout the remainder of the year if needed. Feel free to pause this presentation to note the changes in the narrative writing standard across grade levels.

Writing and Novels/Plays Not a book report Think about ways to use reading standards to support writing narratives. Ex: Note the introduction of conflict and characters within Shakespeare. Allow students to create a script and focus on the importance of dialogue to develop characterization. When teaching RL.1.3 in 8th grade, students must Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. Consider allowing students to create a script and focus on the importance of dialogue and fictional incidents to propel action, develop characterization, and provoke decision-making. Teaching this standard might provide a positive model to inspire and develop student writing. Remember, when students are writing narratives, they are not writing about a story or book or creating a book report or critique. Students can draw on or mimic an author’s choices in order to create real or imagined experiences. For example, if students are reading Midsummer Night’s Dream (or any other play), consider allowing students to create a script and focus on the importance of dialogue and fictional incidents to propel action, develop characterization, and provoke decision-making. Graphic organizers might be helpful in scaffolding this process for students. Be careful when aligning tasks; however, as lower level tasks such as plot diagrams and surface character descriptions do not meet the needs of the reading or writing standards.

Sample Scale with Evidence Level Standard Evidence/Task 4 Evaluate the effectiveness of particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story and how they propelled the action in a story, revealed aspects of a character, or provoked a decision. (RL.1.3) Research and evaluate multiple sources to write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events effectively with details, a clear introduction, conclusion and logical progression of events. (W.1.3) 3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. (RL.1.3) Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. (W.1.3 a-e) Complete graphic organizer and use information to write a character analysis. Class discussion. Complete writing narrative. Polish draft and peer review. 2 Explain how a conversation or incident can uncover new information about a character. (RL.1.3) Develop a solution and begin a conclusion; develop and organize event sequences, incorporate dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection to convey a picture and advance the narrative. (W.1.3) Add to graphic organizer: explanations of dialogue or events that reveal character information.. Write a script with dialogue. Continue to add to writing plan. Brainstorm a solution and conclusion, make sure sequencing makes sense, add dialogue. 1 Determine why a character makes a particular decision. Explain how an event or dialogue changes the pace of the story or drama. (RL.1.3) Develop a real or imagined experience or event, establish a point of view and problem, introduce a narrator and/or characters, and write an introduction and body that progresses through a plot line. (W.1.3) Begin flow map to chart significant character decisions and dialogue that alters pacing in the story. Begin planning narrative writing using writing frame. Write an introduction that introduces a narrator and/or characters and introduces the plot line. When teaching novels/plays, it is important to make sure any tasks or questions assigned to students are aligned to the standards. Remember to use the question stems found on the AR docs to help with planning questions, and consider how the tasks match up to each level on the scale. For example, at the level 1 for RL.1.3, students have to merely identify significant character decisions and dialogue that alters pacing. Consider what activity students can do that will satisfy that level of thinking. At the level 2, notice students now have explain how dialogue or events present information about a character. Consider what activity or activities would satisfy that level of thinking. Finally, at the level 3, students must be analyzing how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.. This may take a while if a longer text is used; however, consider how that would look when teaching a novel or a play, students may not reach the level 3 on the scale until close to the end of the story. Also notice the narrative writing standard in the scale. The process is chunked so students can work on pieces of their writing instead of being asked to write a narrative from start to finish immediately.

Resources LAFS standards/Test item specifications: http://fsassessments.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Grade-6-ELA-Test-Item-Specifications_Final_May-2016.pdf http://fsassessments.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Grade-7-ELA-Test-Item-Specifications_Final_May-2016.pdf http://fsassessments.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Grade-8-ELA-Test-Item-Specifications_Final_May-2016.pdf Curriculum documents: www.ims.ocps.net Common core appendix: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf Novel lists/media specialist Parent Videos https://ocps.ss15.sharpschool.com/departments/curriculum__instruction_and_digital_learning/curriculum_areas/e_l_a/ Here are some ideas for resources to help with planning lessons for literature and narrative writing: The LAFS standards, test item specifications, and curriculum documents available on IMS can help by giving more information about the requirements of the standards. The common core appendix contains many different excerpts of types of literary texts by grade level and can serve as a starting point for finding additional resources. The district curriculum documents also offer resources that work with the standards on the MTPs. You can always refer back to previous ELA mini academies for information on standards and Parent videos are useful resource for parents to learn about what their children are leaning in school and how they can support them at home. Finally, do not forget to enlist the help of the school media specialist for recommendations on grade appropriate and engaging texts for students.

Thank you Questions? Amy.London-Tauriello@ocps.net Thank you, and if you have any questions please email me at