1. M/J Language Arts 1/Advanced Developing Ideas and Characters
Hello and welcome to our second mini academy for M/J Language Arts 1 and M/J Language Arts 1 Advanced. Each lesson progression will include curriculum resource materials, now known as “CRMs”. This mini academy covers the second CRM of quarter 1, which you may hear referred to as CRM 1.2. The focus of this CRM is for students to analyze how ideas and characters within informational and literary texts are developing. This mini academy is designed to give a quick overview of the standards, some available resources, and some ideas as you plan instruction.
This CRM begins on August 30th and ends on September 12th, which allows for about 9 days of instruction.
During the course of this presentation you may need to pause the audio to read the information on the slides. Let’s get started!

2. Developing Ideas and Characters Standards
LAFS.6.RI.1.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Complexity level: 2
LAFS.6.RI.1.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
LAFS.6.RL.1.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
LAFS.6.RL.1.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
LAFS.6.W.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
Complexity level: 4
The focus standards during this CRM are: RI.1.2, RI.1.3, RL.1.2, RL.1.3 and W.1.2.
Notice that the Reading standards on this CRM begin with a 1; this indicates that they are from the first cluster of standards that address Key Ideas and Details. You will likely hear these standards referred to as CLuster 1 standards when they are being referenced. This CRM includes cluster 1 informational and literary standards paired with informative/explanatory writing.
The focus standards during this CRM continue to lay the foundation for successful analysis that we discussed during the Mini Academy for CRM 1.1.
Take a moment and review the standards on the screen (pause).

3. Developing Ideas and Characters Standards
LAFS.6.RI.1.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Complexity level: 2
LAFS.6.RI.1.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
LAFS.6.RL.1.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
LAFS.6.RL.1.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
LAFS.6.W.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
Complexity level: 4
RI.1.2 and RI.1.2 deal with central idea and theme. the new knowledge in both standards is that students determine how that central idea is conveyed through key details.
The central ideas and themes in the text could be explicit, but they may also be implicit and require the students to draw conclusions about the text and topics.
The summary of the text must be distinct from personal opinions/judgments and should include the central idea/theme.
Also, students must make an explicit connection between the terms “main idea” and “central idea.”
As students have already had opportunities to practice with this standard, you may want to consider using student evidences from learning tasks given throughout CRM 1.1 to determine where instruction may need to begin in regards to this standard. Likewise, examining student evidences and data collected during the first CRM will help you to strategically plan scaffolds and supports to address the trends or misconceptions that are hindering students understanding.

4. Developing Ideas and Characters Standards
LAFS.6.RI.1.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Complexity level: 2
LAFS.6.RI.1.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
LAFS.6.RL.1.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
LAFS.6.RL.1.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
LAFS.6.W.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
Complexity level: 4
RI.1.3 now asks students to analyze how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text. When crafting learning tasks and questions for this standards, be sure students are thinking about how individuals events or ideas influence each other within a text.
In Grade 5 students are asked to explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in the text. The new knowledge in Grade 6 is to analyze these key details in more depth and truly understanding how they are introduced, illustrated and elaborated.
RL.1.3 now asks students to describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
In Grade 5 students are asked to Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama. So, the new knowledge for 6th grade is to take it a step further. They are not simply identifying similarities and differences within story elements. They now must “describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes” Students must now also “describe how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.”

5. Connecting 1.2 and 1.3
These standards should not be taught in isolation; 1.2 and 1.3 work hand in hand to accomplish the same goal. Whether you are analyzing in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text or describing how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds and how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution, these examinations of the text can help to lead a student to finding the theme or central idea.
The question stems should be used throughout the same text, so the students are looking at the text for multiple reasons. The lesson plans that now exist on the CRMs provide examples regarding how to possibly organize this within your planning.

6. Developing Ideas and Characters Standards
LAFS.6.RI.1.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Complexity level: 2
LAFS.6.RI.1.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
LAFS.6.RL.1.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
LAFS.6.RL.1.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
LAFS.6.W.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
Complexity level: 4
Finally you’ll notice W For this CRM the focus should be on gathering information to inform or explain an idea. At this point students do not need to write an entire essay, the writing process may need to be scaffolded. For this CRM students should be reading to collect information, organizing the information logically, then producing a thesis statement, academic paragraph, or even just a plan that conveys these ideas. Their writing should connect to the texts read within the classroom and should be in response to the reading standards.

7. Clarification and Content Limits
The item specifications document for each grade level is housed on the FSAssessments site at the end of this presentation. These documents help to clarify the type of thinking and conditions required to meet mastery of the standard. Many of the clarifications and content limits are taken from the “Assessment Limits” section of these documents.
The next section, text types, will tell you the type of text, or in some cases the genre of text, the standard should be applied to. In this case the standard is a literary standard, and the text types clearly tells us that items assessing this standard may be used with “one or more grade-appropriate texts.” this is key information that will be important during the planning process.
The response mechanisms gives directions on where to find more information on the item types seen on the assessment. The task demands listed underneath will tell us exactly what type of thinking will be demanded of a student who has mastered this standard, and often times is very similar to the standard itself. The sample response mechanisms give examples of how this may look on the assessment, and can be used in the planning process to create more detailed higher order thinking questions.
So let’s discuss the clarifications and content limits in the standards covered in CRM 1.1: Citing Evidence and Analyzing Central Idea/Theme

8. Clarification and Content Limits
Please take a moment to read the Notes about the standards.
Remember, the new knowledge in both standards is that students determine how that central idea is conveyed through key details. The central ideas and themes in the text could be explicit, but they may also be implicit and require the students to draw conclusions about the text and topics.
The summary of the text must be distinct from personal opinions/judgments and should include the central idea/theme.
Also, students must make an explicit connection between the terms “main idea” and “central idea.”

9. Clarification and Content Limits
Please take a moment to read the Notes about the standards.
Remember that RI.1.3 now asks students to analyze how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text.
When planning for RI.1.3, it’s important to keep in mind that the individuals, events and ideas must be essential to the meaning of the text. In questioning, students may be using textual evidence that is explicit or making inferences to explain how an individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text. General questions will not guide students to the depth required by this standard.
When looking at how plot unfolds or how characters alter or change within RL.1.3, it’s important to focus on the plot development over time and not simply ask questions about plot and character. The item specs state to avoid general questions about plot and character and that the textual evidence may be explicit or implicit..

10. Clarification and Content Limits
LAFS.6.W.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (DOK 4)
Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
Establish and maintain a formal style.
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented.
It is important to note the complete writing standard, which appears under the essential standards portion of the CRM. Specific learning targets are also provided for writing on the CRM that align to the suggested academic writing progression that you can find on page 3 of the scope and sequence.
For this particular lesson sequence we are focusing on creating thesis statements, which align with part a and part b in the standard on your screen.
As you read through the standard, part a, and part b of the standard, note the bolded text, as these words and phrases are ideas or concepts that are new in 6th grade and may need to be scaffolded during instruction.
Students are now being asked to examine and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content when writing an informative or explanatory essay.
In part a of the standard, students should be able to not only introduce a topic and develop a plan for writing, but also organize ideas, concepts, and information, using specific strategies. They may also need to include graphics when appropriate.
The development of ideas in Part B now includes choosing evidence that is relevant. Students should read the writing prompt prior to reading the text to annotate and mark it appropriately in preparation for writing.

11. Clarification and Content Limits
LAFS.6.W.1.2:
Pre-assessment of the student’s writing ability should be completed.
Teacher instruction should focus on the planning process.
The standard should not be taught in isolation and should be paired with reading standards. Students will need to unpack the prompt, establish a purpose for reading, and read and mark the text to understand the topic that they are writing about. This writing progression is found at the bottom of the scope and sequence.
Students should write informatively about the texts they are reading in class.
Students will engage in routine writing prior to writing a full essay.
Note that students will be assessed on 2-4 sources on the FSA.
Keep the following in mind as you plan for writing instruction. You can find information about this standard in the “notes about the standard” section of the CRM.
Early in the first quarter, students should be given a pre assessment to help teachers identify trends and develop more focused writing opportunities throughout their lesson plans. For this CRM the emphasis should be on creating topic sentences, a thesis statement and planning an informative/explanatory academic paragraph. This emphasizes the importance of planning prior to writing. Students will need to unpack the prompt, establish a purpose for reading, and read and mark the text to understand the topic that they are writing about, which is stated on the scope and sequence. Students should write routinely, and will be assessed on multiple texts.

12. Resources
Scope and sequence and curriculum resource materials (CRM): ims.ocps.net
Grade 6 English Language Arts Item Specifications:
English Language Arts Text-based Writing Rubrics Grades 6–10: Informative/Explanatory:
SpringBoard resources (Close Reading/Writing Workshops)
There are many resources that might help with teaching these and future standards.
The scope and sequence and CRMs, available through ims.ocps.net, provide a roadmap and suggested time frame to teach the standards. The CRMs provide very specific information about each standard, essential vocabulary to infuse into instruction, and resources--such as lesson plans, question stems, and suggested texts-- to help teach the standards.
The English Language Arts Item Specifications document is housed on FSAssessments.org. Click on “About the FSA” along the top and scroll to your grade level under interpretive information. The item specifications are vital when preparing a lesson, as they help to clearly define exactly what is being assessed or asked of the student to demonstrate mastery. The task demands are another helpful resource on this document, as they can help to guide you in creating appropriate standards aligned questions.
The FSA Writing Rubric for Informative/Explanatory writing is also housed on FSAssessments.org. From the landing page, click on “FSA Resources” on the right hand side of the screen and scroll to ELA Writing to find the 6-10 Informative/explanatory rubric.
SpringBoard is the district adopted resource, which contains useful texts that can be used to teach the Language Arts Florida Standards. The Close Reading and Writing Workshops are a couple of the available resources that provide students with different text sets to help them synthesize passages and write in response to texts. The SpringBoard resources can be accessed digitally through launch.ocps.net and clicking on the “SpringBoard” app.

13. Thank you for listening to this Mini Academy for CRM 1
Thank you for listening to this Mini Academy for CRM 1.2- Developing Ideas and Characters
As you begin planning instruction for the next CRM, CRM 1.3- Analyzing Author’s Choices and Structure we encourage you to explore the resources provided on the CRM. The mini academy for CRM 1.3 will introduce the cluster 2 standards for Craft and Structure.