English Language Arts & Reading
It's All About Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening!
6th Six Weeks Unit Overviews
Please remember to stay on top of your children's grades especially now that many will be working on their research papers this six weeks. Across several areas below are videos that can help assist you as you help your child with the research process.
For previous ELAR newsletters click below:
- https://www.smore.com/kx4m6
- https://www.smore.com/zxag1
- https://www.smore.com/qzwtt
- https://www.smore.com/731v8
If you have questions about the information presented here or if you want to know how to be more involved in your child's school please contact me.
Marta L. Salazar
Director of English Language Arts & Reading
Dyslexia Coordinator
Parent Involvement Coordinator
361-664-0981
Pre Kindergarten Classrooms 6th Six Weeks
Week 1- Why can’t we hold on to shadows or reflections?
PA: Review-Rhyming
Letter: Review
Week 2- what are the different ways things move?/What can we do to make things move?
PA: Review Alliteration
Letter: Review
Week 3- How does the wind make things move?
PA: Words in a sentence
Letter: Review
Week 4- How do machines help us move things?
PA: Review syllables/Compound words
Letter: Review
Week 5- Ocean life/ summer fun
PA: Review onset rhymes
Letter: Review
Week 6- Ocean life/ summer fun
PA: Review
Letter: Review
Week 7- Ocean life/ summer fun
PA: Review
Letter: Review
Kindergarten Classrooms
Unit 6A Research: Generating Questions and Finding Answers
The learning standards in this unit address reading and writing skills to create a research plan and gather sources. With adult assistance, students produce information about a topic and then organize the information in preparation for a presentation.
During this unit, students use the connection between research and the foundations of reading to strengthen their ability to understand all texts. They focus on expository and procedural text to attain an understanding of the grouping of information to develop a research project (with adult assistance). Ongoing phonological awareness is an integral part of the reading process and students continue to manipulate phonemes in a variety of ways to continue the development of reading skills. Phonics skills are also practiced frequently to decode and encode VC, CVC, CCVC, and CVCC words.
Unit Vocabulary
- Source – a document or person that supplies information about a topic or interest
- Facts/Details – support the main idea by telling how, when, what, where, why, how much, and how many
- Topic – what the author is writing about - the subject (e.g., polar bears)
- Caption – a title, short explanation, or description accompanying an illustration
- Open-ended research question – a type of question used to encourage many possible responses rather than a single directed one (e.g., What are the effects of watching TV while studying?)
Unit 6B: Media Matters
The learning standards in this unit address media literacy in order to identify the different forms, purposes, and techniques of media.
During this unit, students continue to explore phonological awareness, phonics, and print awareness for the purpose of understanding the connection between reading and writing. They work with letters and sounds to decode vc, cvc, ccvc, and cvcc words in text and independent of context. With adult assistance, students identify the purposes and forms of media (e.g., advertisements, newspapers, radio programs) and identify media techniques such as sound and movement while continuing to utilize the reading processes. Students identify important facts, retell the order of events, and recognize media during read alouds and shared readings. They continue to write or dictate stories in chronological order using the writing process and appropriate conventions. Students begin to revise their stories by adding details and sentences.
Unit Vocabulary
- Media literacy – the ability to use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work
First Grade Classrooms
Unit 6A: All About Literacy
During this unit, students use previously learned skills to examine the literary genre by making comparisons to their own experiences, ideas across texts and to the larger community. Students explore language while continuing to build on the principles that vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and grammar are critical to the ability to comprehend and communicate effectively. Students continue to recognize language that describes what is seen, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched and use that sensory language as they write poetry. Students also compose original stories with a strong beginning middle and end.
Misconceptions:
- Some students believe that rate is the most important component of fluency; however, the goal of fluency is appropriate phrasing, accuracy, and expression to support comprehension.
Unit Vocabulary:
- Inference – a logical guess made by connecting bits of information. Readers make inferences by drawing conclusions, making generalizations, and making predictions.
- Textual evidence – specific details or facts found in text that support what is inferred
- Plot – the basic sequence of events in a story- it includes the problem and solution
- Rhythm – rhythmic patterns that emphasize sound
- Rhyme – identical or very similar recurring final sounds in words (rhyming words may occur at the ends of lines or within lines)
- Sensory detail – a detail in writing that describes what is seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or touched
Unit 6B
Making Connections
During this unit students experience a variety of literary and informational texts to strengthen vocabulary and reading comprehension by establishing purposes for reading, asking literal questions, making inferences, and making personal and text-to-text connections. Students work with words by using context to determine meaning, alphabetizing, and using guide words to support dictionary skills. Students identify text features of literary and informational text during Shared and Independent Reading.
Vocabulary
- Context clues – using other words and sentences that are around the word to determine its meaning
- Theme – the central or universal idea of a piece of fiction or the main idea of a nonfiction essay. Themes are ideas or concepts that relate to moral lessons and values and speak to the human experience
- Topic – what the author is writing about, the subject (e.g., polar bears)
- Purpose – the intended goal of a piece of writing; the reason a person writes
- Main idea – the overall message of a text or section of a text (e.g., Polar bears are becoming endangered.)
2nd Grade Classrooms
Unit 6A: Genre Depot
This unit bundles student expectations that address the features of multiple genres to provide students additional opportunities to apply previously taught strategies when reading and writing.
During this unit, students experience a variety of literary and expository texts to strengthen reading comprehension by establishing purposes for reading, asking literal questions, making inferences, and making personal connections. Theme and genre will be explored by identifying moral lessons in literary text.
Misconceptions:
Some students believe that literary texts only include fictional stories, but actually it includes poetry, drama, and literary nonfiction such as autobiographies, biographies, memoires and diaries.
Unit 6B: Genre Junction
These unit bundles student expectations that address theme and genre through a study of fiction and literary nonfiction. During this unit students experience a variety of literary texts and review expository texts to strengthen reading comprehension by establishing purposes for reading, asking literal questions, making inferences, and making personal connections. Students will recognize that some words and phrases have literal and non-literal meanings. Students will write brief letters with the purpose of persuading others about a personally important issue.
Misconceptions - Some students believe that literary texts only include fictional stories, but actually it includes poetry, drama, and literary nonfiction such as autobiographies, biographies, memoirs and diaries.
Unit Vocabulary
- Inference – a logical guess made by connecting bits of information. Readers make inferences by drawing conclusions, making generalizations, and making predictions.
- Setting – time and place in which a narrative occurs (past, future, present, real, imaginary)
- Plot – the basic sequence of events in a story. The plot includes the problem and solution.
- Textual evidence – specific details or facts found in text that support what is inferred
- Literary nonfiction – a type of narrative based on actual persons, places, and things. In literary nonfiction, a writer may construct text in any number of ways and is not limited to the organizational patterns normally associated with nonfiction texts. (e.g., biography, autobiography, memoir)
Third Grade Classrooms
Unit 6A: Discovering Through Research
This unit bundles student expectations that address research skills and processes in order to support the organization and presentation of ideas. Students plan, gather sources, draw conclusions, and summarize multiple sources related to a specific topic.During this unit, students examine informational texts by locating and using specific information provided through the identification and utilization of relevant sources. Students generate an idea, develop a plan, and gather information from experts, reference texts, and online searches. Information is collected using skimming, scanning, and note taking techniques. Students organize data and write brief explanations differentiating between paraphrasing and plagiarism while using the writing process to communicate their understanding.
Misconceptions:
- Students may believe that research is simply gathering information, then listing the information in reports. In fact, research consists of sorting through multiple sources by organizing thoughts and information, and connecting ideas.
Unit Vocabulary
- Paraphrase – to restate the meaning of something in different words
- Plagiarize – to present the ideas or word of another as one’s own without crediting the source
- Open-ended research question – a type of question used to encourage many possible responses rather than a single directed one (e.g., What are the effects of watching TV while studying?)
- Bibliographic information – the locating information about a source (i.e., book, journal, periodical, or Web site) - For example, a book’s bibliographic information consists of author, title, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication.
Unit 6B: Media Message
This unit bundles student expectations that focus on the messages conveyed in media in order to identify the impact of media form and design on communication. During this unit, students examine multiple media forms with the same message to determine different types of media use techniques to impact meaning. Students compare written conventions used in digital media, such as, language in an informal email vs. a web-based news article. Students also explain the impact of design techniques such as shape, color, and sound in multiple media forms.
Unit Vocabulary
- Digital media – electronic media that work on digital codes (as opposed to analog media); examples include e-mail, digital videos, e-books, Internet, video games, and interactive media.
Fourth Grade Classrooms
Unit 6: Influencing an Audience
This unit bundles student expectations that focus on the messages conveyed in media and persuasive texts in order to understand that authors write to influence, convince, express, justify, and promote a point of view. Students identify the impact of media form and design on communication.
Students explain how an author uses language such as facts, statistics, humor, and words that play on emotions in order to persuade, convince, or influence readers.
Misconceptions:
- Fourth grade students may have had little experience with reading and writing of persuasive texts. It is important to focus on comprehension strategies and processes in order to teach students how to question and think critically as they read and interpret the author’s message and ultimately apply these techniques in their own writing.
Unit Vocabulary:
- Persuasive text – text written with the intent to persuade or convince the reader of something
- Position – an opinion about a particular subject
- Digital media – electronic media that work on digital codes (as opposed to analog media); examples include e-mail, digital videos, e-books, Internet, video games, and interactive media
Fifth Grade Classrooms
Unit 6: Media Impact
This unit bundles student expectations that focus on the messages conveyed in media in order to identify the impact of media form and design on communication.
During this unit, students explain how messages in various forms of media are presented differently. Students analyze levels of formality in various digital media venues by examining the use of conventions, presentation, style, and design.
Unit Vocabulary:
- Point of view in media – the specific bias or perspective that an image maker brings to a particular scene or subject about a person, idea, or event
6th Grade Classrooms
Unit 6: Exploring Through Research
This unit bundles student expectations that address research skills and processes in order to support the organization and presentation of ideas. Students plan, gather sources, and draw conclusions from multiple sources related to a self-selected topic. Students use the research process to make inferences, summarize, synthesize, and provide textual evidence based on information gathered.
During this unit, students brainstorm and consult with others to decide on a topic and formulate open-ended questions to address a major research topic. They generate and follow a research plan for gathering relevant information from a variety of print and electronic resources.
Underdeveloped Concepts:
- Students may need clarification on summarization, paraphrasing, and plagiarism. Plagiarism means using another person’s written work or idea and claiming it as one’s own original work. Writers, artists, and publishers have copyrights (the legal rights to control the use and reproduction of works) which protect against plagiarism. In order to avoid plagiarism, students must learn to summarize, paraphrase, synthesize, and explain information from other sources in their own words while providing the appropriate citations that credit the original authors and works. Citations are also necessary when using direct quotes.
Unit Vocabulary:
- Paraphrase – to restate the meaning of something in different words; paraphrasing alters the exact wording of the source and transmits its ideas or information without evaluation or interpretation.
- Summarize – to reduce large sections of text to their essential points and main ideas- Note: It is still important to attribute summarized ideas to the original source.
- Bibliographic information – the locating information about a source (i.e., book, journal, periodical, or Web site)-For example, a book’s bibliographic information consists of author, title, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication
- Plagiarize – to present the ideas or words of another as one's own without crediting the source
- Reliable source – a credible or believable source
7th & 8th Grade Classrooms
This unit bundles student expectations that address research skills and strategies to support the demands of high school, college, and career. Students plan, gather sources, and draw conclusions from multiple sources related to a self-selected topic. Students use the research process to make inferences, summarize, synthesize, and provide textual evidence based on information gathered.
During this unit, students continue to brainstorm, consult with others, decide upon a topic, and formulate a major research question to address the major research topic. They apply steps for obtaining and evaluating information from a wide variety of sources and create a written plan after preliminary research. Students follow the research plan to gather information from a range of relevant print and electronic sources using advanced search strategies; categorize information thematically in order to see the larger constructs; record bibliographic information for all notes and sources according to a standard format.
Underdeveloped Concepts:
- Students may need clarification on summarization, paraphrasing, and plagiarism. Plagiarism means using another person’s written work or idea and claiming it as one’s own original work. Writers, artists, and publishers have copyrights (the legal rights to control the use and reproduction of works) which protect against plagiarism. In order to avoid plagiarism, students must learn to summarize, paraphrase, synthesize, and explain information from other sources in their own words while providing the appropriate citations that credit the original authors and works. Citations are also necessary when using direct quotes.
Unit Vocabulary
- Constructs (noun) – the relationships between ideas
- Paraphrase – to restate the meaning of something in different words; paraphrasing alters the exact wording of the source and transmits its ideas or information without evaluation or interpretation.
- Summarize – to reduce large sections of text to their essential points and main ideas - Note: It is still important to attribute summarized ideas to the original source.
- Bibliographic information – the locating information about a source (i.e., book, journal, periodical, or Web site). For example, a book’s bibliographic information consists of author, title, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication.
- Plagiarize – to present the ideas or words of another as one's own without crediting the source
- Reliable source – a credible or believable source
English I
Unit 6: Inquiring Minds
This unit bundles student expectations that address the research process of gathering, synthesizing, organizing, and presenting ideas and information. Students will evaluate the credibility of sources encountered during the process.
During this unit, students formulate a research question to address a social or cultural issue and follow a plan to compile data from reliable, valid, and accurate sources in order to make judgments about what is relevant. Using critical thinking skills, students synthesize information to support their thesis in a documented research report. Students continue to utilize reading and writing processes to support understanding, evaluation, and synthesis of text. Word study is supported in the context of reading and writing.
Underdeveloped Concepts:
- Research questions are argumentative rather than descriptive and should aim to persuade rather than inform the reader.
Unit Vocabulary
- Valid source – a correct and truthful source. Some questions useful for evaluating validity of a source might be: Does the author present facts with supporting evidence? Does the information in this source match information in other sources?
- Reliable source – credible or believable source. Some questions to evaluate credibility might be: Is the author a respected authority on the subject? Does the author support opinions with strong argumentation and reasoning? How current is the information?
- Authoritative sources – sources written by reliable people who have the proper education, experience, and credentials on a topic or issue
English II
Unit 6 Marshaling Evidence
This unit bundles student expectations that address the research process of gathering, synthesizing, organizing, and presenting ideas and information. Students will evaluate the credibility of sources encountered during the process.
During this unit, students formulate a research question to address a political issue and follow a plan to compile data from reliable, valid, and accurate sources in order to make judgments about what is relevant. Using critical thinking skills, students synthesize information to support their thesis in a documented research report.
Misconceptions:
- Some students believe that research questions are argumentative and not descriptive. However, research questions aim to persuade rather than inform the reader
Unit Vocabulary
- Major research question – one clear, significant, researchable question that can be discussed and answered by collecting information from various sources
- Authoritative sources – sources written by reliable people who have the proper education, experience, and credentials on a topic or issue
- Valid source – a correct and truthful source. Some questions useful for evaluating validity of a source might be: Does the author present facts with supporting evidence? Does the information in this source match information in other sources?
- Reliable source – credible or believable source. Some questions to evaluate credibility might be: Is the author a respected authority on the subject? Does the author support opinions with strong argumentation and reasoning? How current is the information?
- Marshal evidence – a term that implies the gathering, organizing, and categorizing of evidence that answers a question or supports conclusions
- Thesis – 1) a statement or premise supported by arguments 2) the subject or theme of a speech or composition
Information on the unit overviews is taken from the TEKS Resource System
Marta L. Salazar - Director of English Language Arts/Reading; Dyslexia Coordinator; Parental Involvement Coordinator
Email: marta.salazar@aliceisd.net
Phone: 3616640981