Classroom Resource

A Portrait of Our World: Making Connections and Developing Comprehension

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

6, 7, 8

Overview

Engage middle school students in a meaningful study of the lives of students from across the globe through the use of contemporary nonfiction and fiction. Students create personal autobiographies, sequence story events, and prepare well-crafted summaries while learning to use higher-level comprehension strategies such as Question-Answer Relationships and the Bio-Cube. Additionally, students conduct a critical study of the NCSS Notable Tradebook Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story From Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter, comparing and contrasting their own lives to Nasreen's and expanding their geographical knowledge of the Middle East.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 6

ELA21.6.R2

Use context clues to determine meanings of unfamiliar spoken or written words.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.6.R2

Vocabulary

  • Context clues
  • Determine
  • Unfamiliar spoken words
  • Unfamiliar written words

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Context clues in speech or text can provide the meaning of unfamiliar words.
  • There are different types of context clues, including inference/general clues, definition/explanation clues, restatement/synonym clues, and contrast/antonym clues.
  • Context clues in text are often indicated by punctuation marks.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words in speech.
  • Use context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words in text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • An author or a speaker use context clues to explain the meaning of unusual words or academic, domain-specific vocabulary.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 6

ELA21.6.7

Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writing in which the development, organization, style, and tone are relevant to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.6.7

Vocabulary

  • Narrative writing
  • Argument writing
  • Informative/explanatory writing
  • Writing development
  • Writing organization
  • Style
  • Tone
  • Task
  • Purpose
  • Audience
  • Command of language

Knowledge

Students know:
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple research sources.
  • The purpose of argumentative writing is to convince the reader to take action or adopt a particular position.
  • The development, organization, style, and tone of writing will change depending on the writing task, the purpose of the writing, and the intended audience.
  • Formal academic writing should demonstrate an appropriate command of language.

    Skills

    Students are able to:
    • Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writings.
    • Identify the writing task, the purpose of writing, and the intended audience in order to appropriately adapt the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
    • Demonstrate command of the written language.

    Understanding

    Students understand that:
    • There are different genres of writing that serve various purposes.
    • The writing task, purpose, and audience should be considered in the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
    • Formal academic writing should display their command of the English language.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 6

    ELA21.6.28

    Discover word meanings through active listening in various contexts.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.6.28

    Vocabulary

    • Active listening

    Knowledge

    Students know:
    • Active listening skills.

    Skills

    Students are able to:
    • Learn the meanings of unfamiliar words through active listening in contexts such as classroom discussions, oral presentations, and digital formats.

    Understanding

    Students understand that:
    • They can learn the meaning of unfamiliar or unknown spoken words by using active listening skills.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 7

    ELA21.7.R2

    Use context clues to determine meanings of unfamiliar spoken or written words.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.7.R2

    Vocabulary

    • Context clues
    • Determine
    • Unfamiliar spoken words
    • Unfamiliar written words

    Knowledge

    Students know:
    • Context clues in speech or text can provide the meaning of unfamiliar words.
    • There are different types of context clues, including inference/general clues, definition/explanation clues, restatement/synonym clues, and contrast/antonym clues.
    • Context clues in text are often indicated by punctuation marks.

    Skills

    Students are able to:
    • Use context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words in speech.
    • Use context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words in text.

    Understanding

    Students understand that:
    • An author or a speaker use context clues to explain the meaning of unusual words or academic, domain-specific vocabulary.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 7

    ELA21.7.7

    Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writing in which the development, organization, style, and tone are relevant to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.7.7

    Vocabulary

    • Narrative writing
    • Argument writing
    • Informative/explanatory writing
    • Writing development
    • Writing organization
    • Style
    • Tone
    • Task
    • Purpose
    • Audience
    • Command of language

    Knowledge

    Students know:
    • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
    • The purpose of argumentative writing is to convince the reader to take action or adopt a particular position.
    • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple research sources.
    • The development, organization, style, and tone of writing will change depending on the writing task, the purpose of the writing, and the intended audience.
    • Formal academic writing should demonstrate an appropriate command of language.

    Skills

    Students are able to:
    • Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writings.
    • Identify the writing task, the purpose of writing, and the intended audience in order to appropriately adapt the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
    • Demonstrate command of the written language.

    Understanding

    Students understand that:
    • There are different genres of writing that serve various purposes.
    • The writing task, purpose, and audience should be considered in the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
    • Formal academic writing should display their command of the English language.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 7

    ELA21.7.31

    Infer word meaning through active listening in various contexts for purposeful, effective communication.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.7.31

    Vocabulary

    • Infer
    • Active listening
    • Various contexts
    • Purposeful communication
    • Effective communication

    Knowledge

    Students know:
    • Strategies to identify word meaning in spoken language.
    • Active listening skills.

    Skills

    Students are able to:
    • Actively listen to infer word meaning.
    • Engage in purposeful, effective communication.

    Understanding

    Students understand that:
    • Listening is vital in understanding the full meaning of a speaker's message and when communicating effectively with others.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 8

    ELA21.8.R2

    Use context clues to determine meanings of unfamiliar spoken or written words.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.8.R2

    Vocabulary

    • Context clues
    • Determine
    • Unfamiliar spoken words
    • Unfamiliar written words

    Knowledge

    Students know:
    • Context clues in speech or text can provide the meaning of unfamiliar words.
    • There are different types of context clues, including inference/general clues, definition/explanation clues, restatement/synonym clues, and contrast/antonym clues.
    • Context clues in text are often indicated by punctuation marks.

    Skills

    Students are able to:
    • Use context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words in speech.
    • Use context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words in text.

    Understanding

    Students understand that:
    • An author or a speaker use context clues to explain the meaning of unusual words or academic, domain-specific vocabulary.
    English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 8

    ELA21.8.8

    Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writing in which the development, organization, style, and tone are relevant to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

    Unpacked Content

    UP:ELA21.8.8

    Vocabulary

    • Narrative writing
    • Argument writing
    • Informative/explanatory writing
    • Writing development
    • Writing organization
    • Style
    • Tone
    • Task
    • Purpose
    • Audience
    • Command of language

    Knowledge

    Students know:
    • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
    • The purpose of argumentative writing is to convince the reader to take action or adopt a particular position.
    • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple research sources.
    • The development, organization, style, and tone of writing will change depending on the writing task, the purpose of the writing, and the intended audience.
    • Formal academic writing should demonstrate an appropriate command of language.

      Skills

      Students are able to:
      • Produce clear, coherent narrative, argument, and informative/explanatory writings.
      • Identify the writing task, the purpose of writing, and the intended audience in order to appropriately adapt the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
      • Demonstrate command of the written language.

      Understanding

      Students understand that:
      • There are different genres of writing that serve various purposes.
      • The writing task, purpose, and audience should be considered in the development, organization, style, and tone of the writing.
      • Formal academic writing should display their command of the English language.
      English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 8

      ELA21.8.30

      Analyze and connect word meanings through active listening in various contexts for purposeful, effective communication.

      Unpacked Content

      UP:ELA21.8.30

      Vocabulary

      • Active listening
      • Various contexts
      • Purposeful communication
      • Effective communication

      Knowledge

      Students know:
      • Strategies to analyze and connect word meanings in spoken language.
      • Active listening skills.

      Skills

      Students are able to:
      • Actively listen to analyze and connect word meanings.
      • Engage in purposeful, effective communication.

      Understanding

      Students understand that:
      • Listening is vital in understanding the full meaning of a speaker's message and when communicating effectively with others.
      Link to Resource
      http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/portrait-world-makin…

      CR Resource Type

      Lesson/Unit Plan

      Resource Provider

      ReadWriteThink
      Accessibility
      License

      License Type

      Custom

      Custom License Type (URL)

      http://www.readwritethink.org/util/legal.html

      Approved Date

      raulstoncg
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