English Language Arts

List of 4 items.

• 5th Grade

  • Narrative and persuasive writing structures
  • U.S. government basics and civic processes
  • Salish and Duwamish cultural history
  • Concepts of bias, evidence, and credibility

• 6th Grade

  • Read independently for sustained periods and log reflections
  • Participate in group discussions using shared reading and listening protocols
  • Write clear and compelling sentences using literary devices and correct punctuation
  • Tell and write original narratives, including creation stories and autobiographical pieces
  • Conduct interviews and integrate quotes into personal writing
  • Use research tools (timelines, maps, vetted sources) to investigate historical topics
  • Write and revise essays using claim, evidence, and reasoning structure
  • Create poetry using literary techniques (e.g., metaphor, rhyme, personification)
  • Perform and publicly present original writing, including poetry
  • Cite sources and create bibliographies for written work
  • Collaborate on group storytelling, performances, and public-facing projects

• 7th Grade

  • Write literary analysis and opinion essays (e.g., letter essays)
  • Use pre-writing, drafting, revision, and editing strategies
  • Integrate textual evidence and quotations effectively
  • Express and explain ideas orally and in writing
  • Identify and analyze character traits, themes, and motifs in literature
  • Use rhetorical strategies (ethos, pathos, logos) to craft persuasive writing
  • Conduct interviews and basic research
  • Compose and revise open letters for authentic audiences
  • Participate in group projects and collaborative discussions
  • Track literary patterns using “tapestry-and-stitch” and point-driven reading techniques
  • Deliver writing for publication or submission (e.g., NYT contest, public letters)

• 8th Grade

  • Write concise personal narratives (e.g., 100-word memoirs)
  • Use literary techniques such as imagery, dialogue, and conflict in storytelling
  • Apply correct punctuation for dialogue, em dashes, and semicolons
  • Plan and structure original fictional stories
  • Engage in peer writing workshops using feedback protocols
  • Analyze and interpret poetry using literary terms (e.g., stanza, enjambment)
  • Write interpretive essays on poems of varying complexity
  • Identify and analyze point of view in fiction
  • Participate in independent reading routines and set long-term reading goals
  • Reflect on and communicate their interpretation process through writing