Reading 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Reading Strategies Reading Strategies Reading Strategies
1. Questioning 1. Setting a Purpose and Previewing 1. Previewing
2. Activating Prior Knowledge 2. Relating to Personal Experience 2. Using Graphic Organizers
3. Predicting 3. Making and Confirming Predictions 3. Reacting and Connecting
4. Reacting and Connecting 4. Monitoring Your Understanding 4. Clarifying and Questioning
5. Taking Notes 5. Visualizing 5. Paraphrasing
6. Summarizing 6. Skimming 6. Outlining
7. Visualizing 7. Outlining 7. Rereading
8. Paraphrasing 8. Skimming and Scanning
9. Summarizing
Text Structure Text Structure Text Structure
8. Sequence 10. Chronological Order 9. Spatial Order
9. Comparison-Contrast 11. Cause-Effect 10. Classification
10. Cause-Effect 12. Process 11. Induction and Deduction
11. Classification 13. Comparison-Contrast 12. Order of Importance
Comprehension Skills Comprehension Skills Comprehension Skills
12. Main Idea and Supporting Details 14. Main Idea and Supporting Details 13. Implied Main Idea
13. Making an Inference 15. Inferences and Conclusions 14. Drawing Conclusions
14. Author’s Purpose & Point of View 16. Using Text Evidence 15. Facts and Opinions
15. Facts and Opinions 17. Generalizations 16. Comparing and Contrasting Texts
16. Reading Critically 18. Reading Critically 17. Persuasive Techniques
17. Evaluating 19. Author’s Purpose and Perspective
Reading StrategiesReading Strategies Reading Strategies
Text StructureText Structure Text Structure
Comprehension Skills Comprehension Skills Comprehension Skills
Academic Workout Tables of Contents
2
L E V E L S 6 – 8
Academic Workout www.CurriculumAssociates.com
6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Focus on Fiction Focus on Fiction Focus on Fiction
26. Plot 28. Plot and Conflict 26. Plot Organization
27. Character 29. Characterization 27. Setting and Mood
28. Setting 30. Kinds of Narrators 28. Characters and Theme
29. Theme 31. Theme and Theme Statements 29. Historical Fiction
30. First-person Point of View 32. Myth and Legend 30. Fantasy and Science Fiction
31. Third-person Point of View 33. Folktale and Fable 31. Tales
Focus on Nonfiction Focus on Nonfiction Focus on Nonfiction
32. Visuals 34. Maps 32. Graphs and Tables
33. Parts of a Book 35. Graphs 33. Narrative Nonfiction
34. Biography 36. Formal and Informal Essays 34. Essay
35. Autobiography 37. Magazine Article 35. Autobiographical Writing
36. Newspaper Article 38. Biographical Writing 36. Reading a Website
39. Workplace and Consumer Material
Focus on Poetry and Drama Focus on Poetry and Drama Focus on Poetry and Drama
37. Rhyme 40. Sound Devices 37. Repetition of Sounds
38. Rhythm 41. Rhythm and Meter 38. Poetic Structure
39. Structure and Shape 42. Types of Poetry 39. Forms of Poetry
40. Parts of a Play 43. Reading Plays 40. Dialogue and Monologue
41. Dialogue and Dialect
Elements of Literature Elements of Literature Elements of Literature
42. Metaphor and Simile 44. Foreshadowing and Flashbacks 41. Tone and Irony
43. Word Choice and Repetition 45. Imagery 42. Point of View
44. Mood and Tone 46. Irony 43. Symbolism and Allusion
45. Symbolism 47. Personification and Hyperbole 44. Figurative Language
46. Sensory Details 48. Style 45. Sensory Language and Imagery
Literature
Focus on Fiction Focus on Fiction Focus on Fiction
Focus on NonfictionFocus on Nonfiction Focus on Nonfiction
Focus on Poetry and DramaFocus on Poetry and Drama Focus on Poetry and Drama
Elements of LiteratureElements of Literature Elements of Literature
Word Power Word Power Word Power
18. Context Clues 20. Context Clues 18. Context Clues
19. Homophones 21. Synonyms and Connotations 19. Connotations and Denotations
20. Multiple-meaning Words 22. Idioms, Slang, and Dialect 20. Formal and Informal Language
21. Using a Dictionary 23. Using a Dictionary 21. Using a Thesaurus
22. Word Origins 24. Analogies 22. Analogies and Arguments
Word Parts Word Parts Word Parts
23. Prefixes 25. Prefixes 23. Influences on Language
24. Suffixes 26. Suffixes 24. Word Derivatives
25. Roots 27. Greek and Latin Roots 25. Anglo-Saxon, Greek, and Latin Roots
Vocabulary
Word Parts Word Parts Word Parts
6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Word Power Word Power Word Power
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Writing
6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Writing Process Writing Process Writing Process and Strategies
47. Prewriting 49. Prewriting 46. Understanding Audience and Purpose
48. Drafting 50. Drafting 47. Revising
49. Revising 51. Revising 48. Editing and Proofreading
50. Editing and Proofreading 52. Editing and Proofreading 49. Evaluating with a Rubric
50. Writing from Models
Effective Paragraphs, Effective Paragraphs, Effective Paragraphs,
Sentences, and Words Sentences, and Words Sentences, and Words
51. Paragraph Parts 53. Paragraph Parts 51. Supporting a Thesis
52. Paragraph Development & Details 54. Paragraph Development and Details 52. Introductions
53. Organization and Transition 55. Organization and Transitions 53. Conclusions
54. Sentence Variety 56. Sentence Variety 54. Sentence Style
55. Precise Words 58. Formal and Informal English 55. Word Choice
56. Formal and Informal English
Modes and Forms of Writing Forms of Writing Forms of Writing
57. Narrative Writing 59. Personal Narrative 56. Biography
58. Descriptive Writing 60. Poem 57. Expository Essay
59. Expository Writing 61. Persuasive Essay 58. Technical Writing
60. Persuasive Writing 62. Literary Interpretation 59. Review
61. Story 63. Business Letter 60. Editorial
62. Expository Essay 64. Research Report 61. Literary Analysis
63. Friendly Letter 62. Multimedia Report
64. Response to Literature
65. Research Report
Writing Process Writing Process Writing Process and Strategies
Effective Paragraphs, Effective Paragraphs, Effective Paragraphs,
Sentences, and Words Sentences, and Words Sentences, and Words
Modes and Forms of Writing Forms of Writing Forms of Writing
4
L E V E L S 6 – 8
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6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Sentence Basics Sentence Basics Sentence Basics
66. Sentence Parts 65. Complete Sentences 63. Basic Sentence Patterns
67. Phrases and Clauses 66. Independent and Dependent Clauses 64. Sentence Structure
68. Fragments 67. Sentence Types 65. Fragments and Run-ons
69. Run-ons 68. Parts of Speech 66. Subject-Verb Agreement
70. Parts of Speech
Grammar and Usage Grammar and Usage Grammar and Usage
71. Subject-Verb Agreement 69. Subject-Verb Agreement 67. Pronoun Usage
72. Plurals 70. Pronouns and Antecedents 68. Types of Pronouns
73. Possessives 71. Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers 69. Common and Irregular Verbs
74. Subject and Object Pronouns 72. Plurals 70. Verbals
75. Regular and Irregular Verbs 73. Possessives 71. Troublesome Verb Pairs
76. Verb Tenses 74. Active and Passive Voice 72. Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases
77. Adjectives and Adverbs 75. Comparing with Adjectives & Adverbs
Punctuation, Mechanics, Punctuation, Mechanics, Punctuation, Mechanics,
and Spelling and Spelling and Spelling
78. Commas 76. Commas 73. Using Adjectives and Adverbs
79. Colons and Semicolons 77. Colons and Semicolons 74. Commas
80. Capitalization 78. Quotation Marks 75. Apostrophes
81. Spelling 79. Capitalization 76. Hyphens and Dashes
80. Problem Word Pairs 77. Direct and Indirect Quotations
78. Abbreviations and Titles
79. Improving Your Spelling
Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, and Spelling
Sentence Basics Sentence Basics Sentence Basics
Grammar and Usage Grammar and Usage Grammar and Usage
Punctuation, Mechanics, Punctuation, Mechanics, Punctuation, Mechanics,
and Spelling and Spelling and Spelling
Study and Test-taking Study and Test-taking Study and Test-taking
Strategies Strategies Strategies
82. Using Graphic Organizers 81. Activating Prior Knowledge 80. Reviewing and Summarizing
83. Outlining 82. Planning Your Time 81. Taking and Organizing Notes
84. Preparing for and Taking Tests 83. Following Directions 82. Types of Questions
85. Writing Tests and Writing Prompts 84. Objective Tests 83. Directions and Questions
85. Essay Tests 84. Writing Tests
Research Skills Research Skills Research Skills
86. Research Topics and Questions 86. Types of Resources 85. Using the Internet
87. Locating Resources: Online Searches 87. Primary and Secondary Sources 86. Synthesizing Multiple Sources
88. Locating Resources: Library Catalogs 88. Organizing Your Notes 87. Using Visuals and Multimedia
89. Evaluating Sources 89. Paraphrasing vs. Quoting 88. Locating and Selecting Sources
90. Citing Sources 90. Documenting Sources 89. Reliability of Sources
90. Documentation Styles and Formats
6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Study and Test-taking
Strategies
Study and Test-taking Study and Test-taking
Strategies Strategies
Research Skills Research Skills Research Skills
5800 225 0248 Tables of Contents
Academic and Study Skills
Standards
1 Introduce • Introduce the topic by writing the following sentences on the board:
New York City is a great place to open a restaurant.
New York City is the best city in which to live in the United States.
New York City has the largest population of any city in the U.S.
A S K : Which statement do you think would be the easiest to prove?
Students should say the third statement because it is a fact based on statistics.
A S K : Which statement would be the most diffi cult to prove?
Students should say the second statement because it is opinion, and there are
no facts to prove it.
• Tell students that this lesson is about how to present facts and opinions in a
persuasive essay.
2 Teach • As you read the overhead aloud, check students’ understanding of the academic
vocabulary.
A S K : Why is it a good idea to anticipate objections in a persuasive essay?
(because it takes away some of the force of arguments the reader might make
against the author’s position)
• Read and discuss the Model.
A S K : How might the author’s position be supported by facts, anecdotes,
statistics, or expert opinions?
Ask students to provide examples.
Writing
• Plan a persuasive essay
• Select a subject
• Support a position
• Use an introduction and a conclusion
Persuasive Essay61.
• A persuasive essay attempts to infl uence a reader’s thinking. It may try to convince the reader to think in a certain way or take action.
• Key elements of successful, well-written persuasive essays include:
1. a clearly stated opinion or position on an issue, presented in the introduction and summarized in the conclusion.
2. strong arguments, reasons, and/or evidence (such as examples, facts, statistics, or expert fi ndings) presented in a logical order.
3. convincing, appropriate language and a reasonable tone (that avoids negative or insulting language or emotion).
4. anticipation of possible objections and an attempt to answer them.
Young people should be included on the planning committee
for the new youth center. Recent community surveys show
that a center planned by adults is unlikely to meet the needs of
young people. Teenagers have clearly said they won’t use a center
that doesn’t meet their needs.
Some people may argue that young people aren’t mature
enough to help with the planning. But past experiences
suggest that simply isn’t true. Consider how valuable their
contributions were when West Park was redesigned.
Clearly Stated Position There is no doubt how the writer feels about this debatable issue.
Argument and Evidence Reasons based on survey results appear in the first paragraph.
Anticipate Objections Acknowledge and answer any arguments.
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Model
Did you mention... that words that evoke an emotional response should
be avoided in a persuasive essay based on reason? Use of derogatory
terms is a form of name-calling. For example, do you describe a leader as
aggressive or assertive? Is a part of town neglected or a slum?
Persuasive Essay61.Academic and Study Skills
• Form and support opinions
Reading
• Use text evidence as support
L I S T E N I N G A N D S P E A K I N G E X T E N S I O N
Standard: Organize arguments for a debate
Explain that a debate is similar to a persuasive essay because
the 2 teams take opposing positions on an issue and provide
reasonable arguments to support their positions. Point out
that one doesn’t have to agree with a position to debate it. The
winner of a debate is the team that presents the best collection
of arguments.
Have the class select a current topic of interest to debate. Then
organize the class into groups of 6. Randomly assign 3 students
to argue in favor of the issue and 3 to take the opposite position.
Students should brainstorm possible arguments and then make
a list of the supporting evidence. Encourage students to use a
variety of supporting details and consider opposing arguments.
W R I T I N G L E V E L 7 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E L E S S O N
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108 Academic Workout Assessment Book
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✃W R I T I N G Name:
W R I T I N G Name: Date:
Review 61. P E R S U A S I V E E S S A Y
Read the following excerpt from a persuasive essay. Then answer the questions.
Quiz 61. P E R S U A S I V E E S S A Y
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A persuasive essay attempts to
A infl uence a reader’s thinking.B entertain a reader.C describe an autobiographical experience. D all of the above
2. An effective persuasive essay doesn’t need evidence to support the writer’s position.
A TrueB False
3. A successful, well-written essay should include
A a clearly stated position.B strong arguments, reasons, and/or evidence.C a reasonable tone.D all of the above
4. When writing a persuasive essay, you should anticipate possible objections to your position.
A TrueB False
People go to movies to escape the irritations of the real world. Nowadays, people are forced to watch fi fteen minutes of television—such as commercials advertising soft drinks and luxury cars, before the movie starts. This bombardment of advertising completely spoils the escape that movies once offered.
As moviegoers, we are a captive audience who are force-fed these unwelcome messages. Unlike radio and television commercials, there is no channel to change. Short of shutting our eyes and
sticking popcorn in our ears, we have no choice but to take in whatever is transmitted. Advertisers must love that.
We already pay overpriced admission fees to see the movies we love. In 2004, the average movie admission fee ranged from eight to twelve dollars. That’s a lot of money. Not to mention the infl ated prices we must pay for refreshments at the snack bar. So, why do movie theater owners make us watch annoying commercials?
1. What is the writer’s position in this essay? 2. Write a possible objection that the writer should anticipate.
W R I T I N G Name:
142 Academic Workout Student Practice
Persuasive Essay61.
Review Key Points• A persuasive essay tries to influence a reader’s thinking by convincing him or
her to think in a certain way or take action.
• Key elements of a persuasive essay include:
1. a clearly stated opinion or position on an issue
2. strong arguments, reasons, and/or evidence presented in a logical order
3. convincing, appropriate language and a reasonable tone
4. anticipation of possible objections and an attempt to answer them
Identify Clearly Stated PositionsExplain whether each sentence does or doesn’t state a clear position on a debatable issue. If a sentence isn’t a clearly stated position statement, tell why not.
1. The grading system in math doesn’t accurately refl ect the students’ knowledge.
2. Our school was named after William McKinley, president of the United States from 1897–1901.
3. Someone needs to do something about the garbage around McKinley Junior High.
4. Extending the school day by one hour would eliminate the need for homework.
5. City taxes should be raised so that there is money to expand the school band program.
6. Many people wonder why the spring dance was canceled.
A
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Academic Vocabulary
evidencefacts, quotes, examples, and other information supporting an opinion; information helpful in forming a conclusion or judgment
logical orderseries or sequence that makes sense, where one idea fl ows naturally into the next
objectionsreasons against something or objecting to something
persuasiveintended to change or infl uence opinion
position point of view or opinion on an issue
toneattitude a writer takes in a piece of writing or toward a subject; way of speaking
3 Practice Student Practice pages 142–145
Less-Profi cient Readers and English Learners
Read aloud Review Key Points with students, pausing to explain and discuss each point.
Work through Parts A and B with students. Then have partners complete
Parts C, D, and E.
On-Level Learners
After students complete Parts A and B, have them work in small groups to fi nd evidence
in the passage in B to support their answers. The same groups can brainstorm additional
ideas for persuasive essays before students complete Parts C, D, and E.
Advanced Learners
Ask students to complete the 4 practice pages. Then have students discuss their plans
and give each other feedback.
4 Assess Use the Quick Assess and Student Practice to monitor how well students grasped
the lesson. Remind students to check off the “I can . . .” statements on Student Practice
page 145.
Quick Assess
A S K :
❏ What should a strong position statement for a persuasive essay include?
❏ What are some supporting details you might use in a persuasive essay?
Discuss students’ ideas.
For students who need extra practice, assign the Review activity on page 108 in
the Assessment Book. Other students can move on to the Quiz on that same page.
To give students practice
with persuasive essays, help
them compare and contrast
2 essays from newspapers
or magazines. You might
also fi nd persuasive essays
suitable for the level of your
students in a collection for
adults, such as Best American
Essays by Robert Atwan.
Have students select an
essay as a model to use for
writing a persuasive essay. Literature
Overhead 36:
Formal and Informal Essays
Student Practice pp. 86–87
Writing
Overhead 55: Elaborating
Student Practice pp. 128–129
Academic and Study Skills
Overhead 85: Essay Tests
Student Practice pp. 198–201
Overhead 36 explains the diff erence between formal and informal essays and points out that
persuasive essays are usually formal in tone. Use Overhead 55 to go over the kinds of elaboration
students can use in writing essays, such as facts and statistics, anecdotes, and examples. Use
Overhead 85 to explain that a persuasive essay is one type of essay students may be asked to write
on an essay test.
U S I N G O T H E R L I T E R A T U R E
Persuasive Essay
U S I N G O T H E R L E S S O N S
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L E V E L 7 S T U D E N T P R A C T I C E L E S S O N
15800 225 0248 Student Practice
16 Academic Workout www.CurriculumAssociates.com
L E V E L 7 S T U D E N T P R A C T I C E L E S S O N
17800 225 0248 Student Practice
Persuasive Essay61.
• A persuasive essay attempts to infl uence a reader’s thinking. It may try to convince the reader to think in a certain way or take action.
• Key elements of successful, well-written persuasive essays include:
a clearly stated opinion or position on an issue, presented in the introduction and summarized in the conclusion.
strong arguments, reasons, and/or evidence (such as examples, facts, statistics, or expert fi ndings) presented in a logical order.
convincing, appropriate language and a reasonable tone (that avoids negative or insulting language or emotion).
anticipation of possible objections and an attempt to answer them.
Young people should be included on the planning committee
for the new youth center. Recent community surveys show
that a center planned by adults is unlikely to meet the needs of
young people. Teenagers have clearly said they won’t use a center
that doesn’t meet their needs.
Some people may argue that young people aren’t mature
enough to help with the planning. But past experiences
suggest that simply isn’t true. Consider how valuable their
contributions were when West Park was redesigned.
Clearly Stated Position There is no doubt how the writer feels about this debatable issue.
Argument and Evidence Reasons based on survey results appear in the first paragraph.
Anticipate Objections Acknowledge and answer any arguments.
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