Talley Middle School
English Language Arts
At Talley Middle School, the English Department empowers our students to become engaged learners who accept the challenge for their own learning and success. ELA courses at Talley are based on the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts, which are measured on the Smarter Balanced State Assessment.
ELA Curriculum
The ELA department is excited to announce that we are using a curriculum for ELA called INTO LITERATURE by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The curriculum has a digital platform in addition to a traditional workbook. During class, students will use both platforms. This curriculum aligns to the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts, which are measured on the Smarter Balanced State assessment taken each spring. Each level of INTO LITERATURE - 6th, 7th and 8th - is comprised of 6 engaging units with compelling Essential questions that guide each unit’s instruction.
Examples of units from each grade level include the following:
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6th Grade - “Discover Your Voice”
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7th Grade - “Inspired by Nature”
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8th Grade - “Gadgets and Glitches”
Each unit contains a variety of texts including novels, short stories, personal essays, poetry, informational texts and more. Each text is broken down into 3 components:
- Before Reading - students preview the text and the focus skills
- During Reading - students “notice and note” (annotate) the text
- After Reading - through analysis and writing, students respond to the text
Students will be assessed in a variety of formats including selection tests, unit tests, short constructed responses, longer writing prompts, along with a variety of “Choice” activities.