Curriculum

In kindergarten math, students will:

Count objects
Understand the numbers from 1 through 25 as having one or two groups of ten and some singletons. Also count by ones and by tens with objects in 10-groups
Understand and describe simple addition and subtraction for totals equal to and less than ten
Compare numbers (which is/has more/less/fewer) up to 30
Compare two or more sets (up to ten objects in each group) and identify which set has the same as, more than, or less than the other
Create, explore and describe shapes
Identify, sort and classify objects by attribute and identify objects that do not belong in a particular group
Compare the length, weight, and capacity of objects by making direct comparisons with reference objects (e.g., note which object is shorter, longer, taller, lighter, heavier, or holds more)
Demonstrate an understanding of concepts of time (e.g., morning, afternoon, evening, today, yesterday, tomorrow, week, year) and tools that measure time (e.g., clock, calendar)
Identify the time (to the nearest hour) of everyday events (e.g., lunch times is 12 o’clock: bedtime is 8 o’clock at night)
Create, describe, and extend simple patterns

In kindergarten science, students will:

Describe life cycles of familiar organisms
Give evidence that characteristics are passed from parents to young
Describe the basic requirements for all living things to maintain their existence
Classify common objects and substances according to observable attributes/properties
Describe possible electrical hazards to be avoided at home and at school
Describe patterns of interactions of magnetic materials with other magnetic and non-magnetic materials
Describe sounds in terms of their properties
Explain how sounds are made
Describe weather conditions
Describe seasonal changes in Michigan’s weather
Explain appropriate safety precautions during severe weather

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In kindergarten social studies, students will:

Use analog and digital clocks to tell time
Use weeks, months and years as intervals of time
Describe the human characteristics of places and explain some basic uses for those characteristics
Describe the natural characteristics of places and explain some basic uses for those characteristics
Describe how people use the environment to meet human needs and wants
Suggest ways that people can help improve their environment
Identify locations of significance in their immediate environment and explain reasons for their location
Identify people and places in other locations and explain their importance to the community
Identify people, goods, services and ideas in their local community, which have come from other places and describe why they moved
Identify regions in their immediate environment and describe their characteristics and boundaries
Cite examples of government carrying out its legal authority in their local community
Describe consequences of not having rules
Identify aspects of life at school and in the local community that illustrate justice and freedom
Identify rules at school and in the local community and consider consequences for breaking rules
Describe fair ways for groups to make decisions
Describe ways that individuals influence each other
Identify the goods and services their school provides and the people who provide them
Recognize economic exchanges in which they participate
Identify United States coin and currency denominations and describe the role of cash in the exchange of goods and services
Locate information using people, books, audio/video recordings, photos, simple maps, graphs and tables
Acquire information from observation of the local environment
Organize information to make and interpret simple maps of their local surroundings and simple graphs and table of social data drawn from their experience

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In kindergarten reading, students will:

Demonstrate phonemic awareness by the wide range of sound manipulation competencies including sound blending and deletion
Recognize that words are composed of sounds blended together and carry meaning
Understand the alphabetic principle-that sounds in words are expressed by the letters of the alphabet
Use grapho-phonemic (letter-sound) cues to recognize a few one-syllable words when presented completely out of context
Have begun to associate letters and sounds, particularly initial and final consonants
Recognize a small number (about 18) of frequently encountered, personally meaningful words in print automatically
Recognize a few of the 220 Dolch basic sight vocabulary automatically
Follow familiar written text while pointing to matching words
Narrow possibilities in predicting words using -initial letters/sounds (phonics) -picture clues (semantic) -patterns of language (syntactic)
Know the meanings of words encountered frequently in kindergarten in oral language context (grade level vocabulary lists to be developed)
In context, determine the meaning of a few words and familiar and repeated phrases (objects, actions, concepts, content, and English language arts vocabulary) using strategies and resources
Use picture clues, prediction, other people
Apply the following aspects of fluency: automatic naming of letters, automatic association of letters and their sounds, automatic recognition of a few words both when encountered in context and isolation, and demonstrating automatic understanding of concepts of print
Become familiar with and respond thoughtfully to classic and contemporary literature -recognized for quality and literary merit -reflecting our common heritage as well as cultures from around the world
Identify a variety of narrative genre including -stories -nursery rhymes -poetry -songs
Discuss simple story elements in narrative text -setting -characters -events
Identify how authors-illustrators use pictures and illustrations to support the understanding of settings and characters
Respond to multiple texts read by discussing, drawing, and/or writing to reflect, make meaning and make connections
Identify a variety of informational genre -environmental text -concept books-picture books
With teacher guidance, discuss informational text patterns -sequential -descriptive
Explain how authors/illustrators use text features such as pictures and drawings to enhance the understanding of key ideas presented in -descriptive (definitions, enumeration) -sequential (directions, steps, procedures) organizational patterns
Respond to multiple texts read by discussing, drawing, and/or writing to reflect, make meaning, and make connections
Activate prior knowledge
Connect personal knowledge and experience to ideas in texts
Retell up to three events from familiar text using their own words or phrasing
Begin to make text-to-self and text-to-text connections and comparisons
Make meaningful predictions based on illustrations or portions of stories
Acquire and apply significant knowledge from what has been read to them from grade level appropriate science, social studies, and mathematics texts
Self-monitor comprehension when reading familiar grade level appropriate text
Use simple strategies to increase comprehension while reading familiar grade level text such as making credible predictions based on illustrations
Begin to use story grammar to identify author’s perspective
Begin to sort and order information with extensive teacher guidance
Recognize how to assess personal work and the work of others with teacher supervision
Become enthusiastic about reading and learning how to read
Choose books, book activities, word play, and writing on their own during free time in school and at home

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In kindergarten writing, students will:

Write a brief personal narrative using -pictures -words, word-like clusters, and/or sentences as support
Approximate poetry, using copy change and teacher guidance, based on reading a wide variety of grade level appropriate published poetry
Write a brief informational piece (a page for a class book) using -drawings -words, word-like clusters, and/or sentences
Contribute to a class research project by adding relevant information to a class book including -gathering information from teacher-supplied texts -using the writing process to develop the project
With teacher assistance, consider the audience reaction as they plan their writing
Brainstorm to generate and structure ideas for narrative and informational text
Use semi-phonetic spelling to represent narrative and informational text when writing incorporating pictures and drawings
Revise their own writing by reading it to peers, requesting suggestions and clarifications that support meaning
Show originality in oral, written, and visual messages including -narrative (natural language, expressed sentiment, original ideas) -informational (listing, naming, describing)
Spell a smaller number (about 18) of frequently encountered and personally meaningful words correctly
For other words, rely on -structural cues (beginning and simpler ending sounds) -environmental sources (word wall, word lists)
Form upper and lower case letters
Leave space between words and word-like clusters of letters
Write from left to right and top to bottom
Enthusiastic about writing and learning to write

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In kindergarten speaking, students will:

Use language to communicate with a variety of audiences and for different purposes -problem-solve -explain -look for solutions -construct relationships -courtesies
In spoken informational and narrative presentations -speak clearly and audibly in complete, coherent sentences -use sound effects -use illustrations
Make presentations or reports in standard American English if it is their first language (students whose first language is not English will present their work in their developing version of standard American English)
Be aware that language differs from playground and classroom as a function of linguistic and cultural group membership (they can provide examples of language differences on the playground and in the classroom
Engage in substantive conversation -remaining focused on subject matter -with interchanges beginning to build on prior responses -in the context of literature discussions, paired conversations, or other interactions
Briefly tell-retell about -familiar experiences (including at least characters, setting, and events) -interest (including at least topic and key details)
Respond to multiple text types by reflecting, making meaning, and making connections
Plan and deliver presentations or reports -using an informational organizational pattern description -with appropriate text features, pictures, and illustrations -providing several facts and details to make their point

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In kindergarten listening & viewing, students will:

Understand and follow one and two step directions
Ask appropriate questions during a presentations or report
Listen to each other and interact and respond appropriately -eye contact -attentive -supportive
Use effective listening and viewing behaviors
Differentiate between sending and receiver
Listen to or view and discuss a variety of genres
Listen to, view, and respond thoughtfully to both classic and contemporary texts recognized for quality and literary merit
Respond to multiple texts listened to or viewed by discussing, drawing and/or writing in order to reflect, make meaning, and make connections

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In first grade math, students will:

Use number notation and place value up to 100
Compare sets and order numbers
Add and subtract numbers within 100
Place whole numbers on the number line
Estimate and measure length
Tell time (12-hour clock)
Work with money
Use picture graphs
Explore 2D and 3D shapes in the world
Create and describe patterns

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In first grade science, students will:

Explain characteristics and functions of observable body parts in a variety of animals
Compare and contrast familiar organisms on the basis of observable physical characteristics
Describe life cycles of familiar organisms
Explain functions of selected see plant parts
Explain how physical and behavioral characteristics of animals help them to survive in their environments
Identify familiar organisms as part of a food chain or food web and describe their feeding relationships within the web
Describe the basic requirements for all living things to maintain their existence
Classify common objects and substances according to observable attributes/properties introduced
Identify properties of materials which make them useful
Identify forms of energy associated with common phenomena
Describe possible electrical hazards to be avoided at home and at school
Describe common physical changes in matter-size, shape; melting, freezing
Describe or compare motions of common objects in terms of speed and direction
Describe sounds in terms of their properties
Explain how sounds are made
Use prisms and filters with light sources to produce various colors of light
Explain how shadows are made
Describe how water exists on earth in three states
Trace the path that rain water follows after it falls
Identify sources of water and its uses
Describe weather conditions
Describe seasonal changes in Michigan’s weather
Explain appropriate safety precautions during severe weather

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In first grade reading, students will:

Demonstrate phonemic awareness by the wide range of sound manipulation competencies including sound blending and deletion
Recognize the words are composed of sound blended together and carry meaning
Understand the alphabetic principle-that sounds in words are expressed by the letters of the alphabet
Use structural cues to recognize one-syllable words, blends, and consonant diagraphs -letter/sound -onset and rimes -whole word chunks -word families diagraphs th, ch, sh
Recognize grade 1 frequently encountered words in print and out of context automatically
Be making progress in recognizing the 220 Dolch basic sight vocabulary and 95 common nouns
Use strategies to identify unknown words and construct meaning -letter and word level cues (i.e., prefixes, suffixes, rimes) more than other cues to recognize the word -use semantic context cues (including pictures) and syntactic cues to check word recognition and construct the specific meaning intended (use context cues to select between alternative meanings)
Use syntactic and semantic cues to determine the meaning of words in grade level appropriate texts
Know the meaning of words encountered frequently in grade 1 reading and oral language contexts
Grade level vocabulary lists to be developed
In context, determine the meaning of words and phrases (objects, actions, concepts, content, and English language arts vocabulary) using strategies and resources
Use context clues, mental pictures, questioning
Apply the following aspects of fluency -automatically recognize identified grade 1 high frequency words whether encountered in or out of context -read aloud using intonation, pauses and emphasis -use punctuation cues (periods and question marks) -independently read aloud unfamiliar text with 95% accuracy in appropriately leveled books
Recognize how various cultures and our common heritage are represented in classic and contemporary literature that is recognized for quality and literary merit
Identify and describe a variety of genre including -realistic fiction -fantasy -folktales
Identify how authors/illustrators use -illustrations to support story elements -transitional words (e.g., before, after, now, finally) to indicate a sequence of events and sense of story
Respond to multiple texts read by discussing, illustrating, and/or writing to reflect, make connections, take a position, and share understanding
Identify and describe a variety of informational genre including -simple how-to-books -science and social studies magazines
Discuss informational text patterns -sequential -enumerative
Explain how authors/illustrators use text feature to enhance the understanding of key and supporting ideas -headings -titles -labeled photographs -illustrations
Respond to multiple texts read by discussing, illustrating, and/or writing to reflect, make connections, take a position, and share understanding
Activate prior knowledge
Connect personal knowledge and experience to ideas in texts
Retell up to three important ideas and details of familiar simple oral and written text in sequence
Make text-to-self and text-to-text connections and comparisons
Compare and contrast relationships among characters, events, and key ideas within and across texts to create a deeper understanding
Map story elements across texts
Graphically represent key ideas and details across texts
Ask questions as they read
Acquire and apply significant knowledge from what has been read in grade level appropriate science, social studies, and mathematics texts
Self-monitor comprehension when reading grade level appropriate text
Recognize when meaning is breaking down
Use simple fix-up strategies to increase comprehension
Make credible predictions based on preview of book cover and pictures
Ask questions before, during, after reading
Plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate skills, strategies, and processes to construct and convey meaning
Use a graphic organizer to sequence events in a story
Discuss most important ideas and themes in a text
Identify author’s perspective
Sort and order information with teacher guidance
Discuss which comprehension strategies worked and did not work with extensive teacher guidance
Develop and discuss shared standards
Begin to self-assess the qualities of personal or other written text with teacher guidance
Be enthusiastic about reading and learning how to read
Do substantial reading and writing on their own during free time in school and at home

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In first grade writing, students will:

Write a personal narrative using illustrations and transitional words (before, after, now, finally) to indicate -sequence of events -sense of story (beginning, middle, end) -physical features of characters
Approximate poetry based on reading a wide variety of grade level appropriate poetry
Write an informational piece that addresses a focus question -descriptive -enumerative -sequence patterns that may include headings, titles, labels, photographs, or illustrations to enhance the understanding of central ideas
Use a teacher-selected topic to -write one research question -locate and begin to gather information from teacher-gathered sources -organize information -use steps in the writing process to approximate a published piece
With teacher support, consider their audience and purpose for their writing as they begin to use specific strategies including graphic organizers when planning narrative and informational text
Write three or more connected sentences with grade level appropriate grammar, usage, mechanics, and temporary spellings that reflect a close approximation of the sequence of sounds in the word
Incorporate literary language (i.e., once upon a time)
Read drafts of their work to clarify meaning and attempt some revision
Reread their own work aloud and revise to clarify meaning (such as using strong verbs or precise nouns, adding needed information) for their intended audience
Both individually and in groups, attempt to edit their writing/picture by using grade appropriate resources including -a word wall -a class-developed checklist
Develop personal style in oral, written, and visual messages -narrative-natural language, specific action, emotion -informational-sequence, specific vocabulary, visual representation
In the context of writing, use complete simple sentences beginning with a capital letter and ending with a period, question mark, or exclamation point
In the context of writing, use complete simple sentences beginning with a capital letter and ending with a period, question mark, or exclamation point
In the context of writing, spell frequently encountered one-syllable words from common word families correctly
For other words, students will use -structural cues (letter/sound, rimes) -environmental sources (word walls, word lists)
Write upper and lower case manuscript letters legibly
Be enthusiastic about writing and learning how to write

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In first grade speaking, students will:

Use singular and plural nouns
Use contractions (isn’t, aren’t, can’t, won’t)
Use singular possessive pronouns (my/mine, his/her, hers, your/s)
Use conjunctions to express relationships (because, if, after)
Use inflected endings (-s, -es, -ed, -ing, -er, -est)
Explore and use language to communicate with a variety of audiences and for different purposes -requests -problem-solve -look for solutions -construct relationships -courtesies
In spoken informational and narrative presentations -use props (photographs and illustrations) -maintain appropriate posture, eye contact, and position
Make presentations or reports in standard American English if it is their first language (students whose first language is not English will present their work in their developing version of standard American English)
Be aware that language differs from storybooks and classroom as a function of linguistic and cultural group membership (they can provide examples of language differences in storybooks and the classroom)
Engage in substantive conversation, remaining focused on subject matter; with interchanges building on prior responses in the context of literature discussions or paired conversations or other interactions
Tell/retell familiar stories (realistic function, fantasy, folktale) using -a problem solution pattern -appropriate story grammar -proper sequence -a prop while maintaining appropriate posture and eye contact
Respond to multiple text types by reflecting, making meaning, and making connections
Plan and deliver presentations or reports using -an informational, organizational pattern (descriptive, enumerative, or sequential) -appropriate text features (pictures or illustrations) -an appropriate prop providing several facts and details to make their point while maintaining appropriate posture and eye contact

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In first grade listening & viewing, students will:

Give, restate, and follow two-step directions
Ask appropriate questions during a presentation or report
Understand how the source of the message affects the receiver’s response (student/student, student/teacher, student/parent)
Listen to the comments of a peer and respond on topic and add a connected idea -eye contact -attentive -supportive
Use effective listening and viewing behaviors in large and small group settings
Experience messages from a variety of media and differentiate between sender, receiver, and message
Listen to or view and discuss a variety of genres
Select, listen to, view, and respond thoughtfully to both classic and contemporary texts recognized for quality and literary merit
Respond to multiple text types listened to or viewed by discussing, illustrating, and/or writing in order to reflect, make meaning, and make connections

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In second grade math, students will:

Understand and use number notation and place value up to 1000
Add and subtract numbers up to three digits
Solve simple work problems involving addition and subtraction
Know the definition of multiplication as repeated addition. Do multiplication and division within the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10 multiplication tables
Place 0 and halves (1/2, 1 ½, 2 ½, etc.) on the number line
Measure length
Add and subtract length
Use a square of side one to find the area of a square with whole number side length
Tell time
Add and subtract money
Solve simple word problems involving length and money
Use picture graphs with scales
Work with unit fractions up to 1/12
Identify shapes

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In second grade science, students will:

Explain characteristics and functions of observable body parts in a variety of animals
Compare and contract familiar organisms on the basis of observable physical characteristics
Explain how fossils provide evidence about the nature of ancient life
Explain how physical and behavioral characteristics of animals help them to survive in their environments
Describe positive and negative effects of humans on the environment
Classify common objects and substances according to observable attributes/properties
Identify properties of materials which make them useful
Identify forms of energy associated with common phenomena
Describe possible electrical hazards to be avoided at home and at school
Describe common physical changes in matter-size, shape; melting, freezing;
Prepare mixtures and separate them into their component parts
Explain how forces (pushes or pulls) are needed to speed up, slow down, stop, or change the direction f a moving object
Describe patterns of interactions of magnetic materials with other magnetic and non-magnetic materials
Identify and use simple machines and describe how they change effort
Manipulate simple mechanical devices and how they change effort
Explain how shadows are made
Describe major feature of the earth’s surface
Recognize and describe different types of earth materials
Describe natural changes in the earth’s surface
Demonstrate ways to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution through reduction, reuse and recycling of manufactured materials
Explain appropriate safety precautions during severe weather
Compare and contrast characteristics of the sun, moon and earth
Describe the motion of the earth around the sun and the moon around the earth

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In second grade social studies, students will:

Use analog and digital clocks to tell time
Use weeks, months and years as intervals of time
Distinguish among the past, the present and the future
Place events of their lives and the lives of others in chronological order
Identify who was involved, what happened and where it happened in stories about the past
Describe the past through the eyes and experiences of those who were there as revealed through their records
Recount events from simple biographies of women and men representing a variety of societies from the past
Identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated good character and personal virtue
Recall situations in their lives that required decisions and evaluate the decisions made in light of their consequences
Evaluate decisions made by others as reported in stories about the past
Describe the human characteristics of places and explain some basic causes for those characteristics
Describe the natural characteristics of places and explain some basic causes for those characteristics
Describe how people use the environment to meet human needs and wants
Describe the ways in which their environment has been changed by people, and the ways their lives are affected by the environment
Suggest ways that people can help improve their environment
Identify people and places in other locations and explain their importance to the community
Identify people, goods, services and ideas in their local community, which have come from other places and describe why they moved
Identify regions in their immediate environment and describe their characteristics and boundaries
Compare their community and region with others
Describe changes in the region over time as well as present
Locate and describe major world events that are having an impact on their community and explain whey they are important to the community
Cite example of government carrying out its legal authority in their local community
Describe consequences of not having rules
Identify aspects of life at school and in the local community that illustrate justice and freedom
Explain how conflicts at school or in the local community might be resolved in ways that are consistent with core democratic values
Identify rules at school and in the local community and consider consequences for breaking rules
Describe fair way for groups to make decisions
Describe ways that individuals influence each other
Identify ways families produce and consume goods and services
List ways that individuals can conserve limited resources
Connect economic needs with businesses that meet them
Select a particular good or service and describe the types of resources necessary to produce and distribute it
Identify an unmet local economic need and propose a plan to meet it
Identify examples of markets they experience in their daily life
Distinguish between producers and consumers in a market economy
Describe how the choices they make impact business decisions
Recognize economic exchanges in which they participate
Identify United States coin and currency denominations and describe the role of cash in the exchange of goods and services
Gather and analyze information in order to answer the question posed
Construct an answer to the question
Engage each other in conversations about issues pertaining to governing their school
Compose brief statements expressing a decision on an issue in the school or local community

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In second grade reading, students will:

Demonstrate phonemic awareness by the wide range of sound manipulation competencies including sound blending and deletion
Recognize that words are composed of sound blended together and carry meaning
Understand the alphabetic principle-that sounds in words are expressed by the letters of the alphabet
Use structural cues to recognize and decode words with long and short vowels, consonant diagraphs, and irregular vowels in isolation and in context -letter/sound -onset and rimes -whole word chunks -word families -long and short vowels diagraphs wh, ph -irregular vowels ei, ie, ea, ue
Recognize grade 2 frequently encountered words in print automatically whether encountered in connected text or in isolation
Be making progress in recognizing the 220 Dolch basic sight words and 95 common nouns for mastery in grade 3
Be making progress in acquiring the Dolch First 1000 words for mastery in grade 5
Use strategies to identify unknown words and construct meaning -reread a sentence or paragraph when meaning of unfamiliar words -use context as basis for predicting meaning of unfamiliar words -increase bank of known sight words -use sub-vocalization to sound out unknown words
Begin to internalize previously learned skills and strategies
Use syntactic and semantic cues -reading context, picture clues -prefixes re-, un- -suffixes –s, -ed, -ing to determine the meaning of words in grade level appropriate texts
Know the meaning of words encountered frequently in grade 2 reading and oral language contexts (grade level vocabulary lists to be developed)
Determine the meaning of words and phrases (objects, actions, concepts, content, and English language arts vocabulary) in context using strategies and resources
Use context clues, mental pictures, questioning
Self-monitor comprehension when reading grade level appropriate text
Recognize when meaning is breaking down
Use strategies to increase comprehension
Make credible predictions
Construct mental images, representing ideas in text
Ask questions before, during, after reading
Re-read or listen again if uncertain about meaning
Make inferences
Summarize
Plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate skills, strategies, and processes to construct and convey meaning
Use context as a basis for predicting meaning of unfamiliar words
Use Venn diagrams to compare and contrast
Use paragraphs to indicate a sequence of ideas
Discuss which comprehension strategies worked and did not work with moderate teacher guidance
Determine which resources contain appropriate information using teacher and student generated criteria
Develop and discuss shared standards
Begin to self-assess the qualities of personal or other written text with teacher guidance
Be enthusiastic about reading and learning how to read
Do substantial reading and writing on their own during free time in school and at home

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In second grade writing, students will:

Write realistic fiction, fantasy, and/or a personal narrative that -depicts major story events -uses illustrations to match mood -contains setting, problem/solution, and sequenced events
Approximate poetry based on reading a wide variety of grade level appropriate published poetry
Produce a magazine feature article using an organizational pattern such as -description -enumeration -sequence -compare/contrast that may include graphs, diagrams, or charts to enhance the understanding of central and key ideas
Develop two research questions related to a teacher-selected topic
With teacher assistance, -gather resources (electronic and/or print) -organize information using key ideas -use the writing process to produce and present the final project
Consider audience and purpose for writing
Begin to use styles and patterns derived from studying authors
Develop a plan for their writing that may include graphic organizers that represent a specific organizational pattern -problem/solution -sequence -description -compare and contrast
Write two paragraph clusters, each containing a main idea and some supporting details
Write in first and third person based on genre type and purpose
Narrow down a broader story idea to focus on only one aspect of the total idea
Use a sequenced organizational pattern with -grade level appropriate grammar -usage -mechanics -temporary spellings that reflect a close approximation of the sequence of sound in the word
Constructively and specifically respond orally to the writing of others
Identify sections of their own text that need to be revised using -reorganization -additions -deletions -appropriate use of transitions
Use revision strategies to make stylistic changes in content and form to suit intended purpose and audience
Both individually and in groups, attempt to proofread and edit their writing using appropriate resources including dictionaries and a class-developed checklist
Develop personal style in oral, written, and visual messages -narrative – descriptive language, use of imagination, varying sentence beginnings -informational – facts, effective conclusions
Complete and compound sentences
Nouns and verbs
Commas
Contraction
Colons to denote time
Capitalization
Spell frequently encountered words (two-syllable words including common prefixes and suffixes, ie. e., sitting) correctly. For less frequently encountered words, students will use -structural cues (letter/sound, rimes) -environmental sources (word walls, word lists)
Fluently and legibly write upper and lower case manuscript letters and begin to write the cursive alphabet
Be enthusiastic about writing and learning to write

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In second grade speaking, students will:

Use more complex conjunctions (although, instead of, so that)
Use nominative and objective case pronouns
Use common grammatical structures-subject/verb agreement, pronoun/noun agreement
Explore and use language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposed such as -questions and answers -discussions -social interactions
Adopt appropriate tone of voice and intonation patterns in spoken informational and narrative presentations
Make presentations or reports in standard American English if it is their first language (students whose first language is not English will present their work in their developing version of standard American English.)
Be aware that language differs from school and home as a function of linguistic and cultural group membership (They can provide examples of language differences in the community.)
Engage in substantive conversation -remaining focused on subject matter -with interchanges building on prior responses -in the context of book discussions, peer conferencing, or other interactions
Tell/retell stories (poetry, fold literature, drama) using -story grammar -elaborated information about characters -character’s actions and motivations -setting (time and place) -plot -setting as related to plot while maintaining appropriate intonation and tone of voice
Respond to multiple text types by reflecting, making connections, taking a position, and sharing understanding
Plan and deliver presentations or reports -using an informational, organizational pattern (description, cause and effect, compare and contrast) -using appropriate text features (illustration, pictures) -providing supportive facts and details to make their point reflecting the source of information -using appropriate props -maintaining appropriate intonation and tone of voice

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In second grade listening & viewing, students will:

Give, restate, and follow three and four-step directions
Ask appropriate questions during a presentation or report
Understand how the source of the message affects the receiver’s response (student/student, student/teacher, student/parent)
Listen to the comments of a peer and respond on topic and add a connected idea
Use effective listening and viewing behaviors in large and small group settings -eye contact -attentive -supportive
Begin to evaluate the messages they experience in broadcast and print media
Distinguish between factual and opinion (advertising hype, propaganda)
Listen to or view and discuss a variety of genres
Select, listen to, view, and respond thoughtfully to both classic and cotemporary texts recognized for quality and literary merit
Respond to multiple text types listened to or viewed by discussing, illustrating, and/or writing in order to reflect, make connections, take a position, and share understanding

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In third grade math, students will:

Understand and use number notation and place values up to 10,000
Add and subtract numbers up to 4 digits without regrouping and up to two digit numbers with regrouping
Know the multiplication tables to 10 X 10
Multiply and divide numbers up to a 3-digit number by a 1-digit number
Know and justify the basic properties of odd and even numbers
Solve work problems involving the four operations on whole numbers
Know and use common units of measurements in length, weight and time
Add and subtract length weight and time in mixed units
Add and subtract money in dollars and cents
Solve work problems involving money, length, and time
Know the definition of area and perimeter and calculate area and perimeter of a square and a rectangle
Measure surface area of solids by coving and counting area of a face
Use bar graphs
Know that once a whole has been fixed or defined, fractions refer to equal parts of the whole
Recognize, name and use equivalent fractions with denominators 2, 4, and 8.
Compare and order fractions with denominators 2, 4, and 8
Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator
Recognize the basic elements of geometric objects
Recognize perpendicular intersections and parallel lines
Explore and name familiar dimensional shapes
Recognize what a plane is and when 2 planes are parellel to each other
Explore and name familiar 3-dimensional solids

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In third grade science, students will:

Explain characteristics and functions of observable body parts in a variety of animals
Compare and classify familiar organisms on the basis of observable physical characteristics
Describe life cycles of familiar organisms
Compare and contract food, energy, and environmental needs of selected organisms
Explain functions of selected seed plant parts
Give evidence that characteristics are passed from parents to young
Explain how physical and behavioral characteristics of animals help them to survive in their environments
Identify familiar organisms as part of a food chain or food web and describe their feeding relationships within the web
Describe the basic requirement for all living things to maintain their existence
Design systems that encourage growing of particular plants or animals
Classify common objects and substances according to observable attributes/properties
Identify properties of materials which make them useful
Identify forms of energy associated with common phenomena
Describe possible electrical hazards to be avoided at home and at school
Use prisms and filters with light sources to produce various colors of light
Describe how water exists on earth in three states
Trace the path that rain water follows after it falls
Identify sources of water and its uses
Describe seasonal changes in Michigan’s weather
Explain appropriate safety precautions during severe weather

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In third grade social studies, students will:

Measure chronological time by decades and centuries
Summarize the sequence of key events in stories describing life from the past in their local community, the state of Michigan other parts of the United States
Recount the lives and characters of a variety of individuals from the past representing their local community, the state of Michigan and other parts of the United States
Identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated good character and personal virtue
Interpret conflicting accounts of events in both Michigan and United States history and analyze the viewpoints of the authors
Compose simple narratives of events from the history of the state of Michigan and the United States
Identify problems from the past that divided their local community, the state of Michigan and the United States and analyze the interests and values of those involved
Select decisions made to solve past problems and evaluate those decisions in terms of ethical considerations, the interests of those affected by the decisions, and the short and long-term consequences in those decisions.
Locate and describe cultures and compare the similarities and differences among the roles of women, men, and families
Locate and describe diverse kinds of communities and explain the reasons for their characteristics and locations
Locate and describe the major places, cultures, and communities of the nation and compare their characteristics
Explain basic ecosystem concepts and processes
Describe the location, use, and importance of different kinds of resources and explain how they are created and the consequences of their use
Explain how various people and cultures have adapted to and modified the environment
Describe major kinds of economic activity and explain the factors influencing their location
Describe the causes, consequences, routes and movement of major migration to the United States
Explain how transportation and communication link people and communities
Describe some of the major movements of goods, people, jobs and information within Michigan and the United States and explain the reasons for the movements
Draw sketch maps of the community, region, and nation
Describe places, cultures, and communities in the United States and compare them with those in other regions and countries
Locate major world events and explain how they impact people and the environment
Distinguish among local, state, and national government in the United States and describe the roles of government institutions at all three levels
Give reasons for limiting the power of government
Interpret the development and summarize the main points in the Declaration of Independence
Interpret the meaning of specific rights guaranteed by the Constitution including religious liberty, free expression, privacy, property, due process of law and equal protection of the law
Explain responsibilities citizens have to uphold constitutional rights
Distinguish among making, enforcing, and interpreting laws
Explain the basic organization of the local, state, and federal governments
Describe how citizens participate in election campaigns
Use a decision making model to explain a personal choice
Distinguish between natural resources, human capital, and capital equipment in the production of a good or service
Examine the historical and contemporary role in major industry has played in the state of Michigan and the United States
Describe how they act as a producer and a consumer
Trace the national origin of common household items and the trade flows which brought them to the United States
Describe benefits of international trade to consumers and producers
Describe how businesses are involved in trade as producers, distributors, importers, and exporters
Locate information about local, state and national communities using a variety of traditional sources, electronic technologies, and direct observations
Organize social science information to make maps, graphs and tables
Interpret social science information about local, state, and national communities from maps, graphs, and charts

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In third grade reading, students will:

Utilize letter and word level clues, semantic, and syntactic cues to recognize words and will be able to recognize frequently encountered words in text even when those words are encountered out of context
Use structural, semantic, and syntactic cues to automatically read frequently encountered words, decode unknown words, and decide meaning including multiple meaning words (e.g., letter/sound, rimes, base words, affixes)
Know the meanings of words encountered frequently in grade level reading and oral language contexts
Recognize the 220 Dolch basic sight words and 95 common nouns
Progress to automatically read by sight the 1000 Dolch first words and other vocabulary commonly encountered in primary grade reading for mastery in grade 5
Acquire and apply strategies to construct meaning, self-monitor, and identify unknown words or word parts (e.g., predict and self-correct) -knowledge of language -sounds/symbol/structural relationships -context
Apply the following aspects of fluency- pauses and emphasis, punctuation cues, intonation, and recognition of identified grade level specific words and sight words while reading aloud a familiar grade level text
Determine the meaning of words and phrases in context, (e.g., synonyms, homonyms, multiple meaning words) using strategies and resources (e.g., context clues, concept mapping, dictionary)
Explain how characters in literature and other texts express attitudes about one another in familiar classic and contemporary literature recognized for quality and literary merit
Identify and describe a variety of narrative genre (e.g., folktales, bales, realistic fiction)
Identify and describe characters’ thoughts and motivations, story level themes (e.g., good vs. evil), main idea, and lesson/moral (e.g., fable) in narrative text
Explain how authors use literary devices (e.g., prediction, personification, point of view) to develop a story level theme, depict the setting, and reveal how thoughts and actions convey important character traits across a variety of text
Identify and describe a variety of informational genre (e.g., textbooks, encyclopedia, magazines)
Identify informational text patterns (e.g., problem/solution, sequence, compare/contrast, descriptive)
Explain how authors use titles, headings and subheading, time lines, prefaces, indices, and table of contents to enhance understanding of supporting and key ideas
Connect personal knowledge, experience and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses
Retell the story elements of grade level appropriate narrative text and major idea(s) of grade level appropriate informational text with relevant details
Compare and contrast (oral and written) relationships among characters, events, and key ideas within and across text to create a deeper understanding (e.g., a narrative to an informational text, a literature selection to a subject area text, an historical event to a current event)
Apply significant knowledge from what is read in grade level appropriate science and social studies texts
Self-monitor comprehension when reading or listening to texts by automatically using strategies used by mature readers to increase comprehension, (e.g., predicting, constructing mental images, representing ideas in text, questioning, rereading or listening again, inferring, summarizing)
Plan, monitor, regulate and evaluate skills, strategies, and processes to construct and convey meaning (e.g., decode unknown words, use graphic organizers to deepen understanding of problem and solution and organizational pattern
Develop, discuss, and apply individual and shared standards, (e.g., student and class created rubrics), and begin to self-assess with teacher guidance the qualities of personal or other written text and the accuracy and quality of text
Be enthusiastic about reading and learning how to read
Do substantial reading and writing on their own

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In third grade writing, students will:

Write a narrative piece (e.g., fable, folktale, or realistic fiction), using personification, setting, and actions and thoughts that reveal important character traits
Write poetry based on reading a wide variety of grade level appropriate published poetry
Write a report demonstrating the understanding of central ideas and supporting details using an effective organizational pattern (e.g., problem/solution) with a title, heading, subheading, and a table of contents
Use the writing process to produce and present a research project -beginning with a teacher-selected topic -initiating research questions from content area text -using a variety of resources to gather and organize information
Set a purpose consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns when writing narrative or informational text
Apply a variety of pre-writing strategies for both narrative and informational text (e.g., graphic organizers such as story maps, webs, Venn diagrams) in order to generate, sequence, and structure ideas (e.g., sequence for beginning, middle, end; problem/solution; compare/contrast)
Write sentences varying in patterns and length to slow down or speed up reading and create a mood when drafting a story
Use the compare and contrast, cause and effect, or problem/solution organizational pattern in informational writing
Constructively and specifically respond orally to the writing of others by identifying sections of the text to improve sequence (e.g., arranging paragraphs, connecting main and supporting ideas, transitions)
Edit and proofread their writing using appropriate resources (e.g., dictionary, spell check, writing references) and grade level appropriate checklist both individually and in groups
Exhibit individual style and voice to enhance the written message (e.g., in narrative text: varied word choice and sentence structure, character description; in informational text: examples, transitions, grammar usage)
Identify and use subjects and verbs that are in agreement; past, verb tenses; nouns and possessives; commas in a series; and begin use of quotations marks and capitalization in dialogue
Spell frequently encountered words (e.g., multi-syllabic, r-controlled, most consonant blends, contractions, compound, common homophones) correctly. For less frequently encountered words, students will use structural cues (e.g., letter/sound, rimes, morphemic) and environmental sources (e.g., word walls, word lists, dictionaries, spell checkers)
Write the cursive alphabet
Be enthusiastic about writing and learning to write

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In third grade speaking, students will:

Express time relationships using correct verb tenses
Adjust their use of language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes (e.g., information, requests, discussion, presentations, playground, classroom interactions)
Emphasize key words and vary pace for effect when presenting spoken informational and narrative text
Make presentations or reports in standard American English if it is their first language (Students whose first language is not English will present their work in their developing version of standard American English.)
Become aware of and appreciate that language differs from neighborhood to neighborhood of the local community and as a function of linguistic and cultural group membership (They can provide examples of language differences in the region.)
Engage in interactive extended discourse to socially construct meaning (e.g., book clubs, or literature circles, partnerships, or other conversation protocols)
Discuss narratives (e.g., folktales, fables, realistic fiction), conveying the story grammar (e.g., character’s thoughts and motivation, setting, plat, story level theme), and explain why the story is worthwhile and how it is relevant to the storyteller or the audience
Respond to multiple text types by reflecting, making connections, taking a position, and sharing understandings
Plan and deliver presentations using an effective informational organizational pattern (e.g., descriptive, problem/solution, cause and effect), supportive facts, and details reflecting a variety or resources, and varying the pace for effect

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In third grade listening & viewing, students will:

Respond to questions asked of them, providing an appropriate level of detail
Listen and interact appropriately and view knowledgably
Distinguish between and explain how verbal and non-verbal strategies enhance understanding of spoken messages and promote effective listening behaviors
Be aware that the media has a role in focusing attention on events and in shaping opinions, and recognize the variables (e.g., mistakes, misspeaks) in the media
Listen to or view and discuss a variety of genres and compare their responses to those of their peers
Select, listen to, view, and respond thoughtfully to both classic and contemporary texts recognized for quality and literary merit
Respond to multiple text types listened to or viewed by speaking, illustrating, and/or writing in order to reflect, make connections, take a position, and share understandings
Combine skills to reveal strengthening literacy (e.g., viewing then analyzing orally, listening then summarizing orally)
Retell what a speaker said, paraphrasing and explaining the gist or main idea, then extend by connecting and relating personal experiences

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In fourth grade math, students will:

Know how to use number notation and place values up to 1,000,000
Approximate and estimate numbers
Understand that many whole numbers can be written as products in more than one way; use factors and multiples
Multiply numbers up to : any number of digits by a 1-digits by a 1-digit number: 3 digits by a 2-digit number
Divide numbers up to 4-digits by a 1-digit number and by 10
Demonstrate an understanding of, and the ability to use, standard algorithms for multiplying a multi-digit number by a 1-digit number
Solve work problems involving whole number multiplication and division
Measure using common tools and select appropriate units when measuring
Demonstrate an understanding of, and the ability to use, standard algorithms for multiplying a multi-digit number by a 2-digit number and for diving a multi-digit number by a 1-digit number
Solve work problems involving whole number multiplication and division
Measure using common tools and select appropriate units when measuring
Use filling and counting to find the volume of a cube and a rectangular prism
Know the units of measure of volume: cubic centimeter, cubic meter, cubic inches, cubic feet
Determine the area and perimeter of a square, a rectangle and other figures made up of squares and/or rectangles, using the formulas
Solve work problems involving: area and perimeter of squares and rectangles
Read, interpret and complete (using given information) tables and bar graphs
Understand fractions as parts of a set of objects
Know how to use equivalent fractions with denominators up to 12 or equal to 100
Locate and compare fractions with denominators or 12 or less on the number line, including improper fractions and mixed numbers with denominators of 12 or less
Introduce mixed number as an alternate notation for improper fractions
Add and subtract fractions less than 1 and with denominators up to 12 or equal to 100
Multiply a fraction and a whole number
Solve work problems involving fractions
Understand and use number notation and place value involving terminating decimals
Add and subtract decimals up to 2 decimal places
Multiply and divide decimals up to 2 decimal places by a 1-digit whole number where the division results in terminating decimals
Write tenths and hundredths in decimal and fraction notations and know the fraction and decimal equivalents for halves and fourths
Solve work problems involving decimals
Understand and use angles
Draw perpendicular and parallel lines using ruler and squares
Identify and know basic properties of geometrical figures
Visualize and describe models of geometric solids (for example prisms and pyramids) in terms of the number and shape of faces, edges, and vertices

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In fourth grade science, students will:

Describe positive and negative effects of humans on the environment
Classify common objects and substances according to observable attributes/properties
Identify properties of materials which make them useful
Identify forms of energy associated with common phenomena
Construct simple, useful electrical circuits
Describe possible electrical hazards to be avoided at home and at school
Describe common physical changes in matter-size, shape; melting, freezing; dissolving, evaporating
Prepare mixtures and separate them into their component parts
Describe patterns of interactions of magnetic materials with other magnetic and non-magnetic materials
Describe major features of the earth’s surface
Recognize and describe different types of earth materials
Describe natural changes in the earth’s surface
Explain how rocks and fossils are used to understand the history of the earth
Describe uses of materials taken from the earth
Demonstrate ways to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution through reduction, reuse, and recycling of manufactured materials
Identify sources of water and its uses
Explain appropriate safety precautions during severe weather
Compare and contract characteristics of the sun, moon and earth
Describe the motion of the earth around the sun and the moon around the earth

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In fourth grade social studies, students will:

Measure chronological time by decades and centuries
Summarize the sequence of key events in stories describing life from the past in their local community, the state of Michigan and other parts of the United States with present day life in those places
Recount the lives and charters of a variety of individuals from the past representing their local community, the state of Michigan and other parts of the United States
Identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated good character and personal virtue
Interpret conflicting accounts of events in both Michigan and the United States
Identify problems from the past that divided their local community, the state of Michigan, and the United States and analyze the interests and values of those involved
Select decisions made to solve past problems and evaluate those decisions in terms of ethical considerations, the interest of those affected by the decisions, and the short and long-term consequences in those decisions
Locate and describe cultures and compare the similarities and differences among the roles of women, men, and families
Locate and describe diverse kinds of communities and explain the reasons for their characteristics and locations
Describe the location, use, and importance of different kinds of resources and explain how they are created and the consequences of their use
Describe the major physical patterns, ecosystems, resources, and land uses of the state, region, and country and explain the processes that created them
Explain how various people and cultures have adapted to and modified the environment
Describe major kinds of economic activity and explain the factors influencing their location
Describe the causes, consequences, routes and movement of major migration to the United States
Explain how transportation and communication link people and communities
Describe some of the major movement of goods, people, jobs and information within Michigan and the United States and explain the reasons for the movements
Draw sketch maps of the community, region, and nation
Describe the geography of Michigan at major times in its history and explain the reasons for its change
Describe the physical, economic, and cultural geography of contemporary Michigan and its causes, advantages, and disadvantages
Describe the Great Lakes ecosystem, and explain physical and human processes that act upon them
Locate major world events and explain how they impact people and the environment
Distinguish among local, state, and national government in the United States and describe the roles of government institutions at all three levels
Give examples of authority and the use of power without authority
Give reasons for limiting the power of government
Interpret the meaning of specific rights guaranteed by the Constitution including religious liberty, free expression, privacy, property, due process of law and equal protection of the law
Explain responsibilities citizens have to uphold constitutional rights
Distinguish among making, enforcing, and interpreting laws
Explain the basic organization of the local, state, and federal governments
Describe how citizens participate in election campaigns
Explain why people must face scarcity when making economic decisions
Identify the opportunity costs in personal decision making situations
Use a decision making model to explain a personal choice
Distinguish between natural resources, human capital, and capital equipment in the production of a good or service
Examine the historical and contemporary role a major industry has played in the state of Michigan and the United States
Explain how prices are determined in a market economy and how they serve as a means of allocating resources
Describe how they act as a producer and a consumer
Analyze how Michigan’s location has impacted its economic development
Describe how businesses are involved in trade as producers, distributors, importers, and exporters
Pose a social science question about Michigan or the United States
Gather and analyze information using appropriate information technologies to answer the question posed
Construct an answer to the question posed and support their answer with evidence
Report the result of their investigation including the procedures followed
Pose local, state, and national policy issues as question
Explain how a particular public issue became a problem and why people disagree about it
Evaluate possible resolution of a public issue
Engage each other in conversations which attempt to clarify and resolve issues pertaining to local, state, and national policy
Compose a short essay expressing a decision on a local, state, or national policy issue

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In fourth grade reading, students will:

Explain how to use word structure, sentence structure, and prediction to aid in decoding words and understanding the meanings of words encountered in text
Use structural, semantic, and syntactic cues to automatically read frequently encountered words, decode unknown words, and decide meaning, including multiple meaning words (e.g., letter/sound, rimes, base words, affixes, syllabication)
Automatically recognize frequently encountered words in print, with the number of words that can be read fluently increasing steadily across the school year
Know the meanings of words encountered frequently in grade level reading and oral language contexts
Acquire and apply strategies to construct meaning, self-monitor, and identify unknown words or word parts (e.g., engage actively in reading a variety of genre, self-monitor and correct in narrative and informational texts, use thesaurus)
Fluently read beginning grade level text and increasingly demanding text and increasingly demanding text as the year proceeds
Determine the meaning of words and phrases in context (e.g., similes, metaphors, content vocabulary), using strategies and resources (e.g., context clues, semantic feature analysis, thesaurus)
Describe and discuss the shared human experience depicted in classic and contemporary literature from around the world recognized for quality and literary merit
Identify and describe a variety of narrative genre (e.g., poetry, myths/legends, fantasy, adventure)
Analyze characters’ thoughts and motivation through dialogue; various character roles and functions (e.g., hero, villain, narrator); know first person point of view and conflict/resolution
Explain how authors use literary devices (i.e., flash forward, flashback, simile) to depict time, settings, conflicts, and resolutions that enhance the plot and create suspense across a variety of texts
Identify and explain the defining characteristics of informational genre (e.g., autobiography/biography, personal essay, almanac, newspaper)
Identify and describe informational text patterns (e.g., compare/contrast, position/support, problems/solution)
Explain how authors use appendices, headings, subheadings, marginal notes, keys and legends, figures, and bibliographies to enhance understanding of supporting and key ideas
Connect personal knowledge, experience, and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses
Retell and summarize grade level appropriate narrative and informational text
Explain oral and written relationships among themes, ideas, and characters within and across texts to create a deeper understanding (e.g., categorize and classify, compare and contrast, draw parallels across time and culture)
Apply significant knowledge from what is read in grade level science and social studies texts
Independently self-monitor comprehension when reading or listening to text by automatically using and discussing the strategies used by mature readers to increase comprehension and engage in interpretive discussions (e.g., predicting, constructing mental images, representing ideas in text, questioning, rereading or listening again inferring, summarizing)
Plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate skills, strategies and processes to construct and convey meaning (e.g., use morphemic, syntactical, and semantic knowledge to decode unknown words, use graphic organizers to deepen their understanding of compare and contrast and sequence organizational patterns)
Develop, discuss, and apply individual and shared standards (e.g., student and class created rubrics), and begin to self-asses the quality, accuracy, and relevance of personal or other written text
Be enthusiastic about reading and learning how to read
Do substantial reading and writing on their own

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In fourth grade writing, students will:

Write a narrative piece (e.g., myth/legend, fantasy, adventure) creating relationships among setting, characters, theme, and plot
Write poetry based on reading a wide variety of grade level appropriate published poetry
Write a comparative piece to demonstrate understanding of central ideas and supporting ideas using an effective organizational pattern (e.g., compare and contrast) and a boldface and/or italicized print
Use the writing process to produce and present a research project using a teacher-approved topic -finding and narrowing research questions -using a variety of resources -taking notes -organizing relevant information to draw conclusions
Set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns when writing narrative or informational text
Apply a variety of drafting strategies for both narrative and informational text (e.g., graphic organizers such as story maps, webs, Venn diagrams) in order to generate, sequence, and structure ideas (e.g., plot, connecting time, settings, conflicts, resolutions, definition/description, chronological sequence)
Use a variety of drafting techniques when writing an assay with connected, coherent, and mechanically sound paragraphs
Constructively and specifically respond orally to the writing of others by identifying sections of the text to improve organization (e.g., rearranging paragraphs and/or sequence, relating main and supporting ideas, using comparative transitions)
Edit and proofread their writing using appropriate resources (e.g., dictionary, spell check, grammar check, grammar references, writing references) and grade level appropriate checklists both individually and in groups.
Exhibit individual style and voice to enhance the written message (e.g., in narrative text; strong verbs, figurative language, sensory images; in informational text: precision, established importance, transitions)
Use simple and compound sentences, direct and indirect objects, prepositional phrases, adjectives, common and proper nouns as subjects and objects, pronouns as antecedents, regular and irregular verbs; use hyphens between syllables, apostrophes in contractions, and commas in salutations set off words, phrases, and dialogue; and use quotation marks or italics to identify titles or names
Spell frequently encountered words (e.g., roots, inflections, prefixes, suffices, multi-syllabic) correctly. For less frequently encountered words, students will use structural cues (e.g., letter/sounds, rimes, morphemic) and environmental sources (e.g., word walls, word lists, dictionaries, spell checkers)
Write neatly and legibly
Be enthusiastic about writing and learning to write

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In fourth grade speaking, students will:

Express ideas using more complex ideas
Adjust their use of language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes (e.g., community-building, appreciation/invitations, cross-curricular discussions)
Make presentations or reports in standard American English
Be aware that language differs from region to region of the country and as a function of linguistic and cultural group membership (They can provide examples of language differences in the United States.)
Engage in interactive, extended discourse to socially construct meaning (e.g., book clubs, literature circles, partnerships, or other conversation protocols)
Discuss narratives (e.g., mystery, myths and legends, tall tales, poetry), conveying the story grammar (i.e., various character roles, plot, story level theme) and emphasizing facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language
Respond to multiple text types by reflecting, making connections, taking a position and sharing understandings
Plan and deliver presentations or reports focusing on a key question using an informational organizational pattern (e.g., descriptive, problem/solution, cause and effect), supportive facts, and details reflecting and emphasizing facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language

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In fourth grade listening & viewing, students will:

Respond to questions asked of them, providing appropriate elaboration and details
Listen and interact appropriately and view knowledgably in small and large group settings
Distinguish between and explain how verbal and non-verbal strategies enhance understanding of spoken messages and promote effective listening behaviors
Recognize and analyze the various roles of the communication process (e.g., to persuade, critically analyze, flatter, explain, dare) in focusing attention on events and in shaping opinions
Listen to or view in a variety of genres and compare their responses to those of their peers
Select, listen to, view, and respond thoughtfully to both classic and contemporary texts recognized for quality and literary merit
Respond to multiple text types listened to or viewed by speaking, illustrating, and/or writing in order to clarify meaning, make connections, take a position, and/or show deep understanding
Combine skills to reveal strengthening literacy (e.g., viewing then analyzing in writing, listening then giving an opinion orally)
Summarize the major ideas and evidence presented in spoken messages and formal pres

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In fifth grade math, students will:

Understand meaning of division of whole numbers with and without remainders
Use long division to divide numbers up to 4 digits by a 2 digit number
Know that every whole number is a product of primes
Solve work problems involving multiplication and division of whole numbers
Convert measurements of length, weight, volume and time from a smaller unit of measure to a larger unit, and vice versa
Understand and know how to use the area formula of a parellelogram: A=bh
Understand and know how to use the area formula of a triangle: A= 1bh 2
Use formulas to compute the volume and surface area of a cube and rectangular prism
Solve work problems using multiplication and division involving the volumes of solids
Read, interpret and solve problems using information presented in line graphs
Given two fractions, express them as equivalent fractions with a common denominator but not necessarily a least common denominator (emphasis on denominators equal to or less than 12 or equal to 100)
Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators; denominators of given fractions are equal to 1, 2,…, 11, 12, or 100
Know the meaning of the product of two unit fractions in terms of an area model as well as the product of a fraction by a whole number
Understand a fraction as a statement of division
Divide a fraction by a whole number and a whole number by a fraction. (Limit to simple unit fractions)
Solve work problems involving fractions
Multiply and divide a decimal by a whole number
Know the meaning of and use angles
Know that the sum of the angles of any triangle is 180º and the sum of the angles of any quadrilateral is 360º and use this information to solve problems
Know and use properties of parallelograms, and triangles, including some with additional characteristics such as right, equilateral and isosceles triangles and squares, rectangles and rhombuses
Calculate the mean of a set of data and find the total amount given the mean and the number of items
Solve up to 3-step word problems involving means
Interpret and use ratios
Understand and use the concept of percentage

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In fifth grade science, students will:

Identify familiar organisms as part of a food chain or food web and describe their feeding relationships within the web
Design systems that encourage growing of particular plants or animals
Explain how forces (pushes or pulls) are needed to speed up, slow down, stop, or change the direction of a moving object
Identify and use simple machines and describe how they change effort
Manipulate simple mechanical devices and explain how their parts work together
Use prisms and filters with light sources to produce various colors of light
Explain appropriate safety precautions during severe weather
Describe the motion of the earth around the sun and the moon around the earth

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In fifth grade social studies, students will:

Place major events in the early history of the United States in chronological order
Summarize the sequence of key events in stories describing life from the past in their local community, the state of Michigan and other parts of the United States
Use narratives and graphic data to compare the past of their local community, the state of Michigan and other parts of the United States with present day life in those places
Recount the lives and characters of a variety of individuals from the past representing their local community, the state of Michigan and other parts of the United States
Identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated good character and personal virtue
Interpret conflicting accounts of events in both Michigan and the United States history and analyze the viewpoints of the authors
Compose simple narratives of events from the history of the state of Michigan and the United States
Identify problems from the past that divided their local community, the state of Michigan, and the United States and analyze the interests and values of those involved
Select decisions made to solve past problems and evaluate those decisions in terms of ethical considerations, the interests of those affected by the decisions, and the short and long-term consequences in those decisions
Explain how prices are determined in a market economy and how they serve as a means of allocating resources
Describe how they act as a producer and a consumer
Analyze how Michigan’s location has impacted its economic development
Construct and interpret timelines of people and events from the history of Michigan and United States through the era of reconstruction and from the history of other regions of the world
Describe major factors that characterize the following eras in United States history: The Meeting of Three Worlds (beginnings to 1620), Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763), Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1815), Expansion and Reform (1801-1861), and Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
Use narratives and graphic data to describe the settings of significant events that shaped the development of Michigan as a state and the United States as a nation during the eras prior to Reconstruction
Identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated good character and personal virtue
Use historical biographies to explain how events from the past affected the lives of individuals and how some individuals influenced the course of history
Use primary and secondary records to analyze significant events that shaped the development of Michigan as a state and the United States as a nation prior to the end of the era of Reconstruction
Describe how the federal government in the United States serves the purposes set forth in the Preamble to the Constitution
Explain how the rule of law protects individual rights and serves the common good
Identify the essential ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the origins of those ideas, and explain how they set the foundation for civic life, politics and government in the United States
Describe provisions of the U.S. Constitution which delegate to government the powers necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was established
Explain means for limiting the powers of government established by the U.S. Constitution

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In fifth grade reading, students will:

Explain when to use and apply word structure, sentence structure, and prediction (semantics) to aid in decoding words and understanding meaning of words encountered in context
Use structural, semantic, and syntactic cues to automatically read frequently encountered words, decode unknown words, and decide meaning including multiple meaning words (e.g., letter/sound, rimes, base words, affixes, syllabication)
Automatically recognize frequently encountered words in print, with the number of words that can be read fluently increasing steadily across the school year
Know the meanings of words encountered frequently in grade level reading and oral language contexts
Acquire and apply strategies to construct meaning and identify unknown words or word parts (e.g., analyze derivatives, define meanings of affixes, word origins)
Fluently read beginning grade level text and increasingly demanding text as the year proceeds
Determine the meaning of words and phrases in context (e.g., symbols, idioms, recently-coined words) using strategies and resources (e.g., analogies, content glossaries, electronic resources)
Analyze how characters and communities reflect life (in positive and negative ways) in classic and contemporary literature recognized for quality and literary merit
Analyze elements and style of narrative genres (e.g., historical fiction, tall tales, science fiction, fantasy, mystery)
Analyze character traits and setting and how it defines characters/plot, the role of dialogue, how problems are resolved and the climax of a plot
Explain how authors use literary devices (e.g., exaggeration, metaphor) to develop characters, themes, plot, and functions of heroes, villains, and narrator across a variety of texts
Identify and explain the defining characteristics of informational genre (e.g., autobiography/biography, personal essay, almanac, newspaper)
Identify and describe informational text patterns (e.g., compare/contrast, position/support, problem/solution)
Explain how authors use time lines, graphs, charts, diagrams, indices, introduction, summaries, and conclusions to enhance understanding of supporting and key ideas
Connect personal knowledge, experience and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses
Retell and summarize grade level appropriate narrative and informational text
Analyze oral and written global themes, universal truths, themes and principles within and across text to create a deeper understanding, (e.g., draw conclusions, make inferences, synthesize)
Apply significant knowledge from what is read in grade level science and social studies text
Independently self-monitor comprehension when reading or listening to text and automatically use and discuss the strategies used by mature readers to increase comprehension and engage in interpretive discussion (e.g., predicting, constructing mental images, representing ideas in text, questioning, rereading or listening again, summarizing)
Plan, monitor regulate and evaluate skills, strategies, and processes to construct and convey meaning (e.g., use a variety of morphemic, structure, and context cues to decode unfamiliar words, select an appropriate text type from know genre for particular writing purposes, and use theory and evidence, cause and effect, and persuasive organizational patterns appropriately)
Develop, discuss, and apply individual and shared standards (e.g., student and class created rubrics) to asses or self-assess the qualities of personal or other written text to identify attainment of intended purpose, to interpret authors’ viewpoints, and to determine effect on classroom or school-wide-audiences
Be enthusiastic about reading and learning how to read
Do substantial reading and writing on their own

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In fifth grade writing, students will:

Write a narrative piece (e.g., mystery, tall tale, historical fiction), using time period and setting to enhance the plot; demonstrating roles and functions of heroes, villains, and narrator; and depicting conflicts and resolutions
Write poetry based on reading a wide variety of grade level appropriate published poetry
Write a position piece to demonstrate understanding of central ideas and supporting details (e.g., position/evidence organizational pattern) using multiple headings and subheadings
Use the writing process to produce and present a research project -including a teacher-approved topic, narrowed focus question, and hypothesis -using a variety of resources to gather and organize information, and organizing the relevant information according to central ideas and supporting details
Set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns when writing narrative or informational text
Use a variety of drafting strategies for both narrative and informational text (e.g., graphic organizers such as story maps, webs, and Venn diagrams) in order to generate, sequence, and structure ideas (e.g., role and relationships of characters, settings, ideas; relationship of theory and evidence, compare/contrast)
Use linguistic structures and textual features needed to clearly communicate ideas and information in written text with connected, coherent, mechanically sound paragraphs
Constructively and specifically respond orally to the writing of others by identifying sections of the text to improve organization (e.g., position/evidence, flow of ideas, and craft such as titles, leads, ending, and powerful verbs)
Independently and collaboratively edit and proofread writing using grade level checklists
Exhibit individual style and voice to enhance the written message (e.g., in narrative text: personification, humor, element of surprise; in informational text: emotional appeal, strong opinion, credible support)
Identify and use compound subjects and predicates, proper nouns and pronouns, articles, conjunctions, hyphens in compound and number words, commas between two independent clauses to set off direct address/long phrases/clauses, colons to separate hours, and minutes and to introduce a list
Spell frequently encountered words (e.g., roots, inflections, prefixes, suffixes, multi-syllabic) correctly. For less frequently encountered word, students will use structural cues (e.g., letter/sound, rimes, morphemic) and environmental sources (e.g., word walls, word lists, dictionaries, spell checkers)
Write neatly and legibly
Be enthusiastic about writing and learning to write

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In fifth grade speaking, students will:

Use irregular verbs correctly (e.g., lie/lay, sit/sat, rise/raise)
Adjust their use of language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes (e.g., research, explanation, persuasion)
Use varying modulation, volume, and pace of speech to indicate emotions, create excitement, and emphasize meaning when presenting spoken informational and narrative text
Make presentations or reports in standard American English if it is their first language (Students whose first language is not English will present their work in their developing version of standard American English.)
Be aware that language differs from early American history to current day America as a function of linguistic and cultural group membership. (They can provide examples of language differences throughout the growth of the United States.)
Engage in interactive extended discourse to socially construct meaning (e.g., book clubs, literature circles, partnerships, or other conversation protocols)
Discuss narratives (e.g., mystery, fantasy, historical fiction), conveying the story grammar (e.g., traits of characters, relationship between setting and climax and anticlimax), while varying voice modulation, volume, and pace of speech to emphasize meaning
Respond to multiple text types by analyzing content, interpreting the message, and evaluating the purpose
Plan and deliver persuasive presentations or reports using an informational organizational pattern for a specific purpose (e.g., to persuade, describe, and inform) that conveys the point they want to make and supports the point with evidence and/or examples while varying voice modulation, volume, and pace of speech to emphasize meaning

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In fifth grade listening & viewing, students will:

Listen to or view in a variety of genres and compare their responses to those of their peers
Select, listen to, view, and respond thoughtfully to both classic and contemporary texts recognized for quality and literary merit
Respond to multiple text types listened to or viewed by speaking, illustrating, and/or writing in order to clarify meaning, make connections, take a position, and show deep understanding without major misconceptions
Begin to combine skills to reveal strengthening literacy (e.g., viewing then analyzing in writing, listening then paraphrasing in writing)
Go beyond the information given by a speaker, making inferences and drawing appropriate conclusions

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In sixth grade math, students will:

Divide any two fractions including mixed numbers
Perform accurately manual multi-step calculations that multiply, divide, subtract and add positive rational numbers
Know the definition of negative numbers including placing them on the number line
Order rational numbers and place them on the number line
Add and subtract, multiply and divide integers
Understand that rational numbers are quotients of integers (positive or negative) with a non zero denominator
Calculate percentages and use them to solve common problems about sales tax, tips, interest and discounts
Understand and use integer exponents
Calculate rates of change, including speed
Convert between basic units of measurement within a single measurement within a single measurement system (e.g. square inches to square feet)
Understand different ways of expressing probabilities (e.g. as decimals, percentages)
Compute probabilities of events from simple experiments with equally probable outcomes (e.g. tossing dice, flipping coins, spinning spinners)
For two-dimensional figures, understand basic facts about angles, lines and triangles
Know the meaning of the congruence of polygons as equality of corresponding sides and angles
Know the definitions of the standard rigid motions in the plane (rotations, reflections, and translations), and relate these to the concept of congruence
Use the commutative properties of multiplication and addition to solve problems
Use ordered pairs to identify coordinate points in all four quadrants
Use letters to represent the value of quantities in a variety of contexts
Use the conventions for writing algebraic expressions (e.g. omitting the symbol for multiplication and writing number coefficients before letters)
Understand that relationships between quantities can be represented using formulas and verbal descriptions and can be suggested by graphs and tables
Generate and solve linear equations of the form ax + b = c
Represent aspects of simple linear and non linear functions using verbal descriptions, tables, and graphs
Solve problems involving linear functions whose domain is part of the integers and whose values are integers; write the equation; and graph the resulting ordered pairs of integers on a grid
Understand why identical manipulations carried out on both sides of an equation create new equations that have the same solutions as the original (as well as possibly some additional solutions)
Translate verbal expressions and sentences into algebraic expressions and equations; evaluate algebraic expressions, solve simple linear equations and graph and interpret their results

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In sixth grade science, students will:

Generate reasonable questions about the world, based on observations
Design and conduct simple investigations
Investigate toys/simple appliances and explain how they work using instructions
Use measurement devices to provide consistency in an investigation
Use sources of information to help solve problems
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments, or data
Describe limitations in personal knowledge
Show how common themes of science, mathematics, and technology apply in real-world contexts
Describe the advantages and risks of new technologies
Recognize the contributions made by individuals of diverse cultural and economic backgrounds
Describe similarities/differences between single-celled and multi-cellular organisms
Explain why specialized cells are needed by plants and animals
Explain how cells use food as a source of energy
Compare and classify organisms into major groups on the basis of their structure
Describe the life cycle of a flowering plant
Describe evidence that plants make and store food
Explain how selected systems and processes work together in plants and animals
Describe how the characteristics of living things are passed through generations
Describe how heredity and environment may influence/determine characteristics of an organism
Describe how biologists might trace possible evolutionary relationships among present and past life forms
Predict the effects of changes in one population in a food web on other populations
Describe how all organisms in an ecosystem acquire energy directly or indirectly from sunlight
Identify some common materials that cycle through the environment
Describe ways in which humans alter the environment
Explain how humans use and benefit from plant and animal materials
Measure physical properties of objects or substances (mass, weight, temperature, dimensions, area, volume)
Describe when length, mass, weight, area, or volume are appropriate to describe the size of an object
Classify substances as elements, compounds, or mixtures
Describe matter as consisting of extremely small particles (atoms) that bond to form molecules
Describe the arrangement and motion of molecules in solids, liquids, and gases
Describe energy and the many common forms it takes (mechanical, heat, light, sound, electrical)
Describe how common forms of energy can be converted, one to another
Describe common physical changes in materials: evaporation, condensation, thermal expansion and contraction
Describe common chemical changes in terms of properties of reactant and products
Distinguish between physical and chemical changes in natural and technological systems
Describe how waste products accumulating from natural and technological activity create pollution
Explain physical changes in terms of the arrangements and motion of atoms and molecules
Qualitatively describe and compare motions in three dimensions
Relate changes in speed or direction to unbalanced forces in two dimensions
Describe the forces exerted by magnets, electrically charged objects, and gravity
Explain how sound travels through different media
Explain how echoes occur and how they are used
Explain how light helps us to see
Explain how objects or media reflect, refract, transmit, or absorb light
Describe the motion of pendulums or vibrating objects (frequency, amplitude)
Explain how waves transmit energy
Describe and identify surface features using maps
Explain how rocks and minerals are formed
Explain how rocks and fossils are used to determine the age and geological history of the earth
Explain how rock are broken down, how soil is formed, and how surface features change
Explain how technology changes the surface of the earth
Describe various forms that water takes on the earth’s surface and conditions under which they exist
Describe how rainwater in Michigan reaches the ocean
Describe the origins of pollution in the hydrosphere
Describe the composition and characteristics of the atmosphere
Describe patterns of changing weather and how they are measured
Explain the water cycle and its relationship to weather patterns
Describe health effects of polluted air
Compare the earth to other planets in terms of supporting life
Describe, compare, and explain the motions of planets, moons, and comets in the solar system
Describe and explain common observations of the day and night skies

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In sixth grade social studies, students will:

Select a contemporary condition in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe and Latin America and trace some of the major historical origins of each
Select conditions in various parts of the world and describe how they have been shaped by events from the past
Use historical biographies to explain how events from the past affected the lives of individuals and how some individuals influenced the course of history
Use primary and secondary records to analyze significant events that shaped the development of Michigan as a state and the United States as a nation prior to the end of the era of Reconstruction
Select historic decisions and evaluate them in light of core democratic values and resulting costs and benefits as viewed from a variety of perspectives
Locate and describe the diverse places, cultures, and communities of major world regions
Describe and compare characteristics of major world cultures including language, religion, belief systems, gender roles, and traditions
Explain why people live and work as they do in different regions
Locate, describe, and compare the ecosystems, resources, and human environment interactions of major world regions
Locate major ecosystems, describe their characteristics, and explain the process that created them
Explain the importance of different kinds of ecosystems to people
Explain how humans modify the environment and describe some of the possible consequences of those modification
Describe the consequences of human/environment interactions in several different types of environment
Locate and describe major economic activities and occupations to major world regions and explain the reasons for their location
Explain how governments have divided land and sea areas into different regions
Describe how and why people, goods and services, and information move within world regions and between regions
Describe the major economic and political connections between the United States and different world regions and explain their causes and consequences
Locate and describe major cultural, economic, political and environmental features of Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North and south America and the processes that created them
Describe major patterns of world population, physical features, ecosystems, cultures and explain some of the factors causing the patterns
Compare major world regions with respect to cultures, economy, governmental systems, environment, and communications
Explain how elements of the physical geography, culture, and history of the region may be influencing current events
Identify the current and potential contributions of national and world regions to trade
Locate and interpret information about the natural environments and cultures of countries using a variety of primary and secondary sources and electronic technologies, including computers and telecommunications when appropriate
Interpret social science information about the natural environment and cultures of countries from a variety of primary and secondary sources

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In sixth grade reading, students will:

Use word structure, sentence structure, and prediction to aid in decoding and understanding the meanings of words encountered in context
Use structural, syntactic, and semantic analysis to recognize unfamiliar words in context (e.g., origins and meanings of foreign words, words with multiple meanings, knowledge of major word chunks/rimes, syllabication)
Recognize frequently encountered words automatically
Know the meaning of frequently encountered words in written and oral contexts (research to support specific words)
Apply strategies to construct meaning and identify unknown words
Read fluently sixth grade level texts (increasingly demanding texts read with fluency as the year proceeds)
Use strategies (e.g., connotation, denotation) and authentic content-related resources to determine the meaning of words and phrases in context (e.g., regional idioms, content area vocabulary, technical terms)
Describe how characters in classic and contemporary literature recognized for quality and literary merit form opinions about one another in ways that can be fair and unfair
Analyze elements and style of narrative genres (e.g., folktales, fantasy, adventure, actions)
Analyze the role of dialogue, plot, characters, themes, major and minor characters, and climax
Analyze elements and style of informational genre (e.g., research report, how-to-articles, essays)
Analyze organizational patterns
Explain how authors use text features to enhance the understanding of central, key, and supporting ideas (e.g., footnotes, bibliographies, introductions, summaries, conclusions, appendices)
Connect personal knowledge, experience, and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in the text
Read, retell and summarize grade level appropriate narrative and informational text of grade level appropriate informational text
State global themes, universal truths, principles within and across texts to create a deeper understanding
Apply significant knowledge from what has been read in grade level appropriate science and social studies texts
Independently self-monitor comprehension when reading or listening to text by automatically using and discussing the strategies used by mature readers to increase comprehension and engage in interpretative discussions (e.g., predicting, constructing mental images representing ideas in text, questioning, rereading or listening again if uncertain about meaning, inferring, summarizing)
Plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate skills, strategies, and processes for their own reading comprehension by applying appropriate metacognitive skills (e.g. SQ3R, pattern guides, process of reading guides)
Compare the appropriateness of shared, individual, and expert standards based on purpose, context, and audience in order to assess their own work and works of others
Be enthusiastic about reading and do substantial reading on their own

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In sixth grade writing, students will:

Write a cohesive narrative piece (e.g., personal narrative, adventure, tall tale, fold tale, fantasy) that includes elements of characterization for major and minor characters, internal and/or external conflict, and address issues of plot, theme, imagery
Write an essay (e.g., personal, persuasive, or comparative) for authentic audiences that includes organizational patterns that support key ideas
Formulate research questions using multiple resources and perspectives that allow them to organize, analyze, and explore problems and pose solutions that culminate in a presented, final project
Set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate author’ styles and patterns when writing narrative or informational text
Apply a variety of pre-writing strategies for both narrative (e.g., graphic organizers such as story maps or webs designed to develop a plot that includes major and minor characters, builds climax, and uses dialogue to enhance a theme) and informational text (e.g. problem/solution, and sequence)
Review and revise their drafts with audience and purpose in mind regarding consistent voice and genre characteristics
Write for a specific purpose by using multiple paragraphs, sentence variety, and voice to meet the needs of an audience (e.g. word choice, level of formality, example)
Edit their writing using proofreaders’ checklists both individually and in peer editing groups
Exhibit individual style to enhance the written message (e.g., in narrative text: personification, humor, element of surprise; in informational text: emotional appeal, strong opinion, credible support)
In the context of their writing, use style conventions (e.g., MLA) and a variety of grammatical structures in their writing including indefinite and predicate pronouns, transitive and intransitive verbs, adjective and adverb phrases, adjective and adverb subordinate clauses, comparative adverbs and adjectives, superlatives, conjunctions, compound sentences, appositives, independent and dependent clauses, introductory phrases, periods, commas, quotation marks, and uses of underlining and italics for specific purposes
Spell frequently misspelled words correctly (e.g., their, there, they’re) in the context of their own writing
Be legible in their compositions
Be enthusiastic about writing

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In sixth grade speaking, students will:

Ask and respond to questions and remarks to engage the audience when presenting texts
Use rhyme, rhythm, cadence, and word play for effect when presenting
Present their work in standard American English if it is their first language (students whose second language is English will present their work in their work in their developing version of standard American English)
Engage in interactive, extended discourse to socially construct meaning (e.g., book clubs, literature circles, partnerships, or other conversation protocols)
Discuss multiple text types in order to compare/contrast ideas, form, and style to evaluate quality and to identify personally with a universal theme
Discuss their written narratives that include a variety of literary and plot devices (e.g., established context plot, point of view, sensory details, dialogue, suspense)
Plan a focused and coherent oral presentation using an informational text pattern (e.g., problem/solution sequence), select a focus question to address, and organize the message to ensure that it matches the intent and the audience to which it will be delivered

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In sixth grade listening & viewing, students will:

Respond to, evaluate, and analyze speeches and presentations delivered by peers
Demonstrate the appropriate social skills of audience behavior (e.g., eye contact, quiet and still, attentive, supportive) during speeches and presentations
Summarize, take notes on key points, and ask clarifying questions
Respond thoughtfully to both classic and contemporary texts recognized for quality and literary merit
Identify a speaker’s affective communications expressed through tone, mood, and emotional cues
Relate a speaker’s verbal communications (e.g., tone of voice) to the non-verbal message communication (e.g., eye contact, posture, gestures)
Respond to multiple texts when listened to or viewed by speaking, illustrating, and/or writing in order to compare/contrast similarities and differences in idea, form, and style to evaluate quality and to identify personal and universal themes
Respond to, evaluate, and analyze the credibility of a speaker who uses persuasion to affirm his/her point of view in a speech or presentation
Identify persuasive and propaganda techniques used in television, and identify false and misleading information

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In seventh grade math, students will:

Calculate slope of a ramp, stairs, or a line and express the answer as a fraction, a decimal, or as a percent
Solve simple proportion problems
Perform accurately manual multi-step calculations that add, subtract, multiply, and divide negative rational numbers
Understand concepts of square root, cube root and be able to estimate square roots and cube roots
Understand relative and cumulative frequencies and associated ratios or decimals
Students should be able to collect, organize and analyze both single variable and two variable data
Understand the meaning of the similarity of polygons as the equality of corresponding angles and the equality of the ratios of corresponding sides. This ratio is called the scale factor of the similarity
Understand and use the criteria SAS and AAA for the similarity of triangles
Understand why if two triangles are similar, with scale factor r, then their areas are related by a factor of r2
Be able to make elementary constructions such as the perpendicular bisector to a line segment, an equilateral triangle, the bisector of an angle and a regular hexagon using a straight edge and a compass
Draw squares, rectangles, parallelograms and triangles from given dimensions
Know and understand the basic properties of real numbers
Use properties of the real number system (e.g., distributive and associative laws, additive and multiplicative identities) to simplify expressions and solve equations
Calculate the vertical and horizontal distances for points on a graphical representation of a linear function and relate slope to the ratio of these distances
Understand proportionality as it relates to a linear function
Recognize, represent and work with linear functions
Solve equations of the form: f(x)=g(x)
Generate and solve linear equations of the form ax + b = c and ax + b = cx + d
Recognize and express correctly the connections between equations and functions

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In seventh grade science, students will:

Generate scientific questions about the world, based on observation
Design and conduct simple investigations
Investigate toys/simple appliances and explain how they work, using instruction and appropriate safety techniques
Use measurement devices to provide consistency in an investigation
Use sources of information to help solve problems
Write and follow procedures in the form of step-by-step instructions, recipes, formulas, flow diagrams
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments, or data
Describe limitations in personal knowledge
Show how common themes of science, mathematics, and technology apply in real-world contexts
Describe the advantages and risks of new technologies
Recognize the contributions made by individuals of diverse cultural and economic backgrounds
Describe similarities/differences between single-celled and multi-cellular organisms
Explain why specialized cells are needed by plants and animals
Explain how cells use food as a source of energy
Compare and contrast food, energy, and environmental needs of similar organisms
Describe evidence that plants make and store food
Explain how selected systems and processes work together in plants and animals
Describe how the characteristics of living things are passed through generations
Describe how biologists might trace possible evolutionary relationships among present and past life forms
Measure physical properties of objects or substances (mass, weight, temperature, dimensions, area, volume)
Describe when length, mass, weight, area, or volume are appropriate to describe the size of an object
Classify substances as elements, compounds, or mixtures
Describe matter as consisting of extremely small particles (atoms) that bond to form molecules
Describe the arrangement and motion of molecules in solids, liquids, and gases
Describe common chemical changes in terms of properties of reactants and products
Distinguish between physical and chemical changes in natural and technological systems
Explain physical changes in terms of the arrangement and motion of atoms and molecules
Describe, compare and contrast changes in atoms and/or molecules during physical, chemical and nuclear changes
Explain how rocks and fossils are used to determine the age and geological history of the earth
Explain how technology changes the surface of the earth
Describe the origins of pollution in the hydrosphere
Describe health effects of polluted air
Compare the earth to other planets in terms of supporting life
Describe, compare, and explain the motions of planets, moons, and comets in the solar system
Describe and explain common observations of the day and night skies
Explain how the solar system formed

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In seventh grade social studies, students will:

Select a contemporary condition in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe and Latin America and trace some of the major historical origins of each
Use historical biographies to explain how events from the past affected the lives of individuals and how some individuals influenced the course of history
Locate and describe the diverse places, cultures, and communities of major world regions
Describe and compare characteristics of major work cultures including language, religion, belief systems, and gender roles, and traditions
Explain why people live and work as they do in different regions
Locate, describe, and compare the ecosystems, resources and human environment interactions of major world regions
Locate major ecosystems, describe their characteristics, and explain the process that created them
Explain the importance of different kinds of ecosystems to people
Explain how humans modify the environment and describe some of the possible consequences of those modifications
Describe the consequences of human/environment interactions in several different types of environment
Locate and describe major economic activities and occupations of major world regions and explain the reasons for their locations
Describe how and why people, goods and services, and information move within world regions and between regions
Draw a sketch map of the world from memory
Locate and describe major cultural, economic, political and environmental features of Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North and South America and the processes that created them
Describe major patterns of world population, physical feature, ecosystems, cultures and explain some of the factors causing the patterns
Compare major world regions with respect to cultures, economy, governmental systems, environment, and communications
Explain how elements of the physical geography, culture, and history of the region may be influencing current events
Explain how the rule of law protects individual rights and serves the common good
Identify the current and potential contributions of national and world regions to trade
Use traditional and electronic means to organize social science information and to make maps, graphs, and tables
Interpret social science information about the natural environment and cultures of countries from a variety of primary and secondary sources
Pose a social science question about a culture, world region, or international problem
Gather and analyze information using appropriate information technologies to answer the question posed
Construct an answer to the question posed and support their answer with evidence
Report the results of their investigation including procedures followed and possible alternative conclusions

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In seventh grade reading, students will:

Use word structure, sentence structure, and prediction to aid in decoding and understanding the meanings of words encountered in context
Use structural, syntactic, and semantic analysis to recognize unfamiliar words in context (e.g., idioms, analogies, metaphors, similes, knowledge of roots and affixes, major word chunks/rimes, syllabication)
Recognize frequently encountered words automatically (“automatically” should be defined in the glossary)
Know the meaning of frequently encountered words in written and oral contexts (research to support specific words)
Apply strategies to construct meaning and identify unknown words
Read fluently seventh grade level texts (increasingly demanding texts read with fluency as the year proceeds)
Use strategies and authentic content-related resources to determine the meaning of words and phrases in context (e.g., literary terms, cross-cultural words and phrases, mathematical expressions, scientific procedures)
Identify and discuss how the tensions among characters, communities, themes, and issues in classic and contemporary literature recognized for quality and literary merit are related to their own experiences
Analyze elements and style of narrative genres (e.g., mystery, poetry, memoir, drama, myths, legends)
Analyze the role of antagonists, protagonists, internal and external conflicts, and abstract themes
Analyze author’s craft (e.g., theme, antagonists, protagonists, over and understatement, exaggeration)
Analyze elements and style of informational genre (e.g., persuasive essay, research report, brochure, personal correspondence, autobiography/biography)
Analyze organizational patterns (e.g., compare/contrast, cause and effect, sequence)
Explain how authors use writer’s craft and text features to enhance the understanding of central, key, and supporting ideas (e.g., metaphors, similes, captions, diagrams, appendices)
Connect personal knowledge, experience, and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in the text
Read, retell, and summarize grade level appropriate narrative and informational texts
State global themes, universal truths, and principles within and across text to create a deeper understanding
Apply significant knowledge from what has been read in grade level appropriate science and social studies texts
Independently self-monitor comprehension when reading or listening to text by automatically using and discussing the strategies used by mature readers to increase comprehension and engage in interpretative discussions (e.g., predicting, constructing mental images, representing ideas in text questioning, rereading or listening again if uncertain about meaning, inferring, summarizing)
Plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate skills, strategies, and processes for their own reading comprehension by applying appropriate metacoginitive skills (e.g., SQP3R pattern guides)
Analyze the appropriateness of shared, individual, and expert standards based on purpose, context, and audience in order to assess their own work and work of others
Be enthusiastic about reading and do substantial reading on their own

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In seventh grade writing, students will:

Write a cohesive narrative piece that includes appropriate conventions to the genre (e.g., memoir, drama, legend, mystery, poetry, myth) and employ literary and plot devices (e.g., internal and/or external conflicts, antagonists/protagonists, personification)
Write a research report (e.g., l-search, website, traditional) for an authentic audience that includes appropriate organizational patterns (e.g., problem statement and solution, position statement and supporting evidence, compare and contrast), descriptive language, and text features
Formulate research questions using multiple