ALEX Classroom Resources

   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (9) -7 :

R1. Read a variety of print and nonprint documents to acquire new information and respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace.

Examples: emails, directions, diagrams, charts, other common workplace documents

[ELA2021] (9) -2 :

R6. Employ conventions of grammar, mechanics, and usage in order to communicate effectively with a target audience.

Examples: punctuation, capitalization, spelling, effective sentence structure, appropriate formality of language

[ELA2021] (10) -6 :

R2. Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas

[ELA2021] (10) -2 :

R6. Employ conventions of grammar, mechanics, and usage in order to communicate effectively with a target audience.

Examples: punctuation, capitalization, spelling, effective sentence structure, appropriate formality of language

[ELA2021] (10) 19 :

19. Apply conventions of language to communicate effectively with a target audience, including punctuation; capitalization; spelling; verb, pronoun, and modifier usage; and effective sentence structure.

a. Exhibit stylistic consistency in writing.

[ELA2021] (11) -7 :

R1. Read a variety of print and nonprint documents to acquire new information and respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace.

Examples: emails, directions, diagrams, charts, other common workplace documents

[ELA2021] (11) -6 :

R2. Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas

[ELA2021] (11) -2 :

R6. Employ conventions of grammar, mechanics, and usage in order to communicate effectively with a target audience.

Examples: punctuation, capitalization, spelling, effective sentence structure, appropriate formality of language

[ELA2021] (11) 12 :

12. Collaborate on writing tasks in diverse groups, making necessary compromises to accomplish a goal, sharing responsibility for collaborative work, and showing respect for the individual contributions of each group member.

[ELA2021] (12) -1 :

R1. Read a variety of print and nonprint documents to acquire new information and respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace.

Examples: emails, directions, diagrams, charts, other common workplace documents

[ELA2021] (12) -2 :

R2. Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas

[ELA2021] (12) -6 :

R6. Employ conventions of grammar, mechanics, and usage in order to communicate effectively with a target audience.

Examples: punctuation, capitalization, spelling, effective sentence structure, appropriate formality of language

[ELA2021] (12) 12 :

12. Within diverse and collaborative writing groups, effectively and respectfully demonstrate a willingness to make necessary compromises to accomplish a goal, share responsibility for collaborative work, and consider contributions made by each group member.

In this lesson, students find a job for a character in a text they have read, prepare a resume for their character, and help them prepare for a job interview. Students first identify characteristics of effective resumes. After exploring an online introduction to writing a resume for a character, students search job ads for jobs that would be appropriate for a specific character from a text they have read. They then analyze that character, looking for direct and implied information about the character and textual evidence of the character's strengths and weaknesses. They work in small groups to write a resume for their character, based on their analysis. Finally, they explore interviewing tips and techniques and write ten job interview questions and accompanying answers designed to highlight the character's strengths.

Though the examples in this lesson focus on The Glass Menagerie, many other pieces of literature can be used.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (12) -2 :

R2. Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas

[ELA2021] (12) -3 :

R3. Utilize active listening skills in formal and informal conversations, following predetermined norms.

[ELA2021] (12) -5 :

R5. Utilize a writing process which includes planning, revising, editing/peer-editing, and rewriting to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing for a specific purpose and audience.

[ELA2021] (12) 4 :

4. Evaluate an author's use of characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning.

[ELA2021] (12) 6 :

6. Analyze a text's explicit and implicit meanings to make inferences about its theme and determine the author's purpose.

[ELA2021] (12) 11 :

11. Compose, edit, and revise both short and extended products in which the development, organization, and style are relevant and suitable to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

a. Incorporate narrative techniques into other modes of writing as appropriate.

Examples: flashback, anecdote, foreshadowing, story-telling, sensory details, character development

b. Write explanations and expositions that examine and convey complex ideas or processes effectively, develop the topic utilizing and citing credible sources of information or data when relevant, use intentional transitions, choose precise vocabulary, and maintain an organized structure and style.

c. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence, making intentional rhetorical choices to convey a specific tone or style, including intentional transitions, and providing a logical conclusion that captures the larger implications of the topic or text.

[ELA2021] (12) 12 :

12. Within diverse and collaborative writing groups, effectively and respectfully demonstrate a willingness to make necessary compromises to accomplish a goal, share responsibility for collaborative work, and consider contributions made by each group member.

[ELA2021] (12) 14 :

14. Actively engage in collaborative discussions about topics and texts, expressing their own ideas by respectfully contributing to, building upon, and questioning the ideas of others in pairs, diverse groups, and whole class settings.

After reading Beloved or another suitable novel, students review some of the critical elements of drama, focusing on differences between narrative and dramatic texts, including point of view. They discuss the role of conflict in the novel and work in small groups to search the novel for a passage they can adapt to a ten-minute play. Students write their play adaptation in writer's workshop sessions, focusing on character, setting, conflict, and resolution. When the play draft is complete, students review and revise it, then rehearse and present their play to the class. As the plays are performed, students use a rubric to peer-review each group's work. Because students are responding to a novel with significant internal dialogue and conflict, they are called on to use both analytical and creative skills as they create the adaptation, rather than simply cutting and pasting dialogue.

Click here for an updated link to the drama map.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2021] (9) -6 :

R2. Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas

[ELA2021] (9) -5 :

R3. Utilize active listening skills in formal and informal conversations, following predetermined norms.

[ELA2021] (9) 6 :

6. Compare and/or contrast the perspectives in a variety of fiction, nonfiction, informational, digital, and multimodal texts produced from diverse historical, cultural, and global points of view, not limited to the grade-level literary focus.

[ELA2021] (9) 9 :

9. Compose both short and extended narrative, informative/explanatory, and argumentative writings that are clear and coherent, use an appropriate command of language, and demonstrate development, organization, style, and tone that are relevant to task, purpose, and audience.

Examples: paragraphs, constructed responses, essays

a. Write a memoir, narrative essay, or personal or fictional narrative to convey a series of events, establishing a clear purpose and using narrative techniques.

Examples: dialogue, pacing, description, reflection

b. Write explanations and expositions that incorporate evidence, using transitions and techniques that objectively introduce and develop topics.

Examples: relevant and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations

c. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning, relevant and sufficient evidence, transitions, and a concluding statement or section that follows from the information presented.

[ELA2021] (10) -6 :

R2. Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas

[ELA2021] (10) -3 :

R5. Utilize a writing process which includes planning, revising, editing/peer-editing, and rewriting to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing for a specific purpose and audience.

[ELA2021] (10) 6 :

6. Compare and/or contrast the perspectives in a variety of fiction, nonfiction, informational, digital, and multimodal texts produced from diverse historical, cultural, and global viewpoints, not limited to the grade-level literary focus.

[ELA2021] (10) 9 :

9. Compose both short and extended narrative, informative/explanatory, and argumentative writings that are clear and coherent, use an appropriate command of language, and demonstrate development, organization, style, and tone that are relevant to task, purpose, and audience.

Examples: paragraphs, constructed responses, essays

a. Write a memoir, narrative essay, or personal or fictional narrative to convey a series of events, establishing a clear purpose, using narrative techniques, and sequencing events coherently.

Examples: dialogue, pacing, description, reflection; chronological order, reverse chronological order, flashbacks

b. Write explanations and expositions that incorporate relevant evidence, using effective transitions that objectively introduce and develop topics.

Examples: specific facts, examples, details, statistics/data, examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic

c. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning, relevant and sufficient evidence, appropriate transitions, and a concluding section that follows from and supports the information presented.

[ELA2021] (11) -6 :

R2. Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas

[ELA2021] (11) -3 :

R5. Utilize a writing process which includes planning, revising, editing/peer-editing, and rewriting to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing for a specific purpose and audience.

[ELA2021] (11) 6 :

6. Analyze a text's explicit and implicit meanings to make inferences about its theme and determine the author's purpose.

[ELA2021] (11) 7 :

7. Compare and/or contrast the perspectives in a variety of fiction, nonfiction, informational, digital, and multimodal texts produced from diverse historical, cultural, and global viewpoints, not limited to the grade level literary focus.

[ELA2021] (11) 11 :

11. Compose and edit both short and extended products in which the development and organization are relevant and suitable to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

Examples: paragraphs, constructed responses, essays

a. Incorporate narrative techniques in other modes of writing as appropriate.

Examples: flashback, anecdote, foreshadowing, story-telling, sensory details, character development

b. Write explanations and expositions that examine and convey complex ideas or processes effectively, develop the topic utilizing and citing credible sources of information or data when relevant, use intentional transitions, choose precise vocabulary, and maintain an organized structure.

c. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning supported by relevant and sufficient evidence, making rhetorical choices that convey a specific tone or style, including intentional transitions, and providing a logical conclusion that captures the larger implications of the topic or text.

[ELA2021] (11) 12 :

12. Collaborate on writing tasks in diverse groups, making necessary compromises to accomplish a goal, sharing responsibility for collaborative work, and showing respect for the individual contributions of each group member.

[ELA2021] (12) -2 :

R2. Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

Examples: short and long prose texts, poetry, dramas

[ELA2021] (12) -3 :

R3. Utilize active listening skills in formal and informal conversations, following predetermined norms.

[ELA2021] (12) 7 :

7. Compare and/or contrast the perspectives in a variety of fiction, nonfiction, informational, digital, and multimodal texts produced from diverse historical, cultural, and global viewpoints, not limited to the grade level literary focus.

[ELA2021] (12) 11 :

11. Compose, edit, and revise both short and extended products in which the development, organization, and style are relevant and suitable to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

a. Incorporate narrative techniques into other modes of writing as appropriate.

Examples: flashback, anecdote, foreshadowing, story-telling, sensory details, character development

b. Write explanations and expositions that examine and convey complex ideas or processes effectively, develop the topic utilizing and citing credible sources of information or data when relevant, use intentional transitions, choose precise vocabulary, and maintain an organized structure and style.

c. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence, making intentional rhetorical choices to convey a specific tone or style, including intentional transitions, and providing a logical conclusion that captures the larger implications of the topic or text.

[ELA2021] (12) 12 :

12. Within diverse and collaborative writing groups, effectively and respectfully demonstrate a willingness to make necessary compromises to accomplish a goal, share responsibility for collaborative work, and consider contributions made by each group member.

In this six-lesson unit, students read, analyze, and discuss medieval English ballads and then list characteristics of the genre. Then, they emphasize the narrative characteristics of ballads by choosing a ballad to act out. Using the Venn diagram tool, students next compare medieval ballads with modern ones. After familiarizing themselves with ballad themes and forms, students work collaboratively to write their own original ballads, which they will perform in small groups. Finally, students engage in self-reflection on their group performances and on the literary characteristics of their ballads.