Hillsborough County Schools Reading Curriculum
***Please note: this curriculum is for students who are in brick and mortar at Walker
6th Grade- Literacy Design Collaborative
Mrs. Gonzalez- all classes, Mr. Ramsay- periods, Ms. Lowe- periods
Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC):
LDC offers teachers, coaches, and leaders an instructional design system for developing students’ literacy skills to prepare them for the demands of college and career. LDC does not provide “off-the-shelf” curriculum units or lesson plans. Instead, LDC empowers teachers to build students’ literacy skills and understanding of science, history, literature, and other important academic content through meaningful reading and writing assignments that are aligned to College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS).
LDC works with a variety of stakeholders—states, districts, partnering organizations, schools, and individual teachers—to enable all educators to model, lead, and succeed in implementing the high expectations embodied in the CCRS as they accelerate their own professional growth and increase student outcomes. To fulfill this mission, our work is nested in a “virtuous cycle” of continuous improvement that includes public, transparent practice; reflection; and a commitment to co-design and iterative development with those closest to students—the teachers—empowered to co-lead in our work.
Module 1: August/September- All Things Reading
The purpose of this module is to introduce 6th grade reading students to multiple reading strategies they will use during the course of the school year. The students will practice these strategies in their independent books as well as with the books and texts we will be reading in class. Students will also explore genres and discover which genres "speak" to them the most. Lastly, students will explore why authors write in these genres.
Module 2: October/November- Influencing Change
In this module, students explore the idea that children can make major changes in their communities by changing their behavior and reaching out to others either to give help or to receive it. Students will write an informational essay that focuses on how and why young people make a difference in their communities. Through reading the novel Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman, students will begin identifying the change that occurred in one community when a child started a garden (this will be read in class). Then, through the reading of a series of informational articles they will chronicle other examples of changes that impacted real communities around the world. Students will synthesize the experience of others to identify ways they can make changes in their own world.
Module 3: December/January- Fairy Tales Changing
This module is intended for students to understand the parts of a story and how those parts have been adapted through time utilizing original, modern, and fractured fairy tales. Students will explore/analyze the original intention of fairy tales and why modern fairy tales have been changed. Students will also create an essay addressing the question, “How have fairy tales changed?” Students will explore/analyze the original intention of fairy tales and why modern fairy tales have been altered. This module is used as a way of teaching compare/contrast, analyzing text, introducing tone/mood, elements of a story, and analytical writing.
Module 4: February/March- Child Labor
Students will be exposed to multi-media primary source materials that focus on the topic of child labor. They will work on the skills of determining the author’s point of view and purpose for developing materials, cause and effect, and analysis of primary source documents.
Module 5: TBD
LDC offers teachers, coaches, and leaders an instructional design system for developing students’ literacy skills to prepare them for the demands of college and career. LDC does not provide “off-the-shelf” curriculum units or lesson plans. Instead, LDC empowers teachers to build students’ literacy skills and understanding of science, history, literature, and other important academic content through meaningful reading and writing assignments that are aligned to College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS).
LDC works with a variety of stakeholders—states, districts, partnering organizations, schools, and individual teachers—to enable all educators to model, lead, and succeed in implementing the high expectations embodied in the CCRS as they accelerate their own professional growth and increase student outcomes. To fulfill this mission, our work is nested in a “virtuous cycle” of continuous improvement that includes public, transparent practice; reflection; and a commitment to co-design and iterative development with those closest to students—the teachers—empowered to co-lead in our work.
Module 1: August/September- All Things Reading
The purpose of this module is to introduce 6th grade reading students to multiple reading strategies they will use during the course of the school year. The students will practice these strategies in their independent books as well as with the books and texts we will be reading in class. Students will also explore genres and discover which genres "speak" to them the most. Lastly, students will explore why authors write in these genres.
Module 2: October/November- Influencing Change
In this module, students explore the idea that children can make major changes in their communities by changing their behavior and reaching out to others either to give help or to receive it. Students will write an informational essay that focuses on how and why young people make a difference in their communities. Through reading the novel Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman, students will begin identifying the change that occurred in one community when a child started a garden (this will be read in class). Then, through the reading of a series of informational articles they will chronicle other examples of changes that impacted real communities around the world. Students will synthesize the experience of others to identify ways they can make changes in their own world.
Module 3: December/January- Fairy Tales Changing
This module is intended for students to understand the parts of a story and how those parts have been adapted through time utilizing original, modern, and fractured fairy tales. Students will explore/analyze the original intention of fairy tales and why modern fairy tales have been changed. Students will also create an essay addressing the question, “How have fairy tales changed?” Students will explore/analyze the original intention of fairy tales and why modern fairy tales have been altered. This module is used as a way of teaching compare/contrast, analyzing text, introducing tone/mood, elements of a story, and analytical writing.
Module 4: February/March- Child Labor
Students will be exposed to multi-media primary source materials that focus on the topic of child labor. They will work on the skills of determining the author’s point of view and purpose for developing materials, cause and effect, and analysis of primary source documents.
Module 5: TBD
6th Grade- Paths
Mr. Ramsay- period
Paths to College and Career is a comprehensive English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum that meets the rigorous requirements and instructional shifts of the Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS). Paths to College and Career (for grades 6–8) deeply engages middle-level students in authentic experiences while building their literacy skills and expanding their knowledge of the world around them as they grow toward college and career readiness. Paths to College and Career supports teachers’ understanding of LAFS-aligned instruction that challenges and engages all students as they read, discuss, and write about complex texts.
Paths to College and Career provides strong and engaging instruction and learning experiences in each lesson, throughout each unit and module, and across all grade levels. Students develop expertise in the standards as they practice them with a variety of topics and tasks. The routines and protocols are consistent throughout the lessons, units, and modules, and across grade levels. This predictable structure provides scaffolds for students as they grow toward independence and accountability for their own learning.
Module 1- Myths: Not Just Long Ago
Students study the purposes and elements of mythology. Students read Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief with a focus on the archetypal hero’s journey and close reading of the many mythical allusions. They also read complex informational texts about the elements of mythology. As a whole class, students will closely read several complex Greek myths and then work in small groups to build expertise on an additional myth. Students then develop their narrative writing skills as they create their own hero’s journey narrative.
Module 2- Rules to Live By
How do people formulate and use “rules” to improve their lives and communicate these rules to others? Students consider these questions as they read a variety of texts. They begin with Bud, Not Buddy, analyzing character development and considering how figurative language contributes to tone and meaning. They then read closely Steve Jobs’s speech (focusing on how Jobs develops his ideas at the paragraph, sentence, and word levels) and analyze the poem “If” to compare and contrast how the novel and the poem address a similar theme. In an argument essay, students establish a claim about how Bud uses his rules. Finally, students conduct a short research project related to their own “rules to live by” and then write an essay to inform about one important rule to live by.
Module 3- The Land of the Golden Mountain
How do people formulate and use “rules” to improve their lives and communicate these rules to others? Students consider these questions as they read a variety of texts. They begin with Bud, Not Buddy, analyzing character development and considering how figurative language contributes to tone and meaning. They then read closely Steve Jobs’s speech (focusing on how Jobs develops his ideas at the paragraph, sentence, and word levels) and analyze the poem “If” to compare and contrast how the novel and the poem address a similar theme. In an argument essay, students establish a claim perspective and comparing the accounts to those in the novel. Finally, students write newspaper articles that convey multiple perspectives about life for Chinese immigrants in San Francisco in the early 1900s.
Module 4- TBD
Paths to College and Career provides strong and engaging instruction and learning experiences in each lesson, throughout each unit and module, and across all grade levels. Students develop expertise in the standards as they practice them with a variety of topics and tasks. The routines and protocols are consistent throughout the lessons, units, and modules, and across grade levels. This predictable structure provides scaffolds for students as they grow toward independence and accountability for their own learning.
Module 1- Myths: Not Just Long Ago
Students study the purposes and elements of mythology. Students read Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief with a focus on the archetypal hero’s journey and close reading of the many mythical allusions. They also read complex informational texts about the elements of mythology. As a whole class, students will closely read several complex Greek myths and then work in small groups to build expertise on an additional myth. Students then develop their narrative writing skills as they create their own hero’s journey narrative.
Module 2- Rules to Live By
How do people formulate and use “rules” to improve their lives and communicate these rules to others? Students consider these questions as they read a variety of texts. They begin with Bud, Not Buddy, analyzing character development and considering how figurative language contributes to tone and meaning. They then read closely Steve Jobs’s speech (focusing on how Jobs develops his ideas at the paragraph, sentence, and word levels) and analyze the poem “If” to compare and contrast how the novel and the poem address a similar theme. In an argument essay, students establish a claim about how Bud uses his rules. Finally, students conduct a short research project related to their own “rules to live by” and then write an essay to inform about one important rule to live by.
Module 3- The Land of the Golden Mountain
How do people formulate and use “rules” to improve their lives and communicate these rules to others? Students consider these questions as they read a variety of texts. They begin with Bud, Not Buddy, analyzing character development and considering how figurative language contributes to tone and meaning. They then read closely Steve Jobs’s speech (focusing on how Jobs develops his ideas at the paragraph, sentence, and word levels) and analyze the poem “If” to compare and contrast how the novel and the poem address a similar theme. In an argument essay, students establish a claim perspective and comparing the accounts to those in the novel. Finally, students write newspaper articles that convey multiple perspectives about life for Chinese immigrants in San Francisco in the early 1900s.
Module 4- TBD
6th Grade- Inside
Ms. Lowe- period
Unit 1: August/September- Imagine the Possibilities
Focus on Reading: Reading Strategies
Focus on Vocabulary: Word parts- Compound words, prefixes, suffixes
Functions: Ask and answer questions, Express ideas and feelings, Give information
Grammar: Kinds of sentences, Nouns, Complete sentences
Reading Skills: Learn reading strategies
Writing: Paragraph- Problem-and-solution, Chronological order, Spatial order, Compare and Contrast
Unit 2: October/November- Playing To Your Strengths
Focus on Reading: Elements of Fiction: Plot, Character, Setting
Focus on Vocabulary: Related Words: Word Categories, Synonyms, Antonyms
Functions: Engage in conversation, Retell a story, Ask for and guide information
Grammar: Subject pronouns, Verb forms: be, Subject/verb agreement
Reading Skills: Analyze plot, character, and elements of drama
Writing: Personal Narrative, Short story
Unit 3: December/January- A New Chapter
Focus on Reading: Analyze Interactions
Focus on Vocabulary: Word Parts- prefixes, suffixes, and root words
Functions: Describe people, places, and things, make comparisons, and describe an event or experience
Grammar: Adjectives and adverbs, and comparative adjectives
Reading Skills: Analyze plot, analyze interactions among ideas, and compare fiction and nonfiction
Writing: Realistic short story, and cause/effect essay
Unit 4: February/March- Every Body is a Winner
Focus on Reading: Text structure- main idea and details, chronological order
Focus on Vocabulary: Context clues- definition and restatement, synonyms and antonyms
Functions: Define and explain, give and follow directions, engage in discussion
Grammar: possessive nouns and adjectives, indefinite pronouns
Writing: Research Report
7th/8th Grade- Paths
Mrs. Hunter- all classes
Paths to College and Career is a comprehensive English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum that meets the rigorous requirements and instructional shifts of the Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS). Paths to College and Career (for grades 6–8) deeply engages middle-level students in authentic experiences while building their literacy skills and expanding their knowledge of the world around them as they grow toward college and career readiness. Paths to College and Career supports teachers’ understanding of LAFS-aligned instruction that challenges and engages all students as they read, discuss, and write about complex texts.
Paths to College and Career provides strong and engaging instruction and learning experiences in each lesson, throughout each unit and module, and across all grade levels. Students develop expertise in the standards as they practice them with a variety of topics and tasks. The routines and protocols are consistent throughout the lessons, units, and modules, and across grade levels. This predictable structure provides scaffolds for students as they grow toward independence and accountability for their own learning.
Module 1- Journey and Survival
Focus: Reading Closely and Writing to Learn
Students explore the experiences of people of Southern Sudan during and after the Second Sudanese Civil War. They build proficiency in using textual evidence to support ideas in their writing, both in shorter responses and in an extension activity. They will read complex informational texts on Sudan. Students then combine research about Sudan with quotes from other texts about survival and craft a research-based extension activity. Students will focus on reviewing and strengthening reading strategies, such as Tackling the Text and Notice and Note Signposts.
Module 2- Working Conditions
Focus: Working with Evidence
Students explore the issue of working conditions, historical and modern-day. They analyze how people, settings, and events interact in literary and informational texts. Students first focus on Lyddie (about a girl who works in the Lowell mills); they complete comprehension activities about Lyddie’s choices around joining a protest over working conditions. Then they read a speech by César Chávez (tracing how the sections of the text combine to build central claims) as they consider the role that workers, the government, and consumers play in improving working conditions. Finally, a short research project explores how working conditions affected Lyddie while also comparing her experiences with César Chávez.
Module 3- Slavery: The People Could Fly
Focus: Understanding Perspectives
This module focuses on the autobiography of Frederick Douglass, with specific attention to understanding how he uses language in powerful ways and how he tells his story in order to serve his purpose of working to abolish slavery. Students begin by building background knowledge about Douglass and his historical context. They then read closely key excerpts from his Narrative, focusing on his message as well as the author’s craft. Finally, they select one episode from the Narrative and rewrite it as a children’s story, using Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery as a mentor text.
Module 4- TBD
Paths to College and Career provides strong and engaging instruction and learning experiences in each lesson, throughout each unit and module, and across all grade levels. Students develop expertise in the standards as they practice them with a variety of topics and tasks. The routines and protocols are consistent throughout the lessons, units, and modules, and across grade levels. This predictable structure provides scaffolds for students as they grow toward independence and accountability for their own learning.
Module 1- Journey and Survival
Focus: Reading Closely and Writing to Learn
Students explore the experiences of people of Southern Sudan during and after the Second Sudanese Civil War. They build proficiency in using textual evidence to support ideas in their writing, both in shorter responses and in an extension activity. They will read complex informational texts on Sudan. Students then combine research about Sudan with quotes from other texts about survival and craft a research-based extension activity. Students will focus on reviewing and strengthening reading strategies, such as Tackling the Text and Notice and Note Signposts.
Module 2- Working Conditions
Focus: Working with Evidence
Students explore the issue of working conditions, historical and modern-day. They analyze how people, settings, and events interact in literary and informational texts. Students first focus on Lyddie (about a girl who works in the Lowell mills); they complete comprehension activities about Lyddie’s choices around joining a protest over working conditions. Then they read a speech by César Chávez (tracing how the sections of the text combine to build central claims) as they consider the role that workers, the government, and consumers play in improving working conditions. Finally, a short research project explores how working conditions affected Lyddie while also comparing her experiences with César Chávez.
Module 3- Slavery: The People Could Fly
Focus: Understanding Perspectives
This module focuses on the autobiography of Frederick Douglass, with specific attention to understanding how he uses language in powerful ways and how he tells his story in order to serve his purpose of working to abolish slavery. Students begin by building background knowledge about Douglass and his historical context. They then read closely key excerpts from his Narrative, focusing on his message as well as the author’s craft. Finally, they select one episode from the Narrative and rewrite it as a children’s story, using Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery as a mentor text.
Module 4- TBD