Lesson Plan:Adopt-a-Biome

Subject : English-Language Arts
Grade : Ninth & Tenth
Strand : Reading
Substrand 2.0 : Reading Comprehension (Focus on Informational Materials)

Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They analyze the organizational patterns, arguments, and positions advanced. The selections in Recom-mended Literature, Grades Nine Through Twelve (1990) illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students. In addition, by grade twelve, students read two million words annually on their own, including a wide variety of classic and contempo-rary literature, magazines, newspapers, and online information. In grades nine and ten, students make substantial progress toward this goal.

Concept : Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text

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Standard:

2.3

Generate relevant questions about readings on issues that can be researched.

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Standard:

2.4

Synthesize the content from several sources or works by a single author dealing with a single issue; paraphrase the ideas and connect them to other sources and related topics to demonstrate comprehension.

Standard:

2.6

Demonstrate use of sophisticated learning tools by following technical directions (e.g., those found with graphic calculators and specialized software programs and in access guides to World Wide Web sites on the Internet).

Strand : Writing
Substrand 1.0 : Writing Strategies

Students write coherent and focused essays that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument. The writing demonstrates students� awareness of the audience and purpose. Students progress through the stages of the writing process as needed.

Concept : Research and Technology

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Standard:

1.3

Use clear research questions and suitable research methods (e.g., library, electronic media, personal interview) to elicit and present evidence from primary and secondary sources.

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Standard:

1.5

Synthesize information from multiple sources and identify complexities and discrepancies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium (e.g., almanacs, microfiche, news sources, in-depth field studies, speeches, journals, technical documents).

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Standard:

1.6

Integrate quotations and citations into a written text while maintaining the flow of ideas.

Standard:

1.7

Use appropriate conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and bibliographies by adhering to those in style manuals (e.g., Modern Language Association Handbook, The Chicago Manual of Style).

Standard:

1.8

Design and publish documents by using advanced publishing software and graphic programs.

Concept : Evaluation and Revision

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Standard:

1.9

Revise writing to improve the logic and coherence of the organization and controlling perspective, the precision of word choice, and the tone by taking into consideration the audience, purpose, and formality of the context.

Strand : Listening and Speaking
Substrand 1.0 : Listening and Speaking Strategies

Students formulate adroit judgments about oral communication. They deliver focused and coherent presentations of their own that convey clear and distinct perspectives and solid reasoning. They use gestures, tone, and vocabulary tailored to the audience and purpose.

Concept : Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication

Standard:

1.6

Present and advance a clear thesis statement and choose appropriate types of proof (e.g., statistics, testimony, specific instances) that meet standard tests for evidence, including credibility, validity, and relevance.

Standard:

1.7

Use props, visual aids, graphs, and electronic media to enhance the appeal and accuracy of presentations.

Substrand 2.0 : Speaking Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)

Students deliver polished formal and extemporaneous presentations that combine the traditional rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion, and description. Student speaking demonstrates a command of standard American English and the organizational and delivery strategies outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0.

Standard:

2.2b

Deliver expository presentations that convey information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately and coherently.

Standard:

2.2d

Deliver expository presentations that include visual aids by employing appropriate technology to organize and display information on charts, maps, and graphs.