About the Grade 7 Units
Seventh graders relish their growing sense of control over their own lives and their sense of agency. In this first unit of the year, Writing Realistic Fiction: Symbolism, Syntax, and Truth, students write engaging short fiction. They lift the sophistication of their writing through attention to individual scenes, symbols, and writing techniques they’ve discovered from close readings of powerful short fiction. Next, in Unit 2, Writing About Reading: From Reader’s Notebooks to Companion Books, students learn to analyze the craft and structure of the authors they admire and to write for real audiences about why that craft matters. Finally, in Unit 3, The Art of Argument: Research-Based Essays, students learn to write essays that build convincing, nuanced arguments, balancing evidence and analysis to persuade readers to shift their beliefs or take action.
About the Series
Like the K–5 Units of Study series, the Middle School Units of Study series not only provides a coherent, systematic curriculum in the three types of writing mandated by the Common Core—opinion/argument, information, and narrative writing—it also reflects the latest research on data-based, responsive instruction.
