INCREASING VOCABULARY

§         Determine meaning of a word with context and structure clues, reference books (dictionaries and glossaries), and word order/structure (roots and affixes)

§         Identify the contextual meaning of a word that has multiple meanings

§         Readily use textbooks, dictionary, atlas, encyclopedia, and thesaurus to understand unknown words

§         Develop and explain your system for learning vocabulary in all subject areas

§         Continually expand vocabulary and concept knowledge through reading and listening

USING READING STRATEGIES

§         Demonstrate purpose of reading by explaining, interviewing, conducting research, debating, collaborating, writing, and speaking

§         Reread for understanding

§         Explain how they have adapted reading strategies to different subjects and for different purposes

§         Develop and explain their system for marking written material (underline, highlight, margin notes, stickies)

§         Use a variety of note-taking skills: outlining, bubbling, mapping, flow charts, spreadsheets

§         Identify and use skim, scan, and study sections, organizational pattern, format, graphic elements, and visual keys for all textbooks

§         Identify and practice comprehensive reading strategies: context clues, prefixes, and suffixes

§         Use references: alphabetize, use guide words and entry words, pronunciation key, choose appropriate word meaning, note word origin, use information on the spine to locate appropriate volume, use index, use thesaurus, almanac and atlas

§         Construct meaning from print, based on prior knowledge, past experiences, and reader’s and author’s purpose

INCREASING COMPREHENSION

§         Demonstrate comprehension by main idea, retelling the sequence of events, comparing/contrasting to relate works, etc. and prior knowledge or experiences

§         Read for information, appreciation and pleasure by reading poetry, short stories, speeches, novels, nonfiction, newspaper/magazine, biography, autobiography, science fiction, letters, diaries, journals, and drama

§         Read and demonstrate understanding of multiple-step directions by completing a project or task

§         Participate in small and large group literature study

§         Demonstrate knowledge of elements of literature by recognizing character, setting, plot, plot line, point of view (fact and opinion), time, and theme in narratives (determine their importance to the story)

§         Demonstrate knowledge of nonfiction by recognizing fact and opinion, bias, purpose, validity, and credibility in a variety of nonfiction sources

§         Demonstrate knowledge of author’s work by recognizing and understanding word choice, figurative language, and poetic devices in poetry

§         Analyze the basic rules (conventions) of the four genres of fiction (short story, drama, novel, and poetry)

§         Discriminates between main plot and subplots, main and minor characters, and elements of a setting in a written selection

§         Summarize and discuss plot and subplot including initial incidents, rising actions, climax, resolution, falling action, foreshadowing, and conflict

§         Distinguish between first and third persons points of view

§         Comprehend by summarizing major events, restating and sequencing events, predicting, drawing conclusions, making inferences, forming opinions, cause/effect, and asking critical questions

COMMUNICATE THROUGH WRITING

§         Use legible and cursive writing

§         Form and explain own standards for quality writing

§         Use an analytical rubric to guide personal writing

§         Apply knowledge of prewriting strategies for various purposes and audiences: brainstorming, mapping, clustering, graphic organizers, fast writing, simple note-taking skills, interviewing, making lists, conducting interviews

§         Elaborate a central idea, provide supporting evidence, and develop a conclusion

§         State the main idea of the paragraph in one sentence and fully develop the idea in a logical sequence

§         Choose vocabulary that conveys imagery, tone, voice, and purpose (including some figurative language)

§         Revise writing for clarity

§         Use appropriate sentence and paragraph structure in an organized manner

§         Use a word processor to plan, draft, revise, and publish some writings

§         Expand vocabulary and spelling skills

§         Demonstrate an understanding of clauses and phrases when writing complex sentences

§         Compose and present short stories, poetry, diaries, journals, non-fiction reports, and learning logs with a primary focus upon narrative

§         Write, structure multi-paragraph narratives with descriptive elements and good transition

§         Combines sentence using conjunctions to make writing concise

§         Edit final copies to ensure correct use of grammar (e.g., subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, uses adverbs of comparison, pronouns referring to antecedents, and homonyms)

§         Use library: use electronic card catalog (title, author, subject searches), locate information using (call number on spine, table of contents, glossary, publisher, place of publication, copyright date)

§         Apply research skills including evaluating the validity, objectivity, reliability, and quality of information read, heard and seen

§         Document sources

DISCUSSIONS AND ORAL PRESENTATIONS

§         Communicate ideas and information orally in an organized and succinct manner (prepare and use brief notes, summarize main points before and after presentations, introduction, body, review)

§         As probing questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas

§         Make supportive statements to communicate agreement, disagreement, or acceptance of others’ ideas

§         Develop and articulate personal opinions

§         Identify the relationship between a speaker’s verbal and nonverbal messages

§         Verbal communication: word choice, pitch, feeling, tone, and voice

§         Nonverbal communication: eye contact, posture, and gesture

§         Identify persuasive techniques

§         Distinguish from fact/opinion (cite information in presentations)

§         Use statistics, quotations, examples, stories, analogies and graphics or visual aids as support

§         Evaluate student’s own contribution to discussions

LISTENING SKILLS

§         Demonstrate the social skills of audience behavior (eye contact, with out interrupting, attentive, supportive)

§         Listen with an open mind (wait until all information has been received to form an opinion)

§         Listen to learn: develop and explain your own method of taking, keeping, and reviewing notes on key points

§         Listen, draw conclusions, and share responses in subject related group learning activities across content areas

NUMERATION

§         Explain, define, and use concepts of number theory

§         Order of operations and grouping symbols

§         Square number and square roots

§         Number properties with integers

§         Scientific notation

§         Exponential notation

§         Identify, compare, and order rational numbers

§         Use exponents to write the prim factorization of a number

§         Convert fractions, decimals, and percents, and select the most appropriate form

§         Use rules of divisibility to determine if one number is a factor or a multiple of another

§         Use prime factors to find GCF’s and LCM’s

§          Compare and order whole numbers, fractions, decimals and integers using >, <, or =

§          Use models or diagrams to explain place value relations of decimals

MEASUREMENT

§         Use a variety of methods and tools to measure and make geometric models

§         Use a protractor and compass to construct

§         Use a metric and standard scale for mass

§         Use a variety of volumetric measures (i.e., graduated cylinders, measuring cups)

§         Select the appropriate unit for measuring

§         Measure length, weight/mass, area, and volume using the appropriate tool in metric and standard units

§         Use, compare, and convert between units in the standard system for length, time, weight, area, volume, and money

§         Explain the range of error that can be expected when measuring

§         Find perimeter, circumference, and area of circles and polygons, and verify the solution using a different method

§         Use ratios to solve problems about perimeters and areas of similar figures

§         Write and solve rate problems and use appropriate units for the solutions

§          Explain how to find the circumference and area of a circle (pi)

ESTIMATION and COMPUTATION

§         Understand, compute, and solve problems with rational numbers (select and use an appropriate method for computing: e.g., mental math, paper and pencil, calculator, computer)

§         Add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers, decimals, factions, and integers (with and without a calculator)

§         Decimals-terminating and repeating

§         Fractions-review computation with fractions (e.g., adding/subtracting mixed numbers, multiplying fractions/mixed numbers, dividing fractions/mixed numbers), convert fractions to decimals and percents

§         Use ration, proportion, and percent to solve problems-unit price, interest, discount, sale price, percent of increase, percent of decrease

§         Integers-find opposites and absolute value, multiply and divide integers

§         Convert numbers between standard form and scientific notation using positive exponents

§         Apply the rules of operations to rational numbers

§         Use mental math to solve problems involving basic operations, powers of 10, and simple percents

§         Use estimation in:

o       Computation

o       Problem solving

o       Predicting results

o       Solutions to problems to check reasonableness of answers

§         Decide when an estimate is appropriate and when an exact answer is needed

§         Apply, explain, and assess the appropriateness of a variety of estimation strategies

FUNCTIONS and RELATIONSHIPS

§         Find patterns to continue arithmetic sequences

§         Find the next term and the nth term

§         Write a rule describing the pattern

§         Use variables in expressions and equations

§         Evaluate an expression for different values of the variable

§         State properties using variables

§         Use algebraic operations symbols (i.e., fraction bar for division) to solve one-step equations, including formulas, using inverse operations, inequalities

§         Combine like terms to simplify expressions

§         Problem solving with two-step equations

§         Check solution

§         Substitute values for a variable and evaluate the expression, equation, or inequality

§         Use the order of operations

§         Fraction or division bar and brackets as grouping symbols

§         Evaluate variable expressions

§         Understand and use a calculator to solve problems

§         Ratio and proportion problems

§         Percent

§         Integers

§         Memory key

§         Describe linear data with tables, graphs (relate graphs to stories), and lines

§         Substitute values into a linear equation to make a table of ordered pairs; graph the points on a coordinate plane

GEOMETRY

§         Sketch, compare, visualize, describe, classify, and analyze relationships among geometric figures

§         Classify by similar, congruent, and concentric (having a common center)

§         Circles, irregular polygons, spheres, cylinders, cubes, pyramids, and prisms

§         Vocabulary-circumference, diameter, center radius, pi, skew, plane, supplementary, complementary, regular polygons, and irregular polygons

§         Use geometric knowledge to solve problems involving perimeters, angles, mass, shapes, areas, circumference, surface areas, volumes

§         Polyhedron vocabulary-tetrahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron

§         Find the sum of the angles in any polygon

§         Find areas of parallelograms and trapezoids

§         Find surface areas and volumes of cylinders

§         Draw shapes using coordinate ordered pairs

§         Draw 3-D figures

§         Estimate and measure distances, areas, volumes

§         Use the scale on maps and models to estimate distances

§         Convert to other units in the same system

§         Name and classify angles formed by parallel, perpendicular and intersecting lines

§         Classify, construct and identify properties of angles

§         Describe the relationship of angles in different types of triangles and areas of triangles

§         Graph a figure and its image formed by translation, reflections, and dilations of plane figures

§         Use characteristics of polygons to explain tessellations

§         Use manipulatives to create a figure that tessellates and explain why it tessellates

STATISITICS/PROBABILITY

§         Collect, organize, display data, and make an argument for which graph best represents the data

§         Scatter plot, stem and leaf plots, line plot, bar graph:

o       In histograms

o       From surveys and census

o       Using computer spreadsheet software

o       From a variety of sources including the Internet

§         Interpret and compare data, look for patterns, and make inferences and predictions from graphic displays

§         Circle graphs

§         Box and whisker plots

§         Locate median and mode

§         Look for correlations and dispersed points

§         Use interpolations and extrapolations

§         Compute and understand the concept of average with respect to mean, median, mode and range for a given set of data and justify one as the best representation of the data

§         Analyze real world graphs for accuracy and misleading information

§         Understand labeling and sources

§         Identify and communicate trends based on statistics from data

§         Express the probability of a single event as a fraction, decimal, or percent

§         Determine probability and make predictions from real world data

§         Independent and dependent events

§         Predict the outcome of an independent event, design an experiment to test the probability, compute the actual outcome and compare the results to the prediction

§         Use sample spaces

§         Explain how determine probability if the odds are known and fairness

§         Predict the probability of a future even, using a table of evidence from the past, and defend your conclusion

 PROBLEM SOLVING, COMMUNICATION, REASONING, CONNECTIONS

§         Analyze problems, then select, modify, and apply appropriate strategies to solve increasingly complex problems

§         Represent situations verbally, geometrically, graphically, and numerically

§         In consumer, content area, and practical problems

§         Translate real world problems into mathematical expressions and equations using variables

§         Apply mathematical skills and processes to other disciplines

§         Demonstrate, explain methods and results of various solutions to problems orally and in writing

§         Recognize other strategies to solve the same problem

§         Justify solutions or use counter examples to disprove statements

§         Use inductive and deductive reasoning to verify conclusions, solve problems, recognize patterns, and propose solutions

§         Deductive-conclusions are drawn from given information by using rules of logic

§         Inductive-making a conjecture by looking at examples and recognizing a pattern

§         Use spreadsheets as a tool to problem solving

Cell Biology

·        Identify the cell structures of plants and animals

·        Explain how cells are arranged within organisms

·        Examine how cells are arranged within organisms

·        Determine what changes occur in a cell over time

·        Compare the design of an organism and it’s energy efficiency

·        Describe the relationship between osmosis and diffusion 

·        Differentiate the processes of diffusion and osmosis

·        Describe how systems within an organism are affected by osmosis and diffusion 

·        Investigate how changes in the environment affect the processes of osmosis and diffusion

·        Explain that osmosis affects the rigidity of plant cells 

Genetics/Heredity

·        Recognize the appearance of DNA as double helix in shape

·        Explain the significance of chromosomes, genes, and DNA in cell reproduction and their relationship to inherited characteristics

·        Analyze the role of probability in the study of heredity

·        Explain how, during reproduction, the sorting and recombination of parents’ genetic material produces potential variation among offspring

·        Analyze the issues raised by selective breeding and biomedical research

·        Explore selective traits

·        Investigate how selective traits affect an organism’s chance of survival

·        Know that sexual reproduction produces variations in populations

·        Know that certain traits and environmental conditions can perpetuate species or cause their extinction

·        Know that new varieties of cultivated plants and domestic animals have resulted from selective breeding for desirable traits

·        Know that plants which create their own food and animals which find their food have structures to convert energy from one form to another

Evolution and Natural Selection

·        Explain how genetic variations in offspring can result from the same two parents, which leads to variation in successive generations

·        Understand that adaptations are structures, functions, or behaviors that enable species to survive

·        Explain that if a species does not include traits that enables it to survive in its environment, or to survive changes in the environment, then the species may become extinct

·        Explain the evidence for evolution from a variety of sources of scientific data (including the fossil record, radiometric dating, genetic information, the distribution of organisms, and anatomical and developmental similarities across species) 

·        Interpret the layers of sediment in which fossils are found to develop a relative time scale that puts biological and geological events in order

·        Give examples of organisms that reproduce sexually (e.g., clams, salmon) and those that reproduce asexually (e.g., hydra, planaria, bacteria)

·        Construct and use Punnett squares of monohybrid crosses to explain how genetic traits are combined and passed to offspring

Earth and Life History

·        Describe and explain how fossils are records of organisms and events in the Earth’s history

·        Know the reasoning used by Charles Darwin in reaching his conclusion that natural selection is the mechanism of evolution

·        Know how to construct a simple branching diagram to classify living groups of organisms by shared derived characteristics and how to expand the diagram to include fossils

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