Curriculum Framework
A Coherent Architecture for the Whole Year
Eight integrated ELA strands, six standards-aligned units, and a consistent lesson structure that makes the curriculum portable across every delivery model.
Design Principles
What Holds the Curriculum Together
Backward Design
Every unit begins with the standards and desired evidence, then works back to learning experiences.
Gradual Release
"I do, we do, you do" is built into each lesson so independence is scaffolded, not assumed.
Universal Design for Learning
Multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement everywhere.
Spiraled Skills
Reading, writing, and language skills recur across units with increasing complexity.
Authentic Tasks
Each unit ends in a performance task that mirrors real reading, writing, and communication.
Delivery-Model Agnostic
Each lesson is designed to run face-to-face, live online, asynchronously, or hybrid.
The Eight Strands
Integrated, Not Isolated
Strands are woven through every unit rather than taught in separate silos.
Reading
Literary & informational comprehension, evidence, and analysis.
Writing
Opinion, informative, and narrative writing with process.
Grammar
Conventions, sentence structure, and editing.
Vocabulary
Academic words, context clues, roots, and figurative language.
Speaking & Listening
Discussion, collaboration, and presentation.
Media Literacy
Analyzing and creating across media formats.
Digital Literacy
Researching, evaluating, and citing online sources responsibly.
Critical Thinking
Reasoning, inference, and argument across every strand.
Per-Unit Components
Every Unit Includes the Same Anatomy
Essential Questions
Open questions that drive inquiry across the unit.
Standards Alignment
Explicit CCSS anchors for reading, writing, and language.
Learning Objectives
Measurable targets in student-friendly language.
Success Criteria
"I can" statements that make mastery visible.
Vocabulary
Tiered academic and domain vocabulary.
Performance Tasks
Authentic culminating demonstrations of learning.
Assessments
Diagnostic, formative, and summative measures.
Differentiation
Supports for every learner profile.
Extensions & Time
Enrichment options and estimated pacing.
Scope & Sequence
The Year at a Glance
| Unit | Title | Primary Strands | Key Standards | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading Like a Detective | Reading (Literature), Critical Thinking | RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.3 | 5 |
| 2 | Informational Text Investigators | Reading (Informational), Digital Literacy | RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.7 | 5 |
| 3 | Opinion Writing & Argument | Writing, Speaking & Listening | W.5.1, SL.5.4 | 6 |
| 4 | Narrative Writing Workshop | Writing, Vocabulary | W.5.3, L.5.3 | 6 |
| 5 | Poetry & Figurative Language | Reading, Vocabulary, Media | RL.5.4, L.5.5 | 4 |
| 6 | Research & Presentations | Digital Literacy, Speaking, Writing | W.5.7, W.5.8, SL.5.5 | 6 |