Curriculum Framework
Six Units. Nine Strands. One Year.
A complete, standards-aligned Grade 7 ELA curriculum integrating reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, speaking & listening, media, research, digital literacy, and critical thinking — every unit delivered through the five personalized paths.
Unit 1 · Identity Through Literature
Essential Questions: How do the stories we read shape how we see ourselves? How do authors reveal character?
🎯 Learning Outcomes
- Cite textual evidence for analysis and inference.
- Analyze how characters develop and interact.
- Determine theme and trace its development.
✅ Success Criteria
- I can support analysis with strong evidence.
- I can explain how a character changes and why.
- I can state a theme and track it across the text.
Standards: RL.7.1 (evidence & inference), RL.7.2 (theme), RL.7.3 (character interaction). Vocabulary: inference, characterization, theme, motivation, perspective.
Performance Task: "Identity Map" — analyze a character's identity with evidence and connect it to a personal reflection. Assessment Plan: diagnostic inference check · adaptive quizzes · summative analysis + rubric.
Differentiation: five paths (A–E) per lesson; leveled texts; AI reading coach support. Technology: AI coach, annotation tool, adaptive checks. Time: 6 weeks.
Lessons:
- Lesson 1.1 — Analyzing Character & Inference ▶ Fully built
- Lesson 1.2 — Theme Development
- Lesson 1.3 — Point of View & Perspective
- Lesson 1.4 — Identity Map Performance Task
Unit 2 · Informational Text & Argument
Essential Questions: How do authors build arguments? How do we evaluate whether to believe them?
🎯 Learning Outcomes
- Determine central ideas and analyze their development.
- Trace and evaluate an argument and its claims.
- Analyze how authors use evidence and reasoning.
✅ Success Criteria
- I can identify a central idea and its support.
- I can judge whether evidence is sufficient.
- I can spot reasoning that is sound or flawed.
Standards: RI.7.2, RI.7.6, RI.7.8. Vocabulary: claim, evidence, reasoning, central idea, bias, credibility.
Performance Task: "Argument Audit" — evaluate a real-world argument's evidence and reasoning. Differentiation: A–E paths; curated source sets; AI reading coach. Time: 6 weeks.
Lessons:
- Lesson 2.1 — Central Idea & Development
- Lesson 2.2 — Tracing an Argument
- Lesson 2.3 — Evaluating Evidence & Bias
- Lesson 2.4 — Argument Audit Task
Unit 3 · Narrative Writing
Essential Questions: What makes a story stay with a reader? How do writers craft experience?
🎯 Learning Outcomes
- Engage the reader and establish point of view.
- Use narrative techniques: dialogue, pacing, description.
- Use precise words and sensory detail.
✅ Success Criteria
- I can hook readers and orient them.
- I can develop events with craft.
- I can revise for precise, vivid language.
Standards: W.7.3, L.7.3. Vocabulary: exposition, pacing, sensory detail, dialogue, motif. Performance Task: "Personal Narrative" — drafted, AI-coached, and revised. Time: 6 weeks.
Lessons:
- Lesson 3.1 — Hooks & Orientation
- Lesson 3.2 — Dialogue & Pacing
- Lesson 3.3 — Sensory Craft & Revision (with AI Writing Coach)
- Lesson 3.4 — Publish the Narrative
Unit 4 · Persuasive Communication
Essential Questions: How do we persuade ethically and effectively? How does audience shape a message?
🎯 Learning Outcomes
- Write arguments with claims, evidence, and reasoning.
- Acknowledge counterclaims.
- Present a position clearly to an audience.
✅ Success Criteria
- I can write a defensible claim with support.
- I can address the other side fairly.
- I can deliver a persuasive presentation.
Standards: W.7.1, SL.7.4. Vocabulary: claim, counterclaim, rebuttal, rhetoric, audience. Performance Task: "Change My Mind" essay + recorded pitch. Time: 6 weeks.
Lessons:
- Lesson 4.1 — Claims & Counterclaims
- Lesson 4.2 — Evidence & Reasoning
- Lesson 4.3 — Rhetoric & Audience
- Lesson 4.4 — The Persuasive Pitch
Unit 5 · Poetry & Creative Expression
Essential Questions: How does form shape meaning? How do poets make us feel?
🎯 Learning Outcomes
- Analyze figurative language and word choice.
- Analyze how a poem's structure contributes to meaning.
- Compose original poetry with intentional craft.
✅ Success Criteria
- I can interpret figurative language.
- I can explain how form affects meaning.
- I can craft a poem using devices on purpose.
Standards: RL.7.4, RL.7.5, L.7.5. Vocabulary: figurative language, connotation, structure, tone, mood. Performance Task: "Poetry Portfolio" + creative-extension path. Time: 4 weeks.
Lessons:
- Lesson 5.1 — Figurative Language & Connotation
- Lesson 5.2 — Structure & Sound
- Lesson 5.3 — Compose & Perform
Unit 6 · Research, Media & Digital Citizenship
Essential Questions: How do we research responsibly in a digital world? How do we tell credible from misleading information — including AI-generated content?
🎯 Learning Outcomes
- Conduct short research drawing on several sources.
- Assess source credibility and avoid plagiarism.
- Analyze and create across media; cite responsibly.
✅ Success Criteria
- I can turn a topic into a research question.
- I can judge and cite sources.
- I can present findings ethically across media.
Standards: W.7.7, W.7.8, RI.7.7. Vocabulary: source credibility, citation, plagiarism, media bias, digital footprint. Performance Task: "Media Investigation" multimedia presentation. Time: 6 weeks.
Lessons:
- Lesson 6.1 — From Topic to Research Question
- Lesson 6.2 — Evaluating Sources (incl. AI content)
- Lesson 6.3 — Ethical Use, Citation & Digital Citizenship
- Lesson 6.4 — Media Investigation Showcase