Unit Plan 2 (Grade 7 ELA): Reading with Evidence & Theme
Grade 7 ELA unit: students ask and answer text-dependent questions, cite strong textual evidence, and infer theme development through close reading, discussion, and writing. Builds skills in analysis, objectivity, and evidence-based reasoning for literary comprehension.
Focus: Asking/answering text-dependent questions; citing evidence; inferring theme/central ideas
Grade Level: 7
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading Literature; Speaking & Listening—Discussion)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Great readers prove their ideas. This week, students learn to ask and answer text-dependent questions, cite strong and thorough textual evidence (quotes and precise paraphrases), and infer theme (and craft objective summaries tied to that theme). Daily routines highlight annotation, line-referenced evidence, and accountable discussion so claims are always anchored in the text.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Ask and answer text-dependent questions and cite specific evidence to support inferences and explicit meanings (RL.7.1).
- Determine a theme of a literary text, analyze its development across the text, and produce an objective summary (RL.7.2).
- Engage in collaborative discussions by building on others’ ideas, posing clarifying questions, and referring to textual evidence (SL.7.1).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 7
- Reading Literature 7.1 (RL.7.1): Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly and inferences drawn from the text.
- Reading Literature 7.2 (RL.7.2): Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development; provide an objective summary.
- Speaking & Listening 7.1 (SL.7.1): Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners; come prepared; follow rules; pose/respond to questions; connect to others’ ideas; acknowledge new information.
Success Criteria — student language
- I can write a claim and support it with two+ pieces of line-referenced evidence.
- I can state the theme in one clear sentence and show how it develops through key moments.
- I can create an objective summary (no opinions) that covers the text.
- I can use accountable talk to build on peers’ ideas with evidence.