ALEX Classroom Resources

   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2015] (1) 24 :

24 ) Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure. [W.1.1]

a. Write simple poems addressing a topic. (Alabama)

[ELA2015] (1) 25 :

25 ) Write informative or explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure. [W.1.2]

[ELA2015] (1) 37 :

37 ) Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. [L.1.1]

a. Print all uppercase and lowercase letters. [L.1.1a]

b. Use common, proper, and possessive nouns. [L.1.1b]

c. Use singular and plural nouns with matching verbs in basic sentences (e.g., He hops; We hop). [L.1.1c]

d. Use personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns (e.g., I, me, my; they, them, their; anyone, everything). [L.1.1d]

e. Use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future (e.g., Yesterday I walked home; Today I walk home; Tomorrow I will walk home). [L.1.1e]

f. Use frequently occurring adjectives. [L.1.1f]

g. Use frequently occurring conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or, so, because). [L.1.1g]

h. Use determiners (e.g., articles, demonstratives). [L.1.1h]

i. Use frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., during, beyond, toward). [L.1.1i]

j. Produce and expand complete simple and compound declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences in response to prompts. [L.1.1j]

[ELA2015] (1) 38 :

38 ) Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. [L.1.2]

a. Capitalize dates and names of people. [L.1.2a]

b. Use end punctuation for sentences. [L.1.2b]

c. Use commas in dates and to separate single words in a series. [L.1.2c]

d. Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words. [L.1.2d]

e. Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions. [L.1.2e]

[ELA2015] (2) 22 :

22 ) Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section. [W.2.1]

a. Write free verse poetry to express ideas. (Alabama)

[ELA2015] (2) 35 :

35 ) Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. [L.2.1]

a. Use collective nouns (e.g., group). [L.2.1a]

b. Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish). [L.2.1b]

c. Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves). [L.2.1c]

d. Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs (e.g., sat, hid, told). [L.2.1d]

e. Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified. [L.2.1e]

f. Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy). [L.2.1f]

[ELA2015] (2) 36 :

36 ) Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. [L.2.2]

a. Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names. [L.2.2a]

b. Use commas in greetings and closings of letters. [L.2.2b]

c. Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives. [L.2.2c]

d. Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words (e.g., cage → badge; boy → boil). [L.2.2d]

e. Form uppercase and lowercase letters in cursive. (Alabama)

f. Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings. [L.2.2e]

[ELA2015] (2) 38 :

38 ) Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies. [L.2.4]

a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. [L.2.4a]

b. Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell). [L.2.4b]

c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., addition, additional). [L.2.4c]

d. Use knowledge of the meaning of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly; bookshelf, notebook, bookmark). [L.2.4d]

e. Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases. [L.2.4e]

In this classroom resource, students write free-verse acrostic poems about themselves using the letters of their names to begin each line. They then write an additional acrostic poem about something that is important to them. After proofreading, both poems are recopied or typed and illustrated and then mounted on construction paper for display. Several opportunities for sharing and peer review are incorporated.  Acrostic poem interactive and ABC word list included in this resource.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [ELA2015] (2) 12 :

12 ) Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text. [RI.2.3]

[ELA2015] (2) 21 :

21 ) Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. [RF.2.4]

a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding. [RF.2.4a]

b. Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. [RF.2.4b]

c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. [RF.2.4c]

[ELA2015] (2) 26 :

26 ) With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers. [W.2.6]

[ELA2015] (2) 36 :

36 ) Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. [L.2.2]

a. Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names. [L.2.2a]

b. Use commas in greetings and closings of letters. [L.2.2b]

c. Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives. [L.2.2c]

d. Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words (e.g., cage → badge; boy → boil). [L.2.2d]

e. Form uppercase and lowercase letters in cursive. (Alabama)

f. Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings. [L.2.2e]

[ELA2015] (3) 12 :

12 ) Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause and effect. [RI.3.3]

[ELA2015] (3) 21 :

21 ) Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. [RF.3.4]

a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding. [RF.3.4a]

b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. [RF.3.4b]

c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. [RF.3.4c]

[ELA2015] (3) 27 :

27 ) With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others. [W.3.6]

[ELA2015] (3) 37 :

37 ) Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. [L.3.1]

a. Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences. [L.3.1a]

b. Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns. [L.3.1b]

c. Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood). [L.3.1c]

d. Form and use regular and irregular verbs. [L.3.1d]

e. Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses. [L.3.1e]

f. Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.* [L.3.1f]

g. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified. [L.3.1g]

h. Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. [L.3.1h]

i. Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences. [L.3.1i]

[ELA2015] (4) 12 :

12 ) Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. [RI.4.3]

[ELA2015] (4) 21 :

21 ) Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. [RF.4.4]

a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding. [RF.4.4a]

b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. [RF.4.4b]

c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. [RF.4.4c]

[ELA2015] (4) 27 :

27 ) With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting. [W.4.6]

[ELA2015] (4) 39 :

39 ) Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. [L.4.2]

a. Use correct capitalization. [L.4.2a]

b. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text. [L.4.2b]

c. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence. [L.4.2c]

d. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed. [L.4.2d]

[ELA2015] (5) 12 :

12 ) Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text. [RI.5.3]

[ELA2015] (5) 21 :

21 ) Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. [RF.5.4]

a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding. [RF.5.4a]

b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. [RF.5.4b]

c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. [RF.5.4c]

[ELA2015] (5) 27 :

27 ) With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting. [W.5.6]

[ELA2015] (5) 38 :

38 ) Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. [L.5.1]

a. Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences. [L.5.1a]

b. Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked) verb tenses. [L.5.1b]

c. Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions. [L.5.1c]

d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.* [L.5.1d]

e. Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor). [L.5.1e]

In this unit, students will use thematically related texts, organized from least to the most complex, to gather a word bank of supporting details and content vocabulary about a concept. Then they use these words as a basis for writing acrostic poems, which support organization of information around a central idea, as the lines of an acrostic poem are held together by the topic or main idea spelled vertically.