Language Arts

For the definition and checklist, link with these sites:

National Standards

Organizations

National Content

Standards

See specific National Standards cross-referenced with Core Knowledge and McREL Standards & activities

Example

The “Awesome Authors” curriculum example for primary grades PreK-2 offers young  students a chance to use spoken, written, and visual language to learn about a favorite author, read his/her stories, and meet the author.  Students learn how to gather information, synthesize it, and create and communicate information.

Before the project begins, the teacher selects an author to study and identifies available resources about the author (video, websites, including the author’s, print, CD-ROMs, software, audiotapes, laserdiscs).  The students find books to read by the author and explore the variety of media found to learn about the author’s life and writing.

In small groups the students create a drama or reader’s theatre presentation based on a story they read by the author. They use a video camcorder to record their presentation to the class.  The teacher then uses concept-mapping software to categorize and classify information the students share about what they know of the author and what they need to know. The next step is for the teacher to plan a video or online conference with the author.  The students and teacher record their questions for the author on a word processor to ask during the electronic or e-mail interview.  (This activity can be expanded to include student-written stories and illustrations and interviews with peer authors.  It fulfills English Language Arts Standards  1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12.)

Reference

            International Society for Technology in Education.  (2000). National educational technology standards for students – Connecting curriculum and technology, pp. 36-37. Eugene, OR: Author.