Curriculum Connection -- Language Arts

Ever wonder just why your teacher assigns the kinds of tasks you do in class? Well, what I have been learning in MY school this year is that student learning in all of Ontario is regulated by a set of documents produced by the Ministry of Education, known as the curriculum. These documents set out a series of standards and expectations by which ALL Ontario students are expected to be judged, ensuring a common curriculum for everyone in the province! Neat huh?

So what kind of expectations do these documents set out? What sort of ways can they be taught? And how do your teachers know if you have learned what was expected of you? Well, those are some BIG questions - but it may be a lot easier and more fun than you'd expect! Let's take a look for ourselves..

Subject: Language Arts
Strand: Writing - Using Knowledge of Form and Style in Writing
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of Grade 7, students will:
2.1 Write complex texts of different lengths using a wide range of forms

Complex texts of different lengths? And in a wide range of forms? Sounds a little scary! But when you think of all the different kinds of writing you do over the school year, from small pieces like poetry to big projects like an essay or speech, this kind of expectation isn't that unrealistic. Your teacher will help you to develop the skills you need to use for every form in class lessons, and with resources like the internet, there are a lot of ways you can practice on your own... For example, Writing With Writers is website created by Scholastic that allows you to take a personal writer's workshop on any number of literary forms. Options include biography, descriptive writing, mystery, folktales, poetry, and even book reports! My personal favourite is the workshop on myths with children's author Jane Yolen as your writing mentor. And the best part? At the end of the writing process, you have the oppourtunity to publish your work online for other students to read!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out!

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com