ELA_LanguageFocus

Language Exploration, Awareness, and Inquiry Activity Types // b) // language as symbol (e.g., learning about literal and metaphorical symbolism; learning about literary symbolism; learning about archetype; denotation and connotation; etc.); and // c) // language in context (e.g., considerations include purpose, audience, mode, tone, etc.) || Web searching ||
 * English Language Arts – Language-Focused Activity Types **
 * ** Activity Type ** || ** Brief Description ** || ** Example Technologies ** ||
 * Language Exploration || Students explore the origins and history of language (e.g., origins of writing v. speaking; origins and history of English language; origins of names and naming; exploring geographical language differences; etc.) || Web searching ||
 * Language Awareness ||  Students engage in activities to develop awareness and understanding of... //a)// language variation and dialect (e.g., learning origins of dialect; determining authentic language patterns in dialect; distinguishing dialect from error; understanding social, cultural, and regional language variations; etc.);
 * Language Inquiry || Students conduct inquiry about language origins, history, cultural connections, and usage (e.g., research into the origins and evolution of the English language; research into Elizabethan English and its role and status during Shakespeare’s time; research into the cultural and geographical effects on language use; etc.) || Web searching ||

Language Composing Activity Language Analysis Activity Types Language Conventions Activity Types
 * ** Activity Type ** || ** Brief Description ** || ** Example Technologies ** ||
 * Sentence Composing || Students build sentences using sentence composing strategies (e.g., sentence combining, sentence imitation, sentence expanding, etc.), resulting in syntactic growth. || Word processing software (use highlighting features and/or different font colors to demonstrate how kernel and model sentences are manipulated); screencasts – such as www.voicebox.com ||
 * Code Switching || Students practice code switching in oral and written language, developing a better understanding of informal and formal speech varieties and the contexts in which each is most effective, e.g., speaking and composing in home language and Standard English, as well as translating from one to the other; slang and Standard English; alternative text types (e.g., texting, shorthand, abbreviations, etc.) and Standard English]. || Word processing software (use highlighting features and/or different font colors to demonstrate how kernel and model sentences are manipulated); screencasts; digital audio and video recordings; podcasts and vid-, vod-casts using i-movie, garageband, etc. ||
 * ** Activity Type ** || ** Brief Description ** || ** Example Technologies ** ||
 * Word Analysis || Students analyze words in a variety of ways, including origins, parts (e.g., roots, affixes, etc.), formations, functions (i.e., parts of speech). Using the dictionary is a related activity. || Web searching; online dictionaries and language resources ||
 * Sentence Analysis || Students analyze sentences in a variety of ways, including identifying patterns and types, syntax and structure, diagramming, phrases / clauses, punctuation’s effects on style and meaning, etc. || Web searching; concept mapping software (bubbl.us, wallwisher.com, lovelycharts.com) and word processing software for sentence diagramming ||
 * Style/Error Analysis || Students analyze language to recognize and make distinctions between style and error (e.g. stylistic choices that break conventions v. errors in language conventions; dialect choices v. errors in language conventions; error analysis). || Word processing software spelling and grammar check; Online style guides ||
 * Semantic Analysis || Students engage in semantic analysis in a variety of ways to better understand simple and complex meaning in language [e.g., language as symbol; abstract v. concrete language; directional meaning: intentional (connotation) and extensional (denotation); semantic disruptions; analyzing doublespeak, euphemism, slang, and/or jargon; etc.]. || Web searching; online dictionary; digital images; online advertising ||
 * ** Activity Type ** || ** Brief Description ** || ** Example Technologies ** ||
 * Mechanics || Students develop an understanding of mechanics in the context of language, specifically reading and writing, and an ability to apply it (e.g., capitalization, punctuation, etc.). || Word processing software grammar and spell checking; ||
 * Grammar || Students develop an understanding of grammar in the context of reading and writing and ability to apply it (e.g., sentence structure; correcting sentences; parallel structure; consistent verb tense; sentence diagramming; etc.). || Word processing software grammar and spell checking; ||
 * Usage || Students develop an understanding of language use in the context of reading, writing, and speaking (e.g., usage varies based on context, purpose, audience – jury box v. confessional box vs. batter’s box). They also learn and apply rules of Standard English language usage for applicable contexts (e.g., formal letter of application vs. e-mail to friend; formal speech as candidate for student council vs. song composed for peers). || Word processing software grammar and spell checking; ||
 * Language Errors || Students conduct error analysis (e.g., status- marking to very serious to serious to moderately serious to minor or unimportant; levels of usage – distract, stigmatize, confound; distinguish from style and dialect choices, etc.) and practice error correction (e.g., mug shots, daily oral language activities, sentence correction, etc.). || Word processing software grammar and spell checking; ||
 * Spelling || Students develop an understanding of spelling in the context of reading and writing and an ability to apply it (e.g., learning and applying conventional spelling rules; learning word families and patterns as spelling strategy; memorizing spelling words; etc.) || Word processing software grammar and spell checking; ||

Vocabulary Development Activity Types Examples activities include semantic map, word study, word origins, word sort (closed and open), analogies, context clues, use; using the dictionary (beyond just looking up definitions) || Concept mapping software; online dictionaries; MS Word’s “Look Up” feature; online vocabulary games ||
 * ** Activity ** || ** Brief Description ** || ** Example Technologies ** ||
 * Vocabulary Awareness || Students engage in activities that allow them to gain acquisition to new vocabulary and develop awareness about various features of sets of words [e.g., similar consonant clusters, similar vowel sounds, similar root words, similar origins, words associated with a themes or tied to some aspect of content (e.g., poetry terms), etc.]. Example activities include sight words (e.g., word walls, word lists, etc.) and word play (e.g., crossword puzzles, word search, scrambled words, word matching, Scrabble, Magnetic Poetry, word lists, etc.) || Concept mapping software; online dictionaries; MS Word’s “Look Up” feature; Magnetic Poetry Web site; online vocabulary games ||
 * Vocabulary Analysis ||  Students analyze new and existing vocabulary in order to develop consciousness about core features of it, as well as more sophisticated understandings about it.
 * Vocabulary Use || Building on awareness and analysis activities, students use new vocabulary in various contexts in order to adapt it further, developing syntactic complexity and fostering semantic growth. Example activities include using vocabulary from word lists tied to literary works or other assigned texts; using vocabulary words in a... (e.g., poem, story, paragraph, etc.); practicing with homonyms, antonyms, and synonyms; word play with doublespeak (e.g., euphemisms, jargon, bureaucratese, inflated language, etc.), etc. || Online dictionaries; MS Word’s “Look Up” feature; Word processing software grammar and spell checking ||

Oral Speaking/Performance Activity Types Speech/ Performance/ Production || While conversation is crucial to ELA curriculum and instruction, evaluating such talk is challenging but important. With these activities, students develop evaluation skills so that they can engage in assessing and critiquing speeches / performances. Example activities include creating categories for evaluation, developing rubrics for evaluation and critique, watching peers and providing feedback, watching other performers to practice evaluation and critique, watching self to provide self-evaluation and critique, etc. || Online rubric generators (rubistar.com); digital audio and digital video recorders and players (flipvideo) || Listening/Watching Activity Types Example activities include watching / viewing images, exhibits, demonstrations, etc. || Online image and photography sites (e.g., Flikr), Picassa); online video sites (e.g., SchoolTube); digital video recordings; online art sites; online demonstrations and simulations || Example activities here include: listening to a podcast and posting a response to it online either as text or as a follow up podcast; viewing a multimedia blog that includes digital video segments and then posting responses to various parts of the blog either as text or as digital video; viewing or listening to original audio or video recordings and then creating a remix or mash-up of those recordings that include elements of the original plus elements the student generates on his or her own; etc. || Digital audio and video devices for recording and playing files like ipods and flipvideo cameras ||
 * ** Activity Type ** || ** Brief Description ** || ** Example Technologies ** ||
 * Speaking/Speech || Individual students produce oral language in a variety of contexts. Example activities include giving a/an speech, book talk, recitation, sound bite, public reading, interview, monologue; or telling a story (storytelling) or joke; or participating in a classroom discussion (e.g., Socratic, fishbowl, jigsaw), debate, choral reading; etc. || Microphone and speakers; camera and projector; digital audio and video recording; podcasts, vodcasts, and other participatory media ||
 * Performance/Production || Students contribute to and participate in a collaborative performance / production. Example activities include storytelling, freeze frames, dramatic sculptures, simulations, dialogue, mirroring, improvisation (structured or unstructured), rap/song, interpretive dance, etc || Microphone and speakers; camera and projector; digital audio and video recording with flipvideo; podcasts, vodcasts, and other participatory media ||
 * Evaluating/ Critiquing
 * ** Activity Type ** || ** Brief Description ** || ** Example Technology ** ||
 * Listening Actively || Students listen actively and process information in order to retain it, respond to it, act on it, or apply it in some way. Example activities here include listening to and processing information from a lecture, listening to peers in a discussion, listening to multiple points of view, listening to directions or an explanation, listening to an audio recording, etc. || Digital audio and video recordings; podcasts and vodcasts; headphones and earbuds ||
 * Watching/Viewing Activity ||  Students watch and process visual images (still or moving, silent or audio enhanced) in order to create memories, learn from them, respond to them, or act on or apply information gained from them.
 * Multimodal/Multimedia Interaction ||  Students listen, watch /view, and interact with or participate in, if applicable, multimodal and multimedia texts. Students also process the experience in order to think, learn, respond, react, or apply knowledge or some aspect of the experience in some way.