Course Standards
General Course Information and Notes
Version Description
The purpose of this course is to enable students to develop and use developmental writing and language skills in a variety of writing formats for argumentative, informative, and literary analysis purposes to ensure preparation for college and career readiness.General Notes
The content should include, but not be limited to, the following:- active reading of exemplar writing models to examine
- text craft and structure
- effects of figurative, denotative, and connotative language choice
- power and impact of appropriate voice and/or tone
- influence on idea development of sentence structures, sentence rhythm, and grammatical choices
- reciprocal nature of content and form
- writing for varied purposes, including
- developing and supporting argumentative claims
- crafting coherent, supported informative/expository texts
- responding to literature for personal and analytical purposes
- digital writing platforms
- writing to sources using text- based evidence and reasoning
- effective listening, speaking, and viewing strategies with emphasis on the use of evidence to support or refute a claim in multimedia presentations, class discussions, and extended text discussions
- collaboration amongst peers, especially during drafting and redrafting peer edits
Special Notes:
Instructional Practices: Teaching from well-written, grade-level instructional materials enhances students’ content area knowledge and also strengthens their ability to comprehend longer, complex reading passages on any topic for any purpose. Using the following instructional practices also helps student learning.
- Reading assignments from longer text passages, as well as shorter ones when text is extremely complex.
- Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.
- Asking high-level, text-specific questions and requiring high-level, complex tasks and assignments.
- Requiring students to support answers with evidence from the text.
- Providing extensive text-based research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).
General Information
Educator Certifications
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorials
Learn how to use context clues—including definitions, synonyms, and antonyms—to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in this baseball-themed, interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about Greek and Latin roots (anti, capit, bene, bon, and mal) and 12 modern words that feature those roots. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice using these words and hopefully add them to your vocabulary!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about ancient Latin roots — Ante, Post, Scrib, and Script — and practice using twelve modern words connected with these roots to build your vocabulary in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about three roots from ancient Latin and Greek — Per, Seque, and Mis — and practice using twelve modern words connected with these roots to build your vocabulary in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about five roots from ancient Latin and Greek—frag, fract, cret, syn, and sym—and practice using twelve modern words connected with these roots to build your vocabulary in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about 3 Latin roots (Am, Ab, and Ad) and 12 new words that feature those roots. In this interactive tutorial, you'll make some interesting language connections and hopefully add some new words to your vocabulary!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn all about the skill of paraphrasing in this two-part tutorial. You'll learn how to paraphrase effectively as you read about several of the most interesting locations on the planet.
Make sure to complete Planet Paraphrase - Part One before diving into Part Two.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn all about the skill of paraphrasing in this two-part tutorial. You'll learn how to paraphrase effectively as you read about several of the most interesting locations on the planet.
Make sure to complete both parts! Click here to launch Planet Paraphrase - Part Two.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate essential and nonessential elements in a sentence. In Part Two, you'll learn about essential and nonessential phrases and clauses and how to use commas with nonessential phrases and clauses in a sentence.
This is Part Two of a two-part tutorial series. Click HERE to launch Part One.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate essential and nonessential elements in a sentence in this two-part tutorial series. In Part One, you'll learn about appositives and how to use commas with appositives when they provide nonessential information in a sentence.
When you're done, make sure to complete Part Two. Click HERE to launch Part Two.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate a mysterious punctuation mark--the dash--in this interactive two-part tutorial. In this series, you'll learn about two types of dashes and their different uses. In Part Two, you'll learn about the em dash and practice using it correctly.
We recommend that you complete Part One first! Click HERE to launch Part One.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Investigate a mysterious punctuation mark—the dash—in this interactive two-part tutorial. In this series, you'll learn about two types of dashes and their different uses. In Part One, you'll learn about the en dash and practice using it correctly. In Part Two, you'll learn about the em dash and practice using it correctly. We hope by the end of this series that the dash will no longer be quite so mysterious!
Make sure to complete Part Two! Click HERE to launch Part Two.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Don't be mystified by commas! This interactive tutorial will help you better understand how to correctly use this often mysterious punctuation mark. You'll learn several ways commas are commonly misused to help make sure you don't make these same mistakes in your own writing. Then, you'll learn several ways to correctly use a comma.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Check out a mysterious punctuation mark—the apostrophe—in this interactive tutorial. You'll learn several important rules and guidelines to help you demystify this punctuation mark so you can use it correctly in your own writing.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn a number of important rules that will help you master the mysterious comma. In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn how commas are used to separate three or more items in a series and to “set off” certain aspects of a sentence.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn 12 new academic vocabulary words in this interactive tutorial! You'll practice the words' synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and context clues in order to add them to your vocabulary.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to recognize and fix one of the most common grammar errors—the run-on sentence—as you complete this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Take a crash course to learn the rules of capitalization in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn 12 new vocabulary words, identify their parts of speech, synonyms, and antonyms, and use them in context with this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in an informational text about the Revolutionary War in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn 12 new academic vocabulary words using synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and context clues in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn 12 new academic vocabulary words using synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, and context clues in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn more about that dreaded word--plagiarism--in this interactive tutorial that's all about citing your sources and avoiding academic dishonesty!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to define and identify claims being made within a text. This tutorial will also show you how evidence can be used effectively to support the claim being made. Lastly, this tutorial will help you write strong, convincing claims of your own.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Practice identifying themes in poetry and how they're conveyed to readers. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice identifying the examples of imagery and diction within several classic poems. These include "The Guest House" by Rumi, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, and "Take Home a Smile" by Edgar Guest. You'll examine how authors use both imagery and diction to help express their intended theme.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to revise and strengthen your sentences in this interactive tutorial. You'll practice using adjectives and adverbs to make your sentences even stronger and more descriptive. You'll also practice distinguishing simple sentences from sentence fragments.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Review common uses of the comma and learn how it can be properly used to set off nonrestrictive elements--like phrases and words--in a sentence. This interactive tutorial will also give you the chance to complete practice activities to check your understanding.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to use commas to connect two sentences, how to use commas with coordinate adjectives, and how to use the Oxford comma. In this interactive tutorial, you will complete practice exercises and read several short passages about primates, including gorillas and baboons.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how arguments are formed with claims, reasons, and evidence. In this interactive tutorial, you'll read several short speeches from students hoping to be elected president of the Student Council. We'll trace the claim made by each student and the reasons and evidence they use to support it.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn several different strategies to help organize your writing in this interactive tutorial. You'll practice several different ways to introduce and organize ideas in your informative writing. These strategies include compare and contrast, classification, cause and effect, and definition.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to set up your story through the elements of exposition. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice setting up your story idea by establishing the characters, setting, and conflict.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to determine the meaning of "mysterious" words by analyzing context clues, word roots, prefixes, and suffixes in this interactive tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to state your claim effectively in this interactive tutorial. This argumentative writing lesson will also teach you how to capture readers' attention using "grabbers" before stating your claim.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn how to analyze what a literary text states directly and indirectly. In this tutorial, you will learn how to support conclusions based on what is directly and/or indirectly stated in a text.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn the difference between summarizing a story and describing its theme. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice summarizing the important details of a fiction text. Then, you'll practice describing the theme of the text in your own words.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn to identify the central idea of an informational text. In this interactive tutorial, you'll read an article about cutting-edge robots. Using this text, you'll practice identifying important details in the article to help determine the central idea.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Gain a better understanding pronouns and how they are used in this interactive tutorial. You'll also learn how to use two of the most commonly confused pronouns—who and whom. You'll need to bring your A-game for this basketball-themed tutorial.
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Learn about 3 Greek and Latin roots (spect, path, and omni) and 12 modern words that feature those roots. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice using these words and hopefully add them to your vocabulary!
Type: Original Student Tutorial
Tutorials
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice using commas correctly in sentences. For each practice item, you must use commas in a sentence only where appropriate. After every response, you will get immediate feedback.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice using commas correctly in sentences. For each practice item, you must use commas in a sentence only where appropriate. After every response, you will get immediate feedback.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice fixing comma errors in sentences. For each practice item, you must select the best choice to revise a sentence so that it uses commas correctly. After every response, you will get immediate feedback.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice fixing comma errors in sentences. For each practice item, you must correct the comma error in a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. The site also provides an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked "Comma Tip” that appears with feedback.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with two words that are commonly misused: whose and who’s. For each practice item, you must type the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen. If you don’t know which word to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with two words that are commonly misused: its and it’s. For each practice item, you must choose the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with two words that are commonly misused: its and it’s. For each practice item, you must type the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen. If you don’t know which word to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with two words that are commonly misused: lose and loose. For each practice item, you must choose the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with two words that are commonly misused: lose and loose. For each practice item, you must type the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen. If you don’t know which word to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with two words that are commonly misused: loss and lost. For each practice item, you must type the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen. If you don’t know which word to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with two words that are commonly misused: who and whom. For each practice item, you must choose the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with two words that are commonly misused: who and whom. For each practice item, you must type the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen. If you don’t know which word to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with two words that are commonly misused: whoever and whomever. For each practice item, you must type the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen. If you don’t know which word to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with three words that are commonly misused: to, too, and two. For each practice item, you must choose the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with three words that are commonly misused: to, too, and two. For each practice item, you must type the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with two irregular verbs that are commonly misused: lie and lay. For each practice item, you must select the correct irregular verb and its appropriate tense to complete a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There's also an explanation of the rules for using these irregular verbs; simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with two words that are commonly misused: whose and who’s. For each practice item, you must choose the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with three words that are commonly misused: their, they’re, and there. For each practice item, you must type the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen. If you don’t know which word to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice with three words that are commonly misused: their, they’re, and there. For each practice item, you must choose the appropriate word to complete the sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing pronoun case. For each practice item, you must select the correct pronoun case to complete a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing pronoun case. For each practice item, you must select the correct pronoun case to complete a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing pronoun case. For each practice item, you must select the correct pronoun case to complete a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing pronoun case. For each practice item, you must select the correct pronoun case to complete a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing pronoun case. For each practice item, you must select the correct pronoun case to complete a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing pronoun reference. For each practice item, you must determine whether or not a sentence contains a pronoun reference error. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing pronoun case. For each practice item, you must select the correct pronoun case to complete a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing pronoun reference. For each practice item, you must identify and revise pronoun reference errors in a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen. If you don’t know which word or words to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing pronoun reference. For each practice item, you must revise a sentence that contains a pronoun reference error. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen. If you don’t know which word or words to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing pronoun reference. For each practice item, you must determine whether or not a sentence contains a pronoun reference error. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen.
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in recognizing pronoun reference. For each practice item, you must identify and revise pronoun reference errors in a sentence. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are provided at the top of the screen. If you don’t know which word or words to type, the “I Give Up” button will help you out.
Type: Tutorial
This interactive exercise will give you practice in correcting sentence fragments. For each practice item, you must select the best choice to correct a fragment in a short passage. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There's also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study; simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in correcting sentence fragments. For each practice item, you must select the best choice to correct a fragment in a short passage. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There's also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial
This fun and interactive exercise will give you practice in correcting sentence fragments. For each practice item, you must select the best choice to correct a fragment in a short passage. After every response, you will get immediate feedback. Explanations of each correct answer are also provided. There's also an explanation of the rules of proper sentence structure for you to study, simply click the hyperlinked word "rules."
Type: Tutorial