A breakdown for teachers who teach RI.7 in middle school ELA. In this post, we’ve included learning targets, concept breakdowns, resource suggestions, and activity and assessment ideas!
When I was in middle school, we had only a few different mediums available for sharing and presenting messages. We could make a poster, or we could give a speech. It kind of feels like those were the only options.
Now, kids have so many different options. They can make a video, create a playlist, create a blog series, or a podcast. They can create presentations using PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva, or any other presentation platform. They can use memes and GIFs created by themselves or by others. They can use posters, or they can make items using 3D printers.
We have so many different mediums to choose from, and each of them has its own merits and flaws.
As we begin to consider how to teach RI.7 in middle school, we will consider how others use these different mediums as well as when we should use them.
Let’s start by looking at the learning targets for RI.7!
Learning Targets
To make sure that all of the middle school ELA standards are being covered in your classroom, consider working from a checklist like the ones below.
These checklists will give you a way of documenting how and when each standard will be covered, reviewed, and assessed throughout the year.
We also like to use these checklists for breaking the standards down into learning targets.
To get our learning targets, we deconstruct the standard into 2-5 pieces or specific learning targets that students will be able to accomplish in order to be able to master that standard.
Here are the learning targets on which we developed our resources for RI.7.
Teaching RI.6.7 (6th Grade)
6th Grade Standard: Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
6th Grade Learning Targets
- I can integrate information from different types of sources to help me understand the topic.
- I can combine words with different media to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
- I can demonstrate my understanding using information from various media/formats including both print and non-print.
Teaching RI.7.7 (7th Grade)
7th Grade Standard: Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words)
7th Grade Learning Targets
- I can compare and contrast a written text to an audiovisual/multimedia presentation of the same work.
- I can analyze each medium’s depiction of the subject matter (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).
Teaching RI.8.7 (8th Grade)
8th Grade Standard: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
8th Grade Learning Targets
- I can identify different mediums, including print, digital, video, and multimedia.
- I can evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to present a particular topic or idea.
- I can determine which type of media is most appropriate and effective for the type of communication I am providing.
Growing through Middle School
When we discuss how to teach RI.7 in middle school, we want to really narrow down the purpose of each of these standards.
In the 6th and 7th-grade standards, students are observing and practicing the use of different mediums. They are looking at specific subject matters through the lenses of different mediums such as articles, documentaries, videos, multimedia presentations, podcasts, etc. However, in 8th grade, students are actually considering the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums.
These two standards clearly build on each other!
What this tells me as a teacher is that when given the opportunity (especially in 6th or 7th grade) to share a text or information using different mediums, I should jump on it. If I can show a speech on video, have students listen to an original radio recording, and also have them read it, then we should do all three and spend time considering the merits of each.
The more students are exposed to different mediums, the better off they will be as they move onto 8th grade when they start to make decisions about when different mediums should be used.
Resources for teaching RI.7
If you are looking for some resources for teaching RI.7 in middle school, then we have a few different products for you to check out.
Each of these resources includes handouts, assessments, activity sheets, projects, and answer keys. They are fully built out and designed to meet each of the learning targets we’ve broken the standard into to achieve mastery.
To learn more about our resources for each grade level, click on the links below!
Activities and Projects for Practicing and Assessing RI.7 in Middle School
Although there are many different topics you can use when you’re deciding how to teach RI.7 in middle school, here are some project/activity ideas that can be used with whatever topics you choose to study.
- Venn Diagram: This is the perfect time to use a good, ol’ Venn diagram or chart to compare and contrast different versions of a topic. We use this a few times in our resources.
- Comparing Mediums: Create a chart and ask students to compare the positives and negatives of each medium as they relate to different topics. This is a project in our 7th-grade resource.
- Pick a Medium: Give students different situations when information needs to be shared, and ask them to discuss and pick the medium that will best serve the purpose of the message.
Teaching to the standards can begin to feel overwhelming, but we’ve created the standard product line as well as these standard-aligned blog posts to make it easier for you to plan out your year.
If you want a little more guidance on planning out your content for the year while using the standards and learning targets as your guide, read this post called How to Plan Curriculum Like a Boss!