Curriculum Guide - Writing IV

A+LSCURRICULUM GUIDE
The English Language - Writing IV
Grade Levels 4-6

The A+dvanced Learning SystemŽ Writing curriculum is comprehensive and completely integrated for grade levels 1-9. Students are directed through a sequence of six titles. The curriculum consists of Study Guides, Lessons, Tests, and Essays. Study Guides and Essays introduce students to the process of writing and give extensive practice in the steps of the process of writing. Lessons provide written exercises and present problems in sentence structure, sentence combination, and the use of proper grammar in writing.

The purpose of A+LS Writing is two-fold. The Study Guides and Essays acquaint students with thought processes, planning processes, and the actual creation, revision, and editing processes involved in writing. The Lesson and Test portions of each title allow students to practice the formation of clear, grammatically and structurally correct sentences and paragraphs.

Essays are specifically designed to stimulate student creativity. Engaging essay topics encourage students to write about feelings, emotions, and experiences. These exercises also broaden the student's perspective of surroundings, people, communities, and the world. Students will develop an extensive pool of writing ideas that will provide endless hours of excellent writing practice.

The Lessons and Tests develop the student's reading, comprehension, analytical, keyboard, and problem-solving skills. Students are presented with written paragraphs to change in some way. The student provides written (keyboard) responses to various problems. A total of 300 progressively challenging lessons, each comprised of five exercises, provides unusual depth to this extensive family of products. These 1,500 exercises can provide for more than 100 hours of concentrated student work.

A+LS Writing exercises include both a Practice Mode and a Test, and include complete authoring capability for Study Guides and Essay Questions as well. Exercises are complete with on-screen lesson instructions which are voiced for early grade levels. The Practice Mode provides the student with opportunities to develop skills before taking the Test. All A+LS titles offer immediate feedback and correct answers.

LESSON #	LESSON TITLE	STUDY GUIDE/ESSAY CONTENT	LESSON/TEST CONTENT
1	Positive and Negative 1	Planning and gathering material. Idea books and mapping. Students brainstorm about a given subject.	Students change positive statement to negative statement.
2	Positive and Negative 2	Expressing thoughts through poetry. Students complete a descriptive poem.	Students change positive statement to negative statement.
3	Positive and Negative 3	Explaining how to do things. Students write short report about given subject.	Students change positive statement to negative statement.
4	Positive and Negative 4	Explanation of using persuasion in writing. Students write a persuasive paragraph.	Students change positive statement to negative statement.
5	Positive and Negative 5	Different writing forms. Examples of lists. Students make a list of supplies for an event.	Students change positive statement to negative statement, using contractions.
6	Positive and Negative 6	Examples of thank-you notes. Students write a thank-you note.	Students change positive statement to negative statement, using contractions.
7	Positive and Negative 7	Examples of how to give directions. Students write directions.	Students change positive statement to negative statement, using contractions.
8	Positive and Negative 8	Examples of information used in advertising. Students write an ad for a lost pet.	Students change positive statement to negative statement, using contractions.
9	Positive and Negative 9	Free writing and putting thoughts on paper. Spelling, punctuation, and other errors. Students describe given location.	Students change positive statement to negative statement, using contractions.
10	Positive and Negative 10	Spelling, punctuation, and other errors. Students describe a given object.	Students change positive statement to negative statement, using contractions.
11	Questions and Statements 1	Descriptive words. Students write descriptive words or phrases about given topic.	Students change statement to question, moving verb.
12	Questions and Statements 2	Using adjectives. Students write descriptive statements using given words.	Students change statement to question, moving verb.
13	Questions and Statements 3	Examples of descriptive writing using adverbs. Students complete sentences from starting phrases using given adverbs.	Students change statement to question, moving verb.
14	Questions and Statements 4	Examples of descriptive writing using adjectives and adverbs. Students create a new animal.	Students change statement to question, moving verb.
15	Questions and Statements 5	Definition and examples of revision. Students rewrite paragraph.	Students change statement to question, moving verb.
16	Questions and Statements 6	Adding words to complete thoughts. Students rewrite draft.	Students change question to statement moving auxiliary verb.
17	Questions and Statements 7	Deleting unnecessary words during revising. Students rewrite draft.	Students change statement to question, moving verb.
18	Questions and Statements 8	Making changes and replacing thoughts and phrases. Students rewrite draft.	Students change statement to question.
19	Questions and Statements 9	Changing sentence order during revision. Students write instructions.	Students change questions to statement.
20	Questions and Statements 10	Topic sentences. Students write paragraph with topic sentence and detail sentences.	Students change questions to statement.
21	Sentence Construction 1	Relationship of words. Students write word relationships.	Students create sentence from word list.
22	Sentence Construction 2	Opposites in word relationships. Students complete analogies.	Students create sentence from word list.
23	Sentence Construction 3	Word relationships. Students complete analogies.	Students create sentence from word list.
24	Sentence Construction 4	Proofreading. Checking for punctuation, spelling and capitalization errors. Students rewrite paragraph in correct form.	Students create sentence from word list.
25	Sentence Construction 5	Checking for incomplete sentences. Students write descriptive paragraph.	Students combine sentences.
26	Sentence Combination 1	Noun and verb agreement. Students write about feelings.	Students combine sentences.
27	Sentence Combination 2	Using correct tense. Students write descriptive paragraph.	Students combine sentences.
28	Sentence Combination 3	Capitalization. Students use imagination to write paragraph.	Students combine sentences.
29	Sentence Combination 4	Definition and review of sentence types. Students write descriptive paragraph.	Students combine sentences.
30	Sentence Combination 5	Preparing the final draft. Students identify cause of situation.	Students combine sentences.
31	Sentence Combination 6	Various methods of publishing. Students predict outcome of given situation.	Students combine sentences.
32	Sentence Combination 7	Definition and example of fact and opinion. Students write persuasive paragraph.	Students combine sentences.
33	Sentence Combination 8	Students predict results of given situation.	Students combine sentences.
34	Sentence Combination 9	Students identify causes of situation.	Students combine sentences.
35	Sentence Combination 10	Students describe event to blind person.	Students combine sentences.
36	Sentence Combination 11	Students measure with non-standard equipment.	Students combine sentences.
37	Sentence Combination 12	Students write list of supplies for event.	Students combine sentences.
38	Sentence Combination 13	Students write questions to ask the President of the United States.	Students combine sentences.
39	Sentence Combination 14	Students write ways to conserve resources.	Students combine sentences.
40	Sentence Combination 15	Students complete story from starting phrases.	Students combine sentences.

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