ELA: English Language Arts

ELA: English Language Arts

Marina Middle School’s ELA department utilizes a rigorous, equity-driven curriculum designed to improve student literacy, critical thinking, and communication skills. Working alongside the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Humanities Team, the department provides differentiated instruction, targeted intervention, and specialized programs for all learners
Marina ELA

Writing Prompt

Using prompts from inside of class, outside, and from the text.

What does it mean to "see the best in someone." Who sees the best in you?

Write about a time you learned an important lesson. If it changed you, explain.

Consider the ending of "Thank you, M'am" by Langston Hughes, write a continuation of the story from Roger's point of view.
 

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy

The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy build on the best of existing standards and reflect the skills and knowledge students will need to succeed in college, career, and life. Understanding how the standards differ from previous standards—and the necessary shifts they call for—is essential to implementing the standards well. There are three key areas of difference (source):

1. Regular practice with complex texts and their academic language

Rather than focusing solely on the skills of reading and writing, the ELA/literacy standards highlight the growing complexity of the texts students must read to be ready for the demands of college, career, and life. 

2. Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from texts, both literary and informational

The Common Core emphasizes using evidence from texts to present careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information. Rather than asking students questions they can answer solely from their prior knowledge and experience, the standards call for students to answer questions that depend on their having read the texts with care.

3. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction

Students must be immersed in information about the world around them if they are to develop the strong general knowledge and vocabulary they need to become successful readers and be prepared for college, career, and life. Informational texts play an important part in building students’ content knowledge. 

This page was last updated on May 26, 2026