The Ontario Language Curriculum Strand B is about bringing students back to basics, including topics such as listening, vocabulary, grammar and syntax. While so much communication these days is in short form (e.g., text/DM), visual (emojis or video), or abbreviated (e.g., IYKYK), it’s important that students have a good grasp on the fundamentals as well.
Many students have been communicating in various mediums for so long that it may seem challenging to embrace a more regulated way of presenting their thoughts. But this is a great opportunity for students to expand their knowledge, which has the potential to enrich their communications in any form.
Skills such as listening and understanding non-verbal communication strategies have an impact beyond language basics. They are core skills that will serve students well in their academic and professional careers, as well as their personal relationships.
What Skills Does This Strand Cover?
Students will need to think about how they construct their communications in the Ontario Language Curriculum Strand B, as well as how they can draw more from communication, in the form of being a listener.
They will need to think about what they want to say, how they will construct that communication and ensure it follows linguistic rules (e.g., grammar, capitalization and punctuation) that may have become somewhat lost in the informal communications many of us have today.
As students learn these skills, they will hopefully develop critical thinking skills and a sense of thoughtfulness around the specifics of communication that can be lacking when responses are short, informal and immediate.
These skills can help students become more thoughtful communicators, which can have benefits in and outside the classroom.
Strand B Covers:
- Effective Listening Skills
- Listening Strategies for Comprehension
- Speaking Purposes and Strategies
- Oral and Non-Verbal Communication Strategies
- Word Choice, Syntax, and Grammar in Oral Communication
- Word-Level Reading and Spelling: Using Morphological Knowledge
- Vocabulary
- Reading Fluency: Accuracy, Rate, and Prosody
- Syntax and Sentence Structure
- Grammar
- Capitalization and Punctuation
Why Are These Skills Important?
Grade 7 and 8 students learning the Ontario Language Curriculum Strand B can benefit from learning the fundamentals of communication to help with:
- Contextually-appropriate sharing and formats
- Enhancing critical thinking around their communications
- Refining skills around listening and understanding that absorbing information is integral to enhancing understanding and communication
- Conveying information in a way that follows linguistic rules to help the clarity of the message (versus the audience having to work through text with a lack of structure, punctuation, etc.)
These skills can help students build a strong communications toolkit, which can benefit them:
- In their classroom and school environment
- As they seek part-time jobs and begin interacting on a more professional level
- In their home environment
- In their personal life, students may develop the skills to communicate more clearly and effectively
As students develop these core language skills and put them into practice, it can also have positive results in the classroom. Assignments may be submitted with a more cohesive structure, making them easier to grade. It can also be a benefit to everyone when a more thoughtful environment is created around communication.
Lesson Ideas For Grade 7 and 8 Ontario Language Curriculum Strand B
Getting back to basics can sometimes be a challenge, as learnings that are ingrained must now be broken down piece by piece to be shared with students. Sometimes it can be easy to know the rules while forgetting exactly why they are the rules in the first place.
These 2 Peas and a Dog lessons will save you prep time and get your students on the right track to meet Ontario Language Curriculum Strand B curriculum expectations. They can also be a great refresher for any teacher looking to solidify the language skills they learned years ago.
B1.1 Effective Listening Skills: Students will learn to be better listeners while developing an understanding of when to ask questions and how to respond to others when taking part in group discussions.
- Co-create class discussion expectations
- Teach class discussion skills
- Teach listening skills
B1.2 Listening Strategies for Comprehension: Learn listening strategies for all segments of communication (e.g., before, after) for verbal and non-verbal communication and develop appropriate responses.
Podcast Listening Comprehension Lessons
- Online Orders
- Drones For Delivery
- Vending Machines
- Subscription Traps
- TikTok Creator Fund
- Personalized Notes
- Six Minutes Podcast Episode 1
- Dollar Store Price
- Pay What You Want Stores
- Fancy Product Names
- QR Code Restaurant Menus
- Right To Repair
- Subscription Boxes
- Food Delivery Tips
- End of Free Returns
- Ghost Kitchens
- Impulse Shopping
- Unit Pricing
- Secret Menu
- Donation Bins
- Crowdsourced Shipping
- Banned by Brands
- Book Publishing
- Halloween Stores
B1.3 Speaking Purposes and Strategies: Learn how to identify the audience and to communicate specifically for them in context.
- Current Events News Assignment
- Hot Topics Debate Assignment
- Book Talks
- Rant Writing Unit
- Good News Assignment
- Product Pitch Assignment
- Book Unboxing Assignment
- Spoken Word Assignment
B1.4 Oral and Non-Verbal Communication Strategies: Students will develop an understanding of verbal and non-verbal communications, including gestures and expressions, and how this impacts communication, including across cultures.
- Co-created success criteria for oral presentations
- Model a successful and unsuccessful presentation for students
- Teach oral presentation skills
B1.5 Word Choice, Syntax, and Grammar in Oral Communication: Develop communications using descriptive and precise word choices, including adverbs and adjectives, as well as different types of sentences to help the audience’s understanding.
- Parts of Speech Grammar Unit
- Middle School Punctuation Unit
- Middle School Greek Roots Morphology Unit and Worksheets
- Middle School Greek Prefixes Morphology Unit and Worksheets
B2.1 Word-Level Reading and Spelling: Using Morphological Knowledge: Students will use an understanding of morphemes (e.g. suffixes, bases) and definitions to spell and read complex words.
- Parts of Speech Grammar Unit
- Middle School Punctuation Unit
- Middle School Greek Roots Morphology Unit and Worksheets
- Middle School Greek Prefixes Morphology Unit and Worksheets
B2.2 Vocabulary: Students will show they understand a variety of words and use their knowledge to understand new words in context.
- Parts of Speech Grammar Unit
- Middle School Punctuation Unit
- Middle School Greek Roots Morphology Unit and Worksheets
- Middle School Greek Prefixes Morphology Unit and Worksheets
B2.3 Reading Fluency: Accuracy, Rate, and Prosody: Learning how to read at an appropriate pace, with fluency, and use intonation and expression when reading out loud.
- Parts of Speech Grammar Unit
- Middle School Punctuation Unit
- Middle School Greek Roots Morphology Unit and Worksheets
- Middle School Greek Prefixes Morphology Unit and Worksheets
B3.1 Syntax and Sentence Structure: Students will construct sentences to convey ideas in an effective way. This includes constructing complex sentences with relative clauses or adjectives to show relationships between ideas.
- Parts of Speech Grammar Unit
- Middle School Punctuation Unit
- Middle School Greek Roots Morphology Unit and Worksheets
- Middle School Greek Prefixes Morphology Unit and Worksheets
B3.2 Grammar: Understand the purpose of parts of speech in a sentence, including active and passive voice and nouns that are gerunds, and use this to enhance clarity and understanding.
- Parts of Speech Grammar Unit
- Middle School Punctuation Unit
- Middle School Greek Roots Morphology Unit and Worksheets
- Middle School Greek Prefixes Morphology Unit and Worksheets
B3.3 Capitalization and Punctuation: Students will use punctuation and capitalization to help communicate with clarity. This includes commas after transitional words/phrases and the use of colons.
- Parts of Speech Grammar Unit
- Middle School Punctuation Unit
- Middle School Greek Roots Morphology Unit and Worksheets
- Middle School Greek Prefixes Morphology Unit and Worksheets
Looking for Full Year No-Prep Lessons? Try These Bundles
- Full Year Middle School English Language Arts Lessons: Grade 7 Language Arts
- Full Year Middle School English Language Arts Lessons: Grade 8 Language Arts
Each Full Year Bundle Includes:
- 100+ resources: An extensive collection of materials to support your teaching journey throughout the year.
- Print & Digital Formats: Flexibility is key! Choose between physical copies or digital resources based on your classroom needs.
- Detailed Lesson Plans: Clear and concise plans that take the guesswork out of teaching. Save time and focus on what matters most to you.
- Assessment Rubrics: Assess student progress with ease using our comprehensive rubrics, ensuring fair evaluation and effective feedback.
- Student Choice: Foster a love for learning by providing students with a range of options and activities that cater to their unique interests and learning styles.
- Differentiated Tasks: Accommodate diverse learners and create an inclusive classroom environment with tasks that challenge and inspire every student.
- Monthly Teaching Plan (& Bonus Weekly Plans): Stay organized and stay ahead with structured plans.
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