Scotland

$Scotland flag$

Skills available for Scotland secondary 2 English curriculum

Objectives are in black and IXL English skills are in dark green. Hold your mouse over the name of a skill to view a sample question. Click on the name of a skill to practise that skill.

Show alignments for:

Curriculum for Excellence Benchmarks: Fourth level Curriculum for Excellence Benchmarks: Fourth level
Curriculum for Excellence Benchmarks: Third level Curriculum for Excellence Benchmarks: Third level

Actions

Print curriculum

Reading

Enjoyment and choice - within a motivating and challenging environment developing an awareness of the relevance of texts in my life
- Selects texts regularly for enjoyment and interest or relevant sources to inform thinking.
- Gives a personal response to texts with appropriate justification.
- Explains how well a text or source meets needs and expectations with appropriate justification.
Tools for reading - to help me use texts with increasingly complex or unfamiliar ideas, structures and vocabulary within and beyond my place of learning
Finding and using information - when reading and using fiction and non-fiction texts with increasingly complex ideas, structures and specialist vocabulary
- Finds, selects and sorts relevant information from a variety of sources for a range of purposes.
- Summarises key information using own words.
  - Identify and correct plagiarism (7-N.1)
- Uses own words to make and organise notes, selecting key information and linking ideas from more than one source.
- Uses notes to create new texts that show understanding of the topic or issue and draw on information from more than one source.
Understanding, analysing and evaluating - investigating and/or appreciating fiction and non-fiction texts with increasingly complex ideas, structures and specialist vocabulary for different purposes
- Identifies purpose and audience of a range of texts with appropriate justification.
  - Identify the author's purpose (7-C.3)
- Gives an accurate account of the main ideas of texts.
  - Determine the main idea of a passage (7-A.1)
- Makes inferences and deductions with appropriate justification.
- Identifies similarities and differences between texts and makes appropriate comments about content, style, and/or language.
- Responds to a range of close reading questions, including literal, inferential and evaluative questions, to show understanding of texts and knowledge of language.
- Identifies features of language and gives an appropriate explanation of the effect they have on the reader, for example, word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, grammar and/or imagery.
- Identifies and makes appropriate comments about persuasive language such as word choice, emotive language, repetition, rhetorical questions and/or use of statistics.
- Comments on reliability and relevance/usefulness of sources with appropriate justification.
- Makes evaluative comments about structure, characterisation and/or setting with relevant reference to the text.
  - Analyse short stories (7-F.1)
- Shows understanding of the writer's theme and can link it to own and/or others' experiences.
  - Match the quotations with their themes (7-B.1)
  - Determine the themes of short stories (7-B.2)
- Identifies and makes evaluative comments about aspects of the writer's style, use of language and other features appropriate to genre, with reference to the text.

Writing

Enjoyment and choice - within a motivating and challenging environment developing an awareness of the relevance of texts in my life
- Writes regularly for a range of purposes and audiences selecting appropriate genre, form, structure and style.
Tools for writing - using knowledge of technical aspects to help my writing communicate effectively within and beyond my place of learning
- Applies knowledge of spelling patterns, rules and strategies to spell most words correctly.
- Uses more complex punctuation, where appropriate, to convey meaning or in an attempt to enhance writing, for example, inverted commas, exclamation marks, question marks, colons, parentheses and/or ellipses. Punctuation is a varied and mainly accurate.
- Writes almost all sentences in a grammatically accurate way.
- Uses a variety of sentence structures, varying openings and lengths, for example, simple and complex sentences, lists and repetition.
  - Is the sentence declarative, interrogative, imperative or exclamatory? (7-W.1)
  - Is the sentence simple, compound or complex? (7-W.9)
- Uses paragraphs to structure content. Uses linking phrases and topic sentences to signpost a basic structure, line of through or argument.
  - Transitions with conjunctive adverbs (7-J.3)
- Writes in a fluent and legible way.
- Reviews and edits writing to ensure clarity of meaning, with technically accuracy and to improve content or language.
- Select features of layout and presentation, including in digital texts, to clarify meaning and suit purpose and audience, for example, headings, bullet points, text boxes and/or relevant graphics.
  - Formatting titles (7-JJ.1)
  - Formatting and capitalising titles: review (7-JJ.2)
Organising and using information - considering texts to help create short and extended texts for different purposes
- Uses notes and/or other sources to generate ideas, inform thinking and support the creation of new texts.
- Uses and acknowledges sources appropriately.
  - Identify and correct plagiarism (7-N.1)
- Organises ideas and information in a logical way.
  - Order topics from broadest to narrowest (7-J.1)
  - Organise information by main idea (7-J.2)
- Selects relevant ideas and information including supporting detail or evidence.
- Uses varied and appropriate vocabulary to make meaning clear and/or to attempt to enhance writing.
Creating texts - considering texts to help create short and extended texts for different purposes
- Creates short and extended texts regularly for a range of purposes and audiences.
- Engages and/or influences the reader through use of language, style and/or tone as appropriate to genre.
- When writing to convey information, describe events, explain processes or concepts and combine ideas in different ways:
  - Uses a style and format appropriate to purpose and audience, applying features of the chosen genre.
    - Which sentence is more formal? (7-C.1)
    - Identify the author's purpose (7-C.3)
  - Includes relevant ideas/knowledge/information with supporting detail or evidence.
  - Organises and structures ideas or information in a logical order using linking words or phrases.
  - Uses appropriate tone and vocabulary for purpose and audience.
- When writing to persuade, evaluate, explore issues or express an opinion:
  - Presents ideas or conveys a point of view with relevant supporting detail or evidence.
  - Organises and structures ideas or information in a logical order.
    - Order topics from broadest to narrowest (7-J.1)
    - Organise information by main idea (7-J.2)
  - Uses signposts to make structure and/or argument clear, for example, topic sentences and/or linking phrases.
  - Includes an introduction that makes the purpose of the text clear and makes some attempt to engage the audience.
  - Ends with a conclusion that sums up the line of thought.
  - Use language to influence or persuade the reader, for example, word choice, repetition, rhetorical questions and/or emotive language.
    - Describe the difference between related words (7-S.1)
    - Positive and negative connotation (7-S.2)
- When writing to convey personal experiences:
  - Establishes a clear context and setting for events.
  - Describes events, making feelings and reactions clear.
  - Makes some attempt to reflect on experiences and/or feelings.
  - Engages and/or influences the reader through use of language, style and/or tone.
- When writing imaginatively and creatively:
  - Applies key features of the chosen genre.
  - Creates interesting and convincing characters.
  - Creates a clear sense of setting with descriptive detail.
  - Makes some attempt to engage the reader and achieve effects through, for example, narrative structure, mood/atmosphere and language.
    - Use personification (7-L.1)

Scotland

Show alignments for:

Actions

Reading

Enjoyment and choice - within a motivating and challenging environment developing an awareness of the relevance of texts in my life

Selects texts regularly for enjoyment and interest or relevant sources to inform thinking.

Gives a personal response to texts with appropriate justification.

Explains how well a text or source meets needs and expectations with appropriate justification.

Tools for reading - to help me use texts with increasingly complex or unfamiliar ideas, structures and vocabulary within and beyond my place of learning

Reads texts with fluency, understanding and expression using appropriate pace and tone.

Applies knowledge of context clues, word roots, grammar, punctuation, sentence and text structures to read unfamiliar texts with understanding.

Applies a range of strategies to engage with and interrogate texts, for example, skimming, scanning, predicting, clarifying, summarising, and analyzing.

Finding and using information - when reading and using fiction and non-fiction texts with increasingly complex ideas, structures and specialist vocabulary

Finds, selects and sorts relevant information from a variety of sources for a range of purposes.

Summarises key information using own words.

Uses own words to make and organise notes, selecting key information and linking ideas from more than one source.

Uses notes to create new texts that show understanding of the topic or issue and draw on information from more than one source.

Understanding, analysing and evaluating - investigating and/or appreciating fiction and non-fiction texts with increasingly complex ideas, structures and specialist vocabulary for different purposes

Identifies purpose and audience of a range of texts with appropriate justification.

Gives an accurate account of the main ideas of texts.

Makes inferences and deductions with appropriate justification.

Identifies similarities and differences between texts and makes appropriate comments about content, style, and/or language.

Responds to a range of close reading questions, including literal, inferential and evaluative questions, to show understanding of texts and knowledge of language.

Identifies features of language and gives an appropriate explanation of the effect they have on the reader, for example, word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, grammar and/or imagery.

Identifies and makes appropriate comments about persuasive language such as word choice, emotive language, repetition, rhetorical questions and/or use of statistics.

Comments on reliability and relevance/usefulness of sources with appropriate justification.

Makes evaluative comments about structure, characterisation and/or setting with relevant reference to the text.

Shows understanding of the writer's theme and can link it to own and/or others' experiences.

Identifies and makes evaluative comments about aspects of the writer's style, use of language and other features appropriate to genre, with reference to the text.

Writing

Enjoyment and choice - within a motivating and challenging environment developing an awareness of the relevance of texts in my life

Writes regularly for a range of purposes and audiences selecting appropriate genre, form, structure and style.

Tools for writing - using knowledge of technical aspects to help my writing communicate effectively within and beyond my place of learning

Applies knowledge of spelling patterns, rules and strategies to spell most words correctly.

Uses more complex punctuation, where appropriate, to convey meaning or in an attempt to enhance writing, for example, inverted commas, exclamation marks, question marks, colons, parentheses and/or ellipses. Punctuation is a varied and mainly accurate.

Writes almost all sentences in a grammatically accurate way.

Uses a variety of sentence structures, varying openings and lengths, for example, simple and complex sentences, lists and repetition.

Uses paragraphs to structure content. Uses linking phrases and topic sentences to signpost a basic structure, line of through or argument.

Writes in a fluent and legible way.

Reviews and edits writing to ensure clarity of meaning, with technically accuracy and to improve content or language.

Select features of layout and presentation, including in digital texts, to clarify meaning and suit purpose and audience, for example, headings, bullet points, text boxes and/or relevant graphics.

Organising and using information - considering texts to help create short and extended texts for different purposes

Uses notes and/or other sources to generate ideas, inform thinking and support the creation of new texts.

Uses and acknowledges sources appropriately.

Organises ideas and information in a logical way.

Selects relevant ideas and information including supporting detail or evidence.

Uses varied and appropriate vocabulary to make meaning clear and/or to attempt to enhance writing.

Creating texts - considering texts to help create short and extended texts for different purposes

Creates short and extended texts regularly for a range of purposes and audiences.

Engages and/or influences the reader through use of language, style and/or tone as appropriate to genre.

When writing to convey information, describe events, explain processes or concepts and combine ideas in different ways:

Uses a style and format appropriate to purpose and audience, applying features of the chosen genre.

Includes relevant ideas/knowledge/information with supporting detail or evidence.

Organises and structures ideas or information in a logical order using linking words or phrases.

Uses appropriate tone and vocabulary for purpose and audience.

When writing to persuade, evaluate, explore issues or express an opinion:

Presents ideas or conveys a point of view with relevant supporting detail or evidence.

Organises and structures ideas or information in a logical order.

Uses signposts to make structure and/or argument clear, for example, topic sentences and/or linking phrases.

Includes an introduction that makes the purpose of the text clear and makes some attempt to engage the audience.

Ends with a conclusion that sums up the line of thought.

Use language to influence or persuade the reader, for example, word choice, repetition, rhetorical questions and/or emotive language.

When writing to convey personal experiences:

Establishes a clear context and setting for events.

Describes events, making feelings and reactions clear.

Makes some attempt to reflect on experiences and/or feelings.

Engages and/or influences the reader through use of language, style and/or tone.

When writing imaginatively and creatively:

Applies key features of the chosen genre.

Creates interesting and convincing characters.

Creates a clear sense of setting with descriptive detail.

Makes some attempt to engage the reader and achieve effects through, for example, narrative structure, mood/atmosphere and language.