Language Arts, grade 7, based on Indiana’s Academic Standards for English/Language Art, is integrated instruction emphasizing reading, writing, speaking, listening, and media interest and age-appropriate content. Students develop advanced skills and strategies in reading. Students understand comparisons, such as analogies and metaphors, and they begin to use their knowledge of roots and word parts to understand science, social studies, and mathematics vocabulary. Students begin to read reviews, as well as critiques of both informational and literary writing. Students read and respond to fiction selections, such as classic and contemporary literature, historical fiction, fantasy or science fiction, mystery or adventure, folklore or mythology, poetry, short stories, and dramas, and nonfiction selections, such as subject area books, biographies or autobiographies, magazines and newspapers, various reference or technical materials, and online information. Students self-select books of interest and read independently for enjoyment. Students develop advanced skills and strategies in language. Using oral discussion, reading, writing, art, music, movement, and drama, students respond to fiction, nonfiction, and informational selections or reality-based experiences, multimedia presentations, and classroom or group experiences. Students write or deliver longer research reports that take a position on a topic and they support their positions by citing a variety of sources. Students use a variety of sentence structures and modifiers to express their thoughts. Students deliver argumentative presentations that state a clear position in support of an argument or proposal. Students also listen to literature read aloud to them and write independently for enjoyment.