ELA
Practicing your reading skills and building your vocabulary are excellent ways to spend your time! Whether you want to be the next great rap artist or impress a potential employer, the more you read, the better you will speak. Reading: it's not just for nerds!! Use the menu to the left to find online resources related to English/Language Arts.
Reading passages for students
DOGO NEWS -high interest current events articles with embedded vocabulary and comprehension questions. Includes video clips on the reading topic.
TWEEN TRIBUNE - Science articles available at a variety of reading levels (lexile).
Newsela - hundreds of leveled news articles and Common Core–aligned quizzes, with new articles every day.
KQED - News resource on educational topics and social issues that relate to kids.
Vocabulary Building
Quizlet - Vocabulary flashcards. Great for practicing vocabulary! Students can login with their rock gmail.
Merriam Webster -Word of the day, online thesaurus, games
Brain Pop -Grammar, Study skills, Writing, and more!
Ted Talks (click the link to view the latest topics)
As described on their website:
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world. TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. On TED.com, we're building a clearinghouse of free knowledge from the world's most inspired thinkers — and a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other, both online and at TED and TEDx events around the world, all year long.
Students are expected to develop critical listening skills by the end of twelfth grade.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.2
Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3
Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.
NCDPI English/Language Arts Standards
If students require a reset, they must first complete the study guide. Students who have forgotten their login, password, or need to have a section unlocked may email their teacher or Mr. Hicks for assistance.
Parents who are concerned with student progress in Apex can provide an email address to Mr. Hicks and can receive weekly updates from Apex.