Louisiana Grade 7 English

Contrast characters’ priorities through dialogue and action

Two characters can disagree about the same decision while each has a reason. This original rehearsal scene makes their different priorities visible in their words and choices. Students must support both perspectives before describing how they interact.

Curriculum reference: Louisiana Student Standards for English Language Arts, current document revised March 8, 2019, from the Louisiana Department of Education standards directory.

Louisiana Grade 7 references for this activity

For the 2026–27 school year, use the current Louisiana ELA document linked in the state directory, revised March 8, 2019. The revised 2026 standards take effect in 2027–28. The references below select part of Grade 7 for this activity; use the complete document and the school’s sequence for wider coverage.

These are selected grade-level expectations from Louisiana’s current English standards. Activity labels describe a teaching focus rather than reproduce complete requirements. Read the linked state document’s complete grade-level expectations, including its grade-specific details, alongside the school’s curriculum sequence.

A worked Grade 7 reading and writing activity

This original classroom example is separate from official assessment questions.

“Keep the backdrop plain,” Asha said, holding up a gray cloth. “The actors need space to move, and we only have ten minutes to set up.” Ben spread his sketch across a chair. “A painted doorway tells the audience where the scene happens. Without it, the first line is confusing.” Asha glanced at the crowded stage and moved two unused boxes into the hall. Ben drew a doorway on a narrow board instead of the wide panel in his sketch. “What if this stands at the side?” he asked. Asha measured the remaining walkway before answering.

Try the activity

Explain each character’s priority using at least two details overall for each perspective. How do the actions near the end develop the disagreement? Identify what the scene leaves unresolved.

Follow the reasoning

Asha prioritizes workable staging. Her concern about setup time and the actors’ movement explains why she favors a plain cloth. Moving unused boxes and measuring the walkway continue that concern through action. Ben prioritizes giving the audience enough information about the setting. His explanation of the first line and his doorway sketch support that perspective. Redrawing the doorway on a narrower board shows an attempt to keep the location cue while responding to the space problem. The author develops the contrast through both dialogue and what the characters do. Their priorities begin to overlap as they consider a smaller prop, but the scene ends before Asha answers. A reader cannot claim that the final design has been accepted.

Notice what needs more practice

A response calling Asha lazy overlooks her active preparation and stated reasons. Calling Ben careless ignores his adjustment. Those labels replace analysis with an unsupported judgment. Students should name the priority, identify details, and explain the connection. The text does not say either character wants to defeat the other. It also does not reveal the audience’s actual reaction, because the performance has not occurred. When describing compromise, use cautious language such as considering or proposing. The narrow board is a possible response to the conflict, not a completed agreement.

Grade 7 English worksheets

Choose printable practice that matches the skill being taught. Check the task, reading difficulty, and directions before assigning it; the collection is independently published.

Browse Grade 7 English worksheets

Use the next session to build independence

1. Sort dialogue and actions by the priority each supports.
2. Explain the contrast without treating disagreement as a character flaw.
3. Use the ending to distinguish a proposal from an agreed outcome.

Write a continuation in which Asha answers while keeping her established concern about movement and timing. Explain how the new line responds to Ben’s concern. Then analyze a longer teacher-selected scene with less explicit statements of priorities; students will need to infer viewpoints from repeated choices and speech. Keep invented continuations separate from evidence in the original scene. The selected references support analysis and evidence, while the school’s wider Grade 7 sequence includes other text forms, writing, discussion, and language work.

For more general reading and writing resources, visit the Grade 7 English Online Center.

Louisiana Grade 7 English: useful planning questions

Can students claim that the characters reach a compromise?

They can explain that a smaller prop is proposed in response to both concerns. The passage ends before acceptance, so a completed agreement is not established.

Where are the complete state requirements?

For the 2026–27 school year, use the current Louisiana ELA document linked in the state directory, revised March 8, 2019. The revised 2026 standards take effect in 2027–28. The references below select part of Grade 7 for this activity; use the complete document and the school’s sequence for wider coverage. The school’s sequence also includes reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language work beyond this example.