Class+Syllabus

Seventh Grade English/Language Arts Curriculum Overview & Classroom Guidelines

Goals Course Texts (additional may be added) NOTE: A portion of course reading material will explore topics and themes pertinent to the countries/time periods you will be studying in your World Cultures class, thereby to extend and deepen your understanding of human history.
 * To develop independence and skill as a critical reader, critical thinker, planner, writer, editor, evaluator, and public speaker
 * To read often, to expand your understanding by reading material of various genres, styles and topics, and to develop a reading repertoire (authors and books that you just LOVE and can use as go-to favorites).
 * To write often and for multiple purposes, experimenting with formats, genres, language and finding your voices/styles
 * To use purposeful, vivid language and audience-appropriate conventions/grammar to articulate ideas orally and in writing
 * To use technology effectively as a resource for information, a storage/revision tool for writing, and a medium for creative expression
 * To communicate and engage successfully in collaborative endeavors with peers
 * Student-selected independent reading novels (suggestions available on teacher website)
 * The Outsiders by S.E Hinton (required summer reading novel)
 * Animal Farm by George Orwell
 * Class-selected short stories, memoir excerpts, one-act plays and poetry (distributed in class)
 * Dynamic Literacy: WordBuild Vocabulary
 * Writing and Grammar by Prentice Hall (teacher to distribute copies during 1 st trimester)
 * Interactive Grammar and Language Workbook: Level 7 software by Glencoe (installed by school)

Individual Attention I am very excited to work with you this school year, and as your teacher, I'm here to help! Always seek me out if you need additional explanation or guidance! I am almost always available before school, during break, during study halls, and after school (by request). If you have a specific need, you can always email me ahead of time to ensure I will be available (i.e. before school, during break, etc.).

Independent Reading 1) posts in your book blogs and evidence in trimester reading reflections showing that you challenge yourself in terms of number ,variety and difficulty of books, and 2) the quality and depth of your oral/written/artistic analyses in a creative project covering one of your chosen books.
 * As a class, we will be keeping track of our reading this year, setting personal reading goals to expand the genres we read. In order to do this, we have a list of genre guidelines (think of them as strong suggestions/requirements).
 * You will be required to read at least 2 independent books each trimester . You may check out your books of choice from the Cary Academy library, the Seventh Grade Class library (M 204), Ms. Dav’s room (M204), any local public library, or you may purchase them independently. It's important that you continue to grow, and choose books that will challenge you as a reader. Your success in independent reading will be evaluated based on:

Writing During seventh grade, you will learn and master the elements of strong, organized paragraph construction in forming essays of various types: responses to literature, persuasive arguments, and business letters. You will also have opportunities to experiment with and potentially publish original poetry, memoirs, scripts, and satires as we study these literary genres. In language arts, we view writing as a process; we will consistently work through the stages of pre-writing, organize a detailed plan through outlining, and conference with me/your classmates to troubleshoot problems as you revise drafts. You will generally have a chance to work through multiple drafts and revisions of assignments before summative grades are assigned. Remember that writing is both formal and informal; posts on your blog create just as much of an impression for the reader as an essay does. Take care and proofread all assignments to be turned in.

Vocabulary and Grammar Reading and writing are ways to improve your vocabulary and grammar through practical means, and we will combine these strategies with direct study of target word parts. Precise and vivid language allows you to come across as more intelligent and interesting and gives you a deeper comprehension of your world. While you will be quizzed on your knowledge of these word parts, using them frequently in your own speaking and writing will really increase your knowledge and use of these words. We will use mini-lessons to address some of these topics directly, particularly how to identify homophones and other things that require more heightened proofreading (spell-check is only as good as the user!). Grammar/mechanics study will continue throughout the year and will be approached in a multi-sensory method. You will become more familiar with the function of various sentence constructions and conventions, moving gradually from the basic (parts of speech) to the complex (forming compound and complex sentences) with frequent cumulative repetition. The goal is not just to use this knowledge to correct errors in your own writing pieces, but more importantly to manipulate your sentence structure so that your prose is clear, sophisticated, and engaging.

__Classroom Guidelines__

Grading Each assignment in English will be awarded a percentage grade and will be weighted according to the category of assignment as follows: Compositions / Projects/Tests 50% Quizzes / Unpolished writing 35 % Homework/In-class assignments 15%

For your homework, some assignments are graded for completion, while others are used as tools to gauge understanding. All count equally (10 points per assignment).

Late major work such as quizzes, compositions, projects, or presentations will receive a letter grade (10%) off per day past the due date. For homework assignments, the grading is different. For these tasks, you will be given credit using the following method:
 * Complete homework turned in on time (at the beginning of the period on the day that the assignment is due) receives all 10 points.
 * Missing homework receives 0 points. Partial credit may be given to late work that is completed.
 * Of course life does happen, and extensions without penalty may be granted in such cases. However, you need to email or discuss any emergency situations with me in private and prior to the beginning of class. I am always available before school (I am on campus by 7:40 daily in 704) and break is another excellent time to conference.An email or written note from a parent or doctor is also required.

Effort Grades End of trimester effort grades are based on your in-class participation, level of effort on all assigned work, initiation in seeking help when needed, punctuality, and general overall attitude towards class collaboration and assignments.

Absences/ Late Work Policy If you know in advance that you will miss class on a due date, please let me know in advance and also have your parent email me to confirm this absence. A concerted effort should be made to turn in the assignment __early__ rather than late. If you are out, I expect you to check the website for class/homework assignments and linked handouts and make full effort to keep up. Email me or a classmate with any questions—especially if you do not see anything posted or cannot access OneNote documents. If you are absent on the day that an assignment is due, the assignment will be accepted on the day you return to class. When you return, please seek me out individually to schedule time for make-up assignments or to turn in missed work; I will also need to catch you up on any new material you may have missed or had trouble understanding. Realize it is your responsibility to find out what has happened since you missed class, and to make every effort to get caught up. This is part of your effort grade.