English 7
by Karen Fastnacht
August 14, 2006
Dear 7th grade students and parents,
Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful summer and are fully refreshed and ready for a wonderfully exciting year in English 7. I know I am very excited to be back from my summer break, and I am looking forward to an outstanding year. I am looking forward to getting to know each one of you and working with you in my classes this year.
Our curriculum in seventh grade consists of four areas from the state standards, including listening, reading, writing, and speaking. We will be doing a variety of activities that will help us meet our goals and develop the skills necessary to meet the state standards. Listening is an integral part of the entire year from directions to videos to class discussions. We will be developing reading skills and strategies through short stories, novels, and nonfiction literary pieces. Novels we will be reading this year include Freak the Mighty, Nightjohn, and another we pick as a class. We will focus on the six-traits of writing and descriptive writing, but we will also write personal narratives and research papers. Much of our speaking will be done through sharing many of the projects that are completed throughout the year or through class discussion. Formal speeches will be given related to the research papers that are written. Along with these things, we will complete Daily Language Workout activities every day, studying grammar rules and applying them to our writing, and earning Accelerated Reader points through student-selected novels. We have a very busy year planned for us.
I have one primary rule that covers my classroom expectations: RESPECT YOURSELF, RESPECT OTHERS, RESPECT YOUR ENVIRONMENT. We will spend quite a bit of time the first few days discussing what this might be like for us in this classroom and establishing a clear understanding of what is expected. I will also be using the following consequences for behaviors that may not fit with this rule: 1) The student will receive a verbal warning. 2) The student will stay after school with me for 20 minutes. 3) The student will be asked to leave the classroom and parents will be contacted. Students are only in class with me for 55 minutes, and it is essential that all of this time is spent in learning.
I also have a list of procedures that will allow my classes to go smoothly, and allow for the most productive use of our time:
1) Students will be seated in class and ready to begin when the second bell rings.
2) Students will bring all necessary supplies with them to class: textbook, notebook, pencil, pen, and completed assignment.
3) Students will complete assignments neatly and on time.
4) Students will be allowed to bring food items to class for special occasions only, and these will be announced by the teacher.
Another area I feel is important to touch on at this point in time is the completion of assignments. When an assignment is given, a due date will also be given. It is extremely important that students complete these assignments and bring them to class on the day they are due. If there is a problem with the completion of an assignment, it is the responsibility of the student to discuss this with me. The best time to do this would be in the morning before school starts. A student should not wait until class time to talk to me about incomplete work. If a student has not completed the assignment and has not talked to me prior to class, the student will be required to phone a parent and stay after school to complete the assignment. Any assignment that is not received on the day it is due will be given a score of 0. In English, one assignment builds on the other and if a student falls behind it can become an overwhelming burden for that student.
If a student knows in advance he/she will be missing class for an appointment, a family trip, or an extra-curricular activity, the lesson plans for the week are posted in the front of the room above the pencil sharpener. The student is responsible for getting the assignment ahead of time and completing it by the given due date. If a student is sick, the student handbook states he/she has two days to make up the work.
When handing assignments in to me, your name and the assignment should be written in the upper right hand corner. If the name is not on the paper and the paper is unidentifiable, it will be given a score of 0.
I have attached a copy of the curriculum map that has been written for your grade level in order to meet the state standards. This is a tentative schedule and is subject to change throughout the year in an effort to meet individual and class needs.
Students, you are the future, and I am glad that I have the opportunity to be a part of your lives and of your education. I know we will have a great year working together.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Fastnacht
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Content
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HOW DO WE USE LITERATURE TO ANSWER ANALYTICAL QUESTIONS? HOW DO WE APPLY COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES TO WHAT WE READ?
Friendship Unit What is the value of friendship? What is a friend? What would you do for a friend? Friend or Enemy?
8.1.1, 8.1.3, 8.1.4, 8.1.5, 8.1.6, 8.2.2, 8.2.3, 8.3.1, 8.4.1, 8.4.2 |
Grammar: prepositions conjunctions interjections What role do parts of speech play in our writing?
8.1.5, 8.2.1, 8.2.3
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Novel Study: Freak the Mighty
What makes a good novel?
What is the author’s purpose?
8.1.1, 8.1.3, 8.1.4, 8.1.7, 8.2.2, 8.2.3, 8.2.4, 8.3.1, 8.4.1 |
Grammar:
Subject/verb agreement
Pronoun/antecedent agreement
8.1.5, 8.2.1, 8.2.3 |
HOW DO WE USE LITERATURE TO ANSWER ANALYTICAL QUESTIONS? Civil Rights Unit: Free at Last
How do we achieve the ideal equal rights for all?
What are the roots of the civil rights movement?
How was resistance used against the prejudice?
8.1.1, 8.1.2, 8.1.3, 8.1.4, 8.1.5, 8.1.6, 8.1.7, 8.2.2, 8.2.3, 8.2.4, 8.2.5, 8.3.1, 8.3.2, 8.4.1, 8.4.2 |
Six-Traits Grammar
What role do parts of speech play in our writing?
What makes effective writing?
8.2.1, 8.2.2, 8.2.3, 8.2.4 |
Reader’s Workshop and Writers Workshop
What makes effective writing?
How do you apply this information to your own writing? Review of all standards |
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Skills
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• Read Text • Answer Questions • Identify characteristics of different types of fiction • Summarize plots • Analyze characters • Compare/contrast stories • Recognize, interpret, and analyze stories for theme • Scan to Identify main idea and supporting details |
• Read and analyze textbook • Identify parts of speech in sentences and other text • Analyze how these parts of speech help develop idea and voice |
• Read text • Apply comprehension strategies • Analyze characteristics of the text that make it strong • Compose character analysis • Perform sections of the text • Predict upcoming events |
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• Read and analyze text • Apply comprehension strategies • Teach the class • Compose written analyses • Evaluate cause and effect • Write a research paper • Present an informative speech • Take notes • Document sources |
• Identify parts of speech, parts of a sentence, and types of sentences • Diagram sentences • Produce effective descriptive essays using all six traits |
•Participate in literature circles •Produce effective writing •Edit papers for self and peers |
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Assessment
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• Portfolio of completed activities related to comprehension • Friendship definition essay Rated with six-traits of writing
• Short story with friendship theme rated with six traits |
• Written Test-short answer identification • Write a descriptive paragraph that uses these parts of speech effectively |
•Performance of text using rubric • Written character analysis using six traits |
• Written tests |
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• Student selected product that supports the novel read
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