Mr. Bauer, room 214

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http://bauerla7.pbworks.com

7th Grade Language Arts

Course Overview

Units of Study:

See reverse side for unit overview from Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Secondary English Language Arts.

Supplies:

For Language Arts you will need the following supplies:

·  Section in your binder with dividers for Classwork and Reference

·  Marble Composition Book (100 pages)

·  Blue/black pens or pencils

·  Colored pens (for editing only)

Grading Policy:

Grades in Language Arts will be weighted according to the following scale:

·  Classwork/Skills: 50%

·  Assessments: 35% (Writing Assignments, Tests & Quizzes)

·  Completion: 15%

Homework assignments turned in late will lose half-credit towards the completion grade only.

Vocabulary Program:
My classes will participate in a vocabulary program through the WordlyWise3000 website: http://www.wordlywise3000.com. Students are responsible for learning one lesson per week from Book 7 and will be held accountable for doing so with a weekly quiz. To help prepare for the quiz, students will complete a weekly homework assignment due each Wednesday using the words from the week's lesson in a meaningful sentence. (Students who score perfectly on the previous week's quiz will be excused from the weekly homework assignment.)

Baltimore County Public Schools

Dr. Joe A. Hairston, Superintendent

2011-2012 Guide for Parents

Seventh Grade Language Arts

Curriculum Overview

The seventh grade language arts program is an integrated program that is aligned with the State Curriculum which emphasizes reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, usage, and mechanics. The program is based on four units of study that include at least four long literary works during the course of the year. In addition, students will keep a sourcebook/journal and complete major compositions that focus on the purposes for writing: writing to inform, writing to persuade, and writing for personal expression.

jThe Nuts and Bolts of Non-Fiction
Overarching Concept
Non-fiction is a type of writing that deals with actual happenings, true events, and real people.
expository text
personal narrative
book talk
research module
summaries
Major Work
Teacher and/or self-selected biography or autobiography / kThe Power of Poetry
Overarching Concept
Poetry helps us express our personal ideas and experiences in a very compact way.
poetry
poetry portfolio
research module
persuasive letter
Major Work
Out of the Dust
lThe Fabulous Form
of Fiction
Overarching Concept
Fiction is literature in which a writer tells a story by crafting the narrative elements.
short stories
novel comparison
literature circles
character sketch
comparison essay
research module
Major Works
Seedfolks
Maniac Magee / mThe Dynamics of Drama
…under construction!!!
Overarching Concept
Drama is a unique form of literature designed for performance; a story performed by actors who communicate the playwright’s ideas to the audience.
drama
critical review
creative/narrative writing
research module
Major Work
To Be Announced…

Skills: Teachers introduce, reinforce, and synthesize the following skills in the K-12 English language arts curriculum:

Reading Literary analysis Composing Grammar

Usage Mechanics Spelling/vocabulary Word processing

Speaking Listening Research

Composition Portfolio: Students will keep a composition portfolio throughout the year, which will include pieces such as the following:

·  Personal narrative

·  Biography book talk

·  Poetry portfolio (OR)

·  “Poet-Pourri”

·  Persuasive letter

·  Character sketch

·  Comparison/Contrast essay

·  Critical review

·  One-act play

For a more detailed content outline and indicators for this program please see your child’s teacher.