MyAccess! : 7th Grade Possibilities Summer 2009
1st Quarter – Expository (Informative or Descriptive):
*Grade Level: Middle School (Grades 6-8)
*Category: Informative/ Expository
*Reading Focus: Selections related to Conflicts and Clashes
*Novel: Two Old Women
1. Problems with a Close Friend
In life, it is often a challenge to find a friend with whom you can share just about anything. When we do find a close friend like this, it is important to keep your friendship free from conflict, but problems can develop from just about anything. Think of a time when you were having a serious problem with a close friend. What was the problem? How did you resolve your issues?
In a well-developed essay, describe the problem that you were having with your friend and how you dealt with it. Include details and examples to support your description.
2. Conflict in School
Think about a time in which you got into a conflict at school. Was it with a friend, an enemy, or even a teacher?
Write a multi-paragraph narrative essay in which you explain the circumstances of the conflict, the climax of the conflict, and the resolution. Be sure to include specific details to support your response.
3. Facing the Impossible
Often we are faced with tasks that seem impossible. Write a informative essay about something you were able to accomplish that you first thought would be impossible. Be sure to include specific details and personal examples to support your response.
4. Conflict in Society
Think about a person who faced a conflict between what he or she thought was right and what others believed was right. Who was this person, and what conflict did he or she face?
Write a multi-paragraph essay describing the conflict the individual encountered, how it was resolved, and its aftereffects. Be sure to include specific details and examples to support your analysis.
2nd Quarter – Expository (Comparison-Contrast):
*Grade Level: Middle School (Grades 6-8)
*Category: Informative/ Expository
*Reading Focus: Selections related to Challenges and Change
* Poetry
1. Acts of Courage
Most of us have had to be courageous at some point in our lives to accomplish a goal or overcome an obstacle. Write a multi-paragraph essay about a time that you showed courage. Use details and examples to explain what problem you had to overcome or what obstacle you faced and how you showed courage in dealing with the situation.
2. Characters Respond to Challenges Differently
Characters respond to challenges differently based upon the circumstances and their own personal motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. Consider two different characters from a story (or stories) you have read. What challenges did these characters face? How did they respond to these challenges?
In a well-developed essay, compare and contrast how these two characters responded to the challenges they faced. Make sure to include specific details and examples from the text(s) to support your interpretation.
3. Internet Classrooms vs. Traditional Classroom
With advancements in technology, some students have chosen to complete their schoolwork through the Internet, rather than in traditional classrooms. Those who support a traditional classroom approach to learning argue that it provides more of an opportunity for students to interact with the teacher and other students. Those who feel that learning over the Internet is better argue that it allows students to learn anytime and anywhere they choose.
Do you feel education is better provided in traditional classrooms or when offered over the Internet? Write an essay to be read by a classroom teacher in which you persuade the reader that either traditional classroom education or Internet-based learning is better.
3rd Quarter – Expository (Research):
*Grade Level: Middle School (Grades 6-8)
*Category: Informative/ Expository
*Reading Focus: Greek and Roman Mythology
* Novel: The Adventures of Ulysses
1. An Epic Hero
An epic hero is a character that possesses courage, strength, and a desire to achieve immortality through heroic actions. Select a fictional character that exemplifies these qualities and explain why this person can be considered an epic hero. Make sure to include specific details and examples to support your claim.
2. Your Unique Name
Each of us has a name that makes us unique and helps to identify who we are. Using books, the Internet, or other resources, research the etymology of your name, its use in mythology or religion, and the naming traditions of your family or culture.
Then, write a well-developed essay in which you discuss the meaning of your name, the naming traditions of your culture, and what your name means to you.
3. Mythology in Advertising
Many large companies use figures from Greek mythology to advertise products that we commonly use. These characters are often chosen for their apparent strengths and acts of courage and sacrifice. Imagine that a major sports drink company has asked you to choose a mythological character to use as a symbol for a new sport drink. What character would you choose, and what are some of the characteristics that make this character a perfect choice?
In a detailed essay, describe how you would use a character from Greek mythology as a symbol for a sport drink. Use references from the myth to support your description.
4th Quarter – Personal Narrative & Poetry
*Grade Level: Middle School (Grades 6-8)
*Category: Personal Narrative
*Reading Focus: Personal Narrative
*Drama
1. A Lesson Learned
Each person has been in trouble at one time or another because he or she did something bad or said something wrong. Write a multi-paragraph narrative describing an instance when you did something you later regretted and the lesson you learned in the process.
2. An Encounter with "Character"
"Character" is a word often used to refer to a person's integrity, but it is also used to describe an object or place that exhibits a certain charm or appeal. Some people might even say that an old building has "character," meaning that its design elements seem to have personality.
Write a narrative in which you encounter an object, building, or particular place that has "character." Use vivid details so that your readers will experience the charm or appeal you have identified.
3. An Important Choice
Write a narrative essay about a time you had to make an important choice.
4. Bad Things Lead to Good
We have all encountered bad situations in our lives that later turned out to lead to good things. Think of a time when a bad situation actually resulted in a good outcome. What happened? What did you learn from this experience?
Write a narrative about a bad situation that you have encountered that later turned out positively and what you learned from the experience.