JohnsonMiddle School

Seventh Grade English Language Arts 2013-2014

Mrs. Nicole Kakas

Curriculum

Texts:

  • Vocabulary: Vocabulary will be done within the context of each literature unit
  • Grammar and Usage: Daily Grammar Review
  • Anthology: Glencoe Literature: Reading With Purpose, Course 2

Literature Units:

  • Poetry: Edgar Allen Poe, Rudyard Kipling, Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay
  • Classic Literature/Plays: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

  • Historical Fiction: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cryby Mildred D. Taylor
  • Science Fiction: The Giver by Lois Lowry
  • Greek Mythology: The Greek Gods by Evslin, Evslin, & Hoopes

The Iliad and The Odyssey (play versions)

Informational Text:

  • Within each literature unit, we will be incorporating engaging and relevant informational text articles to accompany the themes of each novel in order to align with the new common core standards.

Writing: at least two formal writing assignments per term

  • Writing portfolios will be kept to monitor student progress and growth. Students will keep graded assignments for each term and a record that reflects upon strengths and challenges with each assignment.
  • Writing may include:
  • Expository writing/Literature response – 5 paragraph essay
  • Non-Literary writing – personal, persuasive, creative
  • Research paper/oral presentation
  • Open response writing/common assessment

MCAS Preparation:

  • We prepare for MCAS throughout the year by practicing our open response writing using our S.E.A. method.
  • Other helpful strategies will include highlighting, tagging the questions, split page notes, and breakdown of MCAS language used in questions.
  • We will examine MCAS questions and passages together and independently.
  • We will discuss the long composition portion of the 7th grade test and review practice prompts and strategies for writing the multi-paragraph essay portion.

Grammar:

  • Review of parts of speech, appositives, phrases/clauses, subject and verb, types of sentences, verb tenses, and proper English usage.

Vocabulary:

  • We are approaching vocabulary a bit differently this year. Many of you may be aware of the the new Common Core Standards, in which the Common Core calls for vocabulary learned from the novels read in class. Instead of utilizing the Sadlier Oxford Vocabulary Workshop, as done in previous years, the students will be working with a predetermined list of vocabulary taken from the novels read in class.

Field Trips:

  • Theatrical production of A Christmas Carol (November/December)

Extra Help:

  • I am available most days after school or during the extensions block on day 5.

Class materials:

  • ELA section in your binder with a pocket folder and loose leaf paper
  • 5 Sheet protectors
  • One marble composition notebook
  • Highlighters (yellow, pink, blue)
  • Pens/pencils

Grading breakdown:

  • Writing – 30%
  • Common Assessment – 10%
  • Tests/Projects – 30%
  • Quizzes – 20%
  • Homework/Classwork – 10%

Grading:

  • Writing assignments, homework, class work, and projects will be recorded as 10% off for each day that the assignment is late. All assignments must be made up for at least partial credit if late. NOT COMPLETING AN ASSIGNMENT IS NOT AN OPTION. ALL WORK MUST BE COMPLETED.
  • Students will be given one night to make-up missing work to be brought in the next day for reduced credit (10% off).
  • Students should expect to make arrangements with me to complete an assignment if assignments are not brought in on time. Ex. extensions, afterschool, etc. (Students will continue losing 10% each day).
  • Further consequences and arrangements will be made if students fail to make a plan with me about completing work. Ex. work completion, office detention.

Re-take Policy:

  • Re-takes will be offered on assessments that do not meet proficiency level. Common assessments are exempt from re-takes.
  • Students will be required to fulfill certain criteria before taking a re-take (attend school-based support and complete pertinent assignments).
  • Students may elect to take a re-take if grade does not meet proficiency level or they may be teacher directed. This must occur within three school days of graded assignment.
  • A student need only retake those portions where proficiency was not demonstrated.
  • Re-take grades will replace original grade.

X2:

  • Students should be checking X2 on a regular basis throughout the year. I update X2 frequently, so it is a great way to check in on your progress and check for missing work.
  • Special Codes: These codes will appear on X2 -

AB- student was absent when this assignment was collected. The grade is a 0 until the student makes it up.

M- Student is missing this assignment, because it was not handed in on the due date. The grade is a 0 until the student makes it up.

X- Student is exempt from this assignment. (Student exemptions are usually granted only for medical reasons.)

NG – Not graded yet. Grades have not yet been entered for the assignment.

Website:

  • Please visit my webpage on the JMS homepageunder “staff directory” and class pages in X2 for important information and documents. These pages will be updated frequently. We will eventually be switching over to the class pages in X2 as the main source of information.