English Grade 7 & 7Honors hausrita@shenet.org

Course Description 881-0460 ext. 51031

Materials: *Required Daily *please read the letter sent home and signed 9/11*

marbled composition notebook {journal}

3 subject notebook for vocabulary & grammar & writing notes

1 pocket folder or binder (for handouts)

Independent reading book

Effort and consistency in high quality work

Questions

Independent practice in reading and writing

(VERY IMPORTANT) Students can not become better readers and writers without practice in these two skills.

We do have 2 textbooks : McDougal/Littell Literature Grade 7 and Glencoe Literature Level Red/ Grade 7, but they are used infrequently.

Students will periodically bring one of these texts back and forth from school to home. They will be notified when this occurs. The book will primarily stay in the classroom as it is needed for instruction time.

Curriculum:

These literature based classes will feature two central topics for study throughout the year:

Identifying and tackling obstacles during the first half year {fictional and non-fictional}
Problem solving , deductive reasoning and writing style in the mystery genre during the second half of the year

Both topics for study will be examined through various genre such as poetry, nonfiction, short story, biography, autobiography, and realistic fiction. Within this framework, we will study reading and writing skills in accordance with the four New York State Learning Standards.

Grammar :

Sentence structure, study of the 8 parts of speech, and mechanics (capitalization, spelling, punctuation) units will be taught side by side during literature study. Please see "Links" page for grammar support.

Vocabulary :

Vocabulary will be taught utilizing three strategies: (a) "word of the day" style study focusing on word webs including synonyms, antonyms, definition, and symbol of each vocabulary term, (b) prefix/root word/suffix and (c) "in context" study -- students will be encouraged to use the surrounding sentence and paragraph information to discover an unknown word’s meaning.

Reading:

Our goal is to read and study approximately six to seven books during the course of the year. (These DO NOT include independent reading choices.) Facing and dealing with obstacles will be the central focus of the first half of the year, while author styles of the mystery genre and the history of mystery will be the focus of the year's second half. Students will be introduced to and reminded of reading strategies to aid comprehension.

Reading is very closely linked with writing in this course. The two are taught hand in hand. The literature we study not only offers support for plot and theme study, but provides key samples of effective writing practice (mechanics) and style.

This year our choices include, but are not limited to:

several short stories, poetry, essays, memoirs, and novels--Touching Spirit Bear, Acorn People, Wolf Rider, Witch of Blackbird Pond, and Tangerine among others .............................................................

{I don't want to give them all away on behalf of the kids} :)

We will also study plot line and themes in the film "Whale Rider" as an adaptation of its literary original form.

Writing:

During the year students will complete the following writing pieces:

Descriptive essay
Memoir
Compare/contrast essay
Short story
Research paper
Poetry- haiku, cinquain, diamante, metaphor poem
Editorial
Journaling
Independent reading reports or "Book Connections" (1-2 per quarter)

Grading:

All grades are based on 100 percentage points

Students are graded on :

Homework effort/class participation - This matters in English class. There will be approximately 10 checked HW assignments per quarter worth ten points each. Periodically, homework assignments will be graded as quizzes. Timeliness, high quality of content and improvement shown in written responses will earn ten full points. Homework is assigned two to four times a week. Weekend homework, when assigned periodically, will include reading as well as the editing and revising of written work.
Most homework will be read and reviewed and assigned a

check + (100)

check (85)

check - (60)

or an

incomplete (50)

pop quizzes to check reading progress and comprehension

Unit Tests on grammar and literature
Final writing pieces (these will count twice)
Journal writing, final written pieces, and Book Connections are graded on a rubric scale (see sample chart below)
{please note- students' journal entries are graded with more leniency in regard to grammar and mechanics}

4 (95)

3+ (90)

3 (85)

2+ (80)

2 (75)

2- (70)

1+ (65)

1 (60)

50( Incomplete Effort)

	Unsatisfactory 1	Limited 2	Satisfactory 3	Exemplary 4
Creativity Presentation Organization and Structure	Under-developed presentation. Illegible, lacking clear organization Little or no attempt at creativity	Some form of structure and elements of task presented in random, unclear format	Neatly presented, containing all elements of task in a clear format	Artistically and thoughtfully designed. Original ideas neatly presented
Addresses requirements of assessment task	Writing lacking 4 or more elements of the task. Shows little or no elements of original assignment	Writing lacking 2-3 Key elements of task	writing contains all key elements of task with a few minor missing details	Clearly fulfills all requirements of the task
Logical Development and Detail	Little or no attention to detail of literature. Haphazardly presented facts and/or ideas	Few significant details included from literature. Attempts at logical development present, but little or no expanded ideas	Several significant details presented within logical format	An impeccable, well-constructed written piece including insightful,significant details presented in logical, clear form
Writing style sentence variety and structure	Incomplete ideas presented in fragments or frequent run-ons	Beginning attempt at varied sentence structure writing style shows early level of flow	Writing style flows with effective transitions. Some varied sentence structure present	Correct usage presented in varied & effective sentence structure
Mechanics: capitalization spelling And punctuation	performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of performance. Numerous errors which cloud and negatively impact the content.	performance characteristics reflecting some development several errors	performance characteristics reflecting a learning level of performance. Few errors	performance characteristics reflecting a mastery level of performance. Very few (if any) errors. well proofread piece

Book Connections
Quizzes

Keeping track of your child’s progress:

Check to see that your child’s journals are complete-refer to the "weekly assignments" & "If you were absent" pages from the homepage on this website to keep up with in class and assigned journal entries

(teacher notes regarding graded material and incompletes are recorded in the journal)

Keeping track of your child’s progress:

Check to see that your child’s journals are complete

(teacher notes regarding graded material and incompletes are recorded in the journal)

Check your child’s English folder and/or binder--quizzes and tests are stored here
Keep track of upcoming writing /reading assignments and classwork in the student agenda and on the class webpage
Class Webpage---Go to Gowana , Team 7-1 , Mrs. Hausman
Parent portal (Please allow a realistic turnover time for grading and critically evaluating extensive written assignments including journals and rough drafts)
The strongest and most clear form of communication is through direct connections with me. I will do my best to connect with you regarding your child’s progress through interim comments and journal comments as well as phone calls if needed. For a more intensive communication when needed, the counselor may set up a weekly agenda signing for further support and/or a conference.

Keep track of upcoming writing /reading assignments and class work in agenda and on

website

Go to Gowana Team 7-1 Mrs. Hausman

English 7 Honors: The Honors level classes are taught at a higher level, a quicker pace, and a more in-depth study. Abstract ideas are presented and discussed earlier, and a deeper level of understanding in reading comprehension is expected. Strategies for effective writing styles and voice will be studied, as well as proper form, grammar, and punctuation. As stated in the the ELA Honors Profile letter, " the honors program is designed for students who not only have a strong academic aptitude, but for students who are driven to learn and read."

Extra help:

I am available every other day during period 4 and every day during periods 6 & 7 for student help. During these tough transition years of middle school, I encourage students to come to me for help. Please encourage them to seek me out with their own questions or concerns on the material. Middle school is a time to develop self-advocacy. Students need to be invested in their own learning with our support. Communication only between parents and teachers without the student as a key spokesperson will prove to be futile.

Middle school tries to foster an independence and responsibility in the student for his or her own education. As parents and teachers we can guide, support, and set examples, but truly, it is the student who also takes ownership of his or her learning, who also believes in his or her success.

Please feel free to contact me at school ( 881-0460 ext. 51031) during the course of the year regarding your child’s progress. If there are any changes at home which you feel may affect your child’s progress PLEASE call or drop me a note. I will return your call whether it be from school or from my home during after-school hours. Please let me know if there is an inopportune time to call. I am looking forward to an interesting, productive year with your children.

Rita Hausman

Gowana Team 7-1