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Welcome to Seventh Grade English!
=**CLICK HERE FOR THE NIGHTLY HOMEWORK** =

Curriculum Overview 2012-2013
Mrs. Levin General Overview of the Extended Resource Seventh Grade English Curriculum

Welcome to seventh grade English were the theme will be explored by reading, writing, discussing, sharing, analyzing novels, short stories, plays, films, book clubs, poetry, and nonfiction. My goal for our class is to foster the reading-writing connection and develop critical thinkers and life-long readers, students will read for pleasure, understanding, personal growth, and as inspiration and models for their own writing.

The core curriculum used in this classroom will be a follows:

McDougal Littell Publishing __Bridges To Literature__ Bridges is a leveled reading series, a course in reading comprehension and vocabulary building block. Bridges achieves the following goals: -student appropriate selections accompanied by the development of vocabulary and comprehension -a rich array of literature, nonfiction and fiction genres that provide the way to introduce students to conceptual literacy -a means of exposing students to the authors, stories, and themes that lead to cultural literacy

__Wilson Reading System__ by Barbara Wilson The Wilson Reading System directly and systematically teaches students how to fluently and accurately decode. It is unlike traditional phonics program in that instruction is very interactive and multisensory. It also throughly teaches, "total word construction" not just phonics. Students learn to encode or spell as they learn to decode.

__University of Kansas Writing Paragraph Strategy Program__ This program consists of three instructional strands for writing: the Acquisition Strand, the Storage Strand, and the Expression and Demonstration of Competence Strand. Each writing strand consists of several task-goals learning strategies that have been designed to improve a student's ability to effectively express themselves in writing. Ultimately this program enables students to write simple, compound and complex sentences while producing a well-organized paragraphs.

//A General Overview of Class Grading and Guideline policies is below. I look forward to making the essential gains in reading comprehension and written expression while engaging the student to become an active reader.//

WRITING will teach students to clearly communicate ideas as well as appreciate the writing process. There is no occasion when a first draft is the final draft. The hope is for students to learn and to appreciate the art and power of revision. To this end all drafts must be turned in with the final draft stapled on top. Papers should be typed, 12 point font, double-spaced. Handwritten papers in blue or black ink with double-spacing are acceptable if there is a computer problem. Evidence of brainstorming, revising, and editing must be apparent, as class time will be devoted to these activities.

GRAMMAR/USAGE/MECHANICS will be studied in context and reinforced in readings and writings to encourage clarity of expression. Students will review parts of speech and parts of a sentence. Study and implement the different types of sentences. Usage of concepts will be applied to writings.

VOCABULARY will be studied in context using the current novel or short story being studied. Further study of words, connections, prefixes, roots, and suffixes will continue to expand the students’ communication and comprehension skills.

INDEPENDENT READING is a component of our studies. Sustained silent reading will take place each week in class. Students must read books of their own choice as part of their quarter grade and to ensure their quarter grade.

GRADES/GRADING will be and posted in edline. Each type of assignment will be worth a certain number of points. The quarter grade will be determined by adding up the points you have earned and dividing by that number by the total number of points possible to arrive at a percentage. EXAMPLE point ranges for different categories of assignments: Homework/Classwork 10-30 pts. Quizzes 10-30 pts. Tests 60-80 pts. Projects 30-100 pts. Independent Reading 25-50 pts. Written Essays 50 - 100 pts.

HOMEWORK AND EXTRAS Check the English Weekly Agenda website often for specific information regarding materials, readings, assignments, dues dates and upcoming tests and quizzes. For extra help, students can make an appointment to see me before or after school. Students are also encourage to email me dlevin@nssd112.org