th
7
Grade Pre AP
Language Arts
Mrs. Ricks
Qualifications:
 Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from UH
 Master’s Degree in Curriculum and
Instruction from UH (specialized in
Language Arts)
 Certified to teach L.A. 1st-8th grades
 Taught for four years at Bear Branch
Elementary
 This is my sixth year at Creekwood
Grading
 Daily grades, class work, and homework
count for 40% of a student’s grade.
 Tests and projects make up the
remaining 60% of the student’s grade.
 There will be at least three test grades
per six weeks.
Pre AP Novels
 We will be reading two novels in class
this year: Pre AP will read Devil Storm, A
Christmas Carol and Touching Spirit Bear
 Students will also be expected to read
outside of class during the three six week
periods we are not studying a novel in
class.
Pre Ap Independent
Reading
 Books must be at a 5.0 reading level or above.
 Students will receive a study guide to fill out while
reading the novel.
 On the following due dates, students will bring
their study guides and novels to class to use on a
test
 September 29th
 November 3rd
 April 13th
Other Reading
 Students will also read several short
stories, plays, and poetry throughout the
year
Writing






Multi-paragraph essays
Imaginative Fiction
A script of an original play
A persuasive letter
Research in a multi-media format
Literary analysis
Vocabulary
 Will be taken from assigned reading
material
 Could be literary terms learned in class:
flashback, metaphor, etc.
Spelling
 Will focus on commonly misspelled words
 One point per word will be deducted (up to 10
points per assignment) for misspelled words on
formative and summative assessments
 Some common 7th grade mistakes: there,
they’re, their, your, you’re, our, are, we’re,
where, were
Grammar
 We focus mainly on the 7 steps to
grammar, a strategy for identifying the
parts of speech and diagramming
sentences.
 We will also practice correct punctuation
and capitalization throughout the year
ZAP
 Students may make up work on Thursday
mornings or during D-hall before or after
school.
 All work must be made up before
progress reports are due, or the zeros
stand – three weeks to make up work