7th Grade Language Arts Syllabus
2012-2013
Ms. Hill
Office Hours: 12:30-1:15
Website: http://www.schoolrack.com/Ms_Hill/
Email Address: hillmcsk12@aol.com
Telephone: 416-0640 ex. 88451
For the students who are returning, Welcome back to Kate Bond Middle School! For the students who are new this
school year, Welcome! This syllabus will be a guide to help you understand the curriculum for seventh grade
Language Arts and to prepare you for another great year at Kate Bond Middle.
Course Objectives:
The objectives are to strengthen reading and writing skills. Students will practice and improve reading skills by
completing reading comprehension exercises, practicing and using a variety of reading strategies, and incorporating
Common Core State Standards that will help students be better prepared for high school, college, and a career.
Students will be encouraged to use critical thinking skills to analyze what has been read. The textbook we are using
this year will provide the students with many genres of literature and many opportunities to improve their critical
thinking and reasoning skills. We are also going to be learning, practicing, and implementing various reading
strategies that will prepare the 7th grade students for the next grade.
We will also spend a considerable amount of time on class discussions and working in Socratic/ Literature Circles.
Our focus is to have the students improve their reading skills so that they may pass the 8th grade TCAP
Assessment, as well as to become skilled readers.
Course
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Goals:
To improve and develop skills in both reading and writing through insightful analysis of literature.
To gain personal and educational growth through the reading of quality literature.
To improve skills in reading, grammar, usage, composition, vocabulary, spelling, listening and speaking.
To work collaboratively with other class members to enhance appreciation and comprehension of quality
literature.
 To analyze and improve individual writing and reading by keeping a literary portfolio of work.
 To prepare students for assessment of State and Common Core standards in the areas of both reading and
writing.
Resources
The textbooks that we will use include the following:
 Prentice Hall Common Core Literature book
 Holt’s Elements of Grammar, Bronze Edition
Prentice Hall Literature Common Core Edition textbook:
This textbook is a comprehensive resource that addresses all key points of the Common Core State Standards in
English Language Arts (ELA). The tables of contents boast a strong balance of classic and contemporary literature
and diverse informational texts that progressively develop and apply students' ELA skills.
Comprehension and critical analysis of complex information are crucial for the demands of college- and career-level
reading. Each reading selection helps students cite specific textual evidence and create written and verbal
arguments based on sound reasoning and substantive claims. Writer's workshops, media studies, and research units
holistically address the integrated nature of the Standards. Students practice reading, writing, and speaking and
7th Grade Language Arts Syllabus
2012-2013
listening by analyzing and producing an array of media. Language skills are addressed in every writing workshop,
within each selection, and after selections to emphasize the contextualized nature of vocabulary.
All selections are complemented by visuals that enhance comprehension and add background knowledge.
Nine-Week Plan/Units of Study: The seventh grade Language Arts curriculum has been developed to cover a
broad range of topics dealing with reading, writing, and critical thinking.
First Nine Weeks:
Unit 1 & 3: Fiction & Nonfiction
Literary Skills/Informational: Theme, central idea, purpose, and point of view
Reading Skills: Context Clues, author’s purpose, main idea, and fact/opinion
Writing Workshop: Descriptive essay, autobiographical narrative, how-to essay, and comparison/contrast essay
Vocabulary Workshop: Using a dictionary, thesaurus, and words with multiple meaning words
Communications Workshop: Delivering a narrative presentation and a persuasive presentation
Second Nine Weeks:
Unit 2: Short Stories
Literary Skills/Informational: Theme and point of view
Reading Skills: Predictions and inferences
Writing Workshop: Response to literature
Vocabulary Workshop: Word origins
Communications Workshop: Delivering an oral summary
Third Nine Weeks:
Unit 4 & 5: Poetry & Drama
Literary Skills/Informational: Figurative/ connotative language, poetic form/structure, conflict, character, and
elements of drama
Reading Skills: Conclusions, paraphrase, purpose for reading, and summarize
Writing Workshop: Problem-and-solution essay, persuasive essay, multimedia report, and expository essay
Vocabulary Workshop: Connotation, denotation, borrowed, and foreign words
Communications Workshop: Evaluating media messages/advertisements and conducting an interview
Fourth Nine Weeks:
Unit 9: Themes in the Oral Tradition
Literary Skills/Informational: Theme and structure
Reading Skills: cause/effect and compare/contrast
Writing Workshop: business letter and research report
Vocabulary Workshop: figurative language
Communications Workshop: research presentation
Novel Study – The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, The Diary of Anne Frank
by Anne Frank and The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Grades
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Participation 20%
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Classwork 20%
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Assessments/Projects 50%
7th Grade Language Arts Syllabus
2012-2013
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Homework 10 %
Grading Scale:
93-100 A
85-92 B
75-84 C
74-70 D
69 and below F
Guidelines and Procedures
STUDENTS’ RIGHTS
1. Every student has the right to a quality education.
2. Every student has the right to be informed of behavioral expectations.
3. Every student has the right to be informed of the academic requirements of his/her courses, to be advised of
his/her progress, and have the opportunity for assistance.
4. Students are permitted to express themselves as long as the expression does not disrupt the operation of the
school, is not vulgar, obscene, or profane.
STUDENTS’ RESPONSIBILITIES
Each student has the responsibility to:
1. Attend school daily, unless ill or legally excused, to receive an education.
2. Be on time for all classes.
3. Come to class with necessary materials.
4. Complete all in-class and homework assignments and meet deadlines.
5. Obey school rules and school personnel.
6. Cooperate with school staff.
7. Respect the person and property of others.
8. See that school correspondence to parents reaches home.
EXPECTATIONS
Students are expected to:
-Be pleasant, honest, and cooperative.
-Be in their seats working when the bell rings.
-Participate in class and ask questions to clarify problems with assigned work.
-Listen to and follow directions the first time they are given.
-Take pride in their work and do their best at all times.
Positive consequences include: Verbal Praise , Notes home , and Incentives
CONSEQUENCES FOR INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
1st time : Verbal reminder/re-direction/ Student conference
2nd time: Student is assigned lunch detention and must complete a writing assignment during lunch.
3rd time: Parent contact.
4th time: Parent/teacher conference will be held to design a behavior plan.
5th time: Student is referred to the office.
Consequences are given according to the severity of the behavior of the student. Consequences for each student
are logged and kept in a notebook.
7th Grade Language Arts Syllabus
2012-2013
COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS
Parents will be contacted throughout the year and are encouraged to call the school, e-mail me, or send me a note
should a concern arise. Each family will either receive and/or can request:
1.
Copy of team rules, consequences, rewards, and procedures
2. Interim progress reports
3. Nine week report cards
4. Telephone calls or correspondence concerning student behavior or work that is outstanding or in need of
improvement
5. KBMS website
6. Standardized testing results
7. Secondary class syllabus
8. Parents have access to class information and assignments via Parent Connect. Parents can also communicate
with the teacher via district e-mail.
Extra Help:
Students are invited to make an appointment to stay on a certain afternoon for extra help. We must receive a
parent or guardian’s permission before any student stays after school. Appropriate accommodations must also be
made for transportation to and from extra help.
Please feel free to contact me any time you have questions or concerns. I will respond as quickly as possible. I will
typically contact parents by e-mail. However, if it is a matter of greater concern, then I will contact parents by
phone or set up a conference at school.
August 14, 2012
7th Grade Language Arts Syllabus
2012-2013
Dear Parent,
Thank you for entrusting your student into Kate Bond Middle School’s care during this school year. I am delighted
to instruct your child, and I know that we are on the cusp of a great year.
Please look over the online syllabus. It contains goals and standards for 7th Grade Language Arts. Please repeat
these goals and standards to your child, and please encourage him/her to succeed in this class. After you have read
the syllabus, please sign the bottom of this sheet and give it to your child to return tomorrow. If you have any
questions please write them on the comment portion of this sheet or email me at hillL@mcs12.net.
Again, thank you for this wonderful opportunity.
Sincerely,
Ms. L. Hill
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I, (student’s name) _______________________, have read the syllabus for 7 th Grade Language Arts and agree
to strive to meet the expectations for this class. I also attest that I will follow the following honor code.
Honor Code: In order to maintain honor in my relationships, I agree to do what is right, to speak the truth, and to
strive for integrity in all that I do. Therefore, I will not be involved in lying, cheating, or stealing. If I do vary from
this path of honor, I will accept the correction from others and the established consequences of this school. Honor
is a goal that I seek to attain.
Student’s signature _______________________
I, (parent’s name) _________________________, have observed that my child has read and understood the
expectations for 7th Grade Language Arts.
Parent’s signature ___________________________
Comment: