2nd Quarter

We began quarter 2 by wrapping up our Greek Mythology unit, which concluded when students created a presentation about their original character and revised a scene from The Lightning Thief to feature their new demigod. 

Though we are still covering concepts we introduced through our fiction text, such as figurative language and point of view, we spent much of this quarter viewing them through the lens of nonfiction. William Kamkwamba’s The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind showed students how we can see a narrator’s role in telling a story based on true events. We put special emphasis on central idea, authorial intent, and text structure as we read the book. We enter Q3 finishing a research project. Students were asked to select from a list of notable innovators across the globe who also created some recent scientific or technical innovation much like Kamkwamba’s “electric wind.” In a method very similar to the design cycle students recently learned about and practiced in Individuals and Societies class, students will identify the important information about their innovator, then delineate the design process used to identify and solve a critical problem through the structure of a problem-solution essay. In the coming weeks, we will be focusing on elements of informational writing, with a focus on identifying reliable sources and examining them for credibility and bias as we incorporate them into our research. 

In the upcoming quarter, we also look forward to continuing our research units by adding an argumentative element as we read the historical fiction text, Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac. We will study nonfiction accounts of the lasting harm the establishment of American Indian boarding schools has caused while following the fictional adventures of Cal Black as he navigates his identity as a Creek Indian during the American Great Depression. Students will learn to compose strong arguments with clear theses and ample supporting details as they choose their own stance regarding a big decision the book’s main character faces. 

Hello, everyone! In 7th grade Language and Literature classes this quarter, students have completed the second module of the EL Curriculum: “Epidemics: Going Viral.” Students implemented the various reading strategies we practiced last semester to read narrative nonfiction about historical and contemporary epidemics, both medical and social.

To introduce students to our module, we began by reading Patient Zero by Marilee Peters. To ensure student comprehension of historical and medical content in the text, students participated in a variety of activities to promote their understanding of the text, ranging from mapping each section’s text structure to vocabulary squares to small group discussions to short skits about the content of each section performed for the class, all coming together to support our Statement of Inquiry: writers communicate through unique writing styles and various text structures to explore how historical context influences writers’ craft through orientation in space and time.

Once students had historical context for the rapid spread of medical epidemics and the vocabulary to discuss those epidemics, we modeled that rapid spread in a zombie outbreak game!  This cross-curricular experience modeled just how quickly an epidemic can spread when unchecked. All the ELA classes across the 7th grade team came together for a day to try to fight back against a zombie outbreak amongst the 7th grade. Students were chosen as zombies, doctors, or uninfected humans, with zombies trying to infect humans, humans trying to avoid infection, and doctors trying to heal everyone! After the activity, students reflected on how the outbreak was similar to or different from historical epidemics we’d discussed in class, applying their vocabulary to the simulation to provide real-world context for the terminology.

After reading about a variety of medical epidemics in history, we applied the same vocabulary to social epidemics throughout history and to today. After mini lessons on several social epidemics that impact our community, students chose an epidemic that interested them and researched that specific epidemic. All of their research came together in a 4-paragraph essay that students used to explain why their chosen epidemic is a problem and to list and analyze potential solutions for that problem. Students had to think critically about realistic solutions for societal epidemics like racism, sexism, and bullying. 

Students later created an infographic poster to display how we as a community can combat a medical or social epidemic of their choice. In their infographics, students included the most important facts about the epidemic, displayed current data in the form of a graph, and provided additional resources for viewers. The purpose of this poster project was to make a difference in our own school communities and reduce the spread of medical and social epidemics that plague our student body. 

Finally, students participated in literature circles, in which they chose a fiction novel about a medical or social epidemic to read. This novel study unit was differentiated based on student Lexile level and interest. As we read, students analyzed how story elements such as character, setting, plot, and theme work together within their novels, and especially how those elements of story are impacted by the epidemic as the narrative unfolds. Students then completed a three-part “Book Talk”. The first part required students to write a written reflection about the book including text-to-self connections and theme analysis. The second part required students to speak publicly about the story and share their personal takeaways from the book with their peers. Lastly, students completed a verbal Q & A about the book to demonstrate their reading comprehension and to show their critical thinking about the elements of the story.

This quarter, we have capitalized on students’ ever-growing access to and understanding of new technologies, encouraging students to use their social platforms to support and uplift members of their community. We continue to deliver rigorous content that challenges our students’ roles as learners and invites them to be community leaders, and we look forward to watching our students develop into next semester! 

- Mrs. Moran, Ms. Smith, and Mx. Tapia