ELA 7th Pre-AP

2019- 2020

7th Grade English Language Arts


Ms. Lauren Cutler Ms. Dominique Bayona Mrs. Beth Washburn

lcutler@eanesisd.net dbayona@eanesisd.net bwashburn@eanesisd.net

Course Overview

Seventh grade ELA incorporates elements of language and writing skills, reading comprehension, and college readiness standards. The course is designed to help students master state mandated objectives and to prepare students for success in high school and beyond.

By course completion, students will be able to:

  • Comprehend a wide variety of genres
  • Identify central ideas and themes in literature
  • Analyze literary elements used by authors and how they shape and convey messages
  • Write formally and informally for a variety of audiences
  • Write expository, analytical, and argumentative essays
  • Understand their own writing process and importance of revision
  • Synthesize ideas and information from various sources
  • Use writing and reading for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating

Pre-AP

Students enrolled in Pre-AP classes will examine a variety of literature with a more analytical and critical eye, and are expected to be highly motivated and independent in order to complete more rigorous reading requirements. While some of the literature and activities in all levels of 7th grade Language Arts may be the same, the focus, depth, and complexity involved in Pre-AP studies will be different.

Required Reading

  • Year round: StudySync
  • Late Fall Semester: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Bantom Classic)


Independent Reading

Pre-AP

  • Students will be required to read 3 independent reading books each quarter. Two will be self-selected and the third will come from a genre of study.

Grade Level

  • Students will be required to read 2 independent reading books each quarter. One will be self-selected and the second will come from a genre of study.

Independent Reading books should be in class with each student every day. The books from the quarterly genre of study will supplement overall understandings, connections, discussions, and assignments that will take place in class during that particular quarter. Each book read will have an assignment to be completed. Information on assignments will be distributed at the beginning of each quarter.

Grading

  • Major Grades – 60%
    • Semester exams, quarterly essays, major projects
  • Skills Development Work – 40%
    • Classwork, homework, quizzes, Vocabulary tests
  • Practice – 0%
    • Classwork, warm-ups, writer’s notebook entries

iPad

iPads will be used frequently and should be brought to class every day fully charged. Bringing a charger and earbuds is recommended.


Late Work

  • Failure to turn work in on the assigned due date will result in consequences which may include phone calls/email home, reduced grade on the assignment, and/or Saturday School.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to check Google calendar/Google classroom to obtain and complete missing assignments when absent.

Skills Development Re-Do Policy

  • Assignment re-do is allowed once per quarter on an assignment.
  • Students are encouraged to attend tutorials before resubmitting.
  • After a skills development grade is posted in Skyward, students have five school days to re-submit their work.
  • Students can earn up to an 85% upon resubmission.

Reassessment is intended for the occasional difficulty with content mastery.

Any student will have the opportunity to improve for up to 85%. (if re-do receives a lower score than the original assessment, the higher grade will be put in Skyward)

  • A student must notify the teacher of the plan to reassess within one day after receiving a graded assessment.
  • Students are encouraged to schedule a tutorial time with their teacher.
  • Students should complete any necessary remediation work.
  • Students must then complete the reassessment process within five school days.
  • If the reassessment score is lower than the original, the higher of the two grades will be recorded.

When students re-do major grade assignments regularly, parents will be contacted and a study plan will be developed if needed.

Students in Pre-AP classes will only be afforded one re-do option per nine weeks.

Major Grade Re-Do Policy

**** Due to the amount of time provided in class and availability of time for one-on-one teacher conferences, independent reading, writing process and writing final product grades are not eligible for re-do.

When an assignment has not been turned in, it will be reflected in Skyward as a zero.


Academic Integrity

All Seventh Grade English Language Arts instructors adhere to the student handbook policies on cheating and academic dishonesty.

Plagiarism is the representation of the work or ideas of others as your own. Charges of plagiarism can result from failing to cite a source, giving insufficient credit to the original authors, closely paraphrasing without attribution, and direct copying. The instructor will work closely with students to ensure that plagiarism is not taking place, and have asked faculty to remind students that they have a “. . . responsibility to promote academic honesty by opposing cheating and plagiarism and reporting dishonest work.” All forms of plagiarism after proper instruction will result in severe academic penalties.


Course Planner

  • 1st Quarter:
  • Reading Focus: Poetry & Fiction
  • Writing Focus: Poetry
  • 2nd Quarter:
  • Reading Focus: Mythology, The Hero’s Journey & A Christmas Carol
  • Writing Focus: Literary Analysis
  • 3rd Quarter:
  • Reading Focus: Non-Fiction and Informational Texts
  • Writing Focus: Expository
  • 4th Quarter:
  • Reading Focus: Literature Circles (various genres)
  • Writing Focus: Argumentative

Assignments and Organization

It is recommended that students keep an assignment calendar and/ or subscribe to the teacher’s Google calendar online. Assignments will be posted on Google Classroom.

Computers and printers are available in the library for completing projects and printing assignments when necessary. Students are encouraged to plan appropriately in order to meet deadlines. Any technological problems related to printing or producing an assignment that result in late work will be handled on a case by case basis. Because our campus has a wide variety of technology available, keep in mind that if you are having problems with completing any assignment, immediate communication with your teacher is the best course of action.