Never ask mrs. zehnacker if your work is "okay" or "good."
Ask for help the right way! Being specific can help us (both teacher and student) communicate better and solve issues quickly.
What to expect from class
7thgrade is a thematic survey of literature and writing types. Students will be evaluated in four English Language Arts areas: Reading, Writing, Grammar, and Public Speaking.
One of the most significant themes this year will be the power of persuasion and argument. We will analyze and discover what makes a strong argument, evaluate two sides of a story, and of course... build our own reasoning through solid evidence!
My classroom motto: All writers are lawyers!
My classroom belief: It's not about being the best; it's about being better than we were yesterday.
What are we reading?
Novels: Long Walk to Water and The Outsiders
Plays: Scenes from Wicked
Short stories: "Both Sides of the Fence" by Teresa Bateman, "Man in the Well" by Ira Sher, "Tale of Three Brothers" by JK Rowling, "Tell Tale Heart" by Poe
Poetry: "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes, "If" by Kipling, "Touchscreen" by Jones, "O Captain! My Captain!" by Whitman, "Elegy for JFK," "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou
And many additional nonfiction articles
**All reading subject to change based on needs of class*
What projects will we be doing?
Mock Trials (3 per year)
Spongebob: The Tale of Who Killed Mr. Krabbs? Guilty vs. Innocent
Tell Tale Heart: We know he did it, but why? Insanity Plea
Outsiders: A full-scale mock-trial where all participants will complete a job application/resume/and interview unit with Mrs. Zehnacker for court appointed jobs. This will (potentially) be live in front of peers/parents in gymnasium.
Shark Tank (10 week project)
Modeled after the TV show, students will be placed in teams of 3 to 4 students and become a company. They will create a product (based on this year's theme) and prototype, design marketing strategies and advertisements, learn persuasive techniques, evaluate propaganda, attend to company finances, learn about company roles and entrepreneurship, write a ten-minute pitch/script, and present in front of community-member sharks in hopes of getting a "deal". The past three years, we've been lucky to have Ulster Savings Bank, Q92.1 and K104.7 guest sharks!