Course Introduction

Grade 7 Language and Literature course is designed to strengthen students' reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills through the study of diverse texts. Students will explore a wide range of literature, including short stories, poetry, nonfiction, and drama from a variety of cultures and time periods. We will focus on reading comprehension, literary analysis, vocabulary development, and effective writing. Students will practice making connections between texts and real-world issues while developing their own voice as readers and writers. 

CLASS STRUCTURE

• Header in notebook 

• Copy down the AIM and answer the Do Now 

• Mini Lesson

• Partner Reading/Group Work 

• Exit Ticket/ Class Reflection 

HEADER EXPECTATION

Name:___________________________________                                                                       Date:________________________

Language and Literature                                                                               7th Grade Section:____________

IB Learner Profile:__________________________                                                                     ATL:________________________

UNIT DESCRIPTIONS

Unit One: Community & Belonging

Students will explore how a community's shared values create both belonging and rejection through diverse texts-- short stories, informational texts, and poems. Students will examine how identity, culture, and connection shape people's sense of belonging. They will analyze how authors use theme, character development, and text-evidence to communicate ideas about inclusion, exclusion, and community. 

Unit Two: Adolescence 

Students will explore shared experiences of how challenges of adolescence contribute to their growth through fiction and nonfiction texts about adolescence. Through close reading and discussion, students examine how authors use literary devices such as figurative language and repetition to express the challenges and emotions of this stage of life. Throughout the unit, students will learn to identify contrasting points of view, strengthen their writing with clear context and reasoning, and participate in giving and receiving focused peer feedback to refine their work. 

Unit Three (Class Novel): Brown Girl Dreaming 

Students will explore how personal identity and historical context shape an individual’s dreams and sense of purpose. Through reading Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, students analyze how story elements, figurative language, and structure contribute to a text’s meaning and theme. Throughout the unit, students will practice incorporating visual and textual evidence effectively, providing clear context and descriptive detail, and using transitions to create cohesion and flow in their writing.

Unit Four: Social Media- Risks and Rewards 

Students will explore how social media influences the way people think, communicate, and make decisions. Through reading, discussion, and research, students analyze multiple points of view and examine how events and ideas interact in informational texts about online behavior. Students will learn to select credible sources, annotate texts for a specific purpose, and craft messages that are both informative and persuasive. 

Unit Five: Influential Voices 

Students will explore the art of rhetoric—the deliberate choices speakers make to inform, inspire, and persuade. Through analyzing speeches, articles, and videos, students examine how structure, word choice, and tone work together to convey a central idea and strengthen a speaker’s purpose. They will also learn to recognize how speakers distinguish their viewpoints from others and build multiple claims to support their arguments.

Unit Six: School Electives- Which One Matters Most?

students learn how to craft and deliver convincing arguments about real-world issues that impact their education. Through reading model texts, analyzing multimedia examples, and engaging in debates, students explore how evidence, reasoning, and rhetorical appeals strengthen a claim. They also learn how visual and verbal messaging work together to make an argument more powerful and memorable.

CLASS EXPECTATIONS

• Read for 30 minute every night-- weekly reading log is due Monday 

• Two i-Ready Lessons due on Friday 

• Be sure to check Google Classroom and Powerschool daily for updates 

• Fill out your notebook everyday--header, AIM, Do Now, and class notes 

MATERIALS NEEDED

• Pen/Pencil and Highlighter 

• Two Notebooks (one for class notes and one for class journal)

• Red Folder 

• Independent Reading Book(your book is brought back and forth-- from home and school)