Humanities grade 7
Humanities is a 2 hour block with the same group of students each day. Approximately 1 hour for English Language Arts, and 1 hour for Social Studies (which is medieval world history this year). The class may be broken up throughout the day, but the same teacher serves the same students for those two content areas. Some days we might spend more time in ELA or SS than others, depending on the activities planned.
Scoring:
80% and up is a 3
30%-79% is a 2
Below 30% is a 1
In English Language Arts, students will read a variety of text types each day from narrative, poetry, articles, short stories, and whole class novel studies like The Giver by Lois Lowry, and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. An ELA notebook will be provided as an interactive notebook we build together throughout the year. A red folder and binder will be provided to help keep some of the handouts and text types. A writing notebook will be provided where students will practice various styles of writing. This notebook is for true practice, where students can be free to try out new skills and strategies. These skills will transfer over to longer, more summative assignments. To become a better writer, you must write. It is the same with reading.
Reading: All 7th grade students are expected to read for 20 minutes every night. The research is just too strong in this area not to set aside time for it. If your student is already an avid reader, aim for variety. It is ok to read something too easy for you, as long as that's not the only thing you ever read. However, the only way students get better at reading is by reading. If you have a reluctant reader, help them find stories they love, regardless of the reading level. If they say they don't like reading, my answer is always that they just haven't found the right book yet. Don't give up! I'll be helping students choose books from my growing library, but also see family members as important supporters of students' reading choices. Reach out if you'd like additional support!
Social Studies: We will study from TCI's History Alive! The Medieval World and Beyond curriculum, which covers the legacy of the Roman Empire through the Enlightenment. A spiral notebook will be provided for students to keep notes on the reading. Students will also learn through experiential exercises, debates, team activities, and art projects to help them process their learning.