7th-grade Humanities is a 2-hour block that includes both Language Arts and Social Studies. Throughout this block students are with the same teacher, and same group of students. Approximately 1 hour each day is allotted to each subject. However, both subjects are reading and writing focused and thus will be blended when appropriate.
In Language Arts, we will read a variety of short stories, poems, novels, and nonfiction pieces, including The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. In 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. If time permits, we will also study the Holocaust and read sections of Anne Frank’s diary.
Students receive a single grade in Social Studies, weighted as follows:
Students receive five (5) separate grades in English in the following categories:
English categories are weighted as follows:
Formative assessments are assessments FOR learning. These are daily assignments and quizzes that help inform the teacher if the students are developing mastery of a concept. Since students ARE NOT expected to show mastery at the time of a formative assessment, it carries less weight on their grade.
Summative assessments are assessments OF learning. These are assessments given at the conclusion of a unit of study that includes a set of skills and standards. Since students ARE expected to demonstrate mastery at the time of a summative assessment, it carries most of the weight of their grade.
If a student misses class, he or she will be given an appropriate amount of time to complete and submit the work that was missed, which we will determine together at the time that the student returns to class. Students should check the "While You Were Out" bulletin board when they return to class to see what they missed, then meet with me as soon as possible. It is the student's responsibility to meet with me and determine what work was missed. If a student chooses not to meet with me after an absence and does not know what was missed, they forfeit the opportunity to turn that work in.
Work turned in late due to poor time management will be graded and given a late penalty at my discretion. Late work will not be accepted more than two weeks after the initial due date.
Students are expected to do their own work, in their own words, at all times. Assignments that are copied off the internet, copied from other students, or written by anyone other than the student will receive an automatic zero and will result in an referral to the office.
All students will be held accountable for completing and submitting work that goes into the "Summative" category in both English and Social Studies. These are large assignments that are worth 80% of the class grade and it is my expectation that every student will 1) attempt these assignments and that 2) every student can and will reach proficiency in these assignments with my assistance. If a student completes and submits a summative assessment and receives less than a 75%, he or she will work with me within two weeks to revise that assignment until the score is a 75% or higher. Students should complete this handout and get a parent signature prior to revising an assignment with me. Revisions completed without meeting with me will not be accepted.
I am available for "office hours" to work with students on assignments, answer questions, or clarify expectations from 7:45-8:15am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and after school by appointment only. Please email me no later than 8pm the night before you would like to come in to work in the morning.