Welcome to the 7th Grade Language Arts website. Seventh grade Language Arts is a two hour block that concentrates on developing skills introduced in the sixth grade; reading and analysis of literature, grammar, spelling, vocabulary building, public speaking and process writing. Reading and writing workshops are conducted in which students concentrate on improving editing skills, finding their own voice and style and appreciating the craft of writing. The first block is dedicated to reading (literary concepts, READ magazine, novel study and short stories). The second block focuses on English grammar composition (Six Traits, The Shaffer Writing Model) and language skills practice (sentence structure, paragraph development, mechanics, usage).
Please check this page often as information is updated weekly. Parents and students will be able to check due dates of assignments and have access to all special teacher links.
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Supplies for 7th Grade Language Arts 2007-2008
3-ring binder (2")
5-tab dividers
5-Pocket folders (one for each type of essay)
Yellow highlighter, correcting pen (blue, purple, or green)
1 pkg. College-Ruled notebook paper
Pencils
Black pens
Composition notebook to be used as a daily writing journal
Agenda Notebooks (provided by the school)
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May 1st-May 29th Reading
NOVEL STUDY-Animal Farm by George Orwell
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ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.
When the animals take over the farm, they think it is the start of a better life. Their dreams is of a world where all animals are equal and all property is shared. But soon the pigs take control and one of them, Napoleon, becomes the leader of all the animals. One by one the principles of the revolution are abandoned, until the animals have even less freedom than before.
Animal Farm is a classic work by George Orwell and a noted piece of literature, which, of course, may help the reader to catapult the imagination beyond the horizons of dogmatic adherence to idealistic or Utopian thoughts. It however, represents human characteristics in an analogy of animal instincts, but it really gives insight into the Russian Revolution of 1917. It also mimics the doomsday of a precipitated change, brought by a modicum of bureaucratic class called as Bolsheviks.
Animal Farm: The Anti-Utopian Novel
I. ABSTRACT:
This unit presents a thorough study of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, and makes liberal use of prior knowledge from the seventh grade Core Knowledge history curriculum. The concentration is on the author’s purpose for writing, and the methods he employs to
further his purpose, showing how a writer can influence political thought through fiction. It also allows students to expand and embellish their familiarity with world events through exposure to a political satire based on those events. In addition, it
strengthens previously taught literary concepts and adds those appropriate to the eighth grade Core Knowledge sequence.
II. OVERVIEW
A. Concept objectives
1. The student will display knowledge of and be able to use specific literary
terminology
2. The student will read critically and analytically to draw comparisons, make
inferences, trace plot development, and evaluate writing style for intended
purpose.
3. The student will be able to formulate opinions based on reading and interpretation and be able to defend them in class discussion.
4. The student will learn and be able to use competently new vocabulary in the
discussion of and writing about the novel.
5. The student will compare the author’s work with parallel historical events to show
the efficacy of the work as a political statement.
6. The student will prepare a reader’s journal to guide and inform reading, and to serve as a framework for discussion and further study.
7. The student will work both independently and cooperatively to prepare a presentation for the class on one background topic relevant to the novel.
8. The student will work independently to prepare an individual culminating project to demonstrate understanding and synthesis of the major ideas of the study.
9. The student will formulate a method of presentation for the culminating project to show mastery of the topic; it will be educational for the rest of the class.
10. The student will be able to expand the boundaries of the study by examining how the events in the novel could have been changed by different actions on the part of the characters.
11. The student will be able to show mastery of material by satisfactorily completing a
written evaluation of the work.
B. Content from Core Knowledge Sequence to be taught:
1. Animal Farm by George Orwell
2. Elements of fiction
a. Review from seventh grade: plot and setting, theme, point of view, conflict,suspense and climax
b. Characterization: flat and round; static and dynamic; motivation
c. Literary terms: irony, foreshadowing, parody, tone, and diction
C. Skills to be taught:
1. Compare and contrast
2. Recognize cause and effect
3. Conflict and resolution
4. Research skills, including analysis of data
5. Recognizing symbolism, irony, satire
6. Analysis of plot structure, point of view, writer’s purpose
7. Critical thinking
8. Oral recitation
ARIZIONA STATE STANDARDS
Concept 1: Elements of Literature
Identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the structures and elements of literature.
PO 1. Analyze plot development (e.g., conflict, subplots, parallel episodes) to determine how conflicts are resolved.
PO 2. Recognize multiple themes in works of prose, poetry, and drama.
PO 3. Describe a character, based upon the thoughts, words, and actions of the character, the narrator’s description, and other characters.
PO 4. Contrast points of view (e.g., first vs. third, limited vs. omniscient) in literary text.
PO 5. Analyze the influence of setting (e.g., time of day or year, historical period, place, situation) on the problem and resolution.
PO 6. Draw conclusions about the style, mood, and meaning of literary text based on the author’s word choice.
PO 7. Identify the characteristics and structural elements of poetry (e.g., stanza, verse, rhyme scheme,
line breaks, alliteration, consonance, assonance, rhythm, repetition, figurative language) in a given selection.
PO 8. Identify various genres of fiction (e.g., mysteries, science fiction, historical fiction, adventures, fantasies, fables, myths) based upon their characteristics.
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English: Writing--May 1st through May 12th
Persusaive Writing--Writing Workshop:
For the Student:
Prewrite
The purpose of writing a persuasive essay is to influence or change a reader's thoughts or opinions on a particular topic. The most successful persuasive writing is always well planned. This planing should include choosing a topic, researching the topic thoroughly, and finally, mapping out the structure of the writing.
Choose an Issue
The first step for writing a persuasive essay is to decide what you are trying to persuade someone to believe. Is there a compelling social issue you'd like to correct, a situation within your school that you'd like to change, an issue from history that you'd like to address, or maybe even a political condition you'd like to explore—the possibilities are endless!
Here's a list of possible topics:
Education
School Uniforms
School Choice
Bilingual Education
LockerSearches
Homework
History
Women's Rights
Civil Rights
Vietnam War
Social and Political Issues
The Death Penalty
Cruelty to Animals
Cloning
Once you've decided on an issue, it's time to begin your research!
Research It!
Good research is critical to a successful persuasive essay. You must have content to back up your claims. Your claims must in turn be well documented and elaborated. Be careful to take detailed notes as you record information that documents both sides of your issue. You will be referring to these notes as you begin to draft your paper.
You can find facts from a variety of different resources: encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, textbooks, online interviews, public documents, and face-to-face interviews.
Once your research is complete, you'll want to begin thinking through your process of persuasion.
Make your case
You've gathered all the facts, now it's time to list the arguments both for and against your issue and begin planning the structure of your writing.
List the Arguments
It's impossible to persuade someone to believe your viewpoint without also considering the viewpoint of those who may disagree with you. Review your research and create a list of arguments for and arguments against your issue. Brainstorm as many examples as possible. Ultimately you will be choosing the three best arguments to include in the writing.
Plan Your Structure
Your paper will need to contain the following elements.
Opening/Introduction: In this area you will introduce your readers to the topic and give a little background information. It works well to state your topic in the form of a question—Is the Iditarod an example of cruelty to animals sporting event? Be sure to state your position on the issue within the last sentence of the paragraph. In the opening, you want to pull the reader in and give them a reason to keep reading.
Body: The body of your essay should contain at least three paragraphs. Each paragraph must state a different viewpoint on your topic, examine the opposition to that viewpoint and provide a defense of that viewpoint. Many of the best examples of persuasive writing save the most compelling viewpoint for third body paragraph leaving the reader with the strongest point before closing. The defense must be supported with evidence documented through your research. Don't forget the reason for examining an opposing viewpoint—you're trying to prove, through the use of factual information, why your opinion is better.
Paragraph Development: Within each paragraph you need to be sure to use powerful transitional words and phrases as you compare each point.
Closing/Conclusion: The conclusion should always restate the issue and then quickly tie in the three viewpoints examined in the body paragraphs. You should never introduce new information in the closing. Simply summarize the arguments and then close with a powerful statement relating to your originally stated issue.
Draft
A draft helps you organize your work and get your thoughts down on paper.
Before you start writing:
Using the plans created in the last step, decide on a good beginning or "hook" that will grab the reader's attention. State your topic and give a little background information.
Make a list of specific points you want to be sure and include in your final product. These points will serve as the main ideas for each of your three paragraphs within the body of your paper. Highlight quotes and content that support the ideas you choose.
Decide on an effective ending for your report. Ask yourself what thought you want to leave the reader with or a thought that summarizes the overall viewpoint.
As you write:
Focus on information and allow your ideas to flow freely.
Don't worry about grammar, spelling, and punctuation. You will correct your work later on.
A good persuasive essay draft includes:
all your thoughts
as many details as possible
complete thoughts and ideas
facts to support your argument
Revise
Next, you'll want to revise your work. Revision is especially important in persuasive writing—you want to be certain that you've presented the most compelling argument possible. This is the time to make sure that what you've written is easy to read, factual and above all, convincing. Remember, revising your work doesn't involve making changes to spelling, grammar, or punctuation (we'll get to that in the next step). Instead, the revision process concentrates on the content alone.
Use the revision process to accomplish the following tasks:
Add additional information that may be needed to better explain or describe elements of the story.
Rearrange existing information in a more logical order that flows well and makes your history easy to comprehend.
Remove unneeded information that may detract from the overall message of your interview.
Replace existing text with better wording or description that gives additional insight into the life and history of the person you interviewed.
As you revise your work, ask yourself the following questions
Is my position on an issue is clearly stated and evident throughout the work?
Are my opinions clear and do my facts support my opinions?
Does my information flow easily from one paragraph to another?
Did I stay focused on my point of view throughout the writing?
Did I save the most compelling or strongest point for the end of the paper?
Does my writing make sense? Am I convinced? Will my readers be convinced?
Did I repeat any words or phrases too often?
Edit
While editing probably isn't your favorite step in the writing process, it is an important one—especially when it comes to persuasive writing. You're not likely to win many supporters for your arguments if your work is filled with misspelled words, grammatical errors, or punctuation problems.
Capitalization
Each sentence starts with a capital letter.
All names of people and places begin with a capital letter. Titles in a person's name begin with a capital letter. Each important word in a title (that doesn't refer to people) begins with a capital letter.
Organization
Handwriting is neat or the paper is printed from a computer. Story starts at the beginning, or with the most exciting event. Beginning and ending make sense.
Punctuation
Quotation marks surround all words that are part of a direct quote. Commas separate items in a list, appear within sentences that have direct quotes. All sentences end with a period or other appropriate ending punctuation. Spelling and Sentences
Words are spelled correctly. If you are using a computer, remember to use the spell check function.
All sentences are complete and include a subject and a verb. All subjects and verbs agree.
Review
You're almost there! Use this step to make sure you've done all you can to get it right. You've drafted, revised, and edited your work. Now let's give it one more look.
Check your work.
Read through your work from start to finish. Make any last minute changes you feel are necessary.
Go to a quiet place and read the entire paper out loud. You'll be amazed at the number of changes you make once you hear it out loud.
Publish
You did it!
Publishing is a time to celebrate what you've done. It also lets others see your hard work.
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