7TH GRADE ENGLISH SYLLABUS

MRS. SMITH

Phone:569-2475

Email: brandismith@oneidaschools.org

 

Course Description:  

The goal for students in English language arts (ELA) is to read, understand complex, grade-level texts, and express their understanding of those texts through writing and speaking.

Curriculum: This year the students will be using the following curriculum: Louisiana- Believes. Each unit centers around a piece of literature:

1.       Behind the Scenes- Behind the Scenes is a nonfictional memoir that depicts Elizabeth Keckley's years as a slave and subsequent four years in Abraham Lincoln's White House during the Civil War. Through the eyes of this black woman, we see a wide range of historical figures and events of the antebellum South, the Washington of the Civil War years, and the final stages of the war.

2.       A Christmas Carol- A Christmas Carol is a fictional novel that illustrates the life of a miserable old man who is selfish with his time and money. Upon being visited by three ghosts, the man is given a new perspective on life filled with generosity and kindness.

3.       The Giver- The Giver is a fictional scientific novel that examines a flawed utopian society. In the book, a "Receiver" holds all of the community's memories connected with pain, love, and desire so that no other people experience those feelings. The Giver is the first of a four-volume series, and it won the 1994 Newbery Medal.

4.       Written in Bone- Written in Bone is a nonfiction forensic analysis that explores the lives of the Jamestown colony through the information found in their remains. This unit is also paired with a fictional book called Blood on the River, which tells the story of a young boy from the Jamestown colony. Is describes the trials and hardships faced by those early colonists.

Materials: Loose leaf paper, pencil, 1 ½ binder with dividers

Attendance: Attendance is required and essential in determining your grade. There will be daily assignments and we are regularly involved in group work, so it will be hard to catch up if you miss a lot. If you have to miss due to illness or some other unfortunate circumstance let me know as soon as possible so we can work on getting you caught up. Because we now have virtual learning as well, this transition should be simple.

Restroom Policy: You have 5 minutes between classes for you to use the restroom. Please let me know you are going though. If you have to go during class, please make sure you take a pass.

Classroom Rules:

1.  Come Prepared. You must bring all materials to class: book, pen or pencil, paper, folder, and any work that has been assigned. Any student who does not bring these materials will have a write-up.

2.  Be on time. A student who is late for school/class three (3) times UNEXCUSED will be assessed one (1) unexcused for absence for the three tardies; thus, one (1) unexcused absence will be allocated for every (3) three tardies for each class impacted.

3.  No talking. There will be no talking in class unless I have given you permission to speak. There will be several group assignments in class during which students will be able to talk amongst themselves as long as they are quiet.

4.  No bullying. A positive climate in the classroom is key to learning.

5.  Respect. You will respect my things as well as your peers; therefore, you will not touch anything that does not belong to you or you will receive a write-up. This is especially true for the laptops. Additionally, a respectful attitude is key to creating the overall class atmosphere and expected at all times.

**These rules will serve as a guideline for the expected behavior in my classroom. All handbook rules serve as additional rules for this class. This includes the use of cell phones, which must be placed in the caddies!!**

Grading:

We follow the District Grading Policy. The grading scale is as follows:

A (90-100), B (80-89), C (79-70), D (60-69), and F (anything below 59)

Grading Scale:

Test – 40%

Assignments-40%

Projects/ Other- 20%

Each day there will be a daily starter on the board. Students will need to complete this within the first five minutes of class. These will include a plethora of grammatical activities. Next, there will be weekly vocabulary students need to know. You will be tested over these words so it is important you complete the daily assignments that we do with them. There will also be daily activities tied to the ELA Louisiana Believes curriculum. Most of these activities will be done in the student workbook. The projects will also stem from the Louisiana Believes curriculum.

Redo and Retake:

OMS encourages students to redo/retake assessments on which they performed below their level of mastery (excluding the Final and District Assessments). In order to be eligible to schedule a redo/retake time with a student must complete certain criteria from the teacher.

Google Classroom/ Remind101- Due to the coronavirus everything assignment will be assessable through google classroom. Every student needs to be familiar with how to access google classroom.

Remind - @smith7ela

Google class codes- Core 1-jcsx3bd

Core 2- 53oo3m7

Core 3- 3g4faps

Core 4- zkzan2w

Plagiarism/Academic Integrity:

Academic integrity is expected on all assignments. Plagiarism is defined as presenting the work of another as one’s own. Cheating on an assignment or assessment is another activity that violates ethics and school rules. Any work that exhibits cheating/plagiarism, will result in a zero, parental notification, and disciplinary action may be taken.