Seventh Grade Language Arts
Recommended Prerequisite: None
Grades Offered: 7
SDE Course Code: 0701
MNPS Course Code: ENG1137Y (Advanced)
Course Description
This course encompasses a correlated study of reading, language development, literature, composition, listening, and speaking based upon the adopted District Academic Standards for Reading, Writing, Elements of Language, Listening, and Speaking. In addition, this course will prepare students to demonstrate success on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement Test. The study of language arts at the seventh grade level integrates the reading/literature skills with the study of language mechanics, writing, spelling, and vocabulary to create a well-rounded, balanced language arts program. The curriculum centers around the literature provided in the adopted texts and the literature designated in the Essential Literature initiative and provides opportunities for students to encounter more challenging texts and assignments in greater depth. The required and choice literary selections are read and studied in the language arts class, not the reading class.
Essential Literature (K-12) is designed to ensure that all students read a minimum number of quality literary works, discuss them in depth, and engage in writing opportunities related to the literature. There are four components to Essential Literature: the required reading titles, school choice titles delineated by grade level; alternative texts for use when a book has been challenged by a parent; and adapted texts for use with special needs students (special education and English language learners). http://www.mnps.org/AssetFactory.aspx?did=5997
The texts read in language arts are integrated with the skills delineated in the MNPS District Academic Standards for seventh grade. Students engage in process writing and timed writing. Each six weeks, a minimum of three writing assignments reflecting the various domains in the MNPS Writing Standards should be assessed using an analytical, holistic, and/or primary trait process.
Course of Study
The student will develop reading skills necessary for word recognition, comprehension, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and appreciation of the written text. The student will also develop the structural and creative skills necessary to produce written language that can be read and interpreted by various audiences. Additionally, the student will use, read, and view media/technology; analyze content and concepts accurately; express ideas clearly and effectively in a variety of oral contexts; and apply active listening skills in the analysis and evaluation of spoken ideas. While this sample outline is arranged by theme, other formats may be utilized. Bulleted themes may require more, or less, than six-weeks of instruction.
MNPS Language Arts Website http://www.mnps.org/PageFactory.aspx?PageID=2287
MNPS Academic Standards
MNPS Reading Standards http://www.mnps.org/PageFactory.aspx?PageID=3342
MNPS Writing Standards http://www.mnps.org/PageFactory.aspx?PageID=3247
MNPS Listening and Speaking Standards http://www.mnps.org/PageFactory.aspx?PageID=3352
MNPS Academic Vocabulary http://www.mnps.org/PageFactory.aspx?PageID=3342
Required State or District Assessments
TCAP Achievement Test – Grade 7
http://www.state.tn.us/education/assessment/tsachhome.shtml
District Writing Assessment – Grade 7
Textbooks
Beers, Kylene, et. Al. Elements of Literature. Austin, Texas: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 2007 (Basal Adopted 2006)http://www.hrw.com
Carroll, Joyce Armstrong, et. Al. Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar: Communication in Action – Bronze Level. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005.(Basal Adopted 2004)
Kinsella, Kate et. Al. Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes – Bronze Level. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005. (Not an adopted textbook – Additional resource to complement the language arts basal)
Required Essential Literature Student Copies (Via Media Center)
· A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens (As a play in the basal textbook)
· Hoot – Carl Hiaasen
· Stargirl – Jerry Spinelli
· For school’s choice selection titles see English Department Chairperson or Media Specialist
Reminder: The required and choice literary selections are read and studied in the language arts class, not the reading class.
Essential Literature Student Copies Advanced (Via Media Center)
· The Hound of the Baskervilles - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
· Cyrano de Bergerac – Edmond Rostand
· It Happened in Tennessee – Susan Sawyer (Non Fiction Selection)
Recommended and/or Required Resources:
MNPS Graduate and K-12 Academic Standards
http://www.mnps.org/Page3241.aspx
Curriculum Alignment Guide for Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking Grade 7
Classroom set of Dictionaries (25 per set)
Classroom set of Thesauruses (25 per set)
Independence and Identity
A Sample Unit
The following unit provides samples of texts that exemplify various types of connections (e.g., literary, phonetic, skill based, etc.) The intent is to provide a springboard of ideas for teachers; it is not meant to dictate specific text choices or course structures.
- Sample Texts might include but are not limited to…
o Stargirl – Jerry Spinelli (Required Essential Literature)
o “Girls” – Gary Paulsen (Elements of Literature)
o “The Smallest Dragonboy” - Anne McCaffrey (Elements of Literature)
o “Barrio Boy” – Ernesto Galarza (Elements of Literature)
o “Here Be Dragons” – Flo Ota De Lange (Elements of Literature)
o “Antaeus” – Borden Deal (Elements of Literature)
o Life Of a Teenage Drama Queen - film clips
General Reading Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Reading Standards)
o discern reading strategies appropriate to the texts.
o identify character traits through dialogue and character interaction.
o make inferences and recognize unstated assumptions.
o analyze elements of plot structure.
o use academic vocabulary (e.g., characterization, inference)
General Listening and Speaking Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Listening and Speaking Standards)
o organize presentations effectively to convey message and purpose.
o model active listening.
o demonstrate effective group interaction skills.
o orally respond and connect literature to real world experiences.
General Elements of Language Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards)
o practice using varied sentence types (declarative, imperative, exclamatory, interrogative) and
use appropriate end punctuation.
o edit for fragments and run-on sentences.
o uses academic vocabulary (e.g., sentence structure, parallel structure)
General Writing Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards)
o write frequently for a variety of purposes including narration, description, persuasion, exposition, and personal, creative expression.
o practice and use various prewriting techniques.
o practice and use a variety of organizational patterns: chronological, order of importance, spatial, comparison/contrast, and/or climatic order.
o develop effective thesis statements.
Sample Writing Assignments for Assessment (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards) Please note that a minimum of three writing assignments should be assessed each six weeks.
· Character analysis based on a character from a short story or novel
· Observation writing: 1-3 paragraph descriptive piece of person observed
· Reaction paragraph to the viewing of a film clip (e.g., Life of a Teenage Drama Queen)
· A timed writing in response to a problem-solution prompt with the inclusion of a counter argument related to a text read in the unit
Power of Love
A Sample Unit
The following unit provides samples of texts that exemplify various types of connections (e.g., literary, phonetic, skill based, etc.) The intent is to provide a springboard of ideas for teachers; it is not meant to dictate specific text choices or course structures.
- Sample Texts might include but are not limited to…
o Cyrano de Bergerac – Edmond Rostand (Essential Literature- Advanced)
o “Ode to Family Photographs”- Gary Soto (Elements of Literature)
o “User Friendly” – T. Ernesto Bethancourt (Elements of Literature)
o “It Just Keeps Going and Going” – Joan Burditt (Elements of Literature)
o “Annabel Lee” – Edgar Allan Poe (Elements of Literature)
o The Twilight Zone – “The Eye of the Beholder” – Video of a TV episode
o Roxanne – Steve Martin & Daryl Hannah – film clips
o Cyrano de Bergerac (French with English subtitles) – Gerald Depardieu – film clips
General Reading Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Reading Standards)
o analyze the elements of literature (plot, character, setting, conflict, point of view) in selected texts.
o examine ethnic and historical context as well as author’s purpose.
o identify selected forms of figurative language (i.e., simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole)
o uses academic vocabulary (e.g., mnemonic devices, sensory imagery, skimming)
General Listening and Speaking Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Listening and Speaking Standards)
o use delivery techniques effectively.
o use appropriate language and creative techniques to engage interest.
o organize presentations effectively to convey a message and purpose.
o recognize types of arguments used by a speaker.
General Elements of Language Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards)
o identify prepositional phrases from a text and explain the effect of the phrase.
o examine the formation and usage of noun, adjective, and adverbial clauses.
o identify synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms used in a text and explain the effect of those word choices
General Writing Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards)
o practice a variety of prewriting and organizational techniques.
o develop a thesis statement or main idea expressing the writer’s purpose.
o maintain a reading log (respond, retell, rewrite, etc.).
o use sensory detail in writing.
Sample Writing Assignments for Assessment (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards) Please note that a minimum of three writing assignments should be assessed each six weeks.
· Directions in paragraph form for the main character in a novel that will guide him/her from one place to another (Study maps in print and on the Internet.)
· Essay comparing and/or contrasting two scenes from a film (e.g., Roxanne and Depardieu’s Cyrano)
· Description of a setting or character using the “show, don’t tell” technique
· Poem modeled after Soto’s “Ode to Family Photographs”
Facing Choices
A Sample Unit
The following unit provides samples of texts that exemplify various types of connections (e.g., literary, phonetic, skill based, etc.) The intent is to provide a springboard of ideas for teachers; it is not meant to dictate specific text choices or course structures.
- Sample Texts might include but are not limited to…
o Hoot –Carl Hiaasen (Required Essential Literature)
o It Happened in Tennessee – Susan Sawyer (Essential Literature – Advanced)
o “Duffy’s Jacket” – Bruce Coville (Elements of Literature)
o “Rikki-tikki-tavi” – Rudyard Kipling (Elements of Literature)
o “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out” –Shel Silverstein (Elements of Literature)
o “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” – Rod Serling (Elements of Literature)
General Reading Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Reading Standards)
o discerns reading strategies appropriate to the texts.
o formulate a hypotheses and make predictions.
o analyze elements of plot structure (rising and falling action, conflict)
o uses academic vocabulary (e.g., rising and falling action, conflict – external and internal)
o identify stylistic elements such as mood, tone, and symbolism.
o analyze the text in terms of the historical/social/cultural influence and writer’s purpose.
o examine text in terms of historical/social/cultural/ethnic context and author’s background.
General Listening and Speaking Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Listening and Speaking Standards)
o present findings from research to the class.
o read poems to the class.
o orally respond and connect literature to real world experiences.
General Elements of Language Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards)
o combine words, phrases and sentences.
o identify similes, metaphors, personification, and hyperbole within a text.
o use comparative and superlative adverbs and adjectives appropriately.
General Writing Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards)
o revise writing for word choice, appropriate organization, and consistent point of view.
o practice using transitions to connect paragraphs, passages, and ideas.
o practice sentence combining.
o complete incremental steps in a long-term research and/or writing project.
Sample Writing Assignments for Assessment (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards)Please note that a minimum of three writing assignments should be assessed each six weeks.
· Formal research report based on a question of interest to the student
· Sequel to a short story such as “Duffy’s Jacket” (e.g., characters meet in ten years)
· Poem based on a text model such as “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out”
· A timed writing in response to a problem-solution prompt with the inclusion of a counter argument
· Expository essay addressing a problem-solution prompt regarding choices made.
Living Many Lives
A Sample Unit
The following unit provides samples of texts that exemplify various types of connections (e.g., literary, phonetic, skill based, etc.) The intent is to provide a springboard of ideas for teachers; it is not meant to dictate specific text choices or course structures.
- Sample Texts might include but are not limited to…
o A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens (Essential Literature)
o “A Rice Sandwich” – Sandra Cisneros (Elements of Literature)
o “A Day’s Wait” – Ernest Hemingway (Elements of Literature)
o “Madam and the Rent Man – Langston Hughes (Elements of Literature)
o “Stolen Day” – Sherwood Anderson (Elements of Literature)
o “Homesick” – Jean Fritz (Elements of Literature)
o Antwone Fisher – film/clips
General Reading Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Reading Standards)
o identify character traits through dialogue and character interaction.
o use academic vocabulary (e.g., internal conflict, external conflict, rising and falling action)
o analyze the elements of literature (plot, character, setting, conflict, point of view) in selected texts.
o examine ethnic and historical context as well as author’s purpose.
o identify selected forms of figurative language (i.e., simile, metaphor, personification)
General Listening and Speaking Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Listening and Speaking Standards)
o discuss, add, and listen as students present presentations.
o demonstrate effective group interaction skills.
o orally respond and connect literature to real world experiences.
General Elements of Language Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards)
o study the concepts of active and passive voice and the effect of each.
o form past, present, future, and perfect tenses correctly including irregular forms.
General Writing Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards)
o practice and use various introductory techniques (i.e., question, quote, dialogue, anecdote, current event, startling statement, and general to specific commentary).
o edit for fragments and run-on sentences.
o edit for targeted homophones such as it’s/its, your/you’re, their/there/they’re, affect/effect, accept/except, and others.
o use appropriate transitions to connect ideas within and across paragraphs.
Sample Writing Assignments for Assessment (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards) Please note that a minimum of three writing assignments should be assessed each six weeks.
· Expository essay in which students compare and contrast their life with that of a story character.
· Journal entry that details how Dickens’ A Christmas Carol reflects the author’s desire for social change in the London of the day
· An essay addressing a problem-solution prompt incorporating a counter argument.
Mystery and Suspense
A Sample Unit
The following unit provides samples of texts that exemplify various types of connections (e.g., literary, phonetic, skill based, etc.) The intent is to provide a springboard of ideas for teachers; it is not meant to dictate specific text choices or course structures.
- Sample Texts for regular classes might include but are not limited to…
o Wolf Rider - Avi and/or The Westing Game –Ellen Raskin (Essential Literature Choice List)
o The Hound of the Baskervilles – Arthur Conan Doyle (Essential Literature – Advanced)
o “The Highwayman” – Alfred Noyes (Elements of Literature)
o “I Was Sleeping Where the Black Oaks Move” – Louise Erdrich (Elements of Literature)
o “The Naming of Names” – Ray Bradbury (Elements of Literature)
o “The Last Dinosaur” – Jim Murphy (Elements of Literature)
o “Gentlemen of the Road” – Mara Rockliff (Elements of Literature)
o Vertigo, Psycho, Rear Window, Rope, North by Northwest – Hitchcock film clip
General Reading Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Reading Standards)
o reflect on reading strategies he/she has used to determine which ones have been most helpful.
o develop comprehension strategies to discern main idea, theme, and inferences.
o make predictions about the outcome of a passage by making inferences
o use academic vocabulary (e.g., conflict – external and internal)
o label characters as antagonist or protagonist and defend their decisions.
o identify stylistic elements such as point of view and tone.
o analyze cause and effect relationships in a given passage.
General Listening and Speaking Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Listening and Speaking Standards)
o orally respond and connect literature to real world experiences.
o use delivery techniques effectively.
o organize a presentation effectively to convey message and purpose.
General Elements of Language Objectives - The student will… (Refer to MNPS Grade 7 Writing Standards)
o use appropriate transitions to connect ideas within and across paragraphs.
o identify subordinate and independent clauses.
o edit for targeted homophones such as it’s/its, your/you’re, their/there/they’re, affect/effect, accept/except, and others.
General Writing Objectives - The student will…
o write frequently for a variety of purposes including narration, description, persuasion, exposition, and personal, creative expression.
o incorporate varied sentence structure within a piece of original writing.
o use appropriate transitions to connect ideas within and across paragraphs.
o develop an effective thesis statement.
Sample Writing Assignments for Assessment (Refer to MNPS Writing Standards) Please note that a minimum of three writing assignments should be assessed each six weeks.
· Story that has suspense including an antagonist and protagonist
· Transformation of a newspaper article into a narrative with an antagonist and protagonist
· Short story based on a particular phobia
· Character sketch (vignette) of a character from one of the texts read
· A timed writing in which students respond to a prompt asking them to reflect upon a time when danger was eminent and determine a way in which the event might have been prevented