2004-05

English 7, Blue: Curriculum Overview

Overarching Question: "Who am I?"

Year Theme: "Freedom"

Quarter 1

Through a class reading of Tex, by S.E. Hinton, students will be introduced to the theme of "freedom" and a variety of reading comprehension strategies. Outside of class, students will read The Outsiders, by Gary Paulsen. Narrative writing assignments will be aligned with the independent writing task from the 8^th grade English Language Arts Assessment. Reading comprehension strategies will be taught, and ELA-aligned reading comprehension assessments will be imbedded in the curriculum. Daily grammar mini-lessons (parts of speech), weekly spelling tests, and vocabulary assignments will balance student development. Additionally, throughout the school year, the ELA exam and rubrics will be demystified; all student questions/concerns will be addressed, and important strategies for success will be introduced.

Quarter 2

After viewing the movie Nightjohn (based on the novel by Gary Paulsen), a unit of instruction focusing on the Civil Rights Movement will begin with a class reading of Sarny: A Life Remembered (also by Gary Paulsen). Outside of class, students will read Sentries, by Gary Paulsen. Expository writing assignments will be aligned with the listening and writing task on the 8^th grade English Language Arts Assessment. Daily grammar mini-lessons (phrases, clauses, subject, predicate, kinds of sentences), weekly spelling tests, and vocabulary assignments will balance student development.

Quarter 3

In class, students will be reading A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens; out of class, students will be reading The Light in the Forest, by Conrad Richter. The theme of "freedom" will be explored in a variety of global contexts. The unit will conclude with a viewing and discussion of our "National Anthem," written by Francis Scott Key and arranged/interpreted by John Stafford Smith, Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Jewel, and even Roseanne Arnold. Expository writing assignments will be aligned with the reading and writing task on the 8^th grade English Language Arts Assessment. Selected grammar mini-lessons (comma usage, sentence structure, flow, and organization), weekly spelling tests, and vocabulary assignments will balance student development.

Quarter 4

The school year will culminate with a class reading of Paul Zindel's brilliant and challenging novel, The Pigman. Out of class, students will read Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene. Assessments will be in alignment with the listening/writing, reading/writing, and reading comprehension tasks on the 8^th grade ELA (in preparation for the final exam). Grammar mini-lessons will be prescriptive; spelling and vocabulary assessments will balance student development.

Final Exam

The 7^th grade final exam will consist of three ELA tasks: listening/writing, reading/writing, and reading comprehension.

Suggested "Related Readings" for Extra Credit (* = Mr. Koondel's red star recommendation!)

By S.E. Hinton:

That Was Then, This Is Now

Rumble Fish

Taming the Star Runner

By Gary Paulsen:

Nightjohn (Caution: Though written for young readers, this novel contains vivid and brutal depictions of the torture and brutality suffered by American slaves in the old south.)

Canyons *

Dogsong

The Island

The Monument

By Eric P. Kelly:

The Trumpeter of Krakow *

By Theodore Taylor:

The Cay

The Weirdo *

By Anne Mazer:

The Oxboy *

By Paul Zindel:

The Pigman and Me

The Pigman's Legacy

By Cynthia Voigt:

Dicey's Song *

Come A Stranger

By William Saroyan:

The Human Comedy

By Louis Sachar:

Holes *

By Karen Hesse:

Out of the Dust *

Megan Whalen Turner:

The Thief *

Lois Lowry:

Number the Stars *

Suggested Reading for Parents:

The Roller-Coaster Years: Raising Your Child through the Maddening yet Magical Middle School Years, by Charlene C. Giannetti and Margaret Sagarese

The Middle School Years: Achieving the Best Education for Your Child Grades 5-8, by Michele A. Hernandez

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