Read one book from this list this summer, and plan to read another three from the list during the school year, which will be due as follows: one by fall break, one by Christmas break and one by spring break. I have given you a long list to make it easier to find books; look at the public library, ask some of last year’s 7th graders, or go to a bookstore or Amazon.com.

First semester:

http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Patterson-s-Seventh-Grade-Reading-List/lm/RRQGMUTA6MUPC/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full

You may also read books from this list after December.

Second semester:

http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Patterson-s-Second-Semester-Seventh-Grade-Reading-List/lm/R13VY5C5FFHA98/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full

Instructor: Kathy Patterson

Room: P-6

E-mail: kapatterson@okcps.org

Homework blog: http://kapatterson.wordpress.com

Homepage: http://www.okcps.org/teacher/kapatterson (Note that I am no longer able to edit this page. It is frozen at a time several years ago, but has some valuable links.)

Text: McDougall-Littell Literature 8

Required at home: a dictionary

Course Reading, required (these books are in the library):

Where the Red Fern Grows

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (No Fear edition recommended)

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Diary of Anne Frank (the diary, not the play)

Seventh Grade Language Arts and Honors 7th Grade Language Arts are courses that seek to perfect the basics of the written language through the study of literature and the writing of sentences, paragraphs, and short essays. Particular attention is given to basic study skills, grammar, literary and rhetorical devices, characterization, and world literature emphasizing various themes. We will also have units on spoken English and research skills.

Grading: Students will be evaluated in a variety of ways including, notebook work, exercises, and writing assignments that correlate to various aspects of grammar, essay skills, and reading comprehension. All assignments are not weighted equally. See Post #2 for more information about grades.

Out-of-Class Reading Novels and Major Works of Literature

Aug 1, 2: Out-of-Class Reading #1 (student’s choice from the list given above, read during the summer)

September: In-Class Major Work of Literature #1: Where the Red Fern Grows

Oct 31, Nov 1: Out-of-Class Reading #2 (student’s choice from the list given above)

November: In-Class Major Work of Literature #2: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Jan 2, 3: Out-of-Class Reading #3 (student’s choice from the list given above)

February: In-Class Major Work of Literature #3: To Kill a Mockingbird

Mar 26, 27: Out-of-Class Reading #4 (student’s choice from the list given above)

April: In-Class Major Work of Literature #4: The Diary of Anne Frank

Literacy: Individual Novels and Projects

Each book will require one major project and/or a writing assignment. The summer reading requirement will be the first book covered.

Literature Concepts

Attention will also be given to the varieties of literary genre–poetry, short story, drama, novel, and speech. These are organized into themes in the book and include authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou, Robert Cormier, Gary Paulsen, Shirley Jackson and Ray Bradbury. Emphasis will be placed on major British and American writers, multicultural writers, figurative language, style, and inference.

Vocabulary Expansion

–Vocabulary of Language Arts (academic vocabulary)

–Roots and origins of words

–Word families

Critical Thinking: Learning to Go beyond the Text

–Analogy

–Patterns and trends

–Note-taking

–Outlining

–Organizing, including compare and contrast, cause and effect, sequencing

–Discussion techniques

Major Grammatical Concepts:

–Parts of Speech

–Sentence types, clauses and phrases

–Punctuation

Writing Concepts:

–Sentence variety

–Paragraph unity, coherence, development

–Descriptive, narrative and expository writing

Homework

Seventh-grade students benefit from homework in a number of ways, including gains in achievement, development of independence and responsibility, and the establishment of good study habits and time management skills.

–Don’t ask your child if he or she has homework. Instead set aside a time and place where every evening the student gets out his/her planner and then make notes of what is due tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and later in the semester. Check that he or she updates this plan of action every evening.

–A big problem for many seventh graders is keeping straight whether the next day is A or B. Your student can be organized for tomorrow’s classes by having a calendar in the study area, finishing up the next day’s work (whether an A- or a B-Day), and then starting the work assigned on that day (which was either A- or B-Day).

–Make sure he or she takes the correct A- or B-backpack to school the next day.

–For this class, homework should always include a time for reading, preferably at least 30 minutes.

–The homework grade at SmartWeb is the percent of homework assignments completed satisfactorily and submitted. This grade is always more current than the most recent Progress Report.

Fall Semester—Speaking Concepts:

–Public Speaking

–Discussion

–Poetry reading

Spring Semester: Research Projects

-Web Quests

1-inch or 11/2-inch three-ring notebook

Lined paper

8 dividers

One brightly colored folder

3-5 pencils and pencil sharpener (with holder for shavings) or mechanical pencil with extra lead, or a pen if you wish, but have a pencil at all times ready for testing

Ruler or straight edge

Small stapler and/or paper clips

(Optional) Colored pencils, lightlighters, crayons or markers

7th Grade Language Arts Notebook:

Steps to start your notebook:

1. Make a title page. Include your name, teacher’s name, course title, and time block, plus other information or decoration you want.

2. This handout and any other instruction sheets should be placed immediately after the title page.

3. Label eight dividers as follows:      

Journal

Notes/100 Facts

Classwork/Handouts

Literacy

Essays

Communications/Research

Vocabulary

Quizzes

4. Have a supply of lined paper in the notebook.

5. Keep pens, pencils, ruler, stapler or paper clips, and pencil sharpener in a pencil box or zippered bag in the front of the notebook.

Required supplies to have at home:

Textbook

Dictionary

A calendar with A- and B-Days marked

Post #2: Grades

Quizzes, 15%

Midterm and Final Exams, 15%

Essays, 15%

Literacy: Novels and Projects, 15%

Homework/Classwork Assignments, 10%

Participation, 10%

Notebook/Journal/Vocabulary, 10%

Communications/Speeches/Research, 10%

Interpreting SmartWeb

Note that SmartWeb automatically assigns numbers to assignments, and that the numbers are meaningless. For example, COMP3 may or may not be the third essay. Check the next line which has a title. NOTE5 may or may not be the fifth notebook check; the important thing is that this is a notebook check or essay or project, and the 5 is irrelevant.

The Homework/Classwork grade equals the number of assignments completed satisfactorily. If your students has 33%, that means 1 of 3 assignments was turned in. Or 60% means 3 of 5, or 6 of 10. Your student should have all details in the planner. Missing or uncompleted assignments can often be found in the student’s notebook or backpack. Just which work is missing can be found in a notebook at my desk, before or after school, not during class. I do frequently tell everyone what assignments might be missing, but I do not take time to respond to individual requests during class time.

Participation grades reflect coming to class prepared with textbook, notebook and all supplies.

All quizzes and exams are listed separately in SmartWeb. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped at the end of each quarter, unless a student has already missed several quizzes. An X indicates an absence, a dropped grade or an exempted quiz; the computer automatically averages only the quizzes that are counted. A grade of zero indicates the student missed all answers or did not turn in the quiz. There are no retakes.

Essays (called “compositions” by SmartWeb) are announced and explained repeatedly well in advance of the due date, and no one misses hearing about essays due to absences. Students whose essays are not turned in are reminded several times about work due before grades are lowered for lateness.

Literacy grades are based on out-of-class as well as in-class reading. This grade is usually two or more projects or essays. Everyone hears about these assignments well in advance and often, and no one misses hearing about the assignments due to absences.

There are notebook/journal checks in each quarter. A grade of zero means the student did not submit a notebook to be checked. Students whose notebooks are lost, “stolen,” or misplaced may provide evidence they are still writing in journals and taking notes after the “theft.”

Performance indicates a Communication grade given for each of several speeches. A zero indicates the student refused to participate. Students are allowed to make up speeches after everyone else gives his or hers.

Do not be concerned about blanks. Either the student’s turn is pending, or I am in the process of entering grades. Your student’s class may be the last one I get to. Some students may have turned in essays or other assignments, but the deadline has not been reached. SmartWeb does not allow me to distinguish these situations.

Be concerned when your student has a grade entered, which is lower than you want it to be. Low quiz grades mean more time needs to be spent at home reading and studying.

Post #3: Back-to-School Classroom Wish List

There’s nothing special about purchasing from Amazon. It’s just a convenient place to post things that are needed or wanted.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3RYSMHLHKMKHX.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3RYSMHLHKMKHX.