| Current Units in 7th Grade Language Arts, April/May 2004 | ||
| *Back to Potter Classroom Home | ||
| Area of Study | Current Units | Skills and Activities |
| Literature: | Around-the-World Novel Choices Nonfiction Reading from Literature Text Poetry: Humorous Choice Selections for April and "If" by Rudyard Kipling for May |
Genres: Nonfiction, Essay, Realistic Fiction and Poetry Nonfiction Reading Comprehension Skills Plot line terms and definitions; elements of plot; importance of international/cultural setting Connections to World History and Geography Socratic Seminar: "Heroism" Independent reading comprehension; writing responses to literature; keeping a reading journal; essay practice (Book Review); analyzing poetry; memorizing poetry; audience behavior; use of presentation skills
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| Language: | Creating Quotation Books Essay/Speech Form: Persuasive Parts of Speech Review; Emphasis on Verbs (parts, tenses, passive/active voice); Emphasis on Verbals and Subject/Verb Agreement Vocabulary/Spelling Lists: Emphasis on All Parts of Words this month |
Identifying prefix, suffix, roots parts and definitions; identifying syllables; dictionary use; writing meaningful sentences; the eight parts of speech; using the eight parts of speech in writing; writing poetry and expository essay about poetry; identifying punctuation and grammar errors; using spelling and grammar check in Word
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| March 2004 | ||
| Area of Study | Current Units | Skills and Activities |
| Literature: | Realistic Fiction Unit: Around the World Novel Choices
Ballad Poetry (Readers' Theatre Style) by various authors
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Genres: Expository Essay (Book Reviews), Historical/Realistic Fiction, and Poetry Plot line terms and definitions; elements of plot; importance of setting; author biography Connections to World History and Geography Group discussion; reading comprehension; writing responses to literature; essay practice (Book Review related to novel); analyzing poetry; memorizing poetry; audience behavior; use of presentation skills
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| Language: | Computer Editing Tools Essay Form: Expository Parts of Speech Review; Phrases and Clauses, Simple/Compound/Complex Sentences Vocabulary/Spelling Lists: Emphasis on Suffixes this month |
Identifying prefix, suffix, roots parts and definitions; identifying syllables; dictionary use; writing meaningful sentences; the eight parts of speech; using the eight parts of speech in writing; computer editing; comparing prose & poetry; writing poetry and expository essay about poetry; identifying basic punctuation and grammar errors; using spelling and grammar check in Word
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| February 2004 | ||
| Area of Study | Current Units | Skills and Activities |
| Literature: | Realistic/Historical Fiction Unit: Forbidden City, a novel about China and the Tian a Men Square Protests
Traditional and Romantic Poetry by various authors
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Genres: Nonfiction, Historical/Realistic Fiction and Poetry Plot line terms and definitions; elements of plot; importance of historical setting Connections to World History and Geography Socratic Seminar: "The Cave Allegory" by Plato Group presentation: "We Real Cool," by G. Brooks Group discussion; reading comprehension; writing essay responses to poetic literature read by the poem's author; defiance essay for "We Real Cool;" identifying poetic types and defices; analyzing poetry; memorizing poetry; audience behavior; use of presentation skills
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| Language: | Computer Editing Tools Essay Form: Expository Parts of Speech Review; Emphasis on Verbs (parts, tenses, passive/active, linking/action) Vocabulary/Spelling Lists: Emphasis on Prefixes/Suffixes this month |
Identifying prefix, suffix, roots parts and definitions; identifying syllables; dictionary use; writing meaningful sentences; the eight parts of speech; using the eight parts of speech in writing; computer editing; comparing prose & poetry; writing poetry and expository essay about poetry; identifying basic punctuation and grammar errors; using spelling and grammar check in Word
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| January 2004 | ||
| Area of Study | Current Units | Skills and Activities |
| Literature: | Realistic/Historical Fiction Unit:
Waiting for the Rain by Sheila Gordon
Poetry by Langston Hughes
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Genres: Science Fiction and Poetry Plot line terms and definitions; elements of plot, including types of conflict Connections to World History and Geography Group discussion; reading comprehension; writing responses to literature; essay practice (Book Review and Essay related to novel); analyzing poetry; memorizing poetry; audience behavior; use of presentation skills
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| Language | Writing a Book Review Essay Form: Expository Use of Sentences; Parts of Speech Review; Emphasis on Prepositions Vocabulary/Spelling Lists: Emphasis on Prefixes and Roots this month |
Identifying prefix, suffix, roots parts and definitions; identifying syllables; dictionary use; writing meaningful sentences; the eight parts of speech; using the eight parts of speech in writing; computer editing; comparing prose & poetry; identifying basic punctuation and grammar errors
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| December 2003 | ||
| Area of Study | Current Units | Skills and Activities |
| Literature: | Science Fiction Unit:
The Giver by Lois Lowry
"Auld Lang Syne," Robert Burns
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Genres: Science Fiction and Lyric Poetry Plot line terms and definitions; elements of plot, including types of conflict Group discussion; reading comprehension; writing responses to literature; essay practice; analyzing poetry; memorizing poetry; audience behavior; use of presentation skills
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| Language | Essay Form: Expository and Narrative (short answer essay and completing story) Use of Sentences; Parts of Speech Review Vocabulary/Spelling Lists: Emphasis on Prefixes and Roots this month |
Identifying prefix, suffix, roots parts and definitions; identifying syllables; dictionary use; writing meaningful sentences; the eight parts of speech; using the eight parts of speech in writing; computer editing; comparing prose & poetry; identifying basic punctuation and grammar errors
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| November 2003 | ||
| Area of Study | Current Units | Skills and Activities |
| Literature: | Short Story Unit:
7th Grade Literature text short stories (a variety of these!) Veterans' Day Poetry and Speech Choices for presentation Socratic Seminar: "Grass" and "In Flanders Fields"
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Genres: Short Story, Speeches, and Poetry Plot line terms and definitions; elements of plot, including types of conflict Group discussion; reading comprehension; writing responses to literature; essay practice; analyzing poetry; memorizing poetry; audience behavior; use of presentation skills
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| Language | Essay Form: Expository (this month we begin the Patriots' Pen Essay Contest sponsored by the VFW) Use of Sentences; Types of Sentences; Begin review of Parts of Speech Vocabulary/Spelling Lists: Emphasis on Prefixes this month |
Identifying prefix, suffix, roots parts and definitions; identifying syllables; dictionary use; identifying the four types of sentences; writing meaningful sentences; the eight parts of speech; computer editing; comparing prose & poetry; outlining form and function; writing an expository essay; identifying basic punctuation and grammar errors
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| October 2003 | ||
| Area of Study | Current Units | Skills and Activities |
| Literature: | Biography Unit Continues:
Independent Biography Reading Choices and Having Our Say Read Aloud "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost and Patriotic Poetry Choices for November
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Genres: Biography/Autobiography and Poetry Group discussion; reading comprehension; writing responses to literature; essay practice; analyzing poetry; memorizing poetry; audience behavior; use of presentation skills |
| Language: |
Essay Form: Narrative Use of Sentences, including sentence types and clause types Parts of Speech, continued with spelling/vocabulary study Vocabulary/Spelling Lists |
Identifying prefix, suffix, roots parts and definitions; dictionary use; suffixes as they change parts of speech; writing meaningful sentences; computer editing; comparing prose & poetry; writing a narrative essay; identifying basic punctuation and grammar errors; identifying syllables
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| August/September 2003 | ||
| Area of Study | Current Units | Skills and Activities |
| Literature: | Biography Unit: Ryan White, My Own Story
and Having Our Say "Jabberwocky," by Lewis Carroll
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Genre: Biography/Autobiography Group discussion; reading comprehension; writing responses to literature; essay practice; analyzing poetry; memorizing poetry; audience behavior; use of presentation skills |
| Language: | Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes Study
Essay Form: Narrative Use of Sentences Review of Parts of Speech Vocabulary/Spelling Lists |
Identifying prefix, suffix, roots parts and definitions; dictionary use; suffixes as they change parts of speech; writing meaningful sentences; computer editing; comparing prose & poetry; writing a narrative essay; identifying basic punctuation and grammar errors; identifying syllables
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