7th Grade Honors Syllabus
Course Description:
Students in the 7th grade Honors Communication Arts course will respond analytically and critically through reading, writing, and speaking to various genres of selected literature. The literature is aligned with Pennsylvania State standards and thematically with the School District of Lancaster 7th grade Social Studies content. The integration of Communication Arts skills with the 7th grade Social Studies content is foundational to the course. Students will further develop skills necessary for essay, informational and persuasive writing. The course is designed to enhance and enrich student vocabulary, critical reading strategies, the writing process, and collaborative learning skills.
Texts Studied in Course:
Edwards, Sherman. 1776. New York, New York: Penguin Books, 1997.
Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2003.
Grey, Christopher Peter. Leonardo’s Shadow. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008.
Richter, Conrad. The Light in the Forest. New York, New York: Vintage Books, 2004.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. New York, New York: Washington Square Press, 1994.
Supplemental Texts:
The Language of Literature. Evanston, Illinois: McDougal Littell, 2002
Prentice Hall Literature: Language and Literacy. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:
Pearson, 2010.
Tentative Timeline of Study:
September 2 – October 15
Renaissance: Roots of a Journey
Exploration, Encounter, Exchange
Journey to Freedom
Revolution and Change
Identity: A Collective Conscience
The best way to become a better writer is to practice the craft of writing. In Honors Communication Arts you will be asked to write an essay most weeks. Not only is it important that you write, but it is important for you to receive feedback on your writing so you learn to edit your writing. Therefore, the following timeline is established for MOST writing assignments:
Academic/Behavioral Expectations:
Classroom Behavioral Expectations:
Assessments, Homework and Grading Policy:
Students will be assessed throughout the year using the SDOL administered 4-Sight Assessments and will take the PSSA Reading Assessment in March 2011. In this course, students will be given formal and informal assessments that measure progress in vocabulary development, reading and responding critically to literature, and expressive writing through the various genres identified.
-15% class participation and preparation
-35% formative assessments: quizzes, reading journal, theme notebook
-40% summative assessments: tests, writing and research assignments, projects
Students in the 7th grade Honors Communication Arts course will respond analytically and critically through reading, writing, and speaking to various genres of selected literature. The literature is aligned with Pennsylvania State standards and thematically with the School District of Lancaster 7th grade Social Studies content. The integration of Communication Arts skills with the 7th grade Social Studies content is foundational to the course. Students will further develop skills necessary for essay, informational and persuasive writing. The course is designed to enhance and enrich student vocabulary, critical reading strategies, the writing process, and collaborative learning skills.
Texts Studied in Course:
Edwards, Sherman. 1776. New York, New York: Penguin Books, 1997.
Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2003.
Grey, Christopher Peter. Leonardo’s Shadow. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008.
Richter, Conrad. The Light in the Forest. New York, New York: Vintage Books, 2004.
Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. New York, New York: Washington Square Press, 1994.
Supplemental Texts:
The Language of Literature. Evanston, Illinois: McDougal Littell, 2002
Prentice Hall Literature: Language and Literacy. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:
Pearson, 2010.
Tentative Timeline of Study:
September 2 – October 15
Renaissance: Roots of a Journey
- Instructional goals: introduction of routines, e.g. dialectical notebook, vocabulary, writing rubric, reading response rubric, group discussions; understanding various reasons for reading; introduction of reading and writing strategies, e.g. making connections, questioning, visualizing and inferring, determining importance in text, synthesizing information, QAR, and SOAPSTONES
- Reading: Leonardo’s Shadow; selected short readings of fiction and non-fiction, poems, and primary source documents
- Writing goals: un-graded, pre-assessment writings: short essay, informational, and persuasive; introduction to the writing process
- Interdisciplinary goals: understanding of the integrative nature of Social Studies and Communication Arts in content and strategies
Exploration, Encounter, Exchange
- Instructional goals: story elements, e.g. character, setting, and plot; point of view; figurative language; text structure, particularly compare and contrast; main idea and supporting details; determining the importance of text; grammar usage
- Readings: The Tempest; A Light in the Forest; selected short stories, poems, and primary source documents
- Writing goals: essay writing, with an emphasis on compare and contrast relationships and the critical analysis of readings
- Interdisciplinary goals: understanding compare and contrast relationships as developed in literature and shaped through historical perspectives; essay writing.
Journey to Freedom
- Instructional goals: synthesizing and summarizing information; differentiating between fact and opinion; citing evidence as support; text structure, particularly cause – effect and sequencing; interpreting graphs and charts to make connections between text and visual; bias and propaganda techniques in non-fiction text; grammar usage; research skills
- Readings: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin; selected non-fiction writings, poems, and primary source documents
- Writing goals: informational writing, with an emphasis on cause and effect relationships and the critical analysis of readings; support for History Day project
- Interdisciplinary goals: understanding cause and effect relationships as developed in literature and shaped through historical perspective; informational writing; History Day project collaboration
Revolution and Change
- Instructional goals: text structure, particularly problem-solution relationship; Socratic discourse; grammar usage
- Reading: Watership Down;selected short stories, poems, and primary source documents
- Writing goals: persuasive writing, with an emphasis on problem/solution relationships and the critical analysis of readings
- Interdisciplinary goals: understanding problem-solution relationships as developed in literature and shaped through historical perspective
Identity: A Collective Conscience
- Instructional goals: this will be a culmination of learning, as well as skill integration; the previously studied writing genres and Social Studies concepts will be the foundation for an in-depth analysis and interpretation of literature
- Reading: 1776; selected short stories, poems, and primary source documents
- Writing goals: using the writing process students will develop a final paper written in essay, informational or persuasive format
- Interdisciplinary goals: integrated study between the relationships of compare/contrast, cause/effect, and problem/solution as developed in literature and shaped through historical perspective presentation of the designated class reading (1776) in play format.
- Completion of 5 graded writing assignments each marking period
- Keep an on-going writing folder
- Homework approximately 4 times a week
- To read at home every night
The best way to become a better writer is to practice the craft of writing. In Honors Communication Arts you will be asked to write an essay most weeks. Not only is it important that you write, but it is important for you to receive feedback on your writing so you learn to edit your writing. Therefore, the following timeline is established for MOST writing assignments:
- Monday: writing prompt is given
- Wednesday: rough draft is due to Ms. Pfautz if you want feedback for revision
- Thursday: Ms. Pfautz returns rough drafts
- Friday: final writing prompt is due
Academic/Behavioral Expectations:
- HOMEWORK
- CLASS ABSENCE
Classroom Behavioral Expectations:
- RESPECT…..
- self
- others
- authority
- property
- Personal reminder
- A call home
- Detention as designated by the teacher
- SLC referral
Assessments, Homework and Grading Policy:
Students will be assessed throughout the year using the SDOL administered 4-Sight Assessments and will take the PSSA Reading Assessment in March 2011. In this course, students will be given formal and informal assessments that measure progress in vocabulary development, reading and responding critically to literature, and expressive writing through the various genres identified.
- Homework is intended to reinforce classroom learning. It will be given with regularity. Completion of homework is often critical to subsequent classroom learning and work. There is an expectation for on-time completion.
- Grading outline of the course is as follows:
-15% class participation and preparation
-35% formative assessments: quizzes, reading journal, theme notebook
-40% summative assessments: tests, writing and research assignments, projects