Expectations for Term 1

Seventh Grade

Language Arts/English Class

Ms. Dorsey  
Tentative Term 1 Plan:    

Term 1 (August 20 - October 26)      Can you. . . ?

• correctly use end punctuation (periods, question marks, exclamation marks) on the sentences you write?
• correctly capitalize the beginning of each sentence and capitalize proper nouns (names of specific people, places, or things)?
• correctly spell words and names you need to use in seventh grade, including seventh grade commonly confused words  (confused words chart.doc)?
• write a complete paragraph with a beginning, middle, and end, and transitions?
• support what you’re saying or writing with evidence (effective details)?
• recognize and write cause-and-effect and comparison-contrast text structures (paragraphs)?
• understand these parts of an argument: claim, warrant, and evidence?
• read novels and short stories and identify and discuss setting, plot structure, character, and theme? 
• Read and write poetry, summarizing meaning, recognizing theme and mood, and identifying poetic devices such as alliteration, rhyme, figurative language, word choice, and the creation of specific images. 
• participate effectively in whole-class and small group discussions, activities, and projects?
• write complete and varied sentences?
• correctly use commas when listing three or more things within a sentence (commas in a series), and when using coordinate adjectives?
• summarize literary and informational text?

By the end of Term 1, the expectation is that you will master the bolded skills and understandings, and that you will be well on your way to mastering the non-bolded skills and understandings. 


1st Term
August 21 - October 26 (Seventh Grade Day is on August 20.)
A days = 23
B days = 22
Total days = 45

[Term 2 -- main idea, summarize, fact vs. opinion]

Book-of-the-Month Assessment for Term 1

Book-of-the-Month Assessment for Term 1

To prepare for your assessment ---
Read the entire book.
Fill out as much as you can of the character chart for one or two major characters in your book.
Fill out as much as you can of the setting chart for your book.
Think about what you would say to tell someone else about the book.
What would you tell them about the main character(s)?
What could you tell them about the setting?
What would another student need to know before he or she decides to read the book? (Do you recommend it? Why? To whom?)

On the assessment day, bring your book, your character and setting charts, and make sure you have your composition book here.

Term 1 Big Question: How Do I Belong?

During first term, we'll be investigating how we can belong in positive ways. We'll read the novel The Outsiders, interview each other to get to know each other, interview 8th or 9th graders to find out more about our school, and create presentations on various aspects of American Fork Junior High.