Course Title: 7Th Grade ELA 2016 Influences, Decisions, Morality, Beliefs

Course Title: 7th grade ELA 2016 – Influences, decisions, morality, beliefs Instructor: Adina Richman, room #304 Email: [email protected] Course Description : In the 7th grade, we continue our journey towards self-definition, where our places in society are, and who we are going to be. This year will be spent analyzing our motivations, decision making processes, and core beliefs. Towards this end, we will read and analyze speeches, poems, short stories, novels, TED Talks, podcasts and works of nonfiction for meaning, content and style. We will revisit or introduce strategies for analysis and questioning, such as Bloom’s Taxonomy, Maslow’s Hierarchy, Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development, advertising/marketing and consumer manipulation, risk assessment, argumentation and rhetoric, and strategies for determining moral or societal biases. Our writing will become increasingly academic, as opposed to personal or creative. We will continue to develop essays, focusing on proof of thesis, structure and style. This year we will continue with personal narratives, but will add research essays, persuasive essays, argumentative essays and critiques. We will also begin our work with speech writing with our “This I Believe” speech. Vocabulary building will be derived from and integrated with reading and class discussion, and will be studied throughout the year and collected in personal dictionaries. We will continue taking Cornell Notes and will also integrate strategies of SSSS (Smart Students Study Smart) to enhance and create best practices and study skills. Finally, we will continue to practice active listening, civil and reciprocal discussion, literature circles, and the effects of words for varying outcomes.

Major Works:

 Myths – “Icarus and Dedalus”, “Prometheus”

 Excerpts from The Odyssey, by Homer

 The Giver, by Lois Lowry

 Antigone, by Sophocles

 The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton

 Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare

 Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck  The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak**

** This novel is still under consideration, and is subject to time restraints. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-book-thief

Methods of Assessment:

The course will be taught through class discussion, large and small group work, interactive activities, projects, reading selections, and lecture. Students will be assessed for comprehension and/or mastery in a variety of manners, including, but not limited to, oral examination, participation, formal tests, quizzes, written and visual compositions, teacher observation, notes, rubrics, numeric and letter grades, and Socratic Inquiry.

Grading Policy:

Homework – 30%

Classwork- 30%

Tests, quizzes, major essays and projects -40%

Late work will be accepted for up to three days past the due date. Each late day, a 10 point deduction will be applied. After three days, the assignment will receive a zero.

Cheating, copying and plagiarism will result in a grade of 0.

Philosophical Mission Statement:

I believe that the primary objective of a Language Arts teacher is to present students with different models for effective communication, comprehension and expression, in order to facilitate and stimulate creative thought, questioning skills, critical thinking, and meaningful, articulate expression of unique or original thought.

I believe that people learn, absorb and retain information in different ways, and that an eclectic approach is necessary to serve and stimulate a diverse student population.

I believe that people are capable of change and that high expectations promote success and self- confidence.

I believe that we gain knowledge, insight and flexibility through the study of alternative, diverse viewpoints, theories and strategies. The exploration of patterns and connections are essential to understanding human motivation, life and civility.

I believe in respect, collaboration, and ownership of ideas, actions, speech and responsibility. It is necessary to create a learning environment in which every participant feels valued, trusted and trustworthy, respected, and comfortable to express opinions, make mistakes, and nurture learning and positive change. I believe that students should be encouraged to move from dependence to independence, from “being told” toward “figuring out.” Students are a vital part of their own educations and should be part of the decision-making and execution of their academic goals.