Ms. Anderson 1 7 TH GRADE STRATEGIC READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS SMILE FOR YOU Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu, When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too. I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin When he smiled I realized I’d passed it on to him. I thought about that smile then I realized its worth, A single smile, just like mine could travel round the earth. So, if you feel a smile begin, don’t leave it undetected Let’s start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!

2 There is, has been, and will always be a certain group of people whom inspiration visits. It’s made up of all those who’ve consciously chosen their calling and do their job with love and imagination....Their work becomes one continuous adventure as long as they manage to keep discovering new challenges in it. – Wislawa Szymborska, 1996 Nobel Prize for Literature Lecture Why do I teach? Here I borrow from a poet. Teaching is my chosen calling, a calling I strive to undertake with love and imagination, and from a relatively retired teacher, I still want to be that teacher who, even after decades in the classroom, still leaves each session asking how the next might be better, how to better engage and inspire this unique set of students.

3  This course aims to support students as they improve their Reading and Writing skills and work toward mastery of Language Arts Common Core State Standards.

4 Students will be expected to participate in class activities, such as: ECAP Educational Career Action Plan I-Ready Math & Reading Cornell Notes Socratic Seminars Written reflections Class discussions Novel readings Class presentations/performance Collaborative activities Sunnyside LEARN Reading Plus Common Core State Standards

5 Reading Plus students will be expected to complete a minimum of twenty minutes of reading each evening with parents acknowledging they’ve completed by signing the Reading Log form. This will be collected each Friday and recorded into the grade book. ELA students will be required to completed ALL classroom not finished during class for homework due the following day unless instructed otherwise.

6  A: 90%-100% Excellent academic performance  B: 80%-89% Good academic performance  C: 70%-79% Average academic performance  D: 60%-69% Minimum academic performance, students may not be meeting grade level standards.  F: 59% & below Unacceptable academic performance, work not completed. Based on 40% Assessments 30% Projects 10% Homework 10% Quizzes 10% Test

7 1)Home/Class work 2)Group work 3)Test & Quizzes 4)Cornell Note tests 5)Projects 6)Essays reflecting various texts 7)Class participation 8)Sunnyside LEARN 9)Reading Plus 10)Socratic Seminars 11)i-Ready Math & Reading 12)Digital Drivers Lessons Student grades will be computed using total points. The final grade for each grading period (progress & quarter) will be based on various methods of assessment. These include but are not limited to the following:

8 Students will regularly be required to:  Read a variety of library books  Participate in Project Base Learning  Create fully developed essays using the writing process and six- traits.  Complete oral presentations as a part of assessments. Students are expected to follow the rules as stated on the board as well as in the LEARN.  Behavior violations are documented and may result in detention, parent conference, or referred to school prevention specialist.

9 Quarter 1 August ~ October 8, 2014  The North & South Poles  Cesar Chavez “California Commonwealth Club Address”  Martin Luther King “I Have a Dream”

10 Quarter 2  Utopia and Dystopia  The Giver  Twelve mini readings

11 Quarter 3

12 Quarter 4

13 Thank You for making this all happen.  We would like to thank you for being a part of our team in progressing our students your child. Please make sure they read every night and complete their homework assignments. Regular attendance is a must in order to succeed. Check their teacher’s LEARN Pages on a regular basis for updated information. If we work together, every student will be prepared for their future education or employment.