7/8 Language Arts students will write for a variety of purposes, including narrative (telling a story), informative (explaining), and opinion writing. Students will spend a great deal of class time participating in writing activities and learning new strategies to improve writing skills. Students will regularly use the writing process to complete assignments and will also continue to focus on conventions such as punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar. All final writing assignments must be typewritten using 10-12 font, Times New Roman (no fancy fonts), or as specified in class.
Students will read fiction and nonfiction books as a class and individually. Students will read, discuss, reflect, and write using text evidence. Students are required to read two AR books per month and score at least 80% to pass the test. It is critical that student actually read the entire book before taking for AR test. The book must be in your reading level. If you have any questions, have me approve the book ahead of time to ensure that you will be given credit. Vocabulary is a key to comprehension, and comprehension is a key to success in content-reading area and tests in school and beyond. Students will use Wordly Wise 3000 program to help master the academic vocabulary that you encounter in school every day. Vocabulary words are assigned Monday and due the following Wednesday. You are expected to spell the words correctly, give definitions, and use it in your own sentence. You are also encouraged to use the vocabulary words when you complete a writing assignment.
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In 7/8 social studies, students will develop a new, more abstract level of understanding of social studies concepts in U.S. history and government, 1776 to 1900's. Students will explore the ideas, issues, and events from the framing of the Constitution up through Reconstruction and Industrialization. After reviewing the founding of the United States, particularly the Constitution, students will explore the development of politics, society, culture, and economy in the United States to deepen conceptual understandings in civics, geography, and economics. In particular, studying the causes and consequences of the Civil War helps them to comprehend more profoundly the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a culturally diverse democracy.
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