Welcome to 7th Grade English, Mrs. Jackson
7th Grade English Class Syllabus
Class Objectives/Expectations
Welcome to seventh grade. This is going to be an exciting year in which I believe all students are going to excel and continue to grow as writers. My expectations for my students are high and in order for them to grow as writers they need to be in class everyday. Moving from sixth grade to seventh grade is a challenge, and expectations will be higher for students than their previous years. All assignments are to be turned in on time, no excuses. If a student knows they are going to be or is absent on the day an assignment is due, the assignment needs to be turned in upon that students return. Communication is key, students are always welcome to come in during small group to make up work, retake test or for extra assistance. My classroom is an environment in which students are free to ask questions, and make mistakes, as long as they learn from both!
Your success in this class will depend on: Doing all required work with honest effort, turning work in on time, arriving to class prepared, keeping absences to a minimum, behaving appropriately during class.
First Semester: September – January
Focuses – Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice and Word Choice.
Expository, Persuasive, Narrative and Descriptive Writing
5-Paragraph Essay & Functional Writing
Second Semester: February - June
PSSA Review – Students will continue learning for PSSA and have weekly assessments
Research Paper – Research papers on on various topics.
Poetry, Figurative Language – Metaphors, Simile, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia
Supplies
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3- Ring Binder (1-inch) with plenty of loose leaf paper
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1 – Composition book for journal (marble or spiral)
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3 Pocket folders, any color
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Pens (Blue or Black only!)
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1-pack of index cards
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1 pack of colored pencils or markers
Our Day
Each day students are to enter my class quietly, take their seats and begin their pre-class work. Pre-class work and Class work will always be on the left side of the board.
After Pre-class is completed, we usually begin our drills. This consists of our Parts of Speech, Poems, Writing Styles and The Writing Process. Since the beginning of the year, we have memorized one poem, Madam and the Rent Man, by Langston Hughes; The Writing Styles discussed in 7th Grade; and we’ve mastered our Parts of Speech, which the students have been doing since their first day at MCSCS.
Our Year
The Writing Style that we are working on during this period is our Expository Writing. On Monday, October 31st, our first class project is due. The How-To project is one where the students get a chance to show their peers something they like to do and possible teach them how to do it. Below please find the list of our projects for this 7th grade year.
Our focus in 7th Grade English is Parts of Speech and Writing. Writing samples are collected at the beginning of the school year to assess their writing up to 7th grade. At the end of the year, our students will have a final writing assessment to determine their growth throughout the year.
Each week, unless otherwise stated, our students get a vocabulary list. This list is 10 -15 common words that can be used in daily. We usually test on Monday Morning of each week. Every Wednesday, sentences for our weekly words are due.
Writing Projects – All Project must be typed!
October - How-To Project December - Holiday Project
February - Black History Project April – Super Hero Project
June – HBCU Project
Two copies should be presented for each; one for me and one for your portfolio!
Contact Info - Mrs. Jackson (215) 923-4880, ex 148
E-mail – djackson@mcscs.org