Disclosure Document - 7th Grade English - Please read and respond

7th Grade English Disclosure 2013-2014

Mrs. Shannon Cannon

Email: shannon.cannon@maeserprep.org

Blog: www.mrscannonsenglishblog.blogspot.com

Website: http://mrscannonsenglishblog.moonfruit.com/

7^th Grade English Class Goals and Description

Dear 7^th grade students and parents:

I am so excited to begin this school year with you.  I love teaching 7^th graders because of your enthusiasm and eagerness to learn.  Maeser’s mission describes best what I will be working hard to inspire, that is for “each student to be empowered to learn continually, think critically, and communicate effectively through Socratic methods in order to better themselves and their community.”

I hope to help each one of you see that you have incredible potential to do great things in this world, to help you get excited about educating yourself to become powerful by exercising your beautiful brain just like you would your super-buff biceps, and then to use your powers for good.  That’s all. 

There are so many incredible things to learn about and discuss this year.  I have the great pleasure of reading, writing, studying, and preparing for the things we will learn together and I expect you as my students to take seriously your responsibility to do the same.  7^th grade is a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of hard work.  Please note that you will have reading assignments each day and a short writing assignment each week.

Parents:  Consider carving out some time to do the readings along with your student and discuss them together.  You, your student, and our entire class will benefit greatly from this practice and it will reinforce the ideal and joy of life-long learning.

Class Content:

                Writing – One of my loves is helping students become better writers.  In order to improve writing, students must write – a lot.  Therefore, every Thursday a short writing assignment will be due and a new assignment will be given.  These assignments will help the students to master the five different types of writing we will work on this year: poetry, narrative, persuasive writing, research writing, and personal essay.

Note: All of these writing assignments must be typed in MLA style and printed, so access to a working computer and printer is vital.

                Great Literature and Discussions – Maeser has chosen some great books, stories, and poetry to read, study, discuss and experience.  Every day students will have a new reading assignment.   

Bookmarks (Annotation) – Students will learn to think deeply about the principles found in their reading.  We will be doing this by annotating and collecting quotes, thoughts, reactions, and open-ended questions about the reading on annotation bookmarks.  This will help the students actively read and prepare for our class discussions of the books.  I STRONGLY recommend that students complete these bookmarks as they read.  It is difficult to go back and remember what your thoughts were if you wait until long after the reading is finished.  Each week, we will spend significant time discussing ideas from the book we are reading.  Students should come to these discussions prepared with ideas, quotes, open-ended questions and thoughts to discuss.  Because these discussions will go much deeper than basic comprehension, students will need to think more deeply as they read in preparation. 

Elements of Literature and Writing – In class, students will be doing activities and taking notes about various literary devices and elements of writing.  Students will learn to recognize these elements in the books we will be reading as well as learning how to use them in their own writing.

Below are the books that we will be reading on this year:

Little Britches by Ralph Moody

White Indian Boy by Elijah Nicholas Wilson

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang

Angel on the Square by Gloria Whelan

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Tales from Shakespeare  by Charles and Mary Lamb

Selected Short Stories

Selected Poetry

Note: Books are provided by Maeser. They are checked out to the student for their use and must be

returned in good condition at the conclusion of the unit. A charge of $25.00 will be made for lost books.

Any student is welcome to purchase their own copy of the books.

Writing journals - Daily assignments in our writing journals will help us gather ideas, resources, and develop our personal writing style and voice.  Often, these will be completed in class, but 50 pages of the notebook must be completed each term, so it is highly encouraged that students carry their journal with them often to collect any interesting lists, characters, dialogue, quotes, song lyrics, story ideas, or poems that they run into in daily life.  I have trained myself to do this and it takes some focus and thought, but it is one of the first steps to becoming a better writer.

Materials:

·         wide-rule, 200-page, composition notebook to use as a writing journal.  This must be brought to class EVERY day.  You may not use a spiral-bound notebook. 

·         pencils and pens

·         access to a computer with a word processor and a connected printer

·         access to Mrs. Cannon’s website at http://mrscannonsenglishblog.moonfruit.com/

Earning a Grade

The grade for the class will be a reflection of the student’s level of mastery demonstrated in two main categories:

Academic Behavior Skills (ABS): 100 points/term. The student will be awarded 100 points at the beginning of each term and points will be subtracted only if a student fails to meet the ABS criteria which include college and career readiness skills such as:

·         note-taking

·         turning in assignments on time

·         respecting others

·         being on time and prepared

·         wearing the uniform properly

·         following rules of the school and the teacher

·         communicating effectively in class, both in writing and discussions, and

·         contributing positively to a college-ready culture.

Students will forfeit 10 points with each tardy and absence, unless it is school excused.  Students will forfeit all of their work skills points for the quarter with a verified truancy/sluff, or if caught cheating.

Academics: The remainder of the student’s grade will be determined by student mastery in three academic areas.  Mastery implies that you are proficient in the content or skills required, which are:

1.       Reading critically and annotating effectively to find and apply principles from the books we read as a class.  This will be assessed by:

a.       Accounting for daily reading assignments.

b.      The quality of the annotated bookmarks turned in at the end of each book.

c.       The quality of preparation and participation in class discussions about the principles and application discovered in the reading and other study.

d.      Occasional projects or assignments designed to internalize the content and depth of the reading.

2.       Writing effective and quality poetry, narratives, persuasive essays, research essays, and personal essays.  This will be assessed in the following ways:

a.       Summative weekly assignments that practice specific target skills taught in class.  I will assess these writing assignments largely in the form of feedback about areas the student has mastered and ways the student can improve to achieve complete mastery in that specific genre. This will give the student a clear idea of what they need to work on for the final writing project.

b.      Writing journals where students will collect tips on writing and lots of fun and useful ideas and material for future writing projects.  I have found that students who embrace the purpose and value of this writing journal truly see themselves as writers and improve their writing more readily.  This will also give students ideas to use in their final writing project.

c.       Formative assessments will be given as a final writing project in each genre.  Once the student has mastered that form of writing according to the mastery description provided, they will receive an A for that genre.  Students are welcome to submit and resubmit their final writing project as many times as necessary to attain mastery.  Instruction throughout each writing unit will build students’ skills to improve their writing.  If a student feels that they have mastered a particular form of writing before the end of the unit, they are free to submit their final writing project early, but should continue work to improve on their writing skills as they stand.

3.       Mastery of the writing concepts and elements of literature taught throughout the year.  This will be assessed through:

a.       Quizzes

b.      Application of the principles in student writing and discussions

c.       Tests after each unit

d.      Final exams at the end of each semester

If special or unusual circumstances arise, please immediately communicate with me. I will work with you. However, these issues should be discussed privately and at an appropriate time. DO NOT interrupt class time to have these discussions.

The grading scale will be as outlined below:

Percent Range	Grade	Percent Range	Grade
93-100	A	74-77.99	C+
90-92.99	A-	70-74.99	C
86-89.99	B+	66-69.99	C-
82-85.99	B	<66	F
78-81.99	B-	D Grades are not awarded at Maeser Prep

Absences and Late Work:  Late work may be turned in one day late for 75% credit.  If work is turned in after one day late, it will not be accepted.  If a student is absent it is up to that student to find out what they missed, including getting notes from a classmate.  The student must complete the day’s assignments within one day for each day they were absent. 

Note about Plagiarism/Cheating: This will not be tolerated.  Students who choose to cheat will receive a zero on the assignment AND the loss of all ABS points for the quarter.  They will have a conference with the Assistant Headmaster AND the parents/guardians notified.  If this happens a second time, there will be a conference between teacher, administrators, and parents to jointly decide upon appropriate consequences.

Additional Behavior Expectations:

·         Students are expected to comply with the standards of behavior and dress code set by Karl G.

Maeser Preparatory Academy.

·         Students are expected to treat their peers, teachers, administrators, the school, and others’ property with RESPECT. Rudeness will not be tolerated.

·         Students are expected to bring only appropriate items to class. Food, drink, gum, electronic

devices, cell phones, makeup, toys, etc. will be confiscated and taken to the Assistant Headmaster, in accordance with Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy Policy.

·         Cell phones will not be tolerated. I don’t want to see or hear them, so turn them off and put them away.  I get a strange and somewhat twisted pleasure from taking phones away from students who choose to disobey this policy.  Just so you know.

For other school-wide policies please refer to the Maeser Student Handbook.

Parents and students,

When you have read this document and agree to the responsibilities for materials, assignments, and commitments required of you, please email me at shannon.cannon@maeserprep.org with your name, your student's full name, class period, and any special concerns or circumstances that I should be aware of regarding your student.  Your email will verify that you understand and are accountable for the above information.

Your response email will count for points on your student's grade.

Thank you,

Mrs. Cannon

Menu Entree #1 - Poem about Me - Due Monday, August 26, 2013

Menu Entrée Assignment #1 – Due Monday, August 26, 2013

Who Am I?

Write a non-rhyming poem or a paragraph giving 12 clues about yourself.  Only 5 of the clues may describe your physical characteristics (eye color, hair color, height, etc.).  Be as creative as you can.  You may refer to a couple of my examples at http://mrscannonsstudentanthology.blogspot.com/2012/08/if-you-tried-to-find-me.html and http://mrscannonsstudentanthology.blogspot.com/2013/08/im-from.html?view=flipcard.  Do not write this assignment in bullet points.  Include only one clue per sentence or line.  As with all writing assignments for this class, please print your assignment in Times New Roman or Calibri, 10-12 point font, standard 1-inch margins, with the following MLA header at the top left-hand corner of your paper:

Your name

Teacher’s name

Class, Period 

Date

Assignment Name

Have fun!

Second Final Final Sample - Portia's Advice

Lines from Portia in Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene 2

If to do were as easy as to know what were good
to do, chapels had been churches and poor men's 

cottages princes' palaces. It is a good divine that
follows his own instructions: I can easier teach 

twenty what were good to be done, than be one of
the twenty to follow mine own teaching. The brain
may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper
leaps o'er a cold decree: such a hare is madness the
youth, to skip o'er the meshes of good counsel the
cripple.

Know – These lines say that if “to do were as easy as to know what were good to do”, little chapels would be big churches and poor men’s cottages would be princes’ palaces.  It’s easier to teach a lot of people what they should do than it is to do what you teach.

Understand – This means that it is much easier to know what you should do than it is to actually do it, but it is much more valuable to be able to do what you know you should.  It means that you should internalize what you know is right and then have the integrity to do it rather than just preaching it or passing it off as something that is too hard.  Portia knows what she should do: she should be happy since she is wealthy and has so many blessings, but somehow just knowing what she should do isn’t enough to make her do it.

Apply – This principle of doing what you know you should do is called integrity.  There are many examples of people applying this principle.  Gandhi, who said “you must be the change you wish to see in the world”, was an especially poignant example of integrity.  He was a wealthy lawyer, educated in Britain and raising a beautiful little family in very comfortable circumstances.  Through some experiences and observations he made in traveling to India, he began to see that his own people were oppressed and mistreated in inhumane ways.  He could see “what were good to do,” as Portia says.  Instead of just shrugging his shoulders and being glad he wasn’t one of the poor downtrodden ones, he examined his life, his means, his potential for influence and change, and he began to DO. 

Analyze – Two important parts of this idea are knowing and doing.  (Ironically this is exactly the point of Bloom’s Taxonomy – to DO rather than just KNOW.)  Doing is a giant step beyond thinking about what you should do.  Our human nature makes it easy to know something – we memorize the names of the states, the times tables, the bones in the body – repetition and recall come fairly easily because our brain can do that without much engagement or work.  But when we must put that knowledge into action, we have to move some muscles, get out of our comfort zone, put down our t.v. remote, refuse the alcohol, open our mouths to say something kind, turn off the alarm and get up.  It takes mental effort, physical stamina, moral commitment to DO what we KNOW.

Evaluate – This principle has value to me because as I have a long list of things I KNOW I should do.  Unfortunately it often stays on the paper or in my head.  I make excuses and ignore that list, or sometimes I even teach others what is on the list while subconsciously refusing to take it seriously myself.  When I DO what I KNOW my life is more peaceful.  I’m healthier, happier, safer, wiser, more peaceful and more true.  So this principle is definitely a valuable one.

Create – For my creation phase of this principle that I learned from The Merchant of Venice, I will write down 5 specific things that I know I personally should do (pray, read scriptures, run, eat healthy, love) and rather than just memorizing that list, I will actually DO what I KNOW I should.

It is a good divine that follows his own instructions.

(Took 40 minutes)

Bloom's Taxonomy Explained

Final Final Sample - Simile

Final Final Sample

Simile

Knowledge – a simile is a comparison of two different things using the words “like” or “as”.

Understanding – Similes help describe something better than using adjectives because they take the thing you are talking about and compare it to something different with similar characteristics.

Application – Here is an application of the principle of simile. 

“There was a quivering in the grass which seemed like the departure of souls.”

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.

This shows how much better Hugo describes a quivering in the grass than if he has said it was “an eery, creepy quivering in the grass”.  “The departure of souls” brings to mind spirits or ghosts leaving their bodies or this earth, and it gives us a much starker feeling of eeriness or creepiness than if we had just used those adjectives.

Analyze – To understand why similes work, you must look at effective similes that compare very poignant, colorful things.  A simile format is “__________ is like a ___________” or “____________ is as _________ as a __________.”  This format does not just work for any two things you want to compare.  You must think of the traits you are trying to emphasize in the object you are discussing and then find something to compare it to that has those traits amplified.  This is key in similiing.  And yes, I just made up that word.

“The day was boring.”

What other things are boring?  Vanilla ice cream, soggy bread, a newspaper in Yiddish, folding cloth diapers for a Mormon family, sharpening pencils for standardized testing, stuffing envelopes for a losing candidate. 

You take something that is also boring and you create a simile.  “The day was as boring as soggy bread.”

Evaluate – similes have value to me because when I try to explain something without using similes, it often comes out boring…as boring as sharpening pencils for standardized testing.  It makes my writing more vivid, interesting, engaging.  It makes it as engaging as riding the dolphins at Sea World.

Create – Similes make writing as engaging as riding the dolphins at Sea World.  Trying to create a simile is as difficult as solving a crossword puzzle in Norwegian.

(This example took 35 minutes)

7th Grade Final - Due on the day of your final

7th Grade Final

*For your final final in 7th grade English, you will do the following:Choose 10 of the following concepts, skills, or books that you believe will be most important to you in your life.
*Prove to me that you have learned each of these things on every level of Bloom’s Taxonomy: Know, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate (why and how is it valuable to you?), Create something new
*Turn in your project for all 10 on the day of the final.
*Be prepared to present part of your project to the class.
*Be prepared to give yourself a grade on your project.

1.    Concrete vs. Abstract Details
2.    Poetic Elements: Simile, Allusion, Alliteration, Onomotopoeia, Personification, Hyperbole
3.    Metaphor
4.    Stream of Consciousness
5.    Protagonist, Antagonist, Deuteragonist, Mentor
6.    Characters – Flat, Round, Static, Dynamic
7.    Blooms Taxonomy – Memorized; How to apply it to what you’re learning
8.    Adler’s Levels of Reading
9.    Latin Roots
10.    Sensory Imagery and Details
11.    Bookmarking – Deep Thoughts, Quotes, Open-ended Questions, Vocabulary, Application, Theme
12.    Revision vs. Editing
13.    Conflict – Man vs. Man, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Machine
14.    Theme – Identifying and applying theme
15.    Types of Rhyme – End, Slant, Internal, Eye
16.    Point of View in Writing (1st, 2nd, 3rd person – limited and omniscient, unreliable narrator)
17.    Misplaced Modifiers
18.    Types of Verbs – Helping, Actions, Linking
19.    Sentence Fluency, Independent and Dependent Clauses
20.    Thesis Statements
21.    P.I.E. structure of paragraphs, Organizing paragraphs
22.    Persuasive Writing
23.    Ethos, Logos, Pathos
24.    Hero’s Journey
25.    Research Writing – MLA Citations (sandwiching quotes), Works Cited Page, Research Questions
26.    Elements of Plot – Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution
27.    Little Britches
28.    Children’s Homer
29.    Bronze Bow
30.    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
31.    The Hiding Place
32.    Twelfth Night
33.    Tales from Shakespeare
34.    Journals – the importance of journaling
35.    Ego, Id, Superego
36.    Puns – in reference to Shakespeare

8th Grade Final - Due on the Day of Finals

8th Grade Final
 
For your final final in 8th grade English, you will do the following:
   * Choose 10 of the following concepts, skills, or books that you believe will be most important to you in your life.
    *Prove to me that you have learned each of these things on every level of Bloom’s Taxonomy: Know, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate (why and how is it valuable to you?), Create something new.
    *Turn in your project for all 10 on the day of the final.
    *Be prepared to present part of your project to the class.
    *Be prepared to give yourself a grade on your project.


1.    Concrete vs. Abstract Details
2.    Simile, Allusion, Alliteration, Onomotopoeia, Personification, Hyperbole
3.    Metaphor
4.    Protagonist, Antagonist, Deuteragonist, Mentor
5.    Characters – Flat, Round, Static, Dynamic
6.    Blooms Taxonomy – Memorized; How to apply it to what you’re learning
7.    Latin Roots – Memorized
8.    Sensory Imagery and Details
9.    Bookmarking – Deep Thoughts, Quotes, Open-ended Questions, Vocabulary, Application, Theme
10.    Revision vs. Editing
11.    Conflict – Man vs. Man, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Machine
12.    Theme – Identifying and applying theme
13.    Types of Rhyme – End, Slant, Internal, End
14.    Point of View – First, Second, Third Person (Unlimited and Omniscient), Unreliable Narrator
15.    Plot – Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution
16.    Research Writing
17.    MLA Citations (sandwiching quotes), Works Cited Page
18.    Plagiarism
19.    Compare/Contrast
20.    P.I.E. structure of paragraphs, Transition Words
21.    Persuasive Writing
22.    Thesis Statements, Hooks
23.    POWER Formula
24.    Ethos, Logos, Pathos
25.    Witch of Blackbird Pond
26.    Up From Slavery
27.    The Bet
28.    God Sees the Truth but Waits
29.    Legend of Sleepy Hollow
30.    Harrison Bergeron
31.    Most Dangerous Game
32.    Tell-tale Heart
33.    The Lottery
34.    Animal Farm
35.    The Chosen
36.    To Kill a Mockingbird – Segregation, Great Depression
37.    Merchant of Venice

MLA Works Cited Page - Format for Web and Book Sources

How to Cite Web Sources on Your Works Cited Page:
Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Title of the Website. Publisher of the Website, Date of Publication. Web. Date Accessed.

Remember to put the date in the correct format: 24 Apr. 2013.

How to Cite Book Sources on Your Works Cited Page:
Last name, First name. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Print.