McCain Middle School
400 N. Iowa Ave
Payette, Idaho 83661
Language Arts / 7th grade
honors
2013 - 2014
Instructor: Kory Gott
Classroom: Room 23
Telephone: (208)
642-4122
E-mail: kogott@payetteschools.org
Office
Hours:
By appointment
Website:
gott7honors.blogspot.com
GRADING:
Grading is based on
points earned. For each assignment, point values are determined based on
criteria such as anticipated time and effort involved to accomplish the task,
meeting the goals set forth in rubrics, and overall difficulty. A free-write,
for instance, might be worth 20 points, whereas a large project that takes more
than a week to complete may be worth 300 points. Tests, assignments, and
projects are not broken down by a specific consistent percentage other than the
percentage of their point value in reference to the total points possible by
the end of the quarter. Percentages for each assignment can be determined by
dividing the numerator by the denominator. For instance, 30/30 is 100 percent;
56/70 is 80 percent.
A regular
percentage scale determines letter grades:
90 - 100% = A
80 - 89.9% = B
70 - 79.9% = C
60 - 69.9% = D
0 - 59.9% = F
Late work is not accepted other than for excused absences
as outlined in the MMS Student Handbook. Even if you miss a due date, assignments
and projects are still expected to be completed to the best of your ability so
that you continue to learn key concepts and are caught up with your peers.
However, points will not be awarded unless there are extenuating circumstances
that made accomplishing a task on time impossible. (If this is the case, please
schedule a conference with me regarding your situation as soon as possible so
that your grade does not suffer.) In general, you’re given plenty of time in
class to do your work. If you are on-task, you’ll rarely have homework unless
you need the extra time for a large project, supplemental reading, or to edit,
revise and complete a final draft of writing.
I encourage you to use
Family Link as a tool to know what your grades are for all of your classes.
Please keep in mind that I do not correct assignments while I’m teaching, so
just because an assignment has been turned in on a specific day, it’s
impossible for me to have my students’ papers corrected and scores posted that
day. Hand-outs and quizzes are often posted within one to two days of their due
date, but writing is another story. Once you get your first paper back with
comments and proofreaders’ marks and ink scrawled everywhere, you’ll understand
that I sometimes write more on a paper than you wrote to complete the
assignment. I try to control myself, I really do, but I feel that each piece of
writing deserves a quality response and individual attention regarding specific
errors, so stories and essays take quite a long time for me to evaluate. Please understand that even when I devote a
few hours each night and during weekends to grading papers, there will be some
lag-time between the due date and the return date so that I can give adequate
feedback and better meet your needs as a writer. Each of you will have
strengths and weaknesses, and I cater individually to every single one of you
so that you grow as a writer based on your needs. A blank on Family Link
doesn’t mean that you earned a zero, it simply means that grades have yet to be
posted. All papers will be returned to you; it’s your responsibility to share
them with your parents.
Finally, if you or your
parents have any questions or concerns about a particular assignment or grade,
please feel free to contact me via e-mail. (Phone calls are impossible for me
to take while I’m teaching or working with students in the library; therefore,
e-mail is the best way to reach me.)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Seventh grade honors
language arts is designed to help you better develop your reading, writing,
speech, and analytical thinking skills so that you can communicate more
effectively and efficiently while broadening your knowledge of the world in
which we live. Content is based on the Common
Core Standards for Language Arts as adopted by our state. A variety of
literature in various formats, fabulous in-depth discussions, outlandishly fun activities,
and culminating projects will be used as tools to explore an Essential Question
that is designed to pique student interest and thought. The Essential Question
is determined by individual grade levels and used across the curriculum. In our
pursuit to answer each thematic question, students will actively immerse
themselves in a creative journey as they plunge into a world where they’ll employ
unique methods for demonstrating their understanding, growth, and experiences
along the way.
COURSE EXPECTATIONS:
You are expected to
arrive to class on time with all of the materials necessary for you to be an
active learner and participant. Grades are not given, they are earned. I want
everyone to reach their full potential and be successful in my class, but that
means that you’re accountable for your own learning. I expect you to put forth
your best effort, participate, ask questions, and be enthusiastic about what
we’re doing in class. Always complete your work to the best of your ability and
turn it in on time, be prepared to share ideas, and be respectful of other
students’ ideas even if they differ from your own. There is a lot to be learned
from someone who thinks differently than you do! Our class is a place where
everyone should feel free to express themselves and fearlessly explore new
ideas.
STUDENT SUPPLIES:
- 3-ring
binder with loose-leaf college-ruled paper
- Spiral
notebook (for use in this class
only; college-ruled paper)
- Pens (blue or black ink; one red pen; no gel
pens, please)
- Pencils (mechanical preferred; there is no
pencil sharpener in our classroom)
- Eraser (to erase your errors, of course)
- Flash
drive (to save your precious
documents)
- Two
folders with pockets and brads to hold papers in the center (designated for this class only)
- Expo
marker for use with mini-whiteboards (dark
colors work best)
- Colored
pencils
- Glue stick
**Please note that I realize not all of
these supplies may have been on your school supply list because only a limited
amount of students are in honors. For this reason, do not panic if you don’t
already have these items. The world will continue to turn if students don’t
have everything on this list until after they return from Labor Day weekend.
There’s no telling what the Earth will do, however, if someone doesn’t have a
glue stick by then…perhaps they’ll have to—gasp!—borrow one. Everybody stay
calm…we will get through this.
WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS:
- MUGSHOTS: Daily oral language
consisting of sentences with grammatical errors and mini-lessons on
parts-of-speech, punctuation, capitalization, etc. As a class, we discuss
and edit two sentences on Mondays and three sentences on Tuesdays; based
on the five sentences and skills from the front of the sheet, you use that
knowledge to independently complete the paragraph on the back of the sheet.
It is due when you arrive in class on
Wednesday. (Frequency: weekly. Paragraph
is considered HOMEWORK if you don’t get it finished during class prior to
Wednesday. Some shortened weeks MAY NOT have mugshots based on how many
days students are here and what other material must be covered.)
- GREEK & LATIN ROOTS: (Frequency: every other week, alternating
with spelling. H/O on Mondays, TESTS on Fridays.)
- SPELLING: (Frequency: every other week, alternating with Greek and Latin
roots. H/O on Mondays, TESTS on Fridays.)
QUARTERLY ASSIGNMENT:
- While the general language arts course
uses Accelerated Reader as part of its supplemental reading program, the
honors 7 class values independent reading that focuses on literary discussions,
exploration of new genres, journaling, and culminating projects that
reflect your evaluation and understanding of a piece of literature. (More
information follows; extensive details for each quarter’s project will be
handed out in class each quarter. Quarter one will require students to
read a mystery book…not a book that I refuse to share with you, but a book
that falls into the genre of mystery. Titles of books that will qualify
for this assignment will be provided.)
- INDEPENDENT READING / WRITING PROJECT:
Your choice of a pre-approved novel from a specific genre that is
determined in class. Examination of the Essential Question will be done
while reflecting upon the novel and students will analyze the interactions
between the individuals, events, and ideas in a text and how they function
to impact each other. The CULMINATING
PROJECT FOR EACH QUARTER’S INDEPENDENT READING is to pitch the literature
selection to the class using tools such as propaganda, rhetorical devices,
persuasive speech, and connotation and denotation via creative projects
and presentations.
FIRST ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What does it mean to be human?
READING:
- NOVEL: Tuck Everlasting by
Natalie Babbitt
“Is eternal life a blessing or a curse? That
is what young Winnie Foster must decide when she discovers a spring on her
family’s property whose waters grant immortality. Members of the Tuck family,
having drunk from the spring, tell Winnie of their experiences watching life go
by and never growing older. But then Winnie must decide whether or not to keep
the Tucks’ secret—and whether or not to join them on their never-ending
journey.” (synopsis from jacket copy)
- VIDEO: Movie version of Tuck
Everlasting (compare / contrast,
analyze each medium’s portrayal of the subject)
- VIDEO: Movie version of Hamlet
(with parental permission; compare / contrast, analyze each medium’s
portrayal of the subject)
ADDITIONAL READING:
- We will
read various excerpts from a variety of sources such as magazines, short
stories, plays, poetry, fables, folktales, fairy tales, picture books,
newspaper clippings, and more. Class novels will be made known to you via
our blog in the event that a parent or guardian would like to read the
literature ahead of time. If there are concerns about what we read as a
class, please contact me immediately via e-mail. In most cases, alternate
literature can be assigned to an individual student if a parent believes
that a novel is somehow detrimental to his or her child.
WRITING:
- Writing is
a key component in this course. You’ll often write every day, whether it
be to explore an idea that we’ll discuss as a class, to provide thoughtful
reflection regarding literature or a specific topic, or simply to hone
your skills. Countless mini-lessons and writing activities will help you
become a better writer—so long as
you read the personal responses that are given to you as an individual and
you apply the feedback in future assignments.
- Some
activities and projects will include, but are not limited to:
Ø
When I write, I… (free-write)
Ø
The Watcher
(exploration of your inner-editor)
Ø
Narration in first, second, and third person
point-of-view. (NOTE: This will include a
large study and application via a biography project in reference to Tuck Everlasting. The project
includes interviews that will implement comparison and contrast as well as examination
of and reflection upon our Essential Question. In a reflection paper, you will
draw conclusions and present your thoughts regarding what you’ve learned from
the literature, the discussions, and your personal interviews.)
Ø
Rhetorical devices (apply and present in persuasive speeches)
Ø
Project Hamlet: Includes settings, stereotypes, vocabulary, scripts, outlines, summaries,
genre, style, tone, mood, theme, and a presentation.
Ø
Storytelling (the
history and the future of how information and stories have been, are, and will
continue to be passed on and used in civilization)
Ø
Poetry (in
a variety of forms)
Ø
Research
Ø
Advertising and propaganda
SPEECH:
- You will
become an effective speaker and are expected to memorize and recite a
variety of materials, including, but not limited to poetry, a soliloquy
from Hamlet, and short scripts.
CONTESTS
- Love
What’s Real (poetry contest)
- Forest
Products Week Essay Contest (may be
done in science class / TBA)
- Patriot’s
Pen Essay Contest (may be done in
history or social studies class / TBA)
- Creative
Communication (poetry contest / TBA)
- NOTE: I have had several students win cash, gift certificates,
publication, and other prizes (such as airfare to anywhere in the
continental United States for a family of four), so I am always excited to
offer opportunities for you to write and win prizes in competitions!
INDIVIDUAL RESOURCES / ACTIVITIES
- NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month /
nanowrimo.org / Set a word-count goal and strive to write a novel in just
30 days!)
- Figment (For aspiring writers. Figment is an
online community where you can share your writing, connect with other
aspiring writers and voracious readers, and discover new stories and
authors. Whatever you're into, from sonnets to mysteries, from science-fiction
stories to cell phone novels, I encourage you to sign up and write! Go to figment.com
for all of the groovy details.)
***PLEASE NOTE: Due dates and time frames for our curriculum are
subject to change based on unforeseen circumstances. A more specific breakdown
for projects and reading lessons (such as pages read each day) cannot be given
at this time as they will fluctuate based on the needs of the class. Also, when
“teachable moments” occur, we are likely to veer from our intended path to
explore something that is, in that moment, critical to discuss. Finally,
interruptions such as assemblies, fire and lockdown drills, and general teenage
drama can always impact our lessons for the day. For that reason, I encourage
communication between students and parents so that procrastination or large
projects don’t go unnoticed. Remember, the website will have information on it
to help keep everyone informed of our progress.
