Parent
Night Information for English Class
Mrs.
Jennifer Rice, M.Ed. - room 340
7th Grade
Curriculum Highlights
Greek/Latin root and prefix study
Literary analysis using elements of literature
Close-analysis of informational text
Introduction to poetic devices
Topic sentence for organizing
Constructed response
Personal narrative
Compare/Contrast essay
Basic/compound/complex sentence techniques
Multi-media critique
The Civil Rights Movement
Independent reading and response
Accountable Talk
Summer reading log (between 7th and 8th grade)
8th Grade
Curriculum Highlights
Greek/Latin root and prefix study
Elements of literature review
Close-analysis of informational text
Poetry analysis using poetic devices
3 part parallel thesis for organizing
Expository essay with support
Developing persuasive arguments
Plagiarism and paraphrasing
research
Writing dialogue and using
quotations
Multi-media critique
The Holocaust
Independent reading and response
Socratic Seminar
Using in-text citations
What You Can Expect To See At
Home
1)
Scholastic Scope Literary Magazine - students are given their own magazine each
month, and the majority of homework activities are assigned from various pieces
in the magazine. Feel free to read with
your son/daughter as the topics are current and of high interest. Homework is assigned at the end of each week
and due the end of the following week.
2)
Novel Projects/Essays – during one grading
quarter, an independent novel project with reader’s journals will go home. A weekly breakdown of work for the project is
provided. In 8th grade, an
in-class novel will also require chapter readings at home. You will also see various writing drafts on
those occasions they aren’t finished in class.
3)
A
Completed Tracker – students are given time and prompting at the beginning
of every class period to write their homework from the agenda board and
highlight due dates.
4)
Study
Guides – vocabulary/spelling quizzes every 4-5 weeks on our weekly
word-study of Greek and Latin roots and prefixes, and unit test study guides.
5) Multimedia Critique – students only
bring this assignment home for one week during the entire school year. When you see it on Infinite Campus with a
blank score, that simply means it’s not yet your child’s turn, or he/she has
gone already. A blank score does not
affect the overall grade.
What You Won’t See At Home
1)
In-Class
Work – all classwork is kept in the composition book in the classroom and
is given a completion score once or twice a quarter.
2)
Final
Writing Drafts – all graded essays are kept in the student’s English
portfolio. Portfolios and composition
books will go home the end of 8th grade.
