Mrs. Toomey's 7th Grade ELA
Second Quarter Newsletter
Fiction/Nonfiction Literature Circles
Writer's Workshop: Argumentative Essay
Grammar App
English/Language Arts
What we're doing now...
Reading- Fiction/Nonfiction is underway! For this unit, students are working in small groups reading a nonfiction book and a fiction book on the same topic. While reading, students are required to take detailed notes on their book and come up with a question for discussion. Students come together at the beginning of class each day to share their questions and hold an in depth discussion of the text.
Writing- There will be mini writing assignments throughout the Fiction/Nonfiction unit and one essay. The essay is argumentative, and students have been working on this essay for multiple weeks now. This essay has been written using a Writer's Workshop format; this means students have written their paper one paragraph at a time and revised along the way. This method slows down the writing process and allows students to really make meaningful revisions to their writing before completing a final draft.
Vocabulary- Vocabulary this quarter will come from the nonfiction and fiction books students are reading in their groups. Students are required to find vocabulary from their book that is not only new to them, but also words that are unique to their time period and topic. This method differentiates the vocabulary in that each student is challenged at his or her own level. We will also be studying Latin and Greek roots this quarter.
Grammar- We will be using the iPad app, "iTooch 7th Grade Language Arts" to learn and practice grammar and writing skills. Students will use the app to learn and practice the material, and then they will have to apply these skills in their writing assignments for Fiction/Nonfiction. This process allows students to see how knowing the basic foundations of English grammar can improve and enhance their writing. Plus as a bonus, this app actually makes grammar fun and engaging for students!
What's coming up next...
- iTooch Grammar Due- December 1
- Argumentative Essay Due- December 2
- iTooch Writing and Composition Due- December 9
- iTooch Vocabulary Due- December 14
- Fiction/Nonfiction Final Project Due- December 17
- Q2 Book Report Due- January 13
7th Grade Announcements
Parent/Teacher Conferences Are Here!
Mrs. Amanda Toomey
Email: atoomey@d103.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/d103.org/atoomey/
Location: Daniel Wright Junior High School, Lincolnshire, IL, United States
Phone: (847) 295-1560
Twitter: @mrstoomey103