Speaking of English
ENGLISH 7 / 7 Honors
Welcome!
Contact Info
- Please see the contact information on the print copy of the course syllabus.
Class Websites & Important Sites
- Infinite Campus (monitor your or your child’s grades here)
- Google Classroom
- Turnitin.com: Feedback Studio
- Commonlit.com
Overview of the Year
Seventh grade English is a literature-based and standards-based course. Every element of English language—from reading and writing to spelling, vocabulary, and grammar—will be developed as the year goes on, as will listening, speaking, and critical thinking skills. This class will both seek to challenge you as learners and to help you to become creative and critical thinkers.
This course is a mixed-level course, with English and honors English students enrolled together. While the content of the course and the learning goals within each unit are the same for all students, Honors English 7 students differ from the English 7 students in two main ways. First, my expectations for “honors” level students are higher in terms of responsibility, handling the workload, and quality of work, as well as demonstration of an innate desire to learn. Second, students generally are more quickly ready to approach all areas of the curriculum in greater depth and complexity, leading to opportunities for independently driven exploration and study. This will allow honors students to delve more deeply into our studies, as well as give college prep students the chance to hone their skills with peer modeling and interaction.
Quarter-by-Quarter Snapshot
The above image details our thematic focuses throughout the year. Each unit of core reading will include at least one central question that guides our analysis of the characters, plots, and themes of the readings. We find that, overall, the ideas of growing up, overcoming adversity through resilience, and the importance of family & friends (in all their nuances) are consistently present in our readings. We will follow these threads throughout the year and will end with a second-semester assignment that links the experiences of the characters and their stories together.
Our Core Units of Study (with central writing focus):
Quarter 1: New Kid, by Jerry Craft (informational, analytical writing); as time permits, we may also read The Giver, by Lois Lowry
Quarter 2: Creative Writing paired with mentor texts, including the novella The Pearl, by John Steinbeck
***SEMESTER ONE FINAL: An in-class essay related to the semester's theme focus.
Quarter 3: Inside Out & Back Again, by Thanhha Lai (argumentative writing)
Quarter 4: TBA (diverse, smaller writing tasks)
***SEMESTER TWO FINAL: Typically a group project that asks students to think about all of the year’s readings, including core texts, short stories, and films, and other learning.
Materials
Organization is important to practice—with practice, organization becomes habit. Though I do not believe there is ever “one right way” to be organized, I do believe that students need consistency. I recommend that students have a class folder or designate space in a binder or multi-pocket portfolio for the class.
- section for English in a binder/portfolio or a class folder just for English
standard college-ruled paper
standard blue/black ink pens
#2 or mechanical pencils (and erasers)
highlighters
- multicolor pens/pencils (recommended)
- Students should also always have an independent reading book when they come to class (or plan to check out a class library book at appropriate times).
Grades
Note: Formative includes “Citizenship/Participation” and “Speaking & Listening” (during class discussions, for instance) and Class/School Business pieces (such as submitting the completed course contract on time). Summative will also include formal, end-of-unit “Speaking & Listening” (generally student-led whole class discussions).
Grades are calculated via category and assignment weighting, through a points-based system.
Semester grades are cumulative:
- First Semester = Quarter 1 + Quarter 2; Quarter 2 includes the semester final.
- Second Semester = Quarter 3 + Quarter 4; Quarter 4 includes the semester final.
GRADING OVERVIEW
Beyond points, what does a grade mean?
"A" grades (100%-90%) mean a student's work "Exceeds Expectations" (+)
An A-level grade indicates a student has mastered the skill(s) being evaluated in a way that is effective, efficient, and/or creative and beyond what is expected of a 7th grade student.
"B" grades (89%-80%) mean a student's work "Meets Expectations" (✔)
A B-level grade indicates a student has met the skill(s) being evaluated at a level appropriate for a 7th grade student.
C grades (79%- 70%) and D (69-60%) grades mean a student's skill level is a "Work In Progress" (WIP/-; Credit depends on effort and ability to meet certain expectations)
A C-level grade generally indicates a student has only partially demonstrated mastery of the skill(s) being evaluated and should revise work on the assignment. A D-level grade indicates a student has not met the goals of mastery on the skills being evaluated.
F grades (59.9-0%) mean a student’s skill level cannot be determined. Work may be
Incomplete/Insufficient or may Not Meet Learning Goals, resulting in Not Enough to Determine Whether Standards Have Been Met.
Sometimes, a student who has an especially low score will receive a chance to "Do Over" the work—particularly essays/projects completed in a quarter. Redo invitations depend on the nature of the assignment and also may depend on initial effort but are generally offered to students receiving a "D" or "F" level grade. Redos are especially offered for big-point assignments that involve skills and standards a student has not yet mastered and work must be redone/revised to bring grade up. Students who submit work that receives a C grade or lower may also ask for a chance to redo an assignment, though redo opportunities depend on the nature of the assignment. [Do overs not accepted for semester finals.]
Rules & Policies
Class Policies
To ensure that Room F102 remains a positive learning environment, all students and the teacher will . . .
Be responsible. You are responsible for your own effort and work.
Be on time. You must be in your seat and ready to work when the bell rings.
Be prepared. Bring daily-required materials to class every day.
Be respectful. Show respect to everyone — teachers, students, guests, and yourself — and everything (don’t mark desks, riffle through others’ property, cough without covering your mouth, etc.).
Use polite speech. Disrespectful language will not be tolerated.
CLASS LIBRARY: Use of the class library is a privilege. Follow all steps and take good care of the books that you borrow. You will be asked to replace irreparably damaged or lost books.
ACADEMIC HONESTY*: In this class, as at this school, there is a NO TOLERANCE policy for ALL acts of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and the misuse of artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. Academic honesty is of the utmost importance, and I expect absolute academic honesty from every student. All instances of cheating, of any magnitude and including first offenses, will result in a ZERO on the assignment and a referral to the assistant principal. Please see the school policy for more information.
TECHNOLOGY USE*: In keeping with the FUSD’s technology agreement, all students, as model cyber citizens, will use school technology solely for academic, collaborative, and classroom purposes. In this class, we do not use technology just because it is technology; here, technology is a means of collaborating, of expanding and developing learning, and of building and demonstrating real-world skills. This looks like using technology for the assigned purpose, as well as using kind words and encouragement in forums and discussions when other students are posting or asking questions. If these resources are abused we will lose opportunities to use the technology tools available to us at Hopkins.
*Like other Hopkins teachers, I will use the Hāpara platform to monitor students’ Chromebook activity, as well as Turnitin.com to check the academic integrity of students’ writing submissions. I will also use Draftback (a Google Chrome add-on) to view Google documents’ histories to gain insights into students’ writing processes.
Classwork & Homework Policies (updated 9/13/2023, per new district guidelines)
HOMEWORK PLAN: Standard homework will be assigned as needed. In accordance with district policy, students should spend 15-20 minutes Monday through Thursday on homework. Rarely will students receive homework assigned on a Friday and/or due on a Monday. Generally, students will receive a week or more advance notice to complete essays and projects.
SUBMITTING WORK: Students will submit work both on paper and digitally, via Google Classroom and/or turnitin.com. Work should be neat and legible.
ASSESSMENTS POLICY (Tests, Quizzes, etc.)
I do not allow students to keep tests. If you would like to look over a test after we have gone over the scored tests in class, you may schedule an appointment to do so.
ABSENCES POLICY: If you are absent, please check the quarter’s “What’d I Miss?” Smore (find first quarter’s resource linked above), as well as Infinite Campus, our Google Classroom, and/or with me, for details about what you have missed. While speaking with another student in the class may also be helpful, these class resources may be more accurate/detailed.
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STANDARD HOMEWORK SUBMISSION AND TEST COMPLETION/MAKE UP POLICY:
Submit homework assignments promptly on the due date. Late work must be submitted the day you return to the classroom or as arranged with Ms. Parke. If you need extra time to complete an assignment, please speak with me to discuss the assignment and make sure you understand the task.
Neatness DOES count.
When you return to class following an absence, you are responsible for discovering what work you must make up and how much time you have to complete missed activities. You have many resources: your fellow students; the class website; and don’t forget, you can ask me, too. Be sure you have the correct information.
ESSAY & PROJECT SUBMISSIONS POLICY:
Submit final drafts (FDs) of writing and project assignments promptly on the due date.
Follow all final draft (FD) guidelines and expectations (we will discuss these in class).
In the case of an excused, unplanned absence on a due date, the assignment must be submitted promptly upon your return to class. If you plan to be out for any reason on the due date of a big-point assignment, arrange to get the work turned in on time or, better yet, early.
Consequences of late essays or projects: If the work is not submitted on time or upon your return from an excused absence, the opportunity to "Do Over" the assignment will be lost. Your work may also be more critically evaluated (within the confines of the rubric), as a consequence of taking extra time. Only by discussing the situation prior to the due date might you avoid these consequences.
IMPORTANT:
If you have a problem and believe you will not be able to submit your work on time, speak with me and tell me your concerns or situation at least two days BEFORE the due date to avoid the consequences described above. Please note: An email is not sufficient.
If you are unable to submit work on time due to forces beyond your control and have (1) made sufficient effort to submit the assignment on time and (2) attempted to promptly inform me of your situation, the above consequences may be postponed one day. However, insufficient effort to submit the work on time will result in the above consequences.
Hopkins Reads
Students will participate in an independent reading program which does not include whole-class readings. In this class, students will participate by selecting age-appropriate books, based primarily on student interest, that are written by a variety of authors and that belong to diverse genre. As you finish each book, you will complete reading check tasks involving analysis and character study, as well as other story elements, such as plot, symbolism, and theme. Students have the majority of the quarter (~8 weeks) to complete this work. Deadlines are preset and it is not possible to complete the work after those dates, which students are given upfront when the quarter’s Hopkins Reads is started (usually within the first week of the quarter).