- Students will meet seventh grade benchmarks for Washington State’s essential academic learning requirements in the areas of reading, writing, communication, and social studies. In addition, students will increase their knowledge by at least one grade level in all core subjects by the end of the school year.
- Students will practice organizational, study, and social skills.
- The following grading scale will apply to Language Arts, Social Studies, and Literature: A 94-100% B+ 87-89% C+ 77-79% D+ 67-69% A- 90-93% B 84-86% C 74-76% D 60-66% B- 80-83% C- 70-73% F 0-59%
- At a minimum, progress reports will be sent home with your student approximately the fifth week of each quarter. They must be signed by a parent and returned promptly. In addition, students will frequently be recording their grades in their student planners.
- In accordance to school policy, no late work will be accepted.
- One day for each day missed, plus three additional days, will be given to make up work due to an excused absence. Getting missed assignments is the student’s responsibility. Students should talk to their teacher before or after school to discuss missed work.
- Make-up work will not be accepted for an unexcused absence.
- Students should expect to have an average of thirty minutes to one hour of homework each night for core assignments. Independent reading and studying “7th Grade Key Vocabulary” are two homework options. With the exception of these two options, homework will be recorded in the student planner daily.
- We believe your daily interest in your child’s education is the single most important motivational factor in his/her progress. It’s our job to educate, but active parents sure make our job more effective. Here are some recommendations:
- Talk with your child about school. Ask specific questions!
- Help your student stay organized. Ask about his/her “system of organization.” Go through notebooks, pee chees, student planner, etc. with your student every so often.
- Ask to proofread you child’s work—especially writing assignments and projects. Check and give specific feedback on content, spelling, punctuation, grammar, neatness, organization, etc. Expect your student’s very best work at all times! Offer your editing suggestions in the rough draft stage. Do not wait until the “final product” is completed. Students will not want to make corrections then!
- Help your child create a designated study area at home. Have a dictionary and thesaurus available. (Inexpensive paperback versions are fine.)
- Make sure your student has adequate school supplies throughout the year.
- Help out in the classroom, when opportunities arise.
- The following supplies will be needed in core:
- paper
- textbooks
- student planner
- pencils/pens
- spiral notebook
- colored pencils
- 3-ring binder (Optional)
- tab dividers for binder
- 3x5 notecards
- box of tissue
- red correcting pen
- black felt tip pen
We would appreciate it if you could have these supplies by the beginning of the second week of school. Thank you.
Social Studies: Ancient Civilizations and Medieval Europe
Resources
—textbook
Units
- Cultural Universals
- Ancient Egypt
- Ancient India
- Ancient China
- Ancient Greece
- Ancient Rome
- Medieval Europe
- Text readings and study guides (including vocabulary)
- Reviewing and extending geography and map skills
- Map location test
- Research project
- Some form of unit assessment (written test, oral report, etc.)
Language Arts and Literature
Resources
textbook
Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL)
- The WASL is a state test which is an important part of seventh grade. The WASL is not norm-based; it does not compare a student with his or her peers and give a percentile ranking. Instead, it will measure whether students “meet standard” for what is expected of students at the seventh grade level. Students will be assessed in reading, writing, and math. Lessons and activities which prepare students for success on the WASL will be integrated into all three core subjects.
- Writing instruction will focus on the Six Traits of Writing: Ideas an Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions.
- Instruction on conventions will include the following: punctuation, capitalization, parts of speech, and grammar.
- Students will experience writing in a variety of forms: narrative, poetry, expository, and persuasive.
- Oral presentations to various audiences will be a part of the Language Arts grade.
- The writing process of brainstorming, planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing will be practiced.
- A final in-class writing assessment will be given at the end of each quarter.
- Literature activities will be based on objectives from Washington State’s Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs). Topics include elements of literature, thinking strategies, and reading skills. The following are some examples:
- characterization
- plot
- setting
- theme
- author’s purpose
- inferences
- predictions
- drawing conclusions
- point of view
- cause and effect
- personification
- onomatopoeia
- style
- fact/opinion
- compare/contrast
- simile/metaphor
- text features
- summarization
- Students will be instructed through whole class, small group, and individual instruction.
- Students are expected to read at home and will keep a reading log as part of their grade. Two and one-half hours of reading outside of class are required each week to receive full credit. Time spent during class will not be included in that amount. Time spent reading will be recorded as each individual core teacher requires and parents will need to sign these weekly.
- A final in-class reading assessment will be given at the end of each quarter.
- Students will experience a variety of genre: biography, contemporary fiction, poetry, drama, folklore (fables, myths, legends, folk tales), science fiction, and informational reading.
- “Night of the Notables,” a biography research project culminating in an evening public presentation, will occur Thursday, May 27.
Sincerely,
7th Grade Core Teachers
Tauni Hink hink.t@mail.wsd.wednet.edu, phone ext. 2211
Sarah Cabbage cabbage.s@mail.wsd.wednet.edu, phone ext. 2208
Sandra Lancaster lancaster.s@mail.wsd.wednet.edu, phone ext. 2107
Toby Johnson johnson.toby@mail.wsd.wednet.edu, phone ext. 2214
Please sign and return the bottom portion by Friday, September 3.
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7th Grade Syllabus Letter
Student Name (print)
Student Signature Date
Parent Signature Date
To keep in better communication with parents please complete the following:
Student e-mail 
Parent e-mail 
Day time phone numbers with names for each parent 
Page # of # 7th Grade Core Syllabus Updated 9/13/04