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Ann Arbor Public Schools

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7th ELA Family

Dear Seventh Grade Families:

Welcome to the Ann Arbor Public Schools Family Pages. We hope the information you find here assists you in supporting your child while s/he is learning important skills and concepts throughout the seventh grade year.                                                                         To take a deeper look at each unit go to:  Atlas: Seventh Grade ELA                                                                 

The Council of Great City Schools provides information on such topics as: 1) the progression of student learning across grade levels; 2) suggestions for helping your child at home; 3) questions to ask your child's teacher for a better understanding of your child's growth; 4) parents may find ways to enrich a child's work at home by understanding the learning that will happen in the following year.
 

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Units 

Independent Reading
In this yearlong unit, students will select novels, audiobooks, podcasts, magazines, blogs, websites, and read fiction and informational text to understand themselves and the world around them. Students will understand the importance of their lifelong reading habits.

Through writing and speaking about their independent reading, students will analyze their texts as they apply lessons taught in the other units. Students will make claims about their books and and offer evidence to support the argument. In writing and speaking about their independent reading, we will use the content and academic vocabulary introduced in the mystery, poetry, personal narrative, mythology and writing units.

 
Word Study / Language
The Word Study / Language unit is a year long study of how words and language impact understanding. By focusing on Greek and Latin roots and affixes as well as academic vocabulary, students develop nuanced understandings of grade level language. The study of grammar and vocabulary is a year long experience embedded in reading and writing activities in the classroom. Student will demonstrate their understanding in writing projects and assignments all year long.

 

In 7th grade, students pay close attention to determining the meaning of words, phrases and literary devices as they are used in fiction and nonfiction texts. We deepen understanding by analyzing the impact of word choice on meaning, tone or character development.

 
 
 
Argumentative Writing
Students will understanding how authors use claims, evidence, and reasoning. Students will learn to use these techniques within their own research and writing. By critically analyzing arguments and persuasive presentations for validity, accuracy and clarity, students will become more effective consumers of information. Students will analyze persuasive devices in mentor texts as they develop their own persuasive writing.
 
Research Writing

Students will learn and understand research processes through choosing a topic, reading research, taking notes, and writing a piece that reflects the research and conclusions made by the student. Students will critically analyze sources to determine what claims are made and if there is enough relevant evidence to support claims. Students will evaluate the relevance of sources to their driving question. The research unit may be connected with other disciplines and/or take the form of several small research pieces.

 
Personal Narrative Study
Students will read examples of memoirs and personal narratives and will learn the elements of this writing. They will understand that personal narratives include memoirs that tell a true story and include the author’s feelings and reflections on the event. Students will understand and be able to explain how personal accounts of events are similar and different to historical accounts of events.
 
Mythology Genre Study

During the Mythology study, students will learn the historical and cultural background and basis for mythology in a culture. They will look at elements of mythology (referencing similar strands from study of folktales/fairy tales in 6th grade curriculum) and read examples of mythology, including Greek, Roman, Native American or other traditional myths.​ Students will discuss and analyze plot elements and how they are used, and they will do literary analysis focusing on characters, plot, and/or theme.

In seventh grade, students will compare and contrast the fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

 
Mystery Genre Study

The Mystery Genre Study unit will immerse students into the fiction genre of mystery through both reading and writing. Mysteries can take the form of short stories, plays, novels, films and TV shows. Students will be supported in reading leveled novels alongside mentor texts as they participate in differentiated reading groups. Students will have an opportunity to write about their learning as well as write their own short mystery story.

 
Poetry Genre Study
Students will develop an appreciation for beauty of language while learning about characteristics and vocabulary associated with poetry. Students will identify and analyze elements of the craft of poetry, such as line breaks, figurative language, "playing" with traditional rules of punctuation/grammar/capitalization, etc. They will read examples of a variety of poetry by poets from various backgrounds, time periods, etc. They will discuss and analyze poetry and poetic elements and continue work on close reading and annotating texts/taking notes/talking to the text. Students will examine poetry to explore the impact of words and phrases and how they impact tone and meaning. Students will explore writing poetry with appropriate organization and style appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
 
The Michigan K-12 Standards may be found at the following link: Michigan K-12 English Language Arts Standards
 
Contact:
Sarah Andrew-Vaughan
District English Department Chair
andrew@aaps.k12.mi.us