7th Grade Syllabus
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7th Grade Writing
Mrs. Randall
Class Syllabus 2009-2010
Welcome to seventh grade writing class. This is going to be an exciting year in which all students are going to excel and continue to grow as writers. My expectations for my students are high and in order for them to grow as writers they need to be in class every day. Moving from sixth grade to seventh grade is a challenge, and expectations will be higher for students than their previous years writing class.
All assignments are to be turned in on time, no excuses. If a students knows they are going to be absent on the day an assignment is due, the assignment needs to be turned in before said absence. Communication in class is key, students are always welcome to come in during lunch to make up work before or after an absence.
My classroom is an environment in which students are free to ask questions, and make mistakes, as long as they learn from both!
First Semester: August- December
Trait focus: Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, and Word Choice
Expressive Writing:
Personal Narrative- Students will write a story about themselves focusing on the trait of ideas and content.
Fictional Stories- Student will use a variety of strategies to compose a fictional story.
Persuasive Writing:
Business Letters: Students will write a persuasive business letter of their choosing.
Essay: Students will compose a persuasive essay.
Persuasive Advertisement project: Students will invent a product, and then using persuasive advertisement techniques try to sell the product to their classmates.
Functional Writing:
Personal Letters: Students will focus on writing a personal letter. This means they will need to focus primarily on voice and organization throughout their writing.
Second Semester: January - May
AIMS Review- Students will begin reviewing for the AIMS and begin a monthly assessment.
Research Paper- Research papers on various topics. (More information to come.) This will be linked to a topic students are studying or have studied in their seventh grade social studies classroom, enabling students to have link between their classes.
*mini lessons will be taught on Sentence Fluency*
Poetry: Figurative Language: Use metaphors, similes, alliteration, onomatopoeia, in poetry and in other pieces of writing. (Word Choice)
Literary Response: Students will write a literary response based on a book read in writing class, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Note: This is NOT a book report!
Final Portfolio Project: Students will compose a final portfolio project in which they will need to include a piece of writing using all of the techniques we have learned about this year in class. The writing will all be a reflection on themselves, who they are as a person. (More information will come later in the school year)
*All students will need the following materials for writing class:
- (1) 3-ring binder one inch thick. This is to be kept in class and only used for writing class.
- (2) 1-subject notebooks. One is for journal writing and the other will be for their "Caught Ya" bell work and buzz words, which they will be tested on every two weeks. Both are to be kept in class and only used for writing class.
I also encourage students to turn in final drafts typed. We are in a technological world and children will be required to type papers in a few years as they eventually move on to high school and then college. If students are not able to type papers then, handwritten papers, in their neatest cursive handwriting will also be accepted. Whether or not a student types their paper or not will not affect their grade. If a student does not follow the proper steps of the writing process, which are primarily done in class, including revision and editing their rough drafts, they will not earn credit for writing a draft. The only way a student can earn points for a rough draft is if it includes proof of revision and editing. Rough drafts are class work, and it is an essential part of the process that student go through as writers, hence they need to know that this part of the process is graded and counts every time they write.
Student Name: __________________________________________________________________
Parent Signature: ________________________________________________________________
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