Recently in 7th Grade ELA...
Students have been working very hard in 7th grade ELA to learn A.C.T.I.V.E. reading strategies and the elements of a story. We've learned how to apply our A.C.T.I.V.E. strategies to our independent reading and to our class reads. While we read "Seventh Grade," by Gary Soto, in addition to using A.C.T.I.V.E. strategies, students also identified the elements of fiction. Academic vocabulary words included: exposition, setting, characters, climax, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution and theme.
Why is it important to be able to identify these parts of a story?
Screen Cast #1: Active Readers & Think Marks
"What can we learn from writing about our own personal experiences?"
Have you ever had an experience that at the time, you thought was a really bad experience that you wish you could just forget about? Or, have you ever had an experience that no matter what, good or bad, you'll never forget? What can be gained from these experiences? Hopefully, throughout life's experiences, you learn a few lessons along the way that will help to positively impact the rest of your life.
In ELA, we've been learning the differences between expository writing and narrative writing. Expository writing's purpose is to inform or explain something to a reader, whereas narrative writing's purpose is to tell a story about a personal experience from which you learned something.
"Things don't change; we do" - Henry David Thoreau
What did Thoreau mean when he said this quote? How do we change? Why do we change? What causes change?
Narrative Essay Prompt: Think of an event or experience throughout your life that caused you to change in some way. Through a personal narrative, explain the event or experience that caused a change and explain the outcome of that experience.
In ELA, we've been learning the differences between expository writing and narrative writing. Expository writing's purpose is to inform or explain something to a reader, whereas narrative writing's purpose is to tell a story about a personal experience from which you learned something.
"Things don't change; we do" - Henry David Thoreau
What did Thoreau mean when he said this quote? How do we change? Why do we change? What causes change?
Narrative Essay Prompt: Think of an event or experience throughout your life that caused you to change in some way. Through a personal narrative, explain the event or experience that caused a change and explain the outcome of that experience.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
We are beginning our studies in the mystery genre by completing a webquest about topics relating to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Click the button below to access the webquest.
The Sherlock Webquest final Foldables came out great!!
Calling all Sherlockians! We will now be entering into our "Sherlock-ology" (Study of Sherlock... :) ) through which we will explore the elements of the mystery genre, characterization and suspense. Over the course of the unit, we will be considering the following questions:
Essential Questions
- What makes mystery, crime and punishment so intriguing to humans?
- What do our observations tell us about the world around us?
- How does an author develop character?
- How do archetypes drive stories?
- How does point of view impact a story?
Check out this video of Maria Konnikova, a Sherlock enthusiast, on Sherlock's power of observation.
"A Brief History of Sherlock Holmes"
Check out www.time.com's slideshow to show various creations of Sherlock over the years.
Victorian Crime & Punishment
Click the link below to access an interactive website that takes a historical look at crime and punishment during the time that Sherlock would have been conducting his investigations.
Introduction to Shakespeare!
Click on the links below to learn all about William Shakespeare.
#1. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/shakespeare-uncovered/timeline/ - Use this link to access your WebQuest.
#2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/famouspeople/william_shakespeare/ - Use this link for fun! Make sure to take the Quiz to check your mastery of Shakespeare understanding!
#1. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/shakespeare-uncovered/timeline/ - Use this link to access your WebQuest.
#2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/famouspeople/william_shakespeare/ - Use this link for fun! Make sure to take the Quiz to check your mastery of Shakespeare understanding!
Greek Mythology and Epic Poetry Unit
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Watch the "How To Find a Theme" video (left) to review finding theme in literature.
Click the link (above) to download a copy of the notes sheet to fill out while you watch. |
Watch the video "What Makes a Hero" to learn about the monomyth structure of a story, or, "The Hero's Quest."
Then, listen to the NPR interview that relates the hero's quest to modern stories, such as Star Wars. |
Double-tap to edit.
The Cyclops: Pre-Reading Activities
Before we read Odysseus's encounter with the Cyclops, you will need to complete any 2 of the following 3 activities. You have the choice of:
What Way Works Best For You? Click the buttons below to access the activities.
- Watching a TedED (video) Lesson that gives the Cyclops's side of the story.
- Viewing a slide show of visual representations of the cyclops story.
- Completing a Google Form that has you considering a few themes presented in the Cyclops story, and writing a blog to elaborate on your ideas.
What Way Works Best For You? Click the buttons below to access the activities.
Screen Cast #2: The Epic Hero's Quest
Screen Cast #3: Ancient Roman Government & Julius Caesar Crash-Course Video
Watch this video to learn all about Ancient Roman government and Julius Caesar's rise and fall from power. Make sure to take notes of the most important information in your writer's notebook.
Become Familiar with the Characters of Julius Caesar!
Download this PowerPoint to "meet" the characters of Julius Caesar! Read through the descriptions of each character, then quiz yourself. The more comfortable you are with understanding the characters, the more you will understand the plot.