Ms.

Adams - 7
th
Grade English-Language Arts - Class syllabus

Students will explore, study, and master these disciplines:

Trimester One
Grammar: Parts of speech and construction of a sentence including phrases and clauses
Reading: Analysis of literature and its structures (plot, character development, theme), how
characters and events interact within a narrative
Reading: Non-fiction structures, features of non-fiction, informational manuals, introduction
of inference
Writing: Paragraphs, the short story, descriptive writing, analysis of narrative, anecdotes,
introduction to expository essays, informational writing
Writing: Poetry (introduction to forms, application of free verse and rhymed lyric)

Trimester Two
Grammar: Spelling constructs (including Greek & Latin roots & affixes), vivid verbs, modifiers,
idioms
Reading: Analysis of major themes in literature and their universality
Reading: Analysis of cause and effect, analysis of inference, analysis of point-of-view
Reading: Analysis of point of view in fiction and historical fiction, analysis of documentary
film, subjective vs. objective point of view
Writing: Informational non-fiction, explanatory non-fiction, response to literature
Writing: Poetry (analysis of contemporary poetry and lyric poetry, application of blank verse
and short poetry), use of vivid verbs

Trimester Three
Grammar: Construction of compound and complex sentences, punctuation
Reading: Further analysis of point of view, further analysis of informational non-fiction
Reading: Life applications informational material, applications
Writing: Argumentative essay, research (emphasis on documentation), film review, short
autobiographical narrative (anecdotes)
Writing: Poetry (analysis of classic forms, application of all poetic knowledge)

GRADES for ALL CLASSES Read this, memorize it, then do it!
Do you want good grades in my classes? Heres how to attain them:

1. Do all your work and turn it in on time. (This is not rocket science, but rocket scientists have to do
their homework and turn it in on time, too.) I give you the work that is necessary to master the
subject. Write your assignments in a daily calendar. Most assignments are posted online.

2. You will have homework. Do it! Homework is a part of school and is essential for you to review what
was taught during the day. Dont gripe about it. Life is filled with homework. Get used to it. Dads have
homework, moms have homework, baseball players have homework, movie stars have homework. You
can fail my class just by neglecting homework. Dont tell your parents you dont have homework. You
will have about 20-30 minutes each night. All homework is due at the beginning of class. Dogs dont eat
homework, and all printers do not run out of ink on the night that an assignment is due. Email me your
assignment if your printer wont work (I may get it a day or two late!), or if all else fails, scratch it out by
hand like I did when the crust of the earth was still cooling.

3. Turn in all homework in the assignment tray for your period. If you dont turn it in, you will not
receive credit for it. Do not throw it on my desk. I will lose it!

4. Absent work may be made up within three days of the absence. Absent work handouts will be
available in the assignment tray. This is your responsibility to get the handouts you missed. Look for your
name on the paper.

5. Grades are posted on the internet. You and your parents will have codes so you can see your grade.
Grades are updated weekly. If your score starts with these numbers, it is this grade:
100% = A+
99% - 90% = A
89% - 80% = B
79% - 70% = C
69% - 60% = D
59% and below = F

I do not round up. The palindromic 79.97% is still a C. The electronic grade book does my calculating
for me, and though I want you to have a great self-image, I dont have time to make everyone in my
classes feel good about themselves if they didnt earn the grade.

MORE THINGS TO KNOW AND LOVE ABOUT MR. HANKS CLASSES

WRITTEN PAPERS
You will write essays, research reports, narratives, and movie reviews. Putting ink on paper forces one to
think! You must do some of your thinking in writing.

PAPER REQUIREMENTS
Word-processed on white paper.
Use a standard font like [Times New Roman] or [Arial.]
12-14 point font.
Black ink (except for title)
No swirly typefaces, decorative typefaces, or novel typefaces. Titles may be decorative.
WORDS NOT ALLOWED IN YOUR PAPERS
You may not use the following words and phrases:
good bad nice big
a lot stuff awesome small
And then I like little cool
very (very + adjective = new word) very large = gigantic
really (to describe) such as really awesome or really small
Anything that might look like texting, such as LOL, BTW, ATMLLT

BRING THIS WITH YOU TO CLASS EACH DAY:
o Your brain.
o A notebook to take notes.
o A blue or black ink pen and a couple of No.2 pencils (Ticonderoga remains the superior brand.)
Leave the scented, glittery pink gel pens at home.
o Paper in a ring notebook8 by 11 inches college ruled. I will not accept paper torn from a
spiral notebook.
o Colored pencils are always useful (Crayola remains the superior brand.) Highlighters are nice,
too.
o Your textbook will be in the class. Do not write anything in it. You will also have one at home.
Do not lose it or destroy it; textbooks cost bu-ku bucks.
For language arts classes, you will also need a composition notebook (Freedom Writers style
notebook.)