Mr. Heil, Junior High Language and Speech                                           
Phone: 747-3117, ext. 2207
dheil@edbqhs.org

Seventh grade language arts is a brand new experience for the students.  A routine is closely followed, yet there is often the unexpected to keep anticipation daily.  The class is broken into four categories.

Vocabulary- We use the in-class approach.  Students interact with the promethean board from which they study a group of target words for two weeks.  Students have a spelling test at the end of week one of the unit, and a vocabulary test at the end of week two of the unit. Each test is worth 100 points, a significant portion of the final grade.

Composition- During the week, students get several writing prompts.  It is just a draft and we will revisit each draft as students learn to revise.  This may cause some frustration because students either get 100 on a final draft or a redo which then becomes simply another draft to improve.  Often grades go down as a result of the redo, especially if a student has several at a time.  However, students improve as writers almost instantly when they are armed with revision guidelines.

Sentence Combining- Just say the words to a seventh grader and a groan will surely follow!  This approach moves students quickly through the parts of speech they have been studying (and usually forgetting just as soon as they complete the test) since second grade.  Scores on these daily assignments will vary greatly as students attempt to label more difficult constructions, getting used to the rhythm and flow of well constructed sentences.  By doing such, my hope is that their own writing will be strong in word choice and fluency.

Free Friday- After students finish their tests on Friday (or the last day of the week), no new instruction is given.  It does not mean that the class is a free period.  Instead it is a day for students to REDO poorly done daily work.  Then students are to self-evaluate their performance by writing about the following topics.  This self-evaluation is worth 125 points.

1.      What did I learn this week?  Why is it important that I learned it?

2.      Give two examples which prove my understanding.

3.      What was difficult for me this week? Explain.

4.      What was easy or enjoyable this week? Explain.

5.      If my grade is below a B, why is it that low and what do I need to do about it?

6.      What book am I currently reading?  What am I learning from reading it?

Notebook Schedule:
8-1 Monday (2nd hour students)
7-1 Tuesday (3rd hour students)
7-2 Wednesday (4th hour students)
8-2 Thursday (6th hour students)
8-3 Thursday (7th hour students)