Week 8 here we come...

Did I mention before that I am learning how to do this blog thing?  Did I mention that I dropped my computer, "CRASH," and am learning how to do things on a Mac?  Somewhere in there I lost track of the whole blog.  But, I believe in fresh starts.  Sometimes I need a fresh start on a daily basis!!  So here's to fresh starts and to our eighth week of class.
This week students will work at home and in class on an autobiographical narrative.  This is the main assessment of the work we have done over the past few weeks, so the points will be high and the expectations are also.
Be SURE to skip lines as you write your draft or double or triple space if you draft on computer.

Due Tuesday:  first 1/2 of first draft including setting, characterization and 1/2 of events leading up to climax.
Due Wednesday:  complete first draft.
Due Thursday:  revisions (made on draft)
Due Friday:  Edited, revised final draft.

Phew! Done with PWA!!

Are you glad to be done with the PWA?  The PWA was the Process Writing Assessment we worked on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  On Friday, students concentrated hard and wrote their very best persuasive essays on the topic of whether or not watching is good for kids.  I was honestly impressed with level of focus and effort that went into this formative assessment.  Later in the school year we will compare this essay with one you will write after we have studied a useful structure (recipe) to write an excellent persuasive essay.  Hopefully you will see growth in your writing skills.

Next week we'll take a peek at our first novel of the year, The House on Mango Street.  After we make some predictions about the book, we'll take a few days to learn some strategies to use while reading that help make the reading more meaningful. These are strategies you will probably use in high school and college, so they are really important even if they seem simple on the surface.

We did it!!

       Wow, it's hard to believe we have already completed one week of seventh grade.  Together we did many things: learned how to enter the classroom, what to do with homework, what the classroom modes are (independent, assessment, small group, and lecture), and a bit about Chicken.  Some of you got classroom jobs.  We took several assessments to see what your current skills are.  It was an amazing first week for me, and I am so proud of the students' hard work.
      Next week only has four days due to Labor Day.  My husband always gathers with his college friends during that weekend to have a reunion.  This year it is at our house, so I will be cooking, cleaning, and entertaining.
     At school next week we will learn the standard weekly homework on Tuesday.  Then on Wednesday through Friday we will work on the district's writing assessment that is called the PWA.  Those initials stand for Process Writing Assessment.  That means that we do lots of things in class to help you get ready to write, but then you write by yourself during class.  This is an assessment to see what you already know before I teach you about persuasive essays so it's a ______________.  Yes!! A FORMATIVE assessment.  That means you will get classroom credit just for trying your best on this essay.  Sweet deal!
    Please email me at kwhanson@jps.net if you are having any questions or problems.  Hope you have a great weekend!  Ms. Williams

Welcome to 7th grade English

     Greetings!  On this blog you will find information and links  regarding assignments, upcoming due dates, and much more.  As we move through the year, please continue to provide feedback about how this blog can be the best possible resource for you.  It is a work in progress.


     Note that there are pages across the top you can select for a variety of topics.  More pages will appear as the year progresses.