Course Syllabus: 7 th Grade English

Mrs. Kari Shine, East Middle School - Room 213

OFFICE HOURS:
7:15 am 3:30 pm
Individual meetings are welcome and can be arranged to address any student question or
concern at any time.
CLASSROOM TEXTBOOK: Writesource (Greatsource)
Materials:
Required

student ID, pencil/pen, folder, notebook paper, textbook, markers, colored

pencils, Post-it tabs, dry marker eraser, assignment book for organization
Class contribution (optional) box of tissues, hand sanitizer
Course Description & Overview:
During this year students will focus on informational, persuasive, and narrative writing. There
will be many opportunities for expanding experience in multi-media presentations, collaboration,
language, vocabulary, and reflection.
Course Standards: This course is aligned to the Standards and Benchmarks for the Sioux City
Community School District. Students will:

Critically analyze text to interpret meaning and offer written response.

Distinguish between three types of writing (Informational, Argumentative, and Narrative).
Understand and apply the writing process (plan, revise, edit, and publish).
Demonstrate quality student writing.
Analyze stylistic features such as voice, tone, style, and syntax.
Articulate a personal/written response to a prompt.
Review use of varying sentences with correct punctuation.
Extend effective use of phrases and clauses.
Effectively apply the parts of speech in writing.

Activities include:

Time to write- with opportunities for writing a persuasive letter, a literary review, an
editorial, an essay, an all-about book, an article, and journal entries.
Developing and strengthening writing by planning, revising, editing, and rewriting.
Frequent engagement in the writing process with additional vocabulary and grammar
instruction.
Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Expert writing instruction- learning to sort, categorize, compare and contrast, evaluate,
analyze, and reason.
Writing as a Process- A planned, sequential, explicit writing program with instruction that
gives students repeated opportunities to practice and receive explicit, immediate
feedback at frequent intervals.

Class Procedures
(First five minutes of the period)
Enter the room and immediately sit in your assigned seat (no roaming)
Get all your materials ready for class and available on your desktop (sharpened pencil,
paper, textbook open & loaded), **before the bell rings**
Work quietly on the bell ringer and review announcements/daily objectives
Sit quietly until all students are finished and attendance has been taken
Classroom Expectations & Guidelines:

The Rules and Expectations for our classroom are collaboratively established.
The goal is responsible, resourceful, and respectful students that exhibit the 21st Century
Learning Skills of being self-directed learners in time management, community
contributors when participating in large and small groups, complex thinkers that draw
logical conclusions, quality producers that strive for excellence, effective
communicators as they read, write and make oral presentations, and effective and
ethical users of technology that is available in our district.
Students will need to come to class prepared to learn! On a bright note, learning can be
FUN!

Student Work, Attendance, and Assignments:

Homework is due the following school day. In the case of an extended assignment,
the date will be noted and should be written by the student in their planner. It will
also be sent to them via Outlook email and posted as an announcement. They will
have all dates and links available. You are welcome to observe all aspects of the
class through this the gradebook website.
For general absences, students should complete and submit the missed work within
one to two days of the missed class period.
In the case of a vacation, or extended period of absence, arrangements will need to
be made in advance.
For school related absences, work should be turned in prior to leaving for the event
(notify the teacher and make arrangements for make-up before the known absence
takes place).
Tardies disrupt the overall flow of the class and are also recorded by the teacher.
For this reason, tardy students are required to make-up one minute for the missed
class time immediately after the class on the day of the tardy arrival.
Assessments & Grading
Assessments will include unit and benchmark tests, paragraph analysis, oral presentations,
personal narrative, reflective narrative, journal entries reflecting personal viewpoints of social
issues, topic webs, narrative maps, and more.
Grades are based on a total points system format derived from class work, homework, quizzes,
tests, presentations, and projects and are determined by the following SCCSD scale:

90%-100%

B- 80%-89%

C- 70%-79%

D- 60%- 69%

F- 0- 59%

Academic Integrity/Honesty Policy

Cheating is dishonest and will not be tolerated. Individuals involved with
cheating/plagiarism (claiming anothers work as your own) will receive a failing grade for
the assignment.
o *Individuals ALLOWING their work to be copied will also receive an F on the
assignment.
Electronic Device Policy
Electronic device use during class is a privilege which can be taken away if not used
appropriately.
All other electronic devices are NOT to be visible or utilized during class time unless
otherwise stated by the instructor.
CLASSROOM RULES
Be respectful of yourself and others. Name-calling, put-downs, and profanity are
unacceptable!
Be responsible and careful with all materials.
Keep your hands to yourself and away from the belongings of others.
Be understanding of all students opinions and attentive to all classroom
discussions. Have patience and realize that selfishly interrupting someone else is
quite rude.
Be accountable for yourselffollow directions the first time, stay on task, and give
your best effort. Turn in your OWN homework!
Be open minded, be willing to trust, and be trustworthy!
*Students are also expected to know and abide by all district and school rules not
listed on this form.
Thank you so much for entrusting your student to me this year! I love teaching and try to create
an enjoyable educational environment in my classroom. I look forward to a wonderful year!
Mrs. Kari Shine
I encourage frequent communication and am always available by contacting me through email at
shinek@live.siouxcityschools.com or you can reach me at East Middle School (712-274-4030).

________________________________________________________________________
(Please complete and detach bottom portion -- return to Mrs. Shine Rm 213)

*I have read and understand the above policies for English 7.

Class Period_____ Student Name (Please Print) _____________________Student Signature________________
Parent/Guardian Name (please print)
____________________________________

Signature
________________________________

Phone Number (Home)_____________(Work) __________(Cell) __________________

Parent/Guardian Email Address __________________________________________

*Or feel free to email me at shinek@live.siouxcityschoosl.com so that I may add you to my address book for future
email contacts. Please include the students full name in the header of the email.

Dear Parents/Guardians of the Class of 2020,

I am so excited to be teaching your student in 7th Grade English this year, and I would like to
keep an open line of communication among you, your student, and me. During this year
students will focus on writing and the cross-curricular importance and significance of using
language for expressive, informative, persuasive and literary purposes. The emphasis will be
on using literature and current events as a springboard for reading, writing, speaking, listening,
and language.
Students will compose personal narratives, oral presentations of background material,
persuasive commercials, reflective narratives, poetry analysis, journal entries reflecting personal
viewpoints of social issues, topic webs, narrative maps, and much more. The focus will be on
creating writers that are able to establish actions, thoughts, and feelings through their written
expression.
The Rules and Expectations for our classroom are collaboratively established. The goal is
responsible, resourceful, and respectful students that exhibit the 21st Century Learning Skills of
being self-directed learners in time management, community contributors when participating in
large and small groups, complex thinkers that draw logical conclusions, quality producers that
strive for excellence, effective communicators as they read, write and make oral presentations,
and effective and ethical users of technology that is available in our district. Students will need
to come to class prepared to learn! On a bright note, learning can be FUN!
I love teaching. Since 1986, I have taught and experienced the delightful personalities of
students from Kindergarten through 12th grade in the states of Iowa, Oregon, and Hawaii. I
have been teaching at Language Arts at East High School for the past seven year, and am very
excited to move to East Middle. Please feel free to contact me at any time. My email address is
shinek@live.siouxcityschools.com or you can reach me at East Middle School (712-274-4030).
Thank you so much. I look forward to a wonderful year.

Mrs. Kari Shine

http://www.literacynet.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html

Narrative Writing: personal narrative, fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, narrative

memoir, biography, narrative nonfiction
Establish a situation
Orient the reader
Introduce a narrator and/or characters
Organize a sequence of events that unfolds naturally
Describe actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences or events
Use dialogue to show the response of characters
Use concrete and sensory language to convey experiences precisely
Use words and phrases that show the movement of time
Create a conclusion that follows from the events.
Introduce claim, organize the reasons and evidence, clearly support claim with clear
reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating and
understanding of the topic or text and the reasons, establish a formal style and
provide a concluding statement
www.Readingandwritingproject.com
Persuasive/Opinion/Argument Writing: persuasive letter, review, personal essay,
persuasive essay, literary essay, historical essay, petition, editorial, op-ed column
Informational and Functional/Procedural Writing: fact sheet, new article, feature
article, blog, website, report, analytic memo, research report, nonfiction book, ho-to
book, directions, recipe, lab report