Seventh Grade Syllabus

English class has four parts: Literature, Grammar, Vocabulary and Writing. As much as possible, we will weave
these together for a more fluid approach, as well as connecting to other classes when possible. Heres an
overview of what this will look like throughout the year:
Literature Grammar Vocabulary Writing
September - Esperanza Rising
- Review Reading
Strategies and Active
Reading Habits
- Poetry
- Independent Reading
Roots Themes:
- Numbers

Analogies
(SSAT Prep)
- Improving sentences with
variety, combining, and
appositives

Writing in Response to
Literature: Esperanza Rising
October - Short Stories
- Reading Comp.
Strategies (SSAT Prep)
- Poetry/Ind. Reading
- Verbs
- Diagramming
appositives
Roots Themes:
- All or
Nothing
- Using verb tenses correctly
- Vivid verbs & Active Voice
Business Letter &
Persuasive Writing - Science
November - Short Stories,
continued
- Literature Circles/
Genre Study:
Dystopian
- Poetry/Ind. Reading
Roots Themes:
- All or
Nothing
- More or
Less
- Writing effectively with
adjectives and adverbs

Timed Essay Strategies
(SSAT Prep)
December - Literature Circles,
continued
- Poetry/Ind. Reading
- Modifiers, continued
- Diagramming
compound sentences
Roots Themes:
- More or
Less
- Transforming sentences with
adjectives
- Clauses in a series
Narrative/Creative Writing
January - My Brother Sam is
Dead
- Poetry/Ind.Reading
- Pronouns
- Prepositions/phrases
- Diagramming
ADJ & ADV
Roots Themes:
- More or
Less
- Before and
After
- Elaborating with adverbs
- Avoiding pronoun overload
- Combining and Elaborating
sentences with prepositions
Journal Writing
February - Lit Circles
- Poetry/Ind. Reading
- Phrases, continued
- Diagramming
interjections
Roots Themes:
- Before and
After
- Creativity
- Using semicolons & colons
Writing a Thesis Statement
Plan/draft research paper:
Caesar (Latin)
March - Julius Caesar
- Poetry/Ind. Reading
- Application in writing
- Diagramming prep.
phrases
Roots Themes:
- Creativity

Revise & polish research:
Caesar (Latin)
April - Julius Caesar, contd
- Poetry/Ind. Reading
- Application in writing
- Diagramming complex
sentences
Roots Themes:
- Creativity
- Travel
More Narrative/Creative
Writing
Poetry
May - Poetry
- Independent Reading
- Application in writing Roots Themes:
- Travel
Even more Narrative/
Creative Writing/Poetry
- Types of Sentences
- Clauses
- Nouns
- Review Diagramming

- Verbs, continued
- Modifiers
- Diagramming
complements