8th Grade Midterm Review!

Following is the review for the comprehensive ELA midterm, which will take place on Wednesday, December 14.

Expository Texts

1.    What is the purpose of expository texts?

2.    True of False: Expository texts often reflect on writers opinions.

3.    Instructions or how-to documents are also known as what?

4.    What is “circumlocution?”

5.    What is “recursion?”

6.    What are the characteristics of the “Problem and Solution” organizational pattern?

7.    What are the characteristics of the “Description” organizational pattern?

8.    What is “Narrative Interspersion?”

9.    What are the characteristics of the “Cause and Effect” organizational pattern?

10.   What is “Comparison?”

11.   What are the: must haves, might haves, and wont haves, of expository text?

Drama

Be familiar with “The Diary of Anne Frank”

Know the following terms:

·         Dramatic irony

·         Stage directions

·         Drama

·         Dialogue

·         Foreshadowing

·         theme

Reading

Know what good readers do

Be able to define, identify and ask the following types of questions:

·         Literal

·         Interpretative

·         Evaluative

·         Universal

Be able to define, identify and make the following types of connections:

·         Textual

·         Personal

·         worldly

Know plot elements

Conflict types

Protagonist

Antagonist

Narration (point of view) styles:   

·         first person

·         third person limited

·         third person omniscient

·         third person subjective

·         third person objective

Know the author, plot elements, and story of the “The Tell-Tale Heart”

           

Writing

Know how many steps are in the writing process and its order.

Know what happens in each step

Know the purpose of a subordinating conjunction.

Know what AAAWWUBIS is.

Know the traits and differences of phrases and clauses

Adjectival clause

Adjectival phrase

Know what an independent clause is.

Know what a dependent clause is.

Sentence types to know:

·         simple

·         compound

·         complex

·         complete

Capitalization rules

Word Study/Vocab

Know the difference between a root word, prefix, and suffix.

Know what languages root words are commonly borrowed from.

Know the meaning of the following:

·         Bio

·         auto

·         Tele

·         graph

·         Pre-

·         Re-

·         -ology

Vocabulary words to know:

·         Pandemonium

·         Foreboding

·         Unabashed

·         Indignantly

·         Disgruntled

·         Remorse

·         Fortify

·         Apprehension

7th Grade Midterm Review

Students will take midterms next week.  Midterms count as 25% of the students semester grade, yes, one test weights the same as an entire six weeks grading period.  Students will take their ELA midterm on Wednesday, December 14.  The midterm will be multiple choice and is not designed for students to fail.  If a student studies, truly studies, then he or she will do well.  Below is the review for the seventh grade midterm.

Happy Studying!

Expository Texts

1.    What is the purpose of expository texts?

2.    True or False: Expository texts often reflect on writers opinions.

3.    Instructions or how-to documents are also known as what?

4.    What is “circumlocution?”

5.    What is “recursion?”

6.    What are the characteristics of the “Problem and Solution” organizational pattern?

7.    What are the characteristics of the “Description” organizational pattern?

8.    What is “Narrative Interspersion?”

9.    What are the characteristics of the “Cause and Effect” organizational pattern?

10.   What is “Comparison?”

11.   What are the: must haves, might haves, and wont haves, of expository text?

Poetry and literary language

Know the definitions and be able to find examples of the following:

·         Idiom

·         Hyperbole

·         Repetition

·         Refrain

·         Personification

·         Simile

·         Metaphor

·         Assonance

·         Alliteration

·         Figurative language

·         Literal language

·         Stanza

·         Rhyme

·         Rhyme scheme

Be familiar with: author, uses of literary language, rhyme scheme, and message of the following poems:

·         “The Raven”

·         “Annabel Lee”

·         “Gold”

·         “the earth is a living thing”

·         “It was a Long Time Before”

·         “Abuelito Who?”

·         “Sleeping in the Forest”

Know the following about Edgar Alan Poe:

·         Date of birth

·         Who adopted him?

·         What happened to Poe in regard to his first love

·         Know about his wife and their relationship prior to their marriage

·         When did Poe die?

·         Know some of the theories around his death

Non-Fiction

1.    What is an autobiography?

2.    What is a biography?

3.    What is the purpose of reading a biography or autobiography?

4.    How are messages influenced through media?

Reading

Know what good readers do

Be able to define, identify and ask the following types of questions

·         Literal

·         Interpretative

·         Evaluative

·         Universal

Know plot elements

Conflict types

Protagonist

Antagonist

Mood & tone

Writing

Know how many steps are in the writing process and its order.

Know what happens in each step

What is a participle?

What is the difference between a regular and irregular participle?

Be able to change participle tense

Know the purpose of a subordinating conjunction.

Know what AAAWWUBIS is.

Know what an independent clause is.

Know what a dependent clause is.

The traits of Ernest Hemingway’s writing

Word Study/Vocab

Know the difference between a root word, prefix, and suffix.

Know what languages root words are commonly borrowed from.

Know the meaning of the following:

·         Bio

·         auto

·         Tele

·         graph

·         Pre-

·         Re-

·         -ology

Know the definitions of the following:

·         Terse

·         Perception

·         Culminate

·         Recessed

·         Archaic

·         Fauna

·         Manuscript

·         Vigorous

·         Evolutionary

·         extravagant

Extra Credit!

Today is Mark Twain's birthday!  For extra credit (three points) write down the year Mark Twain was born and his real name.  Due by Friday, December 2, 2011.

No tutoring on November 28th.

     On November 28, 2011 I will be absent; as a result seventh grade tutoring will be cancelled.  Students on the mandatory tutoring list were sent home letters to parents on October 31, 2011 and again on November 21, 2011.  Students should be picked up at 3:00pm this day.  Tutoring will resume its normal schedule the following Monday, December 5.

Stand Up to Bullying!

November 13-19, 2011 is National Bullying Prevention week and to mark the occasion SST-Discovery held a door decorating contest.  Each homeroom class decorated their door and my homeroom, 7B, won third place!

7B, in their "Too Bright to Bully" clothes with our door.

Students chose to create a Lady Gaga likeness, since she often speaks out against bullying.  Her famous meat dress was replicated and students created little monsters (which is what she calls her fans) which they signed and placed under a pledge not to bully.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Hello All! 

This Friday, October 21, 2011, is an early release day.  Students will be released at 12:00.  At one o'clock teachers will be available for 15 minute parent teacher conferences. 

Parents may schedule a specific time in advance or show up to meet with teachers. 

Parents are urged to attend to discuss students’ academic performance, behavior, and to meet teachers.  I look forward to seeing you there!

Science Fair Research Paper

Because SST-Discovery staff knows that cross curricular cooperation is essential for student success the English department is working with the science department to prepare students for this year’s Science Fair.  As part of the Science Fair requirements students must write a research paper about their experiment.  This year middle school students are covering expository (informational) text first, so they are familiar with what this should look like.  They will also utilize some class time to work on their paper.  This paper will be due to English teachers, as a major grade, on October 5, 2011. 

            For English class students papers must be typed and meet all of the following criteria.  English teachers will grade for structure, grammar, completeness, as well as citation format, but not the validity of the content.  This is the criteria for the English paper, students may have different criteria for their Science Fair paper.  Science teachers will discuss this.

 

Requirements:

Students may use front and back of pages, but note that Science requires front only.

12 point Times New Roman font.  Either double spaced or have 1.5 spacing.

Use single space between sections or parts. 10 points

Introduction: Paper must introduce the purpose of the experiment and have a hypothesis.  The student should identify and variables and provide background information.  10 points

Materials: List materials used. 10 points

Procedure: List steps in chronological order.  Give description of the steps.  Photos, drawings, diagrams, etc maybe used to assist in clarity of directions.  15 points

Conclusion: Students need to refer back to their hypothesis and state whether or not data agrees or supports hypothesis.  What was learned? 10 points

Work Cited page: This must have proper MLA citation and include all references and sources. 10 points