Mrs Cosier's blog

Winding down, it's a great time of year to reflect upon how far the students have come. They are much better readers and writers than they were when they first entered seventh grade. They are also for the most part more confident, articulate, and reflective than they used to be.

There are only a few more days of school. Seventh graders are excited and happy, but still apprehensive about leaving a secure place for an uncertain one.

We are well into the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, and have been discussing how much freedom we would give up for safety and security. We will have our second quiz, covering chapters 7 through 12, next week.

Our latest independent reading selection was sports or non-fiction. We will have two weeks to read the book before we do a report on it.

The study of adverbs has reached the review stage, in anticipation of the assessment next Tuesday.

Finally, we continue to write using the six traits. This week, we wrote and presented poems for four voices based on the goings-on at Lincoln Hall.

     This week was chock full of ISAT testing, although teachers were able to see most of their students twice.  In Reading, students finished their biographies, and are working on comparing it with a biographical article they looked up on the internet.  They will use both sources of information to develop a "coffee talk" with another student.  Each will dress up as the person they have studied, to discuss early life, career, accomplishments, and legacy.  These talks will take place next week.

     In grammar, we are ending a unit on verbs, and will soon begin one on adjectives.  Vocabulary is proceeding as well, with a review on units 4 - 6.

     The third quarter of the school year finds seventh graders in literature circles reading a novel that deals with genocide.  Most days, students discuss their stories in their groups; often, there is an associated project, such as an alphabet book that students are developing using words from their novels and from their social studies unit.

     Vocabulary continues with both academic practice using the Sadlier-Oxford series, and some activities that use the words in game form, such as a crossword, or a Jeopardy competition.

      The focus in grammar is the study of verbs.  Right now, students are learning the difference between action and linking verbs.  Upcoming topics are transitive, intransitive, and irregular verbs.

     This first week back at school has been very productive in Reading/LA.  We continued with the COWS (Computers on Wheels) in the classroom for 40 minutes each day until we finished our science research papers.  The final product contained a title page, a several-page paper, an outline, and a reference page.  Most students were very successful with this paper, which required in-text citations every paragraph.

     In grammar, we began a study of personal pronouns.  Students were asked to memorize subject, object, and possessive pronouns in both the singular and plural forms, and a not-so-pop quiz (students were warned) given on Friday.  

This week, we have completed a vocabulary unit and a brown bag book report while continuing to write our science papers.  When we return to school on January 7, we will complete the paper and print it.

Happy Holidays to all.  See you next year! 

     In our Reading/LA block, we have begun writing our science research paper.  So far, this had entailed taking our 35 notecards and separating them into topics, developing an outline, and beginning to write, using our first main topic.  We will continue writing, using the COWS (Computers On Wheels) until December 19, when the paper is due.

     Grammar this week will focus on a review of nouns.  Our test will be this Friday.

      We are reading a multicultural novel for independent reading.  We will give an oral, "brown bag" report on this story beginning Tuesday, December 18.  Ask your seventh grader what this project entails!

      We will tackle one more vocabulary unit before winter break.  Watch for your child's vocabulary cards, and test them on the definitions!

Our writing is focused on voice right now. The pieces we write must be as individual as a fingerprint, be compassionate and compelling, be anxious to be read aloud, and be suitable for the audience

The current grammar unit is nouns. We have this week discussed the difference between a direct object and a predicate noun.

Finally, in the area of vocabulary, we are completing
our second unit. We will have a test on our latest words on Friday.

     This week, students completed the last of four assignments on the writing trait of organization, then began work on the trait of voice.  The first writing assignment featuring voice was also completed.  We will continue the study of voice after Thanksgiving vacation.

     In reading, students finished a recitation of "The Hobbit" in eight scenes.  Both the practice of fluency and the comprehension strategy of visualization were the focus of this unit.  A quiz on the story will be given next week.

      Finally, our several-week study of punctuation culminated in a test this week, on which most students did well.  Nouns are next.

     Next week, students must drop off their report on the fantasy novel they have been reading for the past three weeks.  The report is based on the book "Fortunately" in which events are presented in alternate positive and negative sequence.

In Reading/LA, we have been learning about the Six Traits of Writing, and writing according to those traits.  We began with ideas, then turned to organization.  Every few days, we have a writing assignment that is graded according to the specifications for that trait.  For example, the specifications for organization are an exciting lead, logical order, appropriate transitions, and a satisfying conclusion. We have a Thanksgiving piece due on Monday, based on the picture book "Thanksgiving at the Tappleton's."

We have just finished our first vocabulary unit.  In grammar, we are completing a unit on punctuation, and will have a test next week.

A stage version of "The Hobbit" has been our focus in reading.  Each day, we are assigned a role, and read a scene to promote fluency.  To practice the reading strategy of visualization, we then draw what we saw while reading the scene, and describe that visualization in words.

Next week, we will continue our study of the above, and prepare for our November 19 and 20 trips to Exchange City!!