7 th Grade Humanities
Standards Taught in Class (EALR level):
History:
The student examines and understands major ideas, eras, themes, developments, turning points, and cause-effect relationships in United States, world, and Washington State history.
The student understands the origin and impact of ideas and technological developments on history.
Reading:
The student understands and uses different skills and strategies to read
The student understands the meaning of what is read
The student reads different materials for a variety of purposes
The student sets goals and evaluates progress to improve reading
Writing:
The student writes clearly and effectively.
The student writes in a variety of forms for different audiences and purposes.
The student understands and uses the steps of the writing process.
The student analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of written work.
Course Description:
7th Grade Humanities includes United States History and Language Arts
U.S. History covers the period from pre-contact by Europeans to Reconstruction after the Civil War. Topics of study include the first Americans, exploration and colonization, the Revolution, the Constitution, the new government begins, early years of the republic, westward expansion, slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction. All 7th grade Humanities students are expected to complete a timeline for their own lives, a joint assignment for history and math classes. In addition, all students are to produce a family history project to be displayed at the Performance Celebration on May 22nd.
Language Arts concentrates on reading and writing with emphasis on reading comprehension and clear, concise written expression. A wide variety of nonfiction and fiction sources are used for reading. Writing emphasizes organization and clarity of expression. Vocabulary plays a major part in successful writing, therefore students will have weekly assignments in this area. Daily writing time, Writer’s Workshop, is used for creating short, informal pieces; longer, more formal papers are assigned periodically throughout the year.
As a result of taking these classes, a student will have a basic understanding of the main events in American history, together with their causes and effects, up to 1877. The student will be able to read and understand a variety of nonfiction and fiction texts. Students will also be able to write clearly and effectively in a variety of formats.
Assessments used include writing assignments, presentations, projects, maps, teacher made tests and quizzes, along with standardized tests.
Materials used include, among other things, The American Journey, both Seattle newspapers, nonfiction articles, class novels, library books, teacher made vocabulary and grammar exercises, internet sites, etc.