Middle Matters
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May 2012
Coral team students will conclude their seventh grade careers by reading John Steinbeck’s The Pearl. Based on a Mexican folktale, this classic piece of literature explores the key elements of human nature, evil, and love through the story of Kino, a poor diver who gathers pearls in the beds of the Gulf of Mexico. This text is challenging. Although the tale itself is simple, the vocabulary and figurative language Steinbeck employs will compel students to read with a highly critical eye. As always, Coral students continue to learn new vocabulary words, practice editing and revision skills, and engage in creative and analytical writing.
Question of the Month: What theme from The Pearl is most applicable to a situation in your own life?
Homework Tip: Review your child’s vocabulary words, and challenge yourself to use our vocabulary terms at home during conversations with your children.
April 2012
As spring rolls in, Coral students will focus on poetry through a series of challenges called Poetry Survivor, a unit designed to expose students to a variety of poets and poems in a creative, hands on, group-oriented way. Modeled on the popular television show Survivor, this unit pits poet- against-poet in a competition to earn the title of Poetry Island Survivor. In groups, students choose from a selection of modern and classic poets. Through a series of differentiated challenges, students analyze and critique poetry while immersing themselves in lives and writings of their poets. At the end of each challenge, students present their work. Instead of eliminating competitors, students engage in a reflective process to vote for a group that excelled in the challenge. Votes are tallied at the end of the unit and one group’s poet is crowned Survivor of Poetry Island.
As always, Coral students continue to learn new vocabulary words, practice editing and revision skills, and engage in creative and analytical writing.
Question of the Month: Ask your child who, among the various poets we have studied, is his or her favorite and why?
Homework Tip: Review your child’s vocabulary words, and challenge yourself to use our vocabulary terms at home during conversations with your children.
Middle Matters: March 2012
This month Coral students are focusing on MCAS preparation. Students’ pre-assessments, which detailed a proud moment in their lives, were used to determine areas for improvement in their writing. Based on that data, future mini-lessons will focus on thesis creation, using relevant details to support a thesis, creating rich, imagery-packed introductory paragraphs, using literary devices in writing, and making a composition come “full circle” through a well-crafted conclusion. Test-taking and reading comprehension skills will be revisited as well before the testing dates.
Question of the Month: What planning must take place before beginning to draft the rough draft of a narrative long composition?
Homework Tip: Follow the nightly procedures in your Red Book. The work is chunked into nightly assignments that build a long composition. By the end of the week, your narrative will be drafted and all you will need to do is type the final draft!
Middle Matters: January 2012
As the seventh grade MCAS approaches, Coral students will hone their narrative writing skills and techniques to appropriately prepare for the state assessment. We will be using a very methodical system to prepare, and it will be imperative for you child to stay up-to-date with his or her nightly assignments. By the end of this unit students will have completed multiple richly developed five-paragraph narrative essays. In the process, students will also work to improve revision and editing skills, as the test this year additionally scores students’ use of English conventions (control of sentence structure, grammar, mechanics, sentence complexity).
We continue to with our vocabulary program. Be on the lookout for new word lists, concept circles, and other activities challenging your child to stretch his or her brain!
Homework Tip: Check out models of high-quality vocabulary work on my webpage, under the “Vocabulary for Success” tab.
Question of the Month: Ask your child to explain the difference between narrative and persuasive writing.
Middle Matters: November 2011
In November, Coral students will read “Seedfolks” by Paul Fleischman. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the story is a collection of vignettes inspired by a community garden grown in an abandoned lot. The vignettes are written from multicultural points of view and collectively reveal that life is made beautiful by simple gestures. Various reading comprehension and writing activities will accompany this novel.
The theme for our current vocabulary unit is “Use Your Power.” All words relate to social responsibility and citizenship. The Vocabulary for Success program focuses on multi-meaning words, providing students with exposure to less familiar meanings of common words. This allows students to access a deeper understanding of the English language. Please check out the new “Vocab!” tab on my website for program updates and word lists.
Question of the Month: Ask your child to explain the differences between vignettes, narrative essays, novellas, short stories, novels, and biographies.
Homework Tip: Integrate vocabulary words into conversations with your children. A complete list of these words can be found on my website. The more instances a child is exposed to a word, the more like that child is to retain and use the vocabulary in the future.
Middle Matters: October 2011
Welcome back to JFK, avid readers, and thank you for completing your summer reading with such gusto!
In October, Coral LA students will become anthropologists, exploring non-fiction writing about ancient civilizations. Selections to inhibit this learning include “ Pompeii” by Robert Silverberg, “The Sacred Rac” by Pat Hughs, “Finding Machu Pichu” by Heather Pringle, and other National Geographic options. In a creative expository essay, students will be “observing” modern American culture through the eyes of an outsider, writing about some of our more peculiar traditions and behaviors.
Independent Reading has been assigned. Students should read at home for at least 20 minutes most (if not all) evenings. Directions, models, and rubrics for our new project (The Soundtrack Project) have been presented to students. Projects are due on October 21.
Vocabulary acquisition will play a larger role in the 7th grade curriculum than in past years with the addition of Sadlier’s Vocabulary for Success program. This program focuses on high-frequency words that can be used across the curriculum.
Finally, I would like to encourage you to view my new and vastly improved website: http://misskorhnslanguageartswebsite.yolasite.com/. On this site you will find daily and extended assignments, Coral Team news, recommended reads, course expectations, and updates from both Flex and CPR.
Homework Tips: Read the selections sent home with your students. This will help you understand the assignments they are completing and also open up a new topic of conversation between you and your child.
Question of the Month: Ask your child about the destructive tendencies of the Asu culture, as explained in “The Sacred Rac.”
