English 7 – Course Overview and Expectations
Mr. Bradley Coyle, Mr. Craig Crowley, Ms. Nadia Dory, Ms. Sarah Lewis, Ms. Cory Link
Unit
Identity
A Sense of Place
Perspectives
Expressions
Units of Study
“Big Picture”
Possible Anchor Texts
Students consider how characters’ personal traits Freak the Mighty
shape their actions, thoughts, and decisions.
The Wednesday Wars
The Outsiders
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Call of the Wild
Students study the subtle connection between
The Great Gilly Hopkins
place and self in literature and in their own lives. Hatchet
The Island of the Blue Dolphins
Daniel’s Story
Students take an interdisciplinary approach to
My Dog Skip
the study of what people endured during the
The Endless Steppe
1940’s, specifically during WWII.
Escape from Warsaw
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Good Night, Mr. Tom
Students analyze the ways imagination stimulates
the creative process and deepens our
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
understanding of the real world.
Grading information
Your English grade reflects attainment of skills based on the state and county indicators listed for 7th grade English. Grades will be
divided into three categories:
 10% for Homework completion
 50% for Formative Assessments
 40% for Summative Assessments
The purpose of homework for completion is to reinforce skills taught in class and to prepare for upcoming instruction and
assessment. Homework graded for completion will be evaluated according to the following:
 Full credit will be awarded for completed assignments
 At least half credit will be awarded for partial attempts, as long as they are relevant to the assignment
 0% credit will be awarded if no attempt is made
Homework
Practice assignments
Pre-writing organizers
Assessment reviews
Writing drafts
Categories and Sample Assignments
Formative
Summative
Well-developed paragraphs
Well-developed paragraphs
Multi-paragraph essays
MCPS Formative Assessments
Structured classroom discussions
Teacher-designed assessments, quizzes, Speaking assignments
some homework, and some class work
MCPS End-of-Unit exams
Teacher-designed assessments
Late Work and Missing Work: Due dates and deadlines
See the Student Handbook for guidelines on due dates and deadlines for submitting work. Missing work not attempted by the
deadline will be recorded in the grade book as zero. Work completed but not meeting “minimum standard” will be recorded in
the grade book as 50%. “Minimum standard” is defined as 50% of the assignment completed to the best of the student’s ability
as determined by the teacher.
Revision and Reassessment of Student Work
Within a lesson sequence, you will be provided the opportunity to revise and/or retake certain assigned tasks and assessments.
Your teacher will discuss this option prior to the assessment and establish a new timeline for completion after evidence of
additional study or practice is demonstrated.
County Formative assessments may not be retaken or revised.
Communicating Student Progress
Teachers may communicate with parents in a variety of ways, including the student agenda book, interim reports, report cards,
individual conferences, Edline, telephone, and email.
Regarding Edline, this grading program uses the following codes:
X = excused (the assignment is not calculated into the grade)
Z = indicates a missing assignment, and the student may still submit the assignment as long as it is prior to the deadline. A “Z” is
calculated as a zero.
0 = indicates work not meeting minimum standard or work not turned in by deadline
Extra Credit
There will be no extra credit under the MCPS grading policy.
Recommended Supplies
3-ring binder
Loose leaf notebook paper
One single-subject spiral
Pens – blue or black, red/colored for grading
Behavior Expectations
You are expected to follow all school and classroom rules without being reminded. When you engage in behaviors that
disrupt the classroom or distract others from learning, you could be sent to an alternative location in the school to continue
your work independently. You might also be referred to your team leader or a grade level administrator so that a behavior
intervention process can be initiated.
Student Support
Additional assistance is available as posted in the classroom and discussed in class.
Absences
You are required to complete all work missed due to absences. Refer to the Student Handbook concerning “What to do when
you miss class.” You should call a study buddy and check Edline to find out what was assigned. Talk to your teacher upon your
return to class to make arrangements for making up work.
Communication – Email is the preferred method of communication outside of class.
Mr. Coyle
Mr. Crowley
Ms. Dory
Ms. Lewis
Ms. Link
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]