FaR - READING GUIDELINES
Independent Reading
You will need to prove that you are reading outside of school.
(Minimum for a C is 20 minutes a night on average.)
Why 20 minutes a night on average?
It has been proven that children who read at least 20 minutes a night grow further and further away incrementally from their peers who do not read each day. Vocabulary grows stronger, a love of reading grows stronger, and research shows that fiction helps grow empathy in readers. Nonfiction, of course, can make us more world-minded, as well. This is the only true homework you are given each night, so it is expected that this is the least you will do. If you stick to this "work" each night, you will soon find it to be pleasurable (if you don't already). Once it becomes a habit, you will most likely surpass the 20 minutes a night average.
Click here to determine your reading rate and set a goal for yourself for each week.
If you find you have a difficult time reading on your own...
Ask a teacher, parent, or friend to observe you for ten minutes, three different times, using this documenting sheet. Both of you should then reflect on what you think, have a discussion about your thoughts, and then come up with a plan and a goal together so that you are more successful in this endeavor and life-long skill.
Looking for books to read?
Try this page of our Weebly, or the book talks from students and teachers. Of course, use your librarians, teachers, and classmates as resources!
How can you prove that you are reading 20 minutes a night on average?
Fiction or Nonfiction BOOK:
(Minimum for a C is 20 minutes a night on average.)
Why 20 minutes a night on average?
It has been proven that children who read at least 20 minutes a night grow further and further away incrementally from their peers who do not read each day. Vocabulary grows stronger, a love of reading grows stronger, and research shows that fiction helps grow empathy in readers. Nonfiction, of course, can make us more world-minded, as well. This is the only true homework you are given each night, so it is expected that this is the least you will do. If you stick to this "work" each night, you will soon find it to be pleasurable (if you don't already). Once it becomes a habit, you will most likely surpass the 20 minutes a night average.
Click here to determine your reading rate and set a goal for yourself for each week.
If you find you have a difficult time reading on your own...
Ask a teacher, parent, or friend to observe you for ten minutes, three different times, using this documenting sheet. Both of you should then reflect on what you think, have a discussion about your thoughts, and then come up with a plan and a goal together so that you are more successful in this endeavor and life-long skill.
Looking for books to read?
Try this page of our Weebly, or the book talks from students and teachers. Of course, use your librarians, teachers, and classmates as resources!
How can you prove that you are reading 20 minutes a night on average?
Fiction or Nonfiction BOOK:
- Keep a journal / reading log (minimum requirement) online or on paper.
- Write book reviews. Book Review Guidelines <-- click here!
- Give book advertisements (book talks) to the class or in a school announcement. Here is a rubric to guide you.
- Create online book talks.
- Making sure you log your reading into our silent reading IN-CLASS log will give you a lot of information about your reading preferences and help you stay organized.
- Create your OWN reading log - that you can keep for many years beyond 7th grade.
- Submit any of these Independent Reading Responses.
- Try a mixture of these, in addition to your journal / reading log.
- Keep a journal / reading log (minimum requirement) online or on paper.
- Write article reviews.
- Write a response to an article in your own article or blog post.
- Comment on blog posts.
- Give article / blog post summaries (quick, spoken reviews) to the class or in a school announcement.
- Suggest articles or blog posts you've read to Mrs. Kirr for the Article of the Week document.
- Making sure you log your reading into our silent reading IN-CLASS log will give you a lot of information about your reading preferences and help you stay organized.
- Try a mixture of these, in addition to your journal / reading log.
In Class Reading Comprehension
We will be reading text of the teacher's choice (curriculum) in class, as well.
How can you prove that you understand the material?
How can you prove that you understand the material?
- Create your own multiple choice / short answer / essay question-type quiz or test. Include literal and inferential questions, along with an answer key.
- When discussing text in class, be a participant. (You can keep track of this on a document similar to this one.)
- Write about discussions we have in class, especially if you did not participate in the class discussion. (Use a chart like this one.)
- Publish something online about the book or text we are reading. (Review, opinion piece, character analysis, comparison to another text or movie, etc.)
- Create a movie (published online) about the book, characters, theme / message.
- Complete worksheets or other materials given by the teacher.
- Revise anything you believe can show learning.
Tips...
Have something to read - with you - every day in class.
Every time you publish something (your writing for class, a book review, a vlog), consider these three things:
Task - What are you creating?
Audience - Who are you creating this for?
Purpose - Why are you creating this?
Task - What are you creating?
Audience - Who are you creating this for?
Purpose - Why are you creating this?
Documents That Can Help Show Your Learning
Positive Collaboration Scorecard - for discussions
Proof of Learning Document - you have your own copy to keep track of all of your skills - located on Google Classroom Reading Log - use what you like Student-Friendly Reading "I Can" Statements HERE |
Common Core Reading Standards, Grade 7
LITERATURE
Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
Craft and Structure:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.5
Analyze how a drama's or poem's form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.7
Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.9
Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
INFORMATIONAL TEXT
Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.2
Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.3
Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
Craft and Structure:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.5
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.6
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.7
Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium's portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.9
Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
Craft and Structure:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.5
Analyze how a drama's or poem's form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.7
Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.9
Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
INFORMATIONAL TEXT
Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.2
Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.3
Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
Craft and Structure:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.5
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.6
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.7
Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium's portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.9
Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Common Core Reading Standards to be Addressed in Social Studies & Science:
See this web page for more information on standards in history / social studies and see this web page for information on Science - ELA class is not meant to be solely responsible for these standards.