Seventh-grade English teachers guide your adolescent grandchildren toward literature with themes that resonate with their growing maturity, like fairness, bravery, loyalty, friendship, and loneliness. Seventh-graders also continue to master the writing process. For essays, research projects, and oral presentations, they have to make an outline, develop an argument, support their claims with facts and quotations, and cite sources. They revise their writing to improve organization and word choice, and to correct mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Seventh-grade students can also expect to make oral presentations to the class about research topics.
Who Reads Huck? Since its publication in 1885, Mark Twain’s
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has inspired controversy. The story centers on Huck's travels on the Mississippi River with Jim, an escaped slave. As Huck gets to know Jim, he sees the man's worth as a human being, but he struggles with his feelings because of the deeply ingrained racism of the time. Twain’s book, considered by some critics to be the greatest American novel, is banned in some schools because of its use of language. However, many seventh-graders who read the book identify with its theme of struggling to understand inequality in society. To find out which other books are often banned in U.S. schools, visit the website of
the American Library Association.
• Seventh-graders spend a lot of time learning about correct punctuation, and revising their written assignments to correct grammatical errors. Grammar maven Lynn Truss argues why these things matter in
Eats, Shoots & Leaves (Gotham, 2006).
• Follow
these tips from Scholastic to become a partner with the seventh-grade English student in your family.
To Cheat or Not to Cheat. Your grandchildren will tackle large research projects in English this year. With an increased workload in all subjects, however, they may be tempted to plagiarize a classmate's work, download a completed paper from the internet, or copy materials from a published source. Early in the year, discuss with your grandchildren the differences between using a source and plagiarizing. Remind them that they risk severe punishment if a teacher discovers that they have plagiarized. Getting your grandchildren to understand and observe academic honesty will help them build strong character and lead to academic success.
The Great Debate. Your grandchildren are rapidly developing their own ideas about the world around them. Some of those ideas may conflict with your world view. Rather than dismissing their opinions as youthful rebellion, listen to the kids, while also encouraging them to find reliable sources to support their ideas. They will appreciate your taking them seriously, and your relationship might flourish as you agree to disagree.
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