The Year 7 English curriculum provides students an integrated program of the three interrelated strands of Language, Literature and Literacy. The strands focus on developing student's knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating.
Course information
In their first term of high school English, Year 7 students will complete a unit of study titled 'Me, Myself and I'. This unit is intended to assist students to get to know their classmates and teacher. The focus of the unit is on writing from and about personal experience, with an emphasis on autobiographical writing.
Equipment required:
- a 100+ page exercise book for class work
- a USB
- an equipped pencil case, particularly including - pens (black/blue and red), pencils (lead and coloured), glue and a ruler
Term 1's assessment task requires Year 7 students to compose a biography intended to inform an audience of a role model's life and acheivements. This will be completed in during class time and at home to be submitted in Week 9.
Throughout the term, classes will also be given a class project to compose a poster that creatively represents their identity. Additionally, students' literacy skills will be assessed through the completion of in-class writing tasks and comprehension quizzes.
In Term 2, Year 7 English classes will undertake a unit of study titled 'Fantastic Worlds: Fantasy, Myths and Legends'. As part of this unit, students will read and explore a range of mythical texts from around the world. Selected myths and legends will allow students to experience stories from a range of different cultures. Throughout the course of the term, students will develop their comprehension skills through reading and viewing texts as well as composing their own imaginative texts.
This term's writing focus will be narrative. For their formal assessment task students will be required to use digital programs (i.e. Minecraft) to represent a mythical world from a text studied throughout the term.
In Term 3, Year 7 students will complete a unit called 'Introduction to Poetry'. Students will explore fundamental poetic forms and techniques by reading a range of poems and composing their own.
In their final term of Year 7, classes will undertake a topic titled 'Introduction to Drama'. Within this unit of study classes will learn about the language, conventions, history and structure of dramatic texts. This will take place through close study of one or a series of plays. Students will engage in interactive and performance tasks throughout this topic.
Homework
Wide-reading is an essential component of learning in English (and, we passionately believe, an enjoyable part of life!) and students are encouraged to read for at least half an hour of an evening.
Students are also assigned fortnightly spelling tests which are pre- and post- tested in class. Students are aware that they are expected to practise their spelling lists at home. The 'Look/Cover/Write/Check' method is taught in class as a way to revise their spelling words.
Every student in Year 7 has a WordFlyers login. WordFlyers is an engaging online literacy program that teaches students the fundamentals of reading, spelling, comprehension, grammar and phonics. Tasks and interactive games can be accessed through the website.
Students are encouraged to log in from home and complete a variety of tasks to build their literacy skills. For more information, visit the WordFlyers website. Students can see their English teacher for their login details.
Additionally, assessment tasks are issued each term and students are encouraged to work on these in their own time at home. Furthermore, revision of classwork (through methods recommended in class) is encouraged.
Google Classroom
In English lessons students have access to laptops provided by the school. Classwork, assessment tasks and announcements are posted on Google Classroom. Students can access their Google Classrooms from any computer/device with an internet connection. Parents/guardians are able to be added to Google Clasroom to assist their students in remaining up-to-date with their learning and to see the work being undertaken. Please contact Ms Rosen (Head Teacher of English) if you would like to be added to your child's English Google Classroom.
