• Ramsey English Department

    7TH GRADE ESSENTIAL SKILLS/CONCEPTS

    Upon leaving 7th grade, a student will possess the following skills and/or understand the following concepts. This is not to suggest that the following is all that a student will be capable of, but instead, that these skills and concepts have been points of particular emphasis. As such, a level of proficiency in these skills and concepts should exist.

    1. Write a five-paragraph essay
    2. Identify the following in reading selections: 
      main idea
      details
      conclusions
      sequence
      context clues
      inferences
      predictions
    3. Utilize the following comprehension strategies:
      visualization
      making connections
      formulating questions
      identifying vocabulary
      synthesizing
    4. Understand the purposes of reading and writing
    5. Ability to summarize
    6. Understand and identify the following:
      literary elements
      themes
      character traits
      plot developments
    7. Identify genres
    8. Identify types of sentences – simple, compound, and complex
    9. Utilize correct capitalization and punctuation
    10. Identify the parts of speech
    11. Identify sentence patterns

     

    8TH GRADE ESSENTIAL SKILLS/CONCEPTS

    Upon leaving 8th grade, a student will possess the following skills and/or understand the following concepts.  This is not to suggest that the following is all that a student will be capable of, but instead, that these skills and concepts have been points of particular emphasis.  As such, a level of proficiency in these skills and concepts should exist.

    1. Identify the parts of speech.
    2. Identify the parts of a sentence and correct word order.
    3. Identify all types of phrases.
    4. Edit for the following: grammar, spelling, punctuation, and purposeful vocabulary.
    5. Create the four types of writing: narrative, persuasive, descriptive, and expository.
    6. Write a research report with a thesis, using several sources.
    7. Identify and create a variety of poetic devices including simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, analogy, and hyperbole.
    8. Utilize the following prewriting strategies:  formal outlining, graphic organizers, cluster mapping, and note taking.
    9. Utilize anecdotes, quotes, flashback, and time transitions.
    10. Determine word meaning using roots, affixes, context, structure, denotations, and connotations.
    11. Identify words from other cultures.
    12. Infer a character’s role, development of plot and theme, and author’s intent.
    13. Identify the elements of fiction, including plot, subplot, and climax.
    14. Utilize, explain, and recognize the following comprehension strategies:
      questioning
      making connections
      visualizing
      making inferences
      determining important details/ideas
    15. Read and recognize a variety of genres, including short stories, essays, plays, novels, and poetry.