7th Grade English Language Arts (ELA) will focus on the areas of writing, reading, research, and speaking and listening (to include presentation skills and discussion techniques). Vocabulary and grammar instruction are embedded within each unit. Students will read and respond to a variety of literary selections, including novels, non-fiction, short stories, and poetry. In response to these works, students will compose short and longer pieces in the following genres: narrative, expository (including literary analysis), and persuasive. The Writer's-Reader's Notebook is central to this course, in which students will play with language, respond to choice reading, and create writing pieces based on their own interests and passions.