Course Information
This course will help you master the 7th grade English Language Arts Florida State Standards. If you are new to the course, click here to get started. During the course you learn to write essays, analyze texts, and read an engaging novel!
7th Grade Novel Choices
Prior to starting Module 5 in Segment 2, all students will be required to read a novel or short story. Below is the list of novels and short stories you may choose to read. Click on the novel title to learn more about it!
The word “gifted” has never been applied to Donovan Curtis. It’s usually more like “don’t try this at home.” So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he’s finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy for Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students. It isn’t exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn’t be a more perfect hideout. That is, if he can fool his family, the teachers, the superintendent, and a school full of fellow students with IQs well above genius level.(Source – http://gordonkorman.com/the-books/novels/ungifted)
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
Holling Hoodhood is really in for it. He’s just started seventh grade with Mrs. Baker, a teacher he knows is out to get him. Why else would she make him read Shakespeare…outside of class? The year is 1967, and everyone has bigger things than homework to worry about. There’s Vietnam for one thing, and then there’s the family business. As far as Holling’s father is concerned, nothing is more important than the family business. In fact, all of the Hoodhoods must be on their best behavior at all times. The success of Hoodhood and Associates depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has Mrs. Baker to contend with? (Source – http://www.hmhbooks.com/schmidt/wednesday.html)
Freak the Mighty by Rodman PhilbrickThe strange and wonderful adventures of Max and Kevin, a pair of oddball outsiders who combine their strengths to become ‘Freak The Mighty’. ( Source – http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/book17.html)
The Magician’s Nephew C.S. LewisOn a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them. But then the lion Aslan’s song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in Narnia, all things are possible. (Source – http://www.cslewis.com/us/books/hardcover/the-magicians-nephew/9780060234973/)
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan RawlingsNo novel better epitomizes the love between a child and a pet than The Yearling. Young Jody adopts an orphaned fawn he calls Flag and makes it a part of his family and his best friend. But life in the Florida backwoods is harsh, and so, as his family fights off wolves, bears, and even alligators, and faces failure in their tenuous subsistence farming, Jody must finally part with his dear animal friend. (Source – https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Yearling/Marjorie-Kinnan-Rawlings/Scribner-Classics/9780689846236)
Short Story – To Build a Fire by Jack LondonThe man, accompanied by his wolf dog, braves the freezing temperatures of the Yukon in hopes of finding gold. What else will he find in this desolate, unforgiving environment? (Source – FLVS)
Short Story – Rikki Tikki Tavi by Rudyard KiplingThis story follows a young mongoose after he is adopted into a British family living in India as a pet and protection from venomous snakes. Will he be able to save the family from two cobras who are unhappy about the family living in their territory? (Source – FLVS)
Advanced Requirements
Students enrolled in the ADV course will complete additional lessons in each segment. Students must earn a 60% or higher on these assignments in order to receive ADV credit.
In Segment 1, advanced students will read a novel before beginning the advanced module in Segment 1. Below is the ADV Novel List for Segment 1
Treasure Island tells of Jim Hawkin’s boyhood adventure on a quest for buried treasure. The story opens at Jim’s father’s inn, the Admiral Benbow. A wild seaman, Billy Bones, comes to stay, bringing with him a large sea chest. (Source – http://robert-louis-stevenson.org/works/treasure-island-1883/) 
Dorothy thinks she is lost forever when a terrifying tornado crashes through Kansas and whisks her and her dog, Toto, far away to the magical land of Oz. To get home Dorothy must follow the yellow brick road to Emerald City and find the wonderfully mysterious Wizard of Oz. Together with her companions the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion whom she meets on the way, Dorothy embarks on a strange and enchanting adventure. (Source – https://www.penguin.co.uk/puffin/books/59515/the-wizard-of-oz/) 
When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle’s great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. The mansion has nearly one hundred rooms, and her uncle keeps himself locked up. And at night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. The gardens surrounding the large property are Mary’s only escape. Then, Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. With the help of two unexpected companions, Mary discovers a way in—and becomes determined to bring the garden back to life. (Source – https://www.harpercollins.com/9780064401883/the-secret-garden/) In Segment 2, advanced students will explore and write suspenseful stories.
Pace Charts
Click to view and download the pace chart for your current segment. If you received a personal pace chart, be sure to follow that one.
FSA Resources
Click the image below to access resources to help you prepare for the FSA Reading and Writing tests.
