English 7 is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and incorporates the current instructional modules suggested on the EngageNY website. There will be four units of study throughout the year; approximately one per marking period. Each unit will focus on an essential question at the end of which students will use skill progression and new content knowledge to answer. Instructional strategies to be addressed are close reading for deeper understanding, working with text evidence, understanding perspectives, using verbal and written language effectively, and researching and writing to learn. Each unit will culminate in a final project that addresses each the four learning standards: Reading Literature/Informational Text, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. Anchor texts will include A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson’s novel Lyddie, William Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, assorted sonnets, historical primary sources, and various articles from current publications. The following are the essential questions we will ask this year: How do individuals survive in challenging environments? How do culture, time, and place influence the development of identity? What are working conditions and why do they matter? How does voice bring words to life? What is the impact of technology on the developing mind?