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Long Beach Middle School

English Language Arts Department

Grade 7

The seventh grade English course is designed to further develop students’ skills in writing, reading, speaking, and listening.  Students are engaged with their learning as they work through various kinds of inquiry:  personal inquiry, social inquiry, and global inquiry.  They will work through four workshops framed by the Expert 21 program published by Scholastic.  Each of these workshops is geared to prepare students to be successful participants in the 21st century workplace.  The skills are grouped in six categories to support this goal:  communication and collaboration; creativity and innovation; critical thinking and problem solving; information and media literacy; information and communication technology; and college, workplace, and life skills.  Emphasis is placed on writing in a variety of forms and for a variety of audiences.  The students will be instructed in the principles of correct grammar and spelling and will be expected to implement these skills in their writing.   Reading instruction focuses on the development of vocabulary, comprehension, and critical analysis skills.  The reading program includes drama, novels, short stories, non-fiction, poetry, and informational text, and students are required to choose texts to read independently.  Students will continue to develop their research skills and will be required to write a paper wherein they synthesize ideas from multiple sources.  
 
The New York State English Language Arts Assessment will be administered to all students.  This exam includes critical reading and short and extended writing tasks.
 
Outcomes for seventh grade students in ELA:
 
Reading:

  • Cite textual examples of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text
  • Determine how major ideas are developed throughout the text
  • Understand author’s craft and how authors create meaning
  • Determine the meaning of new words by using context clues
  • Analyze how a work’s format and structure is related to a text’s meaning
  • Compare and contrast texts on similar topics or with similar themes (fiction and non-fiction)

 
Writing:
  • Write arguments and support their claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
  • Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information
  • Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences
  • Research topics using multiple print and digital sources
  • Develop editing and revision skills
  • (This information for reading and writing standards is adapted from the Common Core Standards documents found at http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy)

 
Sources for grades:

    Writing:  Process and Product Scores
    Class Participation
    Independent and Group Work
    Rubrics and Checklists
    Outside Reading Activities
    Reading Responses
    Notebooks
    Projects
    Homework
    Skills Tests

 
Curriculum approach used:

    Whole-class instruction
    Small-group work
    Inquiry workshops that require individual and small-group collaborations
    Team projects and inter-disciplinary connections
    Literature Circles: small group reading groups
    Individual and small-group exploration of Expert Space—online resource with thousands of articles appropriate for students to read to support their work in the inquiry workshops

Current News

Long Beach Sixth Graders Win Regional STEM Title, Advance to National Stage in International Competition

Sixth-grade students Edward Grossman, Sullivan Limmer, Cole O’Connor, and Sam O’Donoghue. thumbnail265802

Long Beach Middle School is thrilled to announce that sixth-grade students Edward Grossman, Sullivan Limmer, Cole O’Connor, and Sam O’Donoghue have been named Regional Champions in the prestigious Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition for their outstanding project, Visionary.

The team was honored during a celebratory assembly that was held at the school on April 10 where representatives from Toshiba Business Solutions, Major Account Sales Manager Melissa-Ann MacDonald and Major Account Executive Tom Ryan, joined students, families, teachers, and administrators to present awards and offer congratulations.

The Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition invites students across the United States and Canada to envision future technologies that could improve the world. Out of thousands of entries, only 24 teams are selected as regional winners, and the Long Beach sixth graders earned a coveted spot among them.

Their innovative proposal, Enhancing Vision with Artificial Intelligence, was recognized for its exceptional creativity, scientific insight, and teamwork. During the assembly, the student team presented their project video to their peers, families, and school leadership. “This is a tremendous achievement for our students and our school,” said Walter Kramme, Long Beach teacher and project advisor to the team. “Their hard work, imagination, and collaboration truly helped get them to this stage of the competition.”

The students will now advance to the national round of the competition, where they’ll compete for the title of National Champion. The entire school community wishes them the best of luck as they continue their exciting STEM journey.

Congratulations to Edward, Sullivan, Cole, and Sam and thanks to Mr. Kramme for his dedication and guidance.

 

Date Added: 4/23/2025

Long Beach Students’ Artwork to Fly in Space

2 students' artworks thumbnail265805

Long Beach Public Schools is thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s Mission Patch Design Contest, held in conjunction with the district’s participation in the prestigious Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP). Congratulations go to Zoey Pinto, a 6th grader at Long Beach Middle School, and Murphy Moser, a 5th grader at Lido Elementary School, whose designs have been selected as the official mission patches for this year's spaceflight project.

Their outstanding designs were unveiled and celebrated during the recent Sixth Grade Science Symposium Program, where they received special recognition for their creativity, artistic vision, and contribution to the district’s spaceflight initiative.

As part of the SSEP, Zoey and Murphy’s mission patches will be launched aboard a mission to the International Space Station (ISS), accompanying the 6th-grade science experiment selected to be conducted in microgravity.

The Mission Patch Contest is a tradition that honors the history of NASA spaceflight and gives students a chance to represent their school district’s presence in space. Each patch reflects the spirit of exploration, innovation, and scientific discovery.

Once again, congratulations to Zoey and Murphy for this incredible achievement. We can’t wait to see their patches soar into orbit.

Date Added: 4/23/2025

Long Beach Middle School Performed “Superheroes: With Great Powers Comes Ordinary Responsibility”

Person in Batman costume on stage thumbnail265797

Students at Long Beach Middle School took center stage recently with two performances of this year’s school play, Superheroes: With Great Powers Comes Ordinary Responsibility.

The comedic, heartfelt play tells the story of a group of young superheroes navigating the challenges of growing up not through epic battles, but by managing school stress, friendships, chores, and homework. As their powers emerge, they quickly learn that being super isn’t always about saving the world, sometimes, it’s about remembering to take out the trash, turn in assignments on time, and be there for the people who matter most.

Long Beach English and Theatre Arts Teacher and Theatre Arts Director Leslie Kohn said, “Our students displayed remarkable talent and professionalism, and I couldn’t be prouder of their hard work, growth and dedication.” “Their comedic timing and stage presence brought each scene to life, keeping the audience engaged and captivated.” She continued, “Throughout the production, they cultivated essential skills such as blocking, voice projection, and enunciation.”

Click here to view the Long Beach Middle School Performed “Superheroes: With Great Powers Comes Ordinary Responsibility” slideshow.

Date Added: 4/23/2025

Long Beach Middle School Marks Pi Day

On March 14, Long Beach Middle School students commemorated Pi Day with a Reciting Contest. thumbnail264983
On March 14, Long Beach Middle School students commemorated Pi Day with a Reciting Contest. During lunch, students had the chance to participate by reciting as many digits of the mathematical constant pi (π) as they could remember, with Long Beach Math teacher William Papetti overseeing the event.
 

 

Date Added: 3/17/2025

LBMS Presents Superheroes

LBMS Presents Superheroes: With Great Powers Comes Ordinary Responsibilities! April 3 at 7 pm and April 4 at 7 pm thumbnail264811

With Great Powers Comes Ordinary Responsibilities!

Dates: April 3rd at 7:00 pm & April 4th at 7:00 pm

Click here to get tickets.

Date Added: 3/11/2025

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