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Seventh Grade - Language Arts
Activities
Checking Out Charitable Groups
Financial and Economic Concepts: Charitable Giving
Seventh Grade – CCSS English Language Arts Grade 7
Writing
Standard 3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
Have students read the article called “Make Charitable Contributions Carefully”.
Assign them to write a narrative to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences, focusing on donating to charities. Example: Students could write about what happens when a contributor is unaware of his or her rights. Help students focus on the benefits of donating to charities, while becoming aware of obstacles and potential scams.
Click on the following link to become more familiar with the concepts of researching charitable organizations:
Utah Division of Consumer Protection
Use websites, posters, brochures, handouts and other forms of written information about charitable organizations to meet the objectives above. Some ideas are:
American Red Cross - Utah Chapter
Become A Blood Donor for Babies (pdf)
Additional Resource (pdf)
Getting and Keeping A Checking Account
Financial and Economic Concepts: Banking and Financial Services
Seventh Grade – CCSS English Language Arts Grade 7
Reading: Informational Text
Standard 5
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
Have students read the document titled Getting and Keeping a Checking Account (pdf) in groups of 2-3 students. As they read, have them circle any words they are unfamiliar with. When finished reading, have students try to figure out as a group, the meaning of the words they circled. Have students participate in a Think-Pair-Share, where they are able to share what they learned about checking accounts with each other.
Analyzing a Poem on Charity
Financial and Economic Concepts: Charitable Giving Seventh Grade – CCSS English Language Arts Grade 7
Reading: Literature
Standard 6
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
Read the Charity Poem. Use the poem to meet the objectives above.
Questions for class discussion:
- Who or what is the "them" referred to in the poem?
- What has the narrator done or not done?
- How does the narrator feel?
- What is the narrator suggesting about charity?
Consequences of Gambling
Financial and Economic Concepts: Negative financial consequences of gambling Seventh Grade – CCSS English Language Arts Grade 7
Writing
Standard 1
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
Show students the video called “Teen Gambling, It’s a Risky Deal.” In a discussion, share with them additional information (pdf) about the negative consequences of gambling. Have students write a letter to a hypothetical friend who has a gambling problem. Have them use what they have learned from the video and discussion to convince their friend to quit gambling. Letter must contain three supportive reasons or pieces of relevant evidences of why they should quit.
"Teen Gambling: It’s A Risky Deal"
Consequences of Gambling Card Activity (pdf)
Labels for Card Matching Game (doc)
Card Matching Game - Key (doc)
Economic Time Capsule
Financial and Economic Concepts: Economic Reasoning Seventh Grade – CCSS English Language Arts Grade 7
Writing
Standard 9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Ask students if they know what a "scribe" is. Explain that it means a "writer" or an "author." Tell students that they are going to work in their groups to become scribes of our times. Distribute copies of Time Capsule Worksheet.
Time Capsule Workseet (pdf)
Time Capsule Label (pdf)
Review the Time Capsule Worksheet instructions with students and reinforce with them that their letters will become part of an economic time capsule for students twenty years from now. The time capsule information must fit into an 8 1/2" x 11" envelope for storage reasons. Distribute newspapers for students to locate advertisements, cartoons, and other resources for the time capsule. Remind students that they must include information about the overall state of the current economy and how they are or are not affected by the economy. They should include at least five economic terms. They must also include a political cartoon about the economy in the time capsule. They can either find one or create their own. They must include advertisements that include the prices of commonly bought goods and services. Finally, they should include one other item of their choice that represents their economic times. Allow approximately thirty minutes for students to complete their writing and create their time capsules. (If a group does not finish in the allocated time, it may complete the work for homework).
Assessment:
Students are assessed on the time capsules they create. Within the time capsule, the letters to the future students are evaluated based on a student’s demonstration of knowledge and understanding of our current economic times.
Complete Lesson Plan (pdf)
Time Capsule Assessment (pdf)
