Miss Mary Lambert

Contact

mlambert@madisonprep.org
480-345-2306 ext 215

Office Hours

Need help? Office hours are available by appointment! Students may speak with me after class or email in advance to set up a time for extra help with assignments. 

Classes/Duties

JH Literature and Composition
Freshman World Geography 
Creative Writing, Senior Elective

Extracurriculars

NJHS Advisor
​JH Student Council Co-Advisor

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Class Information
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Literature and Composition 7&8

.Literature and Composition is a yearlong course focused on the study of reading and writing. Students will read novels, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. We also explore a variety of writing mediums, including letters, narratives, informative/expository essays, and research papers. 

7th Grade Homework:
We are currently reading Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. As we study one of the most famous playwrights and poets from history, students will learn about other famous writers from history as we complete MLA research papers (please note: the rough draft due date of this paper has been moved to Thursday, May 26th). 

• Click here to see a unit calendar with all due dates for the remainder of the term. We're almost done!
• Need help reading The Pearl ? Try following along to an audio version like this one as your read along in your book. 

8th Grade Homework: 
Third trimester is an important term in Literature and Composition. Students complete an 8th grade project, a miniature version of the senior project. We also read George Orwell's classic Animal Farm.  

• Click here to see the third trimester calendar, which includes all due dates for the term. 
• Click here to learn more about the 8th Grade Project, which includes both a research paper and a presentation. 
• Looking for help with the citations or formatting of your MLA research paper? Click here for a valuable resource.  
• Need help with Animal Farm? Try following along to an audiobook while you read. 
• Studying for your Animal Farm test? Remember, you have to know the Bill of Rights on your test. Practice with this game. 

Extra Credit Opportunity for both 7th and 8th grade!​

World Geography 9

World Geography is a one trimester survey course. Most of the material comes from lectures given in class, and students should plan to spend ten minutes each evening studying their maps and notes. Otherwise, there is very little homework. We will spend approximately two weeks on each continent.​ 

Homework: 

• Start preparing for your final exam! Use the study guide from class. 
• Looking for help with your maps? Try the games on Seterra. (These are not identical to the study guide, but there is a lot of overlap.) 
  • 50 States Game
  • Countries of North America
  • Countries of South America
  • Countries of Europe
  • Countries of Asia
  • Countries of Africa
  • Continents and Oceans
  • World Physical Features​
  
  

Creative Writing 12

​Creative Writing is an elective for seniors. Students experiment with flash fiction and short stories before designing a final project. The final project is a substantial sample of each student's work as a creative writer. 

Biography

I have been teaching since I was two years old. My first class was made up of stuffed animals and a Bert doll-- my favorite character on Sesame Street at the time. In 4th grade I saved up 100 orange tickets (orange tickets were given to   students for doing well on homework assignments, having  no tardies for the week, etc.) and instead of buying candy   bars or pretty erasers for five tickets apiece, I chose to be   "Teacher for the Day." In junior high I helped teach Sunday  school, and in high school I volunteered at Tarwater Elementary School . In college I majored in English (since   writing is another of my lifelong loves) and minored in education and history.

I was so happy when I was offered a position as the junior  high Literature and Composition teacher at JMPS: it was as  if someone took all of my favorite things and combined them into the perfect job! This is my sixteenth year at James  Madison and, other than Literature and Composition, I teach 9th grade World Geography and a senior elective. I also have the privilege to work with the outstanding members of my homeroom.

When I am not grading essays, I spend way too much money at Ann Taylor LOFT. I also love to travel, watch movies, play Settlers of Catan, and read books. Some of my favorite books are Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, Dune by Frank Herbert, The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, and Persuasion by Jane Austen.

​ In addition to being an avid reader, I also enjoy writing. In  July 2014, I graduated from Vermont College of Fine Arts    with an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults.  My debut novel, Family Game Night and Other Catastrophes,​ was published by Scholastic in February 2017. My second novel, Distress Signal​, came out in October of 2020. 
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