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:
In 7th grade, we finish the schoolyear reading The Pearl by John Steinbeck. As we read this novella by one of America's most beloved authors, students will research and write MLA style reports on the lives of famous American authors. Click here to learn more about the requirements for the research reports. 

• For a calendar of all reading homework and due dates associated with this unit, click here. 
• Study for your final exam. Click here to see a study guide. The second hour final will be held the afternoon of June 5th and the sixth hour final will be the morning of June 8th. 
• Need help with your reading homework for The Pearl? Try following along to an audio version like this one. 

8th Grade Homework: 
In 8th grade, we end the year with the 8th grade project. This research project includes an MLA formatted paper and a presentation. For our literature unit this trimester, students will choose books to read and discuss in peer groups called Book Clubs.  ​

• 8th grade memory for the memory book due Wednesday, May 31st. 
• Study for your final exam. Click here for the study guide. The 1st hour final will be the morning of June 5th, and the 5th hour final will be the morning of June 7th. 
• For a calendar of all reading homework and due dates associated with this unit, click here. ​
• Is it your turn to lead the book club discussion and you need a copy of the prepared notes form? If so, click here to get one!
• Need help with MLA formatting? Look here for answers.​

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

World Geography 9

World Geography is a one trimester survey course taught in the first and third trimesters. 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.​ 

9th Grade Homework: ​​

• Read Ch. 34 of your textbook and answer the following questions: pg. 723, questions 1, 2, 3; pg. 731, questions 1, 2a, 3b; pg. 737, questions 2, 3a. Due Friday, May 26th  
• Study 10-15 minutes per evening. 
• Use your final exam study guide. The 3rd hour final is Tuesday, June 6th. It's not too early to start preparing!​
• While not identical to the final exam study guide, here are some useful links to help you practice for your final: 
  • Largest countries of the world
  • Physical features of the world
  • Continents and oceans 
  • US States

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Creative Writing 12

​Creative Writing is an elective for seniors held in the second trimester. 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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