English

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island" -Walt Disney

6th Grade English 6th grade English is designed to help students become critical readers and thoughtful writers. Students will read a novel every nine weeks in addition to a variety of short stories, poems, and articles. Students become actively engaged in the texts through classroom discussions, creative writing assignments, and dramatic presentations. By forming connections, asking questions, making predictions, inferring themes, and synthesizing the content of literature with their own world, students learn to think critically and relate to the written word on a much more personal level. As students become immersed in the richness of literature, they also receive instruction in vocabulary and in the rules of grammar to improve their writing styles. Students collaborate with their peers as well as their instructor to develop independence and stamina for writing. By the end of the year, students will have written narratives, short stories, expository pieces, and persuasive essays.

7th grade English is focused on creative thinking, critical reading, and analytical writing. Students read three extended texts. These central texts inspire inquiry-based projects that challenge students to investigate important aspects of writing like voice, audience, and purpose while improving their visual and cultural literacy. The fourth unit on poetry requires nuanced and structural thinking, encouraging students to be aware of style and form when reading and writing. Students will be challenged to learn new literary terminology and expand their grasp and comprehension of the English language through vocabulary studies. The class is a collaborative space, emphasizing individual productive contributions to full class conversations, focused and energized group work, and partner reviews and sharing. In 7th grade English, students are held accountable for their own intellectual development and are expected to demonstrate maturity and independence. .

8th Grade English In 8th grade English, students are instructed in the basic skill areas of grammar, vocabulary development, writing skills, and reading comprehension. These skills will be discussed thoroughly throughout the course of the year while students analyze a group of novels. The novels chosen for this class focus on the importance of one’s choices in life and how choices can affect themselves and others. Students will participate in several projects and writing activities with varied teaching and learning strategies to accommodate learning differences among students.