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English and Reading
STAFF
| English |
ESOL |
Reading Specialist |
Nick Hubble, RT Literacy
Penny Chaney
Stacy Crowl, RT
Suzanne Hadidi
Patsy Manor
Angela McNellage
Rick Surette
|
Cristina Stern
|
Mary Scott |
October Updates:
The English department is working on several exciting projects as the quarter comes to a close!
6th grade English students have been diligently working on grammar and putting their expertise to use by taking quizzes on the Promethean Board in class. They are becoming very adept at using those activotes! 6th graders will also be writing a well-written paragraph connecting personal experiences and concepts from the novel to our first unit, Foundations.
The 7th grade English classes are working on Personal Essays on Name. The students had to write about interesting anecdotes on their names, how they got their names, and other names they would like to be called. They are also working on character development; how a character changes in the beginning, middle and end of a novel.
8th grade learning center students are learning how old school hiphop music relates to poetry from the Harlem Renaissance period (Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen). By using hiphop, students are able to make stronger connections with the poems and identify the author's message and mood behind the lines/lyrics.
As you can see, even though the quarter is coming to a close, the students are continuing to keep up the momentum!
COURSE BULLETIN INFORMATION
- Students in grade 6 are required to take English 6 and Reading 6 (unless recommended for Spanish 1A).
- Students in grade 7 are required to take English 7.
- Students in grade 8 are required to take English 8.
- Placement will be based upon grades in previous classes and recommendations by teachers and parents.
English - Grade 6 (Full Year)
The overarching theme for the English 6 course is Kaleidoscopes. While studying this theme, students will complete units that involve the study of language and literature in the context of change and possibility. The English 6 curriculum consists of four thematic units. The four units are Foundations, Adventures, Challenges and Barriers, and Choices. Students are presented with texts of different genres and forms related to the four thematic units. Writing is a major focus with stress placed on the informative, persuasive, narrative, and procedural intents. Students read and analyze texts from multiple sources to understand audience, purpose, and language; to interpret meaning; and to evaluate the usefulness of a text. Tasks completed in each unit ask students to use writing, speaking, and technology skills.
English Grade 6 - Gifted and Talented (Full Year)
The overarching theme for English 6 for gifted and talented students is Kaleidoscopes. This course is designed to meet the needs of the highly able reader and writer. The course emphasizes abstract reasoning, advanced vocabulary, and high-level reasoning in discussion to help students develop their analytical and interpretive thinking skills.
English - Grade 7 (Full Year)
The English 7 curriculum develops the theme of Challenges. Students will complete four thematic units that involve the study of language and literature in the context of challenges that people face, and the traits and actions linked to success or failure. The topics for these units are Identity/Belonging, Survival/Heroes, Making Decisions, and Creativity. Students experience texts of different genres and forms. Language and grammar instruction focuses on students’ most frequent errors. Vocabulary is taught within the context of the assigned readings, and students experience the words in both written and oral form. This course integrates reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Writing focuses on the informative and persuasive intents. The writing process continues to be developed, and students are asked to do self-reflection on each of their products. Students are also given opportunities to present their work orally and through media productions.
English Grade 7 - Gifted and Talented (Full Year)
The overarching theme for English 7 for gifted and talented students is Challenges. In addition to the four thematic units studied in the English 7 curriculum, students in this course will study the William and Mary unit entitled “1940’s: Decade of Change”. Students are involved in inquiry-based learning that involves discussion, writing, and research activities. This course is designed to meet the needs of the highly able reader and writer. These units focus on abstract reasoning, advanced vocabulary, and the analysis of literature.
English - Grade 8 (Full Year)
The English 8 curriculum develops the theme of Explorations. Students will complete four thematic units that involve the study of language and literature in the context of exploring the world and new ideas. The topics of these units are Quest, Community, Responsibility, and Discoveries. Students experience texts of different genres and forms related to each of the themes. This course integrates reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Writing focuses on the informative and persuasive intents. The progression from first draft to corrected final copy is emphasized. Students are given opportunities to present their work orally and through media demonstrations.
English Grade 8 - Gifted and Talented (Full Year)
The overarching theme for English 8 for gifted and talented students is Explorations. In addition to the four thematic units studied in the English 8 curriculum, students in this course will study the William and Mary unit entitled “Utopia”. Students are involved in inquiry-based learning that involves discussion, writing, and research activities. This course is designed to meet the needs of the highly able reader and writer. These units focus on abstract reasoning, advanced vocabulary, and the analysis of literature.
Reading Grade 6 (Full Year)
The Reading 6 curriculum is designed to provide students with varied reading experiences that are closely linked to the units in the English 6 curriculum. Every unit includes a mixture of expository and narrative texts, and students receive instruction in reading strategies that relate to these texts. In each unit, students will be asked to create products and present them in a variety of ways to develop writing, listening, speaking, and technology skills.
Reading Grade 6 - Gifted and Talented (Full Year)
The Reading 6 gifted and talented curriculum provides students with a variety of reading experiences that are closely linked to the English 6 curriculum. This course incorporates The Junior Great Books program into the reading curriculum. The Junior Great Books program is a strong, inquiry-based language arts program that refines and extends students’ skills in reading, thinking, and communicating. Shared inquiry reading, discussion, and writing activities may be used with a wide range of literature to encourage students to use high-level thinking processes as they explore curricular themes.
Reading Grade 7 (Full Year)
The Reading 7 curriculum allows students to explore units in literature and read a variety of short stories and articles. The purpose of this course is to develop critical thinking skills. Students will also learn vocabulary skills that can help them perform well on the PSAT and SAT in high school. This course is designed to help students make sophisticated connections among themselves and the text, between two or more texts, and between the text and the world.
Reading 8 (Full Year)
The Reading 8 curriculum reinforces and extends the reading strategies framed in previous reading and content courses. Eighth grade reading courses are designed to meet the needs of on-grade level readers and below-grade level readers to improve their comprehension. Students apply research-based reading strategies as they read for information. They will read about a variety of topics to help identify their own interests. They will then relate this information to careers that may be of interest to them in the future. Students will do research using electronic and traditional texts in order to develop skills in understanding demanding expository texts in high school.