The English Language Arts program seeks to develop students who think clearly, critically, and creatively. The students connect with the human experience through an array of text types, allowing them to respond in authentic ways. English Language Arts offers a variety of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing experiences. Reading, in particular, is crucial in developing a student’s language capacity, significantly improving oral and written communication skills. Students are viewed as readers even before they can decode words; they comprehend and make meaning of a variety of texts from a young age.
The purpose of the English 8 is to provide the time, instruction, and opportunity for students to develop into strategic, critical, and responsive communicators. The goal is to focus on the English language related to: (1) Reading: novel study, short stories, reading workshop, and independent reading (2) Writing: using the writing process to draft, edit, and publish various types of writing (3) Listening: class discussions, group work (4) Speaking: oral presentations, class discussions, and literature circles
Units of Study:
- Unit 1: What Makes a Story Go?
- Unit 2: Fact and Fiction: Elements of Historical Fiction
- Unit 3: Persuasion or Manipulation?
- Unit 4: Exploding the Moment
- Unit 5: Say What?: Ironing Out Irony