English gr. 5-8

Middle School English Curriculum (gr. 5 - 8)
    
Our goal is to foster analytic readers and writers that are on level with American middle school students.
Content and Competencies

5th Grade 

Students are introduced to different genres and encouraged to reflect, make connections, and respond to text in a variety of ways. Readings include current events, young adult fiction, short stories, poetry, legends and fairy tales. Students will narrate, describe, retell a story and report on fiction and nonfiction texts. They will be introduced to literary elements, figurative language and characterization. Students work with grade appropriate vocabulary and spelling texts. Grammar and mechanics instruction includes parts of speech, sentence types, punctuation and transitions and apply said skills in their study of the 5 Step Writing Process. 

Texts: Into Reading Grade 5, Independent Novels, Scholastic News, Sadlier Grammar Workshop

6th Grade 

Students continue to work with different genres and reflect, make connections, and respond to text in a variety of ways. Readings include current events, young adult fiction, short stories, poetry, legends and fairy tales. They will continue to study literary elements, figurative language and characterization. Students will summarize and report on fiction and nonfiction texts. They will write creative and expository texts. Students work with grade appropriate vocabulary and spelling texts. Grammar and mechanics instruction will reinforce and deepen knowledge of parts of speech, sentence types, capitalization, punctuation and transitions. Students will continue their study of the 5 Step Writing Process. 

Texts: Into Reading Grade 6, Independent Novels, Scholastic News, Sadlier Grammar Workshop

7th Grade

Students continue to work with different genres and reflect on themes such as identity, make connections, and respond to text in a variety of ways. Students will debate current events and themes. Readings include current events, young adult fiction, short stories, poetry, ballads, speeches and science fiction. They will continue to study literary elements, figurative language and characterization. Students will write persuasive and comparative essays on fiction and nonfiction texts. They will also write creatively. Students work with grade appropriate vocabulary and spelling texts. Grammar and mechanics instruction will include verb tenses, the conditional, varied sentence structure, transitions and recognizing run on sentences and fragments. Students will continue their study of the 5 Step Writing Process. 

Texts: Into Literature Grade 7, Independent Novels, Junior Scholastic

8th Grade 

Students continue to work with different genres and reflect on various themes they will encounter in their readings, make connections, and respond to text in a variety of ways. Students will continue to debate current events as well as analyze character motives and literary themes. Readings include current events, young adult fiction, short stories, poetry, drama, speeches and science fiction. Students will continue to study literary elements and devices, figurative language and characterization. They will continue to write persuasive and comparative essays on fiction and nonfiction texts. They will also write creatively. Students work with grade appropriate vocabulary and spelling texts. Grammar and mechanics instruction will include comma rules, punctuating a dialogue and complex sentences, definite and indefinite pronouns, active and passive voice and eliminating common language usage errors and continue their study of the 5 Step Writing Process. 

Texts: Into Literature Grade 8, Independent Novels, Junior Scholastic