8th Grade English

UNITS OF STUDY

Through reading and thinking strategies work, the New York Writing Project model, and the Common Core Standards, all 8th grade English students will be exposed to these Units of Study. Additional areas of focus will vary under the direction of individual teachers.

The Hero's Journey:

Students will explore Joseph Campbell's interpretation of the Hero's Journey through short stories, film, and novels to then create a fictional story based on this model, developing the exposition to their stories.

Narrative:

Students will explore the aspects of writing a narrative from developing ideas from life experiences to the completion of a "real life" blog entry. 

Literary Response:

Students will explore various stories and novels looking at author craft in the development of character and theme.

Argument Writing and the Position Paper:

Students will learn to research and thoughtfully present a sound argument where a position is taken and supported.

Journalism:

Students will explore topics in their world and write deliberately in an unbiased manner as they report their findings to a peer audience.

Book Clubs:

Students will participate in informal and formal book clubs periodically to practice reading skills learned from Reading Workshop mini-lessons.