English Department
Questions: Contact department chair
Shelley Garland
The curriculum’s learning expectations for each level constitute a
profile of the learner by the end of that year. That profile is the
benchmark by which progress is measured. Those benchmarks, in turn, are the
steps along the way to the curriculum’s four standards.
STANDARD 1: READING TO CONSTRUCT MEANING
All students will read, comprehend and evaluate a wide variety of
literature, both classic and contemporary and other general and technical
material to seek information, ideas and enjoyment. As students mature,
comprehension will develop to a level of abstraction, which allows them to
apply insights about human experience to their own lives and the lives of
others. They will develop and apply personal, shared and academic criteria
and evaluate written texts.
STANDARD 2: WRITING TO CONSTRUCT MEANING
All students will use the English language to write clearly, accurately
and effectively using different types of texts (fiction and information),
aesthetic elements (figurative and descriptive language) and mechanics
(conventional spelling, punctuation and grammar). They will develop and
apply personal, shared and academic criteria to evaluate their own and
others’ written texts.
STANDARD 3: LISTENING AND VIEWING TO CONSTRUCT MEANING
All students will be effective listeners and viewers in a variety of
situations for a variety of purposes. They will develop and apply personal,
shared and academic criteria to evaluate visual and oral texts.
STANDARD 4: SPEAKING TO CONSTRUCT MEANING
All students will be effective speakers in a variety of situations for a
variety of purposes. They will develop and apply personal, shared and
academic criteria to evaluate visual and oral texts.
Language Arts Curriculum Content for Grades 6-8
Sixth Grade Requirement: Two Units (Reading/Language Arts)
Seventh and Eighth Grade Requirement: One Unit (English)
 Grade 6 Reading
The sixth grade reading classes will study the
following genres: fantasy and mythology. Students will be reading
The
Twenty-One Balloons and two from the following list:
The Story of King
Arthur and his Knights,
Wrinkle in Time,
Christmas Carol,
Phantom Tollbooth
and
Frozen Fire.
 Grade 6 Honors Reading
In this course, students will read from a wide
variety of genre. Among the titles they will read are
Twenty-One Balloons
and
The Adventures of Ulysses along with two from the following list:
Proud
Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, and Swiss Family Robinson.
Grade 6 Language Arts
In the sixth grade language arts class students
will write in the following modes: poetry and narrative, opinion,
information and description essays. The study of grammar, usage,
capitalization, punctuation and spelling is integrated throughout the
course.
Grade 6 Honors Language Arts
Students will write poetry, narrative works and six types of essays.
Grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation and spelling studies are
integrated throughout the course.
Grade 7 English
In seventh grade, English students will read a
variety of genres including poetry, novel, mystery, newspaper (editorial and
opinion) and editorial/political cartoons. Among the titles they will read
are
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and two of the following:
Dragonwings,
Roll Of Thunder,
Hear my Cry,
My Brother, My Sister and I,
Live Albom IV,
Wolf Rider and
The Outsiders. Students will write in the following
modes: short story, poetry, persuasive essays. Grammar, usage,
capitalization, punctuation and spelling studies are integrated throughout
the course.
 Grade 7 Honors English
In the seventh grade honors English, students
read from a wide variety of genre. Among the titles they will read are
The
True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle,
Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon
Pickle and a selection of Edgar Allen Poe plus two from the following list:
The Giver,
Nothing But the Truth,
Homecoming and
Summer of my German
Soldier. Students will write poetry and narrative works and five types of
persuasive essays.
Grade 8 English
During their eighth grade English class,
students will read a variety of genres including short story, novel, drama,
essay, and information texts. The titles they will read are
Anne Frank and
"Flowers for Algernon" as well as two of the following:
Light in the Forest,
Pigman,
No Promises in the Wind, and
Night to Remember. They will write in
the following modes: persuasion and illustration essays, formal research and
poetry. Grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation and spelling studies are
integrated throughout the course.
 Grade 8 Honors English
Eighth grade honors English consists of reading
from a wide variety of genre. Among the titles they will read are
Anne
Frank, "Flowers for Algernon" and either “Midsummer Night's Dream” or “As
You Like It,” plus two of the following:
Johnny Tremain,
Night and
Tale of
Two Cities. Students use a variety of essay forms for persuasion, narration,
formal research projects and poetry.
Additional Language Arts Links for Grades 6, 7 and 8:
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