English

English

In the Middle School, the literature program builds an appreciation for a variety of literary genres, introduces the students to critical analysis, and stimulates class discussion. The writing curriculum concentrates on both analytical and creative compositions. Younger students practice supporting a topic sentence with evidence and organizing each paragraph around a clear, central idea; older students develop their paragraphs into coherent, focused essays. students learn to regard writing as a process to be learned and developed, not mastered in a single draft. All grades in the Middle School study grammar, vocabulary, and learning skills.

English – 5

English 5 is first and foremost a literature course.  The curriculum is designed to introduce students to several literary forms – myths, novels, and epic poetry– and the terms with which we talk about them. Frequently during the year, English 5 has intentional points of contact with History 5: as the students study a particular ancient civilization in history, they read a piece of literature in English associated with that civilization. When we explore those pieces of literature, we examine how societies view the heroic journey, leadership, and the individual’s commitment to their society.  During spring term, English 5 and History 5 are almost completely integrated as we study Medieval Europe and read Beowulf.

Regular in-class written work in English 5 gives fifth graders the chance to develop essential writing skills from basic style and mechanics to expository, personal, dramatic, and fiction writing. Throughout the year, we help the students treat writing as a process, stressing rough drafts, editing, proofreading, and revising as crucial tools. The students often work in pairs or small groups to develop cooperative learning strategies and to profit from others' ideas.  Additionally, through GUM (Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics) lessons, students will also learn about writing mechanics including punctuation, sentence structure, and the beginnings of the parts of speech.

Texts:

Anderson, Jeff and Mike Maddox. The Lion Graphic Bible

Arni, Samhita & Moyna Chitrakar.  Sita’s Ramayana

Baum, L. Frank.  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  (summer reading)

Dembicki, Matt. ed.  Trickster: Native American Tales

Greene, Roger Lancelyn. Tales of Ancient Egypt

Hamilton, Virginia & Barry Moser  In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World

Lin, Grace.  Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

McCaughrean, Geraldine & David Parkins.  Gilgamesh the Hero

Serraillier, Ian.  Beowulf the Warrior

English – 6

Learning to read with sensitivity to an author's purpose and point of view is one of the main goals of English 6.  The novels, plays, and poems we read not only stimulate class discussion but also provide the ideal springboard for both creative and analytical writing. The poetry unit introduces students to a mode of expression that is both vivid and abstract; during the unit, students continue to deepen their understanding of figurative language. Another strength of the curriculum is the inclusion of performance. From the Contemporary Fairy Tale Project to Poetry Presentations, students develop and strengthen their writing and performance skills.

Critical writing requires much practice, and to that end we spend a good deal of time defining and developing the various elements of the analytical paragraph.  Focusing on topic sentences and outlines, students learn to express their assertions clearly and logically; focusing on incorporating quoted material into their paragraphs, they learn to support and develop a cohesive and well-supported argument. Lessons in parts of speech, sentence structure, and punctuation reinforce students’ basic writing skills, and concerted, consistent work with vocabulary expands their word choice.

Texts:

Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover

Craft, Jerry.  New Kid  (summer reading)

Farmer, Nancy. The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm (summer reading)

selected Grimms’ Fairy Tales

Lapine, James and Stephen Sondheim.  Into the Woods

Lowry, Lois. The Giver

Orwell, George. Animal Farm

The 8+1 Parts of Speech

selected short stories

selected poems

English – 7 

English 7 builds on the foundations laid in English 5 and English 6, and continues to develop the students’ reading, writing, and critical thinking skills with a variety of texts, writing assignments, and individual and small-group projects. Focusing on the theme of identity, both personal and public, we look at creative non-fiction (personal essays and narratives), novels, and a Shakespeare play to give the students different perspectives on this theme. During the spring, we will link up a bit with History 7 as that class moves through 20th century American history.

English 7 also strives to offer the students a range of writing assignments to develop their personal, creative, and analytical writing. We will spend a good portion of the fall writing and revising personal essays and narratives; come winter and into spring, we will continue work with personal writing, reacquaint ourselves with the analytical paragraph, and introduce the passage explication.

We have one formal grammar, usage, and mechanics (GUM) unit that moves the students to a more thorough understanding of the basics they learned in English 5 and 6. Over the course of the year, we have regular GUMP (grammar, usage, and mechanics practice), and review frequently the common errors we find in the students’ own writing.

Texts:

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 

Brierley, Saroo.  Lion: A Long Way Home  (summer reading)

Craft, Jerry.  New Kid  (summer reading)

Dahl, Roald.  Boy (summer reading)

Hinton, SE. The Outsiders 

Kamkwamba, William (with Bryan Mealer).  The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind  (summer reading)

Lee, Harper.  To Kill a Mockingbird

Lewis, John.  March

Shakespeare, William.  Julius Caesar

Yousafzai, Malala (with Patricia McCormick).  I Am Malala  (summer reading)

True (Mostly): A Personal Essays Primer

Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics (GUM) Workbook

English – 8 

The English 8 curriculum builds on the program in 5th through 7th grades while also serving as an effective bridge into the Upper School English program. The course helps our students sharpen and improve the articulation of their ideas not only in class discussions but also in various writing projects.  Our aim is to help the students become more inquisitive, lucid, and compelling in both their thinking, writing, speaking, and listening. 

The 8th graders begin the year with some work on the summer reading assignment (Jerry Craft’s New Kid and another book each student chose).  We then discuss short stories collected in the anthology edited by Mary Frosch.  At that point we and move into a quick review of key writing and grammar skills before exploring at length the various options writers have in thinking through, structuring, and editing their sentences.  The students then take what they learn from that exploration and apply it first to a vigorous public speaking unit and then to the sustained close reading of a Shakespeare play.  During their time on the play, the 8th graders turn their attention not only to language analysis and staging possibilities but also to tightly focused passage explications and, eventually, a multi-paragraph analytical essay. Throughout the year, the students enjoy several opportunities to exercise their imaginations by writing personal narratives.

Texts:

Craft, Jerry New Kid  (summer reading)

Frosch, Mary. ed.  Coming of Age in the 21st Century

Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun

Shakespeare, William.  The Merchant of Venice

selected speeches

1-2 other texts TBA