Course Information

Our English program follows the Common Core standards and is designed to offer a variety of experiences in reading, writing, listening and speaking.  We address the skills necessary for success on the English Language Arts test, which will be given in April.  Students read a range of titles, write regularly and conference individually with their teachers to maximize success.  Finally, we are currently integrating the reading and writing workshop models that were developed by the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University.  We provide clear expectations for our students and appropriate assessments to mark their growth.

The 6th grade curriculum* includes:

Mythology China Egypt Iroquois Sumer Historical Fiction The Adventures of Tom Sawyer The Boy in the Striped Pajamas The Devil's Arithmetic Esperanza Rising In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Someone Named Eva The Watsons Go to Birmingham Drama Fantasy

Science Fiction The White Mountains Realistic Fiction Freak the Mighty The Misfits Red Midnight Stargirl A Step From Heaven Touching Spirit Bear Short Stories "The Fun They Had" "Eleven" "Priscilla and the Wimps" "On The Bridge" "Your Move" "A Letter From The Fringe" "Dog Days" "Alone and Altogether" "Muffin" Visual Literacy Poetry "The Apple" "Good Hot Dogs" "Lodged" "The Red Wheelbarrow" "Street Music" "This Is Just To Say" "The Toaster"

Public Speaking The Hero's Journey Writing Grammar and Mechanics Creative Writing Literary Analysis Essay Portfolio Book Clubs Possible Titles Include: Boy Bridge to Terebithia The Cat Who Wished to be a Man The Cay Daphne's Book A Day No Pigs Would Die Ella Enchanted Follow My Leader Hatchet Locomotion Matilda Nothing But The Truth On My Honor Out of the Dust The Pigman Slake's Limbo Summer of My German Soldier A Summer to Die The Trouble With Lemons The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Tuck Everlasting When Zachary Beaver Came to Town The Witches Z For Zachariah Study and Test-Taking Skills ELA Exam Preparation Listening Skills Reading Comprehension Editing Interdisciplinary Projects Outside Reading Projects

*Please be aware that these units and projects are subject to time constraints.

The 7th grade curriculum* includes:

Mythology Greek Roman Historical Fiction Fighting Ground The Light in the Forest My Brother Sam Is Dead The Pearl Soldier's Heart War Comes to Willy Freeman The Witch of Blackbird Pond Drama 1776: The Musical The Miracle Worker Fantasy Beowulf Coraline The Lightning Thief Mysteries Down the Rabbit Hole The Face on the Milk Carton From the Mixed Up Files ... Half-Moon Investigations The London Eye Mysteries Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief Visual Literacy Cheyenne Again Katie's Trunk Sleds on Boston Common Thank You, Mr. Faulkner Wings

Science Fiction Among the Hidden City of Ember Gathering Blue The Giver House of the Scorpion Uglies Realistic Fiction The Acorn People Miracle's Boys The Outsiders Park's Quest Petey Short Stories "All Summer in a Day" "Big Joe's Funeral" "Don't Ask Jack" "Fever Dream" "The Golden Kite, the Silver Wind" "Harlyn's Fairy" "The Lady or the Tiger" "The Last Slice of Rainbow" "The Marble Champ" "The Queen With The Screaming "Hair" "Papa's Parrot" "The Price" "Ribbons" "The Third Wish" "See Dragon of Fife" "Seventh Grade" "The Streak" "Treasures of Lemon Brown" "What's the Worst that Could Happen?" Poetry "Aunt Sue's Story" "The Blind Men & the Elephant" "Fog" "Every So Often" "Good Behavior" "I, Too" "Mother to Son" "Oranges" "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" "Seal" "What Is Red" poems from Swimming Upstream and Class Dismissed

Public Speaking The Hero's Journey Writing Grammar and Mechanics Creative Writing Literary Analysis Essay Portfolio Study and Test-Taking Skills ELA Exam Preparation Listening Skills Reading Comprehension Editing Interdisciplinary Projects Outside Reading Projects

*Please be aware that these units and projects are subject to time constraints.



The 8th grade curriculum* includes:

Fantasy Alice in Wonderland Five People You Meet in Heaven The Little Prince The Underneath Science Fiction Brave New World Feed The Handmaid's Tale Historical Fiction The Book Thief Farewell to Manzanar Jim the Boy Lizzie Bright & the Buckminster Boy Milkweed The New Boy Spite Fences What I Saw & How I Lived Realistic Fiction The Chocolate War I Am The Cheese If You Come Softly Inventing Elliot Monster Shattering Glass Speak Tree Girl The Wave Whale Talk

Autobiography The Color of Water Drama Brian’s Song The Diary of Anne Frank A Raisin in the Sun Short Stories "The Amigo Brothers" "And Summer is Gone" "A & P" "Checkouts" "Harrison Bergeron" "I Go Along" "Fairy Tale" "The Gift of the Magi" "The Moustache" "The Necklace" "A Retrieved Reformation" "Raymond's Run" "Rules of the Game" "School Spirit" Poetry "Analysis of Baseball" "The Colossus" "Desert Places" "Dog" "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" "The Gray Squirrel" "I Have All These Parts" "I'm Nobody.  Who Are You?" "January" "Jetliner" "The Man He Killed" "The Negro" "Playing Stickball With Robbie Shea" "Portrait of Girl With Comic Book" "Quilts" "Reel One" "Richard Cory" "The Road Not Taken" "Sandy Jane Meador" "Seal" "Silver" "Sonnet XCI" "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" "Taught Me Purple" "Theme For English B" "This Is A Photograph Of Me" "The Tiger" "Truth" "We Real Cool" Visual Literacy Picture Books: The Arrival Black and White works by Anthony Browne Bear Goes To Town A Day, A Dog Fox Public Speaking The Hero's Journey Graphic Novels American Born Chinese Bone Coraline Kampung Boy Maus Persepolis Pride of Baghdad Superman For All Seasons

Interdisciplinary Projects Outside Reading Projects Self-Select Seminars Writing Grammar and Mechanics Creative Writing Literary Analysis Essay Portfolio Study and Test-Taking Skills ELA Exam Preparation Listening Skills Reading Comprehension Extended Response

*Please be aware that these units and projects are subject to time constraints.

The ESL program provides instruction to students from foreign backgrounds in developing their knowledge and skills in English and in related content areas geared to acclimate the student to American culture.  ESL classes are designed to supplement the general middle school curriculum offerings. Students are grouped by level of proficiency in English into beginning, intermediate and advanced classes.

The English Center is a place where students become better readers and writers.  Using specific writing and reading techniques taught in the Center, students will learn to make connections to the reading and writing assignments they work on in their content area classes.  Students will also work on vocabulary, grammar and ELA test taking skills.

Students will also learn test taking strategies that increase their ability to answer multiple choice, short response, and essay questions.  Such practice will make their class assignments easier to complete successfully.

English Electives

Creative Writing
This course is designed for eighth graders who enjoy writing. Students will have the opportunity to write frequently on personal and assigned topics. They will compose their pieces on the computer, share them with their classmates and conference with the teacher. (2-3 periods per week-Half Year)

Books to Film
This course is designed for eighth graders who are interested in reading novels, plays or stories and comparing them to the film versions. After reading, students will make predictions about the film. After watching the movie, students will discuss the similarities and differences in the story-telling techniques.   (2-3 periods per week-Half Year)

Public Speaking
This course, designed for eighth graders, provides students with a variety of opportunities to practice public speaking. Students will learn useful skills for making oral reports, as well as speeches to inform, convince and entertain. Students will also be involved in debates and panel discussions. Videotaping may be used for feedback.  (2-3 periods per week-Half Year)