MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH
The Language Arts curriculum in the middle school at St. Paul is designed to expose students to a variety of text selections across genres in each year. As students progress through middle school they read and study elements of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama with increasing knowledge and sophistication. In addition to the selections in the adopted text resources, together students participate in an in-depth novel exploration at each grade level. Developing skills in composing written work is an integrated part of our students’ Language Arts studies. Students complete frequent, in-class writing on topics related to the literature studied in class. Students are expected to provide evidence of learning through classwork, exams, essays, speeches, and multi-media presentations.
Text: Mirrors & Windows ©2009 by EMC Publishing, LLC
6th Grade Language Arts
| Reading focus: | learning to identify elements of literature and elements of informational text. |
| Writing focus: | learning to write in various types for various purposes and audiences. |
| Speaking/Listening focus: | collaboration and presenting information to an audience. |
| Language focus: | spelling and conventions of standard English grammar |
7th Grade Language Arts
| Reading focus: | reading and interpreting a wide variety of literature from our culture and other cultures. |
| Writing focus: | learning to write in various types, and for various purposes and audiences. |
| Speaking/Listening focus: | present information to a peer audience using a variety of modes. |
| Language focus: | developing style and voice in writing using standard English grammar. |
8th Grade Language Arts
| Reading focus: | reading and interpreting a wide variety of literature from our culture and other cultures; focused group novel study |
| Writing focus: | learning to write in various types and for various purposes and audiences, producing a year-end project with writing samples |
| Speaking/Listening focus: | present information to a peer audience using a variety of modes |
| Language focus: | developing style and voice in writing using standard English grammar, demonstrating understanding of figurative language and nuances in vocabulary. |
