English Language Arts Learning by Pat Huster

Where has the time gone? We are already into the eighth week of school, and our students have been quite busy in their English/Language Arts classes. Students have been reading, writing, presenting, and learning vocabulary. In addition to our core language arts classes, 6th & 7th grade students have chosen an ELA Elective.

ELA Curriculum

Our language arts curriculum uses SpringBoard:English Textual Power, published by The College Board, as its textbook. Each grade level focuses on a different theme that runs throughout the lessons. Our 6th grade students study the theme of change, while 7th grade students learn about choices, and 8th grade students follow the idea of challenges. Now in its 4th year at CMS, SpringBoard is the vehicle that makes rigorous standards attainable for all of our students through vertically aligned and carefully scaffolded strategies-based instruction.

Through SpringBoard, students:

• are exposed to higher-order thinking skills
• practice close analysis with pre-AP and AP reading strategies
• confronted with increasingly challenging texts
• challenged by complex writing tasks

With their exposure to these AP strategies, prompts, texts, and writing tasks, our students will be well equipped for their journey through the 21st century.

In the Classroom

This week 8th grade classes have been busy exploring how the protagonists in Fahrenheit 451 and The Giver follow the Hero’s Journey archetype and using direct text evidence to support Short Answer Responses. In addition to their reading, students are participating in Socratic Seminars about Questioning Society’s Rules and Laws. Next week 8th graders will dive into graphic novels as their final preparation piece before they create visualizations of the Hero’s Journey in graphic novel format for their Embedded Assessment.

 8th grade Socratic Seminar

  8th grade Socratic Seminar

7th grade students are working on revision skills, a vital part of writing. Students are revisiting a piece of writing they completed earlier, revising the piece, and then reflecting on academic and personal growth. 7th grade students will be taking the Writing STAAR this spring which will focus on a written essay in addition to revision and editing skills.

6th grade students have been busy discussing the concept of change. Personal narratives are wrapped up and students are now focusing their efforts on expository writing. Thesis statements, topic sentences and transitions have all been big topics in class recently. This next week students will participate in  Writing Workshop where they will develop the following skills:

• presenting effective introductions and concluding paragraphs
• guide and inform the reader’s understanding of key issues in body paragraphs
• include specific facts, evidence, details and examples in body paragraphs
• include appropriate organizational structure
• use a variety of sentence structures and transitions to link paragraphs

As you can see, our core English/Language Arts classes have been working hard by reading, writing, listening, and speaking. They are developing the skills that will grow into skilled problem solvers, effective communicators, collaborative workers, self-regulated learners, and global citizens.