Nonfiction

• Reading - Local newspapers
• Read for information
• Read for pleasure
• Recognizing elements of well written articles and editorials
• Students learn the 5 Ws of Journalism: Who? What? Where? When? Why?
• Each student writes an article intended for the school newspaper, employing the 5 Ws.
• Writing - in response to stories or editorials
• Grammatical drills in search of different parts of speech and word choices of newspaper writers.

Fiction

Reading - Short stories

• Learn and explore the elements of a short story:
• Characters
• Setting
• Plot
• Theme

Writing - Letter writing - related directly to a story

• Journal writing - also based on the reading

Poetry

Reading and recognizing different types of poetry:

• Narrative poems
• Lyric poems
• Sonnets
• Free verse

Students also learn poetic terminology:

• Imagery
• Simile
• Metaphor
• Personification
• Alliteration
• Rhyme Scheme
• Refrain
• Students write different forms of poetry, employing imagery, rhyme scheme, meter, personification, etc. At end of unit, students select one of their poems to be submitted to the Young People’s Anthology of Poetry contest.

The Novel

• Research background of the novel My Brother Sam is Dead - Historical Fiction set during the American Revolution
• Read and discuss the novel.
• Identify and analyze the theme (s) of the novel.
• Compare and contrast details, characters, events in the novel.
• Write a narrative paragraph based on an event in the story.
• Expand the narrative to an essay.
• Discuss at length the parts of a well written narrative essay.
• Introduce rubric for scoring individual parts, including grammar, mechanics, and spelling, of an essay.

Drama

• Students research the background of The Diary of Anne Frank.
• Students read a series of READ Magazine articles related to the holocaust. They also do a project related to the workings of propaganda to help them understand how the Nazis controlled so many activities in Germany prior to their “final solution.”
• Students read aloud assigned parts each day in class. Vocabulary
• words are carefully defined and discussed.

Students will keep a journal of questions related to each scene

• in the play which they will respond to at the end of each scene.
• Students are also responsible for reading, independently, a book
• related to the holocaust. On completion, they will write a book
• report, following format and criteria established in class. Each
• student will be asked to orally give a brief summary of his/her book.

Writing

• Students will spend four to six weeks reading and writing  informative, descriptive, narrative, and persuasive essays.
• Students will analyze and practice the fine points of essay writing.
• Details include developing a clear, concise introduction, carefully gathering pertinent details and information for thorough body paragraphs, and composing a thoughtful and comprehensive conclusion.
• Grammatical emphasis will be placed on the careful use of precise transitional words and phrases, subject-verb agreements, and paragraphing techniques.

Oral Presentation

• Independent Project from the novel, Lyddie, by Katherine Peterson.
• Students will then prepare and present an oral presentation.
• The following criteria must be met:
• Clear diction
• Good volume
• Good eye contact
• Organization
• Sound knowledge of material
• Animation
• Appropriate audio/visual aid

Diversity/Cultural Differences

• Student will read, discuss, and experience diverse pieces of literature in The Art of Loving Well.
• Literature includes fairy tales from around the world, including Native American folk tales.
• Stories and poems also introduce students to many different cultures and time periods.
• Themes of love and caring run through all the literary pieces.
• Students are also invited to involve their parents and family members in some of the homework activities.

Language Development

• Students will study root words, prefixes, and suffixes from various languages such as Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, etc.
• In addition, students will read the novel Alan and Naomi which features four different languages: English, French,  German, and Yiddish.
• They will experience how different languages have come together to make our present-day American English Language.

Technology

• In the classroom and at home, students will be encouraged to to use computers regularly to compose and type their work.
• They will also use the Internet for research and as resources in their work.
• They may reference "Rhyming Dictionary" on the Internet to help when writing poetry.

Audio/Video

• Students will view movies and related videos throughout the school year.  Among films to be viewed are:
• "1776" - "Lyddie"
• The Holocaust: One Survivor Remembers
• The Diary of Anne Frank
• Alan and Naomi
• The Red Badge of Courage

Independent Reading

• Students will be required to read independently from self-selected books at least once a week.
• They will also maintain weekly Reading Journals. These will be collected and graded each week.
• From time to time “book talks” will be held for students to tell other students about the books they are currently reading.
• Such “book talks” expose students to many different books available to them.
• The talks also encourage discussion on a variety of topics.

Theme

• Themes appear in so much of the literature we read throughout the year. It will be discussed and written about often.
• Students will be able to distinguish Main Idea from Theme.

Style and Language

• Imagery and the senses will be covered extensively in our study of poetry.
• We will also read “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote with its rich sensory language.
• Students will write ‘a memory’ using sensory images.

Vocabulary

• Vocabulary is addressed in everything we read and write.
• Conscious effort is made daily to introduce and clarify new and challenging vocabulary.