English

Reading connects us to the universality all humans share, linking us to people regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, class, etc. In class, we read stories written by people whose voices are not typically heard. Then our students are connected to them, which is an important step in the process of becoming global citizens." –Mark Smith, English Teacher

Our Middle School English program fosters the imagination of young writers while exposing them to traditional literary elements. Students practice the fundamentals of composition through pre-writing, drafting, revising, and publishing. The English department encourages students to develop both self-awareness and personal style through the writing process.

explore poetry written by our middle school students

Book Talk with Two UPrep English Teachers:

Semester Courses

Sixth Grade English

Required, sixth grade
Full Year

The 6^th grade English course focuses on developing each student’s active, critical reading skills and analytical writing skills. Fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry are read over the course of the year and students consistently practice close, active reading and engage in thoughtful discussion that aims to get to the deeper meaning of a text. There is much emphasis on composing paragraphs that include a topic sentence that makes a claim, relevant supporting details and a clear concluding sentence. Students write frequently and have many opportunities to demonstrate their thinking through writing. Additionally, there are opportunities to develop creative writing skills. Students may write poetry, short stories or even write and draw their own comic strip. Texts may include: Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson, Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Beals, American Born Chinese by Gene Yang, The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez, and The Pearl by John Steinbeck.

Seventh Grade English

Required, seventh grade
Full year

English 7 exposes students to literature and cultures both local and global. Students are taught to think critically about the works they read and to note similarities between themselves and the characters within those works. In this way, the course encourages students to learn empathy and gain understanding of the characters and their experiences. The course helps students develop the fundamental skills of writing a formal, thesis-based essay through practice and feedback. Formal grammar study is also a part of the curriculum and is centered on the study of verbs and their forms. Vocabulary study is developed from the texts encountered in the course. Assessments come in the form of individual and group projects, as well as formal paragraphs, essays, and creative writing assignments. The book list may include (but is not limited to) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Taylor), World Without Fish (Kurlinsky), Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Ford), Looking Like the Enemy (Matsuda-Gruenwald), and The Giver (Lowry).

Eighth Grade English

Required, eighth grade
First semester

English 8 incorporates vocabulary and grammar study, creative and expository writing, and the reading of classical and contemporary literature. Students study vocabulary drawn from the texts used and the genres encountered in the course, learn about the voice and tense of verbs, and examine sentence structure via their study of phrases and clauses. In addition to practicing different modes of expository writing, students write poetry and short stories. Students delve deeply into texts and participate in discussions to demonstrate their understanding. The reading list may include (but is not limited to) titles such as The House on Mango Street (Cisneros), Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury), The Marrow Thieves (Diamante), Thousand Pieces of Gold (McCunn), All the Light We Cannot See (Doerr), and The Book Thief (Zusak). Numerous essays, poems, articles, and speeches supplement these longer readings.

Creative Writing

Elective, first semester
Seventh and eighth grades

This course immerses students in the process and practice of creative writing. Throughout the course, students engage with various types of creative writing from a wide range of established literary figures, understand structures and techniques used within the different forms of writing, and talk about and personally practice the craft. Students produce their own original short story, personal essay, and collection of poetry. Students should expect to ask questions, closely examine each other's writing, develop their author voice, and take intellectual risks!.

Intensive Courses

Learn more about our intensives program.

Deep Space Six: Science Fiction, Science Fact
The Graphic Novel

Deep Space Six: Science Fiction, Science Fact

Required, sixth grade
Second intensive

This course is a partnership between sixth grade English and Science to explore astronomy, the solar system, and methods of inquiry in a creative, artistic, and hands-on fashion. Through a variety of trips and projects, students explore outward from the Moon, to the Solar System, and then to some of the anomalies and the history of the universe itself. Students read, analyze, and write Science Fiction using their own learning and projects for inspiration. Field trips include the University of Washington Planetarium, the Challenger Learning Center at the Museum of Flight, and the Museum of Pop Culture.

The Graphic Novel

Seventh - eighth grades
First intensive

This course focuses on the conception, design, and production of a visual narrative piece. Students read examples of comics and graphic novels that bring together writing and visuals to tell their stories. Using these pieces as inspiration, students then develop their own characters and storylines, write and draw the piece, and produce an anthology series distributed at UPrep.