English

6th grade
Required

This yearlong course focuses on developing each student’s active, critical reading skills and analytical writing skills. Fiction, nonfiction, 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 evidence, 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 or short stories, or even write and draw their own comic strip. Texts may include Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson, American Born Chinese (Gene Yang), The Circuit (Francisco Jimenez), and The Pearl (John Steinbeck).

7th grade
Required

This yearlong course 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 commas and sentence structure. 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 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Mildred D. Taylor), A Long Walk to Water (Linda Sue Park), Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford), The Crossover (Kwame Alexander), The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway), and The Giver (Lois Lowry).

8th grade
Required

This yearlong course focuses on developing students’ recognition of the empowering nature of reading and writing. Through regular response, written reflection, and discussion, students are encouraged to acknowledge new information and ideas expressed by others and to contribute their own views. Both shared and independent readings from many genres teach students to identify and analyze authors’ choices and name their effects on the reading experience. As they practice the writing process, students ultimately produce clear and coherent writing using the development, organization, style, and voice appropriate to a particular task. Writing tasks require students to develop narrative, expository, and argumentative techniques. Daily lessons throughout the year also incorporate vocabulary and grammar study. Texts may include The House on Mango Street (Sandra Cisneros), Outcasts United (Warren St. John), The Marrow Thieves (Cherie Dimaline), and The Book Thief (Markus Zusak).

7th–8th grades

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.