Units of Study

Eighth Grade

Eighth graders cover a variety of topics, from a parts of speech review unit to a new classic, "Mr. and Mrs. Lindsay go on Vacation."

Parts of Speech Review

Culminating in a fun, whole-class project, eighth graders review the parts of speech through note-taking, daily homework and quizzes. At the end of this unit, students form groups and create a review game for their class. This fun in-class project results in internalization of the parts of speech and their subcategories because when we teach a topic, we also learn it!

Persuasive Writing

In addition to a variety of journal prompts and other writing samples, eighth graders create a guide for persuasive writing. Guides may take the form of a Power Point presentation, a written handbook, or an oral presentation. Not only are students practicing the skills they acquire, they share their knowledge with others.

Mr. & Mrs. Lindsay go on Vacation

Incorporating writing and research, eighth graders determine where Mr. & Mrs. Lindsay will head to for a long-weekend getaway. This projet spans several months and starts with researching a vacation site. Upon choosing the location, students compose formal letters to solicit information. When the information arrives, it is studied and compiled into a brochure. Accompanying the brochure must be a several page persuasive letter to Mr. & Mrs. Lindsay enticing us to visit the selected spot.

Novels

The highlight of the eighth grade year is when we read Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. This incredible story encourages great class discussion about racism, prejudice, social opinions, friendship, family and what it means to be a hero. Families are strongly encouraged to read this amazing book with their eighth grader.

If time permits, eighth graders study Michelle Magorian's novel, Goodnight Mr. Tom. This wonderful book focuses on British evacuees at the start of World War II. The discussions we have are passionate and interesting.

Shakespeare

As the year ends, Shakespeare begins. This extremely fun, informative and opinion-altering unit includes the study of Shakespeare's world, history and sense of humor. Students complete research, perform his work and are exposed to "Bill the Bard" in a unique way. While students are exposed to the language of the time, the majority of this unit is studied in modern language.Eighth graders read Twelfth Night and/or A Midsummer Night's Dream in the dramatic form and other Shakespearean classics in prose form.

Seventh Grade

Study Skills

Seventh graders review the sections of a textbook and how to use them effectively in their studies. Topics include maps, illustratins, graphs and charts, glossary and index, table of contents. We also discuss organizational techniques and other ways to study successfully.

Elements of the Short Story

Through short stories like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant, Mark Twain's The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs and Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, we explore the elements of a short story. Topics include Freytag's Pyramid, conflict, mood, plot, setting, theme, tone and characterization.

Persuasive Writing

Students are encouraged to develop their persuasive writing skills through a variety of mediums. Experience with word processing, tools like MyAccess, and Connecticut Mastery Test-like prompts, helps seventh graders improve their writing through practice. Promts may be linked to the unit of study or may be issued independently.

Drama

Through the reading and performance of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, students study the elements of drama. Topics include stage setting, scripting, performance. In addition to reading and performing this classic tale, students enjoy watching a feature film version for comparison.

Novels

Seventh graders read whole-class novels in language arts as well as short stories and plays. Together we explore utopian society through Lois Lowry's The Giver. To help prepare students' for the eigth grade curriculum, we also study Mildred Taylor's, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. If there is additional time, we also enjoy John Steinbeck's The Pearl.

Poetry

The exploration of poetry includes topics such as figurative language, techniques of poetry and the opportunity to write a variety poems in various form (haiku, cinquain). Students are exposed to poetry from the classics to the modern.

Creative Writing

As the year draws to a close, seventh graders indulge themselves in a creative writing unit. Together we create a book that includes samples of students' writings and/or drawings.Throughout the year both seventh and eighth graders study vocabulary, grammar, spelling, writing mechanics and a plethora of other topics.