Class I

Strong reading, writing, and thinking skills are the focus of this course. Literature-based units are designed to help students make connections between texts and to think about the layers of meaning in complex stories. By using active reading strategies, students respond to literature and develop reading comprehension, interpretation, and analysis skills. Writing skills are developed through work in a variety of expository and creative forms. In responding to literature, students practice writing strong paragraphs and supporting opinions with specific details. Many creative writing opportunities, including a novel-writing unit, allow students to follow the steps of the writing process. Technology is a tool that students will use to communicate, collaborate, and create while developing their critical thinking skills.

Class II

This course focuses on building reading, writing, and critical thinking skills through carefully chosen texts and writing projects. Literature units on fantasy, mythology, and multicultural fiction allow students to deepen their understanding of character, theme, plot, and setting. Works may include the novels Summer of the Mariposas, The Wanderings of Odysseus, and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Narratives, dialogues, analytical paragraphs, short essays, and reflective writing are also woven into the curriculum. Large and small group discussions enable students to develop their ideas and to practice expressing them. Throughout each unit, students practice revising, editing, and proofreading their work.

Class III

Students work on reading accurately and in depth by studying a variety of genres in this course. They learn terms of literary analysis and explore how plot, characters, and themes develop. Students also learn to take useful and concise notes as they read. Written assignments focus on developing an effective writing process and include analytical paragraphs, short essays, and short stories. There is also regular grammar study focusing on parts of speech. Works may include a collection of short stories, the play A Raisin in the Sun, and the novel The Outsiders. A unit on the graphic novel The Arrival focuses on visual analysis and includes a final project on immigration.

Class IV

This course includes units on poetry (The Poet X and a collection of poems), The House on Mango Street, When the Emperor Was Divine, and a Shakespeare play that students go on to perform in their drama classes. They develop analytical skills through the close-reading of these texts in class discussions and in writing assignments. Students develop their ability to structure both individual paragraphs and longer pieces, to write thesis and topic sentences, and to incorporate and analyze evidence. There is continued emphasis on the process of writing, including brainstorming, outlining, and revising. Class IV students also experiment with creative and personal writing throughout the year. Grammar study continues with a review of parts of speech and functions of the noun and an introduction to dependent clauses and punctuation.