What to expect in this class:
Students will read, discuss, and respond to a wide range of fiction and nonfiction materials. Each day throughout the year begins with 15 minutes of silent reading and conferencing time. The rest of the period is devoted to discussing, writing, or working on projects related to our current unit.
Units:
Unit
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Duration
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Description
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Writer’s Block Be Gone; Reading Zone Be On
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2 weeks
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Students will have the opportunity to write a variety of short creative pieces and have the option to share them with the class. After getting settled with a great individual novel, students will get back in the habit of reading 30 minutes per day.
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What’s Your Type?
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2 weeks
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Students will take a Myers-Briggs personality test, read multiple non-fiction articles about their personality type, and create a personality poster detailing whether or not they believe the results are accurate.
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The Outsiders
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3 - 4 weeks
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While reading S.E Hinton’s classic coming of age novel, students will analyze the development of themes and conflict among the characters, culminating in a formal essay. Students will be pushed to question who are outsiders in today’s world.
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Multicultural Book Club
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3 weeks
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Students will examine what happens when cultures meet (and sometimes collide) while reading a novel of their choosing with a group of peers. Students design, create, and present their own final project.
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Things Too Huge to Fix By Saying Sorry and The American Civil Rights Movement
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3 - 4 weeks
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History and present day collide in this mystery that explores how echoes of the past can have profound consequences.
While discussing this book, students will also tackle primary historical sources, MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and will write their own speech about their dream for our world.
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
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3 weeks
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Students will have fun with Shakespeare (yes, it’s possible) while working in groups to act out scenes from this wacky comedy.
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The Art of Storytelling
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3 weeks
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While comparing and contrasting three different examples of short stories, students will determine what constitutes a “good” short story. They will then write and submit their own attempt at a short story.
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Oral History Project
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4 weeks
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Students will interview a member of the community using interview and listening skills covered in this unit. They will then transcribe the interview and give it to the interviewee as a gift.
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