Language Arts

Sixth-grade Language Arts is designed to introduce our students to more advanced writing skills.  Adding to their background of creative and narrative writing, we familiarize our students with non-fiction texts and academic writing, we provide opportunities for growth with the EB Academics writing format, and we extend their writing stamina.  Along with new and challenging books, we strive to connect reading and writing and their application to being a lifelong learner.

6th Grade Units of Study: 
Narrative Writing
Literary Analysis
Novel Studies/Literature Circles

• Freak the Mighty/The Running Dream

• Social Justice

• Narratives

Short Stories
Teen Activist Research
Poetry
Argumentative Writing
Personal Narrative

Literary Analysis
Argument
Narrative
Realistic Fiction
Historical Fiction

Novels Used as Anchor Tests: The Outsiders, Omnivore’s Dilemma, Chew on This

Holocaust Literature Circles: The Book Thief, Berlin Boxing Club, Salt to the Sea, If I Should Die Before I Wake, Prisoner 3087, Projekt 1065, The Lightning Thief

As the final course of study for language arts in middle school, eighth graders hone their writing and reading skills in order to be fully prepared for high school in the Cherry Creek School District and beyond. We focus on high-level writing skills that are centered on research, argumentation, and literary analysis. All texts are grade level or higher in order to prepare students for the rigors of high school reading and writing.

8th Grade Units of Study:

1. Short Stories include: “Lamb to the Slaughter,” “The Landlady,” “All Summer in a Day,” “The Last Spin,” “Harrison Bergeron,” “The Lottery”

2. Literary Analysis: The Hero’s Journey: Legend, Boy 21, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, The Princess Bride, Ender’s Game, The Hobbit, Fahrenheit 451, Divergent

3. Investigative Journalism 

4. Drama: Romeo & Juliet, West Side Story

5. Argumentative Writing: Warriors Don’t Cry, Fire from the Rock, March: Book 3, “Everyday Use”

6. Narrative: “This I Believe” 

Oral Expression and Listening

Successful group discussions require planning and participation by all.

Reading for All Purposes

1. Understanding the meaning within different types of literature depends on properly analyzing literary components.
2. Organizing structure to understand and analyze factual information.
3. Word meanings are determined by how they are designed and how they are used in context.

Writing and Composition

1. Writing literary genres for intended audiences and purposes requires ideas, organization, and voice.
2. Writing informational and persuasive genres for intended audiences and purposes requires ideas, organization, and voice.
3. Specific editing for grammar, usage, mechanics, and clarity gives writing its precision and legitimacy.

Research and Reasoning

1. Individual and group research projects require obtaining information on a topic from a variety of sources and organizing it for presentation.
2. Assumptions can be concealed, and require identification and evaluation.
3. Monitoring the thinking of self and others is a disciplined way to maintain awareness.

Oral Expression and Listening

1. Formal presentations require preparation and effective delivery.
2. Small and large group discussions relay on active listening and the effective contributions of all participants.

Reading for All Purposes

1. Literary elements, characteristics, and ideas are interrelated and guide the comprehension of literary and fictional texts.
2. Informational and persuasive texts are summarized and evaluated.
3. Purpose, tone, and meaning in word choices influence lierary, persuasive and informational texts.

Writing and Composition

1. Composing literary and narrative texts that incorporate a range of stylistic devices demonstrates knowledge of genre features.
2. Organization is used when composing informational and persuasive texts.
3. Editing writing for proper grammar, usage, mechanics, and clarity improves written work.

Research and Reasoning

1. Answering a research question logically begins with obtaining and analyzing information from a variety of sources.
2. Logical information requires documented sources.
3. Reasoned material is evaluated for its quality using both its logic and its use of a medium.

Oral Expression and Listening

1. Communication skills and interviewing techniques are required to gather informaiton and to develop and deliver oral presentations.
2. A variety of response strategies clarifies the meaning or messages.

Reading for All Purposes

1. Quality comprehension and interpretation of literary texts demand self-monitoring and self-assessment.
2. Quality comprehension and interpretation of informational and persuasive texts demand self-monitoring and self-assessment.
3. Context, grammar, and word choice influence the understanding of literary, persuasive and informational texts.

Writing and Composition

1. Stylistic devices and descriptive details in literary and narrative texts are organized for a variety of audiences and purposes and evauated for quality.
2. Ideas and supporting details in informational and persuasive texts are organized for a variety of audiences and purposes and evauated for quality.
3. Editing writing for grammar, usage, mechanics, and clarity is an essential trait of a well-written document

Research and Reasoning

1. Individual research projects begin with information obtained from a variety of sources, and is organized, documented, and presented using logical procedures.
2. Common fallacies and errors occur in reasoning.
3. Quality reasoning relies on supporting evidence in media.