8th - ELA
Welcome to 8th Grade English Language Arts!
COURSE INFORMATION
The 8th grade ELA course at Clinton Hill Middle School will continue to develop reading, writing, and discussion skills within students while also helping them become critically conscious, civic members of society. By reading an array of diverse voices throughout the year, students will explore topics of identity, justice, oppression, and activism within American society. Students will work to become digital discoverers and critical analyzers of both fiction and nonfiction sources and work to form connections through self-reflection and collaboration.
8ELA CURRICULUM
UNIT 1: Personal Narrative (various texts)
UNIT 2: All American Boys (Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely)
UNIT 3: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Sherman Alexie)
UNIT 4: Japanese Incarceration Literature Circles
Farewell to Manzanar (Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston)
We Are Not Free (Traci Chee)
They Called Us Enemy (George Takei)
Displacement (Kiku Hughes)
Year-Long Essential Questions:
How and why do authors use their literary platforms and craft moves to address societal issues?
How do our relationships within communities shape our identities?
How does oppression show up within society, and what can we do to dismantle and disrupt it?
Google Classroom Links and Class Codes:
Period 1 |
Period 2 |
Period 5 |
Period 7 |
Unit 1: Personal narrative
Why do our stories and the stories of others matter?
How do our experiences shape us into the people we are today?
What is a personal narrative and how do writers go about crafting them?
Ms. Enger
Hello!
I'm Miss Enger--I'll be one of your English Language Arts (ELA!) teachers this year. I love the power of writing and the effect my written words can have on others.
I also love scifi and ComicCon and volleyball (if you want to play, let me know!).
You might have certain feelings about ELA, but I hope that no matter what, you will still further discover the laughter, the drama, the excitement, the POWER! ...in the world of reading & writing.
Go team.
E-MAIL: jenger@prospectschools.org
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays, Period 7 | Room TBH
Ms. Whalen
I'm Ms. Whalen, and I'm really looking forward to working with all of you this year as one of your ELA teachers! I've been a voracious reader since I was young, when I mostly would read to get out of cleaning my room. (When adults see you reading, they don't want to interrupt you, so they mostly leave you alone. Try it!) These days, I read for fun, and I try to pick up after myself a little more. I also enjoy cooking and baking, walking around the city, and going hiking. I love working with students through literature and the written word. I want to know what you think and what's important to you. And then I want you to write it down, because it all matters.
E-MAIL: sarahwhalen@prospectschools.org | ZOOM LINK
OFFICE HOURS: Friday LUNCH period in 508