As April slides away and makes room for May, students are engaging with research. They've chosen their own topics within the Holocaust or WWII. At this point, students should have notes from four sources, main ideas determined and a thesis proposed. By May 6, introductory paragraphs should be written, and the essay should be organized on the organizer. 

After we finish with our research essay, we will read a graphic novel  that presents more history. Students will learn vocabulary that enables them to speak and write about the authors' and illustrator's choices and their impact on the information and on the reader. 

Finally, we will round out the 8th grade ELA experience with an introduction to Shakespeare through his play A Midsummer Night's Dream. Students will learn some strategies for deciphering Shakespeare's words and have the opportunity to deliver and interpret lines to their classmates!