The Reading and Writing folders contain rubrics for some of the larger projects students will participate in throughout the school year.
Reading - Students will complete four IRAs (Independent Reading Activity), which are essentially book reports, done once every quarter. These require that students read a novel, followed by completion of the Scholastic Reading Counts! quiz (an app students have on their iPads that works through our Scholastic database), and then creation of a project from the project list, and a presentation that focuses on the content of their presentation and the quality of their presentation, as shown in the rubrics.
Writing - Students will participate in three essay units throughout the year (expository, argumentative, and narrative), as well as a research project. The topics for each unit are as follows:
Narrative: A fictional short story that uses elements of story structure (plot, climax, conflict, theme, characterization, setting, dialogue) to practice telling an organized and in-depth story.
Expository: A five-paragraph informational essay that will be one of several components of our Career Day Unit. Students will construct the essay to inform readers about career choices, educational requirements, living expenses, and other information pertaining to career paths that students are interested in exploring.
Argumentative: A five-paragraph argumentative essay that focuses on a current topic of significant relevance to students today. Students will research information and develop an organized thesis with supporting details and external support from credible sources.