English

Middle School English Courses

English Language Arts 6 and Reading

Full year course

Course Description

In alignment with the Grade 6 NYS Next Generation ELA Learning Standards, this combination of courses places great emphasis upon students’ development of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.  Students read a variety of full length and short instructional texts, including fiction, nonfiction and poetry.  They are also expected to read independently outside of class. They work on developing comprehension skills, broadening their vocabulary, and becoming stronger readers.  Students also work on writing skills, including improving sentence structure, paragraphing and developing cohesive multi-paragraph pieces.  Speaking and listening skills are taught as integral parts of the English Language Arts Program. Students are expected to work in collaborative groups and individually to enhance their learning experience.

Course Requirements/Recommendations:

All Grade 6 students take the NYS ELA 6 Assessment.

Critical Inquiry (Grade 6 Reading): 

This is an enrichment class designed for highly able sixth grade readers. The goal of this class is to provide a challenging and rigorous reading curriculum. It is designed to further strengthen critical thinking skills and nurture creative thought using a Socratic Seminar approach and inquiry model of instruction.  Students are also expected to deliver speeches to the class.

English 7

Full year course

Course Description

In alignment with the Grade 7 NYS Next Generation ELA Learning Standards, this course places great emphasis upon students’ development of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Students read a variety of full length and short instructional texts, including fiction, nonfiction and poetry.  They are also expected to read independently outside of class. Emphasis is placed on writing at a higher level using appropriate organization and developing cohesive and meaningful multi-paragraph pieces. Speaking and listening skills are taught as integral parts of the ELA program.  Students are expected to work in collaborative groups and individually to enhance their learning experiences. 

Course Requirements/Recommendations:

All Grade 7 students take the NYS ELA 7 Assessment.

English 7 Honors

Full Year Course

Course Description

Students continue to develop their proficiency in writing, reading, listening and speaking as specified by the Grade 7 NYS Next Generation ELA Learning Standards.  This challenging honors course is offered to students who have demonstrated strong language arts skills, the readiness to meet the challenges of honors level work, and who have great interest in reading and writing.  Students are expected to read regularly and demonstrate their abilities to articulate their ideas in small groups, in class discussions, and in classroom presentations.  Developing meaningful and well-crafted writing pieces is strongly emphasized as part of the course.  Students are considered for placement in English 7H based on past and current academic achievement and the recommendation of their Grade 6 language arts and reading teachers.

Course Requirements/Recommendations:

All Grade 7 students take the NYS ELA 7 Assessment.

English 7/8 Accelerated

Full Year Course

Course Description

English 7/8 will be offered to a limited number of exceptionally talented students in English Language Arts.  The course is similar to English 7H and English 8H in expectations and moves at a faster pace so that students complete the language arts requirements for both Grades 7 and 8 within one academic year.  This accelerated learning pace allows students who successfully complete the 7/8 course to go on to English 9H during their 8th grade year.  Students are selected to participate in 7/8 acceleration through a combination of past and current academic achievement and the recommendation of Social Studies, English, and Reading teachers in Grade 6. Students must be enrolled in both English 7/8 and Social Studies 7/8. Students selected for the accelerated program are notified in the spring of the Grade 6 year.

Course Requirements/Recommendations

All Grade 7 students take the NYS ELA 7 Assessment.

English 8

Full Year Course

Course Description

In alignment with the Grade 8 NYS Next Generation ELA Learning Standards, this course places great emphasis upon students’ development of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.  Strong emphasis is placed on appreciation of a wide variety of types of texts (fiction, nonfiction and poetry) and the ways in which authors craft them.  Students continue to develop their skills by writing a variety of well developed pieces that will meet standards for meaning, organization and conventions of writing.  Speaking and listening skills are taught as integral parts of the ELA program.  Students are expected to work in collaborative groups and individually to enhance their learning experiences. 

Course Requirements/Recommendations

All Grade 8 students take the NYS ELA 8 Assessment.

English 8 Honors

Full Year Course

Course Description

Students continue to develop their skills in writing, reading, listening and speaking as specified by the NYS Grade 8 Next Generation ELA Learning Standards. This challenging honors course is offered to students who have demonstrated strong language arts skills, the readiness to meet challenges of honors level work, and who have great interest in language arts.  Text selections vary widely and are challenging.  Writing assignments are increasingly complex as students produce various genres of writing.  Heavy emphasis is placed on presentations, collaborative group activities and class discussions.  Students are considered for placement in English 8H based on past and current academic achievement and the recommendation of their Grade 7 language arts teacher.

Course Requirements/Recommendations

All Grade 8 students take the NYS ELA 8 Assessment.

English 9 Honors Accelerated

Full Year Course

Course Description

This course is offered only to students who have successfully completed the English 7/8 Accelerated course and who are one year ahead of their peers academically. Students follow the English 9 Honors curriculum of novels, short stories, nonfiction, poetry, and drama while approaching text through the lens of global themes and literary analysis. Written expression on an advanced level is required, with emphasis on excellence of thought, development, and craft.  The course content is in alignment with the Grade 9 NYS Next Generation ELA Learning Standards.

Course Requirements/Recommendations

All Grade 8 students take the NYS ELA 8 Assessment.