Curriculum Exploration
Academically this Language Arts program is created to support all student's learning in the processes of reading, literature and culture, informational texts, standard English conventions, and aspects of research, writing and speaking. Students will also be supported in their learning through the use of technology integration. This includes familiarity with online researching, word processing, electronic media, and presentations through technology application. The following is an outline of the units of study for this Language Arts class:
Informational Texts- Students will be introduced to methods of organization including note taking, graphic organizers, and an introduction to textbook usage, informational texts for the purpose of research, and the construction of personal narratives.
Research related writing and speaking- Students will have the opportunity to research a topic and present Civic Oration speeches to their peers. The topic will be pre-determined but students will have their choice of the research for the speech. Students will use both traditional and non-traditional resources for the speech preparation and will be introduced to methods of public speaking.
Mythology- This is a brief exploration of the Greek and Roman cultures. Students will be exposed to a variety of selections from mythology and will be led to discussions about the difference between play and narrative writing. Students will have some experience with comparing and contrasting between mythology and natural phenomena and read a number of myths for comparing and contrasting.
Sciene Fiction and Fantasy- This unit of study will give students the opportunity to explore the characteristics of genre and work within the elements of literature.
Poetry- The poetry unit wil focus on student exposure to the worldy of poetry. Introducing concepts such as metaphor, imagery, line breaks, stanzas, and the opportunity to turn prose into free verse.
Author Study- Students will be introduced to the works of Rodman Philbrick. We will be reading a common class novel of Freak the Mighty and Last Book in the Universe. Students will also be encouraged to research an author of their choice for independent reading.
Independent Novel Studies- Students will be reading ongoing throughout the year novels of their choice. They will be silent reading during the week and keeping reader response journals as well as reading conferences. Students are expected to monitor their own independent reading and be prepared to share what they have read with teaching conferences or peer discussion.
Although the curriculum has been pre-determined as a part of this Language Arts program, I would like to emphasize the importance of studen't social responsibility and integration into this class. It is extremely important that students take responsibility for their own learning and work towards their best the entire year.