Welcome to English and Language Arts
The goals of our ELA program are to prepare middle school students for high school in the following ways: to read critically, to argue reasonably, and to express oneself effectively. Several approaches, exercises, and written and oral assignments help achieve these goals. Since Middle School students cover a wide range of developmental stages, our curriculum is a sequenced program of content introduction and review, followed by increasing sophistication, depth, and standards each year.
Dr. George Steele, ELA Teacher
Curriculum Approach and Philosophy
FILM STUDIES: The study of literature not only inspires and promotes reflection, it helps teach students how to be socially-responsible citizens, lifelong learners, and reach high academic endeavors. RHLS middle schoolers study common genres like fiction and not fiction, but also learn to analyze film, learning film terminology and applying it in visual analysis. So, whether literature or film studies, engaged readers develop the ability to think and evaluate for themselves, and become young men and women of thought.
WRITING & DISCUSSION: Class discussion is the lynchpin of ELA, where teacher- or student-led conversations help facilitate understanding. In addition, learning to construct arguments and communicate them effectively, whether on the page or through public speaking, reoccurs throughout middle school. As a result, time is devoted to discussing readings, then drafting these thoughts into one’s own words. Students learn writing as both a process and a product. Prewriting, drafting, and revising show students meditative aspects of the process. Integral to this are the elements of grammar, vocabulary, organization, research, technology, speaking, and listening.
VOCABULARY:
Artificial intelligence won’t produce work acquisition; the student-friendly Sadlier-Oxford vocabulary program offers students practice with vocabulary, word origins, Latin roots, prefixes/suffixes, synonyms/antonyms, and pronunciation. In a two week rotation, students learn twenty words, study their definitions and contextuality, and individually apply them through original compositions. Since listening and reading become crucial in each and every subject, students become armed with a sophisticated vocabulary.
6th Grade
An overarching theme for 6th grade has emerged of Environmental Stewardship. Films like Fantastic Mr. Fox, WallE, and Isle of Dogs address environmental questions, and weave well with our other literary titles, allowing for compare-and-contrast assignments as well as a general thematic thread woven throughout the year. A theme allows for broader unit-to-unit conversations and assignments for students. For example, a comprehensive non-fiction unit on Henry David Thoreau (involving a graphic novel based on his own essays, artistic projects, and our own nature journal hike), invites students to connect his work to other class texts. Students then practice what environmental writers have modelled by producing their own nature journals. 6th grade also studies our contemporary relationship to trash and waste through Rebecca Donnelly’s non-fiction title Total Garbage. 6th grade emphasizes outcome-illustrating verbs as defining, listing, outlining, matching, describing, comparing, contrasting, and summarizing.
7th Grade
7th grade students grow with directed critical reading analysis, writing, and research. Building on 6th grade skills, students in seventh grade grow with more sophisticated material. In-class novels like American Born Chinese, Animal Farm, Lions of Little Rock, and Illegal, include extensive writing assignments.
Research Bootcamp
The center of 7th grade is the Research Bootcamp where students undertake a significant research project based on a social movement/social action, a unit that hinges on reading and evaluating several sources and their credibility. Part of this unit includes reaching out to an expert in the field in order to use them as a source in their research writing; this experience shows students that research is an alive and social and vital genre of writing. Some examples of outcome-illustrating verbs are predicting, relating, connecting, solving, determining, inferring, correlating, prioritizing, and discriminating.
International Cinema
7th grade also studies Iranian Cinema. Students are exposed to another country’s cinematic practices, constraints, and histories. This unit covers not only cinematic terms and definitions but also shows students the way cultural and national traditions can shape storytelling on screen.
8th Grade
8th grade interprets and evaluates texts with increasing perception. Reading selections from various genres invite their ability to provide insight into human nature and the intellectual, moral, and social imperatives that have directed mankind at various points in history. Eighth grade examines the work of authors like Blake, Erdrich, de Maupassant, Saki, Poe, and Angelou. Novels can include Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Life of Pi, and a WWII unit covers two memoirs – Night and Farewell to Manzanar – as well as wartime propaganda of Leni Reifhsthal and Walt Disney. Synthesis and evaluation are the aims in eighth grade. Outcome illustrating verbs include creating, anticipating, formulating, adapting, composing, concluding, criticizing, defending, interpreting, and supporting.
8th Grade: Shakespeare Production
A popular, comprehensive Shakespeare unit, including eight grade’s own full production of a play, offers students several educational benefits. Life and times and context of Shakespeare; current documentaries about the timeliness, relevance, and versatility of Shakespeare; film adaptations; and their own student performance in front of students, peers, family, and community: these comprise a holistic, rounded unit where students not only learn about Shakespeare, but embody the material in their own production, a massive creative group project and public speaking endeavor. Now an alumni event bringing past students back to see the latest play, this unique educational opportunity showcases students’ efforts on many levels, from acting to advertising to painting to musicianship to dancing.
Homework policy
Assignments are designed to reinforce in-class learning and build responsibility. Assignments are given daily and may include reading comprehension, vocabulary development, lab reflections, and project work. If an assignment is not completed during the class period it becomes homework, due the next day. Each class period has assignment-homework time built in so that students do not go home with a ton of homework. General assignments include outlining, Edpuzzles, Quizizz review questions, end-of-section questions, and Review & Reinforce section handouts.
Technology
Technology is integrated into the curriculum. Students use Chromebooks for online digital textbooks, simulations, virtual labs, note-taking, Edpuzzles, assignments, and collaborative work in Google Workspace. Some assignments are distributed and submitted through Google Classroom. Other platforms used include Edpuzzle, Formative, Kahoot, Quizizz, Blooket, Canva, to name a few. Teachers also have a live-online digital agenda for assignments which is referenced daily for what’s happening each day during class and what assignments are to be completed.