Reading 6

Our goal is to develop a life-long love of reading. A basal reader and trade books are used in grade six. Folk tales, plays, realistic fiction, autobiography, poetry, and essay are then genres encountered in our reading program. The focus is on comprehension, characterization, analogies, cause/effect, vocabulary, generalizations, comparisons, sequences and story mapping.

History 6

The sixth grade course in World History is designed to provide a look at the advances in world civilization from 5000 BC to the present. The study is generally confined to the Eastern Hemisphere. Areas of focus are the Neolithic Period, Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, India, China, Rome, Africa, Medieval Europe, and the Emerging Renaissance. Geography, multiculturalism, cultural diffusion, religion, and global interdependence rank as key themes for this course.

English 7

This course begins with the basic skills of grammar, sentence structure, and spelling rules. Then the student progresses to usage and mechanics. Vocabulary is coordinated as much as possible with the literature being studied. The writing section consists of student journals, literature essays, and compositions throughout each semester. Reading comprehension is practiced through novels, short stories and poems. Students read several novels and short stories. Poems are also read throughout the year with an intensive study during the month of April, which is Poetry Month.

English 8

This course begins with the rules of usage and mechanics being applied to solid sentence structure. The student’s writing progress is closely monitored through essays, compositions, and one research paper. Reading comprehension is reinforced through novels, short stories, poems, and full length plays. At the eighth grade level we will read several required novels. Some of the novels will be read as class work and some will be through an independent study. Students continue their study of literature through a series of short stories read throughout the year. Poems are studied extensively as we celebrate Poetry Month during April.