News from Engllish

English 7 – Seventh grade English has been enjoying the glorious onset of autumn in our region by
celebrating with poetry. All grade students have been putting the finishing touches on their poetry collections and reflecting on the descriptive power of observation through figurative language. Here are some examples of our seventh grade students' lovely verse:

A red leaf
Already?
So soon?
People blame me for
Stealing summer
For starting school
I am just too weak
To resist a new coat
It's Red.
The giant trees
Drop their leaves, almost from the sky
Little butterflies and bees
Prepare to say goodbye
The bitter wind begins to spin
But all the trees stand tall
No one to let them in
From the briskness of the fall
The yellow flower
Standing tall and strong
Almost as strong as a soldier
The yellow flower
Dry-blossomed
but shriveling
And prickly from the sun.
The brightness from the flower
Hurting your eyes
Does it make you want to cry?

As we say goodbye for now to poetry, we are preparing to read Jewell Parker Rhodes' Ninth Ward, a lovely and lyrical book set in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. To prepare us for understanding the book's rich context, seventh grade students were lucky enough to listen to a fascinating presentation by Max Page, professor or Art, Architecture, and History at UMass. Our students were a terrific audience for Max as they learned about New Orleans' challenges and areas of strength, and exactly what made 2005's hurricane so catastrophic. We are eager to be diving into a rich novel with our students this month!

English 8 – During the next two weeks, eighth grade students will conclude their study of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the unit, our analytical focus has been rooted in the Enduring Understanding: Speaking out effectively against injustice creates empowerment and can spark change on many levels. Students have now seen how some characters actively stood up against the pervasive intolerance in Maycomb’s community. Our upcoming assessment asks students to write essays which demonstrate their understanding of the connection between the novel and our enduring understanding.

The second phase of this unit is dedicated to speaking out through effective writing and speaking skills. We will examine famous examples of speeches to determine what effective speech sounds like, and analyze the thetorical techniques writers use to convey meaning and make images come alive in the minds of their audience members. Students will identify issues of injustice which they feel strongly about. After researching the issue and how it impacts people, we will begin crafting and refining speeches, which will be delivered to an audience in ELA classes. This is a powerful unit, and we look forward to hearing students’ outstanding oratory!