Middle School Curriculum

In seventh grade Language Arts, students read texts that provide windows into a range of identities and experiences. This class is organized around three sets of skills: critical thinking, speaking and listening, and writing. 

Critical thinking: Reading emphasizes the use of close reading strategies, analysis of literary elements, and interpretation of literature. Students learn to write claims, provide text evidence, and explain their reasoning. Students read a variety of poems, short stories, nonfiction, and novels. Texts include novels such as The Outsiders and Home of the Brave, short stories such as “Trev” by Jacqueline Woodson, “What’s the Worst that Could Happen?” by Bruce Colville, and “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury. Poetry is read throughout the year and includes works by poets such as Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, and Georgia Ella Lyon. Nonfiction texts and persuasive texts feature writing by Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Jr. among others.

Speaking and Listening: Individually and in small groups, students create multimedia, interactive projects and presentations. Students participate in meaningful seminar discussions which feature dialogue and debate rooted in the text evidence. 

Writing: Writing goals center on moving through the writing process — from brainstorming and outlining to drafting, revising, editing, and sharing their work with an audience — with deliberate intent and care. Vocabulary learning takes place through the Membean website, as well as the study of academic and context words. Grammar topics and practice are covered through a variety of resources and activities, both online and on paper.