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English

  • English 6

    The four main threads of the sixth grade English curriculum are literature, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. Students look at some of the earliest forms of literature (The Epic of Gilgamesh, Greek mythology) and discover how later works of literature have roots in them. They study elements of fiction and explore the ways authors build a story, develop characters, and reveal themes. The literature students read teaches them many lessons as writers, as well, and in sixth grade we take time to examine the ingredients that go into powerful writing, and then try to apply  these in a variety of formats. Thoroughness, supporting ideas with details and examples, and writing with clarity and respect for rules of grammar and usage are stressed throughout the year. The grammar curriculum includes a review of sentence elements and the parts of speech, with particular attention given to the verb. Students take an in-depth look at types of verbs, complements of verbs, and verb tenses. Vocabulary is incorporated throughout the year with a vocabulary workbook and the study of words from the texts we read.
     

  • English 7

    The seventh-grade middle school English program focuses on four major pieces.   First, students will read and comprehend a variety of texts ranging from op-ed pieces to novels, where we examine elements such as character development, inference, theme, voice, plot, tone, and bias.  The novels that students read will consist of a mix of genres and styles.  Seventh-graders have read different types of novels in the past ranging from an historical fiction piece, The Ransom of Mercy Carter, to the murder-mystery novel True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.  Students will experiment with and examine a variety of written forms such as persuasive essays, reflective pieces, fictional narratives, and critiques.  They will learn grammar, from punctuation to more advanced concepts like verbals and clauses, and its connection to writing.  They will also integrate vocabulary study into all three previous areas.

  • English 8

    The eighth grade curriculum includes study of grammar, vocabulary, literature, and writing.   In grammar, students review punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure, and word usage, prior to more detailed study of multi-clause sentences, verbals, and verb tense, voice, and mood; diagramming of all constructions helps to solidify their grammar foundation for writing and foreign languages in the higher grades.  Students build vocabulary through use of a specific text, as well as through study of words found in all literature that they read.  Highlights of their literary study include the novels  Animal Farm  and To Kill a Mockingbird, Shakespeare’s  Romeo and Juliet, various classic short stories such as “To Build a Fire” and “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and poems, such as “Sonnet” by Wilbur and “O Captain, My Captain” by Whitman. In their exploration of these texts, they analyze characterization, point of view, and setting, examining how an author presents the theme of the work by manipulating these elements.  Often, writing assignments, such as the five paragraph essay and the research paper, are connected to literary works studied.  Finally, students try their own hand at being authors as they create poems and a short story in creative writing assignments.
     

Faculty

Inspiring The Mind  •  Nurturing The Spirit
170 Windsor Drive  |  Nashville TN 37205
Phone: 615 356 5510  |  Fax: 615 356 0441