Grade: 5
Prerequisite: None
Students will engage in meaningful activities that build on their
prior knowledge and skills, focusing on five key areas: reading,
writing, research, listening and speaking, and oral and written
conventions.
Grade: 6
Prerequisite: None
Grade 6 is an important transition year before students reach middle
school; they must become adept at reading more complex texts and
producing more analytical forms of writing. Students will engage in
meaningful activities that build on their prior knowledge and skills
to strengthen their reading, writing, and oral language skills in
five key areas: reading, writing, research, listening and speaking,
and oral and written conventions.
Grade: 7
Prerequisite: None
In 7th grade, students refine and master previously learned
knowledge and skills that make up the foundation blocks of language
arts. Emphasis is placed on developing literary, composition,
grammar, vocabulary, Latin roots, and spoken skills. Through novels
set against the backdrop of World War II and following the
challenges of great Christian heroes, students will explore the
answers to the following essential questions of Christian life: What
does the Bible say about stereotypes and prejudice? Why does God
allow such evil to exist? How far is the reach of God's forgiveness?
Can we genuinely have Faith that surpasses all understanding?
Students in the Honors class will also receive the opportunity to
read about the crises of children worldwide through reading world
literature. Teaching students to love literature and find its deeper
meaning is the overwhelming purpose that guides the Language Arts
curriculum in the seventh grade. Also essential to a seventh-grade
Language Arts curriculum is the ability to communicate effectively
in the written word and composition. Students will learn the proper
way to structure and complete an essay through the five steps of the
writing process. Pre-AP students will also learn and master the art
of writing literary analyses through the academic year.
Students continue to read widely in classic, contemporary, and
informational text selections and use different forms of writing
regularly, with a strong emphasis on conventions and style. This
course will strengthen students' knowledge and increase their
academic challenge. In addition, the Honors course will allow
students to study each topic in more depth.
Grade: 8
Prerequisite: None
Students will continue to refine and master previously learned
knowledge and skills that comprise the foundation blocks of language
arts emphasized by literary, composition, grammar, vocabulary, Latin
roots, and spoken skills. The eighth-grade students are presented
with an interdisciplinary, cross-curricular education that follows
the American history and exploration timeline. Through novels,
primary documents, poetry, and articles set during the same period
studied in 8th-grade history, students will fully understand the
factors that shaped and made America. Essential questions addressed
this year in Language Arts are: What is the other side of the story?
What is a civilized society, and what role does God's justice play?
Who determines what is just and moral in a new society? How did
Christianity affect early American development? Honors students will
read additional novels that enhance the study of the development of
America. Another integral part of 8th-grade Language Arts is the
ability to harness the communication of the written word. Students
will focus on the analysis of finding deeper meaning from novels in
their writing. Persuasive, critical, research, and descriptive
writing skills will continue to develop throughout the 8th-grade
academic year.
Culminating at the end of every eighth grader's year is a thesis
paper that displays the progress and growth of each student. The
paper is directly tied to topics in keeping with
mid-nineteenth-century American history. 8th-grade students will
read widely in classic, contemporary, and informational texts. They
will also produce multi-paragraph compositions with a strong
emphasis on varied sentence structure and other conventions of
written language. This course will strengthen knowledge and increase
the academic challenge of all students. The Honors course will allow
students to study each topic in more depth. Qualification for Honors
Language Arts—Grades 7 and 8: Students must qualify for honors-level
Language Arts. Qualification depends on previous standardized test
scores, class averages, and citizenship. Upon invitation, the
student may choose between honors and standard-level Language Arts
classes. If a student is accepted into the 7th or 8th grade Honors
Language Arts class, they are automatically enrolled in the 7th or
8th grade Social Studies course as well.
Honors Language Arts—Grades 7 and 8
Qualifications: Required
Qualification for Honors Language Arts—Grades 7 and 8: Students must
qualify for honors-level Language Arts. Qualification depends on
previous standardized test scores, class averages, and citizenship.
Upon invitation, the student may choose between honors and
standard-level Language Arts classes. If a student is accepted into
the 7th or 8th grade Honors Language Arts class, they are
automatically enrolled in the 7th or 8th grade Social Studies course
as well.