There are four main themes we will be covering in the eighth grade, one theme
for each quarter. Each quarter we will read a class novel which relates to
that theme. This year our themes are: Coming to America (True Confessions
of Charlotte Doyle/Lord Kirkle's Money), Alaska and the Klondike Gold Rush (Call of the Wild/Other
Northwest Novels) the
Civil War and Slavery (N
ightjohn), and World War II (Diary of Anne Frank/Eleanor's
Story).
As we follow these themes, we will be reading and writing a variety of genres including essays, personal narratives, letters, poetry, fiction short stories, reports and other forms of non-fiction. We'll be studying the history of the United States through these time periods. Students will create projects and prepare verbal presentations around these basic themes. Often they will be able to choose topics according to their own interests.
One year-long project which is very exciting is the Personal Magazine, or electronic portfolio. All assignments which we create electronically are saved to the student's folder on our school network. Periodically students add their own documents to their Personal Magazine. At the end of the year each student prints his/her Personal Magazine, we bind it, and s/he takes it home.
The Gold Team teachers (Patrick Lynch, Susan Augustyn, Mike Randles, David DeMers and myself) also work together on cross-curriculum projects quarterly. Students sometimes earn credit for the same projects in more than one class.
09/01/2011