English
Mrs. Maria and the students begin class with smiles
6th Grade English - Maria Munro-Schuster
Humans are natural storytellers. Whether we are around the dinner table taking turns recounting the day’s events, warming our hands by the fire between the dreadful pauses of a ghost story or building a sound case in the courtroom, stories need to be told and heard. But how do verbal tales become the written text we love to read and hope to write? Many times, it seems good writing is a gift or an act shrouded in mystery. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be elusive. Sixth grade English will consider, in depth, how we craft our stories, and in doing so, will work to cultivate a solid understanding of the process of writing and reading.
We will analyze many styles and types of text through the 6+1 Trait Writing model, which brings clarity to the often “mysterious” process by compartmentalizing the parts of a written work into manageable bites: Ideas, Word Choice, Voice, Organization, Sentence Fluency, Conventions and Presentation. Students will put their comprehension of each trait into practice with projects that will ask them to think “outside the box.” Students will become aware of the choices one makes when sitting down to write. They will learn to identify areas in which a piece of writing can be strengthened. This course will work in tandem with 6th grade World Cultures to expand our awareness of literature from across the globe.
7th Grade English - Maria Munro-Schuster
What makes a piece of writing interesting to read? At times, a good story line. Other times, the writer’s prose and the way their words roll off my tongue. But sometimes it isn’t just about the writing itself, but what surrounds the writing—why it was written, what was happening at the time it was written, and what people have done as a result of the writing. It is this last part that sparks the driving question of this course: What has writing made you feel and as a result, what has it provoked you to do? In 7th grade English, we will be paying extra attention to the idea of controversial writings—those little firecrackers of prose that lead people to action. As a community of writers and readers we will dive into older works such as Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as newer pieces such as a Patagonia catalog. No fear—this course is accompanied by the structure of a more traditional English course in which we encounter grammar, punctuation, literary devices, rhetoric, etc., but the driving force of the course will be the student's investigation of what, at first glance, appears to be static, lifeless words on a page. This course asks: How are we as writers and readers part of these controversies created by words, and how can we be passionate, effective authors who evoke critical thought in our audience.
8th Grade English - Susan Schwab
In eighth grade English, students throughout the year continue to develop reading, writing, speaking, and study skills through exploration of topics that are relevant to them individually and to the greater community. Students are expected to reflect, think critically, and to express ideas in a variety of formats and to present to audiences outside the Headwaters community. Major projects include the I-Search paper and the Tell Me Your Story family history project.
Humans are natural storytellers. Whether we are around the dinner table taking turns recounting the day’s events, warming our hands by the fire between the dreadful pauses of a ghost story or building a sound case in the courtroom, stories need to be told and heard. But how do verbal tales become the written text we love to read and hope to write? Many times, it seems good writing is a gift or an act shrouded in mystery. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be elusive. Sixth grade English will consider, in depth, how we craft our stories, and in doing so, will work to cultivate a solid understanding of the process of writing and reading.
We will analyze many styles and types of text through the 6+1 Trait Writing model, which brings clarity to the often “mysterious” process by compartmentalizing the parts of a written work into manageable bites: Ideas, Word Choice, Voice, Organization, Sentence Fluency, Conventions and Presentation. Students will put their comprehension of each trait into practice with projects that will ask them to think “outside the box.” Students will become aware of the choices one makes when sitting down to write. They will learn to identify areas in which a piece of writing can be strengthened. This course will work in tandem with 6th grade World Cultures to expand our awareness of literature from across the globe.
7th Grade English - Maria Munro-Schuster
What makes a piece of writing interesting to read? At times, a good story line. Other times, the writer’s prose and the way their words roll off my tongue. But sometimes it isn’t just about the writing itself, but what surrounds the writing—why it was written, what was happening at the time it was written, and what people have done as a result of the writing. It is this last part that sparks the driving question of this course: What has writing made you feel and as a result, what has it provoked you to do? In 7th grade English, we will be paying extra attention to the idea of controversial writings—those little firecrackers of prose that lead people to action. As a community of writers and readers we will dive into older works such as Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as newer pieces such as a Patagonia catalog. No fear—this course is accompanied by the structure of a more traditional English course in which we encounter grammar, punctuation, literary devices, rhetoric, etc., but the driving force of the course will be the student's investigation of what, at first glance, appears to be static, lifeless words on a page. This course asks: How are we as writers and readers part of these controversies created by words, and how can we be passionate, effective authors who evoke critical thought in our audience.
8th Grade English - Susan Schwab
In eighth grade English, students throughout the year continue to develop reading, writing, speaking, and study skills through exploration of topics that are relevant to them individually and to the greater community. Students are expected to reflect, think critically, and to express ideas in a variety of formats and to present to audiences outside the Headwaters community. Major projects include the I-Search paper and the Tell Me Your Story family history project.
