The skills learned in Language Arts are reinforced and supported in all of the following curriculum areas: literature, writing, grammar/English, and spelling vocabulary. The South Dakota Department of Education content standards of reading, writing, listening and viewing will be covered throughout the year.
Literature:
Holt, Rinehart, Winston Adventures for Readers
The Themes in Literature series focuses on thematically arranged units each containing high-interest selections that share a similar controlling idea or insight about life that encourages young adolescent readers to relate each literary experience to their own lives. With the variety of literary selections, skills and strategies are developed for students to become successful, independent learners. Stories will be read, reading check and study and discussion questions answered at the end of each selection.
Book Reports
A book report will be done every nine weeks. A test and a report will be taken on your individual book. Books will be selected off a list provided by the instructor.
Writing
Writing skills are developed throughout the course. Students learn to think about writing through the process of pre-writing, drafting, and revising. The elements of the 6+1 writing traits are used along with Writing to Win strategies. Opportunities for writing are done in the following: writing notebooks, essays, stories, reports, papers, note taking, poems, and the first research paper called an I-Search paper. These opportunities are reinforced in grammar, spelling/vocabulary, and literature.
Grammar/English: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston
Third Course Elements of Language 2004
Grammar is essentially the study of language and its uses. This knowledge enables students to develop skills to improve and effectively use language in both writing and speech communication by covering areas of parts of speech, usage, and punctuation mechanics. The book utilizes all elements of communication-reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and representing along with resources and activities online.
Spelling/Vocabulary: Goodman, Nist, and Mohr Building Vocabulary Skills
Language is essentially vocabulary. The units studied provide words designed not only to teach important spelling principles but also to connect spelling and vocabulary to other content areas and to their lives as effective communicators. Six units will be done a nine weeks with a test on the six units at the end.
Extra Credit
Extra credit is allowed. A student can do enough extra credit to raise their grade one letter grade. For example, a student may go from a C to a B, but not a C to an A with extra credit. Extra credit may be done in three forms: extra entries in writing notebook, extra book reports, and service learning projects.
