This class consists of grammar, vocabulary, literature, and composition. New facts, approaches, and challenges will face these students.

Grammar
 
Textbook: Warriner's English Composition and Grammar. This text has been successfully used at STM for eleven years for 6th through 8th grades.
 
7th Grade students review complete sentences, effective sentences, kinds of sentences (simple, compound, complex), fragments and run-ons.
 
Throughout the year, there will also be a review of the parts of speech, and introduction of complements, and diagramming.
 
Grammar grades consist of testing only.

Vocabulary
 
Textbook: Sadlier-Oxford's Vocabulary Workshop. This traditional vocabulary series covers fifteen units (20 words per unit).
 
A pure vocabulary approach focuses on the words themselves, their meanings (literal and figurative), their usage, and their relationship with other words. This "systematic" approach provides intensive practice through varied "hand-on" exercises.
 
Testing consists of spelling tests and a publisher's generated tests for each unit.

 Literature
 
7th Grade literature consists of three novels, nine short stories, and a Shakespearean play. All literature assignments include focus questions, vocabulary enrichment, announced quizzes and class discussion.
 
Novels will include: S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders; Jack London, The Call of the Wild; Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream.
 
Short stories covered are by such authors as Ray Bradbury, O. Henry, Shirley Jackson, Jack London, Edgar Allan Poe and Washington Irving. 

Composition
 
Composition assignments are related to the readings above. Focus questions on the readings will be assigned and discussed in class. As per the Diocesan writing requirement, essays of at least 500-700 words will include contrast, comparison, description, persuasion and narration.
 
All writing begins with explanatory hand-outs, examples and thorough discussions. Peer evaluation and teacher input are an integral part of all writing assignments.

Book Reports
 
Outside reading will be required each quarter with  a written or oral report assigned.

Diocesan Writing Test

In January, the 7th Grade will begin prepping for the required Diocesan writing test in March. Rules and examples of persuasive essays will be a part of this process.

Extra Help

Additional help with all areas of language arts is available four out of five recess periods per week and after school from 3-3:30pm by mutual agreement.
 

This class consists of grammar, vocabulary, literature, and composition. All areas have new facts, new approaches, and new challenges!

Grammar

Textbook: Warriner's English Composition and Grammar is the tried and true series successfully used at STM for the past eleven years for 6th through 8th grades.
 
8th Grade students cover sentence structure, phrases, clauses, agreement and pronoun cases along with the mechanics of capitalization, punctuation and quotations. The teaching of grammar is not only for the identification but, most importantly, proficiency in all areas of English.
 
Exercises (both book and additional examples) are assigned for each grammar area of study.
 
Grammar grades consist of testing only.

 
Vocabulary
 
Textbook: Sadlier-Oxford's Vocabulary Workshop. This traditional vocabulary series covers fifteen units (20 words per unit).
 
This "pure" vocabulary approach focuses on the words themselves, their meanings (literal and figurative), their usage, and their relationship with other words. This "systematic" approach provides intensive practice through varied "hand-on" exercises.
 
Testing consists of spelling tests and publisher's generated tests for each unit.

Literature
 
8th Grade literature consists of five novels, eleven short stories, and a Shakespearian play. All literature assignments include focus questions, vocabulary enrichment, announced quizzes and class discussion.
 
Compositional assignments are related to these readings.
Novels assigned are Nothing But the Truth by Avi, The Wave by Todd Strasser, The Hound of Baskervilles by Sir Authur Conan Doyle, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, The Pearl by John Steinbeck and Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.

Throughout the year, short stories are read and discussed with the students, including works by Ray Bradbury, Truman Capote, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Shirley Jackson, W.W. Jacobs, Edgar allan Poe, Frank Stockton, James Thurber and Anton Chekhov.

Composition

Composition at the 8th Grade level consists of focus questions on reading assignments along with learning a "chronological" approach to novels. Essays of at least 500-700 words include persuasive, descriptive, thematic and research writing.
 
All writing begins with hand-outs, examples and a thorough discussion of the assignment. Peer evaluation is part of the writing process.  
Grading includes both a content and a mechanics grade.

Extra Help

Additional help with all areas of language arts is available four out of five recess periods per week and after school from 3-3:30pm by mutual agreement.

This year's trip to Washington D.C. will be from Wednesday-Friday, April 18-20, 2012. All information will be distributed in September.

We are looking forward to planning another exciting experience for our 8th graders!