Prerequisites: Recommended for 8th Grade
Credits: 2
Course Description:
Who am I? How do I fit into the world? How do I make sense of these changing times? This interdisciplinary eighth grade language arts course will answer those questions and many more from a Christian perspective. In this course, students will develop their reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing skills—with Biblical principles as the standard—as they explore and enjoy a variety of materials (novels, short stories, poetry, biographies, articles, drama, essays and media).
In addition, Language Arts 3 focuses on effective communication strategies that students need in order to establish a Biblical worldview in this changing and challenging society. Students will explore the eighth grade theme of The American Quest: Past, Present and Future while developing reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing skills through a variety of materials (novels, short stories, poetry, biographies, articles, drama, essays and media).
Major Topics and Concepts:
Segment 1
Staying on pace Meeting classmates Organizing notebook and preparing for class Learning styles Literacy history Brainstorming Creative writing Reading comprehension Self-portrait project Vocabulary development Free-writing Reading skills (poetry, prose, nonfiction, songs) Interviewing skills Writing summaries and personal responses Friendly letters Media literacy Quotation marks End punctuation Reading and analyzing a novel Pre-reading strategies Summary writing Personal response to literature Story elements (character, plot, setting, point of view, theme) Time management Book review Essay structure Writing process (brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing) Narrative, expository and persuasive essays Writing introductions Writing the body of the essay (specific details) Writing conclusions Analyzing writing prompts Timed writings Scoring rubrics
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Segment 2
Appreciating and responding to poetry Understanding poetic devices (rhyme, stanza) Understanding figurative language (metaphor, simile,
imagery, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia) Writing and collecting poetry Vocabulary development Real-world literacy Self-assessment and interest inventory Goal-setting (personal, school, extracurricular, career) Career exploration Fact/opinion Cause/effect Parody Propaganda Speech-writing techniques Listening and speaking skills Research skills Bibliography
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