Course: English 7/8 Fall 2012
Objective: To prepare each student for honors and advanced placement level English courses. Additionally, the course is designed to facilitate each student’s understanding of writing, reading comprehension, and critical thinking, which will offer each student an opportunity to eventually prepare for the college experience. Since these skills are required for individuals to excel in any career, instruction is differentiated to ensure each student is challenged and students will gain important insight into the need to utilize these skills beyond high school, the SAT, and their college experience.
The following materials will be utilized (list may expand based on each student’s ability):
• The Technologists by Matthew Pearl
• Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals
• Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway
• Joker One by Donovan Campbell
• Additional texts may be added
Course addressed Common Core Standards: http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/english-language-arts-standards/
2011
English 7
This course is also focused on strengthening each student’s reading comprehension skills, writing skills, and critical thinking skills within a differentiated setting, but it will introduce material that will prepare students for highly competitive honors and advanced placement high school courses. Students who have previously participated in School Plus English classes will review material, but will quickly build upon what each has mastered. New students will be fine, for Mr. Lancaster will ensure each student understands the material. Novels will be utilized to enable each student to experience great writing that requires close attention to detail. Substantial reading is essential for students who wish to succeed in competitive high school courses. All students will be expected to complete the reading assignments in preparation for each lesson. Students will begin with a review of a basic grammar and progress through writing lessons designed to prepare each student for honors and advanced placement high school language arts courses. Students will also receive instruction designed to increase NJASK and other standardized test scores. Weekly assignments will be posted on the School Plus website.
