MS English
The NCS English curriculum emphasizes careful, extensive reading as the keystone of sound verbal skills. We encourage students to read and write for pleasure. During the summer students in grade 7 and 8 read selected texts for their course work the following September.
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The goal of English 7 is to support students in developing solid communication skills, with an emphasis on written expression. The course rests upon four pillars of study: writing, analysis, metacognition, and learning processes. Students are challenged to develop critical questioning strategies, a deliberate writing process, deep reflection skills, and solid study-management habits. Texts for this course include Poetry for Young People: African American Poetry, The House on Mango Street, Girl in The Blue Coat, and other titles.
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To parallel their study of American government, the students in eighth-grade English are asked to explore the various social systems and leadership styles depicted in the literature selected for the year. They will consider how the systems of government illustrated in novels, plays, and a variety of poems and short stories prove to be effective or ineffective in creating an environment where people can thrive. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson offers us a vision of a government that assures its citizens “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” These words provide us with an ideal against which we can judge the success of leaders and their governments in our reading. Moreover, the literature we study asks us to consider the responsibilities of citizens within their societies. As we explore these themes, students will develop their ability to think critically, read closely, listen carefully, and write gracefully.
