Middle School Language Arts students are immersed in courses that prepare them for an even more challenging Upper School curriculum. Their required reading prompts them to become more sensitive and teaches them valuable life lessons. From Romeo and Juliet, we focus on approaching situations with moderation; from Black Like Me, we stress the essential importance of treating all men equally; from The Miracle Worker, we develop empathy for disabled people; and from Out of the Dust, we explore and make relevant the harsh realities of the past. Relying on these selections and others, students use critical thinking skills to write about their own lives as they discover that characters from literature are very much like themselves.
Using advanced textbooks and supplemental materials makes for a challenging curriculum. Students are pushed to brainstorm, draft, and finalize meaningful writing assignments. Grammar, usage, and punctuation are stressed to make writing as effective as possible. With each grade level, the expectations become higher regarding content, sentence variety, word choice, and voice.
