Home
The mission of the Carter G. Woodson’s Middle School Language Arts Program is to promote a lifelong appreciation and understanding of the written language. Our goal is to better prepare students to compete in today’s global economy. The program seeks to develop literacy skills by providing multiple and varied opportunities for reading, writing, and listening. Our school system is implementing more rigorous English standards to meet national and international benchmarks for college-and-career readiness as outlined by the Virginia Department of Education.
All courses are designed to prepare students for the successful completion of the Standards of Learning in writing, reading, literature, and research assessments.
All courses are designed to prepare students for the successful completion of the Standards of Learning in writing, reading, literature, and research assessments.
6th Grade Language Arts:
This full-year Language Arts class offers a literature-based curriculum that builds a deeper understanding of the English language. Four areas of instructional focus (communication, reading, writing, and research) build students’ literacy skills. Reading instruction is designed to build an appreciation for and understanding of literature and the use of effective reading strategies for a variety of genres and purposes, including fiction, historical non-fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Writing instruction focuses on the four major writing styles (narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive) and the ability to draft, revise, edit and publish well-developed, organized essays that use standard English grammar and mechanics. Research instruction is designed to guide students to find, evaluate, and select appropriate resources for a research product. The students will evaluate the validity and authenticity of texts, and they will use technology to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate information. In addition, they will learn to cite sources, define the meaning and consequences of plagiarism, and follow ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information.
This full-year Language Arts class offers a literature-based curriculum that builds a deeper understanding of the English language. Four areas of instructional focus (communication, reading, writing, and research) build students’ literacy skills. Reading instruction is designed to build an appreciation for and understanding of literature and the use of effective reading strategies for a variety of genres and purposes, including fiction, historical non-fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Writing instruction focuses on the four major writing styles (narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive) and the ability to draft, revise, edit and publish well-developed, organized essays that use standard English grammar and mechanics. Research instruction is designed to guide students to find, evaluate, and select appropriate resources for a research product. The students will evaluate the validity and authenticity of texts, and they will use technology to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate information. In addition, they will learn to cite sources, define the meaning and consequences of plagiarism, and follow ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information.
7th Grade Language Arts:
This full-year Language Arts class offers a literature-based curriculum that builds a deeper understanding of the English language. Four areas of instructional focus (communication, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and media literacy) build students’ literacy skills. Reading instruction is designed to build an appreciation for and understanding of literature and the use of effective reading strategies for a variety of genres and purposes, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Students will apply critical reading and reasoning skills across the content areas. Writing instruction focuses on three major writing styles (narrative, expository, and persuasive) and the ability to draft, revise, edit, and publish well-developed, organized essays that use standard English grammar and mechanics. Research instruction focuses on students applying knowledge of appropriate reference material to produce a research product. They will use available and appropriate technology to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate information.
8th Grade Language Arts:
This full-year Language Arts class offers a literature-based curriculum that builds a deeper understanding of the English language. Five areas of instructional focus (reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and media literacy) build students’ literacy skills. Reading instruction is designed to develop appreciation of literature through the study of literary elements in classic and contemporary selections. Students will describe themes and inferred main ideas, interpret cause-effect relationships, and draw conclusions from a variety of literary and informational selections. Students will build on the foundations for literacy developed in the previous grades. Students will apply critical reading and reasoning skills across the content areas. Writing instruction focuses on having students plan, draft, revise, and edit narratives as well as expository, persuasive, and informational pieces with attention to composition and written expression. Students will continue the process of becoming independent with sentence formation, usage, and mechanics and understand that the conventions of language help convey the message from the writer to the reader. They will use available and appropriate technology.
Reading Intervention/SOL Tutorial (Grades 6-8):
Specific reading interventions are provided through this course for those students identified as needing focused reading instruction, in addition to the regularly scheduled language arts class. This class is designed to increase the student’s specific reading need—decoding skills, flu¬ency, and/or comprehension of text—in order to achieve higher levels of success.
This class will primarily use hands-on learning activities and centers, as well as a computer-generated program entitled, Read 180. Direct instruction is limited to allow students to develop critical, higher-order thinking skills. Students will be responsible for their own learning in an interactive atmosphere.
This full-year Language Arts class offers a literature-based curriculum that builds a deeper understanding of the English language. Four areas of instructional focus (communication, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and media literacy) build students’ literacy skills. Reading instruction is designed to build an appreciation for and understanding of literature and the use of effective reading strategies for a variety of genres and purposes, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Students will apply critical reading and reasoning skills across the content areas. Writing instruction focuses on three major writing styles (narrative, expository, and persuasive) and the ability to draft, revise, edit, and publish well-developed, organized essays that use standard English grammar and mechanics. Research instruction focuses on students applying knowledge of appropriate reference material to produce a research product. They will use available and appropriate technology to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate information.
8th Grade Language Arts:
This full-year Language Arts class offers a literature-based curriculum that builds a deeper understanding of the English language. Five areas of instructional focus (reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and media literacy) build students’ literacy skills. Reading instruction is designed to develop appreciation of literature through the study of literary elements in classic and contemporary selections. Students will describe themes and inferred main ideas, interpret cause-effect relationships, and draw conclusions from a variety of literary and informational selections. Students will build on the foundations for literacy developed in the previous grades. Students will apply critical reading and reasoning skills across the content areas. Writing instruction focuses on having students plan, draft, revise, and edit narratives as well as expository, persuasive, and informational pieces with attention to composition and written expression. Students will continue the process of becoming independent with sentence formation, usage, and mechanics and understand that the conventions of language help convey the message from the writer to the reader. They will use available and appropriate technology.
Reading Intervention/SOL Tutorial (Grades 6-8):
Specific reading interventions are provided through this course for those students identified as needing focused reading instruction, in addition to the regularly scheduled language arts class. This class is designed to increase the student’s specific reading need—decoding skills, flu¬ency, and/or comprehension of text—in order to achieve higher levels of success.
This class will primarily use hands-on learning activities and centers, as well as a computer-generated program entitled, Read 180. Direct instruction is limited to allow students to develop critical, higher-order thinking skills. Students will be responsible for their own learning in an interactive atmosphere.