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English

7th Grade Literacy Workshop is designed to introduce interesting and rigorous standards-based instruction that focuses on individual student's strategy and skill development in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking. The course allows students to take responsibility for their learning in order for an academic learning community to be formed. Grade level literature will be introduced; short stories, the novel and works of non-fiction will be examined. Reading and writing skills will be taught and reviewed, and course assignments are designed to satisfy the State of California's Language Arts Framework and Standards.

8th Grade English Language Arts and Literacy Workshop provide the opportunity for students to improve their reading and writing skills in an atmosphere of academic rigor and exploration. The course allows students to take responsibility for their learning in order for a community to be formed and time for meaningful dialogue to occur. Students acquire language arts skills in reading, writing, viewing, listening, speaking, and language study for a variety of audiences and purposes. Students gain greater insight by sharing literature and non-fiction texts.

The course is designed to provide rich, powerful content and instruction that is standards-based and focused on individual student's reading and writing development. Woven into the fabric of the course is the State of California Language Arts Framework and the Institute for Learning's Principals of Learning. 

GATE Cluster Language Arts course is designed to meet and exceed all 8th grade state standards in a manner that is rigorous and challenging to gifted students. Growth is expected on four fronts: 1) students will analyze and respond to the elements of literature and informational text, 2) writing skills will be taught, reviewed, and polished, 3) vocabulary will be expanded, and 4) oral language skills will be honed.

This Language Arts survey course is designed to acquaint the student with challenging and engaging texts from short stories, drama, nonfiction, poetry, and the novel. A variety of genres will be studied. Reading focus will be on analyzing in depth and responding to the elements of literature. Writing skills will be taught, reviewed, and polished to a greater level of sophistication. Narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive essays will be written. Students will also demonstrate their ideas in formal and informal speeches presented in front of the class. Vocabulary development will have three foundations: Greek and Latin roots, a SAT (Stanford Achievement Test) vocabulary expansion program, and the study of challenging words from the literature itself.

GATE Seminar Language Arts is designed to introduce interesting and rigorous, standards-based instruction that focuses on individual student's reading and writing development. Independent reading will occur weekly in class and nightly at home. Grade level literature will be introduced; short stories, drama, non-fiction, poetry, and the novel will be examined. Reading and writing skills will be taught and reviewed, and course assignments are designed to satisfy the State of California's Language Arts Framework, listed below.

Students in this course have been tested and found to read at or above grade level. Continuing to improve student reading skills and comprehension, and strengthening writing skills in preparation for college will be the primary goals of this class.