Curriculum+Units

==__Specific Skills for 2007 - 2008:__ Students will develop specific skills this year in English, which will further develop their overall performance and abilities in the areas of reading, writing, and speaking. The following skills are the major emphases in classroom assignments and projects this year.==

= = 1. Forming a clear, concise thesis (opinion statement for persuasive writing or argumentation). 2. Using research, reason, and revision to develop and support main ideas/thesis/opinion. 3. Concentrating on the traits of ideas, voice, and sentence fluency from the [|6 Traits of Writing]. 4. Thinking critically on every assignment, realizing that the real evidence of learning is not given easily on the pages, but comes from careful consideration and then expressing that knowledge in writing and speaking. 5. Increasing fluency and mastery of the English language through group and class discussions, reading aloud, making speeches and presentations after considerable attention to revising and editing for conventions in grammar and language usage during the writing process. 6. Developing vocabulary through novel studies; defining words, identifying parts of speech, studying words in context, and writing original sentences, using the words correctly in their own writing. 7. Accessing technology as a way to better collaborate with others, ask and receive answers to questions, post assignments, take tests and quizzes, and above all, engage in deep, meaningful learning experiences.