This week, 6th, 7th, and 8th all diverged into different units after covering poetry terms over the last couple of weeks.

6th grade moved onto a their unit on research writing. Building on the skills they gained in 5th grade, we began by learning how to evaluate sources, especially those online, for academic credibility. As a class, we explored several websites with an eye toward learning what a viable source is, how to find out if a source is academically viable, and ways to avoid websites and sources that look legitimate, but are not. They will parlay these skills into a brief research paper in which they will learn/reinforce parts of an essay, writing  a solid thesis statement, and how to format a paper and cite evidence using MLA. These are skills they will be able to take into future classes and throughout the rest of their time in school.

7th grade began their novel study for the year. They were introduced to the classic novel “The Outsiders” with a brief history of the author, a preview of the themes in the book, and a fun foray into popular slang used in the 1960’s which is featured throughout the novel. Themes of friendship, compassion, loyalty, and more are all touched on during this novel. They began reading today and will continue throughout the week.

8th grade continued their journey with poetry with the advanced concept of “scanning” poetry. Poetry scansion is a further step into the building blocks of effective poetry. Many of the students expressed intimidation with writing poetry and, by learning these last building blocks, they should be able to engage with poetry writing with more ease. By examining the different types of rhythm and meter available to them, writing poetry for class, LAD Fair, and even just for fun will be easier for them, as they will possess a strong understanding of how the pieces work together to form cohesive poetry in many different styles.