English 8 A/B

In English 8A, you will explore the features of different forms of literary writing such as diaries, memoirs, informative essays, and fictional narratives.  You will also improve your writing by learning about persuasive writing techniques.  You will compare and contrast a literary piece across different mediums, including drama.  You will engage in a dramatic reading of poetry and learn how to give multimedia presentations.  In the latter part of the course, you will analyze informational texts to understand the history of the Civil War.  You will also analyze various types of literary works to better understand literary elements such as point of view, conflict, theme, structure, and setting.    In English 8B, you will analyze nonfiction texts to explore what they reveal about the process of growing up.  You will also analyze elements of poetry such as theme, structure, meter, language, and sound to help you read poems and compose a poem of your own.  You will read novels and analyze their literary elements and their use of literary devices.  In the final unit, you will reflect upon and evaluate certain aspects of your past, present, and future while reading Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol.