Course Rationale: The eighth grade year is about transitions. We seek to prepare our students for the high school experience and to become lifelong learners. Students are exposed to quality literature and writing by young writers so they can see what they might become. A transition from fiction to more nonfiction is begun so they face a real world rather than an imaginary one. Skills are stressed which will focus them on self-assessment of their own work. Exploration will continue into many media, but again, it will focus on those needed for success in the world of the future. The key to every unit and lesson will be to help students prepare for transition to independence based on command of needed literacy skills.
Aim: The purpose of this course is to analyze the impact of environment on real life experience and create a portfolio of student evaluated work which shows development based on multiple perspectives of the student.
