Page 11 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade8_Flipbook

to the stUdent continued
AP ConneCtions
When you reach high school, you may have an opportunity to take Advanced Placement (AP) classes or other rigorous courses. When the time comes to make that decision, we want you to be equipped with the kind of higher-order thinking skills, knowledge, and behaviors necessary to be successful in AP classes and beyond. You will see connections to AP in the texts that you read, the strategies you use, and the writing tasks you encounter throughout the course.
Connections to AP Language and Literature will help you:
• Read closely and analyze both literary and nonfiction texts
• Analyze relationships among author’s purpose, literary/stylistic devices, rhetorical appeals, and desired effects for intended audiences
• Write with attention to selecting textual evidence and organizational patterns according to purpose and audience
• Write to interpret and evaluate multiple perspectives in literature
• Develop the control of language and command of conventions required for academic writing
the sPringboArd diFFerenCe
SpringBoard is different because it provides instruction with hands-on participation that involves you and your classmates in daily discussions and analysis of what you’re reading and learning. You will have an opportunity to
• Discuss and collaborate with your peers to explore and express your ideas
• Explore multiple perspectives by reading a variety of texts—both fiction and nonfiction—that introduce you to different ways of thinking, writing, and communicating
• Examine writing from the perspective of a reader and writer and learn techniques that good writers use to communicate their message effectively
• Gain a deep understanding of topics, enabling you to apply your learning to new and varied situations
• Take ownership of your learning by practicing and selecting strategies that work for you
• Reflect on your growth and showcase your best work as a reader, writer, speaker, and listener in a working Portfolio
middle sChool At A glAnCe
grade 6
SpringBoard Grade 6 is developed around the thematic concept of change. During the year, you will learn how writers use that theme to tell stories in poetry, short stories, and nonfiction texts. Among the many authors whose work you will read is Langston Hughes, a famous writer who was part of the Harlem Renaissance. Sharon Creech explores change resulting from the loss of a parent in her novel, Walk Two Moons. Gary Soto and Sandra Cisneros tell vivid stories about the awkward changes that can be part of growing up. John Steinbeck takes you on a trip around the country with his dog, Charley. Scenes from one of William Shakespeare’s plays take you into the world of drama. As you read these texts and make connections to experiences in your own life, you will begin to see how writers use the details of everyday life to create stories that we all enjoy.
Reading and writing go hand in hand, and SpringBoard Grade 6 gives you opportunities to write your own stories (narrative writing), explain information (expository writing), and create an argument to persuade an audience (argumentative writing). Specific strategies for writing and revising support your writing efforts from planning to drafting, revising, and editing. You will be writing a personal narrative and a short story, essays in which you share your ideas about a fictional story and a real-life story, and an argumentative letter to persuade others to support your position on an issue.
You will also be asked to deepen your understanding by analyzing how film presents a topic and by conducting research on topics of interest. In this grade you will view a video biography of Temple Grandin while also reading about her life and how she has coped with autism.
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SpringBoard® English Language Arts grade 8
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