English

In the Upper School, most English courses are literature-based, and most writing is focused on thesis-driven

essays and papers that demand critical thinking, close reading, textual analysis and research skills. Some courses are also team taught and take a multidisciplinary approach to world literature, our local Front Range community and human rights. The department also offers courses that allow students to explore creative writing in the context of poetry and short story courses. Students are exposed to literature ranging from classics of the ancient, medieval and early modern worlds to contemporary masterpieces. Attention is given to the cultural, aesthetic, ethical, and historical dimensions of literature. Western European literature as well as a wide range of World literature is studied. Students have opportunities to explore the creative writing of poetry, short stories and translations as well as develop their expository writing. Advanced grammatical and stylistic instruction is increasingly linked to precision of reading comprehension, analysis, and effective, attractive communication in written work. Students in the Upper School are challenged to become rigorous critical thinkers; close, careful readers; and precise, persuasive speakers and writers who see the study of literature and writing as a vehicle for self-discovery and for an empathic exploration of the world beyond the self.

English 6

Sixth-grade English at Dawson is a book club-based class that encourages students to think critically about fiction and non-fiction texts and articles, to exercise personal and collaborative creativity through various writing and in-class activities, to communicate their thoughts clearly both orally and in writing through conversation and projects, and to connect deeply with the material and with each other. The curriculum seeks to improve essential skills while moving students toward the more abstract and analytical modes of thinking, reading, and writing.

Book club readings include age-appropriate novels that incorporate various topics and themes including: resilience, global awareness, kindness, courage, real-life heroes, Civil Rights movement, and immigration. Students study grammar and conventions through collaborative presentations, IXL practice, and in-class activities. Targeted grammar instruction is driven by needs demonstrated in individual weekly writing assessments.

Students engage in both critical and creative thinking, practicing the art of establishing and presenting claims and evidence both in writing and in presentation settings throughout the year. The sixth-grade English curriculum is integrated into all academic content areas, as students write extensively in areas such as social studies and science and in response to literature.
English 7

In English 7, students explore questions about personal identity and community engagement through reading, discussing and writing about literature that addresses related themes. Characters in those texts, like middle school students, negotiate the challenges of standing up for their beliefs, accepting their true selves, and resolving conflicts in their communities. Student-centered conversations facilitate the development of authentic voice and input; group projects foster the cooperative and communication skills required of all kinds of collaboration; and analytical and creative writing assignments allow students to expand their critical thinking as well as their views of themselves and the world around them.

Interdisciplinary connections are emphasized throughout these various literature units. Non-fiction texts provide relevant historical, scientific and cultural contexts for the works read in class and afford the opportunity to practice a distinct set of critical reading skills. Vocabulary and grammar units interspersed throughout the year, and interwoven in the literature units as well, underscore the importance of precise word choice and construction to effective expression.
English 8

As the culmination of a student’s English experience in the Dawson Middle School, English 8 is designed not only to cement and augment knowledge and skills essential to a student’s development as a strong reader, writer, and speaker of English but also to aid each student in the discovery and growth of his or her authentic voice.

In English 8 students therefore continue to explore through reading, writing, and discussions the relationships that language and literature have to both cultural values and personal identity begun in previous Middle School English courses. However, this theme is now examined in particular through the concept of “emergence.” All of the characters in the novels, poems, short stories, plays, and films read and viewed in English 8 are working through the process of finding their own voices. They are actively trying to figure out who they are by speaking out and considering what they value about themselves and other people. By getting involved with these characters and their stories, very often as part of a large group, students have the chance to examine not only their own values but also those of their classmates. And by listening to the voices of these characters and of their classmates as they emerge in print, on screen, and in the English 8 classroom, students will gain a greater understanding of their own emerging sense of self as they voyage through their last year of middle school and prepare to meet the challenges of upper school head on.

Key to our investigation of voice and self in English 8 is the creation and use of personalized resources and materials for studying spelling, vocabulary, and grammar. Along similar lines, students are asked to reconsider and expand their definition of what a literary “text” is as we investigate a graphic novel/memoir, a novel in verse, and films alongside more traditional forms of poetry and prose.

Curriculum Detail

English

English 6

English 7

English 8

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