From Myth to Modern Times

From Myth to Modern Times is a middle school English Language Arts course that examines the essential question: How do stories from different times and places continue to resonate today? This yearlong course covers the essential skills for reading, writing, speaking, and listening as it aligns with grade level standards. The work is centered around three main novel studies as well as supplementary texts such as short stories, news articles, poetry, and historical documents. Students engage with a variety of text types and practice writing in various forms. There are three main areas of focus in learning throughout the year: reading narrative stories and producing creative/narrative writing; reading nonfiction texts and writing informative/explanatory text focused on discipline-specific content; and evaluating technical texts and other nonfiction sources to distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text as well as researching and presenting their opinions in well-organized arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. Students learn content specific vocabulary along with conventions of grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. There is an emphasis on critical thinking skills, communication, and discussion or learning protocols.