Mrs. Farrell's Newsletter
Vista PEAK Exploratory: 8th Grade Literacy
Where we've been...
Last semester we tackled a lot of exciting material. We read, we wrote, we practiced, and revised. Students started the year with a look at investigative journalism and created their own pieces of inquiry. We moved into a whole class novel study and read The Outsiders. Our class was lucky enough to have an opera singer from Opera Colorado stop by and discuss character development and archetypical character traits. Our end product was a literary essay that asked students to synthesize what they know about the Freytag diagram, or how a plot is developed, character development, and author's craft. They had to tie all of these elements together to support their ideas on theme. It was a success! We have much to celebrate as we move into semester two.
Opera Colorado Visit!
During the Opera Colorado visit we played character games, learned about how characters are developed, and heard a world class opera singer belt a tune.
The Outsiders
We felt Ponyboy's pain as he struggles to find himself in this timeless classic. The themes we identified represent something every middle schooler can relate to: coming of age. It was a great read.
Investigative Journalism
We practiced observing our surroundings and reporting on our findings. We wrote about things that impact our world.
Where we're going...
We are beginning this semester with a close look at argument writing. Our focus will be how to appropriately and effectively argue a point. We will discuss many different viewpoints on all of the topics we tackle. Our end product will be an argument piece that either facilitates a debate or a speech. The final semester will be a second novel study of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. During this unit we will focus on symbolism and revisit archetypes. We will be visited by the Colorado Ballet for an in-depth look at how symbolism is found in all art forms.
Symbolism Study
Ballet dancers will come and illustrate for the class just how prevalent symbolism can be in any artistic expression, not just literature.
To Kill a Mockingbird
What an amazing text to finish off the school year! I'm excited to see the conversations we have about the text.
Argumentation Papers
It's so important to think critically about what we read, and notice the value of other's opinions. We will dig through research for valid and credible evidence to support our thinking. It's a challenging yet engaging unit of study and I can't wait to see the great thinking it inspires.