Overview: Literature/Composition
The emphasis of Advanced Language Arts 8 is on literary analysis and composition. We will examine the elements of the short story, drama, poetry, and novel. In addition, we will focus on figurative language, literary devices and techniques, vocabulary, and style. Importance is placed on the student’s ability to read critically by asking pertinent questions, by recognizing assumptions and implications, and by evaluating ideas. I seek to have students frame and ask their own questions about the literature they read. The ultimate purpose of this course is to encourage students to become independent learners concerning what they read and to write clear, concise, well-developed literary essays.Overview: Grammar
The grammar units we will cover this year include the following: capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, clauses, and verbals. We will begin with a review of the parts of speech followed by capitalization and punctuation. Our study of sentence structure will include subject, predicate, and completers (direct and indirect object, predicate adjective, and predicate nominative). We will complete our study of grammar with clauses and verbals (participles, gerunds, and infinitives). The study of grammar will help students hone their writing skills by correcting bad grammatical habits and providing a basis for discussion.