8th Grade English

Online 8th Grade English Course

This online English course for 8th Graders continues to lay strong foundations for reading literature and engaging in critical analysis through close-reading, discussion, and writing. In our classroom of one, the student will explore texts by reading carefully to decipher meaning and arrive at paragraph- and text-level interpretations. The course texts—which all include conflicts between individual characters and their larger communities—are selected in order to encourage debate and argumentative writing; and the student will work to sharpen their critical thinking by exploring them from all angles. Even as they work to construct clear arguments and thesis-driven essays, they will begin to notice and unpack nuance and complexity in their understandings of literature.

Weekly Cadence & Style

This full-year course runs for 26 weeks, divided into two semesters. The weekly cadence is asynchronous with 1 live video meeting weekly.

We will very much follow an inquiry-based learning model in our weekly get togethers where together the teacher and student will explore the texts and ask open-ended questions about character development and themes.

This course introduces the student to a process approach to writing—with drafting, peer and teacher review, and editing as integral components—whether the student is writing essays, fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry.

Suggested Reading

• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• The Pearly by John Steinbeck
• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
• 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose
• Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare