Moses Brown School 8th Grade English

8th Grade

English

Eighth grade English at Moses Brown is focused on the importance of stories. In all forms and genres, story is the engine that provides drive to literature, and we help students take that engine apart and re-assemble it.

The year begins with a six-week-long immersion in StoryCorps, the Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning radio show and podcast that invites everyday Americans to share their personal stories. In the past, this unit has had students beta-testing the Great American Listen StoryCorps app, and hosting StoryCorps founder David Issay for a discussion of what makes stories so powerful. Students culminate this study with some recording of their own, learning a little more from family and close communities.

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Eighth graders then explore different genres of literature including poetry, vignettes, novels, and plays, building core reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.

Students are asked to consider themes including coming of age, gender roles in literature, societal expectations vs. reality, internal vs. external struggles, fate vs. choice, and many more. Classes are always a place of active discussion, frequent performance (in collaboration with the Drama department), and journal reflection. Students regularly produce and polish critical essays and creative work with coaching from teachers.