English Department

In the Language Arts program at Patrick Henry Middle School, we implement a CCSS-aligned curriculum to build students’ reading, writing, listening, and communication skills to become proficient, critical readers, writers, and thinkers in today’s world. Essential standards like determining a theme/central idea of a text, finding/citing text evidence to support summaries/inferences, analyzing a speaker’s argument, claim and/or information, and writing summarizing and argumentative essays have been identified by grade levels and guide instruction. 

Below is a quick overview of the topics and curriculum on which each grade level focuses.

6th Grade

Reading:  Short Stories, Biographies, Poetry, Argumentative/Nonfiction Text, and Novels

Language:  Personal Narrative Essays, Argumentative Essays, Research, and Grammar

7th Grade

Critical reading, writing, and thinking using fiction and non-fiction.

8th Grade

Critical reading, writing, and thinking using fiction and non-fiction.

PHMS offers Honors English at the 6th - 8th grade levels. These classes cover the standards for the 6th - 8th grade English curriculum and offer an opportunity for students to explore literature in greater depth.