Mrs. Hughes’s ELA classes have been busy! The eighth-grade students recently read Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” then worked in groups as crime scene investigating units attempting to find Fortunato’s murderer. The students had a great time working together and pooled their creativity to end with amazing final crime boards. Before that, Mrs. Hughes had her fun as she left them with the biggest life-altering question: The lady or the tiger? Great job!
The sixth graders also dipped their toes into Poe by looking into his bizarre background and reading “The Raven” in both the words of Poe and in a more modern vernacular. They completed two creative projects on the material and showed they not only worked together but as individuals. Prior to that, they had a great time figuring out who Charlie really was. Amazing!
Both grades participated in Anti-Bullying week with a Writer’s Workshop that included learning how to write a Quote Analysis, an Open-Ended Question response, and a Personal Narrative with one common theme: Bullying. They stepped up to the plate shared personal stories and the importance of being kind. Super proud of them!
Finally, all classes have begun novel studies. The eighth-graders have jumped head-first into dystopian literature with the novel Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. From learning about dystopian controls and motifs to common dystopian archetypes, these teens are ready for their next rebellion. And while the eighth-graders are planning world domination, the sixth-graders have put on their sleuthing caps with the novel The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Considering every chapter ends with a cliffhanger, these students have been turning pages faster than anticipated as they use the clues to figure out “whodunnit” while not getting sidetracked by red herrings.
It’s been a great start to the school year and we are looking forward to continued exploration of literature and demonstration of our writing skills!
