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 the macabre with the story “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. They are currently reading - and enjoying - the novel Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. We are learning a lot about each other through personal connections of family, love, and loss.
Next up, all classes will have novel studies. The eighth-graders will jump head-first into dystopian literature with the novels Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. From learning about dystopian controls and motifs to common dystopian archetypes, these teens will be ready for their next rebellion. And while the eighth-graders plan world domination, the sixth-graders will grab their sleuthing caps with the novel The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Considering every chapter ends with a cliffhanger, we can’t wait 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!