Reading, writing, and discussions are guided by thematic questions and student choice. The curriculum over the three years of middle school includes diversity in gender, culture, race, and socio-economic perspectives.

Each year, students undertake an interdisciplinary research project that connects with their History curriculum, culminating in a written report, a visual display, and an oral presentation for the History Fair.

• Fiction: historical fiction, short stories, poetry, vignettes, science fiction, realistic fiction, graphic novels
• Nonfiction: expository texts, essays, articles, websites,
• Independent reading

• Quote analysis
• Know Wonder Learn
• Integrated vocabulary building
• Blooms taxonomy questions
• On, Between, and Beyond the lines text analysis

• Analytical discussions of literature
• Scaffolding
• Collaboration
• Describing context, making connections, and discovering personal response
• Student choice
• Previewing themes and questions
• Review writing

• Socratic discussions
• Oral presentations
• Online discussions
• Student blogs
• Debate
• Think Pair Share

• Integrated practice (grammar, punctuation, parts of speech, etc.)
• Vocabulary development
• Ideas
• Personal voice
• Structure
• Narrative techniques

• Personal narrative/memoir
• Short stories/elements of story
• Poetry/vignettes

• Literature response and analysis paragraphs
• Thesis based literature essays
• Personal response paragraphs
• Persuasive arguments
• Research reports

• Brainstorming
• Research: media literacy, source evaluation and integration
• Planning
• Proofreading
• Peer-editing
• Revising
• Publishing
• Problem solving
• Note taking
• Summarizing
• Student choice
• Collaboration
• Projects
• Portfolios

• MLA citations for books, websites, encyclopedias, videos, first person interviews, images