English
In a rapidly changing world, words are constant.
The Penn Charter English curriculum nurtures and celebrates verbal and written expression in order to empower students to express themselves clearly and powerfully, read perceptively and critically, speak articulately and listen actively.
"When a student connects things that are happening in a novel to a personal, real-life experience, I know that student is interested and other students are listening." Jennifer Chernak, Middle School English teacher
Key Characteristics
- Development of individual student voice
- Project-based interdisciplinary learning in sixth grade
- Choice-driven literature units throughout all English courses
Curricular Highlights
Choice Book Units. Students begin Middle School with units on books they individually choose, easing the transition from Lower School to Middle School. Another choice unit is included in both seventh and eighth grades to continue to nurture the joy of choosing one’s own book.
Eighth Grade Memoir Project and Celebration. Students write and present creative nonfiction about their lives at the end of eighth grade after studying the genre.
An in-depth introduction to Shakespeare through the study of Romeo and Juliet, including student-performed monologues and written analyses of language.
“I have enjoyed writing my memoir because not only has it allowed me to revisit the memories, places, and people who mean the most to me, but I also have a better understanding of who I am. This project has opened my eyes to who I truly am and who I would like to become.” Eighth grade student