English 8

Mrs. Katie Ristow

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What does essay writing have to do with the rest of your life? If you can create and communicate in a clear and compelling way, people will usually listen. This class is all about taking thoughts and putting them to paper with the purpose of conveying a message. Students will become confident in writing persuasive, informative, and descriptive essays all while mastering the art of the thesis statement. They will bring their words to life with figurative language, engaging classroom discussion, and a bit of healthy debate. Literature books will be enjoyed through creative projects, discussion, and expressive writing.

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REQUIRED MATERIALS​​:

• IEW Elegant Essay student workbook (NEW, UNUSED COPIES ONLY)​

• Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

• Swiss Family Robinson by Jonathan David Wyss

• Choose one of the following from The Christian Heroes Then and Now Series:

       Nate Saint 

       Gladys Aylward  

• Personal choice book: Any chapter book, of any genre, over 200 pages, appropriate content for class discussions, and no pictures (if the book has pictures, they cannot count toward the 200-page minimum). *Mrs. Ristow will provide a list of suggestions in class for those who are unsure about what to read. This book is not needed until February*

• Writing pen/pencil

• folder or binder with paper (can be shared with other classes)

• Highlighters​

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All formats of the literature books (book, audio, and free online PDFs) are approved for this course.

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MATERIALS FEE:

• $5 per semester, payable with tuition