English (8)
The goal of the eighth grade English curriculum is to help students become more confident and critical readers, writers, and thinkers. They are elevating and refining skills that have been building since their first year in Upper School. As students prepare to take on the next step in their educational journey, they work to develop as self-directed learners. Group discussions and activities are commonplace – students build the capacity to learn from and teach each other.
The year begins with a focus on injustice and inequality through the assigned summer reading and continues to explore the course themes, through reading texts focused on youth voices in times of war and conflict. Students tackle important issues by reading the classic, Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw and grapple with issues of feminism, gender stereotypes, and elitism while working through a challenging text. They explore the various experiences of immigrants in The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez and end the year reading Pet by Akwaeke Emezi, a book that asks students to think critically about their own society, and how they, as young people, can make a difference.
The writing curriculum is based on the idea that writing is a process and there is no such thing as perfect. Students learn how to respond to feedback, edit and revise, revise, revise. Periodic goal-setting, reflection, peer editing, and writing conferences play a major role in the students' development as writers.
Since a strong vocabulary is best built by reading literature and by recognizing and learning new roots, students review Greek and Latin roots, as well as collect and study words from their reading and use them in their writing. In eighth grade, students continue to study grammar as a means to improve their writing. They also learn the conventions for MLA formatting, including in-text citations and works cited.
Burke's mission is to educate, encourage and empower girls. Our school combines academic excellence with an appreciation for childhood so that students thrive as learners, develop a strong sense of self, contribute to community, and fulfill their potential, now and throughout life.
Burke's admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.