Mr. Christophersen
Blue Ridge Mtns.LANGUAGE ARTS and JOURNALISM-Eighth Grade

This year the 8th grade class will be primarily preparing for the FCAT writing test.  In this regard, the class will be reviewing the PENS procedures and grammar.Additionally, the class will be reading short stories, poems, and plays from the textbook.

The class will also be reading Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Hamlet. During the study of this material, the class will look into the the social issues and movements associated with these works. Writing about the literature will be an essential part of the studies.

Each member of the class will be required to write a short story during the first semester of the school year. Specific instructions detailing how a short story is created is on the following page.

Two of the 8th grade classes will be taking a class in Journalism which will cover the history of Journalism, First Amendment rights and obligations, ethics in Journalism, Yellow Journalism and Muckraking, and Advertising. The class will be required to write news stories about current local events, current national events sports, editorials, arts and entertainment, and food.