Literacy Workshop

Literacy Workshop is a semester long enrichment course that touches on reading, writing, and speaking, viewing, and listening - all of the fundamental components of English Language Arts.  However, the emphasis will fall heavily on and is aligned with the State Common Core Standards addressing oral communication, reading informational texts, and argumentative writing.  Public speaking will vary from informally sharing a response to a warm up to formally participating in several mini debates.   In order to prepare for mini debates, students will read informational texts, gather information and evidence, and prepare written arguments. 

Students will build upon or develop the following skills:  

• critical thinking
•  reading and analyzing topic related informational texts
•  viewing and analyzing media sources, internet data, and film scenes
•  persuasive/argumentative writing techniques
•  oral communication with an emphasis on persuasive techniques
• verbal and nonverbal communication techniques.

In order to be successful it is essential that students meet the following requirements:

• participate in small group and whole class informal discussions
• partake in several formal mini debates while demonstrating a clear point of view on a specified topic
•  complete research summaries on articles connected to assorted debate topics
• develop logical and well supported written arguments connected to assorted debate topics
•  maintain a working class folder complete with all written work, rubrics and graphic organizers.