Mansfield Middle School
Storrs, Connecticut

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MMS Language Arts
Use the links below to explore language arts content for each of our four grade levels:

5th Grade Language Arts
Language Arts refers to the study of the communication process. It is the study of the methods and tools of communication. In fifth grade we explore communication skills necessary in everyday life, including computer technology. We reinforce the processes of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills through a workshop approach. Students are encouraged to apply this process in any reports, projects, or assignments encountered in all subject areas.

The Workshop Approach
Class time is divided into three sections: mini-lessons, work period, and sharing. The mini-lesson is a short instructional period used for teaching concepts, skills, and processes. The work period is a longer period used for ongoing assignments and practicing skills. Students may work on short or long term projects while teachers guide students and monitor work habits, skills, and understanding. The sharing time is used to recognize and model excellent work and to celebrate the work of all students. Students may volunteer or be asked to share their work.

The Writing Process
The model we follow emphasizes thinking about one’s work before, during, and after the work is complete. Students are encouraged to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish written work. Some assignments focus on one area, such as planning, and may not go through the entire process. Others will be "published" and collected in student portfolios. A guide to the process is given to all students at the beginning of the year and is available on-line.

Topics of Study

  • Major Forms of Writing
  1. Expository Writing (Descriptive/Informative) *
  2. Narrative Writing (Stories)
  3. Poetry
  4. Persuasive Writing (Opinions)
  5. Storytelling

    (*this form of non-fiction writing is tested on the 6th grade CMT)

  • Writing Process & Skills
  1. Descriptive Language
  2. Elaboration \ Details
  3. Organization \ Structure of Writing
  4. Editing - Mechanics/Grammar
  5. Public Speaking / Oral Communication
  • Study Skills
  1. Note taking
  2. Keyboarding/Word Processing
  3. Introductions to Managing Files on a Network
  4. Library/Media Skills

6th Grade Language Arts
The purpose of the Language Arts classroom is to create a community of writers. Students have opportunities to experiment with a variety of writing styles such as expository, persuasive, and creative. Through the writing process, students draft, revise, edit, share, and publish. While students’ basic writing skills are reinforced through mini-lessons and individual instruction, students are encouraged to find and develop their own writer’s voice. With this approach to the Language Arts classroom, students become confident in their writing abilities and learn to appreciate the importance of written expression.

The Language Arts curriculum incorporates literary sources, students’ personal experiences, content of other subject areas, and state and national writing standards to develop writing activities. The year often begins with students writing their own life stories. During this activity literary resources such as The Whispering Cloth and The Keeping Quilt inspire students to think about their own experiences as they write their life stories. The year continues with an integrated activity as students study Geology in Science and read about myths based on the origin and creation of volcanoes in Language Arts. Students then write their own myths to explain a volcano’s origin or activity. Another focus during the year involves an introduction to persuasive writing. Students practice basic techniques such as stating the issue, establishing a position, and supporting their argument with examples and elaboration.

7th Grade Language Arts
"What’s the difference between language arts and literature?"

This is a question that we are asked often. In Mansfield we are fortunate to devote time to both reading and writing through two separate programs. In literature, students read and analyze the material being read. Of course, they write a great deal too and discussion is on-going. In language arts we have the opportunity to expand their communication skills, not only reading and writing but listening and speaking. Grammar, vocabulary development, and spelling are all integral parts of the program. In a nutshell, literature concentrates on the reading aspects of the subject and language arts - the writing and speaking.

Your child will have the opportunity to explore several different interdisciplinary units in which to develop these critical skills.

We begin the year with journalism, which will act as a refresher and expansion unit of grammar skills so necessary for accurate communication through written language. These skills will be reinforced throughout the year. A good source of information is the student’s handbook called Write Source 2000. This book is not only a compilation of information on the English language, writing tips, and different writing formats, but other reference material.

Three times yearly, students will participate in the national Word Master program, a high- level analogy contest. Students will apply their understanding of vocabulary and use their higher level thinking skills during participation in this analogy challenge. While the results of the final test will not count in their grades, all work leading up to the contest will count. These activities are an essential part of a student’s language development and expand creative articulation of ideas.

Throughout the year, students will take part in units, which emphasize a variety of genres. Early in the year students write a science fiction story that parallels the oceanology unit in science. In late fall, students examine a variety of controversial topics, learn how to shape an argument, take a position, and defend that position in a persuasive piece. A drama unit, which includes speaking techniques, is another integral component of the program. Research skills are taught in the final unit as students write a fictional story based in the medieval period. Facts are required and correct documentation is a must.

The seventh grade year seems to fly by as students are incredibly busy enjoying a year of exploration and growth in writing, speaking, and performing. Welcome to language arts.

8th Grade Language Arts
Language arts students refine their writing in two ways: by practicing organization and thinking skills in executing persuasive prompts, an important part of the Connecticut Mastery Test, and by learning to address the feedback of readers in revising and editing work. We use graphic organizers such as T-sheets, webs, and outlines (the granddaddy of all graphic organizers), to help students plan their writing. We also encourage students to consider their audience in persuasive writing. A powerful argument created for a friend may have no influence on a parent, to say nothing of the tone of the argument! (Consider for a moment the use of "Duh!")

At least once each quarter, we use a writer’s workshop format, adapted from Nancie Atwell’s In the Middle. In-class writing activities, which feature revision and editing, are taken in part from Barry Lane’s After the End. Students keep working folders for both impromptu and processed writing, and select and reflect on items for inclusion in their K-8 portfolios, which are presented at the closing ceremony.

Units include a debate, following the topic and procedures recommended by the Connecticut Consortium for Law & Citizenship Education, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Holocaust, and Loraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun.

Students hone spelling skills using Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley’s Everyday Spelling. Students also compete in the very competitive GOLD division of WordMaster’s, a national analogy contest.

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  Updated 07/15/02. ©2002 Mansfield Schools. Address concerns to mmsnet@mansfieldct.org or visit our homepage at http://www.mmsnet.org.