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Middle School English teachers have prepared
this site for their students to provide additional support for specific projects,
to furnish valuable links to outside sources, and to reserve a place to publish
student work. Most importantly, teachers hope that students will use the
site for inspiration by discovering the vast world of reading through novels,
poetry, plays, short stories, and non fiction works.
During their sixth grade year, students participate in an Author Study Project. The purpose of the project is to provide students the opportunity to study one author in depth and to discover not only an author’s writing style, but perhaps the ways in which a writer’s background affects his or her writing. Students select the author they would like to research are divided into small groups. Each member of the group reads a different novel by a particular author. Students meet with their groups routinely to discuss, among other ideas, plot and character development and writing style. They may share critical reviews about that author or discuss an author’s biographical information. Additionally, students project their weekly reading and writing assignments, take careful notes in a prepared packet, and research their authors in the library and on-line. Besides reading a novel by an author, completing an extensive packet of information, meeting with peers for discussion, and researching an author, students prepare a research paper. The paper details the author’s biographical information, discusses his or her writing style, and reveals how the author’s background influenced his or her writing.
This unit implemented by the English teachers of Germantown Academy Middle School, Kristen Donches, Glenda Daulerio, Donna Merow, Maggie McVeigh, Sara Goodwin, and Mark Stephens. Web page design by Kristen Donches with technical assistance furnished by Carol Siwinski, Curricular Technology Specialist.
January, 2002
