Summer Homework
Grade 8. An analysis of two texts about summer homework.
Social Media
Grade 8. An analysis of two texts about the costs and benefits of social media.
6-8 Narrative Reading Student Artifacts
4 Tasks Is All He Asks
Grade 8. A summary and analysis of the novel The Wish List.
Lush
Grade 8. A summary and analysis of the novel Lush.
Identity
Grade 8. A summary and analysis of the novel The Adoration of Jenna Fox.
6-8 Narrative Writing Student Artifacts
Wet Mess
Grade 6. A story about two friends who make a mess at home.
Untitled Memoir
Grade 7. A memoir about a student’s struggle with math.
Untitled Memoir
Grade 7. A memoir about a family member’s death; an advanced example.
The Game
Grade 7. A memoir about playing organized basketball; an intermediate-beginner example.
Infinity
Grade 8. A poem that explores the process of poetry writing.
The Stage
Grade 8. A poem about the feelings of performing onstage.
Victory
Grade 8. A poem about a swimming competition.
The Ice Rink
Grade 8. A poem exploring ice skating and changing seasons.
Our Rights
Grade 8. A poem exploring wars, individual freedom, and history.
6-8 Informational Writing Student Artifacts
Pandas’ Extinction
Grade 6. An informational essay about the causes of pandas’ extinction.
1966 World Cup Final
Grade 7. An informational essay about the 1966 World Cup Final.
Prologue: Jim Crow Laws
Grade 7. A chapter that could have been included in a book about the Montgomery bus boycott.
Emmett Till
Grade 7. A chapter that could have been included in a book about the Montgomery bus boycott.
Year Round Schooling
Grade 8. An informational essay about year-round school calendars.
School All Year?
Grade 8. An informational essay weighing the costs and benefits of year-round schooling.
Not Just on Printing Paper
Grade 8. An informational essay comparing the pros and cons of 3-D printing.
6-8 Argument Writing Student Artifacts
Year-Round Calendar
Grade 6. Two paragraphs arguing against a year-round calendar.
How Peter Neilsen Showed Bravery
Grade 6. A literary essay about Number the Stars, a novel.
Public School vs. Homeschool
Grade 7. A paragraph arguing in favor of public schooling.
Exercise vs. Diet
Grade 7. A four-paragraph essay arguing in favor of a healthy diet; an advanced example.
Schools Should Give Time to Get up and Move…
Grade 7. A paragraph advocating the benefits of exercise breaks in school; an on-target example.
The Outsiders
Grade 7. A literary essay about The Outsiders, a novel.
The Outsiders
Grade 7. A second literary essay about The Outsiders.
Nap Time
Grade 8. A paragraph arguing that naps would benefit students.
Legalization of Marijuana
Grade 8. An op-ed arguing against the legalization of marijuana.
Concussions Turning into Further Disease
Grade 8. An op-ed arguing that concussions in the NFL are preventable.
Baltimore Breakout
Grade 8. An op-ed arguing that police in Baltimore need to quell protests and riots.
Christina Lattimore’s Struggle with Innocence
Grade 8. A literary essay analyzing the protagonist of The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore.
Finding Life off the Path
Grade 8. A literary essay exploring the thematic connection between soccer and destiny, in the novel The Keeper.
Changed with Friendship
Grade 8. A literary essay analyzing the importance of confidence, in the novel The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian.
The War on Words
Grade 8. A literary essay looking at the nature of changing opinions in World War II Germany, in the novel The Boy who Dared.
The Choice of Life or Death
Grade 8. A literary essay about a character’s near-death experience, in the novel I Stay.