Multi-genre Thematic Literature Lists

Grade Levels

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Grade 9

Grade 10

Grade 11

Grade 12:
See Senior Semester
Course Curricula

In support of the revised ELA curriculum, teachers will employ a thematic, multi-genre approach to teach literature in grades 6-12. The benefits to using a thematic, multi-genre approach are as follows:

Using a thematic approach to teach literature provides a conceptual framework for exploring essential questions and enduring understandings (i.e., the big ideas at the heart of the discipline) and promotes student-centered inquiry.
Using a thematic approach to teach literature affords opportunities to make interdisciplinary connections to the big ideas of other disciplines.
Common themes at each grade-level will help to ensure that students are exploring a range of essential questions and enduring understandings throughout the 6-12 continuum.
The multi-genre approach will provide a variety of reading experiences for students, afford opportunities for synthesis of ideas across several texts and genres, and provide various points of entry into the essential questions and enduring understandings.
Using a thematic, multi-genre approach will allow us to collaboratively develop annotated bibliographies of novels, plays, short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, etc. (i.e., many hands make light work).

Currently, the annotated titles include novels from the core literature lists, and the annotations suggest how the titles might be used to explore the theme designated for the grade level (Thanks go to Barb Kerns, Arcadia High School Librarian, for her help with the annotations!). Throughout the year, we will add additional novels, plays, short fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Whenever possible, we will link electronic versions of the texts to make them more easily accessible.