CMS has adopted the Amplify curriculum for all grade levels. Please see the broad overview below!

Grade 6:

Trimester 1:

Reading Focus: Observe how an author creates a character.
Writing Focus: Focus on a moment in the text and develop a unique perspective about it.

Trimester 2

Reading Focus: Assess the credibility of evidence used to support conclusions.
Writing Focus: Explain which trait is most useful to problem-solving investigators!

Reading Focus: Identify and compare various authors’ purposes and perspectives.
Writing Focus: Synthesize information from several sources to develop an argument.

Trimester 3

Reading Focus: Analyze the connections between symbols, characters, and themes in mythology.
Writing Focus: Write about the development of a shared theme in two texts.

Reading Focus: Trace a character’s arc from the beginning of a novel to the end.
Writing Focus: Analyze how character traits assist a heroic character on their journey.

Grade 7:

Trimester 1

Reading Focus: Analyze a character’s unconscious motivations.
Writing Focus: Make thematic connections across genres.

Trimester 2

Reading Focus: Synthesize information from multiple texts to develop understanding of a topic.
Writing Focus: Describe facts, explain concepts, and convince the reader of an opinion.

Trimester 3

Reading Focus: Evaluate the reliability of a fictional narrator.
Writing Focus: Compare and contrast characters’ perspectives on a narrative.

Grade 8

Trimester 1

Reading Focus: Notice the impact of an author’s craft and structure.
Writing Focus: Write a narrative about a childhood memory.

Trimester 2

Reading Focus: Apply abstract concepts to an author’s portrayal of a character.
Writing Focus: Argue opposing claims about a character and resolve the contradiction.

Trimester 3

Reading Focus: Connect characters’ development to a conceptual framework.
Writing Focus: Choose between contradictory positions and argue with evidence.