Students examine reading, writing, and analysis using both informational and argument texts. Readings include seminal US texts such as “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” by Frederick Douglass, speeches, court documents, and scientific articles to explore textual evidence, central ideas, inferences, word choice, figurative language, spelling, hyphens, contested usage, figures of speech, and reference materials. Writing topics include a researched informational essay and a researched argument essay.