8Th ENGLISH/ LANGUAGE ARTS COURSE SYLLABUS

HUBERT MIDDLE SCHOOL

“Home of the Hornets”

8th ENGLISH/ LANGUAGE ARTS COURSE SYLLABUS

Ms. Kimberly L. Crawford

(912) 395-5235

Welcome to a new beginning! This year, students will be studying English/Language Arts using Instructional Frameworks. These frameworks are intended to be models for articulating desired results, assessment processes, and teaching-learning activities that can maximize student achievement relative to the Common Core Standards and Georgia Performance Standards. We are looking forward to a successful year for all of our students.

Course Description

Language Arts helps students to improve their reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and study skills. Students will develop an appreciation of written and spoken language. Students will use oral language, written language, media and technology for expressive, informational, argumentative, critical, and literary purposes. They will examine the literary genres, grammar and conventions, and the different kinds of writing especially Expository and Persuasive texts. In addition, they will expand their use of descriptive words and complex sentences. Students are also expected to read a minimum of 25 books for the school year.

Power Standards

A.  Students will demonstrate comprehension and show evidence of a responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts.

B.  Students will understand and acquire new vocabulary, using it correctly.

C.  Students will produce writing that establishes an organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus, and provides closure.

D.  Students will demonstrate competence in a variety of genres.

College & Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Language

The Common Core standards serve as the new learning standards for students this year. As students advance through the grades and master the standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, they are able to exhibit with increasing fullness and regularity the capacities of the literate individual listed below:

A.  Students will demonstrate independence in learning.

B.  Students will build content knowledge.

C.  Students will respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline.

D.  Students will comprehend as well as critique.

E.  Students will value evidence.

F.  Students will use technology and digital media strategically and capably.

G.  Students will come to understand other perspectives and cultures.

Note: 8th grade students are required to take the Georgia’s Writing Assessment in January. Students will be expected to show evidence of competency in writing well developed paragraphs that provide supporting details.

*At the end of the school year, students will continue to show proficiency on the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT).

Grading Scales

A/E 90-100%

B/S 80-89%

C/N 75-79%

D/N 70-74%

F/U below- 69%

Supplies Needed (Please replenish supplies)

2 inch 3-ring Binder (Please get REQUIRED SIZE) Dividers

Black/Blue Ink Pens (ample supply) Loose-leaf paper

Pencils

Highlighters

Composition book

Colored Pencils - optional

Classroom Expectations

à Be PREPARED to be successful.

à BELIEVE in yourself.

à PUT forth ALL efforts.

à Be RESPECTFUL to yourself, teachers and other students.

àBe RESPECTFUL to the learning environment.

àSUBMIT ALL assignments on or before due date.

àELIMINATE excuses!

Instructional Expectations

Students are expected to remain in class, focused, and on task at all times. Assignments should be completed and submitted on time. Group work and individual work will be assigned. All students are expected to read a minimum of 25 books for the year. Students will have reading goals set each marking period. I encourage you to take your child to the public library to check out books. Students are also expected to use the student planner to record their daily classwork and homework assignments. The first student planner is free.

Discipline

All students are expected to model appropriate behavior in class. The code of conduct should be reviewed by both parent and student. Students must understand the importance of following directions, refraining from classroom disruptions, using profanity, damaging school property, wearing their school ID, tucking in their shirts, and displaying appropriate behavior with adults.

****In order to be successful each marking period, you will need to:

·  Complete all assignments

·  Participate in class

·  Stay organized and keep up with notes, handouts, and papers

·  Study, review and read each night

*Parents are encouraged to drop in for classroom visits and utilize the student planner for

correspondence.

ELA Notebook:

Students must maintain an ELA notebook in my class. It must remain organized and notes should always be up to date. It is important for ALL students to have the required 2 inch 3 Ring binder. Please purchase the REQUIRED SIZE. The notebook should be organized with dividers accordingly:

¨  Regulations for student writing

¨  Signed Syllabus

¨  DOL

¨  Reading

¨  Writing

¨  Resources (Standards, Rubrics, etc)

Access class website for resources, enrichment, announcements and more!!!

Go to Hubert Middle School’s page

Access Faculty

Look for Kimberly Crawford and read, learn and enjoy!!!!

Parent Signature X______

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