SYLLABUS

English/Reading 8 – Katherine D Beeman, Teacher

Monday through FridayPds. 1-2, 6-7

INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS

Guided by Louisiana’s State Standards in literature, language (grammar, vocabulary development etc.) and writing strategies, you will learn to read critically with full comprehension across genres and be able to communicate through effective writing. As you develop critical reading and writing skills, you will make important life connections through the variety of material you study. All material will be connected to an anchor text for each unit.

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Read new and challenging texts with proficiency across genres
  • Understand and use the writing process for all writing tasks with ease (prewriting; drafting; revising; and editing)
  • Recognize and analyze the use of literary devices and identify literary elements
  • Conduct research using multiple resources to reinforce a thesis.
  • Master language usage and rules of grammar in writing and oral communication.
  • Identify a theme of a text and the author’s purpose.
  • Determine a writing purpose, audience awareness, tone, and voice, through a variety of writing assignments
  • Infer word meaning through the use of reading strategies.
  • Defend ideas, conclusions, generalizations, and inferences.

NEEDS AND RESOURCES

Required Background

To successfully complete this course, you must:

  • Know how to cite evidence and its relevance to the text
  • be able to address writing prompts, answer what the prompt asks, organize your thoughts in a sequential order, compose a proper composition
  • understand the eight parts of speech and vary sentence structures in order to write successfully

Required Materials

To successfully complete this course, you will need

  • One 1 or 1.5 inch binder
  • Pens: Red, Blue, Black, & Green
  • Pencils
  • Loose leaf paper (college ruled is preferred)
  • 1 package of colored pencils
  • Personal pencil sharpener
  • YDMS Planner
  • Index cards
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Tissues/Paper Towels

Additional Print Resources

Students will be required to obtain additional class novels

  • First quarter- Monster and A Long Walk to Water
  • Third quarter- Call of the Wild
  • Fourth quarter- Night by Elie Wiesel
Online Resources
  • (join codez1t8rcy)

COURSE SCHEDULE

  • First quarter anchor text is Flowers for Algernon (Literature book), and related readings that focus on the dangers of arrogance, pride and assuming that humans can control the uncontrollable. Students will come to understand the value of making the most of their strengths.
  • Second quarter anchor text is “Tell Tale Heart” and related readings with a focus on the distinction between reality and perception, as well as the reliability of the narrator.
  • Third quarter anchor text is Call of the Wild and related readings.
  • Fourth quarter anchor text is Night by Elie Wiesel and related Holocaust research.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Classroom rules:

  1. Bring all required materials to class.
  2. Keep hands and feet to yourself.
  3. Cellphones or other electronic devices are prohibited in class.
  4. Listen carefully & follow directions.
  5. Food and drinks are prohibited in class. Water can be brought as long as it has a screw top lid.
  6. All personal business must be taken care of outside of class. This includes bathroom breaks & calling home.

Classroom Expectations:

  1. Take responsibility for your own education.
  2. Use appropriate language.
  3. Be respectful to yourself, your classmates, your teacher, and our learning environment.

Classroom Tips & Hints:

  1. Only have instructional items out on your desk during class. Prohibited items include such things as combs, purses, make-up, etc. I will confiscate these items.
  2. If you need pencils, pens, paper, class materials, etc., borrow from a friend or you can use your Spartan Checks to “buy” them from me.
  3. When the intercom sounds, we all listen.
  4. Continue working when visitors enter the classroom. Please refrain from talking, waving, making noises or causing any other type of distraction whether you know the visitor or not.
  5. We will follow the CPSB policy regarding cell phones. If I take your phone, it will be turned in to the office.
  6. Respect the materials and equipment in the classroom. I will share the resources I have with you but as a common courtesy, please ask for permission first. Do not take items from my desk, tables, cabinets, or bookcases without my approval.

Spartan Checks:

Spartan Checks are given as a reward to YDMS students. The checks can be redeemed in the Spartan Store for t-shirts, supplies, or other prizes. In my class, Spartan Checks can be redeemed for taking care of personal business during class, teaching assistant, supplies, a forgiven tardy, and purchase of a homework pass.

Consequences:

At times, students make poor choices and there have to be consequences. The following actions are outlined below:

  • 1st Offense-Warning from teacher
  • 2nd Offense-Student conference with teacherphone call home
  • 3rd Offense - Phone calls home & minor referral
  • 4th Offense-Major office referral

Classroom Flow:

Please raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. You are welcome to sharpen pencils before class, throw away trash after class, and blow your nose as long as it doesn’t disrupt our classroom environment. If leaving your seat becomes excessive, you will be asked to stay in your seat until the bell rings.

Grading Policies:

Your ELA grades will consist of classwork (50%), tests (20%), quizzes (10%), projects/research (10%), and homework (10%).

Accelerated Reader:

As part of your reading grade each nine weeks, you will be required to earn the following number of points through AR tests:

  • 15 pts (1st nine weeks)
  • 18 pts (2nd nine weeks)
  • 21 pts (3rd nine weeks)
  • 24 pts (4th nine weeks)

Any points above the requirement will earn extra credit.

Summer Reading:

AR tests will be required for summer reading as well as related assignments in class.

The Rationale Behind Reading:

Many students ask me why we read so much. If you read just 20 minutes a night, miraculous things can happen! Check out the reasoning below:

  1. Students who read have better vocabularies.
  2. Students will be better writers.
  3. Students become better visualizers.
  4. Students will experience different social situations and role models.
  5. Students who read tend to do better academically and on tests.

Missed Work:

I follow the CPSB policy for make-up work. Daily assignments are posted on the purple calendar at the front of the room. It is your responsibility to obtain missed assignments.

No Assignment to Turn in on Due Dates:

  1. If you do not have an assignment to turn in, you must sign the “No Assignment” Log sheet in work trays by the purple calendar.
  2. Find the next available spot in the binder. Do not skip lines.
  3. Fill out the line completely.
  4. Make sure you sign and date it.
  5. Put the log sheet back.

Homework checked in class cannot be made up. Assignments that may be turned in ONE day late for half credit are projects, essays, and homework that were not graded in class. Research Paper Rough Drafts are never taken late.

  1. If you do not sign the “No Assignment “Log sheet, youMAY NOT TURN ASSIGNMENT IN A DAY LATE.

Homework:

You will have homework. Any work not completed in class will be finished at home. Homework should be turned in to the homework basket at the beginning of the class period.

Assignment Heading:

Your assignments must have your name, the date, assignment title, and block as your heading.

Grading Scale:

A93-100

B85-92

C75-84

D67-73

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The daily class board will always be your most up-to-date resource for assignments and important information. It is your responsibility to update your planner daily. Updates to this syllabus will be available my Youree Drive Website.

CONTACT INFORMATION
  • Katherine D Beeman, Teacher, 7th/8th Grade ELA
  • (318) 364-3123 - 8th period planning
  • Visit my teacher page at

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