8th Grade Language Arts

Spring Semester 2009

Instructor – Cindy Threet

e-mail: (720) 424-1700

(Office hours after school by appointment. Please call or e-mail for appointment.)

Goals:

  1. Increase understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of various types of literature.
  2. Improve writing skills.
  3. Increase vocabulary and improve grammar and punctuation.
  4. Improve speaking skills.
  5. Improve study habits and organization skills.

Course Overview:

This semester we will focus on critical thinking and critical writing. The themes and novel selections are designed to compliment the material that the students will explore in Social Studies this year. In addition to reading their novels at home, students will have weekly reading, literary analysis, grammar, punctuation, and writing exercises in class. We have three exciting units planned this semester: 1) Revolution: Creating Utopias, 2) Scientific Research for the Science Fiction Writer, and 3) Coming of Age – The Artist in You.

Unit I: Revolution - Creating Utopias. Students will read Animal Farm for this unit and explore different governmental structures. Students will also analyze what makes great speeches great - rhetoric skills. At the end of the unit students will create their own utopias and write their own constitutions and speeches. In addition to Animal Farm, students will select another utopian novel to read at home. Novel choices for this unit will include: 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, The Dispossessed, The Giver, The Handmaid’s Tale, Gulliver’s Travels.Atlas Shrugged, and Ishmael (Students are always welcome to read extra novels for extra credit!!)

Getting Your Books: All of the books are available through the public library. Barnes and Noble and The Tattered Cover also have these books available for purchase. Plan to order books early, as they may take seven to ten days to arrive.

Unit II: Scientific Research for the Science Fiction Writer. For book clubs and reading at home, students will select science fiction novels. I’ll have some suggestions, but students may also recommend their favorite sci fi novels. In class we will sample early science fiction writings and radio broadcasts (ex: I, Robot, Invisible Man, War of the Worlds, The Time Machine). This unit will also focus on formal research skills and research writing. Using their studies of cutting edge scientific discoveries, students will write their own science fiction short stories.

Unit III: Coming of Age – The Artist in You: Short stories, poetry, and personal reflections.

Grading:

Grading will be based on essays written, grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation exercises, journaling, a research project, class activities, class participation, and homework. Points and grades are cumulative throughout each nine-week grading period. Nine week grades will be averaged together to figure semester grades. WORK WILL BE TURNED IN ON TIME. Late work will be accepted for 50% credit. That means that late work will receive a failing grade. Make-up work from excused absences will be completed promptly. It is your responsibility to find out what work you missed if you were absent. MAKE-UP WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FROM MISSED CLASSES IF THE ABSENCES ARE UNEXCUSED.

****COMMUNICATE WITH ME AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU NEED HELP OR MORE TIME TO GET ASSIGNMENTS OR PROJECTS DONE. I can be flexible with responsible, communicative students. Coming to me the day that the assignment is due (or after) with excuses will do you no good, don’t even try it!!! Students who attend regularly, conscientiously complete assignments, and participate in class discussions will earn good grades. Those who are late, fail to do their assignments, and/or disrupt class, will not get good grades. STUDENTS WITH UNEXCUSED TARDIES WILL ALSO LOSE POINTS.

Required Materials:

  1. A spiral notebook for journaling, grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation exercises (remains in class)
  2. A colored pen (for editing work in class)
  3. A separate pocket or folder in your notebook or 3-ring binder to keep Lang. Arts notes and handouts. (to take home)

Recommended Materials:

  1. Dictionary and thesaurus (for home use).
  2. A grammar/punctuation book (For home use. Choose a book that you feel comfortable using each time you write a paper. This should be a reference book that you can use throughout high school. If you need ideas, I can give suggestions.)