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8th grade English/ Marimberga

English 8/ Marimberga

Tentative Overview

2017-2018 school year

8th Grade Year-at-a-Glance

1st Nine Weeks

Big Idea: Rites of Passage

Defining Questions:How does setting contribute to the conflict in a story?

How does an author create a character?

What rites of passage do characters and people go through?

How do literary elements create meaning?

Goal: Students will use close reading strategies to extract meaning from a variety

of texts and write expository compositions investigating how authors purposefully

use setting, conflict, plot, theme, and characterization.

Skills Focus:

  • Understand and apply annotation skills to works studied
  • Create and use dialectical journals and graphic organizers from annotations
  • Actively participate in purposeful discussions of the selected texts in both small group and whole class settings
  • Understand the conventions of the short story
  • Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple meaning words or phrases
  • Link setting, mood, dialogue, and diction of characterization
  • Analyze syntax to identify the author’s purpose
  • Identify purposeful use of figurative language, imagery, dialogue, and symbolism in poetry and analyze the effect or purpose of the use of each literary device
  • Summarize a passage
  • Compose, edit, and revise paragraphs analyzing the purposeful use of literary elements in a text
  • Compose an analytical multi-paragraph essay demonstrating control of paragraph structure, sentence variety, and mechanics

Suggested Selections:

Major Work:The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Nonfiction: “The Cutting of My Long Hair” by Zitkala-Sa and “Fish Cheeks” by

Amy Tan

Poetry:“Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon, “The Road Not Taken” by

Robert Frost, and “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll

Fiction: “Edna’s Ruthie” from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

2ndNine Weeks

Big Idea: Mystery and Suspense

Defining Questions:How does an author use characterization, setting, mood, and diction to create suspense?

How does an author use connotative diction, imagery, details, and figurative language to develop characterization?

Goal: Students will continue to use close reading strategies to extract meaning

from a variety of texts and to write analytical compositions investigating how

authors purposefully use setting, tone, and mood to contribute to the development of suspense and characterization.

Skills Focus:

Some skills may overlap from the previous nine weeks. These listed are in addition

to those already listed above:

  • Link setting, mood, tone, point of view, imagery, and diction to characterization and suspense
  • Compare and contrast setting, mood, and characters in multiple texts
  • Contrast a narrative poem and its musical interpretations
  • Identify purposeful use of figurative language, imagery, mood

Suggested Selections:

Major Works: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (advanced only)

Fiction: Bantam Classic The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings by Edgar Allan Poe, Excerpts from The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway and The First Betrayal by Patricia Bray

Poetry: “The Highwayman” by Lorenna McKennet and “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac

Painting: Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley

3rdNine Weeks

Big Idea: Challenges and Choices

Defining Questions: How do we deal with differences?

Why are we fearful of differences? How important is communication to overcoming that fear?

Why do we fall into conformity/wanting to be like others? How does society encourage conformity?

Goal:Students will continue to use close reading strategies to extract meaning

from a variety of texts, to write analytical compositions investigating

characterization and conflict, and to write argumentative compositions.

Skills Focus:

Some skills may overlap from the previous nine weeks. These listed are in addition

to those already listed above:

  • Compose both timed and untimed analytical paragraphs and/or multi-paragraph essays that demonstrate control of paragraph structure, sentence variety, and mechanics
  • Compose both timed and untimed argumentative paragraphs and/or multi-paragraph essays that demonstrate control of paragraph structure, sentence variety, and mechanics
  • Compose, edit, and revise sentences and paragraphs that incorporate evidence from a variety of literary texts and genres
  • Link characterization and conflict for theme analysis
  • Analyze an argumentative essay
  • Identify the intended audience in a nonfiction selection and link to author’s purpose
  • Analyzing appeals in nonfiction texts
  • Understand and apply content-related vocabulary
  • Incorporate quotations in writing
  • Analyze a visual text, make inferences, and support those inferences with specific references to the text
  • Analyze appeals in visual and written texts

Suggested Selections:

Major Work: Selections carried over from second nine weeks

Short Story: “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut

Nonfiction: “Dancing to Connect to a Global Tribe” by Matt Harding, “Ain’t I a Woman” by Sojourner Truth

Fiction: Excerpts from Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand

Artwork: “Battle School Needs You”, Ender’s Game movie trailers and book jackets

4thNine Weeks

Big Idea:Nothing New Under the Sun

Defining Questions:How does the past influence our culture?

Goal: Students will continue to use close reading strategies to extract meaning

from a variety of texts, to write analytical compositions investigating author’s

purpose, imagery, and diction, and to evaluate information from multiple formats

and media. Students will compare and contrast modern interpretations of a

Shakespearean drama.

Skills Focus: Some skills may overlap from the previous nine weeks. These listed

are in additionto those already listed above:

  • Identify purposeful use of imagery and diction in poetry and analyze the effect or purpose of the use of the device
  • Analyze how point of view or purpose influences style and content of text
  • Evaluate argument and claim in text
  • Evaluate information from multiple formats and media
  • Prepare for and participate effectively in discussions and collaborations including speaking clearly and persuasively
  • Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text
  • Analyze diction
  • Cite textual evidence
  • Determine theme
  • Compare and contrast the structure of two texts
  • Understanding figurative language
  • Determine nuances in word meanings
  • Write routinely in expository form
  • Research the origin of allusions
  • Research to find modern meaning and usage of allusions
  • Present research to peers
  • Analyze the plot structure of a drama
  • Modernize a scene from Shakespeare
  • Analyze a modern interpretation of Shakespeare
  • Cite evidence from a play

Suggested Selections:

Major Work: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

Poetry: “When icicles hang by the wall” by William Shakespeare, “Lullaby” by William Shakespeare, “Blue Flag” by Elizabeth Brewster

Short Story: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” adapted by Charles and Mary Lamb

Nonfiction: “New Clues to Why We Dream” by Erica Goode, New York Times

Video: Why Shakespeare? by Lawrence Bridges, National Endowment for the Arts

Grammar

Students will take an 8th grade entrance exam to see where they are in their learning of grammar skills they should know up to this point. Workbooks are available to students to check out for remediation of skills where they are lacking; students will be responsible for learning those skills.

Students will work on one sentence per week and apply these skills each day of the week: parts of speech (Monday), sentence parts and phrases (Tuesday), clauses and sentence type (Wednesday), punctuation and capitalization (Thursday), and writing example sentences (Friday). Each week or so, we will hone in on a skill for closer examination of how words/phrases/clauses work in a sentence. Students will be tested accordingly.

Spelling and Vocabulary

Students will learn SAT words from research-based recommendations such as word acquisition, inferences from context clues, and study techniques. Students also will be required to learn any words introduced at the beginning of a unit/lesson as it applies to skills, strategies, and literary terms/elements.

Listening and Speaking/ Presenting Student Work

Students will be encouraged to participate as a whole class along with working in peer groups to respond to reading and writing. Every week students will be expected to present to the class, sharing their writing, journal entries, participating in class discussions, and sharing shorter segments of their writing. Students will post all final work onto Google Classroom in the appropriate class folder. I will provide students with a handout of instructions and rubrics on bigger student presentations.

Thinking

Goal setting, organization, and self-evaluation of work will be a focus this year overall. Students will develop critical thinking skills in regards to all reading, writing, and presenting in class as stated above.

Student Guide

For Success in Language Arts 8

Classroom Rules

1. Respect others and their property.

2. Take care of all personal business before the bell rings.

3.Bring all required materials to class daily.

4.Obey all school rules and the Code of Conduct.

Discipline Policy

If the student chooses not to follow the classroom rules stated above, the following disciplinary actions may be taken:

  • Class I: Discussion with student, documentation of incident kept in my classroom (up to four offenses), silent lunch, notification to parent
  • Class II: Violation documented on discipline form and referred to the assistant principal; parent to be contacted by teacher and administrator

Absences and Make-up Work

According to school policy, for every excused absenceyou have two days to make up your work. There is a student work desk with a binder labeled “What We Did Today”.This binder will contain lesson plans for the week. Our weekly team letter will alert parents and students to upcoming assessments and tests. Students may be directed to Google Classroom for assignments. Please note that lecture notes may not be included in the make up binder or on Share point. Students will need to buddy up with someone in class to get any missed notes.

If you miss a test, you must get with me within two days of your return to schedule a make-up time for the test. Remember, it is your responsibility to complete your make-up work in a timely manner.

Late Work/Missing Assignments

Students will receive a “1” for any missing work if absent. If missing work is not completed within the week by that following Friday, the student will receive a zero and the assignment cannot be made up. If a student is present all the days leading up to the assignment, and they don’t have their work, they will receive a “0”; within that week of the missing assignment, if they turn it in, they may only earn up toa 70% on that assignment. No late work will be accepted fourth quarter.

Required Materials

  1. One inch binder with fiveindex tab dividers (dividers optional but may help with organization: skills agenda and important handouts, grammar, writing, vocabulary/spelling, and literature notes)
  2. Blue or black pens, pencils
  3. One gallon-sized Ziploc bag for storing index cards
  4. 3x5 and 4x6 index cards
  5. Package of post it notes
  6. Loose leaf paper
  7. Independent reading book (may use commonlit.org in place of this)
  8. Green or red editing pen and highlighter
  9. All Classes: Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars; Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Bantam Classic The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings by Edgar Allan Poe; and William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Advanced: Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None

DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY!

Students usually ask mid year if they can throw anything away in their binder. Students should be prepared to learn grammar concepts, not just for the test, but each concept will build on another so that they may be quizzed on any one grammar skill at any time in the year once we havecovered it. It is the same with writing, reading, vocabulary, and literature handouts.

iNow

Parents and students will be able to access grades on iNow from home. Test grades will be posted at least three days after students have taken a test. Projects and essays take more time to grade. I want to read all of my students’ work thoroughly and give constructive feedback. Projects and essays, when grading over one hundred, could take as long as two weeks or longer. I appreciate your patience! 

Grading Policy

Grades earned will be on a point system. Here is an example of what you should expect for points given on particular assignments:

Quizzes/Tests- 50-100 points

Projects- 100 points

Participation- 25 points

Writing- 100 points

Daily/weekly grammar: 10 points

Please keep this skills agenda in the front of your English binder. I am looking forward to a great year with you.

Contract for Learning

I have read over the syllabus, classroom rules, and expectations. I will do my best to be successful this year in language arts. I will come to class prepared, complete homework, and study for tests. I will ask Ms. Marimberga for help if I need it. I understand that Ms. Marimberga is here to help me learn.

Student Signature______Date______

I have read over the syllabus, classroom rules, and expectations. I will do my best to assist my child in language arts this year. I will make sure my child comes to class prepared, has completed his/her homework assignments, and has studied for tests. If I have questions or concerns, I will notify Ms. Marimberga. I understand that my child’s success is dependent upon open communication between home and school, teamwork between me, my child, and Ms. Marimberga.

Parent Signature______Date______

I will do my best to challenge my students and provide them with every opportunity to experience success. I will have high expectations for all students and offer strategies to allow my students to be successful in language arts this year. I will maintain open communication with parents and involve them in every capacity to be an active part of their child’s learning.

Teacher Signature______Date______