2017/18 8th Grade English Syllabus
Taught by Mrs. Baker & Mrs. Hille
Our text is new this year. We anticipate working on the units listed below. Selections and activities listed below the units are possible resources. The new literature series is organized around the essential questions listed with the unit. All students start with the same text selections. Later in the unit, students choose their own selection from a variety offered. Finally, students will have built-in writing and presenting opportunities with each unit. Additionally, students might be assigned particular novels that tie into the units. We will also add other materials and resources to these units.
This entire text, myPerspectives: English Language Arts by Pearson Publishing, is online. You will be able view the table of contents for all selection titles as soon as the students are online. Novel choices are still be decided, so watch for further information as it is available. (Students will also be reading at least one novel of their own for the quarterly book reports.)
UNITS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES EXPECTED THIS YEAR:
Unit 1: “Rites of Passage: What are some milestones on the path to growing up?”Final writing: Non-fiction narrative essay
Unit 3: “What Matters: When is it right to take a stand?”
Final writing: Argument
Unit 2: “The Holocaust: How do we remember the past?”
Final writing: Informative/Explanatory essay
Writing throughout the year:
-Journal writing
-Editing Skills
-RADD Technique
-Elaboration techniques
-Annotating literature
-MLA Citations
-Peer Review/Editing
-compare/contrast paragraphs
-cause/effect paragraphs
-speeches
-Poetry
-Letter to Senior-self
-Vocabulary development
Speaking & Listening throughout the year
-book project sharing, quarterly
-literature circles
-interviewing and introductory skills
-Socratic Seminars
-Utopia Project
-Grammar and Career Projects
-presentations in reading poetry
-speeches:
Language Unit throughout the school year:
-Grammar, online with MobyMax
-Units of vocabulary and spelling
-Latin and Greek
-“The Word Within The Word”
-Analogies
-DOL
Technology throughout the school year:
-Google documents to include sharing, editing, and presentation formats such as Google Slides,Wordle, Prezi, Internet, Word
Common Core Standards:
All selections and materials used support the Common Core reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language (grammar) standards. We have listed the Common Core (CC) standard numbers.
Feel free to read the entire standards found at the OSPI website: at the right column for Grade 8 students, you will find the Reading Standards for Literature 6-12 on pages 36-37 and for Informational Text on pages 39-40. Writing Standards 6-12 are on pages 42-44, Speaking and Listening on page 49, and Language on pages 52-53.
(If you have difficulty finding it with the link, go to the OSPI website. Search Common Core Standards, choose English Language Arts K-12 Learning Standards, choose Common Core State Standards.)