8th Grade E.L.L. Social Studies
Monica Mobrici
[email protected]
Meeting place: Room 008
Meeting time/block: E block, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Course overview
The main focus of this course is to provide students whose first language is not English with the
satisfactory academic skills and strategies to be integrated in regular English classes as soon as possible.
Students will work on the four macro skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing, which will enable
them to achieve the proficient level for academic success. Students learn English at their own pace in a
low stress environment. Tasks and expectations are differentiated according to their skill level.
Course objectives/goals
• Integrate the basic principles of the language system to apply them in academic contexts.
•
Employ conversational and speaking skills to express their own views, and to achieve both informal
and academic communication.
•
Expand semantic fields and vocabulary.
•
Interpret a variety of different texts by means of different reading skills and strategies.
•
Develop productive skills and strategies of the writing process to produce different types of writing.
Scope and Sequence :
Trimester 1: The basics of geography – Learning about North America
Topics: The five themes of geography, physical and human geography applied to North America
Reading texts:
Inside A: Not so Starry Nights, Preserving rural environment
National Geographic Ladders: Mountains, Valleys and Plains – Pacific Northwest Totems
Reading Advantage Series: Urban Transportation in U.S. in Cities
Grammar: Capitalization rules, use of articles and determiners, passive constructions in different tenses,
paraphrasing, prepositions and prepositional phrases.
Vocabulary: Academic language and jargon related to geography. Context clues, word formation, multi-meaning
words.
Reading skills: map reading, summarizing, comparing and contrasting, drawing conclusions, problem solving,
relating background knowledge, finding the main idea, important facts, and supporting details, analyzing
argument.
Writing skills: Planning and organizing a writing piece, paragraph organization, describing an event,
biographical fiction, report writing.
Speaking skills: Public speaking and presentations.
Trimester 2: Understanding Africa and Asia
Topics: Physical and human geography and current issues of Africa and Asia
Reading texts
Inside B: The Lotus Seed, Brothers in Hope, Refugees Find New Lives
Inside C: A Lion Hunt, Nadia the Willful
National Geographic Ladders: Welcome to India, Welcome to China
Reading Advantage Series: The River of Life, Home Sweet Home, The Great Wall of China
Grammar: Adjectives and adverbs, nouns and pronouns, action verbs, simple and compound
sentences.
Vocabulary: Word parts: suffixes, prefixes and roots, descriptive adjectives, definition and
restatement, synonyms and antonyms, compound words, figurative language: simile, metaphor and
personification
Reading Skills: Analyze plot, text structure: chronological order, compare viewpoints.
Writing Skills: Cause-effect paragraph/essay, personal narrative.
Speaking skills: Public speaking, public discussion: presenting and defending an argument.
Trimester 3: Current Issues around the World
Topics: Global issues, migration, human rights
Reading texts:
Inside B: Immigrants Today, Global Warnings, Handle with Care, Melting Away,
Inside C: Passage to Freedom
National Geographic Global Issues: Human Rights
Reading Advantage Series: Migration, Holocaust
Vocabulary: Figurative language, transition phrases, context clues: denotation and connotation,
technical language.
Grammar: Phrases to express comparison, complex sentences, present, past, and perfect tenses.
Reading: Compare fiction and nonfiction, evaluate historical fiction, analyze argument, reasons and
evidence.
Writing: Cause and effect paragraph/essay, persuasive paragraph/essay
Required materials/Resources:
Notebook
Student’s own device, charger and headphones
Inside Series (2014)– - NGL, Cengage Learning
Digital version: http://www.myngconnect.com/login/chooseMainUI.spr
Online newspaper and magazine articles: http://www.timeforkids.com/news,
http://www.dogonews.com, http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com, etc.
Course communication:
Students: Our class will use Google Classroom. This site is a place to communicate and to check on
homework and assignments. Students should check Google Classroom daily. Digital assignments and
homework will be passed between teacher and student using Google Drive. Lincoln provides the
account; however the student must manage their own folders to maintain organization.
Parent Communication: All messages to parents will be handled through email. Parents are encouraged
to communicate through email as well. Through this medium, meetings can be scheduled and
informational updates, i.e. behavior, assignment completion, or science fair, will be communicated.
Grading:
Homework and classwork 20%
Complete and organized notes and classroom activities in a paper or digital notebook. Active
participation and cooperation in class activities. Homework is considered part of the learning process as
follow-up or starter of tasks that are done in class.
Projects and presentations 30%
Research, individual or group work, oral and sometimes written production.
Writing 40%
Use of the writing process at each of the stages.
Policies and Additional Teacher Specific Information Lincoln Homework and Absence Policy:
Please see student/parent handbook on the Lincoln website
Behavior Guidelines:
Students are expected to behave respectfully towards their peers and teachers. Students should take full
advantage of the English learning environment, so they are not to use their native language. All the rules
stated in the Lincoln Student handbook will be enforced in class.