English 8
Sarah Rodriguez
[email protected]
434.220.8114
Course Description: 8th grade English is a year in which we delve into narratives about heroism, courage, justice, good, and evil. Together, we will explore what these books can tell us about what it means to be human, to empathize with others, and to pursue truth and goodness. Through these books, we'll take a look at how our choices as individuals affect our larger community. We'll encounter some difficult pictures of our world's brokenness, but we'll also trace open opportunities for redemption. Just as importantly, we’ll meet characters, like Atticus, whose words and moral choices will remain in our imaginations for years to come. One of our main goals in this class is to become clearer, more skillful communicators, growing in our love for language and using it more effectively. Students will first discuss and analyze excellent examples of five-­‐paragraph essays and will then write and revise a variety of their own essays, focusing especially on formal structure and logical reasoning. Continuing their past study of grammar through the Warriner's Handbook will also help them understand how the building blocks of language fit together, in turn making them stronger writers. The fourth component of the English classroom, vocabulary, will come from our reading and also from our Wordly Wise exercise book. Materials: ñ The Golden Fleece, Padraic Colum ñ Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl poet, Penguin Classics edition ñ To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee ñ Night, Elie Wiesel ñ A Midsummer Night's Dream, William Shakespeare ñ Warriner’s Handbook, Second Course, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston ñ Wordly Wise 3000, Book 9, Third Edition, Sandra Adams and Kenneth Hodkinson ñ One large three-­‐ring binder with dividers for grammar, literature, writing, and vocabulary ñ Blue or black pens ñ Pencils ñ Colored pencils ñ Highlighters of at least 2 different colors Grading: Tests: 30% -­‐ Some tests will focus on our study of literature, others on grammar and vocabulary. In addition to tests, class projects and presentations may also be included in this category. Essays: 30% -­‐ Our focus will be predominantly on analytical and persuasive essays, giving students the ability to use evidence to construct an argument and express it with clarity, organization, and grace. Quizzes: 15% -­‐ We will have quizzes on reading, vocabulary, and grammar. Some of these will be unannounced. Participation: 15% -­‐ Thorough preparation for class and eager engagement during our discussions are crucial parts of students' success in our class. Homework: 10% -­‐ This will include reading, annotating texts, answering reading questions, completing vocabulary and grammar exercises, preparing for presentations, as well as other assignments. Homework in our class will take approximately 30 minutes per night. Calendar: First Semester The Golden Fleece The Golden Fleece Essay Short Story Unit Short Story Essay Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay Second Semester Descriptive Essay To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Persuasive Essay Night Night Essay A Midsummer Night's Dream Outside Reading: Each student will read 350 pages each semester from books of his or her own choosing. All chosen books must be on an eighth grade level or higher and must be ones that the student has not read before. Students may not count magazines or graphic novels in their outside reading. Policies: ñ It is each student's responsibility to bring all the necessary materials, especially his or her books, to class, not to borrow them from classmates. ñ Students are expected to submit all assignments promptly. All missing work will be recorded as a zero until submitted, both for unexcused and excused absences. For late work, 10% of the earned grade will be deducted for each class day the assignment is late (with a maximum of 50% taken off the earned grade). Any work not completed by the end of the quarter will remain a zero. Some assignments (e.g. grammar and vocabulary homework corrected in class) may be graded simply for completion on the due date and will not be accepted late. ñ Assignments due on the day of a student’s absence must be turned in the next class day upon the student’s return. If a student knows in advance that he/she will be absent from class (e.g. for field trips, sporting events, etc.), the student must turn in the assignment on or before the due date. ñ If absent, it is the student’s responsibility to find out what work was missed while absent from class; this information can be found on Net Classroom. Upon returning to school, the student will meet with me to determine a reasonable time frame for completion of any missed assignments, quizzes, and tests. ñ Normal homework assignments may be handwritten (pencil or blue or black ink only), but all longer assignments should be typed and printed in 12pt. Times New Roman font and double-­‐
spaced with 1” margins. ñ Students should not turn in digital copies of assignments, unless otherwise specified. ñ Any work turned in should be legible, stapled if necessary, and must include name, date, class, and assignment in the upper left-­‐hand corner, according to MLA standards, as follows, to avoid point deductions: Jane Smith Miss Rodriguez English 8 October 10, 2016