1
Miss Sweiss’ Eighth Grade English Language Arts Course Syllabus
CONRADY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL | NORTH PALOS SCHOOL DISTRICT 117 | 2016-2017
*PARENT ORIENTATION ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016, from 6:30-8:30 PM
Contact Information:
Room: 81
Telephone: 708-233-4579
Email: [email protected]
Class Website: http://www.npd117.net/Page/600
Course Objectives and the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards:
Welcome to Miss Sweiss’ English Language Arts classroom! Throughout the year, we will explore numerous genres of
literature, namely fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and folk literature. Students will develop an appreciation for literature,
while also developing strategies to read and write for success. The course is designed to meet the rigor of the Common Core
Reading and Writing Standards:
“The Common Core asks students to read stories and literature, as well as more complex texts that provide facts and
background knowledge in areas such as science and social studies. Students will be challenged and asked questions that
push them to refer back to what they’ve read. This stresses critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that are
required for success in college, career, and life” (Common Core State Standards).
Literary, Poetic, and Informational Terms and Concepts:
Students will be able to read and discuss a text after developing an understanding of the following elements of literature,
poetry, and informational texts respectively:
Gef
Genre (fiction, nonfiction,
poetry, drama, folk literature)
Setting
Theme
Characterization and Methods of
Characterization
Character (Protagonist and Antagonist)
Conflict (Internal and External)
Plot and Plot Diagram (exposition, rising
action, climax, falling action, resolution)
Static and Dynamic Characters
Irony (verbal, dramatic, and situational)
Mood and Tone
Foreshadowing and Flashback
Symbolism
Dialect
Dialogue
Point of View/Perspective
Motif
Monologue
Allusion
Archetype
Allegory
Satire
Stanza
Simile
Hyperbole
Imagery
Sonnet
Alliteration
Metaphor
Personification
Connotation and Denotation
Aside
Onomatopoeia
Idiom
Assonance
Consonance
Iambic Pentameter
Oxymoron
Paradox
Pun
Allusion
Soliloquy
Central Idea
Objective and Subjective Tone
Relevant vs. Irrelevant Information
Thesis or Claim Statement
Author’s Point of View/Perspective
Generalization
Primary and Secondary Sources
Ethos, Pathos, and Logos
Counterargument
Bias and Stereotypes
Fact vs. Reasoned Judgement
Refutation
Ambiguous Statement
Understatement
Aesthetics
Parallelism
Syllogism
Effectiveness of an Argument
Pathetic Fallacy
Assumption
Inference/Conclusion
Vocabulary
Vocabulary is an integral component of class. Students will acquire vocabulary knowledge through daily vocabulary
exercises. Vocabulary words are derived from the following:
 Literature and Informational Texts (Forever Words)
 ELA Reading Common Core Standards (Academic Vocabulary)
 Greek and Latin Roots (Morphology)
2
Writing
Students will be able to demonstrate effective writing skills and will develop writing strategies through weekly writing.
Each quarter, students will be expected to engage in the following writing activities and/or assessments:
 Narrative and Argumentative Essays
 Research Paper and/or Presentations
 On Demand Writing Prompts
 Reader Responses
 Literary Analysis Essays
 Midterm Assessment Writing
 Quarter Assessment Writing
Classroom Materials:
 Binder with 4 dividers (Quarter 1: Journeys; Quarter 2: Duality of Man; Quarter 3: Survival; Quarter 4: Freedom





and Dreams)
Student Chromebook (charged daily)
Pens and pencils
Highlighter
Dry Erase Markers [Several]
Box of Kleenex (optional)
Homework Policy:
Students are responsible for completing their homework and submitting it on time. Students who do not complete their
homework will serve a detention the following day (before or after school) and points will be deducted.
Homework Schedule:
Students should expect to have homework most nights of the week. Students should be reading for their monthly reading
log; it is expected that students are reading for a minimum of 20 minutes each night. There
will be extensive
READING AND WRITING in this class.
Absence and Tardy Policy:
Students who are absent will have two days to complete the homework assignment. Tardies will be handled in the manner
delineated in the student handbook.
Classroom Rules:





Listen when others are talking
Follow directions
Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself
Work in a safe and quite manner.
Show respect for school and personal property
Classroom Consequences:




First Offense: Verbal Warning
Second Offense: Lines or Essays
Third Offense: Detention [students will receive a detention slip and have it signed by parents]
Fourth Offense: Call parents to schedule a conference
Reading Logs:
Each month, students must submit a Reading Log which documents that the student has read 400 minutes (500 Minutes for
Honors). Students should read approximately twenty minutes each night in order to fulfill the 400-minute requirement.
Students must read at least one age-appropriate novel. However, students may also choose to read newspapers,
magazines, comic books, etc. to fulfill the four-hundred minute requirement.
Independent Reading Time [IRT] and IRT Logs
Students will spend the first 15 minutes of each class engaged in Independent Reading Time. Students may choose any
fiction or nonfiction book to read during this time. One of the goals for this course is to develop life-long readers; IRT allows
students the freedom to read age and level- appropriate books that address their individual interests. The teacher will
further conference with each student on the book that he or she is reading. Students may use the minutes of IRT on their
monthly Reading Log to fulfill the 400-minute (500-minutes for Honors) reading goal.
3
Common Core State Standard Units, English Language Arts, Sweiss, 2016
CONRADY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, NORTH PALOS SCHOOL DISTRICT 117, 2016-2017
The Common Core Standards have guided the 8th grade English Language Arts curriculum for the 2015-2016 academic
calendar. Attached is an overview of each Common Core Unit, the selected Informational and Literature standards for
instruction, and assigned reading and writing tasks.
Quarter 1: Journeys
Essential Question: How does an emotional or physical journey impact an
Common Core State Standards:
individual’s worldviews?
Texts:
Research Project:

Select a contemporary social issue
and argue a solution for that issue
using the argumentative techniques.


Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories
from the Dark Side of American
Immigration by Ann Bausum
President Clinton’s Letter of Apology
Narrative Prompt:
to Japanese Internment Camps
Read the fable “The Revenge of
Prisoners
Hephaestus and Hera” and create an
alternative ending to the fable.
Gerald Ford’s Letter of Apology to
Japanese Internment Camp Prisoners
Argumentative Prompt:

“The New Colossus” by Emma
Lazarus (poem)

“Statue of Liberty Dreams of Emma
Lazarus, Awakens with Tears on Her
Cheeks” by Naomi Shihab Nye
(poem)
Argue the effectiveness of the
argument, “Are Smartphones Making
Us Dumber?” and justify your
reasoning.
Informational Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly
supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.2
Determine a central idea of a text and
analyze its development over the course of
the text, including its relationship to
supporting ideas; provide an objective
summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical
meanings; analyze the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone,
including analogies or allusions to other
texts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.6

“I Hear America Singing” by Walt
Whitman (poem)

“I, too, Hear America Singing” by
Langston Hughes (poem)

“The Last Leaf” by O. Henry

“Hearts and Hands” by O. Henry
Determine an author's point of view or
purpose in a text and analyze how the author
acknowledges and responds to conflicting
evidence or viewpoints.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.8
Delineate and evaluate the argument and
specific claims in a text, assessing whether
the reasoning is sound and the evidence is
relevant and sufficient; recognize when
irrelevant evidence is introduced.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.9

“The Sniper” by Liam O’ Flattery

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by
Charlotte Perkins Gilmann (short
story)
Analyze a case in which two or more texts
provide conflicting information on the same
topic and identify where the texts disagree
on matters of fact or interpretation.
Literature Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1

Informational Arguments
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly
supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text
and analyze its development over the course
of the text, including its relationship to the
characters, setting, and plot; provide an
objective summary of the text.
4
Quarter 2: Duality of Man
Essential Question: Authors throughout history have dealt with the duality Common Core State Standards:
of man. Within all people there lies a darker side. Why does our society feel
drawn to characters who show this inner darkness in Gothic literature and
media?
Texts:
Research Project:
Selected Edgar A. Poe Short Stories and
Poems:
Research various literary allusions.
Write a poem that maintains one of the
themes discussed throughout our unit.
Attach a summary of each allusion,
along with a Works Cited page.












“The Tell-Tale Heart”
“The Cask of Amontillado”
“The Masque of the Red Death”
“The Black Cat”
“The Pit and the Pendulum”
“The Oblong Box”
“The Fall of the House of Usher”
“Hop Frog”
“The Raven”
“Annabel Lee”
“The Bells”
“Alone”

“A Rose for Emily” by William
Faulkner
“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
“The Necklace” by Guy de
Maupassant
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
“A Retrieved Reformation” by O.
Henry





Narrative Prompt:
Write your own “scary” or Gothic
Literature-inspired story. Use
elements of Gothic Literature in your
narrative.
Argumentative Prompt:
After reading “The Necklace” by Guy de
Maupassant, argue whether or not
Madame Loisel is a character deserving
reader’s empathy. Explain your
rationale.
Edgar A. Poe Throw Down Project
(collaboration with Mr. Rabig’s classes)
Students will work in pairs or groups
and perform uniquely a re-enactment
of an Edgar A. Poe short story or
selection of stories, or a biographical
summary of the author.
Informational Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly
supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text. (supporting standard)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.2
Determine a central idea of a text and
analyze its development over the course of
the text, including its relationship to
supporting ideas; provide an objective
summary of the text.(supporting standard)
Literature Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly
supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text. (supporting standard)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text
and analyze its development over the course
of the text, including its relationship to the
characters, setting, and plot; provide an
objective summary of the text. (supporting
standard)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or
incidents in a story or drama propel the
action, reveal aspects of a character, or
provoke a decision.
Craft and Structure:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.4
Analyze the impact of specific word choices
on meaning and tone, including analogies or
allusions to other texts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.6
Analyze how differences in the points of
view of the characters and the audience or
reader (e.g., created through the use of
dramatic irony) create such effects as
suspense or humor.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.7
Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live
production of a story or drama stays faithful
to or departs from the text or script,
evaluating the choices made by the director
or actors.
5
Quarter 3: Survival
Essential Question: How is the will to survive a basic human instinct, as
Common Core State Standards:
depicted in the texts?
Informational Standards:
Texts:





Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal
the World’s Most Dangerous
Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
Night by Elie Wiesel (Honors,
Nonfiction Memoir)
“The Most Dangerous Game” by
Richard Connell (short story)
“To Build a Fire” by Jack London
(short story)
“The Lady or the Tiger” by Frank
Stockton (short story)

Albert Einstein Letter to President
Roosevelt about the Atomic Bomb

“Mother to Son” by Langston
Hughes (Poem)

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate
Chopin
Research Argumentative Essay: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.1
Was the United States justified in
dropping the atomic bombs on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan?
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly
supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text. (supporting standard)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.2
Narrative Prompt:
Rewrite an excerpt from “The Story of
an Hour” from the point of view of the
female protagonist.
Vocabulary for Unit:
































Palpable
Cannibal
Dread
Indolent
Recede
Doggedly
Anguish
Opaque
Vigor
Flounder
Lacerate
Quarry
Chateau
Mirage
Affable
Ardent
Bewilder
Attribute
Providence
Elude
Opiate
Intricate
Placid
Conjecture
Frail
Menacing
Subdue
Amber
Monotonous
Reiterate
Pang
Apprehension































Gingerly
Singe
Imperative
Folly
Bough
Treacherous
Wistful
Felicity
Scoff
Assure
Congenial
Opposition
Heir
Galore
Flamboyant
Contradiction
Revolting
Lurid
Atrocious
Hinder
Whim
Recurrent
Bulbous
Inanimate
Querulous
Impressionable
Temperament
Infuriating
Deceit
Flourish
Misconstrue
Determine a central idea of a text and
analyze its development over the course of
the text, including its relationship to
supporting ideas; provide an objective
summary of the text.(supporting standard)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including
figurative, connotative, and technical
meanings; analyze the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone,
including analogies or allusions to other
texts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.5
Analyze in detail the structure of a specific
paragraph in a text, including the role of
particular sentences in developing and
refining a key concept.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.7
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages
of using different mediums (e.g., print or
digital text, video, multimedia) to present a
particular topic or idea
Literature Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly
supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text. (supporting standard)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text
and analyze its development over the course
of the text, including its relationship to the
characters, setting, and plot; provide an
objective summary of the text. (supporting
standard)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.6
Analyze how differences in the points of
view of the characters and the audience or
reader (e.g., created through the use of
dramatic irony) create such effects as
suspense or humor.
6
Quarter 4: Freedom and Dreams
Essential Question: How does the idea of freedom as depicted as reflected
Common Core State Standards:
through different texts reflect a common human desire?
Informational Standards:
Texts:


Of Mice and Men by John
Steinbeck (Novella)
Dust Bowl and Great Depression
Articles

Biography of John Steinbeck

“Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel
Keyes
Research Essay:
Research various utopian societies and
develop your own “Utopia,” with a
focus on the following:
A. Government Type and Structure
B. Laws and Punishments
C. Religions Practiced
C. Family Units
E. Education
F. Employment and Occupations
G. Delivery of Goods and Services
H. Entertainment
I. Other Information
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly
supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text. (supporting standard)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.2
Determine a central idea of a text and
analyze its development over the course of
the text, including its relationship to
supporting ideas; provide an objective
summary of the text.(supporting standard)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.3

The Giver by Lois Lowry

“Utopia and Dystopia” Article
Analyze how a text makes connections
among and distinctions between individuals,
ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons,
analogies, or categories).

“Dream Deferred” by Langston
Hughes (poem)
Literature Standards:

“To a Mouse” by Robert Burns
(poem)

Write a poem with the theme of
acceptance.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
(Honors)

“O Captain, My Captain” by Walt
Whitman

“The Rose that Grew from
Concrete” by Tupac Shakur

“The Road Not Taken” by Walt
Whitman

“Those Winter Sundays” by Robert
Hayden

Narrative Prompt:
“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore
Roethke

Steve Jobs Commencement
Speech

Romeo and Juliet by William
Shakespeare (Drama)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.1
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly
supports an analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text. (supporting standard)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2
Farewell Speech:
After reading Steve Jobs’ and Jim
Carey’s Commencement speech, write
your own “Farwell” speech.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text
and analyze its development over the course
of the text, including its relationship to the
characters, setting, and plot; provide an
objective summary of the text. (supporting
standard)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.4
Analyze how differences in the points of
view of the characters and the audience or
reader (e.g., created through the use of
dramatic irony) create such effects as
suspense or humor.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.5
Compare and contrast the structure of two
or more texts and analyze how the differing
structure of each text contributes to its
meaning and style.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.9
Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws
on themes, patterns of events, or character
types from myths, traditional stories, or
religious works such as the Bible, including
describing how the material is rendered new.
7
Student and Parent Signature: Your signatures indicate that you have read and understand the
expectations of Ms. Sweiss’ classroom.
I, ___________________________________________, have read and understand the expectations of
(student signature)
Ms. Sweiss’ classroom.
I, ___________________________________________, have read and understand the expectations of
(parent signature)
Ms. Sweiss’ classroom.
Parent Contact Information:
Mother’s Name:
Father’s Name:
Home Phone #:
Mother’s Cell Phone Number:
Mother’s Work Phone Number:
Mother’s Email Address:
Father’s Cell Phone Number:
Father’s Work Phone Number:
Father’s Email Address:
Student’s Email Address:
Please include any information that you deem important to share regarding your child:
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Sincerely,
Ms. Sweiss