Quarterly Letter

February 23, 2011

Dear Students, Parents and Guardians:

Eighth grade Language Arts students have much to be proud of in this first semester of the school year. Most recently, students finished the rhetoric unit by giving their own speeches to their classmates. Prior to this unit students read their choice of non-fiction text and practiced tools of reading analysis such as the plot line structure, asking and answering level questions and articulating universal themes.

I encourage students to continue to develop positive habits of learning in order to achieve their potential; students are held to the requirements of reading independently each day, coming to our class time prepared-with materials and having studied or completed the assigned homework for the day. It is paramount that students become proactive in these tasks. Additionally, students will benefit from practicing time management and planning skills when working on the routine tasks of our vocabulary program and the frequently assigned long-term and short-term projects and tasks. I continue to welcome questions and to offer my support to guide students as they discover, create, analyze and interpret in our multifaceted learning environment.

In the coming months, students will engage in the interdisciplinary Revolutionary War unit taught during both Language Arts and Social Studies time. At times, classes will be combined to offer greater potential learning and discovery. During this unit students will take an in-depth look at the Declaration of Independence, read a piece of historical fiction set in the time of the Revolutionary War and discover the historical events of individuals who were involved, in some way, in the Revolutionary War.

I continue to invite students, parents and guardians to contact me with any questions, concerns, or feedback via my email address- mbove@gemsvt.org.

I look forward to another semester of classes with this group of academically attentive and involved students.

Sincerely,

Ms. Bove
8th Grade Language Arts Teacher 

8th Grade Language Arts Syllabus:

Course Description: 8th grade Language Arts is about practicing and building upon the skills you have acquired as students of English. You will read a minimum of 25 books from varying genres. You should be prepared to read independently, in groups and with the class. You will learn to analyze and evaluate the materials you read, make connections with and between the literature you are exposed to and you will engage in a literary community by forming and stating opinions about themes and ideas presented by many different authors. You will write, both creatively and for purpose. You are required to present a portfolio of essential writings by the end of your 8th grade year. This portfolio must include a poetry piece, a research paper, a procedure paper, a personal essay, a response to literature paper, a narrative, and a persuasive piece. You must also learn to summarize complicated informational text, write book reviews, and respond to on-demand and creative writing prompts. In addition to reading and writing, you will practice spelling, vocabulary and grammar on a weekly basis to prepare you for your high school English studies and for standardized exams. It is crucial that you be organized and prepared for class, that you build and practice responsibility and the habits of learning that will allow you to succeed.

Expectations: Be prepared for class. Participate. Complete homework assignments on time. Present quality work that is representative of you, your abilities and your work ethic.

Reading: Students are required to read 25 books this school year. You may include the books you will read in class and you will have time in the school day to read independently. You will still need to read books of your own choosing and on your own time in order to complete this requirement. It is recommended that you read for approximately 30 minutes daily. Students will record the books they read each month in their reading contracts.

Writing: Students are required to complete a writing portfolio by the end of 8th grade. This portfolio may follow you to the high school of your choice and will be used to evaluate your progress as an 8th grader. We are fortunate enough to have access to the web in order to produce and present your final portfolio. In addition to the portfolio, you will be required to write summaries, book reports and respond to writing prompts.

Presentations: Students will occasionally be asked to present to the class, sometimes individually and sometimes in small groups.

Tests and Quizzes: Students will be given routine vocabulary and spelling tests. You will also need to be prepared to be tested or quizzed on literature, grammar and other focused units of study.

Grading: Students are given a grade each quarter based on the Georgia Middle School report card rubric. You will maintain a record of your grades throughout the quarter and you will have an opportunity to contribute to your grading by assessing yourself each quarter.

	Understanding	Quality	Communication	Completion	Preparation	Participation
	Demonstrated through quizzes, tests, projects and papers. *to exceed the standard you must apply knowledge and make connections (typically this is displayed in class discussions and questions you ask or answers you provide).	Demonstrated through projects and papers. * to exceed the standard you must display additional evidence of learning (this means that your projects go above and beyond what is expected. You take the initiative to learn more and present that learning in your project).	Demonstrated through papers, oral presentations, discussions and journals. * to exceed the standard you must show creativity and clear organization (you must display unique thinking--you must think "outside the box" but you must still be organized and present your thinking clearly).	Demonstrated through homework and class work. * to exceed the standard you must work beyond the assignment (you must show that you are doing more than what is expected of you).	You show me you are prepared when you bring your silent reading book, pencil, papers, binder, assignment notebook, worksheets, and homework to class each day. You also should have all work in on time. * to exceed the standard you must demonstrate a genuine desire to learn (this means you must engage in class, ask questions, work hard and demonstrate clear and consistent effort).	You show me you participate when you are engaged in class discussions,  when you volunteer and remain on task; and when you cooperate with peers in projects or classwork. *to exceed the standard you must always remain on task (this means you purposefully avoid distractions and maintain focus for the entire class each day).

Check +	Check	Check -
You have shown that you have gone above and beyond what is asked of you on a homework assignment or on classwork.	Your work is complete.	Your work is incomplete and/or lacking quality and/or lacking effort.

Tentative Agenda for the Year (subject to change)

 

Poetry Unit

Students will read and write many different forms of poetry including: free verse, ode, elegy, sonnet, villanelle, and sestina; students will publish one piece of formulaic poetry and their own autobio poem.

Students will practice analysis and interpretation of verse and will be introduced to poetic/literary terms such as: imagery, metaphor, simile, repetition, alliteration, onomatopoeia and personification.

Students will choose a poet to research and will create a brochure that exhibits what they have learned about their poet; students will also recite (from memory) a favorite piece from their poet’s works.

**Students will write a fall poem for their 8^th grade writing portfolio

Extension: Students will find a poem to read to the class once each semester, every Monday students will engage in listening and thoughtfully responding to these poems.

 

Edgar Allen Poe Unit

Students will read many of Poe’s short stories, including The Black Cat, The Tell Tale Heart, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Fall of the House of Usher, and any two of the following: Berenice, The Cask of Amontillado, The Masque of the Red Death, and The Pit and the Pendulum.

Students will summarize the complex plots of Poe’s works and will learn about the structure of how short story plots develop; students will begin to practice analyzing how Poe develops the plot of his short stories.

**Students will write the holiday research paper for their 8^th grade writing portfolio

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Extension: Students will read short stories throughout the year, including (but not limited to) those found in the eighth grade anthology- Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes

 

Informational Text Unit

Students will read one or more piece of non-fiction such as a biography or historical account.

Students will begin to learn skills of analysis, first by graphing the plot line or the time line of events in the piece of non-fiction they are reading, also by asking level questions and learning about universal themes and finally by making text to self, text to text and text to world connections.

Extension: Students will practice the personal essay that will be a portfolio writing piece in part II of the Rhetoric Unit by writing a short essay in which he or she experiences the events of the life or time that he or she has read about in his or her piece of non-fiction.

Rhetoric Unit—Part I

Students will read and analyze effective speech giving skills by listening and watching the I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King.

**Students will write a persuasive speech to contribute to their 8^th grade writing portfolio; students will give this speech in class

Extension: Students will first practice summary writing by summarizing King’s speech and will then move into critiquing the speech through analysis writing.

 

Rhetoric Unit—Part 2

Students will read the play Julius Caesar as a class and will work in groups to interpret Shakespeare’s unique language.

Students will occasionally perform scenes for one another.

**Students will write a personal essay with a prompt provided by FWSU, they will have the opportunity to revise and edit the essay for publication in their 8^th grade writing portfolios

Extension: Students will hone in on one literary term found in Shakespeare’s writing and will contribute a page explaining that term for a dictionary of literary terms compiled by the class as a whole.

 

Revolutionary War Unit

Students will choose a piece of historical fiction set in the time of the Revolutionary War; students will complete a book project on this novel.

Students will read and write a formal summary of the Declaration of Independence.

Students will research a person who made a contribution to the Revolutionary War, they will complete a inquiry sheet in which they answer the question: What role did this person play in the war?

Students will be introduced to the five elements of literature in literature circle discussions.

Students will practice writing a formal business letter by involvement in the ‘snail mail relay’ and in the final assessment writing assignment for this unit.

**Students will write a procedure piece for the 8^th grade writing portfolio in Science class but will be given the opportunity to practice procedure writing and revise the portfolio piece in Language Arts.

Extension: Students may also be encouraged to complete the reading of a novel set in the time of the Civil War.

 

Classic Literature Unit

Students will choose a classic piece of literature to read in pairs.

Students will focus on learning the five elements of literature: plot, setting, characterization, mood/tone and theme; in order to analyze their novels.

Students will give a passage presentation from a poignant part of their novel.

**Students will write a response to literature paper for the 8^th grade writing portfolio (they will choose one of the five  elements of literature in order to analyze how the author develops that element in their classic novel)

Extension: Students will spend some time discussing narrative in preparation for the final portfolio writing piece.

 

Young Adult Literature

Students will independently read a piece of popular literature appropriate for their age, ability and interest.

Students will participate in a literate community in the classroom by discussing their book with others.

Students will write a literature review for future eighth graders.

**Students will complete the narrative creative writing piece for the portfolio and will finalize their 8^th grade writing portfolio.

Extension: Students are encouraged to read over the summer. I will provide a list of recommendations.