8th grade English
Semester A
Unit 1 Activity Directions
Follow the instructions carefully for Task 1 on page 5. You will need a total of 6 questions–2 for each of the three topics listed at the top of the page.
In order to receive full points for these questions, they must meet these criteria:
On Task 2, you will also follow the instructions as given.
Please note that Part A asks for a thesis statement for the topic you choose from the three possibilities given. A thesis statement is ONE declarative sentence.
On Part B, please open the outline template, copy and paste it into the answer space, and then add your information in that format.
Part C requires you to make a slide presentation that follows your outline AND the format given to you in the directions for this part. Please note that the slide with your reference page MUST be completed in MLA form. You can do this easily on easybib.com.
You will need to attach your presentation to the activity before you submit. OR you may include a link to google slides IF you have granted permission for me to access it.
To earn full credit for Task 2, you must meet these criteria:
Unit 2 Activity Directions
For this activity, you have two choices. Completing either of the choices is acceptable for a grade on this assignment.
Option 1: Complete Task 1 of the activity (pg 5) parts A, B, and C as directed. YOU MUST attach a recording of your performance of the script to get credit for this activity. You DO NOT need to complete Task 2.
Option 2: Complete all parts of the poetry analysis activity on page 22 of the tutorial called “Performing Poetry: Dramatic Readings.” When you submit the Unit 2 activity, make a comment that you chose option 2. I will then grade page 22 in the tutorial instead of the script performance. I will be expecting THOROUGH answers to each question on that page.
Unit 3 Activity Directions
You will need to make a big change to this assignment, so please read these instructions carefully.
You must fully complete Task 1 on page 5.
You WILL NOT complete task 2. Instead, you need to write a 5 paragraph essay on the question you were given in Task 1: How can Americans today best honor the contributions of Black Americans in the Civil War?
Use your thesis statement and main points created in Task 1. Attach the essay as a separate document when you submit the assignment.
Unit 4 Activity Directions
No changes
Semester B
The Course Novel Unit
In Unit 3 of this course, you’ll choose one of the following novels to read.
Note: You will be able to read Little Women and Jane Eyre online. Links to these novels are provided in the course novel unit.
To read The Giver or A Separate Peace, you will need to get a copy from your school, a library, or some other source.
📕Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
This coming-of-age story follows the lives of the March family members: a mother who is trying to make ends meet, a father who is serving in the Civil War, and four daughters who experience the ups and downs of becoming young women. The story focuses on the March girls—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Alcott takes readers through each of their lives as they face heartbreaks and hardships. These experiences help them grow as individuals. Yet, despite their differences, the love they share binds them together.
📗The Giver by Lois Lowry
This novel is set in a futuristic society that appears to be perfect. The community has done away with all unpleasant emotions. Its people experience no pain, hunger, anger, or grief. The story’s protagonist is a boy named Jonas who is assigned the job of Receiver. He must receive and store all of his community’s good and bad memories. Jonas receives these stored memories from an old man known as the Giver. In the process, he begins to understand the terrible cost his society has paid for perfection. Together, he and the Giver must decide what to do with this secret knowledge.
📘Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
In this tale, a courageous orphan faces challenges with honesty, passion, and courage. Brontë’s protagonist, Jane, learns to overcome pain early in life. The story follows her as she grows into a strong but lonely young woman. Eventually, Jane becomes the governess in a mansion owned by the wealthy and mysterious Edward Rochester. There she encounters hardship, intrigue, and the meaning of true love. Will Jane’s journey end happily?
📙A Separate Peace by John Knowles
This novel explores how our egos and insecurities get the better of our relationships. Knowles weaves a touching tale of two friends—Gene and Finny—who are opposites in many ways. While Gene has the intellect, Finny has the charm. While Gene is cautious, Finny is carefree. Their relationship changes when Finny falls out of a tree and breaks his leg. Gene knows something about what caused the accident, but will he ever admit the truth to Finny? Will his conscience ever be at peace?