Mr. Evans
8th Grade Language Arts and Social Studies
Hello, Charger Nation!
If you're reading this web page, I'm hoping that means I'm lucky enough to have you in one of my classes this year! You will use this site to find class resources such as homework assignments, daily slideshows, and handouts from class. We will use Google Classroom to submit assignments for grading; this site is only for informational purposes.
Feel free to continue reading below to learn about me, as well as what you can expect from our class. The best way to contact me with any questions or concerns is my school email: aevans4@wcpss.net
Who Am I?
I graduated from North Carolina State University in 2015 and have taught 8th grade Language Arts and Social Studies for four years. Before opening Apex Friendship Middle School last year, I taught at Apex Middle School from 2015-2018.
I sincerely love the stuff I teach. I'm currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in American History, and my primary points of interest are eighteenth- and nineteenth-century race relations and religion. I spend a lot of time reading and writing, but I still make plenty of time for my other interests: golf, running, movies, and watching football, basketball and hockey. In June I married my wonderful wife Andrea, an English teacher at Green Level High School, and I recently launched a photography company for weddings and family/senior portraits.
I'm incredibly excited to get to know you this school year; our class is going to be challenging, thought-provoking, and fun, and I have no doubt that I can learn as much from you as you can learn from me.
What Will Class Be Like?
The goal of our classes is to teach you how to think, rather than teach you what to think.
Instead of simply giving you information and telling you what you should know about a certain person, event or piece of literature, my job is to guide you through literature and historical documents and help you build the skills to analyze text yourself. It may sound odd, but I hope that I'll make myself obsolete by the end of the school year. I want you to gain the skills necessary to comprehend, analyze, and appreciate texts on your own.
We'll have lots of small-group and whole-class discussions, paideias, debates, and role-playing activities. Our class will seldom be silent; our success will largely depend on your willingness to interact with peers in academic discussion and debate. To get an idea of how learning happens in our class, check out the flow chart to the right.
What Skills Will We Strive to Build?
Our entire school is dedicated to helping students develop four essential 21st-century skills that will prepare you for success in high school and beyond! Every single day, in both Language Arts and Social Studies, I will strive to allow you to engage in activities and projects designed to give you practice with these four skills.
