ELA
The 8th-grade curriculum builds on the foundation of students’ earlier years in ELA by challenging students to independently apply reading and analysis strategies using more complex text structures. Students engage in this deep study of literature which represents a variety of genres, cultures, and perspectives to meet grade 8 standards. By exploring the overarching essential questions of, “what kind of citizen do you want to be?” and “in what kind of society do you want to live?” students develop an understanding of the ways that literature shapes how we view the world in which we live and the conflicts that citizens might face. Students are challenged to consider authors’ purpose, choice of genre, and the craft moves that are used to engage a reader and express themes, while practicing these moves in their own writing. Cycles of independent reading, book groups, and two core novel studies (Animal Farm and All American Boys) allow students to build reading stamina and practice the analysis strategies that are required beyond middle school. Writing instruction focuses on developing essay structures that embed multiple pieces of evidence, well-developed analysis, and purposeful formatting while supporting students to write flexibly among real-world genres including argument, informative, and narrative.
Current Unit: Animal Farm
Upcoming Unit: Literary Essays
Ms. Wasserman
Students should check the ELA Google Classroom for assignments, class notes, and additional helpful resources. I am looking forward to a great year!
Additional Independent Reading Resources
We want you all to cultivate your love of reading!
We want you finding and reading new books all the time!
Use the WMS library & my classroom library!
Make sure you have your own Wellesley library card
With that you can use the Libby app to find ebooks & audiobooks at home/on a smartphone
Use your iPad!
We will do Book Talks in class to hear my recommendations and your classmates!
We also accept donations of books to our classroom libraries if you have old favorites you are getting rid of!
SORA - the SORA app is on all student iPads and provides access the Massachusetts Commonwealth eBook Collection. You can also add other library networks (Minuteman, Boston, CLAMS, etc.) with a public library card.
You will have access to thousands of books (the majority of the books are single-user, so you might have to wait for a book to come available).
Here is a video about how to use SORA! --->
Click here to learn how to add another library to SORA.
How to Use Sora.movCreative Writing Prompts & Resources
GRAMMAR/VOCABULARY/SPELLING
Free Rice 2.0- Click Here to donate rice while practicing grammar rules. A great website for practicing vocabulary and grammar. The world food program donates 10 grains of rice to people in need for every correct answer.
Learning Games for Kids - Word games to help build vocabulary based on classic literature
Grammar Games (This one must be done on a computer, does not work on iPad)
Grammar Gorilla- Click Here to play Grammar games
Grammar Blast-Click Here for more grammar games
Analytical WRITING
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) - A great collection including resources for writing, grammar and mechanics, and styles (MLA, APA, etc).
Online Rhyming Dictionary - Never be caught without the write rhyming word when writing your own poetry or your own rap songs. Just type in a word and you'll get a list of rhyming words with links to definitions.
Writing workshop- Persuasive Essay