Stuart-Hobson Middle School

Course Syllabus
English Language Arts - Grade 8
School Year 201-201!
Mrs" Monica Green
Most #$%ortant &o 'no(:
(See below for more information)
1. E)ery night* students ha)e about +0 $inutes o, English
ho$e(or- assigned .starting Se%t" 2* 201/"
2. Students need to be able to access the #nternet ,or their
ho$e(or-"
3. &his course has re0uired te1ts that students are
res%onsible ,or borro(ing or %urchasing"
4. &his course had a class (ebsite2
((("sh$sroo$308"(eebly"co$
5. Students and %arents can sign u% ,or (ee-ly te1t our e$ail
u%dates about 8th grade related announce$ents here2
1" Students2 ((("re$ind"co$45oin48d6,6
2" 7arents2 ((("re$ind"co$45oin46ee+6
6. E$ail is the best (ay to reach $e2
e$ail$rsgreen8g$ail"co$
7ro)ided &e1tboo-s2
Elements of Literature - $55.95
Elements of Language - $61.98
Course 9escri%tion2
In 8
t
gra!e Englis Language "rts# stu!ents will grow as rea!ers# writers#
resear$ers an! s%ea&ers. Stu!ents will master 'ommon 'ore Stan!ar!s for
gra!e 8 an! a%%l( s&ills to autenti$ %ro)e$ts an! %resentations. Stu!ents will
e*%lore te %ower of te %en an! utili+e tat %ower for %ersonal e*%ression.
:e0uired Materials2 9ue &uesday* Se%te$ber 2* 201
,ne --in$ bin!er wit an Englis se$tion an! loose-leaf %a%er (one to
%ut %a%ers in for all of (our $lasses)
./, 'om%osition 0oo&s (1,. S2I3"L 1,.E0,,4S)
5 %en$ils an! 5 %ens in $lass !ail(
2a$& of %ens (will be &e%t in $lass)
2a$& of 6lue Sti$&s (will be &e%t in $lass)
0o* of .issues (will be &e%t in $lass)
7an! Saniti+er (will be &e%t in $lass)
:e0uired &e1ts2 Students (ill be res%onsible ,or ha)ing the ,ollo(ing
te1ts by the due dates" Stu!ents ma( borrow from te %ubli$ librar(# %ur$ase
te boo& or !ownloa! it onto a 4in!le81oo&. 2lease let 9rs. 6reen &now well
before te !ea!line if tere is a !i:$ult( wit se$uring a $o%( of te te*ts.
:e0uired &e1ts 9ue 9ate
3omeo an! ;uliet Se%tember 8
'ains# Laurie "n!erson ,$tober 5<
.e 6i=er# Lois Lowr( >e$ember 1
" 3aisin in te Sun# Lorraine 7ansberr( ;anuar( 15
1?5
t
Street# /alter >ean 9(ers @ebruar( 5-
.e 2earl# ;on Steinbe$& "%ril 5<
The Honors class will use the above texts as well as Junior Great Books and two
additional novels that will be issued to the student as a textbook.
Grades2
5<A 2erforman$e "ssessments (2ro)e$ts tat measure te master( of wat
stu!ents learn)
55A 'lass %arti$i%ation an! $lass wor&
15A .ests an! Bui++es
1<A 7omewor& an! In!e%en!ent 3ea!ing
Late ;or- 7olicy
&he highest grade that can be earned on any late assign$ent is a C.
Stu!ents ma( turn in late wor& u% to <)e !a(s after te !ue !ate. A,ter that*
the grade ,or that (or- (ill re$ain a =ero" .e onl( e*$e%tion to tis %oli$(
is in te $ase of an e*$use! absen$e. In te $ase of an e*$use! absen$e#
stu!ents re$ei=e an a!!itional two !a(s to $om%lete assignments.
Ho$e(or-
.ere is omewor& ea$ nigt. Stu!ents are reCuire! to write !own omewor& in
teir $ommuni$ation )ournals !uring te Drst minutes of $lass. 7omewor& alwa(s
$onsists of -< minutes of rea!ing - eiter rea!ing an assigne! no=el or self-
sele$te! rea!ing for a E3ea!ing 2ro)e$t.E 2arents nee! to =erif( rea!ing wit a
rea!ing log. Stu!ents will ten nee! to $om%lete a written assignment(s)# wi$
normall( ta&e about -< minutes to $om%lete.
#nternet and Co$%uter Assign$ents
Stu!ents will nee! to be able to a$$ess te Internet for teir omewor& at least
twi$e %er wee&# starting in Se%tember. If stu!ents !o not a=e a$$ess at ome#
te( soul! sta( after s$ool or go to te librar( to !o so. 1ot a=ing a$$ess to
te Internet is not an e*$use for missing or late omewor&.
#nde%endent :eading
3esear$ sows tat te best wa( for to grow as a rea!er is to rea! regularl(.
.erefore# stu!ents are reCuire! to rea! at least -< minutes a nigt. ,ne to two
E3ea!ing 2ro)e$tsE will be assigne! ea$ a!=isor(. Stu!ents soul! $arr( te
in!e%en!ent boo& ea$ !a( an! rea! !uring free time in $lass an! !uring >E"3
on @ri!a(s. /en a 3ea!ing 2ro)e$t is not assigne!# stu!ents will a=e rea!ing
assignments from te $urrent unitFs no=el.
Curriculu$ Lin-s2
>ur CLASS ;E?S#&E is htt%244sh$sroo$308"(eebly"co$ an! tis
website will ost im%ortant announ$ements# omewor&# notes# instru$tional
=i!eos an! lin&s.
.e EL" 8
t
gra!e is aligne! to te 'ommon 'ore Stan!ar!s for 6ra!e 8
wit te following lin&: tt%:88www.$orestan!ar!s.org8te-stan!ar!s8englis-
language-arts-stan!ar!s.
@nits o, Study:
9ra$atically S%ea-ing2 Stu!ents anal(+e lines of !ialogue# s$enes# an!
wor!s from %la(s# s%ee$es an! %oetr( te( rea!# re$ite an! %erform.
Stu!ents s$rutini+e autorsF $entral i!eas an! teir !e=elo%ment o=er te
$ourse of te %la(. E=i!en$e-base! writing fo$uses on e*%laining te $entral
i!ea8teme of a %la(# s%ee$ or %oem in$lu!ing weter te $entral i!ea is
su%%orte! wit rele=ant# su:$ient# a$$urate te*tual e*am%les an!8or
Cuotations.
Loo-ing ?ac- at the 7ast2 Stu!ents engage wit %oetr(# D$tion# art# ma%s#
au!io# an! %rimar( sour$es as te( re=isit our nationFs re=olutionar( roots.
E=i!en$e-base! writing fo$uses on e*%laining information re=eale! in %rimar(
sour$es# in or!er to buil! $lear $om%reension of turning %oints in our istor(.
&he City and the Country2 Stu!ents e*%erien$e te $it( an! te $ountr( in
literature# e*%loring $ara$ter an! %lot !e=elo%ments in rural an! urban
settings. Stu!ents $ontrast =isual images an! fa$ts about $ities wit teir
%resen$e in D$tion. Stu!ents also e*%lore $lassi$ a!=entures in te "meri$an
$ountr(si!e. Stu!ents $om%are an! $ontrast te*ts (bot tra!itional an! !igital)
set in rural an! urban settings. E=i!en$e-base! writing fo$uses on !e=elo%ing
an argument relate! to an urban or rural issue.
Artists ;ho Mo)e @s2 Stu!ents e*amine te aesteti$s of literature an! art#
rea!ing about artists an! autors wose wor& as a so$ial or %oliti$al message.
Stu!entsF rea!ing fo$uses $om%aring te*ts an! s%e$iD$all( te relationsi%
between te*t stru$ture an! meaning. E=i!en$e-base! writing fo$uses on
arguing te relati=e %ower or %ersuasi=eness of an artistFs message.
&he :oad Aot &a-en2 Stu!ents gra%%le wit te tension between $onformit(
(a$tion in a$$or! wit %re=ailing so$ial stan!ar!s# attitu!es# %ra$ti$es# et$.) an!
in!i=i!ualit(. Stu!ents also $onsi!er $onte*ts in wi$ $onformit( is !esirable
an! wen it be$omes ris&(# e=en !angerous. Li&ewise# stu!ents e*amine ow
an! w( in!i=i!ualism is (or is not) !esirable troug literar( e*am%les.
.roug =arious rea!ings# stu!ents stu!( ow autors $on=e( meaning
troug Dgurati=e language (e.g.# s(mbolism# meta%or). E=i!en$e-base!
writing fo$uses on $rafting narrati=es tat !es$ribe a $oi$e to ta&e te roa!
less tra=ele!.
Assess$ents:
Stu!ents will be informall( assesse! regularl( troug sort writing %rom%ts#
Cui++es# $lassroom !is$ussions an! intera$ti=e a$ti=ities. In a!!ition# stu!ents will
be formall( assesse! trougout te (ear to !etermine ow well te( are meeting
te stan!ar!s for teir gra!e le=el an! to ta&e te a$tion nee!e! to ensure
stu!ent su$$ess. S$olars will be assesse! on teir rea!ing# writing# s%ea&ing#
resear$# an! %resentation s&ills for gra!e le=el te*t.
:eco$$endation 7olicy
:e0uests ,or reco$$endations $ust be sent in (riting at least a (ee- in
ad)ance"
&ardies
Students who do not report to class by the class period bell will receive a written referral to the Dean of
Students, Mr. King, and will be scheduled by the Dean for a tardy hall (detention) after school. Note,
every tardy will result in both a referral and a tardy hall.
Additional Assistance and Contact
I am a=ailable !ail( until ?:<< for a!!itional el%# starting Se%tember 8#
5<1?.
1" 9( %referre! meto! of $ommuni$ation is email for te Cui$&est
res%onse: e$ail$rsgreen8g$ail"co$
. 7owe=er# stu!ents an! %arents $an feel free to use an( of te meto!s
below:
1. www.engra!e%ro.$om (I $an el% (ou if nee!e!# to log on.)
5. www.smsroom-<8.weebl(.$om
English Language Arts Syllabus :ecei%t Sli%
Ho$e(or- Grade2 9ue Se%te$ber 2* 201 (ith su%%lies
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#nitials
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG I un!erstan! te omewor& is gi=en 9on!a(-@ri!a(.
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG I will ensure tat m( $il! is able to $om%lete Internet
assignments at ome or after s$ool at Stuart-7obson.
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG I am aware of te no=els tat m( stu!ent nee!s an! ea$ !ue
!ate.
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG 9( $il! as te $lass materials ,3 I a=e in!i$ate! wen te
materials will be %ur$ase! in te $omment area abo=e.
# ha)e read the course syllabus and a$ a(are o, the %olicies (ithin it"
Signature: GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG