English Language Arts Grade 8 Course Syllabus M rs.

Pryor Inland Leaders Charter School 2012~2013 Welcome to 8th Grade English Language Arts! Much is expected of you as a learner this year. This syllabus is designed to help you understand clearly how you will be graded and what you need to do to succeed. Each class expectation has a point value attached; grades are earned based on the overall percentage of those points. The Grading Scale is located below: ILMS Grading Scale 98%h = A+ 93-97%= A 90-92%= A88-89%= B+ 83-87%= B 80-82%= B78-79%= C+ 73-77%= C 70-72%= C69%i = F (Notice that there is no grade in the D range.) Points are earned in the following ways: Leadership (5 points weekly/1 per day): We are leaders at our school, in our families, and in our
communities. As such, I expect each student to display leadership qualities daily. This includes preparedness and responsibility (having paper, writing utensils, homework, etc.), respect, and a servants heart. If a student loses a point for not displaying any of the above, he or she will have the opportunity to earn that point back in a short afterschool (1:15-1:30) detention where the necessary skill will be practiced and leadership skills put into place. At the end of each trimester, those students who have an A in their leadership points in all their classes will be entered into a drawing for a valuable prize (along the lines of an iPad or other enticing gadgetry). LIKEWISE, throughout the day/week/trimester, students who display exceptional leadership traits can receive additional tickets. students must exhibit the responsibility to not lose the tickets (lost tickets will not be replaced) but keep the tickets with their school supplies at all times. On the day of the drawing (which may or may not be advertised), students with additional earned tickets may dump them into the drawing bowl, thereby significantly increasing their chances of winning! These

Participation (10 points weekly): I expect learners to dive in, to complete and turn in daily homework,
to be discussing books and selections regularly, and to be writing thoughtful responses in their Wonderful World of Words Notebooks and writing assignments.

Homework (points can vary, usually 10 points): I only assign homework that I believe has
educational value and purpose in learning. As such, I expect what I do assign to be completed and turned in ON TIME Work that is turned in after the start of the class period is considered late. (Late work will receive 50% credit only.)

Wonderful World of Words Notebook (10 points weekly): Each week learners will take careful
notes of new vocabulary they are learning, strategies that will enhance and supercharge their reading/writing experiences, and record and track the books and genres they are reading toward the 50-Book Challenge. Occasionally students will write me a letter in the Communication section of their WWW Notebooks explaining what they are currently reading and their thoughts about it. Additionally, writing assignment drafts are entered into this notebook for me to check and coach. I will respond personally to each entry and value the correspondence as very important to our classroom environment and growth as readers.

Q uizzes (points will vary) Tests / Projects (points will vary) 50/50 Challenge Assignment (100 points): 8th graders will be given a Challenge Choice. You may
choose to read 50 books across the genres like last year (though this year you get to design how many books per genre you read- this designed planned must be submitted for approval). On the other hand, 8th graders may choose to write 50 pages of a cohesive (it all fits together in a theme) document. This can be a poetry collection, a collection of themed short stories, a script, a research textbook, a novel, etc. This must be planned out and submitted for approval. Whichever you choose, the other assignment still exists but is lowered in expectation to 20 books/pages. Extra points will be given to those who choose to do 50 of each. A particular emphasis will be placed on books that act as foundational literature for high school ELA courses.

Expert Seminar (150 points): Each student will pick a topic they are excited about to research, write a
paper about, and present before an audience of their peers in a seminar format. Each phase of the project (3 total: Research, The Paper, and the Presentation) is worth 50 total points in ELA, though additional points may be applicable in the other core content classes (Math, Social Studies, and Science).

Course D escription and O bjectives The following is an overview of the curriculum for this school year: Trimester O ne Public Speaking/Oratory: FORUM Historical Simulation Teaching Public Speaking and Listening Skills *Unit 1: Fiction and Nonfiction Is truth the same for everyone? *Unit 2: Short Stories Can all conflicts be resolved? Trimester Two *Unit 3: Types of Nonfiction How much information is enough? *Unit 4: Poetry What is the secret to reaching someone with words?

Trimester Three *Unit 5: Drama Is it our differences or our similarities that matter most? *Unit 6: Themes in American Stories Are yesterdays heroes important today?
*Pearson LITERATURE: Reading and Language, Grade Eight (California Edition), 2010

Core 8 th Grade Literature Whole Class

Bronx Masquerade- Nikki Grimes The Giver- Lois Lawry

Literature Circles

Slave Dancer- Paula Fox

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry- Mildred Taylor Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee- Dee Brown Deathwatch- Robb White

Nightjohn- Gary Paulsen (sequel is Sarny, not studied in class) Soldiers Heart- Gary Paulsen
Suggested/Recommended

The River Between Us- Richard Peck Woods Runner-Gary Paulsen