Syllabus

Language Arts 2010-2011 Syllabus ** Course: ** **8th Grade Language**

** Overview: ** This course is designed to enhance the student’s ability to successfully use the English Language.

** Expectations: ** Students will exhibit correct use of the English language both oral and written. Students will develop organizational skills and use these skills to aid them in passing the course. Students will demonstrate responsibility for their tools of learning and be prepared daily. Students will use decision-making skills to prioritize obligations and commitments, including refraining from leaving class except in cases of emergences. Students will work cooperatively with others- classmates //and// adults. Students will show respect for themselves and all others.

** Textbook: ** We will use a class set of //Elements of Language (2007)// textbook. Any student that requests a book for home use will be issued one.

** Topics: ** 1st Nine Weeks: Narrative and expository writing; parts of speech, sentence structure, (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex, comma and semicolon usage.); warm-ups; reading 2nd Nine Weeks: Expository & Persuasive writing; compliments: direct objects, indirect objects, subject compliments Phrases: adjective & adverb; misplaced modifiers; Phrases: gerund, participial, infinitive; Prounouns: gender, case, usage; warm-ups; reading 3rd Nine Weeks: Persuasive, & Technical writing; clauses: noun, adjective, adverb, misplaced modifiers; Pronouns: sentence revision; warm-ups; reading 4th Nine Weeks: Correcting common errors; Narrative & Research writing; warm-ups; reading

** Requirements: ** Come to class prepared and on time. Materials required are as follows: completed assignments, student agenda, three-ring notebook with wide ruled notebook paper, pencils and/or pens, (blue or black colors only) and appropriate independent reading material. The students will be given time to record assignments/homework in their agendas daily.

** Grades: ** Grades are based on a Total Point System. The county grading scale will be used to determine the grade percentage: A=90-100; B=80-89; C=71-79; D=70; F=0-69. **//__Late work__//** will be graded at the end of the nine weeks.

** General Policies: ** //Students will// Þ follow the classroom discipline plan and the Wolf Way Þ keep up with all handouts and assignments for notebook Þ be responsible for getting, completing, and turning in assignments within 3 days of returning to school after an absence

** Literature 2010-2011 Syllabus **
 * Course: ** 8th Grade Literature

** OVERVIEW: ** This course is designed to enhance students’ skills in the following areas: listening, reading comprehension, reading for enjoyment, vocabulary, speaking, researching, and written expression in a variety of genres.

** EXPECTATIONS: ** Ø Students will develop organizational skills and will use them to successfully pass this course Ø Students will demonstrate responsibility for their tools for learning and be prepared for each class Ø Students will use decision-making skills to prioritize their obligations and commitments Ø Students will work cooperatively with others, including classmates and adults Ø Students will respond creatively to a variety of literary works

** TEXTBOOK: ** This course will involve the use of a provided textbook, //Elements of Literature// (2003), various picture books, short stories, poems, novels, and other literary publications. We will be using a class set of books. I will issue individual books for home use for those that request one.

** TOPICS TO BE COVERED: ** 1st Nine Weeks: short stories and novel 2nd Nine Weeks: nonfiction (biographies, essays, autobiographies, speeches, etc.) and novel 3rd Nine Weeks: drama: //The Diary of Anne Frank// and novel 4th Nine Weeks: poetry and novel

** REQUIREMENTS: ** Each student is required to come to class prepared. This includes student agenda, notebook (with paper), completed assignments, blue or black ink pen, and school-appropriate material for independent reading.

** GRADING POLICY: ** Grades are based on a Total Point System. The county grading scale will be used to determine the percent grades: A=90-100; B=80-89; C=71-79D=70; F=0-69. **//__Late work__//** will only be graded at the end of the nine weeks.

** GENERAL POLICIES: **
 * ** Agendas: ** Every student should have a Coweta County Middle School Agenda or some other way to copy assignments for homework. You are expected to bring this to class each day.
 * ** Warm-ups: ** Students are expected to spend the first 5-10 minutes of class completing their warm-ups. The warm-up topic varies from day to day. The minimum requirement for credit is 6 sentences per day. The points given are 20 points a day for a total of 100 points for the week. These are checked every Friday and given a class work grade.
 * ** Homework: ** In general, I do not assign homework other than the reading or studying for tests or quizzes. If class time is lost due to unforeseen circumstances or the assignment is not finished in class, there may be work to complete at home in order to keep our pace.
 * ** 25 Book Campaign: ** ** ELA8RC1: ** The student reads a **//__minimum__//** of **//__25__//** **//__grade-level appropriate books or book__//** **//__equivalents__//** (approximately 1,000,000 words) per year from a variety of subject disciplines. The student reads both informational and fictional texts in a variety of genres and modes of discourse, including technical texts related to various subject areas. In the past this has been graded in the form of a reading log. Your child will still be expected to keep a log; however, instead of nightly reading requirements, I am asking the students to read **//__6 books or book__//** **//__equivalents__//** each nine weeks. This leaves one more book to be read during one of the nine week periods. I suggest that this additional book be read during the third nine weeks. If you are unsure about the text you are reading, please bring it to me, and I will approve or deny it. The students must log in the texts on a book log sheet that I will provide, and then complete an assessment **//__for four out of the six books__//** that have been read. This will be part of the grade your child receives for each nine week period. I will have copies, ideas, and directions of acceptable assessments in my classroom. Please work with your child on a schedule to ensure that he/she meets the reading standard of 25 books/book equivalents. Each assessment your child completes will be worth 50 points and will be added to the project/book report category in Infinite Campus.