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Norris School District, Resource
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TEXTBOOKSElements of Writing, Second Course, Holt, Rinehart, Winston, 1993 Adventures for Readers, Book Two,
Heritage Edition ,Holt, Rinehart,
Various novels of student choice
are also used.
No Promises in the Wind, Irene Hunt The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
CLASS DESCRIPTION: English 8 is a required course for all eighth grade students as a part of the core curriculum block. The class will meet three days a week for sixty-eight minutes a session. The class includes grammar, vocabulary, spelling, literature and writing instruction. CLASS OBJECTIVES: READING
1. Students
will locate and analyze the elements of plot, character, theme, 2. Students will identify the characteristics of a variety of literature including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama.(8.1.3)(8.1.5) 3. Students will interpret the meaning of literary works and demonstrate this knowledge through activities connected with the novels and short stories read. (8.1.7) 4. Students will read historical fiction and transfer knowledge between English and American History. (8.1.7) 5. Students will make personal choices and read books during Reader's Workshop. Students will locate, access, and evaluate the books using resources available. The student will identify the basic facts and essential ideas in what they have read. (8.1.1)(8.1.2)
WRITING 1. Students will demonstrate a workable knowledge of the eight parts of speech through grammar exercises and writing (8.2.1). 2. Students will develop a workable knowledge of the use of subjects and verbs in sentence structure. (8.2.1). 3. Students will write a variety of sentence types including simple, compound and complex sentences. (8.2.1). 4. Students will use capitalization and punctuation in sentences. (8.2.1). 5. Students will demonstrate a variety of forms of writing through Writer's Workshop. These forms will include, but not be limited to, poetry, descriptions, journals, reader's response, letters and reports. (8.2.4). 6. Students will write multi-paragraph papers which include an introduction, two or more body paragraphs with supporting details and a conclusion. (8.2.2). 7. Students will edit all work for errors in spelling and punctuation and revise it to make it correct. (8.2.3)
WRITING ACTIVITIES1. Students will write reading response journals in which they react and respond to what they read in class. These include summarizing what they have read and responding to the material in writing as it applies to the elements of literature being studied in class. 2. Students will write at least one final draft paper per quarter. This paper will include all of the steps of the writing process. The process will include pre-writing, writing, editing, and revising. 3. Students will produce final draft writing samples of the following kinds of writing: literature evaluation, creative writing of a short story, comparison and contrast, and cause and effective writing. 4. Students will continue to keep a writing portfolio in the classroom. They will add to the portfolio started in the seventh grade and pass it on to the high school English department to update throughout their high school years.
VOCABULARY Students will complete a Vocabulary Packet each week. In addition to the vocabulary activities students will be required to complete weekly spelling tests with the vocabulary words being studied throughout the week.
GRADING The grading system at Norris Middle School for all core classes is: Excellent
Above Average Average
Below
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