Class Information

Information

8th Grade English 2016-2017

In 8th grade we will spend our time thinking about the conditions that create a just society and how an individual can create positive change in society.  We will read, write, think, present, listen, and study together with this focus in mind.  We will look within to understand ourselves while at the same time looking without at the larger world around us.  We will think about how going back and forth,  looking for answers in our own experience as well as in the experiences of others, helps to deepen our understanding and define where we are from, where we are now, and where we are headed . . .

*Check progress on X2 (Aspen)

Grading Scales:             

Major Assignments 55%

(tests, projects, major writing assignments)

Supporting Assignments 30%

(quizzes, minor writing assignments)

Foundational Assignments 15%

(homework, classwork)

 

ACADEMIC OVERVIEW           

Composition, Lit, LS:

  1. Composition - We will work on analytical essays as well as narrative and persuasive writing.  We will also work on developing and maintaining VOICE in formal and informal compositions.
  2. Literature - We will explore the “unseen” and develop inferential and analytical thinking skills as we read: short stories, 12 Angry Men, Animal Farm, The Giver, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We will also do justice themed lit circles for outside reading each trimester.
  3. Language Study - We will actively study vocabulary as well as grammar usage and mechanics in conjunction with our reading and writing.

 

Google Calendar

Homework assignments, assessment dates, and paper due dates are all posted on Google Calendar.

 

Vocabulary

Vocabulary lists develop over the course of the year as we are reading our various texts. Each quiz will include previous words in addition to new words.