Language
Arts
with
Diane
Bullard and Bethany Morris
bethany.morris@bremencs.com
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Language Arts Syllabus
8th Grade
Semester I
Paragraph writing: journal
Q1
Expository research essay:
Adolescence
Phrases/clauses
Sentence structure: Write When You’re Not Looking (children’s
book to be read to BA):
Concentration: commas,
points of ellipsis, transitional words, modifiers
Persuasive speech
Friendly and business
letters
Critique G8WA posted
topics; practice writing from writing prompts
Identify and avoid:
fragments, misplaced modifiers, dangling participles
Active/passive voice
Writer’s consistent point
of view
Poetry: memorize, recite, write
·
“The
Road Not Taken”
·
“The
Winning Attitude”
·
“The Turkey Shot out of the Oven”
·
“Stopping
by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Write original poems
Greek etymology
Semester II
G8WA Practice Test
G8WA Test: January 19
Conventions: pronouns, verb
tenses, dialogue, punctuation
Write a long narrative of
choice
Job applications and
references
Read: SHHH! We’re Writing the Constitution
The Pearl
Memorize, recite, write
The Preamble
Commonly misspelled words
Research and write a long
narrative biographical poem
Publish a 32-page
anthology featuring the long narrative
CRCT prep
Grading:
100 points: daily grade,
quizzes
200 points: tests,
presentation recitations
600 points: 32-page book,
exams
*Tutoring
on Wednesdays
Work for
the week
April 11-12
CRCT
April 13-14: Filming in the Green Room for all Acts:
begin short narrative in classes not filming. The rough draft should be
completed within these two days!
Our last project task will be writing a short narrative
and making a soft sculpture of the narrative’s main character. The task page with
the calendar of events is attached below. This is worth 600 points.
Short Narrative Task
1. Read the sample stories and use the process page to help you begin the process of writing your own short narrative.
2. What is the theme of your story? ___________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. How will your story end? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. How will you begin the story and identify the conflict immediately? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What plot events will tie together the beginning to the end, so that nothing detracts for the storyline?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Remember the dialogue should enhance the
plot and maintain the emotional hook you have created.
7. Write your rough draft on the pages provided. It must be 6-10 pages handwritten and no less than 4 pages when typed. Revise and edit your story.
8. Type your revised/edited story AT HOME in 12 font, Times New Roman, and double-spaced.
9. Create a soft sculpture of the main character and affix it to a presentation board. Attach your printed story to the board and decorate the entire presentation board for eye-appeal.
Short Narrative Calendar
APRIL 13-14: Write the entire rough draft in classes. Read your story to an adult at home.
MAY 2-3: Make soft sculptures in class; decorate yours at home.
MAY 2-6: Type final copy at home. Create the story board with soft sculpture and story.
MAY 11: 1st, 2nd, 5th story boards to be presented for 600 points.
May 12th: 6th and 7th story boards to be presented for 600 points
MAY 13: Take your story board to Bremen Academy for presentations, or invite the Academy
to visit us to read/hear your story.
March 28-April
12
We are preparing
for and taking the CRCT Test. Whenever we have class, we will practice our
lines for the movie, which will premier on MAY 5 at 6:00 in the BMS cafeteria.
We will film on April 13th
and 14th. All students must present and ready to portray his/her part
masterfully.
March
21-25
Monday: dialogue;
misplaced modifiers; noun clauses
Tuesday: dialogue; noun
clause quiz; adverb clause introduction
Wednesday/Thursday:
Committees and rehearsal: finalize costumes and forms from committees
Friday: Review of dialogue
and quiz on noun and adverb clauses
March
14-18
Every extra minute in class will be
dedicated to practicing lines for the movie!
Monday: final benchmark
Tuesday: Introduce
dialogue; noun clauses (graphic organizer)
Wednesday/Thursday:
dialogue; review of clauses on graphic organizer; walk-through for movie
Friday: dialogue;
clause review (quiz)
March
7-11
Monday: relative
pronouns; pronoun review
Tuesday: fill in study
guide for pronouns test on Wednesday/Thursday
Wednesday/Thursday:
Test on pronouns and walk through for movie parts
Friday: Walk-through(20 minutes) and committees (finalize product)
February
28-March 4
Monday: Intensive/
reflexive pronouns; commas in the Preamble
Tuesday-Wednesday: (BLOCK)
Preamble quiz; quiz intensive/reflexive pronouns;
introduce interrogative
and demonstrative pronouns
Thursday: Movie
committees and walk-through with movie (without scripts)
Friday: Written
Preamble test and review for pronouns test for Monday
February7-11
Monday: Greek II quiz to be
graded; write the screenplay
Tuesday-Friday: complete each act of
the screenplay
*****Grades
will be taken by the quantitative writing each student writes for their act
from the script.
January
31-February 4
Monday: Greek II introduction
Tuesday: Greek II quiz, Pronoun
study of subjective and objective cases
Wednesday-Thursday: Begin screenplay from
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution
Friday: Greek II quiz; pronoun
quiz; write more screenplay
January
24-28, 2011
G8WA THIS
WEDNESDAY
Monday: Work
on word selection and avoiding clichés
Tuesday: Game
G8WA Super Goal: Thinking and Planning
Wednesday: G8WA and begin reading the text, SHH! We’re Writing
the Constitution, from which we will write our screenplay.
Thursday-Friday: Continue reading the text
January
6-7, 2011
Thursday: Spelling
bee qualifications; G8WA group review/evaluations
Friday: Group
review/evaluate G8WA sample; write 2011 Time Capsule
December
13-17
Monday: Review for Tuesday’s Semester Final exam
(600 pts.)
Tuesday: Semester Final exam
Wednesday-Friday:
Review state samples of G8WA from previous years;
Analyze prompts
and critique on-line examples.
December
6-10
Semester Exam is December 14!
Monday: Complete conferences
with Mrs. Bullard about persuasive business letters to administrator; continue work on persuasive speech.
Tuesday: Final draft of speech
due in ink.
Wednesday-Thursday: Present persuasive
speeches to the class.
Friday: review composition
books for semester exam on December 14.
November
29-December 3
Monday: Review turkey poem;
write persuasive business letter to BMS administrators concerning sitting on
the curb during afternoon pickup.
Tuesday: Recite/perform the
poem for 200 points. Write final draft of business letters.
Wed./Thursday: research 3 internet articles that support your
chosen persuasive speech topic.
Friday:
Complete research using MLA; conference with Mrs. Bullard aabout
your persuasive business letter (using rubric below)
Persuasive Business
Letter Rubric
____/ 100 business letter
format (each error -20 pts.)
____/20 position statement
____/20 supporting sentences
____/20 counterargument
____/20 dismantlement
____/20 call to action
____/200 total
November
15-19
Monday: Practice “The Turkey
Shot out of the Oven”; introduce business letter format: write a letter of
interest for a college of choice.
Tuesday: Practice the poem; write a business letter to a
sport shoe company to report a flawed pair of shoes.
Wednesday-Thursday: Read the When You’re Not Looking books to the
Academy in the Media Center
Friday: Recite the poem for a grade to the class. Test on letter
and cursive.
November
8-12
Monday: Cursive practice with the Preamble; introduction to letter writing and addressing
envelopes. Write a letter of appreciation to parents to be read over the
Thanksgiving holidays.
Tuesday: Cursive practice;
present book corrections to the teacher for buy-back points; write a letter of
appreciation to a person in the Bremen City School system that has most impacted
your life. Send it to that person.
Wednesday-Thursday: cursive test;
Memorize “The Turkey Shot out of the Oven”
Friday: Test on friendly letter,
envelope, phrases, sentence structure
Nov.1-5
Monday: cursive practice; fill
out Government Essay Plan sheets
Tuesday: cursive practice; write
government essay rough draft
Wednesday-Thursday: Cursive practice;
complete revision and final draft
Friday: Turn in cursive
practice packet; read essay to class
October
25-29
Monday: cursive practice; correct the Pet Rock story. Work on completing
the When You’re Not Looking
book> >>> DUE TUESDAY!
Tuesday: cursive practice; hand in When You’re Not Looking book.
Correct Monday’s work.
Wednesday-Thursday:
Literary circle: read aloud the When You’re
Not Looking books to classmates for presentation grade; turn in book for
teacher evaluation
Friday: Cursive practice; begin study of government--- view The
American Form of Government and complete graphic
organizer
October
18-22
Monday: Benchmark (Bullard only); work on
completing children’s book
Tuesday: Review “The Winning Attitude” and
copy it perfectly; practice cursive; illustrate
Wednesday-Thursday: Quiz on poem, practice reciting
the poem; illustrate
Friday: Recite the poem and write it for
200 points each; complete the children’s book
October
11-15
Monday: Handwriting emphasis A-D; Memorize “The Winning
Attitude;” illustrate book.
Tuesday: Handwriting E-H; Review and write “The Winning
Attitude”; illustrate book
Wednesday-Thursday: Handwriting I-M; use the Mac to print out
1.) the
infinitive poem
2.) the
participial poem
3.) the
appositive poem
4.) When
You’re Not Looking book
Friday: Handwriting N-Q; assemble book; continue
illustrations
October
4-7
Monday: Journal; Drive-by grade on pp.1-10 of children’s book;
get folder with art pages for the final copy and begin full-page illustrations
for each page; introduce complex sentences. Write Page 11 in children’s book.
Tuesday: Journal; quiz on simple, compound, complex sentences;
draw illustrations for book
Wednesday-Thursday: Review sentence structure; introduce compound-complex
sentences; write Page 12 in children’s book. Illustrate the children’s book.
Friday: Quarter I test; illustrate the children’s book.
September
27-October 1
Monday: Journal; students red
infinitive phrase poems to the class; introduce participial phrases; write a
10-line participial phrase poem;
write page 5 in the children’s book.
Tuesday: Journal; play PID-i-ful ball game with infinitive,
participial, and prepositional phrases;
Introduce appositive
phrases.
Wednesday: Journal; complete pages
1-10 in the When You’re Not Looking book. Sketch every page.
Thursday:
½ Day: Watch the movie: The NewWorld
September
20-24
Monday: Journal; introduction
to compound sentences and infinitive phrases; write simple and compound
sentence pages for the children’s book: When You’re Not Looking.
Tuesday: Journal: dress rehearsal for adolescence project; (if time) edit and
revise sentences in the children’s book.
Wednesday-Thursday: Adolescence Project
Presentations! Wed. 1st, 2nd, 5th. Thurs. 6th
and 7th
Friday: Review simple and
compound sentences and infinitive phrases. Complete prescriptive sentences in
children’s book.
September
13-17
Monday: Journal; Smartboard presentation “Is That a Clause or
a Phrase, Man?”
dramatization
and summarizing activity
Tuesday: Journal; prepositional graphic organizer and puzzle;
examination of a
compound
sentence; summarization
Wednesday-Thursday: journal; quiz on sentence structure (phrase, clauses,
simple,
compound);
work in adolescence project groups.
Presentation
dates: September 22: 1st, 2nd, 5th periods
23: 6th and 7th.
Adolescence Project Rubric
Facts were
clearly presented____/40
Presentation was entertaining____/40
Presentation was audible____/40
Confidence was evident____/40
Evidence of
collaboration____/40
__________________________
Total: ____/200
Friday: Journal; review phrase/clause/compound
subject-predicate-sentence;
Use props to learn complex sentence
concept. Practice: combine sentences to
make
complex sentences.
September 6-10
Monday: Labor Day--- ENJOY!
Tuesday: Active/Passive voice
review; Point of view quiz; Clauses>Compound sentences
Wednesday-Thursday: Print out essay: Adolescence,
Do I Have It? And Paragraph: Brain-based Learning
Friday: Furlough
August
30- Sept. 3
Monday: Journal; discuss simile
and metaphor to use in the adolescence essay
Tuesday: Journal; teacher
conference about essay introduction; Greek I quiz; write body paragraphs
Wednesday/Thursday: Journal; write essay
conclusion paragraph; revise/edit
Friday: NO JOURNAL; write
final draft
August
23-27
Monday: Journal; introduction
to adolescence unit (lecture +formal outline)
Tuesday: Journal; complete
lecture and experiment
Wed./Thurs.: Journal: research
article on adolescence; Greek review and puzzle
Friday: Journal: quiz on
adolescence; Greek daily grade;
pre-write for essay:
“Adolescence, Do I Have It?”
August
16-20
Monday: Journal; introduction of
active/passive voice;
Review
of point of view; revise rough draft of brain-based learning in active voice
and consistent 2nd person point of view
Tuesday: Journal; NTSSWTSWIAP; transitional words;
compound sentences;
Revise
rough draft using the lessons of today
Wednesday/Thursday: journal; introduction
of Greek I; write final draft of Brain-based Learning using the rubric as a
guideline.
Friday: present paragraphs to
the class
August 9-13, 2010
Monday: Journal: explanation
handout and first entry
What you should know about journals!
·
This is a test
grade taken over 40 days!
·
Write a good paragraph for
each entry and use vivid details because I read every entry and respond!
·
Everyone
could make 200/200 by the end of the quarter if you write every day and turn in
your journal on your designated day. Circle the day you turn in.
1st: Monday 2nd:
Tuesday 5th: Wednesday 6th: Thursday 7th: Friday
I will
not take journals if you forget to turn it in. You will lose that week’s
points. However, if you are absent on your turn-in day, write a note on the
journal entry page that you were out, and turn it in the day you return.
The best thing about journals is that I get to know you,
plus you can get an easy 200 points!
What
you write in your journal is confidential until you reveal
that …
you are being hurt or bullied
you are hurting or bullying someone
you are going to hurt yourself.
Then, the counselor will be consulted.
Memorize: “The Road Not Taken” by
Robert Frost (brain-based learning)
(timed-contest with other
classes)
|
The
Road Not Taken |
|
Robert Frost |
This poem will be recited (200 points)
and written (200 points) on Friday.
Tuesday: Journal entry; recite poem
fro practice; write poem for daily grade
Wednesday/Thursday: Journal; recite poem; list
steps in brain-based
learning; pre-write paragraph
detailing how we learned the poem in such a short time period.
Organize steps; rough draft,
Friday: Journal; recite poem to
the teacher and write it from memory;
write an
expository paragraph which details how to learn using brain-based learning.