8th Grade English Language Arts Ms. Steffen Curriculum Night 2015-2016 8th Grade English Language Arts Ms. Steffen

Ms. Steffen Welcome to 8th grade! I am excited to get to know each of you. I majored in Secondary English Education at the University of Florida. I have been teaching Language Arts at Centennial Middle School for 10 years. I truly love the art of language and hope to share it with all of my students!

8th Grade Expectations Late Work Supplies Students will be assigned to lunch bunch if they do not complete practice work Supplies Pens, pencils, and highlighters Red Folder College-Ruled Loose Leaf Paper Composition Book Always keep a chapter book with you in your backpack for SSR!

Writing Arguments to support claims Informative/Explanatory Narrative Research/Evidence based Presentation with Commentary

Reading Literary Text Informational Text Cite textual evidence *Cite Evidence Determine theme *Central Idea Narrative analysis *Text Connections Compare and contrast *Meaning of Words Points of view and Phrases Text to film comparison *Paragraph Structure Allusion *Media and Argument Analysis * Authors POV

Accountable Independent Reading (AIR) Students will be required to independently read and track one book per quarter. At the end of a 6-week period the students will be assessed on their knowledge of their book.

Units of Study Unit 1– Understanding Close Reading Focus: Reading Closely for Textual Details “Island of Hope, island of tears” Unit 2 – Understanding Evidence-based Claims Focus: Making Evidenced-Based Claims “Out of Kilter”

Units of Study Module 1 – Finding Home: Refugees Focus: Reading Closely and Writing To Learn Inside Out and Back Again Standards Examining How Word Choice Contributes to Meaning and Tone in Literary and Informational Texts Analysis Essay Narrative Poetry

Units of Study Module 2 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Comedy of Control Focus: Working with Evidence A Midsummer Night’s Dream Standards Text to Film Comparison Argument Essay Narrative/Extended Response

How Can You Help? You are the most influential person in your child’s life. Your presence is evidence of your commitment to your child’s success. Ask your child to share one part of his or her day with you… (sweet/sour, highs/lows) Check the website and online grades. If you have any concerns about your child here at school, never hesitate to email! Look for progress reports 4th -5th week. NEVER hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. We have the same goal for your child which is to help him/her reach his/her highest potential! We’re in this together.

Questions/Concerns Email: lsteffen@kyrene.org Phone: 480-541-6523