8 th Grade Language Arts 2015 Back to School Night Mrs. Leclercq & Ms. Gradman

Classroom Procedures  Upon entering class, students are greeted by the teachers, and guided to complete their Do-Now activities.  Write down homework.  Meet in meeting area for lesson, which includes active involvement.  Independent application of skills/strategies to obtain objective(s).  Teacher check-ins/conferences.

Units of Study Reading Workshop  Non-fiction - Assist students with N.F. skills and strategies to strengthen their reading within informative text and other content areas.  Core Novel – A Raisin in the Sun. Examine character relationships, study new genre (play), and deepen use of textual evidence.  Partnerships - Apply all reading skills/strategies within collaborative learning experiences.  Social Issues Book Clubs - Analyze world’s social issues found within literature.  Memoir – Identify the significance of moments in others’ lives, the impact they had on who they became and what they did. Writing Workshop  Launching Writing Workshop – Collect ideas to write about and writing with a purpose.  Application Essay - Use small moments to reveal personal growth, lessons learned, etc.  Literary Analysis (One piece linked to Raisin in The Sun unit, a second piece linked to partnership book.) Make claims about literature and use textual evidence as support.  Literary Device and Figurative Language Unit – Examine poems, song lyrics, and speeches for effective elements of literary devices & figurative language and analyze purpose and meaning.  Writing for Social Action – Commentary essay on specific social issue that exhibits their viewpoint.  Multi-Genre Memoir Project – Identify a significant moment in their lives and expand upon that moment through a variety of genres.

Grading  Grades are based on the accumulation of points.  Points are based on:  Completion and submission of homework assignments  Writing and Reading Notebooks  Major projects and exams  Final writing pieces  Reading tests  Vocabulary quizzes  Grammar quiz  Grades are posted online and updated often (Read comments provided on Parent Portal, which reflect feedback/comments students receive on their assessments).  Portfolio Binders will be used to collect and store students’ assessments. Students are responsible to evaluate and self-reflect upon their performances on assignments and set goals for future units.

Contact Information  is the best way to contact the 8 th Grade Language Arts Teachers. Please feel free to contact us with any questions/concerns:  Mrs.  Ms. Gradman

Questions/Concerns