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English Department Grade 7

MR WHEALY’S LANGUAGE ARTS 8 TH GRADE

Course Syllabus Course Name: 8th Grade Language Arts Course Description: This course will target students’ growth in the areas of reading, writing, listening, speaking, discussion, reflection, and viewing. Reading strategies, critical thinking skills, and vocabulary building comprise the main elements of reading instructions. Through fiction, nonfiction, and poetry reading, students will practice reading strategies and comprehension skills. The focus of writing will be on narrative, informational, argumentative, and research writing.

The overall goal of the class is to increase the literacy and writing ability of students. Course Resources · Literature: Language and Literacy 8, Study Sync (short stories, poetry, drama) o Novels: Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, and The Outsiders

Reading Instruction will focus on: Informational Text · Short stories, nonfiction, drama, poetry, novels, narrative, and released reading assessment materials. Focus will be on pulling evidence from several sources for answers to questions. · Reading comprehension and critical thinking strategies, elements of literature, poetic elements, text features, summarizing, analysis, and all Common Core State Standards. Writing Instruction will focus on: · Narrative, Informational (Explanatory), research, and Argumentative Writing

  • All Common Core State Standards · Four or more complete essays and/or letters · Literary writing—providing text-based responses to literature and poetry · Responses to nonfiction articles and essays State Assessment: Students will take the reading and writing Smarter Balanced Assessment in the spring.

Course Outline/Instructional Units Course Outline/Instructional Units

SEMESTER ONE Novel study/Literary analysis (Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry) Essays/Short Story Unit (Plot, Setting, Character, Theme) Vocabulary — Commonly confused words, Literature Dependent words Grammar — Parts of speech, basic sentence structure Speech/Oral Presentation

SEMESTER TWO Poetry Research Process and Note Taking Informational Writing (research paper) Novel Unit — Literature Circles Non Fiction — essays, reading for information Essays/Writing for variety of audiences (blog) Grading: Major Assessments Essays and Blogs Novel study journals Written responses to literature Tests Projects Research Paper Students and parents can check grades at any time on-line through Family Access (Schoology). · Teachers will update grades at least every 2 weeks. · If you do not have on-line access, contact the Main Office for a hard copy of the progress report. · Report cards (official grades) are produced at the end of each semester (18 weeks), and are available through Family Access. If you do not have on-line access, contact the Main Office for a hard copy of the progress report. Re-do Policy Work assigned in class is important for learning and to determine student progress. Students are expected to complete ALL major assignments to standard, even if they turn in the work late or need to re-do the work. Late work will be accepted, and the grade may be reduced to reflect poor work habits. Work turned in on time and demonstrating full effort may be re-done for up to full credit. In order to re-do part or all of a major assignment, the student must: 1. Talk with the teacher to understand what needs to be done for re-do. 2. Demonstrate effort to improve or re-learn the material (determined by the teacher). 3. Complete the revised work within 2 weeks of receiving the original graded work.

Students are encouraged to seek extra help on their own as soon as they recognize that they are struggling. Also, teachers may assign students to come in for extra help when they see a student falling behind or struggling. Teachers are available after school, during lunch and during nutrient time to provide extra help for students on a regular basis. Teachers will provide a schedule of extra help times that they will be available in their classroom. Special arrangements can be made by contacting the teacher directly via email or phone.

Grading: Grading will be based on the LAUSD Equitable Grading Process.  The process will begin with a Pre-Assessment to identify the strengths and growth opportunities of the student.  After the Pre-Assessment, students will be given data driven Initial Instruction.  From the Initial Instruction, student will be given a Formative Assessment.  From the formative assessment, teacher will either provide students more time, practice and feedback to master and demonstrate grade level proficiency or the teacher will provide student with an enrichment activity to deepen their comprehension of the standard.  All students that complete the Equitable Grading Process will master the standards based curriculum and receive the Grade of A/4

4 = 90-100%
3 = 80-89%
2 = 70-79%
1 = 60-69%
0 = 0-59% 

Tier 1 Behavioral Interventions (In Class Positive Behavioral Realignment Strategies)

  • 1 on 1 Conference with the student
  • Clear, consistent, and predictable rules and consequences.
  • Allow Student to take a small breaks
  • Call Parent, Send a note home, document all behavioral issues on MISIS

 Tier 1 Academic Interventions

  •  Clear and consistent dates for submission of student work
  • Data driven activities and assessments
  • Allowing students more time to complete task
  • Making myself available for further instructional help during non-instructional the times of Before School (Coming in early) During the recess/nutrition break and During Lunch