MANHEIM TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT
Manheim Township School District
MTMS
COURSE SYLLABUS
2015 - 2016
NAME OF COURSE: English Language Arts 8 (English and Reading) TEACHER: Miss Fairchild or Mr. Robbins
COURSE CREDITS: 1 credit (one year) LENGTH OF COURSE: 1 year
General Course Description
In eighth grade, students grapple with high-quality, complex, nonfiction texts and great works of literature. The focus of informational texts shifts from narrative to expository. Students learn how to cite textual evidence supporting an analysis or critique. Students learn how to question an author’s assumptions and assess the accuracy of the claims. Eighth grade students read closely and find evidence to use in their own writing; they analyze two or more texts that provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify whether the disagreement is over facts or interpretation. They analyze how point of view can be manipulated to create specific effects such as dramatic irony and investigate how particular passages within a text connect to one another to advance the plot, reveal a character, or highlight an idea. Students have developed a strong vocabulary of academic words which they use to speak and write with more precision. Their writing continues to grow focusing on organizing ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; choosing relevant facts well; and using varied transitions to clarify or show the relationships among elements.
Course Objectives/Long Term Transfer Goals
As a result of having met the requirements of this course, the student is expected to be able to:
|Comprehend and evaluate |Be a critical consumer of |Produce writing to address |Communicate effectively for |Listen actively to engage in |
|complex texts across a range |text and other media to |task, purpose, perspective, |varied purposes and |a range of conversations, to |
|of types and disciplines. |recognize, understand, and |and intended audience; |audiences. |analyze and synthesize ideas |
| |appreciate multiple |research and gather evidence | |and positions, and to |
| |perspectives and cultures. |to create a clear and | |evaluate accuracy in order to|
| | |coherent message. | |learn, reflect, and respond. |
The core elements are as follows:
|Fiction (novels, short stories, plays and poetry) |Nonfiction (essays, articles) |
|Story structure |Reading Strategies |
|Characterization |Text Structure |
|Figurative Language |Text Features |
|Point of View |Summarizing |
|Theme, Mood, Tone |Debate / Argument |
|Imagery |Author Credibility |
|Inference |Evidence |
|Symbolism |Persuasion |
| |Propaganda Strategies |
| |Tone |
|Writing |Listening and Speaking |
|Response to Literature |Note-taking |
|Passage Analysis |Discussion |
|Expository |Presentations |
|Persuasive and Argumentative | |
|Research |Vocabulary |
|Descriptive |Greek and Latin Root Words |
|Autobiographical |Denotations |
|Narrative |Connotations |
|Poetry Analysis |Usage |
|Focus Content Area |Context Clues |
|Text Dependent Analysis | |
Grade Scale
A+ = 97 – 100 % B+ = 87 – 89 % C+ = 77 – 79 % D+ = 67 – 69 %
A = 93 – 96 % B = 83 – 86 % C = 73 – 76 % D = 63 – 66 %
A- = 90 – 92 % B- = 80 – 82 % C- = 70 – 72 % D- = 60 – 62 %
F = 00 – 59 %
Assignments: Missing, Incomplete, Excused, and Absent
Students are expected to complete all required work. Work will be graded according to the MTSD Grading Guidelines. A minimum of one week from the due date will be given for submitting Missing or Incomplete work. A penalty of no more than 10% may be deducted from the final graded assignment.
A missing assignment is one that has not been turned in on the due date. A missing assignment will appear as an “M” in the gradebook and will count as a zero until it is finished. A penalty may be assessed.
An incomplete assignment is one that has been only partially finished or done incorrectly and must be completed or revised before a grade can be assigned. Work will not be accepted that is illegible, directions not followed, etc. An Incomplete assignment will appear in the gradebook as an “I” and will count as a zero until it is finished. A penalty may be assessed.
An “EX” indicates that the assignment has been excused. If an assignment is marked as “EX”, the student does not need to complete the work. An excused assignment will not count for, nor against, the student’s grade.
When a student is absent and has not turned in their work, an “ABS” will appear in the gradebook. An “ABS” assignment is scored as a zero until it is finished. Absent students will be given make-up opportunities, without grade penalty, for all missed work. Missed work will need to be completed in a timely manner (equal to the length of time the student was absent). After the extended time a penalty may be assessed.
|M |Work is missing; counts as a zero until finished |
|I |Work is not finished; counts as a zero until finished |
|EX |Work is excused; does not need to be completed |
|C |Checked for completion; used to determine Effort Grade |
|NC or DNH |Not Completed (or Did Not Hand In); used to determine Effort Grade |
|ABS |Work has not been completed because the student was absent; must be made up; after three days the gradebook will convert to a |
| |“M” |
|‘Blank’ |Work is not yet graded; this will appear as a ‘+’ automatically in Sapphire |
Communication of missing work will be done through the community and parent portals.
Special Projects/Activities
|Research Paper |Poetry Project |Essays |
Retake/Resubmission Guidelines
• Resubmissions are limited to one per marking period.
• Resubmissions must be completed within a reasonable timeline determined by the teacher.
• A parent/student signature is required on the request for resubmission form.
• Students must meet with teacher to review improvement plan. The student and the teacher will agree upon this plan.
• Teachers reserve the right to give original, alternate, or specific sections of the assessment.
• Resubmissions will not be accepted during the last two weeks of any grading period.
Please Note: Academic Honesty requires that each student will submit his or her own work and will clearly identify any work that is not his or her own.
|Approximate Time Frame |
|Quarter 1 |Quarter 2 |Quarter 3 |Quarter 4 |
|Literary Terms and Devices |Poetry |A Midsummer Night’s Dream |Under the Persimmon Tree |
|Short Stories |The Diary of Anne Frank |The Hunger Games (Dystopian Novel) |Debate |
|Grammar |Research Paper and Speech | | |
|And Then There Were None | | | |
Required Reading/Text
A variety of texts will be used during the course, including: short stories, poetry, novels, drama, and nonfiction text.
|The Writer’s Craft |And Then There Were None |
|The Hunger Games (or similar Dystopian novel) |A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
|The Diary of Anne Frank |Under the Persimmon Tree |
Students will read a minimum of one independent book per month. Students should be reading a minimum of 30 minutes per night from an independently chosen book. During the course of a marking period, students need to be sure they have chosen at least one independent reading work of fiction and one independent reading work of nonfiction per semester.
An excellent list of recommended reading is available through the California Department of Education. Students are encouraged to consult the CDOE recommended literature list for middle school students (). When using the list, be sure to select the grade 6-8 dropdown menu under “Grade Level Span.” This list provides an excellent number of grade level appropriate books.
| Grammar |
|Subjects, Predicates, and Sentences |Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences |
|Subject and Verb Agreement |Phrases and Clauses |
|In depth study of Verbs |Parts of Speech |
|Punctuation |Writing assignments throughout |
|Poetry |
|Students will read a selection of poems that are middle school appropriate. Please consult Miss Fairchild or Mr. Robbins prior to |
|the poetry unit for specific selections. |
|Short Stories |
|Students will read a selection of middle school appropriate short stories throughout the year. Please consult Miss Fairchild or |
|Mr. Robbins if you have any questions. |
|Novels / Drama |
|The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins |The Diary of Anne Frank |
| | |
|Rationale |Rationale |
| | |
|This novel provides a springboard for the exploration of issues |Anne Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish |
|central to emerging adolescents today: love, survival, social |victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her |
|relationships, family relationships, citizens’ rights, equity, |writing, her diary has become one of the world’s most widely read|
|identity, intolerance, and the good/evils of technology |books, and has been the basis for several plays and films. This |
|advancement. Collins’s development of characters and depictions |work will act as a springboard into the Research Paper and Speech|
|of individuals with various perspectives on Katniss and her |Unit. |
|situation will encourage readers to think critically and | |
|analytically as they read, moving beyond typical characterization| |
|of society. In addition this novel offers further study of the | |
|utopian society first introduced by the 7th grade core novel, The| |
|Giver, by Lois Lowry. | |
| | |
|A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare |And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie |
| | |
|Rationale | |
| |Rationale |
|A Midsummer Night’s Dream is an introduction to Shakespeare. | |
|Students are introduced to the writing style offered by |This work is generally seen as one of the best mystery novels |
|Shakespeare. It also serves as a starting point for research |published. What are the clues in this mystery? What are the red|
|focusing on an author study. Elizabethan drama and poetic |herrings? The novel has many narrative books, the abrupt endings|
|elements are also a focus during the study of A Midsummer Night’s|in several of the chapters (and parts of chapters) that feature a|
|Dream. |shocking note or detail that compels the reader to keep reading. |
| |How the story is told is unique. As main characters are removed,|
| |the author changes tone, voice, and use of language. |
|Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Staples | |
| | |
|Rationale | |
| | |
|This work tells the story of two families in war-torn Afghanistan| |
|beginning a month after the September 11th attack. This book was| |
|chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as an example | |
|of a middle school “exemplar text” because of its complexity and | |
|high-level concepts. Under the Persimmon Tree gives students an | |
|opportunity to examine current events while providing the | |
|background necessary to explore an alternate culture. The book’s| |
|timing and relevance to today’s world is beyond reproach. | |
Requirements For Success
o Come to class prepared every day by reading the assigned material, completing the assigned homework and by participating.
o Write down any questions you may have as you complete your work.
o The handouts provided to you must be brought to class every day. Extra copies will be limited.
o If you have any questions, please contact us.
PA Core Standards (Grade 8)
|1.2: Reading Informational Text |Key Ideas and Details |
| |Craft and Structure |
| |Integration of Knowledge and Ideas |
| |Vocabulary Acquisition and Use |
| |Range of Reading and Text Complexity |
|1.3: Reading Literature |Key Ideas and Details |
| |Craft and Structure |
| |Integration of Knowledge and Ideas |
| |Vocabulary Acquisition and Use |
| |Range of Reading and Text Complexity |
|1.4: Writing |Informative / Explanatory Writing |
| |Opinion / Argumentative Writing |
| |Narrative Writing |
| |Response to Literature |
| |Production and Distribution of Writing |
| |Technology and Publication |
| |Conducting Research |
| |Credibility, Reliability, and Validity of Sources |
| |Range of Writing |
|1.5: Speaking and Listening |Comprehension and Collaboration |
| |Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas |
| |Integration of Knowledge and Ideas |
| |Conventions of Standard English |
Parents, if you have any questions or concerns throughout the school year, please feel free to contact your ELA teacher via email, fairchre@ or robbinsh@, or telephone the school at 717-560-3111.
Sincerely,
Becca Fairchild and Shawn Robbins
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Also, we send out weekly emails to parents so that you know what is going on in class. May we have your (PARENT) email address? Please write legibly. Thanks!!
Student Name: ________________________________________________________ Period ____
Email Address:
Parent/Guardian Signature: ______________________________________________
-----------------------
Teacher Contact:
Email: robbinsh@ Email: fairchre@
Phone: 717-560-3111, ext. 3473 Phone: 717-560-3111, ext. 3434
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