8th Grade Language Arts – Course Syllabus



Mrs. Anderson’s 8th Grade Language Arts Syllabus

Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School School Phone: (520)545-4900

5385 E. Littletown Rd. School Hours: 8:00am-3:30pm

Tucson, AZ 85756

|Mrs. Anderson |Procedures for Contacting Me: Parents and students are encouraged to contact me. Do not hesitate to |

| |contact me if you have any questions, concerns, ideas, or thoughts. Please, check my website first to |

|Room: A108 |see if your questions are answered. There is a “Contact Information” page that allows you to write to |

| |me. Email is by far the most efficient way to get hold of me. I check email several times per day and |

|Website: andersonweb. |try to respond before and after school, at lunch, and during my planning period. During class hours, I |

| |do not answer my phone, but feel free to leave a message and I will return your call as soon as I can. |

|E-mail: suzannea@ | |

|suteach@ |Face-to-Face Contact: To schedule a face-to-face conference, please contact me with your time and date |

| |preferences at least 24 hours in advance. I schedule conferences during my planning period times and |

|Classroom Phone: (520)545-4970 |before school from 7:30-8:00am. If these times do not work for you, I will work to accommodate you. |

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|Planning Period: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, | |

|2:23-3:25pm | |

|Wed., 12:33-1:15pm | |

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|Language Arts Course Description |

|In 8th grade Language Arts, instructional time will focus on developing reading comprehension and college preparatory writing skills. To achieve this, students will engage in |

|literacy strategies training them to read closely as they evaluate and integrate texts into their own writing with clear and coherent support. This will enhance their ability |

|to analyze world events and people around them, and prepare them for real world literacy and life experiences both now and in their future. |

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|What We Will Study |

|Language Arts: |

|Reading: Writing: |

|Close Reading Strategies Write arguments with valid reasoning and relevant evidence |

|Making Inferences Convey complex informative ideas clearly and accurately |

|Citing Textual Evidence Write detailed imaginative and real narratives |

|Analyzing individuals, events, and ideas Plan, revise, edit, and redevelop writings |

|Interpret words and phrases Use technology to interact, collaborate, and publish writing |

|Assess point of view’s affect Produce clear, coherent, and organized writing |

|Examine text structure and formats Gather evidence from various sources to conduct research |

|Evaluate support for arguments and claims Use literary and informational texts to support and analyze |

|Read and comprehend complex texts Write routinely |

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|Social Studies: |

|We will use the above Reading and Writing skills to learn about the following: |

|First quarter: Economics – foundation, microeconomics, macroeconomics, personal finance |

|Second Quarter: American Revolution and the US Constitution – the philosophies and practices that developed the US |

|Third Quarter: World War II and The Cold War – the causes, events, and impacts of these wars |

|Fourth Quarter: Postwar America, Civil Rights, and Contemporary Issues – human rights, middle east, and current events |

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|Cheating/Plagiarism |

|Cheating and/or plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in an automatic grade of zero. This includes copying homework, classwork, test answers, talking during a test |

|or quiz, allowing someone to copy your work, and trying to pass off someone else’s work as your own. We will have extensive lessons on what plagiarism is and how to avoid it |

|throughout the year. |

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|School Rules: |Negative Consequences: |

|Be the Three | |

|Respectful – Use kindness, compassion, and appropriate speech at all |Step One: Warning |

|times. |Step Two: In-Class Time Out/Logged in School Records – complete a written plan for improvement |

|Responsible – Stay focused and on task. Do it right the first time. |Step Three: Out-of-Class Time Out/Logged in School Records/Parent Contact – complete a written plan for|

|Take care of school and personal property. |improvement |

|Reliable – Be truthful, positive, and on time all the time. |Step Four: Referral to Administration/Logged in School Records/Administration determines consequence |

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|Classroom Rules: |SERIOUS OFFENSE: Immediate Referral to Office |

|The 5 Agreements | |

|1. Attentive Listening – Listen with your minds and ears to the |*Previous behavior in my and other classes may affect which step the student reaches on any given day. |

|teacher and classmates. | |

|2. Mutual Respect – Be kind to everyone. |*In addition, certain privileges (such as seat location, project choices, fun class activities, etc.) |

|3. Appreciation/No Put Downs – Use good manners and uplifting words. |may be limited for an individual due to their repeated poor choices. |

|4. Right to Pass – While your mind must always be involved, if sharing| |

|something makes you uneasy, please, tell me. |Positive Consequences: |

|5. Safety – Physical and emotional safety are necessary to learn. | |

| |Snake Bites Snake Bite Bucks Stickers Smile Contact Home Praise |

| |Extra Privileges |

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| |The best reward is a job well done! |

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|Late/Missing Work Policy |8th Grade Bell Schedule: |Grading Policy: |

| | |All of the assignments will fit into one of the following |

|I expect assignments to be turned in on their due dates. However, late|Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. |categories. The value of each category is shown. |

|work is always accepted for excused absences (sickness, fieldtrips, |1st: 8:13 – 8:52 | |

|etc.) and, if students talk to me before the due date, arrangements |2nd: 8:55 – 9:51 |Assessments - 40% |

|can be made for full credit. If a due date has passed students need to|3rd: 9:54 – 10:50 |Projects - 30% |

|talk to me on an individual basis to receive partial credit. No more |4th: 10:51 – 11:49 |Quizzes - 10% |

|than 70% will be given for any late assignments. |5th: 11:52 – 12:48 |Class Work - 10% |

| |Lunch: 12:51- 1:21 |Homework - 10% |

|Absent Work |6th: 1:24 – 2:20 |TOTAL – 100% |

|Any student that is absent for ANY reason, must make up the work from |7th: 2:23 – 3:25 | |

|their absence. First, check the website for what was done during the | | |

|absence. If worksheets were handed out, they can be found in the |Wed. | |

|“Absent Work” folders by my desk. Any specific questions should be |2nd: 8:13 – 8:57 |Grading Scale: |

|asked by email or in person before or after school. |3rd: 9:00 – 9:42 | |

| |4th: 9:45 – 10:27 |A = 90 - 100 |

| |5th: 10:30 – 11:12 |B = 80 - 89 |

| |Lunch: 11:15 – 11:45 |C = 70 - 79 |

| |6th: 11:48 – 12:30 |D = 60 - 69 |

| |7th: 12:33 – 1:15 |F = 0 - 59 |

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| |Suggested Supplies: |

|Homework Policy | |

| |Pencils |

|Language Arts: |Highlighters |

|Homework will be assigned Monday through Thursday and, on very rare occasions, Fridays. Students will be |Red Ink Pens |

|expected to read for 30 minutes each night (readings done for other subjects DOES count toward the 30 minutes).|Blue or Black Ink Pens |

|In addition, 2-sided worksheets will be handed out for completion by the following day. Work not finished in |Notebook (composition or spiral) |

|class, is to be finished at home by the due date for that assignment. |3-Ring Binder |

| |Dividers (1/class period) |

| |Flash Drive |

|Social Studies: |Folders (for paperwork) |

|Homework is rarely assigned and mainly consists of finishing assignments that were started in class. Make sure | |

|they are done by the due date! |Wish List: |

| |Kleenex |

| |Hand Sanitizer |

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