Contact Information: Mrs. Lisa Jenkins 8 th grade Language A(rts) Email:...

Contact Information:Mrs. Lisa Jenkins8th grade Language A(rts)

Email: ljenkins@lps.k12.co.us

First Semester (Evolving) Guiding Questions

-Living Author Study (letter writing)-Business Letter-Memoir -The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

**Writer’s Autobiography**Self-selected pieces

How do we communicate?

Why am I the way I am?How do preconceived notions affect our own lives?

Second Semester (Evolving) Guiding Questions

-Technical (How-to) Paper-Poetry-55 Fiction-To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee**Self-selected pieces

Why do we write?How do I judge creativity?Does structure help or hinder my life?To what extent do society's attitudes impact the way we think and act?

Responses to Guiding Question:How can our own preconceived notions affect our own lives?

“Although most of the time we don’t mean to do this, we make preconceived notions, or in other words we jump to conclusions about almost every new person we meet.”

“The world is always connecting people to certain expectations and categories.” “All throughout history you can find something about people or a group of

people dishonoring the human dignity that everyone has.” “We judge people by what we see on the outside, what they dress like, what

they act like, who they hang out with, we all have preconceived notions about everyone.”

“I hear a lot of people say when someone looks at you; you are representing who you are. Appearances affect our opinions but they can be different then the image they have.”

Preconceived notions are a lazy way for the mind not to interact with others.

Grades/Feedback for language arts will be based on the following:

• Writer’s Notebook (10%)FOCUS: Practice portion of class

• Content (14%)FOCUS: Ideas, voice and organization in writing.

• Style and Language Usage(13%) FOCUS: conventions, word choice and fluency.

•Organization (13%) FOCUS: writing for the appropriate genre, audience and context.

Writing is the heart and cornerstone of our class.

Comprehension and Skills (25%)FOCUS: Quizzes, tests, skills workbook, electronic communication

Reading Counts(15%)FOCUS: Student goals for the Reading Counts Program

Work Habits (10%)FOCUS: Non academic items-responsibility, meeting deadlines, completion.

Writing Maintain Writer’s

Notebook Develop two pieces of

writing every six weeks (Electronic Portfolio)

Share writing with others Various genres On line activities

Reading Complete reading

responses 3-5 nights a week

Read prepared Socratic Seminar literature for discussion

Follow assigned chapters for class novels

Read connecting Literature book pieces

Based on students lexile scores (MAPS data)

A reading range is 50 above and 100 below the lexile score

Students take an electronic quiz to earn points or complete a book goal

Students may take a quiz 2 times Students must have an 80% or better to

earn credit for the book selected

Individual reports for students and teachers

Individualized book lists based on a student’s reading interests

Ability to set book goals or point goals for each student

Opportunities for students/teachers to create tests

Please visit my web site for more information!