8th+Language+Arts

8th Grade English/Language Arts: 2013-2014 Derek Henson


 * Fall Semester:**

Summer Reading -- The NeverEnding Story
 * Theme Analysis

Overarching Questions:
 * Unit 1 – Identity:**
 * 1) Who am I?
 * 2) Who and/or what makes me who I am?

Novel – //Bless Me, Ultima --// Rudolfo Anaya, Grand Central Publishing, 1972 Short Story – “Shaving” -- Leslie Norris

Activities – Discussion, Tableaux, Chapter Summary, Reader Response Content – Imagery, Sensory Details, Conflict, Vocabulary, Participial Phrases Culminating Assessment – Personal Narrative and Expository Essay

Overarching Questions:
 * Unit 2 – Perspective:**
 * 1) What is your Personal Legend?
 * 2) How does your perspective shape your mindset?
 * 3) What influences your perspective?

Novel – //The Alchemist// -- Paolo Coehlo, Harper Collins, 1988 Poetry – I Am Poem, Poem for Two Voices

Activities – Discussion, Tableaux, Journey Map, Reader Response Journals, Sentence Combining Content – Symbols, Metaphors, Personification, Motif, Vocabulary Culminating Assessment – Perspective-Based Short Story, Expository Essay

Overarching Questions:
 * Unit 3 – Compare & Contrast Essay:**
 * 1) Why is it important to know how to make well-thought-out, mindful decisions?
 * 2) How do we do this?

Activities – Student-created rubric/criteria, Jigsaw, Discussion, Group Writing, Peer and Self Revision Content – Steps for comparing and contrasting, Parts of an Essay: Introduction, Thesis Statements, Topic Sentences, Paragraphs, Transitions, Conclusion Culminating Assessment – Compare & Contrast Essay

Overarching Questions:
 * Semester Project** – **Student-Created Children’s Book**
 * 1) What do I have to share with someone younger than me?
 * 2) How can my own experiences help someone else?
 * 3) How can I make a story out of those experiences?

Activities – Student-created children’s book, Group revision, Children’s book analysis, Personal experience quick-writes, Story Draft, Storyboard, Story Illustrations, Content – Audience, Purpose, Action Verbs, Dialogue Format, Active vs. Passive Voice, Onomatopoeia, Theme, Figurative Language, Conflict, Vocabulary Culminating Assessment – Published Children’s Book, On-Site reading at local pre-school, Expository Essay


 * Spring Semester:**

Overarching Questions:
 * Unit 4 – Truth and Certainty**:
 * 1) Can we ever be absolutely certain about anything?
 * 2) Whose version of the truth is the right one? How can we know?

Play – //Twelve Angry Men// -- Reginald Rose, Stage Version by Sherman L. Sergel, 1983, The Dramatic Publishing Company Video – Ted Talks: “The Dangers of Willful Blindness” – Margaret Heffernan; “On Being Wrong” – Kathryn Schulz

Activities – Discussion, Tableaux, Evidence Tracking, Character Sketches, Paragraph Structure Content – Characterization, Textual Evidence to support a claim, Vocabulary Culminating Assessment – Several individual, written paragraphs that establish claims and support them with evidence from several texts

Research Topics and Questions generated by the students
 * Unit 5 – Research Paper**

Activities –Student created information posters, Individual Research, Drafting, Partner and Self Revision Content – Direct Quotes, Paraphrasing, Summarizing, Using evidence for support, Distinguishing reliable from unreliable internet sources, Taking notes to aid writing, Making an outline, Parts of an Essay: Introduction, Thesis Statements, Topic Sentences, Paragraphs, Transitions, Conclusion, Vocabulary Culminating Assessment – 1200-word research paper

Overarching Questions created and chosen by students for this unit
 * Unit 6 – Poetry:**

Poetry – Various written and spoken word poems Song Lyrics – Student-selected song lyrics

Activities – Discussion, Poetry Analysis, Reader Response Writings, Student-created poems Content – Figurative Language, Imagery, Poetic Devices Culminating Assessment – Class-created poetry anthology, Poetry Reading

Overarching Questions:
 * Semester Project – Advertising Campaign**
 * 1) How does advertising influence us in our daily lives?
 * 2) Which types of advertisements are most effective? Why?
 * 3) How can we avoid being manipulated by advertisements?

Activities – Discussion, Advertisement analysis, Ad technique puzzle sheet, Student-created advertisements, Student-created survey, Survey data analysis Content – Audience, Purpose, Common advertising techniques, Creating survey questions, Vocabulary Culminating Assessment – Presentation on the effectiveness of their advertisements

** 8th Grade Language Arts Syllabus: 2012-2013 ** ** Mr. Dilworth ** ** Chinquapin Preparatory School **
 * Essential Questions **


 * How does writing help me to become a better communicator?
 * How can I communicate my ideas better through reading and writing?
 * How does vocabulary help me in my writing?

Unit One
 * Fall Semester **
 * Introduction **, Policies, Expectations, Review of Procedures
 * Warm-up Exercises **

“On Hope” “The Lottery” “A Wicked Boy” “The Bet” “The Ant and the Grasshopper” “The Ransom of Red Chief” “The Monkey’s Paw” And others TBA
 * Short Stories: **


 * Discussions, activities, review, vocabulary, elements of a short story, themes, etc.
 * Vocabulary: Cartoon vocabulary. Words are learned through mnemonics, associations


 * Graphic Novel ** : //Maus I//


 * Creating own ending through panels
 * Vocabulary
 * Summarizing chapters


 * Novel Study: **// The House on Mango Street //


 * Identifying figurative language
 * "My Name" writing assignment; learning how to write in the style of the author
 * Writing own vignettes
 * Vignette booklet assembled


 * Poetry **


 * Figurative language: similes, metaphors, personification
 * Various poems (TBA): look at style, elements, theme, etc.
 * Writing of various forms of poetry
 * Reading of poetry out loud
 * Video Project matching poem to images
 * // 101 Great American Poems //


 * Novel Study: **// Buried Onions //


 * Novel Study: **// The Chocolate War //


 * Activities, Projects: **
 * ** Short Story ** writing, in form of a picture book; **Comic Strip** writing (to express setting, conflict, characters, plot, resolution, climax, falling action, etc); **Compiling a** **Dictionary** of Vocabulary words – including pts. of speech, etymology, definitions, sentences, etc; **Graphic Novels;** **Similes & Metaphors** **Slide Show** exemplified through nature (with captions); **Public speaking; poetry recitations**; and others, TBA


 * Grading: **

Homework – 20% Participation – 10% Quizzes – 20% Tests, Projects, Papers, Compositions, Notebooks – 50%