Updated: 9/9/09 English 8 Course Outline i Course Purpose Materials Units Grades Late Work Missed Class? Find Mr. Stratton Purpose and Outline of the Course Eighth Grade English is designed to expand your thinking skills by focusing reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. English 8 perfects and extends the reading and writing skills learned in seventh grade. Most activities help you develop the skills of planning, teamwork and decision-making. In preparation for English 9, you will use an analytical approach to literature and also learn to organize and support ideas in an expository essay. You also are expected to read, on your own, at least one book each month, complete an activity and/or participate in a booktalk. Materials You Need for English Class — all year long Required Required Required Recommended 1.5- or 2-inch binder OR a folder for English work A sipral bound notebook and loose leaf paper Pens and pencils — a supply to last all year A flash or thumb drive to save computer work Units of Study in English Class Literature The Short Story — audio literature • Reading comprehension • Reading strategies • Literary elements • BRATS paragraph • Expository essay The Novel — Out of the Dust The Novel — A Long Way from Chicago Drama — 12 Angry Men Drama — Julius Caesar Drama — The Diary of Anne Frank Christensen Rhetoric Program Introduction to free modifiers and diagramming Ongoing Units & Lessons Independent Reading You can always expect poetry, non-fiction articles, vocabulary and focused research to be part of all major units. Moreover, in the first half of the year, you can also expect a good deal of instruction and practice in reading and writing in preparation for the January New York State ELA Exam. Your Grade in English Class Grading: Your grade will be based on your tests, projects, presentations, quizzes, homework, essays, and other major and minor writing assignments. Each assignment is given a point value on a case by case basis, and I will tell you how much each assignment is worth when I assign it. You can also check the Homework page of myenglishclass.us to find out an assignment's point value. i Lowest Grades Dropped: At least one homework grade will be dropped each marking period. Typical English Class Assignment Values: i • Homework: 5-10 points • Quizzes: 10-30 points • Minor Writing Assignments: 10-30 points • Tests: 30-60 points • Projects and Portfolios: 25-75 points • Presentations: 20-50 points • Essays: 30-36 points • Major Writing Assignments: 30-72 points What's My Grade? Let's say in a given marking period that you earned 246 points out of a possible 300. Dividing 246 by 300 gives you your grade: 0.82 or 82 percent. Late Work in English Class • LATE WORK WILL NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY in English class. • Late work is discounted 10% each day it is not turned in. • After the third day, the assignment becomes a ZERO. • Some assignments are one time awards, meaning that if you do not complete the assignmente on time, it becomes a zero that day. • No excuses will be accepted for late work. • Check the Homework page for weekly assignments. Absent from Class for Some Reason? • If you miss class for any reason, you are responsible for the work you miss. • Always come to class before going to music lessons or leaving school and ask for your assignment. • Missing class for a reason other than illness does not mean you can't do the homework. • If you miss class Wednesday because of a dentist appointment, for instance, you are still responsible for work due Thursday. Remember that Wednesday's task was assigned on Monday — the day the assignment sheet was handed out. The "I wasn't here" excuse doesn't apply in cases like these. • If you are unsure about an assignment, check the Homework page. • Good students are responsible and resourceful, which means they know how to find what they're looking for and then they take care of business once they've found it. You can get what you want if you can navigate this site. • If you are home sick from school, you have three days to make up missed work. This is your reminder. Find Mr. Stratton During the School Day - Period 1 — Rm. 230 or library/lab - Period 4 Odd Days — Rm. 207 or library/lab - Period 4 Even Days — Rm. 230 - Period 9 Odd Days —Rm. 207 or library/lab - Period 9 Even Days— Rm. 230 or fitness center - Telephone — 642-8351 - Email Mr. Stratton from this site or sstratton@nvcs.stier.org - After school appointments can easily be set up as well.