English 8
2006-2007 / September:

Pride/Integrity

How do people show pride and maintain integrity in difficult situations?
Probable Readings:
An Acquaintance With Darkness (Honors only)
40 Acres and Maybe A Mule
Among the Hidden
“Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad” (143)
“Drumbeats and Bullets” (197)
“Drummer Boy of Shiloh” (203)
Barbara Frietchie” (163)
“Gettysburg Address” (480)
“O Captain! My Captain!” (667)
Skills/Elements:
Characterization, Conflict, Plot, Symbolism, Paragraphing / ErnieDavisMiddle School
October:

TOLERANCE/ACCEPTANCE

How do people come to an acceptance of differences?
Probable Readings:
“Raymond’s Run” (547)
“Mrs. Flowers” (185)
“Treasure of Lemon Brown” (729)
“A Smart Cookie” (747)
“The Medicine Bag” (759)
“The Wise Old Woman” (5)
“Ribbons”(712)
“The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson” (782)
Skills/Elements:
Inference, Compare/Contrast, Plot, Formal Essay Format / November:

CHOICE/CHANGE

How do the choices people make
change themselves and the environment around them?
Probable Readings:
Novel Option: Oliver Twist or The Pearl
“The Monkey’s Paw” (85)
“The Landlady” (71)
“In Trouble” (251)
“The Third Wish” (101)
“Thanksgiving” (137)
Skills/Elements:
Theme development, Foreshadowing,
Irony, Further develop essay format, Multiple Choice Strategies, MOCK ELA EXAM / December:

FAIRNESS

How do people determine what is fair and what is unjust?
How can people justify their decisions?
Probable Readings:
“Poetry: Sound and Sense”
(Collection 6—615)
“Reading for life” (Collection 8—799)
Skills/Elements:
Figurative and Literal Language, Non-fiction interpretation
January (ELA MONTH):

COURAGE/SURVIVAL

How can education and knowledge act as resources for survival?
Probable Readings:
The Call of the Wild
“I Have a Dream” (483)
“Power of Non-Violence” (489)
“Home, Sweet Saddie” (180)
“The Green Mamba” (239)
“Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World” (331)
“The New Colossus” (493)
“Refugee in America” (496)
“The First Americans” (499)
“Coming to America” (506)
Skills/Elements:
Sensory Details; Imagery / February:

PERSPECTIVE

How does a person’s perspective affect his or her actions?
How can looking at a situation through the eyes of another enhance understanding?
Probable Readings:
Helen Keller
“The Circuit” (281)
“Brer Possum’s Dilemma (597)
“Brer Rabbit and Brer Lion” (575)
“The Open Window” (110)
“The Flying Machine” (303)
“The Fog Horn” (319)
Skills/Elements:
Irony, Point of View, Conflict; Tales, Fables, and Folk Tales / March:

JUSTIFICATION

How do people justify actions as appropriate or inappropriate?
Probable Readings:
“Charles” (473)
“The Tell-Tale Heart” (537)
“Ransom of Red Chief” (579)
“There Will Come Soft Rains” (266)
“Flowers for Algernon” (32)
Skills/Elements:
Tone, Mood; Research Skills
April:

HOPE/PERSEVERANCE

How is hope connected to survival?
Probable Readings:
The Giver
I am a Star
Baseball Saved Us
The Diary of Anne Frank (364)
“A Tragedy Revealed: A Heroine’s Last Day” (443)
“CampHarmony” (469)
“In Response to Executive Order 9066” (475)
“Refugee in America” (677)
“The People Could Fly” (357)
“Walking With Living Feet” (463)
Skills/Elements:
Theme, Compare/Contrast, Setting, / May:

INTERDEPEDENCE/DEPENDENCE

How can people maintain individuality while acting as part of a group?
Probable Readings:
The Outsiders
The Glory Field
“My Mother Pieced Quilts” (563)
“Sweater” (565)
Skills/Elements:
Characterization, Symbolism, Conflict, Plot, Theme, Protagonist/Antagonist / June:

RESOLUTION

How do people overcome conflicts?
Probable Readings:
Skills/Elements:
Review and Research

Mrs. Woolever’s Grading Policy

Homework assignments count 1x. The lowest homework grade is dropped. Homework may be turned in late, but the maximum grade given is 85.

Quizzes and in class assignments count 1x.

Unit Exams count 3x.

Writing assignments count AT LEAST 3x. Weight may vary based on the number of components involved and the amount of time we spend on it.

Class Projects count AT LEAST 3x (again, depending on components and time involved), and Notebook check counts 3X.

EACH OF THE ABOVE COMPONENTS ARE APPROXIMATELY 20% OF THE AVOERALL CLASS AVERAGE.