8th Grade Advanced Learning Language Arts
Third Quarter
Miss Rothschild
(770) 819-2438 ext.460
E-mail:
Conferences scheduled upon request
Grading Scale
Class work/homework25%
Writing assignments/ quizzes25%
Reading logs/ projects15%
Tests35%
Text:Night, by Elie Wiesel
Content Overview
This quarter, students will continue to work on developing their vocabulary skills, focusing on synonyms and antonyms, analogies, and context clues to help in preparation for the SAT in high school.
Students will be engaged in several short writing tasks as well as longer writing assignments. Just like reading, writing is a skill that must be practiced and refined. Goals for this quarter include creating strong introductions and conclusions, using elaboration and extension to support main ideas, and using varied sentences to craft better paragraphs, and ultimately, better essays.
This semester, students will be working on a lengthy research-based project which will focus on modern-day atrocities. Using Night as the foundation for the project, we will be studying the past (The Holocaust) and connecting it to the present-day human rights’ atrocities. Through research, students will learn the cause(s) of the human rights’ atrocities and who is involved, and research the country in which the violations exist, such as political climate, leadership, inequities, religions, travel options, and danger level for visitors. The project will have two components- the group component and the individual component. More detailed information and due dates will be sent home after the Middle Grades Writing Assessment.
Expectations
Communication is the backbone of a good teacher/ student/ parent relationship. Not only do you need to know if your child is struggling with a particular topic or concept, but you also want to know when your child is having success. You will receive a progress report to sign every two weeks. At this time, please review your child’s language arts assignments to see how this grade was earned. Progress reports are sent home every two weeks. Except for the mid-term progress report, students whose grade is an 85 or higher do not need to have their progress reports signed. However, for students whose grade is below an 85, progress reports must be signed and returned within two days of receiving the progress report. All mid-term progress reports must be signed and returned regardless of the student’s grade.
It is important to look over progress reports when they are sent because they are of a timely nature. It is the student’s responsibility to return the progress report on time! Please understand that Miss Rothschild needs to have the physical progress report signed as a protection for both your child and her. If the progress report gets lost, you may print one from I-Parent and sign it. Consequences, such as detention, may be assigned if your child does not return the progress report.
Progress Reports will be sent on the following dates:
Friday, January 23Due Tuesday, January 27
Friday, February 6Due Tuesday, February 10
Friday, February 20Due Tuesday, February 24
Late Work/ Makeup Work
Homework must be turned in at the beginning of the period on the day it is due. Assignments left in lockers, at home, on the bus, or anywhere else are still considered late. Students will not be allowed to call home for assignments, nor will students be given a locker pass to retrieve assignments. Major projects are always due on the assigned date, even if the student is absent. If there is an extreme emergency, please contact Miss Rothschild and make an alternative arrangement. Computer problems do not constitute extreme emergencies.
8th grade students are expected to turn in their homework/ classwork on time. However, classwork/homework will be accepted one day late with a 35% point penalty.
Late passes will not be accepted on major projects/writing assignments. Since writing assignments and projects are long-term projects, there should be no reason for those assignments to be late.
Students are allowed one day only per excused absent day to make up assignments. It is the students’ responsibility to get make up work. An up-to-date agenda is available for students, or they may check the agenda at the blog:
Any quizzes or tests missed should be made up before or after school or by arrangement by parent and teacher so students do not miss any additional instruction. Upon returning to school, students have a maximum of three days to make up quizzes or tests.
Reading Logs
Students are expected to read for a minimum of two hours per week, outside of school. They are to complete a reading log with specific information that was given to the students at the beginning of the year. Students may turn in logs early, but they may not be turned in late. If a reading log is not signed, then it is not complete and will not be accepted. Students know in advance the due dates, and they are reminded in class each week so they should be able to turn in their logs in a timely manner. At the end of the nine weeks, students will be allowed to complete either one extra credit reading log (if all eight have been completed and turned in on time) or one make-up reading log. This is a change from the first semester. Due dates are as follows:
#1Thursday, January 15
#2Thursday, January 22
#3Thursday, January 29
#4Thursday, February 5
#5Thursday, February 12
#6Thursday, February 19
#7Thursday, February 26
#8Thursday, March 5
Make up/ Extra Credit reading log due Thursday, March 5.
Due to the end of the grading period, no reading logs will be accepted after Thursday, March 5.
Academic Honesty
Students are expected to earn grades honestly. Cheating will not be tolerated. Any occasion of academic dishonesty will result in a zero for the assignment, as well as any disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, copying another student’s work, allowing another student to copy your work, receiving answers prior to a test, using a “cheat sheet” without expressed consent from the teacher (a written sheet of answers or notes), downloading essays off the internet, and/or plagiarizing (copying another person’s work without acknowledgement of source).
Advanced Content Program
Advanced Content Program: The curriculum and instructional strategies for this course are differentiated in content, pacing, process skills emphasis, and expectation of student outcomes from the regular Language Arts course. Curriculum content has been designed for mastery and extension, of state and district content standards. The course is appropriate for students who have high achievement and interest in Language Arts. The district has established criteria and guidelines that identify these students. Students are placed in this class according to specified indicators of demonstrated exceptional ability and motivation. Students must meet continuation criteria to remain in this class. (80% average)
**Please remember that students are expected to complete their assignments in dark blue or black ink. Class work/ homework/essays completed in pencil will receive a point deduction.**
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