8th Grade ELAR Pre-AP Syllabus

Rogers Middle School

Teacher:Christopher Ashlock

Room #:815

E-mail:

Phone:469-219-2150, ext. 71271

Tutorials: W 3:30-4:00PM

Objectives

Our goal is to promote literacy by encouraging students to become thoughtful and confident readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and viewers of various media. Our hope is that students enjoy writing, develop a lifelong love of reading, experience a variety of genres, and utilize both reading and writing to overcome challenges and achieve goals.

Methods of Instruction

Since students construct knowledge in multiple ways, we embrace a variety of teaching methods, including oral and silent reading, independent writing, discussion, lecture, individual assignments, and group activities. Within one lesson, we might integrate any and/or all of these.

Primary Texts

  • Crane, Stephen, and Paul Sorrentino.The Red Badge of Courage. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP, 2009. Print.
  • Wiesel, Elie, and Marion Wiesel. Night. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, a Division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006. Print.
  • Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.

Brief Overview of Each Nine Weeks

  • First Nine Weeks: “The Challenges of Heroism.” The primary text for this unit will be The Red Badge of Courage, but students will also read a variety of poetry, drama, fiction, and expository texts.
  • Second Nine Weeks: “Real-life Challenges.” Students will read a variety of poetry, literary nonfiction, culture/history, expository, and persuasive texts.
  • Third Nine Weeks: “Voices and Challenges.” The primary text for this unit will be Night; however, students will be also read poetry, literary nonfiction, culture/history, expository, procedural, andmedia texts in order to make personal and world connections within and across different contexts and genres.
  • 4th Nine Weeks: “The Challenge of Comedy.” The primary text for this unit will be Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. In addition, students will investigate how life continues to grow more complex and challenging by demonstrating critical thinking through close reading and substantive communication in poetry, drama, culture/history, and media texts in order to make personal and world connections within and across different contexts and genres.

Ongoing Assignments

  • Students will read a book of their choice each nine weeks in addition to the in-class novels and plays. For evaluation, students will write an essay based on an AP Literature Exam open question that suits their novel.
  • Students will write at least one fully processed essay each nine weeks. This means students will formulate a thoughtful and organized piece of writing that incorporates the five stages of writing (pre-write, first draft, revise, edit, and publish). These essays will count as Major Grade each nine weeks.
  • Students will respond often to timed essay prompts
  • Students will be assigned projects and/or presentations that may be completed either individually, with a partner, or in groups. This decision is not left up to the student, but rather the Pre-AP team.

Grading and Evaluation

All student projects, presentations, process (multi-draft) papers, and timed writings will be evaluated using scoring guides or rubrics that target specific objectives. Sometimes the teacher will evaluate students work; at other times, the students will receive commentary and feedback form other students and/or parents. Occasionally, the student will be asked to evaluate his or her own work with aid of a rubric.

Please keep in mind that some assignments and activities won’t be graded at all. Students will often practice necessary skills in a non-graded structure, freeing them to concentrate on the learning experience itself.

Prosper ISD uses the following grading system.

A= 90-100

B= 80-89

C= 70-79

D =60-69

F= 59 or below

Grade Weight Categories:

Minor grades (Formative: class work, quiz, homework) – 40%

Major Grades (Summative: Test, projects, presentations) – 60%

Late Work Policy

On-Level / Pre-AP/ GT
1 day late / 70* / 70*
2 days late / 50* / 0
3 days late / 0

*Please note this is the highest grade possible. Missed content will need to be deducted from this grade.

Makeup work:

*Please refer to the Rogers Student Handbook (pg.50)