The students are currently working on the following standards, skills, and activities. This list can take several days or weeks to complete. The students' learning pace and mastery of the skills determine how long standards/skills and activities are taught. The majority of the language arts standards/skills are taught in a prerequisite manner. Prerequisite simply means that a student must master/learn certain skills before they can move on to master others.
STANDARD(S)
-See 8th Grade Language Arts Georgia Performance Standards http://www.georgiastandards.org/index.aspx
-CRCT Practice Site: WWW.linkstolearning (user name: ga, password: temp)
WRITING
During the next few months, the class will be learning to write expository and persuasive writing pieces. Students will take a writing test in January. Your student will write a persuasive or expository essay that either meets or exceeds expectations. Learning to write correctly takes practice and time. Most assignments will be completed in class; however, they may occasionally have a homework assignment to reinforce a skill or in preparation for an upcoming activity. (See also grammar)
The following writing activities are used to teach, enhance, and prepare students for writing.
Writing Activity #1: A Strong Vocabulary Builds Writing Skills’ is an idea geared toward increasing students' writing skills and writing scores. The lack of a strong and varied vocabulary can have a profound affect on how well the student communicates at his or her expected grade level. Students are assigned fifteen spelling words on Monday; the student is required to use at least eight of the fifteen assigned spelling words when completing writing activity two. The student may change the form of the words by using prefixes and suffixes.
Writing Activity #2: The Students will practice writing a three or five paragraph essay and to include a thesis statement, supportive sentences and at least eight of the fifteen spelling words.
*******************SPELLING**************
Spelling words are issued every Monday, unless other wised announced in class (NO EXCEPTIONS). If school is closed on a Monday, then the word list will be distributed on Tuesday. The spelling test will be given every Friday (ALWAYS, UNLESS ANNOUNCED IN CLASS). Students will also be tested on the definition of each word. Students who are absent on the day of the test, should be prepared to take the spelling and vocabulary test on the day they return to school. Students are expected to spell and define each spelling word.
*Spelling will resume on Monday, November 30, 2009. Spelling words will be issued. Spelling homework is due on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 and the spelling test will be on Friday, December 4, 2009.
Grammar skills being taught
CHAPTER 6: 'The Clause' (Independent Clauses and Subordinate
Topics Discussed: (1) Independent Clauses and Subordinate Clauses, Adjective Clause, and Adverb Clause, (2) The Four Basic Sentence Structures/Type: simple, compound, complex, and compound -complex.
CHAPTER 14 'Punctuation' (End Marks, Commas, Semicolons, and Colons)
******Additional Grammar, Writing, Literature and Reading Skills are being taught and reinforced through literature stories, Writing activities, and grammar activities
NOTE*Students are learning to write and identify the components of expository and persuasive pieces
NOTE*Reading Skills are taught and reinforced through the literature book.
NOTE*Reading Comprehension and vocabulary development is enhanced through the AR (Accelerated Reading) Program and Literature stories and activities
LITERATURE LESSONS
Stories from the literature book are read as a whole class or independently. All literature activities are evaluated using several post testing instruments.
On-going Story: Check with your student to find out what story is being read in class. Students may be assigned to read a story in advance.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
Homework is assigned to assist students in preparing for tests and developing skills. Spelling homework is due no later than Thursday. Any Spelling homework submitted on Friday, will receive a grade of 50%. All other homework is due on the day announced in class. Students are encouraged to complete their spelling homework on the day the words are distributed. The homework is designed to help the student prepare for the spelling vocabulary test on Friday.
***Weekly Spelling Assignment...Write three synonyms (words that mean the same) for each spelling word and at least two-three antonyms (opposite word) for each word. Spelling homework is due the following day (Tues). The homework will not be accepted after Friday of that week.
GRAMMAR HOMEWORK
Grammar homework will be assigned throughout the week. I cannot give you or the student a specific date for the assignment. Grammar homework is assigned after a skill(s) has been introduced, taught, and practiced in class. Grammar workbook pages are distributed sporadically or when the direct teaching of a skill is completed. Asking your student if he/she has more than spelling homework to study or complete will ensure that the student completes the assigned homework tasks. Grammar Homework may include but is not limited to pages from the grammar workbook and writing activities. Students who do not complete the assigned grammar book pages should always bring the incomplete assignment to class. Students who choose not to bring an incomplete grammar sheet to class will miss the opportunity to practice an important skill.
GRADING POLICY
The Muscogee County School System is Grading Policy: A=100-90, B=89-80, C=79-70, F=69-0
Grades are weighted according to the following scale
-Grammar Assignments/Activities: 20%
-Writing Assignments/Activities: 15%
-Literature Assignment/Activities: 20%
-Spelling Assignment/Activities: 20%
-Homework Assignment/Activities: 10%
-AR The # of books Read 10%
-AR the % Correct 5%
Total: 100%
Graded Papers
Students are given their graded papers when they are finished being graded. Students are encouraged to share their papers with a parent(s) or guardian. You can gather a great deal of information about your child's academic ability, work habits, classroom performance, and study habits by reviewing the student's work. I encourage parents to use the graded papers as a way of helping the student make better grades. Using the graded papers to punish a student before giving assistance, is inappropriate and does not work most of the time. You can help your student by having him/her correct the items he /she missed on the graded paper. Having the student correct or redo missed items will help you discover the student's weaknesses and strengths. The parent will discover if the student is in need of parental assistance, tutoring, encouragement, or acting irresponsible.
********Useful Parent Information***********
Accelerated Reading (AR)
Students should be reading for 30-45 minutes each night. All students should have at least two AR Books. (Please monitor your student's reading habits and make sure they are meeting the required reading goal. Students are required to read a minimum of four AR books during the Second Nine Week grading period. Beginning October 26 only chapter books leveled at 5.5 and above can be used toward a student's AR goal. Sports, hip-hop, and books below 5.5 are not counted toward the student's AR goal. Students are encouraged to read AR books that satisfy the required AR goal before reading for pleasure. Books can also be checked out from the public library. If a student takes an AR test on a book that does not meet the requirements of the AR program, the book will be deleted from the student's final Nine Week AR report. AR counts 15% of the student's Language Arts grade. The student must make 80% on the AR test.
Please expect and continue to encourage your student to do his/her best in school.
ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE, ENCOURAGE,
MONITOR, MONITOR, MONITOR,
ASSIST, ASSIST, ASSIST, ASSIST, ASSIST,
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