Literature and

eighth grade LANGU AGE arts

1

Mrs. Jen White

Room: 204
E-Mail:

jwhite@holycrossbatavia.org

Materials
Needed

Blue Mead or
Comparable 3 Subject
Notebook for ISNCollege Ruled
Composition Notebook
Glue or Tape
Post-It Notes
Looseleaf PaperCollege Ruled
Highlighters
Pens/Pencils
Colored Pencils/
Markers

Grading Scale
93% - 100% = A
85% - 92% = B
76% - 84% = C
70% - 75% = D
0% - 69% = F

Scholastic Online
Order Code:

GNXDM

LEARNING NEVER EXHAUSTS THE MIND. -LEONARDO DA VINCI

This Year in Class

The goal of the 8th Grade Literature/Language Arts course is to

provide a rigorous curriculum that will enhance and develop skills
and concepts in the areas of writing, reading, grammar, and
communication. Students will do this through a variety of activities
including analysis of text, writing workshop, and socratic seminar.

Grading
All grades will be taken from assessments given within the
classroom, as well as periodic notebook checks for
understanding.
I believe that learning can only come from continued practice
and growth.
Students will ALWAYS have an opportunity to resubmit work
or retake a test they have done in class for a higher grade.
Students will be required to retest if they score below 85%
When students are asked to resubmit work I ask that they
carefully consider the comments and edit to achieve their
best possible work.

ABSENCES

When students are absent, it is the responsibility of the

student to check for work they have missed, and to turn
in any absent work within a timely manner.
There is a spiral in the room where information about
missing work is placed.
Students are expected to regularly check the class website
for assignments.

FOLLOW
THE
R
Be Kind U
L
E
S
Mrs. Whites #1 Rule:

All rules listed in the

student handbook will
be enforced within
the classroom.

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bE ThE BeSt
VeRsIoN oF
YoUrSeLf
-MaTtHeW KeLlY
Areas to be
Studied

Reading Fiction and Non-Fiction

Skills, Novel Studies, Speech/
Communication, Independent
Reading, Grammar, Narrative
Writing, Informative/Expository
Writing, Argumentative Writing,
Vocabulary, and Word Study

mIsSiNg WoRk aNd HoMeWoRk

Students will not have the option to not do work in class.
Students will fill out a No Assignment Form for all missing work, and will be held accountable for turning in the missing
assignment.
If a student does not complete an assignment, they may be asked to do more in addition to what was asked of them.
The purpose of homework is to practice a skill we have learned, or are currently mastering in class.
In addition to weekly vocabulary homework, students will be expected to be independently reading on a consistent basis,
completing annotation of the Article of the Week, and completing any assignments not finished during the time given in class.

Interactive Student Notebooks

Interactive Student Notebooks allow students to record information about the subject in
an engaging way. As students learn new ideas, they use several types of writing and
innovative graphic techniques to record and process them.

STUDENTS USE BOTH THEIR VISUAL AND LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCES

The interactive student notebook allows visual learners to use their best medium to explore and
share ideas, and encourages non-visual learners to become more proficient with graphic
approaches in a nonthreatening way. Both types of learners will work with their writing skills, while
learning valuable note taking strategies.

NOTE TAKING BECOMES AN ACTIVE PROCESS

These notebooks invite students to become engaged in their learning. Students will spend some
time passively recording ideas from a lecture or the board, but most of their time doing something
with ideas-putting them into their own words, searching for implication or assumptions,
transforming words into visuals, finding the main point of a political cartoon, etc. These notes are
then utilized for studying and demonstrating learning.

NOTEBOOKS HELP STUDENTS TO SYSTEMATICALLY ORGANIZE AS THEY LEARN

With the teachers encouragement, students can use their notebooks to record ideas about every
activity they engage in during a unit. A variety of organization techniques are used-topic headings,
colored highlights, different writing styles-to synthesize concepts and make coherence of what
they learn. The notebook permits assignments to be kept together in a regular place and in logical
order.

NOTEBOOKS BECOME A PORTFOLIO OF INDIVIDUAL LEARNING

These personal, creative notebooks become a record of each students growth. The teacher,
students, and even parents can review a students progress in writing, illustrating, recording,
thinking, and organization skills.