Ms. Mastley

8th Grade Language Arts

WELCOME!!  2011-2012 will be a great year in language arts!

Please check this blog for regular updates on class assignments, homework, and school announcements.

 

Directions for accessing our online literature books:  

www.classzone.com

1.  Middle School Language Arts, click Georgia, Find Book

2.  8th grade McDougal-Littel Literature (Green)

3.  Bottom left of screen, click "online" book:  click continue

4.  Create student account

5.  Activation Code:  3532040  30

6.  Create your own user name and password

 www.phschool.com

1.  Enter webcode:  euk-1001

2.  Choose the 8th grade version Reader's Journey (Red)

Week of 1/30/12

Monday-

• Finish "Flowers for Algernon" in Green Lit Book
• Complete Comprehension Questions
• Daily Oral Language with an excerpt from "Flowers for Algernon"
• No Homework

Tuesday-

• Introduction to Research with Parenthetical or Internal Citation
• Students will have a writing activity (one paragraph) where they will respond to a prompt relating to "Flowers for Algernon." They will be required to include supporting documentation from the story with correct citations and formatting.
• No Homework

Wednesday-

• Distribute and review Notes on Citing Sources-Students will learn to cite for both books and websites
• Practice Source Cards
• Finish Algernon Paragraphs
• No Homework

Thursday-

• Technology Assessment-all 8th graders will take this asseessment over two 45-50 minute periods in LArts classes
• No Homework

Friday-

• See Thursday 
• No Homework

 

 

 

Week of 1/23/12

This week we are taking a break from essay writing.  Students are introduced to the three types of irony: situational, verbal, and dramatic as we read O. Henry's "Ransom of Red Chief."  We will spend several days reading and discussing excerpts from "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes.  In this science fiction story, a mentally disabled man has surgery to increase his intelligence and then loses it.  To begin our Research and Technical Writing unit, students will learn how to use internal citation in their writing.  At the end of the week, students will have a writing activity where they will respond to a prompt pertaining to "Flowers for Algernon."  They will be required to include supporting documentation from the story with correct citations and formatting. 

Week of 1/17/12

The week has finally arrived!  Studentsin 8th grade will take the Middle Grades Writing Assessment on Wednesday morning 1/18.  On Tuesday, we will spend our final day reviewing for the assessment by looking at student samples from previous writing assessment years.  The State Dept. of Education website has sample scored essays that we will analyze for persuasive and expository elements.  Students will gain a better understanding of how essays will be scored.  Wednesday, after the Writing Assessment, 8th grade students will be treated with an informative social studies presentation and guest speaker.  Thursday and Friday we will be discussing "irony" and reading "Ransom of Red Chief" by O Henry.  Friday we will also have a quiz over Compound Sentences.  Students should be able to identify an independent clause, the coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS), and the comma rule associated with compound sentences.  They will be expected to identify simple and compound sentences and to create compound sentences.

Week of 1/10/12

Happy New Year!!  We will be spending this week in review.  Students will view a powerpoint over the Writing Assessment-rules and what to expect.  I hope this helps them feel more prepared and less anxious about it.  We will be reviewing both Expository and Persuasive Writing since these will be the focus of the Writing Assessment next week.  We will practice writing the components of an essay again (introduction, body paragraph, and concluding paragraph) to help refresh memories.  We will also revisit sentence structure this week reviewing simple and compound sentences.  I am encouraging students to do the best they can on the Writing Assessment, but not to worry over it.  (Remember, the outcome does not affect advancement to high school.)  For your planning purposes, the 8th grade Writing Assessment will be administered Wednesday morning the 18th.     

Week of December 19th

This is a short week with students beginning their holiday break on Friday!  We will be finishing our persuasive timed writing in the early part of the week.  As we prepare to take the state mandated Writing Assessment on Jan. 18th, the purpose is to give the students more experience in having to produce a composition under timed circumstances.  I am allowing some extra time for those who have a special accommodation.  The essay will count as a test grade.  Wednesday, the 21st, is our quarterly Special Activity for students who have met the 85% standard for appropriate classroom behavior and work performance this 9 weeks!!  Thursday, the 22nd, is our school's annual Dodgen Gives Back day with the much anticipated afternoon holiday party.  Students will be meeting with their first and fifth periods only this last day of classes.  

Enjoy your families and your time off during the holiday break! 

Week of 12/12/11

Monday-

• "Commercial Dig" homework is due at the beginning of class
• Persuasive Technique Quiz-Ethos, Pathos, Logos
• View sample Persuasive Paragraphs on overhead
• For Per. 2-Finish p. 1017-1018 Green Lit Book (Analyze essay for the Persuasive Essay Elements)
• For Per. 7-Complete worksheet on Compound & Simple sentences
• No Homework

Tuesday-

• Introduce students to candy paragraph assignment
• Discuss and consider qualities of each candy being compared
• Create list of pros and cons for each candy
• Begin to complete graphic organizer for "the best" candy paragraph
• No Homework

Wednesday-

• Finish organizer for Persuasive Paragraph
• Create draft paragraph
• Revise and Edit
• HOMEWORK-Copy or type paragraph final draft for tomorrow

Thursday-

• Begin Persuasive Essay-Timed Writing
• Students will be given Prompts to choose from
• Brainstorm and Pre-write-a graphic organizer will be provided
• No Homework

Friday-

• Persuasive Timed Writing continues
• Students will finish pre-write and begin a rough draft
• No Homework

Note that the Timed Writing will continue next week with Revision and Editing and typing a Final Draft. 

 

 

 

 

 

Week of 12/5/11

Monday-

Per. 2

• Finish Fighting Ground Test
• Turn in Fighting Ground Notes for classwork grade
• Grammar Workbook p. 15 with a partner-Compound subjects and predicates
• No Homework

Per. 7

• Journal Warm-Up
• Grammar Workbook p. 15 with a partner-Compound subjects and predicates
• Worksheet #66 Compound Sentences
• No Homework

Tuesday-

• Introduction to Persuasive Writing
• View video introducing the techniques pathos, logos, ethos
• Distribute and discuss Persuasive Technique notes
• Grammar Workbook p. 151-Compound Sentences
• No Homework

Wednesday-

• Magazine Ad activity-Analyze ads for Persuasive Techniques used
• Green Lit Book p. 963 & 965-Read and discuss Persuasive Techniques applied in writing samples
• HOMEWORK-Commercial Dig Form (Students view commercials at home and identify Persuasive Techniques used on TV.) Due MONDAY

Thursday-

• Journal Warm-Up
• Distribute and discuss notes on writing a Persuasive Essay-Students are introduced to required components of the Persuasive Essay to include claim, concession, rebuttal, and call to action
• Green Lit Book-p. 1017-1018-Read and analyze for proper persuasive essay format
• HOMEWORK-Continue working on Commercial Dig

Friday-

• Quiz over Persuasive Techniques (Ethos, Logos, Pathos) NOTE:This is postponed until Monday.

• Review Compound Sentences-Complete teacher made worksheet together
• Students create Compound Sentence Chains
• HOMEWORK-Continue to work on Commercial Dig

Week of November 28th

Periods 2 & 7

We will be finishing the novel The Fighting Ground this week.  The final test is planned for Friday, 12/2/11.  Students have notes and comprehension questions/answers they may use to study from.  On Thursday, 12/1/11, students will take the county Checkpoint assessment in Language Arts.  Although this is a mandated test, students will not be graded and scores will not be used for grade promotion.  Other than studying for the test Friday, there is no planned homework this week.

Coming up next week:  Persuasive Writing, Clauses & Phrases, and a review of Compound Subjects, Compound Predicates and Compound Sentences.

Week of November 14th

Periods 2 and 7

We are continuing with the reading of "The Fighting Ground" by Avi.  Each day this week, students will listen to an audio version of the book as they follow along in the novel.  Each section of the book will be discussed in class.  Students will take notes on the main characters and main events taking place in the book.  Additionally, they will be required to answer comprehension questions for each section covered.  Answers will be reviewed in class, so that students may use these questions as a study tool.

Remember-No School next week.  Thanksgiving Break!  Enjoy your time together as a family!   

Week of 11/7/11

Monday-

• Last day to Finish Timed Expository Essay
• No Homework

Tuesday-

• Election Day-NO SCHOOL for students!

Wednesday-

• Warm-Up by finishing workbook p. 14-Compound Subjects and Predicates
• Begin the social studies novel alternative:  The Fighting Ground by Avi.  Our wonderful PTA provided the funds to purchase a class set of these books.  The story is a minute by minute account in the day of the life of a 13 year old boy who has gone to fight in the Revolutionary War.
• No Homework

Thursday-

• Distribute and Discuss Character Review sheet
• Answer Comprehension Questions from pp.3-15
• Read pp.16-27
• No Homework

Friday-

• Copy Character Notes through p.27
• Answer Comprehension Questions form pp.16-27
• Read pp.28-41
• No Homework

Note to Parents:  As the holiday season and winter months approach, the following websites may be a help and a resource to Dodgen families and/or other members of our community who may be in need. 

Social Work Community Resources:  http://www.cobbk12.org/familyresources

United Way 211:  http://211online.unitedwayatlanta.org

These organizations may provide food assistance, utilities assistance, holiday assistance, counseling services, etc.