English 8 Centennial Middle School Mrs. Ferguson Welcome! Please feel free to pick up a copy of tonight’s presentation, book order information, and a copy of the classroom calendar from the bookshelf. Please sign in.

Conference Period: First Hour Mrs. Ferguson Room 227 ext. 3259 fergusons@slcs.us Conference Period: First Hour Contact Information

Class Website www.mrsfergusonatcms.weebly.com For all the latest information from room 227 visit: www.mrsfergusonatcms.weebly.com Site will be updated each week as part of Website Wednesday. Class Website

Assorted short stories and poems from The Language of Literature Independent Reading One hour a week required Reading Flip Cards Novels The Glory Field The Outsiders The Giver Unsung Heroes Love That Dog Literature Circle selections Reading

Writing 6 Trait Writing Process Common Core State Standards Writer’s Notebook Writer’s Workshop Writing

Classwork Skyward updated regularly Paper Pass Back Day * vs. 0 and “Missing” Check in assignments = “V” Paper Pass Back Day Once per week Organization and Accountability CAB – Classroom Activity Binders – will always remain in the classroom TAB – Traveling Activity Binders – will travel with students No Name Board While You Were Out Bin Class Calendar Late Work Classwork

Scholastic Next Due Date: September 27, 2013 Classroom Access Code: H7C24 Storia - eBooks now offered by Scholastic More information at: scholastic.com/storia-clubs Next Due Date: September 27, 2013 Scholastic

A Sample of What Your Child Will Be Working on in 8th Grade Citing the evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what is explicitly stated and/or implied from a book, article, poem, or play Analyzing the purpose of information presented in diverse media (e.g., print, TV, web) and evaluating its social, political, or commercial motives Presenting findings and claims to others, emphasizing key points with relevant evidence and sound reasoning, adapting speech to the audience and the formality of the setting, and responding to questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas Analyzing where materials on the same topic disagree on matters of fact, interpretation, or point of view Learning how authors support their ideas through word choice, sentence and paragraph structure, and other methods Using strong, active verbs to create a clear picture for the reader (e.g., walk, skip, meander, lurch, limp) Building writing around strong central ideas or points of view; supporting the ideas with sound reasoning and evidence, precise word choices, smooth transitions, and different sentence structures Interpreting figures of speech (e.g., irony, puns) and developing a large vocabulary of general academic words and phrases Planning and conducting research projects that include several steps and use many credible and documented print and digital sources Source: http://www.pta.org/files/8th%20Grade_B-W.pdf A Sample of What Your Child Will Be Working on in 8th Grade

Concept/Skill Grades 6-8 Identify & Research a Topic Lesson Title Determine Purpose & Identify a Research Question Understand a Writing Prompt Identify Audience & Medium Identify a Topic Generate a Research Question Activate Prior Knowledge Activate, Organize, & Review Prior Knowledge Identify Gaps in Knowledge Find & Evaluate Sources Select a Search Engine Perform Key Word Searches Analyze Search Results Select Sources: Evaluate Websites – How & Why Evaluate Websites: Organization & Accessibility Evaluate Websites: Authority and Purpose Evaluate Websites: Accuracy and Currency Determine Relevance of Source to Topic/Research Generate & Evaluate Data Gather/Generate Data Evaluate Relevance of & Analyze Data Develop An Informed View Process, Sift & Sort Analyze Info to Generate a Claim or Central Idea Develop a Claim Develop a Central Idea Synthesize & Organize to Draft a Product Text Structures Draft Argument Body Paragraphs Draft Informational Body Paragraphs Create a Product to Inform an Audience Reflect & Revise Publish & Self-Assess Finalize & Publish the Product Reflect on the Process (Self-Assessment)

Common Core Shift in Lexile Levels Former lexile levels (a scale of reading ability) for Grade 8 began at 750L and ranged through 1040L Common Core Shift in Lexile Levels Grade Band Current Lexile Band "Stretch" Lexile Band*  K–1  N/A N/A  2–3  450L–725L 420L–820L  4–5  645L–845L 740L–1010L  6–8 860L–1010L 925L–1185L 9-10 960L–1115L 1050L–1335L 11–CCR  1070L–1220L 1185L–1385L

Helpful links to Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/8 http://www.pta.org/files/8th%20Grade_B-W.pdf http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/grade-equivalent/ Common Core Resources

If you would like a copy of the English 8 Curriculum Map, please e-mail me and I will send one home with your child. Curriculum Map