English 8 Centennial Middle School Mrs. Ferguson & Ms. Gray Welcome! Feel free to pick up book order information and a copy of the tonight’s presentation from the supply table. Please sign in.

Conference Period: First Hour Mrs. Ferguson & Ms. Gray 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 weekly. Class Website

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

Writing Common Core State Standards Writer’s Notebook Writer’s Workshop District Writing Rubric Writing

Class Information Skyward updated regularly Grade Calculations * vs. 0 and “Missing” Check in assignments = “V” Grade Calculations Formative work (homework, classwork - work that forms our understanding of the concepts) = 30% of the final grade Summative work (test, projects, formal writing pieces – work in which students demonstrate their mastery of the concepts) = 70% of the final grade Mid-Year and End of Year Assessments will be given during exam times; however, scores will be included as part of the 3rd and 6th card marking grades. 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 Class Information

Scholastic Next Due Date: Friday, September 25, 2015 Classroom Access Code: H7C24 Mrs. Ferguson handles all online book orders Storia - eBooks now offered by Scholastic More information at: scholastic.com/storia-clubs Next Due Date: Friday, September 25, 2015 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 Planning and conducting research projects that include several steps and use many credible and documented print and digital sources 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. Analyzing where materials on the same topic disagree on matters of fact, interpretation, or point of view 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 Learning how authors support their ideas through word choice, sentence and paragraph structure, and other methods Building writing around strong central ideas Using strong, active verbs to create a clear picture for the reader (e.g., walk, skip, meander, lurch, limp) or points of view; supporting the ideas with sound reasoning and evidence, precise word choices, smooth transitions, and different Interpreting figures of speech (e.g., irony, puns) and developing a large vocabulary of general academic words and phrases sentence structures A Sample of What Your Child Will Be Working on in 8th Grade

Recommended Lexile Year-End Ranges for College and Career Readiness: Students will be completing Scholastic Reading Inventories (SRI) each marking period. Families should expect to see updated reports in their student’s TAB each card marking. Grade 1 190-530L Grade 5 830-1010L Grade 9 1050-1260L Grade 2 420-650L Grade 6 925-1070L Grade 10 1080-1335L Grade 3 520-820L Grade 7 970-1120L Grade 11 1185-1385L Grade 4 740-940L Grade 8 1010-1185L Grade 12 1185-1385L Recommended Lexile Year-End Ranges for College and Career Readiness:

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