Mrs. Neary 8th grade 2018-2019 Language Arts

Materials Behavior Expectations Discipline Materials: (every day) Reading notebook Writing notebook Independent reading book (students’ choice) Post-it notes Writing utensils Behavior expectations: Be kind. Tell the truth. Appropriate language. Don’t give up. Raise hands. Discipline: Three warnings: 3rd – contact home

Every day... Students enter class and have two-three minutes to get started: Write down or take a picture of day’s homework (on HW board) on Monday/first day of week Take out necessary materials for the class Begin “do now” activity on whiteboard Be seated, quiet, and working when timer rings

Syllabus and Grading Grading Class participation 15% Participating in discussions, completing assignments, teamwork, engagement Homework 15% Class work 15% Completion and quality of in-class assignments, reading/writing workshop Quizzes 20% Tests/Performance Tasks 35% Post-tests, group projects, independent projects, participation in writing workshop *Extra help is available during lunch or select Friday afternoons. Unit Readings Genre Required Task 1 Assorted short stories Fiction Short story 2 House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros TBA 3 Assorted speeches and articles   Non-fiction 4 Assorted fiction and non-fiction readings Multi-genre 5 Getting Away With Murder: The True Story of the Emmitt Till Case by Chris Crowe 6 Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) -students tested 3x/year: fall, winter, spring -a computer-adaptive assessment designed to measure how well students read literature and expository texts of varying difficulties -test adapts to student’s level

A Sampling of Skills/Concepts Text analysis Author’s craft Author’s purpose Literary devices Main idea and theme Making inferences Close reading/reading for information Note-taking Formulating and supporting arguments Summarizing Word study Text evidence Researching Citing text (MLA format) Lesson preparation follows the NHPS Language Arts curriculum with supplemental materials chosen by the instructor.

Reader/Writer Workshop Each day is broken up by workshop: Reading: -core novel -independent reading -text connections (fiction and non-fiction) Writing: -mentor texts and examplars -free writes; focused writing -write to learn -writing fluency Mini-lessons are followed by student practice in groups, pairs, or independently Homework is typically given 3-4x/week. Reading and responding, vocabulary, or skill practice can be expected.

Common Core State Standards Writing: Narrative Informational Argumentative Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration (discussions, questioning, justification of ideas, arguments, claims) Presentation of knowledge and ideas (coherence, technology, speech/writing adaptation to task) Reading: Close analysis of text Higher text complexity Increased focus on informational text (non-fiction)

Important Info – Mrs. Neary Instagram @mrs.neary Remind.com See attached paperwork to sign up – homework notifications, announcements To reach me via email: patricia.neary@new-haven.k12.ct.us To check a book’s lexile level/search for books based on lexile: https://lexile.com/parents-students/ For more information about Common Core Language Arts and Literacy Standards: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/