1. Team 8A’s Mission: We believe that within our team’s safe environment: Students, parents, and teachers will foster a support network to help each student succeed. Students, parents, and teachers will foster a support network to help each student succeed. There will be an atmosphere of self and mutual respect for everyone and everything. There will be an atmosphere of self and mutual respect for everyone and everything. Students will be actively involved in their learning through daily participation and appropriate decision- making. Students will be actively involved in their learning through daily participation and appropriate decision- making. Teachers will appropriately challenge their students and, in turn, students will put forth their best effort to attain success. Teachers will appropriately challenge their students and, in turn, students will put forth their best effort to attain success. Students will strive for academic independence utilizing appropriate resources and study skills. Students will strive for academic independence utilizing appropriate resources and study skills.

2. Welcome to 8 th Grade IRLA! Lori Hicks 8A lori.hicks@ww-p.org lori.hicks@ww-p.org Objective: To foster the development of the literate individual by providing instruction that will develop the skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and critical thinking

3. IRLA 8 Reading Syllabus Class Novels: Class Novels: Literature: Timeless Voices The Outsiders, The Diary of Anne Frank, To Kill a Mockingbird The Outsiders, The Diary of Anne Frank, To Kill a Mockingbird Choice Novels: Choice Novels: Genocide Book Clubs: The Book Thief, Between Shades of Gray, Over 1,000 Hills I Walk with You, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Selected Stories and Poems/ Anthologies : Selected Stories and Poems/ Anthologies : “My Name”- Sandra Cisneros, “Feathers From 1,000 Li Away”- Amy Tan, “Gate A-4”- Naomi Shihab Nye, selections from: Sixteen, When I Was Your Age, What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?, Coming of Age, “Love Letter to India,” “Where I’m From,” Robert Frost poems, Shakespearean sonnets

4. The Writing Process Composing revising Editing revising Publishing (final copy) revising Brainstorming Prewriting revising Formal Writing The Essay

5. “RE-VISION”… look again! Ideas : Ideas : a. Does the piece make sense? a. Does the piece make sense? b. Are my ideas clear and concise? b. Are my ideas clear and concise? Structures : Structures : a. paragraph b. sentence Vocabulary : Vocabulary : a. word choice b. usage Grammar (GUMS) Grammar (GUMS) Mechanics/ Spelling Mechanics/ Spelling Let’s Think!!

6. Types of Writing Shift from the informal Personal Narrative and the “I” as subject of piece, to formal essays and structures: Shift from the informal Personal Narrative and the “I” as subject of piece, to formal essays and structures: Descriptive Descriptive Narrative/ Memoir Narrative/ Memoir Explanatory Explanatory Persuasive Persuasive Literary Literary Informative Informative Writer’s notebooks are used to practice the language skills and structures addressed in the classroom. Writer’s notebooks are used to practice the language skills and structures addressed in the classroom.

7. Basic Structure For Writing Attention Grabber (“hook”) General background info. about topic Thesis statement Introductory paragraph Body paragraph(s) Topic sentence Supporting details Facts, opinions, examples, statistics, quoted material, personal details Summary of points from body paragraphs Restatement of thesis Closing statement (kicker/clencher) Conclusion paragraph

8. IRLA 8 Weighted Grading Scale: Reading and Writing= 55% Reading and Writing= 55% Assessments= 30% Assessments= 30% Homework= 15% Homework= 15%

9. It takes a commUNITY… …Teachers, Parents, and Students working TOGETHER! THANK YOU for coming to Back-to-School Night. Please feel free to contact me at: THANK YOU for coming to Back-to-School Night. Please feel free to contact me at: lori.hicks@ww-p.org * Please visit my sharpschool webpage for more information about IRLA and for homework assignments.