1. 8th Grade Language Arts 2015-2016
Mrs. Chris Forster
8th Grade Language Arts
Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
Roy Rogers

2. Background Personal Teaching District Married. Two children. One dog.
34th Year. 27th Year in RCS. 13th Year at VH
Previous: University Hills, West Middle, Oxnard, CA, Centerline, MI.
District
Teacher Leader 12 years, ELA Pilot & Review Team, New Teacher and Student Teacher Mentor, Harvard’s Project Think from the Middle Presenter, AARI Training,
VH Blue Ribbon Schools teacher representative Pino Excellence in Education Award

3. Curriculum & theCommon Core
Common Core – Standards and Benchmarks
Goals such as “Identify how setting affects plot.”
Curriculum – the materials and units used to meet goals.
i.e. Unit 4: Analyzing Theme & Symbol, Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

4. Why is ELA 8 difficult?
All work is assessed based on merit and quality. No credit is given simply for finishing work.
Expectation for answers is to cite multiple pieces of textual evidence and use that evidence to analyze selections.

5. What is a good answer?
Specific details are “lifted” from the text to support any inferences made. (evidence)
Includes enough elaboration to completely answer the question.

6. What details make the setting seem real? (historical fiction)
WEAK: The way they dress, cook, and do things. The river and the docks.
STRONG: Mattie worries that her dress is showing her ankles or that her elbows might show because this is considered unladylike. The Cooks walk to market, and Mattie describes carriages and pigs running free in the street. Mother stitches quilts and spins yarn.

7. Work Corrections
Written tasks on which students have not shown mastery may be redone and returned.
The original and new grade will be averaged.

8. Grading and Evaluation
Based on total points
Reports, projects, and compositions scored using a rubric. (4-100 points)
Tests points
Quizzes 5-25 points
Daily work –usually 2 pts/response
½ total value for unproven answer
Credit/no credit – usually 4 points

9. Grade Spreadsheets Please note that I grade on TOTAL POINTS.
An assignment that is worth only a few points often shows up as low score when it actually has little effect on the grade.
i.e. 3/ / /30 = 48/54 = 89%
75% + 90% % = = 85%

10. Grade Spreadsheets Continued
Special Scores
NHI = Not Handed In
Your student was here but did not have his/her assignment.
AB = Absent
Child ill when work was assigned or corrected
IP = In Progress
Student has not completed absent work, but he/she has received the assignment

11. Extra Credit
There will be limited opportunities to complete extra credit. Any extra credit given will be:
Connected to curriculum
Offered to all
Completed one week prior to end of marking period

12. Late Assignments Students are expected to turn work in on time!
Late work will be penalized after the 1st Quarter.
Late work must be turned in within one week.

13. Rules
Be respectful of other people and property
Do your best work!

14. Track Your Child’s Progress
My RCS – Allows you to access your student’s information.
Make sure I have your address.
Webpage – I post lesson plans.
Although there might be slight changes, you will know about important due dates.
Twitter

15. Communication School phone: (248)726-4900 Van Hoosen Website
My extension is 4941
I am available from 10:54-11:51 and before or school.
Van Hoosen Website

16. Thank you!