8th Grade ELA Challenge - Greenville County School District

Eighth Grade Challenge ELA Syllabus
Teacher Contact Information
Name: Maisie Hansen
Room number: G-109
Phone number: 864.355.7965
Email: mahansen@greenville.k12.sc.us
Website: http://teachers.greenville.k12.sc.us/sites/mahansen/default.aspx
I. Course Description and Prerequisites
The 8 th Grade Challenge ELA course meets the needs of students identified as gifted and
talented (GT) by Greenville County School District. Through thematic integrated units,
students cultivate and expand their skills in writing, literature, and research. Instruction,
learning activities, and assessments align with the South Carolina curriculum standards.
During this four-quarter course, students will examine academically challenging
fictional, nonfictional, poetic, and dramatic texts. In addition to the core class readings,
students must select, study, and present Lexile-appropriate texts quarterly. Jointly with
the readings, students will research and write, extending their findings, developing their
communication craft, and showcasing their capabilities. Systematic studies in grammar,
vocabulary, and Greek and Latin word stems will further improve students’ skills and
well-prepare them for their ELA studies in high school.
II. Text and Materials
The following include core and supplementary learning tools selected to help students
meet the goals of the course:
Texts:
Literature (Eighth Grade), Prentice Hall
Word Within the Word, Royal Fireworks Press
Hot Words for the SAT, Barron’s
Major Works/Novels:
The Gifted Kids’ Survival Guide: A Teen Handbook, Judy Galbraith and Jim Delisle; A
Midsummer Night’s Dream and/or Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare;
Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens; Nothing But the Truth, Avi; The Giver, Lois Lowry; Anne
Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank; The Diary of Anne Frank (Frances Goodrich
and Albert Hackett); Anne Frank and Me (Cherie Bennett and Jeff Gottesfeld); and We
Are Witnesses (Jacob Boas). Other titles may be added if time permits.
Materials/Supplies:
Three-ring binder with five dividers (starter, stems, grammar, writing, literature), looseleaf
paper, pens, pocket folder with brads, and colored pencils
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III. Learning and Developmental Goals
Students will become proficient readers, writers, researchers, and thinkers. Breaking
this overarching goal into day-to-day application involves the following:
-connecting class studies to students’ daily lives and the world beyond
-writing frequently and with developing skill
-using the writing process to create works (1) in a variety of forms and (2) for
a variety of applications
-finding artistry in written and spoken language
-speaking with skill and ease in a group setting
-applying language arts skills to further personal and educational pursuits
-identifying literary forms and techniques
-gaining skill in comprehending and analyzing literature
-responding to literature through writing
-using technology effectively and efficiently to complete tasks
-locating information from a variety of resources
-working cooperatively in peer group activities
IV. Curriculum Standards
For a complete presentation of the South Carolina Department of Education 8 th
grade standards, please visit
http://ed.sc.gov/agency/se/Teacher-Effectiveness/Standards-and-
Curriculum/documents/StateBoardApprovedFinalMay14.pdf
For additional information about South Carolina’s Gifted and Talented Program,
please visit
http://ed.sc.gov/agency/programs-services/123/index.cfm
V. Instructional Plans (Attached)
The instructional plans contain this course’s tentative outline.
VI. Assessment
Grading will reflect students’ daily and long-term approach to academic rigor.
The five-section notebook (starter, stems, grammar, writing, and literature) must
reflect regular participation, note-taking, and literary studies. Announced and
unannounced notebook checks, quizzes, short writing and literary assignments,
and homework will supply minor grades --50% of the overall grade. Major
grades, the other 50% will include unit tests, book reports, literary projects,
major papers, and formal literary presentations. Assessments with a subjective
element, like essays and presentations, will be evaluated on a rubric presented
in the assignment specifications.
VII. Class Procedures and Disciplinary Policy
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-Late Work and Make-Up Work
Incomplete or not-handed-in (NHI) assignments will have a 30-point
deduction for the first day late and a 50-point deduction thereafter. Students
with NHI work will serve lunch recovery, a program helping students in
academic need because of NHI assignments.
Make-up work resulting from an excused absence must be completed and
turned in within five days of the absence. If the assignment was issued
before the absence, the original due date still applies.
-Discipline Policy
For all RMS discipline policies, please refer to the student handbook.
To ensure a productive learning environment, four classroom rules apply:
1. Come to class on time, sit in your assigned seat, and begin the starter.
2. Ask permission before leaving your seat.
3. Raise your hand and wait to be called on before speaking.
4. Take care of personal needs before class (restroom, drinks, grooming)
Disruption of the learning environment results in the four-step plan:
1. Verbal warning
2. Parent phone call
3. Detention
4. Disciplinary referral
Plagiarism
Ideas or work taken from others— including written work (quoted or
paraphrased); theories, statistics, or formulas; pictures, graphics, and other
illustrative material—must be fully and properly acknowledged in students’
written, visual, and oral presentations. For eighth grade at Riverside Middle
School, students who plagiarize the work of others will face serious
consequences:
-The teacher will notify parents of any student who plagiarizes the work of
others.
-The student must re-do the assignment, and there will be a 40-point
deduction from the graded work.
-Plagiarism on work that counts as a major grade will be reported to
administrators in the form of a disciplinary referral.
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Communication with Parents
Mrs. Hansen’s website provides a “Weekly Planner” showing the week’s
assignments at a glance. Parents can view their teen’s grades online via
PowerSchool.
Contact Information:
Email: mahansen@greenville.k12.sc.us
Phone: 864.355.7965
Should the need arise for a student academic or behavioral conference, the
school guidance office will arrange and assist with the meeting.
VIII. Essential Questions for Eighth Grade English Language Arts
1. What are the major characteristics of different genres in literature?
2. How does nonfiction writing differ from fiction?
3. What process can I use to determine bias, opinion or propaganda in texts I
read?
4. What processes can I use to skim or scan a text?
5. What processes can I use to summarize a text?
6. How does the point of view affect my connection to the characters?
7. What process can I use to identify main ideas and the overall theme?
8. How does cause and effect impact plot, character, or theme of what is
read?
9. Why is it important to follow multi-step directions exactly as they are
written?
10. How do graphic organizers assist my learning?
11. How can I use the context clues in a sentence to determine meaning in
unfamiliar words?
12. What are the steps to preparing an oral presentation?
13. What do I need to consider when preparing an oral reading of a literary
selection?
14. What is the process for an effective research plan?
15. How do I combine information from several different resources into one
final product?
16. What are the steps for correct MLA documentation of research sources?
EIGHTH GRADE GIFTED AND TALENTED ELA CURRICULUM MAP
Standards Addressed:
Standard 8-1 The student will read and comprehend a variety of literary texts in print
and nonprint formats.
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Standard 8-2 The student will read and comprehend a variety of informational texts in
print and nonprint formats.
Standard 8-3 The student will use word analysis and vocabulary strategies to read
fluently.
Standard 8-4 The student will create written work that has a clear focus, sufficient
detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct use of the conventions
of written Standard American English.
Standard 8-5 The student will write for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Standard 8-6 The student will access and use information from a variety of sources.
Unit 1 – Reading Informational texts –
Learning Styles and Giftedness
8-2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.8
This unit is designed to create an awareness
of what it means to be gifted and how each
individual exhibit his giftedness in unique
ways. Students will also explore their
individual learning style.
Unit 2 – Writing Effective paragraphs
8-4 (all indicators); 8-5.2, 5.3; 8-6.2, 6.4,
6.5
This unit is designed to present students
with the complex elements of an effective
paragraph as they prepare to write a
longer piece in Unit 3.
Imbed review of conventions of Standard
English all year through mini-lessons
designed to support deficit areas
identified through writing samples
Unit 3 – Writing the Memoir Unit 4 – Drama – Flowers for
Algernon
8-4 (all indicators); 8-5.2; 8-6.3, 6.4, 6.5
This unit is designed to allow students to write
a memoir about an event in their personal
lives.
Imbed review of conventions of Standard English all
year through mini-lessons designed to support deficit
areas identified through writing samples
Unit 5-Author’s Craft in Fiction – Oliver
Twist
8-1 (all indicators)
Teach all that apply:
Narration
8-1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 1.7; 8-2.1, 2.2, 2.5,
Students should experience the genre of
drama through active involvement in a
play taught in class.
Students will respond to text in reflective
and analytical journal entries
Unit 6- Research Skills –
Summarizing
8-6.2, 6.3, 6.4
In preparation for a major research unit
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Imagery
Symbolism
Irony
Figurative language
(simile, metaphor, personification,
hyperbole)
Diction (word choice)
Point of view
Tone
Flashback and foreshadowing
Allusion
Idioms/euphemisms
Literary elements
Plot Character
Setting Theme
Tone
Unit 7 –Informational Text Lit Circles –
Theme of Child Labor
8-2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8
Titles for this unit are available at
Instructional Materials Center:
Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and
People in America
Growing Up in Coal Country
Children of the Dust Bowl: The True
Story of the School at Weedpatch
Camp
Shutting Out the Sky
Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the
Crusade Against Child Labor
Complete directions for lit circles are
embedded in the unit guide.
later in the year, this unit will focus on
effective ways to summarize with out
plagiarizing. Students will work with short
texts and practice summary, as well as
bibliography skills.
Unit 8 – Research – Children at
Work
8-1.6; 8-2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6; 8-4.(all
indicators) 8-6(all indicators)
Students will research a topic related to
the history, ethics, or legality of child
labor and complete the following:
A visual aid to accompany an oral
presentation. The aid may be a
powerpoint, a museum trifold
display or a 3 page newsletter with
journalistic writing to teach others
about your topic
A process paper describing the
research process utilized, the
decision making process leading to
the visual aid, and the synthesis
process of presenting the
information to the class
Imbed review of conventions of Standard English
all year through mini-lessons designed to support
deficit areas identified through writing samples
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Unit 9 Author’s Craft in Fiction – The
Giver, The Downsiders, or House of the
Scorpion
8-1(all indicators), 8-3 (all indicators), 8-4 (all
indicators), 8-5.1, 5.3
Teach all that apply:
Narration
Imagery
Symbolism
Irony
Figurative language
(simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole)
Diction (word choice)
Point of view
Tone
Flashback and foreshadowing
Allusion
Idioms/euphemisms
Literary elements
Plot Character
Setting Theme
Tone
This unit deals with a Utopian society, a
common theme in mature literature.
Prepare students to encounter the concept
of Utopia in future literary studies.
Unit 10 – Writing the Book Review
8-1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6; 8-4 (all indicators); 8-
5.1, 5.3.
Reviews help us to make decisions. A
Book Review gives us an idea of the
author’s purpose for writing a piece of
literature. It is a summary of both the
novel and the author’s purpose. By
writing our own book review, we gain
understanding and appreciation of the
author’s overall statement.
Imbed review of conventions of Standard English
all year through mini-lessons designed to support
deficit areas identified through writing samples
Unit 11 – Poetry Unit 12 – Author’s Craft in Fiction –
Nothing But the Truth
8-1(all indicators); 8-5.1
Students will complete a unit of study in
poetry with focus on ballads (songs), narrative
poetry and epic poetry. They will also identify
literary elements of oxymoron, extended
metaphor, and paradox and analyze the
device’s effect on the poem. Students will
select a poem to share with the class through
oral interpretation.
Students will respond to poetry through
dialogue journals.
Students will write original narrative poetry.
8-1(all indicators); 8-2.(all indicators), 8-
3(all indicators)
The novel presents propaganda and bias
in a real-world situation. Students can be
introduced to the concepts of word
manipulation and the effect on the
common man.
Teach all that apply:
Narration
Imagery
Symbolism
Irony
Figurative language
(simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole)
Diction (word choice)
Point of view
Tone
Flashback and foreshadowing
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Allusion
Idioms/euphemisms
Literary elements
Plot Character
Setting Theme
Tone
Unit 13 - Debate Unit 14 – Writing the Persuasive
Essay
8-2 (all indicators), 8-3.1, 8-3.2, 8-3.3, 8-3.4,
8-6 (all indicators)
Students will conduct debates on topics of
choice from an approved list designed by the
teacher. When researching for information to
support a position, students will assess
information for bias or propaganda.
Students will focus on identifying bias in
editorials, essays, and speeches through:
Omission of relevant facts
Unsupported opinions
Testimonials
Bandwagon techniques
Word choice
Inclusion/exclusion of
particular information
Glittering generalities
Name calling
Card stacking
Plain Folks
Transfer
Unit 15 –Author’s Craft in Literary
Non-Fiction – Diary of a Young Girl by
Anne Frank
8-1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7; 8-3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4
When teaching this unit, emphasize the
autobiographical origin of the text and its
similarity to well-written fiction.
Teach all that apply:
Narration
Imagery
Symbolism
Irony
Figurative language
(simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole)
Diction (word choice)
8-4 (all indicators); 8-5.3; 8-6.2, 6.3, 6.4,
6.5, 6.7, 6.8
Using the information gathered while
preparing for the debate, students will
write a persuasive essay on the same
topic. You might want to require them to
write persuasively on they opposed in oral
arguments. This strategy will force them
to examine both sides of the issue and to
articulate persuasive arguments for both.
Imbed review of conventions of Standard English
all year through mini-lessons designed to support
deficit areas identified through writing samples
Unit 16 – Drama and Humor –
either A Midsummer Night’s Dream or
Much Ado About Nothing
8-1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7; 8-3.1,3.2, 3.3,
3.4
Students should experience the genre of
drama through active involvement in a
play taught in class.
Students will respond to text in reflective
and analytical journal entries
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Point of view
Tone
Flashback and foreshadowing
Allusion
Idioms/euphemisms
Literary elements
Plot Character
Setting Theme
Tone
Unit 17 – Analyzing Satire Unit 18 – Writing a Parody
8-1.1, 8-1.3, 8-1.5, 8-1.6, 8-1.7
Students will examine the literary element of
satire through examination of video clips,
short texts, and altered fairy tales. They will
identify the method of creating satire through
analysis of:
Exaggeration
Princess Fiona fights and successfully defeats
Robin Hood and all of his Merry Men without
any help and without any weapons.
Incongruity
Princess Fiona uses her ponytail to deliver a
knockout punch to one of the Merry Men.
While frozen in a mid-air martial arts kick,
Princess Fiona pauses to fix her disheveled hair
before knocking out two of the Merry Men.
Reversal
The roles of the hero and the damsel in
distress have been reversed. In this clip, it is
Princess Fiona, the rescuee, who fights and
defeats the foe.
Parody
The fight scene is an exaggerated imitation of
the martial arts style and special effects used
in movies such as The Matrix and Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
8-4 (all indicators), 8-5.3
Students will write a parody of a familiar
fairytale. Rubric and instructions are
embedded in the curriculum guide.
Imbed review of conventions of Standard English
all year through mini-lessons designed to support
deficit areas identified through writing samples
Units do not need to be taught in a linear chronological order. In designing the
curriculum for your own class, you may also decide to link units together (i.e. a
literary fiction unit followed by a narrative writing unit in which the students
model elements of narrative focus from the literary unit).
The units are designed to focus on standards and not a particular text. Text
selection will be determined by the classroom teacher (under district guidelines for
appropriate titles).
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Standard 3 is not specifically addressed because vocabulary should be taught in
context all year.
Grade 8
Prefixes ad-, de-, mal-
Greek and Latin Roots G: astro, chron, helio, hetero, homo, neo, paleo, syn/sym
L: bene, fer, flex/flect, ject, pend, rupt, sol, stella, temp/tempo, voc
Suffixes -al, -ism, -ize
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