SUPPLY LIST
Students should come prepared each day with the following:
- A two inch three ring binder with PLENTY of paper (to be shared with social studies)
- Dividers for your binder (5; see below for organization)
- 2 folders with holes so they can be inserted into your binder; also, please try to have folders that are not see-through/clear
- a composition notebook only if a new student- returning students will use last year's notebook
- Pencils and/or pens (whatever your preference to write with) as well as a red pen for editing
- highlighters
- post it notes
Please also be sure to always come prepared with whatever text we are reading as a class as well.
For those interested in donated to the classroom supplies or goodies, please see my Amazon Wish List.
How to Organize Your Notebook for Ms. Puritis’s Class
Part of your class supply list is having a three ring binder, as well as dividers. You should have your notebook with you every day and have paper to write on every day! This is how your notebook should be divided:
Section 1: CLASSROOM DOCUMENTS: This is where your syllabus, reading list, etc. should go.
Section 2- CURRENT ASSIGNMENTS: Place the current instructions to long term/short term projects and assessments in this section for easy access.
Section 3- BELL WORK: We will begin every class with a form of Bell Work. Be sure to date your work each day and keep it in order in this section of your notebook.
Section 4- READING: Any notes or assignments we do regarding the reading of short stories, novels, plays, poems, etc will go into this section of your notebook.
Section 5- GRADED ASSESSMENTS: Any quizzes, tests, daily work, etc. that has been graded should be put in this section in chronological order.
Course Description
Unlike in other years, in 8th grade Language Arts we will not be studying texts by theme. Together we will be reading, analyzing, and discussing texts that follow America's timeline. Our emphasis will be on the critical reading of American literary selections, and our analysis will be demonstrated through discussion, compositions, projects, and presentations. Students will examine the links among culture, history, and literature (remember that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it...). Ultimately, the work in this class will help strengthen your critical thinking and writing skills, as well as prepare you for the demands of high school and beyond. I also hope that you will strengthen your own personal voice and explore new creative paths. |
Course Goals
Our objective is to be prepared in the areas of reading and writing (grammar and vocab, as well as structure) for high school. In order to accomplish this objective, we will: - increase our academic vocabularies through word analysis, discovering meaning through context, and integrating new words into writing. -write a variety of essays with a definitive claim and the best evidence to support and develop the thesis statement. Students will write with the mastery of grammar and mechanics expected of 8th or 9th graders. -increase reading levels through the use of close reading strategies. Students should be reading assigned or independent books EVERY NIGHT. |
Assigned Reading and Book Summaries
The 8th grade LA curriculum will be centered on the the idea of connections between time and place. Themes in literature repeat, even across decades, so we will explore these connections and make a few of our own. The texts we are using are: The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Serial Podcast Season 2, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, and Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan.
WAAS has a copy of each text for the students to borrow, but I do encourage each student and their family to consider buying their own copy of the books. It is so much easier to be a strong, active reader when you are able to mark in the book. This tremendously aids in building reading comprehension skills. Additionally, students will read many of the these books again in high school and college. Having your own copy is not mandatory, just suggested. Keep in mind, though, that if you use WAAS's copy, you must take care of it, or you will have to replace it.
These reading selections will ask us to take a good look at our culture (past and present) and at our selves. I stand by my choice in selecting all of the novels, short stories, poems, and/or plays that we will read this year, but if you are honestly uncomfortable reading a text, please come to me immediately so that we can rectify the situation. I am including a brief summary of the texts listed above for families to have an understanding of what we will be gaining through reading and studying these texts. I know we can learn a great deal from these novels, but it is important that you feel comfortable reading them in order to open to learning from them, so please do not hesitate to contact me should you not feel at ease. Another text will be assigned to you, and you will be in no way penalized.
The 8th grade LA curriculum will be centered on the the idea of connections between time and place. Themes in literature repeat, even across decades, so we will explore these connections and make a few of our own. The texts we are using are: The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Serial Podcast Season 2, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, and Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan.
WAAS has a copy of each text for the students to borrow, but I do encourage each student and their family to consider buying their own copy of the books. It is so much easier to be a strong, active reader when you are able to mark in the book. This tremendously aids in building reading comprehension skills. Additionally, students will read many of the these books again in high school and college. Having your own copy is not mandatory, just suggested. Keep in mind, though, that if you use WAAS's copy, you must take care of it, or you will have to replace it.
These reading selections will ask us to take a good look at our culture (past and present) and at our selves. I stand by my choice in selecting all of the novels, short stories, poems, and/or plays that we will read this year, but if you are honestly uncomfortable reading a text, please come to me immediately so that we can rectify the situation. I am including a brief summary of the texts listed above for families to have an understanding of what we will be gaining through reading and studying these texts. I know we can learn a great deal from these novels, but it is important that you feel comfortable reading them in order to open to learning from them, so please do not hesitate to contact me should you not feel at ease. Another text will be assigned to you, and you will be in no way penalized.
Brief summary of The Crucible: "Based on historical people and real events, Arthur Miller's play uses the destructive power of socially sanctioned violence unleashed by the rumors of witchcraft as a powerful parable about McCarthyism." (Summary from Amazon.com)
Brief summary of The Great Gatsby: This is a novel that has come to define the Roaring Twenties. Nick Carraway narrates the story of ambition, greed, lost love, and Prohibition in this beautifully imagined and executed story. Brief summary of Serial: "In May 2014, a U.S. Special Operations team in a Black Hawk helicopter landed in the hills of Afghanistan. Waiting for them were more than a dozen Taliban fighters and a tall American, who looked pale and out of sorts: Bowe Bergdahl. Bergdahl, a U.S. soldier, had been a prisoner of the Taliban for nearly five years, and now he was going home. President Obama announced Bergdahl’s return in the Rose Garden, with the soldier's parents at his side. Bergdahl's hometown of Hailey, Idaho, planned a big celebration to welcome him back. But then, within days—within hours of his rescue, in fact—public reaction to his return flipped. People started saying Bergdahl shouldn’t be celebrated. Some of the soldiers from his unit called him a deserter, a traitor. They said he had deliberately walked off their small outpost in eastern Afghanistan and into hostile territory. Hailey canceled its celebration. The army launched an investigation. Finally, in March, the military charged Bergdahl with two crimes, one of which carries the possibility of a life sentence. Through all of this, Bergdahl has been quiet. He hasn’t spoken to the press or done any interviews on TV. He’s been like a ghost at the center of a raucous fight. Now, in Season Two, we get to hear what he has to say." (Summary from serialpodcast.org) |
Brief summary of Born a Crime: Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life. (Summary from Amazon.com)
Brief summary of Killing Mr. Griffin: "A dark tale of high school life, Thirteen Reasons Why is told through a series of cassette tapes narrated by a teenage girl who has chosen to commit suicide due to the actions, and sometimes inactions, of others. A novel about the real and heartbreaking consequences of bullying, Asher makes his readers consider how they treat others and what they are willing to tolerate." (Summary from Amazon.com) |
Files for 8th Grade LA
8th_grade_ela_syllabus_2021-22.pdf | |
File Size: | 193 kb |
File Type: |
1st_day_handouts_ela.pdf | |
File Size: | 345 kb |
File Type: |
student_requirements_for_recommendation_for_placement_into_english_2.docx | |
File Size: | 12 kb |
File Type: | docx |
steps_to_an_mla_formatting_and_heading.docx | |
File Size: | 117 kb |
File Type: | docx |
how_to_make_sure_your_work_sets_the_right_tone.pdf | |
File Size: | 534 kb |
File Type: |
what_is_plagiarism_and_how_can_i_avoid_it.docx | |
File Size: | 299 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Midterm and Final Information
The bulk of the midterm will be a grammar exam to cover topics examined throughout our time together at WAAS. The final project will be a TED Talk. Students may choose their topic, anything that interests them as long as it is school appropriate. Your midterm will be in the form of an outline where you organize your talk. This will help you to find sources and consider your general lay out.
You should work on these things regularly, whether they are assigned for homework or not. The final grade will be the speech and it's delivery. You want to finish the speech in plenty of time to PRACTICE it, as it does need to be memorized.
Also, each quarter you will be expected to read a grade appropriate book of your choosing, though sometimes genre will be selected for you. Upon reading completion, you will receive a different assessment/project for each quarter.
You should work on these things regularly, whether they are assigned for homework or not. The final grade will be the speech and it's delivery. You want to finish the speech in plenty of time to PRACTICE it, as it does need to be memorized.
Also, each quarter you will be expected to read a grade appropriate book of your choosing, though sometimes genre will be selected for you. Upon reading completion, you will receive a different assessment/project for each quarter.