Thurgood Marshall Middle SchoolSYLLABUS AND COURSE REQUIREMENTS 2016-2017

English 8 Seminar

Instructor: Ms. Jean Chalupsky E-mail: jchalupsky@sandi.netVoice Mail: 858-549-5400 ext. 2225Room: B205Texts: Fifer, Norma and Nancy Flowers, Vocabulary from Classical Roots

Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: Silver LevelVarious texts as assigned (i.e. Short Stories, Poetry, News articles, New York Times Book Reviews, novels such as IQBAL, To Kill a Mockingbird,Fire from the Rock, Warriors Don’t Cry, The Crucible, The Metamorphosis)

COURSE DESCRIPTIONEnglish 8 Seminar engages students in a vigorous, integrated study of reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. Through inquiry-based lessons and guided discussions students will develop language arts skills and strategies that meet the Common Core State Standards available to the public at http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/ .

This course takes a balanced approach to English, and uses block scheduling to optimize the amount of time students may spend working on critical reading and writing strategies in the classroom. During the course of the year, students will work toward establishing a portfolio of work. In addition, special emphasis will be placed upon texts that are historically and culturally relevant to their studies of U.S. history and U.S. social doctrine (i.e. freedom, equality, individuality).

The essential learning objectives of this course are as follows: Students will express ideas concisely, persuasively, and creatively in writing. Students will master the use language conventions: form, grammar, punctuation, and usage. Students will read with an analytical mind and reflect on textual evidence to develop logical

interpretations and insights, leading to significant commentaries about text and profound, defensible resolutions about contemporary controversial topics.

Students will broaden their vocabulary and their understanding of etymology. Students will debate authoritatively while addressing an audience effectively.

SUGGESTED MATERIALS

Pens, Pencils, and Highlighter 1-1/12” Binder (with 3 dividers) to be kept in class

Composition notebooks Independent Reading Text (in backpack at all times)

Folder with pockets(used to transport works in progress)

Please let me know if the above items are not available and I will provide them for your student.

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CITIZENSHIP:An evaluation of many factors are brought together to measure a student’s general behavior and effort in class. It is the culmination of a student’s willingness and efforts to help or hinder the progress of class and/or other students. A student who is at the baseline (Satisfactory) exhibits behaviors such as being respectful, cooperating in class, using time appropriately, being engaged in assignments, and being prepared for class. STUDENTS NEED TO EXHIBIT CERTAIN POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS TO DEVIATE FROM THIS BASELINE. A student who earns an “E” (Excellent) is always respectful, dependable, positive, encouraging, prepared, self-disciplined, and punctual. A student who earns a “U” (Unsatisfactory) disrupts the classroom atmosphere with attention-getting behavior, and is discourteous, negative, disrespectful, unprepared, off-task, or disregards school/classroom rules.Citizenship grades are the balance of a student’s efforts and behaviors. They are not the result of one day or one action. Nor are they an evaluation of the child as a person.

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Unacceptable – A student who earns a “U” hinders the efforts of others.

Good – A student who earns a “G”, as a whole, helps only

himself or herself.

Excellent – A student who earns an “E” helps others.

Needs to Improve – A student who earns an “N”, as a whole, hinders his or her own efforts.

SatisfactoryA student who earns an “S”, as a whole, neither helps nor hinders themselves or others.

ACADEMIC:The overall academic grade for each student is determined by his or her performance within two major categories: assessments, and projects (typically a combination of classwork and homework). Assignments are weighted according to point values. For example, short homework assignments are typically awarded ten to thirty points; whereas, essays and complex projects are awarded one hundred points or more.

Standard Academic Grading Scale:Grades assigned at each reporting period are based on the following percentages:

90-100=A 80-89=B 70-79=C 60-69=D 59-lower= F

Electronic Progress Reports:The SDUSD PowerSchool ParentConnection portal enables you to check your child’s academic progress online. Parents and students are encouraged to check PowerSchool frequently.

Types of classwork and projects:

Vocabulary: Students will study prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin root words to build upon their existing understanding of word patterns (morphemes). Students will also develop their vocabulary through the analysis of context clues in authentic texts. Students will prove mastery of new vocabulary through a series of activities and tests.Grammar: An emphasis will be placed on capitalization, punctuation, parts of speech, phrases and clauses, parallelisms, and sentence combining skills. Turnitin.com, NoRedInk.com, and Englishgrammar101.com will be used to individualize grammar instruction.Reading and Writing: Independent reading, guided reading, analysis, synthesis, class discussions, class collaboration, small group collaboration, independent study, directed instruction, Socratic questioning, etc. The atmosphere is dynamic and thought provoking with an emphasis on abstract thinking and opinion development.

Works in Progress:

The work we do in class and the expected completion time will be posted daily on the MMS Homework site. It is the students’ responsibility to keep a clear record of projects and requested research assignments. Parents should work with their child to develop a works in progress plan that works best.

Reading: Students are expected to read independently. (Consider giving your family the gift of 20-30 minutes of quiet togetherness ).  Unless otherwise directed, students will self-select independent reading materials. Non-fiction, textual reading for other classes is acceptable and even encouraged. Students will be expected to comment on home reading (in class) verbally and in writing.

Writing: Students will draft, revise, and publish research poetry, reports, persuasive essays, historical and biographical narratives, poetry, and technical documents. There may be times when students must complete these assignments at home.

Studying for Assessments: Students must plan to review notes and materials in order to prepare for quizzes, tests, and other possible assessments.

Late or Missing Assignments:

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It is the student’s responsibility to alert the teacher to a missing assignment due to an absence. A zero in the PowerSchool gradebook is indicative of a missing assignment and the student should address the situation as soon as possible.

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60

70

80

90

100

10

20

30

40

50

Assignment Exceptional(90-100 pts)

Assignment Exceeds Grade-

Level(80-90 pts)

Assignment At Grade-Level(70-80 pts)

Assignment Turned In and

Complete(50 pts)

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTAll assignments start by being turned in on time. How far it goes up from there is solely dependent on the student’s efforts.

I understand the curriculum and policies of Ms. Chalupsky’s English 8 SEMINAR class. I understand the citizenship policies at Thurgood Marshall Middle School. I also understand the dress code and gum chewing restrictions.

______________________________________________________ ____________Student Name (please print) Period

______________________________________________________ ____________Student Signature Date

______________________________________________________ ____________Parent Signature Date

PARENT EMAIL:__________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE NUMBERS:___________________________________________________

(If you are not able to provide the suggested supplies, please let me know via email ASAP so I can purchase them for your child. There are no extra funds at the school for these supplies but I will purchase them myself in order to create a successful environment for all students.)

jchalupsky@sandi.net

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