Mrs.Kozbiel's 8th Grade Language Arts Class

Welcome to Language Arts

2016-2017

Mrs. Kozbiel

Dear Student and Parent/Guardian:

Welcome to the 2016-2017  school year!  During the course of this class, we will focus on an integrated curriculum of reading and writing that will incorporate strategies for building fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary; strategies that are essential for effective writing and applications of good mechanics, grammar and usage.

Course Objectives/Topics:

• Vocabulary

• Fluency

• Comprehension Strategies

• Elements of Literature

• Historical and Cultural Aspects of Literature

• Expository Text

• Narrative Text

• Argumentative Text

• The Writing Process (Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing, and Publishing)

• The Six Traits Model (Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions)

• Narrative Writing

• Expository Writing

• Argumentative Writing

• Literary Response

Textbook and Required Supplies

Prentice Hall Literature- Grade 8- Red book (we will also register books for online access)

• Language Arts folder

• 1 ½ in binder

• Dividers

• Loose-leaf paper

• Pencils

• Pens

• Spiral notebook

• Highlighters

• Post-It notes    

• Headphones/earbuds

Grading:

Grades for this course will be broken down into the following categories as determined by the Language Arts department:  

Weight distribution of grade:

Homework                    10%

Classwork/Projects                50%

Test/Quizzes                    40%   

Late Work:  Students will be issued two “One-Day passes” at the beginning of  quarters one and two and one pass for quarters three and four.  These passes will allow students to receive ONE extra day on an assignment they were unable to finish.  The expectation is that the assignment is turned in the next class day.  Once a student uses their  “One Day Passes,” all other late assignments will be docked 50 % unless the assignment is in a category that is worth more than 10 percent of their grade.  If the assignment missed is in a category that is weighted over 10 percent, then that assignment can be docked up to 10 percent based on teacher discretion.  

Test corrections: At MJHS, mastery of material is our ultimate goal. Students who do not earn a passing grade will need to complete test corrections. These corrections will take place on Wednesdays with an MJHS faculty member. While it may not be the specific teacher for your student, that teacher will work with your student to go over the material and ensure they are reviewing it during that allotted time. Once your student has completed the test corrections, they are able to earn a half point back for each missed question- up to a 94%. Test corrections are optional for students who earn passing grades on a test, knowing the highest new score will be a ceiling of 94%. We believe that we need to hold students accountable for the material, yet still give them the opportunity to gain additional supports and assistance when needed.

Novels:

Students will need to purchase one novel this year.

The novel may be purchased through your child’s language arts class, or you may purchase the novel on your own.  It is important to know that the reason behind purchasing the book is to allow students to write, highlight and annotate on the actual pages of the book. Library books would not be suitable for this purpose. Information will be sent home in the spring, closer to the unit of study.

Videos:

During the year, videos and video clips are occasionally used to enhance students understanding of material studied. Because we will be studying topics such as the Holocaust, mature material relating to this and other topics will be included. If you are concerned and would like to discuss the videos used in class, please contact us.  Listed below are the videos we generally use in part or whole in relation to our novels. Please indicate which films if any your child does NOT have permission to view.

Holocaust/genocide themes

□    Life is Beautiful PG13

□    The Boy in the Striped Pajamas PG13

□    Valkyrie PG13

□    The Devil’s Arithmetic NR

□    The Diary of Anne Frank NR

□    Paperclips G

□    The Book Thief PG13

Diversity/friendship themes

□    Charley PG

□    Flowers for Algernon NR

Utopia/dystopia themes

□    The Truman Show PG

□    The Giver PG 13

Parent Signature: ___________________________________________________________

STUDENT GOOGLE ACCOUNTS

Minooka District 201 set up Google accounts for student use.  We will be using the Google platform for most of our student work and collaboration including:  Google Docs for word processing, Google Presentation for visual presentations, along with a few of the other Google features like Google Classroom.  These are all free services offered by Google.

With this account, it is the responsibility of each student to use it for school purposes only.  Because the account is administered by the school district,  it is important that students and parents understand that there is no expectation of privacy.  In fact, ALL accounts owned by Minooka District 201 are under the regulation of the district which is legally required to archive all activity.  This simply means that accounts cannot be deleted and can be viewed by district administration at any time.  Students will be required to follow the “Acceptability of Use” policy stating that this account will be used for school purposes only.

Students will receive their accounts within the first few days of school.  These accounts will also be accessible from home.  As technology grows and changes we are excited about each new possibility that arises.

I look forward to getting to know each of you and helping you have a successful 8th grade year!  Reading and writing are passions of mine, and I hope to share that enthusiasm with you.  I look forward to a fun and exciting year! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me any time.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Heather Kozbiel

hkozbiel@min201.org