Theme: Finding Courage and Being Brave
Rationale: You are now in 8th grade. Last year, we learned all about overcoming struggles, so piggybacking off that, this year we will learn exactly HOW to overcome those struggles by finding courage and being brave. This is the time in your life to be brave and have courage so our texts will all center around that theme.
Unit 4: Exploring Courage through a Nonfiction Novel
Essential Questions:
1. How do I draw inferences (and determine what the text says explicitly and implicitly) from nonfiction texts? 2. How can I determine the central idea of a nonfiction text and write summaries about it? 3. How do nonfiction texts make connections to the world around us? 4. How do I determine the meanings of words (both figurative and connotative) of nonfiction texts? |
Essential Skills:
1. I can draw inferences from nonfiction texts. 2. I can determine a central idea, follow it throughout the course of the text, and write summaries about nonfiction texts. 3. I can understand the worldly connections made in nonfiction texts. 4. I can determine meanings of words in nonfiction texts. |
February 24-28
Important Dates:
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Feb 24:
Feb 25: Feb 26: Feb 27: Read Alaska; Lesson 9 Feb 28: Read Pre-Race and Eagle River, Lesson 10 |
February 17-21
Important Dates:
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Feb 17: No School
Feb 18: The Beginnings Feb 19: The Beginnings Feb 20: Feb 21: |
February 10-14
Important Dates:
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Feb 10: Work on Musher Poster
Feb 11: Present Mushers Feb 12: Read Prelude Feb 13: Finish Prelude Feb 14: No School |
February 3-7
Important Dates:
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Feb 3: Digital Breakout
Feb 4: Digital Breakout Feb 5: Musher Poster Feb 6: Musher Poster Feb 7: Musher Poster |
Unit 3: Exploring Courage and Bravery through Poetry
Essential Questions:
1. How do authors use figurative language to help paint a picture in their writing? 2. How is poetry constructed? 3. What is poetry analysis? |
Essential Skills:
1. I can understand and write using figurative language. 2. I can write and understand the construction of poetry. 3. I can read, understand, and analyze poetry. |
Essential Texts:
1. |
January 27-31
Important Dates:
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Jan 27: Poetry Website Work
Jan 28: Poetry Website Work Jan 29: Poetry Website Work Jan 30: Poetry Website Work Jan 31: Poetry Website Work |
January 20-24
Important Dates:
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Jan 20: No School
Jan 21: Paint Chip Poetry Jan 22: Sidewalk Ends poetry Jan 23:Sidewalk Ends poetry Jan 24: Poetry Test |
Semester Break
January 13-17
Important Dates:
Jan 15 - Last day to turn in missing assignments Jan 16 - Book Project Due Jan17 - Bell Ringer Exam Jan 17 - End of Sem 1 |
Jan 13: John Haynes "Wolves" - Comprehension questions
Jan 14: John Haynes "Wolves" - Imagery poems; Haiku Jan 15: Cinquain and Limerick Jan 16: Ode Jan 17: Concrete and Acrostic Poetry |
January 6-10
Important Dates:
Jan 15 - Last day to turn in missing assignments Jan 16 - Book Project Due Jan 17 - End of Sem 1 |
Jan 6: Introduce Poetry, Rhyme Scheme
Jan 7: Rhyme Scheme Quiz; Rhyme Scheme Poems Jan 8: Finish rhyme scheme poems; read one aloud to the class; Read "Sonic Boom" and intro Onomatopoeia poem Jan 9: Onomatopoeia poems Jan 10: Read "Sisters" and introduce relationship poem |
Unit 2: Finding Courage by Reading Mysterious Fiction
Essential Questions:
1. How do authors use characters, setting, plot, etc. to develop theme? 2. How does word choice affect the meaning and tone of a text? 3. How do authors use structure to better tell the story? |
Essential Skills:
1. I can analyze the development of the theme by using characters, setting, etc. 2. I can analyze how word choice affects meaning and tone of a text. 3. I can compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts. |
Essential Texts:
1. The Murders in the Rue Morgue - Edgar Allan Poe 2. "The Black Cat" - Edgar Allan Poe 3. "The Raven" - Edgar Allan Poe 4. Poe Prezi 5. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Prezi 6. The Speckled Band 7. Silver Blaze |
December 16-20
Dec 16: Work on Mystery Projects
Dec 17: Present Mystery Projects Dec 18: Present Mystery Projects Dec 19: Christmas Movie Dec 20: Christmas Movie |
December 9-13
Dec 9: Introduce Mystery Projects
Dec 10: Work on Mystery Projects Dec 11: Work on Mystery Projects Dec 12: Work on Mystery Projects Dec 13: Work on Mystery Projects |
December 2-6
This Week:
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Dec 2: Play Upsala Clue; Clue Story
Dec 3: Watch Clue Dec 4: Watch Clue Dec 5: Watch Clue Dec 6: Finish Clue Story |
November 25-27
This Week:
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Nov 25: Modern Day Mysteries - Michael Jackson
Nov 26: WIN Discussion Nov 27: School Cancelled |
November 18-21
This Week:
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Nov 18: Young Sherlock Holmes
Nov 19: Young Sherlock Holmes Nov 20: Young Sherlock Holmes Nov 21: Young Sherlock Holmes Nov 22: Sherlock Holmes Exam |
November 11-15
This Week:
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Nov 11: No School - Veteran's Day
Nov 12: Read Speckled Band Nov 13: Read Speckled Band Nov 14: Read Speckled Band Nov 15: Read Speckled Band |
November 4-8
This Week:
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Nov 4: Finish the Raven, begin Poe Comparison
Nov 5: Poe Comparison Nov 6: Sherlock Holmes introduction Nov 7: Read Silver Blaze Nov 8: Read Silver Blaze |
October 28-November 1
Important Dates
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Oct 28: Read "The Black Cat" (Fear Factors)
Oct 29: Read "The Black Cat" (Fear Factors) Oct 30: Read "The Black Cat" (Fear Factors) Oct 31: Finish Read "The Black Cat" (Fear Factors); Mystery Story Pass around Nov 1: "The Raven" |
October 21-25
Important Dates
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Oct 21: Mysterious Fiction Intro; Poe Intro
Oct 22: Read: "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" Oct 23: ACT Aspire-No Class Oct 24: ACT Aspire-No Class Oct 25: Finish "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" |
Unit 1: Finding Courage in Short Stories
Essential Questions:
1. How do different elements of English work together to create a good short story? 2. How can I use elements of a story (context clues, theme, mood, characters, setting, etc) and predictions to create an ending for one story? 3. How do I use the 6+1 Traits of Writing to write an ending for a story? |
Essential Skills:
1. I can read and understand short stories by applying short story terms to reading the stories. 2. I can predict major events using context clues, theme, mood, and other story elements. 3. I can use the 6+1 Traits of Writing to write an ending of a story while practicing good writing strategies. |
Essential Texts/Resources:
1. Novel Paragraph Assignment 2. The Monkey's Paw - W.W. Jacobs 3. The Landlady - Roald Dahl 4. The Believing Child - Zenna Henderson 5. "Button, Button" Story |
October 14-18
Important Dates:
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Oct 14: go over rubric, draft ending
Oct 15: peer/self edit Oct 16: Story ending due Oct 17: No School Oct 18: No School |
October 7-11
Important Dates:
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Oct 7: Read Button, Button
Oct 8: Watch Button, Button Oct 9: Finish Comp Questions; Short Story Ending Project Oct 10: Discuss prewriting, etc Oct 11: Work on prewriting, start drafting |
September 30-October 4
Important Dates:
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Sept 30: The Landlady Comprehension questions
Oct 1: Watch The Landlady Oct 2: The Believing Child Oct 3: The Believing Child Oct 4: The Believing Child |
September 23-27
Important Dates:
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Sept 23: Watch "Monkey's Paw"; answer questions about similarities and differences (Google Classroom)
Sept 24: Compare/contrast activity; Start The Landlady Sept 25: Read The Landlady Sept 26: Finish The Landlady Book AdvertisementIn library checking out books Sept 27: No Class-Homecoming |
September 16-20
September 9-13
Important Dates:
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Sept 9: Editing and Revision day, correct errors
Sept 10: FlipGrid Day (Code - ca135e6f) Sept 11: FlipGrid Day (Code - ca135e6f) Sept 12: Begin short story unit, choose terms, work on posters, etc. Sept 13: Short story term posters |
September 3-6
Important Dates:
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Sept 2: No School
Sept 3: Welcome Back! Discuss Classroom expectations, Sept 4: Get to know me activity Novel Paragraph introduction. If someone were to write a novel about your life, what would it be titled and why? Sept 5: Novel Paragraph introduction. If someone were to write a novel about your life, what would it be titled and why? Thesis Statements; Write Novel Paragraph Sept 6: Body Sentences, conclusion sentence, picture |