Ms. Trecek’s LA/Literacy Expectations
2016-2017
Course Description
This class will help develop your skills to question, interpret, analyze and comprehend the core content of Language Arts by focusing on reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Grammar and vocabulary will be built around literature read and writing generated. Students must be prepared to discuss, debate, collaborate, and participate in order to create an active learning environment.
Classroom Expectations
Classroom rules will reflect the school rules listed in the handbook, special reminders of some (but not all) of these rules are listed below.
Special reminders:
*students will respect one another, teachers, and any visitors of students and faculty to the classroom
*students may leave devices (such as cell phones) on silent and light notifications off, face down, in an upper corner of their desk, or put away. During research, students may choose to use personal devices instead of their school-issued chromebook if they so choose at their own risk. All tech. devices will be put away when instructed. Students are responsible for their own items.
*students will be in their seats before the bell, prepared for class and following any instructions presented (bell work, independent silent reading, etc.).
*see the behavior matrix for in-class expectations and procedures
Materials Required
*Writing Utensils (Black/blue pen, or pencils. note: mechanical pencil lead will not be
provided should students run out)
*composition notebook for Interactive Notebooks- college ruled preferred or wide ruled (if a
student does not have a comp. book, they may purchase one from me, or complete
classroom services such as staying after and picking up books, sharpening pencils, running
copies to the copy shop on a weekly basis, donating blue/black pens or pencils, donating
tissues, etc.) → note: this notebook will be primarily left in the classroom and WILL NOT be
used for another class
*optional: standard notebook- students may wish to have another regular notebook for
personal notetaking (optional)
*Organizational method for handouts not put into their Interactive Notebook (binder, folder)
*Novel/book for independent reading
*Chromebook (charged)
This class uses a mix of technology and hand-written methods for learning. Students must bring the proper materials to each class in order to be successful each day.
Chromebooks
Students must come to class with a charged chromebook. A significant portion of what we do in class is completed online, and will the new textbook addition with online capabilities, coming to class with a charged chromebook is a necessity. Students should bookmark my class blog: http://trecekla8.blogspot.com/ as well as Google Classroom.
Tardy Policy
Students will earn an unexcused tardy if they come to class after the bell has rung with a pass from another teacher or faculty member.
Grading
In my language arts class, and most other 8th grade classes, your work will be divided into three categories: Practice, Performance, and the Final Exam. Below are my guidelines.
- Practice assignments and formative assessments: 15%
- Performance assessments: 75%
- Final: 10%
Practice assignments and formative assessments include anything we do in class and hand in. These may be daily assignments, writing assignments, bell ringers and exit tickets, some oral presentations, pop or practice quizzes, etc. These make up 15% of your grade. You will be assessed not only on the correctness of the assignment but also on the completion of the assignment. There are no retakes on homework assignments. Formative assessments are allowed a one retake unless noted by the teacher. See below for my late work policy.
Performance assessments include final drafts of essays, some oral presentations, tests, quizzes, projects, speeches, etc. This will make up 75% of your grade. Students are allowed to retake each assessment once, during the assigned retake window (varies by assessment). Please note that retake assessments will require students to apply the same concepts or skills as the original assessment, but may take on a different format than the original.
Final Exam: We will have a comprehensive trimester final exam that will make up 10% of your grade. This exam will make up 10% of your grade. There is NO retake for the final.
Late work: Students have until the Performance Task or Performance-Based Assessment of each section within a unit to turn in late practice assignments and complete retakes. No late work will be accepted after the Performance Tasks or PBA. Each unit is set up in roughly the same manner. An example for a standard unit is shown below.
Unit Introduction and Whole-Class Learning
- Performance Task: Writing ← all late work and assessment retakes for Whole-Class Learning are due before this task!
Small-Group Learning
- Performance Task: Presentation ← all late work and assessment retakes for Small-Group Learning are due before this task!
Independent Learning
- PBA Prep.
- Performance-Based Assessment ← all late work and assessment retakes for Independent Learning are due before this task!
Unit Reflection
Absent work: It is the student’s responsibility to check with the teacher for any notes or work missed as well as for clarification of instruction and directions.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form. The first offense will result in a rewrite on a new topic, within the teacher’s discretion. Should subsequent offenses arise, the student will receive an “I” for the assignment/assessment.
- A+ = Consistent evidence of learning above grade level standards; student demonstrated superior knowledge, skill and application of subject matter; all assessment data supports understanding of concepts above and beyond expectations of grade level
- A = Strong evidence of learning of grade level standards; student approaching superior knowledge, skill and application of subject matter; most assessment supporting understanding of concepts above and beyond expectations of grade level
- B = Consistent evidence of learning of grade level standards; student demonstrated consistent knowledge, skill and application of subject matter; most assessment data supports understanding of concepts at level of expectations of grade level
- C = Approaching consistent evidence of learning of grade level standards; student approaching consistent knowledge, skill and application of subject matter; assessment data approaching understanding of concepts at level of expectations of grade level
- D = Inconsistent evidence of learning of grade level standards; student demonstrated inconsistent knowledge, skill and application of subject matter; assessment data supports inconsistent understanding of concepts of grade level
- IL = (incomplete learning) Incomplete evidence of learning of grade level standards; student demonstrated little/no knowledge, skill and application of subject matter; assessment data supports little/no understanding of concepts; student needs further opportunity for learning to take place
- I = Not enough data is available to determine level of learning; more student data is required from the student
Communication
Students are expected to check their school email account periodically. Most announcements for class will be sent via school email or posted via Google Classroom. Notifications of Google Classroom announcements should go automatically to the linked gmail account (their student gmail account is all that will be needed for email communication for LA 8).
Emailing is the fastest way to get a hold of me, though please expect at least 24 hours return time.
Many questions about LA can be answered by visiting our classroom blog, listed above, or by visiting Google Classroom. The website and Classroom houses expectations for learning, guidelines, and some turn in links. Students should also bookmark PowerSchool and note all passwords for their student accounts. Students will be expected to regularly sign in to Google and PowerSchool (PowerSchool logins should also be the same as their login for Pearson Realize). Please bookmark these websites for ease of access.
Anticipated Units of Study: the following is a rough outline of topics planned for the upcoming year. It is important to note that this is a rough outline ONLY and is subject to change.
myPerspectives (Used with Pearson Realize)- textbook
Unit 1: Rites of Passage
- Essential Question: What are some milestones on the path to growing up?
- Writing Focus: Nonfiction Narrative
- Speaking and Listening Focus: Present Nonfiction Narratives
Unit 2: The Holocaust
- Essential Question: How do we remember the past?
- Writing Focus: Explanatory Essay
- Speaking and Listening Focus: Deliver a Multimedia Presentation
Unit 3: What Matters
- Essential Question: When is it right to take a stand?
- Writing Focus: Argument
- Speaking and Listening Focus: Deliver an Oral Presentation
Unit 4: Human Intelligence
- Essential Question: In what different ways can people be intelligent?
- Writing Focus: Informative Speech and Informative Essay
- Speaking and Listening Focus: Deliver a Multimedia Presentation
Unit 5: Invention
- Essential Question: Are inventions realized through inspiration or perspiration?
- Writing Focus: Argument
- Speaking and Listening Focus: Conduct a Debate
Other Texts:
- Animal Farm
- Focuses while reading:
- Allegory
- Satire
- Parallelism
- Fable
- Conflict
- Theme
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Focuses while reading:
- Reading Shakespeare: approaching difficult language
- Poetic meter: iambic pentameter
- Conflict
- Characterization
- Theme
- Symbol
- Various Greek and Norse Mythology and Arthurian Legend
- Focuses while reading:
- Why were myths created?
- Common Literary Archetypes primarily focusing on
- The Hero’s Journey
- Common Quest Structure
I look forward to working with you in the 2016-2017 school year!
Click HERE to print your own copy of class expectations
