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Mrs. Elaine Juarez
Contact:
phone:
(847) 432-3858 x234
e-mail:
ejuarez@nssd112.org
Teacher's Hours:
Monday - Friday:
7:40 - 2:50
Units of Study:
HOW DOES BALANCE PLAY A ROLE IN OUR LIVES?
Welcome to eighth grade English where this question will be explored by reading, writing, discussing, sharing, and analyzing novels, short stories, plays, films, poetry, and nonfiction. To foster the reading-writing connection and develop critical thinkers and life-long readers, students will read for pleasure, understanding, personal growth, and as inspiration and models for their own writing. Units studied will focus on guiding questions such as: What lies beneath the thin veneer of civilized behavior? How might one measure the traditions of civilization and human behavior? How does one measure the value of individual freedom? |
Class rules: |
| ESSAYS will teach students to clearly communicate ideas as well as appreciate the writing process by composing narrative, expository, persuasive, and analytical pieces. There is no occasion when a first draft is the final draft. The hope is for students to learn and to appreciate the art and power of revision. To this end all drafts must be turned in with the final draft stapled on top. Papers should be typed, double-spaced. Handwritten papers in blue or black ink are acceptable if there is a computer problem. Evidence of brainstorming, revising, and editing must be apparent. The student’s name, date, and class period must be in the upper right hand corner of the top page. Each additional page must have the student’s name in the upper right hand corner. Late essays will suffer a grade penalty. |
| GRAMMAR/MECHANICS/USAGE/SPELLING/VOCABULARY will be studied and reinforced in readings and writings to encourage clarity of expression. Students will review and correctly use all parts of speech, antecedents, subject-verb agreement, simple and compound sentences, capitalization, and punctuation. Classroom grammar and vocabulary texts will be provided. Students will utilize a 1” three-ring binder to record notes and practice concepts. |
WRITER’S NOTEBOOK is a 100 page wide-ruled spiral. This notebook provides an ongoing opportunity for the student to experiment with different styles of writing, observe his/her world, react to situations, vent frustrations, and respond to prompts. Twenty pages are required each quarter; these pages are equal to one essay per quarter. The writing is not edited, proofread, or corrected; instead the entries are read and commented on by the teacher. By fulfilling the quarterly page requirement, students can enjoy a no pressured writing experience that will improve their fluency, fluidity, and comfort with the written word. |
INDEPENDENT READING is a component of our literature studies. Students can read books of their own choosing as part of their quarterly grade. Documentation of their reading involves answering a few questions on a simple sheet. Grades are determined by the number of completed pages: 600 pages=A; 400 pages=B; 200 pages=C. Each student must read one book or 200 pages each quarter as the minimum requirement. Some quarters a certain genre will be required. This component will ensure quarter grade. For example, in order to earn an A for the quarter, student must have earned an A for class work as well as earned an A for independent reading. |
SUPPLIES include a pocket folder, a 1” three-ring binder, a 100 page wide-ruled spiral, blue, black, red pens, pencils, highlighters, daily homework, and appropriate text. Supplies must be brought daily. |
GRADES will be weighted and posted in the computer as soon as possible. Writing-30%; Assessments-30%; Quizzes-20%; Independent Reading-10%; Homework-10% |
Class homework policy
Classzone
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