English Language Arts - 8th Grade

Mr. Beckham’s classes will begin “The Sentence” Unit, which will be dedicated to preparing the Pre-AP and Pre-AP GT classes for the LTF end-of-course exam on Friday, May 8th.

Work Expectations (Beckham) - Week of 3/2/09 to 3/8/09

1st, 2nd & 6th Periods:
A = 6 pages (at least 2 in each journal)
B = 4 pages (at least 1 in each journal)
C = 3 pages (at least 1 in each journal)
D = 2 pages (at least 1 in each journal)

4th & 7th Periods:
A = 7 pages (at least 2 in each journal)
B = 5 pages (at least 1 in each journal)
C = 3 pages (at least 1 in each journal)
D = 2 pages (at least 1 in each journal)

5th Period:
A = 4 (at least 1 in each journal)
B = 3 (at least 1 in each journal)
C = 2 (at least 1 in each journal)
D = 1 (at least 0.5 in each journal)

Work Expectations (Beckham) - Week of 2/23/09

1st, 2nd & 6th Periods:
A = 10 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
B = 8 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
C = 6 pages (at least 2 in each journal)
D = 4 pages (at least 1 in each journal)

4th & 7th Periods:
A = 11 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
B = 9 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
C = 7 pages (at least 2 in each journal)
D = 5 pages (at least 1 in each journal)

5th Period:
A = 8 (at least 2 in each journal)
B = 6 (at least 2 in each journal)
C = 5 (at least 1 in each journal)
D = 4 (at least 1 in each journal)

As the Pre-AP classes and the English 8 class focus on TAKS Reading 8 preparation for the entire week, the G/T classes will spend the first half of the week working on the “You Decide” projects they have designed for themselves. These projects are due Wednesday 2/25.

The “You Decide” project is an opportunity for the students to look back over their body of work so far this year and create a new, short project that allows them to pursue an avenue of interest while setting for themselves an appopriate challenge.

Each week, students are responsible for writing in their writing notebook. 

Any writing is acceptable within the writing notebook.  The writing notebook serves as a tool to launch individuals into writing projects by allowing students to develop upon their own ideas.  Writing is also excellent practice because students are able to take what they have learned in class and apply it to their own writing.

6 pages-GT English

5 pages-Pre-AP English

4 pages-English

Work Expectations (Beckham) - Week of 2/16/09

1st, 2nd & 6th Periods:
A = 10 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
B = 8 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
C = 6 pages (at least 2 in each journal)
D = 4 pages (at least 1 in each journal)

4th & 7th Periods:
A = 11 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
B = 9 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
C = 7 pages (at least 2 in each journal)
D = 5 pages (at least 1 in each journal)

5th Period:
A = 8 (at least 2 in each journal)
B = 6 (at least 2 in each journal)
C = 5 (at least 1 in each journal)
D = 4 (at least 1 in each journal)

- The rough draft for the writing project will be due for all periods on Wednesday, February 19th. (5-10 pages in writer’s journal)

- Due to the need to move into a mode of preparing on-level students for TAKS and G/T students for the LTF end-of-course exam, the final drafts for the reading and writing projects will both be taken as an extra project grade, but will be optional for most students (depending upon the quality of their rough draft).

- This week we will be working on the writing project (author imitation using the skills and strategies pulled from the author analysis) until Wednesday. Thursday and Friday will be the official beginning for TAKS/LTF preparation.

Work Expectations (Beckham) - Week of 2/9/09

1st, 2nd & 6th Periods:
A = 10 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
B = 8 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
C = 6 pages (at least 2 in each journal)
D = 4 pages (at least 1 in each journal)

4th & 7th Periods:
A = 11 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
B = 9 pages (at least 3 in each journal)
C = 7 pages (at least 2 in each journal)
D = 5 pages (at least 1 in each journal)

5th Period:
A = 8 (at least 2 in each journal)
B = 6 (at least 2 in each journal)
C = 5 (at least 1 in each journal)
D = 4 (at least 1 in each journal)

Reading Project Rough Draft due Wednesday 2/11 in literacy journal (ALL PERIODS)
(changed from Thursday 2/12 because Mr. Beckham will be at an LTF training on that day)

Work Expectations (Beckham) - Week of 2/2/09
Writer’s Journal - 5 pages
Literacy Journal - 4 pages

Work on the “touchstone text” projects continues, getting into the real work of what the writing needs to look like.

“Touchstone Text” Unit Project Due Dates (Mr. Beckham)
Reading Project: Rough Draft due in literacy journal 2/12 - Final Draft due 2/17
Writing Project: Rough Draft due in writer’s journal 2/19 - Final Draft due 2/24

Work Expectations (Beckham) - Week of 1/26/09
Writer’s Journal - 4 pages
Literacy Journal - 3 pages

With the Stanford testing behind us, we will use this week to re-focus on workshop basics and continue working towards our “touchstone text” projects.

Work Expectations (Beckham) - Week of 1/19/09
Writer’s Journal - 2 pages
Literacy Journal - 2 pages 

This week the students will spend a great deal of time in Stanford testing. When in class they will be continuing work on their “Touchstone Text” unit project and making sure their reading logs are up-to-date.

Work Expectations (Beckham) - Week of 1/12/09
Writer’s Journal - 5 pages
Literacy Journal - 4 pages

This week we are exploring abook to re-read and create both a reading and writing project over. Students are encouraged to create their own paths of meaning while they explore these books they are already familiar with, using this re-reading as an opportunity to explore the craft of authors and also examine themselves as readers to discover both what they like in their favorite books, but also why they like it.

- All work regarding the reading project should be done in the literacy journal.
- All work regarding the writing project should be done in the writer’s journal.

To see thousands of examples of fan fiction, click here. (Not all of those examples are good examples, of course.)

“Touchstone Text” Unit

WRITING PROJECT OPTIONS (CHOOSE ONE)

a) “Fan Fiction”
This is for students who wish to create a new story using an author’s pre-existing characters and “world”.
- Work will be judged according to how well the student writer imitates the professional writer with regard to plot, tone, sentence structure, and characterization.

b) “Breaking New Ground”
This is for students who wish to explore new characters and worlds using the author’s writing characteristics.
- Work will be judged according to how well the student writer imitates the professional writer with regard to characterization, theme, style, and writing habits.

READING PROJECT OPTIONS (CHOOSE ONE)

a) “Author Profile”
This is for students who have read multiple books by the same author.
- In an author profile essay, the student will discuss the key author-craft elements of all of the books that the author has written, both the elements that are similar between texts and the elements that differ.

b) “Single Book Analysis”
This is for students who have read only one of the author’s books.
- In the single book analysis, the student will go deeper into the one book and use more detail and show more specific examples when explaining the author’s style of writing; focusing heavily on what the author intends to do and how the author does it.

c) “Compare/Contrast”
This is for students who have read multiple books of the same type but by different authors.
- In the compare/contrast essay, the student will focus on how different professional   writers handle similar plots and characters. Students should take note of how the authors focus on different themes and offer different tones and perspectives.