| Contact Mr. Chapin | email: ray.chapin@thet.net | Phone: 785-4805 extension 207 |
| Assignments and VT Standards |
Resources | Student Gallery | About Mr. Chapin |
Mr. Chapin's 8th Grade Classroom Homepage and Syllabus
READING
You will learn and practice Reading Strategies for understanding, interpreting, and evaluating what you read. You will apply these skills during reading workshops in which you will select your own independent reading books. Discussions and writing activities will encourage you to make connections between your own experience and the reading. We'll be reading some great stories set on continents throughout the world. Some of the titles may include: Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind, The Samurai’s Tale, The Eye, the Ear and the Arm, A Girl Named Disaster, No Turning Back.
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"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that
you learn, the more places you'll go." ~~Dr. Seuss, I Can Read with My Eyes Shut |
WRITING
You will engage in the writing process -- brainstorming, pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing -- and write response to literature essays, poetry, a personal essay, a persuasive essay, and a narrative. During the first semester you will have several opportunities to meet or exceed the standard for a Response to Literature, a TA PAW (Portfolio of Advanced Work) requirement for English 8. Sometime in the second semester you will select and present your best essay as evidence you're ready to tackle high school response to text assignments! Click here for TA Standards for Reading and Response to Literature in English 8.
| "Writing enables one to take ideas floating in the brain and give them
a tangible existence."
~~Anonymous student |
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SPEAKING AND LISTENING
Throughout the year we'll read plays aloud and participate in lots of class discussion. One goal is to become more comfortable speaking to an audience clearly and with a purpose. Another goal is to become an active and courteous listener. We will practice this during presentations, performances, and discussion.
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You will create a number of projects that will allow you to visually
express your understanding of a novel or a short story using your
creativity, from making a map to illustrate the importance of setting
to the creation of a web page for a poem and poet of your choice.
Some projects will be self-selected and others will be assigned. During the Portfolio Project in
the fourth quarter you will reflect on your work this year and revise
and polish pieces written both in English 8 and other classes as well.
An important piece you will write for this project is a self-reflective
cover letter, or preface, to the reader of the portfolio.PROJECTS
 Wood Block Project |
 Oriana's Independent Novel Project |
Major writing assignments 20%
Class participation/Student performance 20%
per Personal Responsibility and Productivity Rubric
Projects 20%
In-class writing activities, reading
responses, and other homework 25%
Quizzes and tests 15%
All work is due at the beginning of class on the day for which it was assigned.
STUDENT MATERIALS
1. One three ring binder will need to be divided into sections according to the Binder Organization Guidelines.
2. Loose-leaf Paper-- Assignments are to be done on loose-leaf, if handwritten.
3. Pencil and pen-- Please use blue or black ink.
4. Thumb drive
If you are unable to get any of these materials, please ask Mr.Chapin!
EXPECTATIONS
1. Ask questions whenever you need to.
2. Come to class prepared and on time. A detention will be given after three tardies.
3. Please follow the most important life rule: Respect everyone and everything in our room, yourself included.
All other rules flow from this. (Thanks Mr. Deffner!)
