English 8 Centennial Middle School Mrs. Ferguson

1. English 8Centennial Middle SchoolMrs. Ferguson Welcome! Please feel free to pick up a copy of tonight’s presentation, book order information, and a copy of the classroom calendar from the bookshelf. Please sign in.

2. Mrs. Ferguson Room 227 ext. 3259 fergusons@slcs.us Conference Period: First Hour Contact Information

3. For all the latest information from room 227 visit: www.mrsfergusonatcms.weebly.com Site will be updated each week as part of Website Wednesday. Class Website

4. Assorted short stories and poems from The Language of Literature • Independent Reading • One hour a week required • Reading Flip Cards • Novels • The Glory Field • The Outsiders • The Giver • Unsung Heroes • Love That Dog • Literature Circle selections Reading

5. 6 Trait Writing Process • Common Core State Standards • Writer’s Notebook • Writer’s Workshop Writing

6. Skyward updated regularly • * vs. 0 and “Missing” • Check in assignments = “V” • Paper Pass Back Day • Once per week • Organization and Accountability • CAB – Classroom Activity Binders – will always remain in the classroom • TAB – Traveling Activity Binders – will travel with students • No Name Board • While You Were Out Bin • Class Calendar • Late Work Classwork

7. Classroom Access Code: H7C24 • Storia - eBooks now offered by Scholastic • More information at: scholastic.com/storia-clubs • Next Due Date: September 27, 2013 Scholastic

8. Citing the evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what is explicitly stated and/or implied from a book, article, poem, or play • Analyzingwhere materials on the same topic disagree on matters of fact, interpretation, or point of view • Learning how authors support their ideas through word choice, sentence and paragraph structure, and other methods • Building writing around strong central ideas or points of view; supporting the ideas with sound reasoning and evidence, precise word choices, smooth transitions, and different sentence structures • Planning and conducting research projects that include several steps and use many credible and documented print and digital sources • Analyzing the purpose of information presented in diverse media (e.g., print, TV, web) and evaluating its social, political, or commercial motives • Presenting findings and claims to others, emphasizing key points with relevant evidence and sound reasoning, adapting speech to the audience and the formality of the setting, and responding to questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas • Using strong, active verbs to create a clear picture for the reader (e.g., walk, skip, meander, lurch, limp) • Interpretingfigures of speech (e.g., irony, puns) and developing a large vocabulary of general academic words and phrases • Source: • http://www.pta.org/files/8th%20Grade_B-W.pdf A Sample of What Your Child Will Be Working on in 8th Grade

10. Former lexile levels (a scale of reading ability) for Grade 8 began at 750L and ranged through 1040L Common Core Shift in Lexile Levels

11. Helpful links to Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts: • http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf • http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/8 • http://www.pta.org/files/8th%20Grade_B-W.pdf • http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/grade-equivalent/ Common Core Resources

12. If you would like a copy of the English 8 Curriculum Map, please e-mail me and I will send one home with your child. Curriculum Map