Welcome to Grade 8 English!

1. Welcome to Grade 8 English! Ms. McWatters

2. This class will be... Equitable & Inclusive Ÿ “To improve outcomes for students at risk, all partners must work to identify and remove barriers and must actively seek to create the conditions needed for student success. In an increasingly diverse Ontario, that means ensuring that all of our students are engaged, included, and respected, and that they see themselves reflected in their learning environment.” -- Ontario Ministry of Education ,  Realizing the Promise of Diversity... Ontario's Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy

3. This class will be... • integrated • balanced • creative • (media) critical Integrating subjects is a great way for students to have a morein-depth understanding of a topic. This class will include integrating his-tory, drama, science, geography, & math . To ensure all students’ needs are met, this class has a balanced literacy program. There will be an emphasis on fluency, vocabulary, and domain knowledge while including shared reading/writing, guided reading/writing, indep-endent reading/writing, and oral communication. Students learn best when they are interested in what they are doing. Allowing students the freedom to be creative is very important. In many instances, students will have choice about what to learn and ofhow to complete an assignment. Our children are being exposed to media whether we teach them to be critical or not. Many teens are spending hours on the Internet. This classroom will reflect this increasingly online generation through less-ons, assignments, and learning how to be criti-cal in a sea of information.

4. A Week-at-a-Glance

5. The Year-at-a-Glance

6. The Year-at-a-Glance

7. The Year-at-a-Glance

8. A Unit Overview According to the Ontario Curriculum, there are four strands of language to be covered each year—Reading, Writing, Oral Communication, & Media Literacy. Here is an illustration how these strands exist in a unit. Unit 5 – Exploring Non-Fiction Reading: Learn How to Read Non-Fiction; Shared, Guided, & Independent Reading of Non-Fiction Materials; Analyze & Explore How Materials Were Written; Note Unfamiliar Words in Vocabulary Graphic Organizer Writing: Generate, Gather, & Organize Ideas; Shared, Guided, & Independent Writing of Non-Fiction Materials; Revise & Edit Own Writing and Others’; Write a Comprehension Non-Fiction Text Oral Communication: Think-Pair-Share About Non-Fiction Topics; Classroom Discussion About Non-Fiction Topics; Oral Presentation About a Non-Fiction Topic Media Literacy: Create a Media Piece About a Non-Fiction Topic (Blog, Pamphlet, Poster, Public Service Announcement); Research Online

9. Assessment & Evaluation As available on the Ontario Ministry of Education website, here is a rubric for persuasive letter writing:

10. Assessment & Evaluation

11. What’s the Difference Between Assessment & Evaluation, Anyways? Feedback given along the way; assessment for, as, & of learning Final grading & feedback From Duke University, http://web.duke.edu/arc/documents/The%20difference%20between%20assessment%20and%20evaluation.pdf

12. Assessment & Evaluation • In this class, assessment and evaluation will be composed of: • rubrics, like the previous slides (that are given out at the start of the assignment) • part-way-through-unit assessments • conferences • self-assessments & self-evaluations • teacher comments • If there are any questions about the grading, I would be happy to review the assignment with the student or with you, parents/guardians.

13. Addressing Students’ Needs Students come from a diverse backgrounds and have a variety of needs and interests. Here are ways these needs will be addressed in this class: • choices will be given when doing projects & assignments, allowing students to choose the coursework which suits them best • accommodations & modifications to program available on a case-by-case basis (please let me know!) • the units and how they are taught will reflect the diverse student body in the class • extra help is available at lunch and after school on certain days

14. Parents’/Guardians’ Roles The support you give your child is invaluable. Here are some things you can do at home to extend your child’s learning: • talk to your child! I know the adolescent learner can be reluctant to talk, but discussing the day helps your child consolidate their day’s learning & promotes oral communication skills • create a quiet and supportive environment for your child to do their homework (even create a homework schedule) • show interest in your child’s work; boost their self-esteem with a compliment • read with your child or discuss a book you both read

15. Thank you for your time! Any Questions?