Welcome to Grades 7/8 Advanced Language Arts with Mrs. Eaton!

Thanks for visiting the page today; please find important information about our class below.

Expectations

Behavioral: Students will give every assignment their best effort.

                   Students will follow all rules/directions of LAJH faculty and staff.

                   Students will respect others, as well as themselves.

Academic: Students will give every assignment their best effort.

                   Students will make every attempt to complete assignments; if they are unable to do so due to Internet   

                   connectivity issues, they will bring in a parent note to earn credit for completing the assignment the next night.

                   Students will respect their peers when working on partnered or group assignments.

                   Students will follow the weekly homework schedule, making up any absent work for full credit or late work for

                   partial credit.

Assignment Schedule

* Weekly

          Monday: vocabulary quiz

          Tuesday: graphic organizer/peer editing (due Wednesday)

          Wednesday: vocabulary/spelling (due Thursday)

          Thursday: rough/final draft (due Friday)

          Friday: study for vocabulary quizzes/spelling tests (Mondays)

* Monthly

Accelerated Reader Projects must be turned in by the last school day of every month, with no exceptions.  Any turned in late will be rolled into the following month and your child will take a zero for the current month.  Copies of the AR Project expectations will be distributed to children in the first week of school and will be posted on the bulletin board throughout the year.

* Late Work

All late work is accepted with a 40% deduction, regardless of when they are turned in throughout the quarter.  Accelerated Reader assignments may not be turned in late, as they are time sensitive.  Students may make corrections to homework/classwork assignments for “earned credit”. 

Grading Scale

Homework – 10%

Classwork – 25%

Quizzes – 20%

Tests – 25%

Writing Workshops/Projects – 20%

Writing Workshop

Prompt #1:

Writing Directions - Consider whether or not Americans should be required to vote and write to explain your position.  Be sure to include information from the texts in order to support your response.

Prompt #2:

Writing Directions - Write to explain both positions involved in America's Westward Expansion: the Colonists and the Native Americans.  Be sure to include information from the texts in order to support your response.

Prompt #3:

Writing Directions - What is the importance of the first three words of the Constitution of the United States, "We the People," and how has the meaning of those three words changed over time?  Be sure to include information from the texts in order to support your response.

Prompt #4:

Science Fair Research Paper

Prompt #5:

Writing Directions - Over the years, unfair labor practices have become a worldwide controversy.  Write to explain the issue and how it began.  Be sure to include information from the texts to support your response.

Prompt #6:

Writing Directions - Candy has a rich history in our country's history.  Write to explain the history of candy in America and how it has become a detriment to our citizens.    Be sure to include information from the texts to support your response.

Prompt #7:

Clay Writes Re-Write

Prompt #8:

Writing Directions - There is a lot of controversy over how much money athletes make.  Write to explain whether or not you think athletes are paid appropriately.    Be sure to include information from the texts to support your response. (GRADE 7)

Writing Directions - Zoos have become a controversial issue in many countries.  Write to explain whether or not you think zoos treat animals humanely.    Be sure to include information from the texts to support your response.

Prompt #9:

Clay Writes Re-Write #2

Prompt #10:

Writing Directions - Write an argumentative essay that explains whether or not the Patriot Act violates our freedom as Americans.  Be sure to include information from the texts to support your response.  (GRADE 7)

Writing Directions - Write to explain the positive and negative effects of the Industrial Revolution in our country.  Be sure to include information from the texts to support your response.  (GRADE 8)

Prompt #11:

Writing Directions - Write an explanatory essay for the public library exhibit that explains why the authors chose to use pen names.  Be sure to include information from the texts to support your response.

Call of the Wild

TIC-TAC-TOE BOARD

Directions: Complete the Tic-Tac-Toe board below in any order you please, as long as you have chosen three assignments that form a complete row.  NO, you may not go outside of the row.  The materials for each box are located on the student table and all work must be completed by the end of the day on Friday, 4-1-16.  Yes, you may turn the assignment in early.  If you are absent that Friday, you may not turn the assignment in the following Monday for full credit, as you had three weeks to turn it in.  

COTW Children's Book: The goal for this task is to rewrite the novel as though it were a children's book.  Your book must have  illustrations and text on each page that are created by you and are meant to convey the most important elements and plot points of The Call of the Wild.  The book must be a minimum of ten pages and a maximum of sixteen.

"HTBAF" Video Review: The goal for this task is to read the short story, "How to Build a Fire" by Jack London and create a review of the short story.  The recording must be three minutes long and include the following: a synopsis/summary of the text and your personal opinion in response to the text.  Be sure to email me both the video review and the print version of your review.

Online Alaskan Scavenger Hunt: The goal for this task is to create a twenty question online scavenger hunt that focuses on the history/geography of Alaska.  Your scavenger hunt should be created through the official Alaska state website as a Word document with working hyperlinks after each question.  Be sure to also include the answer key on a separate sheet of paper. 

Personal Response Essay Question: Grade 7 - Write a three paragraph essay that describes each of the dogs and their personalities.  Also included should be an explanation of which dog you most relate to and why.  Grade 8 - Write a three paragraph essay that describes each of the dogs and their personalities.  Also included should be an explanation of which dog you most relate to and why, as well as a description of which personality type you are and whether or not it is accurate.  ***Both personal response essays should include information about the dogs who are considered main characters throughout the novel.***

Gold Rush/Plot Diagram Prezzi: The goal for this task is to create a timeline that chronicles at least twenty events that took place during the Klondike Gold Rush.  Each event in the Prezzi must include an illustration and textual description. 

Theory of Evolution: The goal for this task is to create an assignment that "teaches" Darwinism.  You must read/view the texts provided (The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin and "What is Evolution" by Stated Clearly at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhHOjC4oxh8) in order to complete a concept ladder that shows an understanding of the Theory of Evolution.  You must use this concept ladder in order to write a ten question multiple choice science test that has an answer key.