Mrs. Cheney's Language Arts: 1/29/08 9th

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

1/29/08 9th

Today I handed back your graded persuasive essays. To recap, here is a list of prevalent problems I saw:

Your transitions were weak or non-existent (refer to the list of common transition words and phrases I gave you a couple of weeks ago)
You had trouble with homophones such as: there/their/they're; you/you're; are/our (which is only a homophone in Utah **bonus** if you can explain this joke to me, you get 5 extra credit points)
You had trouble with parallelism. If you are using a list, you need to list each part in parallel form. For example, if you include a verb in one of the phrases in the list, you must include a verb in all three phrases. Most problems with parallelism were found in the first paragraph of the essay where you stated your three arguments.
You didn't support your arguments with examples.
Your arguments were emotional rather than logical.
Using fewer instead of less and/or amount instead of number. Use fewer and number when referring to a quantity of items or people that is numbered. Use less and amount when referring to the volume of matter. There were fewer computers but there was less popcorn. The number of books increased while the amount of water decreased.

The good news is the overwhelming majority of you scored 3 or higher on the rubric used to evaluate the Utah Direct Writing Assessment. You all have room for improvement, but overall, you're doing very well.

We didn't get as far in Act II in Romeo and Juliet as we hoped to yesterday. We are currently in the middle of the balcony scene. Pay close attention to the light symbolism Shakespeare uses. How many times does he mention light? What kinds of light does he mention?

We will continue reading Act II tomorrow.

**bonus #2** find my failure to use parallelism in this post! 15 extra credit points for the first to report. :)

8th grade disclosure document

I am looking forward to spending this trimester with your student in 8th grade language arts. We will be enjoying our time together through reading, writing, and learning to use the English language effectively.

Reading
We will be reading one novel and one play as a class this trimester. I also encourage students to discover the joy of reading good books on their own. We will go to the library once every two weeks to check out books, and I will give class time (15 minutes) every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for reading. Each student is expected to bring a book to class on these days. The students will earn a reading grade based on their participation and behavior during reading time.

Writing
We will be following the writing process to complete several writing assignments this trimester. The writing process requires students to complete multiple steps before they turn in a finished project. I will generally require students to have an adult read and evaluate their drafts based on criteria I provide. Your feedback will help your student see how they can improve their writing.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If a student plagiarizes any work, he/she will earn a zero on the assignment and a referral to the office. Plagiarism means “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.” (http://www.dictionary.com/) Close imitations most often happen when a student cuts and pastes from an internet source and then changes a word or two here and there while claiming it as his/her own work. When students are assigned to write, they must write their own sentences and paragraphs; they must form their own ideas. If I suspect a paper is cut and pasted, it is easy for me to search the internet to find evidence. Please do not allow your student to plagiarize.

Language
I teach the correct use of written and oral language in my class. Students will be expected to use correct grammar in their writing as well as during oral presentations. Students will be required to give at least one oral presentation during the trimester.

Materials
Students are to come to class prepared. Students should have a spiral notebook for a daily journal/glossary. We will write every day, and it is best if students have a spiral notebook used ONLY for their journal/glossary. Students are also to bring a pencil or pen to class as well as the book they are currently reading. Students who come unprepared will receive a reduction in their citizenship grades.

Makeup/Late Work
You will be given two late-work vouchers to use during the trimester. I will only accept late work if it is accompanied by a voucher. If you use them all up the first two weeks of the trimester, you will not receive additional vouchers. Use them wisely. You may turn unused vouchers in at the end of the trimester for extra credit.

For your convenience, I am now on the internet: http://mrscheney.blogspot.com/. I do my very best to post every day. I post assignments, resources, notes, helpful hints, and upcoming due dates on my webpage. There is also a link to the SIS student login page, so students can easily check their grades. I encourage all students and parents to check my blog when there is an absence, as there will be far more detailed descriptions of what you missed there than I can provide in the minute or so before or after class.

Grading Scale
I will grade on the following scale:
93-100% = A 90-93% = A- 87-89%= B+
84-86% = B 80-83% = B- 77-79% = C+
74-76% = C 70-73% = C- 67-69% =D+
64-66% =D 60-63% = D- 0 –59% = F

Class Rules
My class rules are posted in my room. We have gone over the rules in class. If you have any questions about the rules or any of my policies, please contact me. I do my best to answer all emails within 24 hours. You are welcome to visit my classroom at any time.

Mrs. Cheney's Language Arts

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

1/29/08 9th

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Spelling/Vocabulary list, 8th

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8th grade disclosure document