Student Responsibilities
· Complete and turn in all required work
· Monitor your progress through Home Access
· Follow all school, grade level, and classroom rules
· Ask questions when in doubt
Contact Information
Voice Mail: (847) 719-3736
Email: Linda.Travis@lz95.org
Website: http://www.lz95.org/msn/faculty/ltravis
Required Materials:
Textbooks: Literature and Language green level
Writers Choice green level
Supplies for Class (as referenced in the 8th Grade Supply List)
· 2 pocket folders with prongs (bring first week)
· 256 MB memory stick for writing and projects
· Note cards (will need for research unit during 2nd semester)
· Novel for purchase Tunes for Bears to Dance To. Information will be forthcoming.
· Sticky notes lots!
· Double-sided tape
· Pens blue or black, marking pen, highlighter
· Loose leaf paper
· Two separate notebooks one for literature and one for language arts. The Mead college-rule notebooks work best because they are wider and handouts can easily be attached to the pages of the notebook.
Homework Policy:
· Assignments are posted on the board. You are expected to record the homework in your assignment notebook even though the information is also listed on my website.
· There will be a 50% deduction on *late homework assignments.
· The late work must be turned in the next school day in order to earn points. Work received after that day will earn 1 pt.
· Papers with no names will not earn credit.
· Technology failures do not excuse you from having a late grade. Unless you are told otherwise, emailing homework is not permitted because it is not sufficiently reliable or time efficient. If you are having printer problems, go to the library before school and print out your work. If the library happens to be closed, stop by my room before 7:20 A.M.
*Major projects that are late may be subject to a deduction of one letter grade per day and must be turned in within a week.
Absences:
When you return to school, check first the Class Log notebook or my webpage to see what you missed. Then pick up any activities from the file. See me right away to schedule any missed tests or if you have any questions. You are expected to complete and turn in the missed work in the allotted time. Refer to the Student Handbook for information regarding making up work from an absence.
Grades:
Typically, I record approximately 20 grades per quarter that include a variety of activities: homework (practice), assessment (essays, tests, quizzes, and projects), and participation (notes, completion activities, discussions, Socratic Circles). The grade categories are not weighted; the importance of the assignment is reflected in the number of points it is worth. I expect you to complete all the assigned work whether or not is being collected. At times, you may not know until the beginning of the period whether or not I will collect that particular assignment. Grades will be updated weekly on E School. Some projects such as essays or projects may not be posted immediately because of the time involved in evaluating such assignments. You are expected to monitor your grades.
Occasionally, extra credit will be offered to all students on enrichment assignments directly related to the curriculum.
Assignments will NOT be offered individually for the purpose of raising a grade.
Literature Overview of Content
· Class novel units on the following books, with an emphasis on grade-level reading skills and analysis of text:
o The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
o Tunes for Bears to Dance To
(Students must purchase this book, which is available in limited supplies in the MSN Library)
o The Giver
o December Stillness
o The Pigman
· Independent reading units
o Biography, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Rebecca Caudill Award Nominee, Nonfiction, Student Choice
· Short story unit from anthology text
· Reading Skills:
o Grade Level Vocabulary, Affixes, and Idioms
o Annotating Text
o Literary Analysis
Language Arts Overview of Content
· Writing units
o Literary Analysis - essays on class novel units
o Descriptive Tools
o Narrative Writing
o Persuasive Writing
o Compare/Contrast
o Research Unit
o Young Authors
o Portfolio Challenge
· Grammar units
o Sentence Fluency 1 and 2
o Capitalization/Punctuation
o Verbs, Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Adverbs
o Subject/Verb Agreement
· Writing Skills
o Spelling/Vocabulary Units
o Editors in Chief
o Journal Responses