Syllabus for 8th Grade Instructional English
Mrs. Womatopolous
Contact Information:
Email: jwomatopolous@barrington220.org
Voicemail: 847-756-2621
For a quick response, email is the best way to contact me.
Course Materials:
 Prentice Hall Literature – Hardcover literature book
 Language Network: McDougal Littell – Hardcover grammar textbook (to be used at
home for reference)
● Composition book-used as a writing journal
● Spiral notebook - used for note taking
● Highlighters- two of different colors
● Loose leaf paper
● Pocket folder to be used as a portfolio
Course Overview:
Grammar- My goal is for students to use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization
and structure in their writing. This year, I would like to address the following grammar skills:
Capitalization, Punctuation, Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions,
Conjunctions, Subject-Verb Agreement, The Sentence and its Parts, and Sentence Structure.
Vocabulary- Vocabulary development is important to enhance reading comprehension skills.
This year, students will use word origins to construct the meanings of new words, use prefixes,
suffixes, and root words to understand word meanings, expand knowledge of word origins, and
identify and analyze the meanings of specialized vocabulary/terminology.
WritingJournals: Students will engage in journal writing throughout each quarter. Topics will be teacher
and student driven based on stories/novels read in class.
Essays: Students have a variety of writing experiences which include: narrative, expository and
persuasive writing. Writing assignments are graded with rubrics which are given to students prior
to assignment completion. Students are evaluated in the areas of focus, elaboration, organization,
integration, conventions and voice. I evaluate the entire writing process of students including the
rough draft, revision and final draft.
Poetry: All students are involved in a poetry unit which includes poetry analysis and creation.
Reader Responses: Students are expected to respond to readings done in and out of class in their
English journal.
Research: Students are involved in research regarding authors, and period pieces of literature.
Reading:
Books: The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery, The Call of the Wild by Jack London,
“Flowers for Algernon” (abridged version) by Daniel Keyes, The Pearl by John Steinbeck, and
Of Beetles and Angels by Mawi Asgedom, various short stories in the literature anthology, a
variety of Holocaust memoirs and reflections, author biographies/autobiographies. Through these
books and stories, students are instructed on literary terms, vocabulary, and author style and
purpose. Critical thinking skills are also developed while essential questions guide instruction
and discussion.
Reading Strategies: Students are involved in a variety of reading strategy techniques that can be
used to enhance their comprehension and learning style.
Listening and Speaking:
Oral presentations, small group discussions and classroom discussions are used to further
develop student communication skills.
Classroom Expectations and Procedures:
Students are expected to follow instructions, arrive on time and be seated before the bell rings,
bring necessary supplies and maintain consistent attendance. The best way for parents to find out
what is going on in class is to communicate with their child, go to my website, and check the
online grading system. When students are absent from school, I ask that they get their missing
assignment(s) the day they return to school.
Grading:
Homework: 20% of total grade
90-100% (A range)
80-89% (B range)
70-79% (C range)
60-69% (D range)
0-59% (F range)
Graded academic work: 80% of total grade
Homework is designed to extend classroom activities. The thorough completion of homework is
an expectation of all eighth grade students. Assignments that are not completed will receive no
homework credit until it is completed. Progress reports are sent to parents at the midterm of each
quarter for students who have an average of C- or below. Students are expected to keep track of
their own grade.
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I understand the above information.
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Student signature and date
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Parent signature and date