Welcome to Curriculum Night!
Mrs. Melody Griffith
8th Grade Language Arts
COURSE OVERVIEW
 Students
will be reading for both enjoyment and
for analysis during guided class instruction.
 Students
will learn how successful readers think
and visualize when they read, interact with, and
examine text. We will explore language and
literature through a variety of approaches
including music, drama, film, presentations,
projects, and written assignments.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
 Authentic
learning occurs in a community
where children are encouraged to seek,
explore, and care about ideas.
 Students need to understand the connection
between concepts taught in the classroom
and how they can help them to be successful
in the world outside of school.
 Active engagement, cooperative learning,
and a challenging curriculum are essential
components of my classroom instruction.
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
MISSION STATEMENT
The
mission of the language
arts department it to equip
students with effective reading
and communication skills
through creative, challenging
and engaging lessons.
NOVEL STUDIES
1st Quarter: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
2nd Quarter: Nonfiction Thematic Unit
3rd Quarter: Night by Elie Wiesel
4th Quarter: And Then There Were None by Agatha
Christie
Writing
 In
writing our primary focus will be on constructing
summaries and responses to literature as well as
narrative, expository, argumentative/persuasive
essays.
 Additionally,
we will learn how to cite text
references and effectively use MLA formatting on all
papers.
THE “READING CHALLENGE”
Philosophy: The philosophy behind the outside
reading requirement is quite simple:
 The more students read, the more they know.
 Reading is fun, especially if students choose what
they read.
 Students need to choose their own books whenever
possible, guided by their level, interests and needs at
the time.
 The more students read, the better their vocabulary,
the higher their test scores, the better they think in
all their classes and situations.
REMINDERS:
 Students
should be reading from their O.R.R. novels
every day/night an average of 30 minutes.
 Reflective responses and quarterly book projects
must be completed thoroughly as assigned by the
classroom teacher. These will be evaluated using a 5
point rubric.
 A reading log located in the Interactive Notebook is
used to log progress toward reading goal. A parent
signature is required when a student begins and
finishes his or her novel.
KEY POINTS
 If
your child does not meet the 20 or 30 book
(accelerated) goal, his/her grade will not be
lowered.
 What will negatively impact your child’s grade is
inconsistency with completing reflective
responses and/or poor quality work on the
quarterly projects.
 If your child is reading a larger novel then it will
be counted as two books.
Homework
Homework load may vary at times based on student
progress toward completion of long-term
assignments and class work. Homework assignments
are for enrichment, exercise, practice, and review. I
allot time during each class period to have students
copy the assignments and to review the directions
and expectations.
*Homework is regularly updated on my teacher
webpage.
Grading /Weighting Scale
Assessments
(Tests/ Projects/Essays/Quizzes)
Assignments
= 60%
= 20%
(Homework/Activities/Interactive Notebook)
Final Exam/Benchmarks
= 20%
Grades will be updated and available online using the
Synergy gradebook system. It is recommended that
parents and students check grades weekly.
Communication Information
melody.griffith@husd.org
 Please
 Thank
visit my teacher webpage for regular updates.
you for taking an active role in your child’s
education!