Language Arts
Ms. Jefferis
7C
B-13
A Bit About Ms J
• Degree from University of Illinois
• Arizona certified middle and high school
language arts and Elementary
• Taught 8th grade for 8.5 years, 6th for 1.5 and 7th
for 4.5 years. This is my 15th year in middle school
education.
• Taught all subjects including a curriculum I
designed on Non-fiction reading and writing for
8th graders.
• Have taught in Colorado, Illinois and Arizona
• Am a scrapbooker and Photographer
• Do not eat chocolate
A Bit More About Ms J
• Love pumpkin and cranberries
• Married David Cole on 10.10.09
• Have 2 orange cats named Fred and
George after the Weasley twins in Harry
Potter.
• Fourth year at AKI, 2nd on team C, Before
that Pueblo
• Carried the Olympic Flame for the torch
relay for the U.S. Olympic festival in 1994
Reading
• Weekly Independent reading logs. 100
minutes(150 for ADV) a week and 3
reading log questions. Check every 2
weeks.
– Quarterly Book Summaries
• In class long and short text reading.
• Variety of genres, styles and authors
– nonfiction, mystery, poetry, story, drama and
novel(s).
Writing
• Daily Writing Journal-1 page a day(4 a
week)
• Full Process Writing (a paper)
• Writing styles- persuade, inform, express
and entertain
• Writing strategies to increase 6 traits
– Focus on Word Choice, Sentence Fluency,
Organization and depth of Ideas.
– Examples: Exploding the Moment, Zombie
Words, and Stoplight format
Weekly Writing Prompts
• Each Wednesday students analyze a
writing prompt with the FATPig, plan and
then draft a piece of writing.
• Students are timed. The assignments build
throughout the school year. Adding and
emphasizing pieces of the writing process.
F= Format A= Audience T= Topic P= Purpose
Vocabulary Charts
•
Each week students use the Holt Vocab.
Book. We will do 1 lesson a week.
– Start of the week is the chartdefine, sentence, part of speech,
synonym, antonym.
– The words are stated on the 1st
page of the lesson, are on the
board and on the webpage
– End of the week we use the
words in context
– Quizzes are at the start of the
week
– They must know how to spell and
define each word
• 5 words and 5 definitions will
be given.
They need to fill in the blanks.
•
Word Part Chart
• Charts are handed out the first of
the week and due at the first of
the next week.
• The quiz will be on the day the
chart is turned in.
• Given 2 word parts to find 10
words correctly using those word
parts.
• QUIZ–
–
–
–
1. What was one word part, type of part and
definition
2. What was the second word part, part of word and
definition
3. Give an example of each word part use correctly
in a sentence
Quiz will build in difficulty each quarter.
Check Days
• We will go to the library and check In/Out books and the
Notebook will be graded.
•
6 Reading log questions(complete sentence answers)
•
8 Journal pages
•
200 Reading log minutes( 300 for AdvLA)
• 2nd Check Day IS
• Wed August 29th
• Dates are on the Web.
Homework
• Reading logs
• Vocab. Charts
• Study for Vocab. Quizzes
• Final Draft Writing
• Student Needed more time to read
a story from class
Grade Break Down
15% = Vocabulary/Grammar Assessment ( tests, quizzes and projects)
35%= Reading Assessment ( tests, quizzes and projects)
35%= Writing Assessment (tests, quizzes and projects)
5%= Writing Practice ( homework and classroom practice)
5%= Reading Practice ( homework and classroom practice)
5%= Vocabulary/Grammar Practice (homework and classroom practice
•
•
Assessments = Final copies of written work (Papers) including proof of revision
strategies and evidence of the 6 traits usage; also other large reading and
writing assessments( Projects); All Quizzes and Tests.
Practice= Homework and classwork
– Writing Process: (pre-writing, outlining, drafting and weekly writing prompt
analysis and practice); Reading Process (practice of reading strategies and
comprehension); Journal of 4 pages a week recorded in class notebook.
– Vocabulary charts using the Holt vocabulary book or Greek/Latin word
parts; weekly minutes of independent (non-school related) reading ,
completion of reading log questions; grammar assignments; other review or
practice assignments.
Grade book Codes
• MI= the assignment is missing and needs to be
turned. There is no affect on the grade yet.
• 5MI= the assignment is missing. The student was given
a chance to complete but said they did not do it. An
F grade 50% is given.
• La- assignment was turned in late and was given
some credit.
• No zeros for Practice work. And F is 50%.
• Assessments can be a zero if a student does nothing
or gets all the questions wrong.
• Papers will be excepted late but points will be lost.
• Practice assignments will not be excepted as late.
Book Summaries
• 3 parts- share, summary and reflection
• Why no big book report?
– Other writing assignments to work on
– Sharing is the primary reason to do a
book report
– Encourage love of reading not read
because they have to
– Summary directions are on the
webpage
The Room
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Agenda
Vocab. Board
Handout trays
Webpage- Jefferis
Questions?
• E-mail is the best way to
communicate with me.
• tjefferis@kyrene.org