8th Grade Course Syllabus – Literature & Vocabulary
Our Lady of the Rosary School
2014-2015
Instructor: Mr. Mark Ennis
Phone: (510) 471-3765 ext 307
Email: mennis@csdo.org or mwennis92@gmail.com
Textbook/Resources:
We will read several novels as a class this year. The following is a list of possible titles (subject to change):
 Literature:
o To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
o The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
o A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
o The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
o The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
o Lord of the Flies by William Golding
 Vocabulary:
o Vocabulary Workshop: Common Core Enriched Edition, Level C, Sadlier, 2014
Curriculum Goals & Objectives:
In 8th grade, students will explore novels, shorts stories, and poems from a variety of genres to provide practice
in each of the language arts: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students will learn to compare literary
forms, analyze literary devices in novels such as: character, point of view, plot, theme, etc. Students will also be
asked to contribute to class-wide discussions based on novels and stories we read together. Furthermore,
students will write a variety of responses to literary works including formal and informal essays, narratives,
poems and journal writings to enhance critical thinking and reading comprehension. Students will also be
expected to read independently in order to gain a greater appreciation of literature.
Vocabulary Schedule:
Vocabulary units are two weeks long. Following is a break down of the days and when assignments are
due. Rubrics and scoring will be discussed in class and are posted lower in a word document.
Monday: Start a unit - listen to the words in-class via the internet
Thursday: Workbook due
Friday: Go over answers in the workbook
Monday: Flashcards due (do not do this assignment if we are doing a unit review)
Wednesday: 20 Original Sentences due (do not do this assignment if we are doing a unit review)
Thursday: Creative Writing due (this is ONLY when the class is working on a Unit Review which is every three
chapters, this assignment takes the place of the original sentences)
Friday: Unit Test
Grading:
Summative Assessment (75%)
 Tests (literature and vocabulary)
 Projects (literature)
Formative Assessment (25%)
 Homework and Classwork (literature and vocabulary)
 Class participation (discussions, journals, etc.)
8th Grade Course Syllabus – Language Arts & Writing
Our Lady of the Rosary School
2014-2015
Instructor: Mr. Mark Ennis
Phone: (510) 471-3765 ext 307
Email: mennis@csdo.org or mwennis92@gmail.com
Curriculum Goals & Objectives:
In 8th grade, students will continue to build upon their knowledge of basic grammar from the 6th and 7th grade.
They will build upon previous knowledge of grammar rules and usage, while synthesizing information a deeper
cognitive level. Students will also focus on editing skills through daily proofreading exercises. The students will
also learn to develop paragraphs as well as their essay writing skills. They will continue to learn to view writing
as a process comprised of pre-writing skills, organization, rough drafts, editing, revisions and final drafts. They
will compose expository, narrative, persuasive, descriptive and imaginative pieces of writing. They will employ
correct grammar, varies sentence structure and thoughtful vocabulary in written expression. They will complete
several literary based essays where they will need to pull quotations and supporting examples from literature
they read in class, in order to successfully prove their thesis statement, all while following a basic 5-paragraph
essay outline.
Topics Covered:
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Identifying parts of speech
Distinguishing between sentence types and structure
Correct verb tenses and usage
Subject-verb agreement
Active and passive voice
Modifiers
Punctuation and Capitalization
Clauses and Phrases
Writing Portfolios:
Students are asked to return all graded writing assignments to school, one parents have reviewed them, so that I
may keep their work in individual writing portfolios. These will be returned at the end of the entire year.
Portfolios allow students and parents a way to easily see the student’s progression in his/her written work.
Grading Policy:
Language Arts
At the conclusion of each unit, the students will be tested on the topics covered. Test dates will be announced at
least one week in advance. The students will be held accountable for ALL material from the unit, unless
directed otherwise. Students will also be graded on completed homework assignments and other class projects.
 Formative Assessments (homework, discussion, observation, etc.) – 25%
 Summative Assessments (tests, final projects, labs, etc.) – 75%
Writing
Since I view writing as a process involving rough drafts, revisions and final drafts, I will allow students to
rewrite many (not all) of their assignments in order to learn from and correct their mistakes. Students may
submit these “corrected final versions” for an additional 10% credit on their assignment.
 Formative Assessments (homework, discussion, observation, etc.) – 25%
 Summative Assessments (tests, final projects, labs, etc.) – 75%