Language Arts Grade Eight
BIOGRAPHY: My name is Danielle Scibilia and I have been teaching for ten years. I began as a writing teacher for struggling students in Camden. I have a Master’s Degree in Education and am certified in secondary English, Kindergarten through grade eight, and Student Personnel Services.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY: To assure success in every area of life, students need to learn to communicate effectively, both orally and in written form. It is crucial for students to master the skills necessary to speak and write coherently.
As your child’s teacher, I will work with your child to allow for maximum improvement during the school year. Your child will be challenged. Students will write frequently, as research shows that writing often is the best way for students’ writing skills to improve. In addition, the quality of feedback and comments from the teacher will allow students to make necessary improvements.
My belief as a teacher is that all students can learn when provided with the proper supports. Therefore, all students should avail themselves of every opportunity to become an effective oral and written communicator.
OVERARCHING UNDERSTANDINGS RELATED TO THE COURSE:
After completing this curriculum, the student will integrate the following understandings:
That communication uses various forms to express our beliefs, values, knowledge, and stories
That communication influences the way we view the world and the way the world views us
That comprehension is the responsibility of all lifelong learners
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS COURSE:
In order to assist students in satisfying the requirements of this course of study, each student will explore the dimensions of each essential question.
How can a learner successfully share and communicate ideas?
How can a learner improve as both a reader and a writer?
How can a learner use life experiences to develop literacy?
How can a learner show responsibility for personal and academic literacy?
CONTENT:
Four thematic units will be covered in this course:
Recognizing diversity
Exploring the manifestations of intolerance
Surviving in the face of adversity
Exploring classical or historical literature
ASSESSMENT:
A. Rubrics will be used to establish clear expectations and credible assessments.
B. All students will be given opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in meeting or exceeding the Language Arts standards.
C. Assessments shall include a prompted timed writing sample assessed by the NJ Registered Holistic Scoring Rubric, a narrative piece based on a picture prompt, a persuasive piece, and other various pieces created as responses to literature, including open-ended responses to various forms of literature.
D. In accordance with policy established by the Cherry Hill Board of Education, all students will be given an opportunity to reassess when it is deemed that additional effort and study will result in the student meeting the appropriate standard(s). The form of assessment may vary according to the needs of the individual student. Reassessment may occur when the student has taken clear measures to demonstrate a mastery of the standard(s). The goal of reassessment is to assure that all students have learned and are able to demonstrate proficiency in the required knowledge and skills.
SKILLS TO BE TAUGHT:
1. By the end of eighth grade, students should be able to read a variety of fiction and non-fiction print material and respond in a multitude of ways that demonstrate proficiency in creating pieces of writing that use the English language effectively.
2. Students should be able to reflect and respond to what they have read in a meaningful way.
3. The student should be confident in using media center resources for gathering data.
4. The student should feel more confident while speaking before a group.
MEETING DIFFERENT NEEDS:
A variety of teaching resources will be utilized to assure that all students succeed in this course. Alternative methods of assessment will be offered to provide opportunities for every type of learner to achieve success. Students who have difficulty meeting the standards will be allowed opportunities for teacher assistance before and after school, during lunch periods, during MAC study periods, and at other times scheduled for the convenience of both teacher and student.