Mrs. JW Bennett

English 8-3

Pershing Middle School Language Arts Department

2008-2009

Julie W. Bennett cluster 8-3

jbennett@houstonisd.org  (713)295-5240 ext. 381

Welcome to the 8^th grade.  This is your final year as a Pershing Panda, and I would like to wish you the best of luck and much success during this year.  If you or your parent(s) or guardian(s) ever have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to contact me at any time.  You are the veterans of the school, so I expect to see you shine as readers and writers and set a good example for the underclassmen.

Below you will find an overview of the Language Art department’s expectation as well as an explanation of the grading policy, the curriculum and the materials needed for this class.  Please read carefully with your parents.  Discuss all of the information and if something is unsettling for you, talk to me and I will make sure you will leave with a better understanding.  Once you have read the information with your parents and you all understand it,  please keep it as your guide.  

Overview of the LA expectations

This year we will embark our learning in Reader Writer Workshop, a very successful program founded at Teachers College of Columbia University. This program will help you to become a lifelong reader and writer.  The LA department expects you to enhance your reading life.  We want you to select and read a variety of texts: fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, classics, mystery, young adult, horror, best-sellers.  These are genres that readers actually read, therefore we expect for you to read them all.

Additionally, we expect you to write EVERYTHING in your writer’s notebook:  thoughts, things you want to remember, sad moments, happy moments, anything that inspires you, and the list goes on… You will take a tour through you notebook at times and find a piece that you would want to develop and actually make it a published piece.  We want to see this process in your notebook.  We expect you to embrace your thoughts and capture them onto paper and understand as well as celebrate your published pieces.

We are teaching you strategies to be able to read all types of text as well as be able to make a piece of literature become a mentor piece and inspire you to craft and publish your very own writing project.   I know that you will be invested and accept our expectation as becoming a lifelong reader and writer.

Curriculum

This year I will teach you reading and writing.  I have broken down the curriculum for the two so that you can understand what you will be taught in both contents.

v     Reading

Students will learn how to choose books, conquer through challenging books, build stamina, inferences, characterization, and study the big idea of some text.  Throughout different books that you choose, you will be taught strategies that will show you how to master these concepts.  There are no textbooks; there are no assigned novels.  You choose the books you will read.  That means you need to make sure that you bring your current book to class everyday to practice strategies that will be taught.  All strategies taught will be located in your literacy notebook.

Ø      Accelerated Reading (AR) - You are not required to only read AR books, but if you do please take the test.  There will be an incentive for you based off the number of your AR points.  We will discuss this in class.

Ø      Reading logs – You are required to make a log of what you read.  I will show you the format in class.  This will be used as a tool of assessment.

v     Writing/English

You will first work on building your writing stamina.  You wind topics you can write about and learn the process of a writer.  From there, you will study and practice the process of writing through different genres: non-fiction, poetry, the essay, etc.  Throughout these studies you will study and practice conventions of writing.  All of this work will be located in your writer’s notebook.

Grading

You will be assessed rather than just receiving a grade.  Your assessments will be produced from rubrics.  You will be assessed on your writer’s notebook (WNB), literacy notebook, conferences, AR, reading logs, drafting packets and your writing projects.  These rubrics will be given to you and placed inside your WNB and your literacy notebook.  These rubrics will actually allow me to learn who you are as a reader and a writer.

Materials

 You will need  the following:

2  3 subject spirals (WNB and literacy notebook)

2 filing folders with your name on them

Post-its (different sizes and colors)

You may need additional spirals throughout the school year, so may want to get a few extras.

Book policy

Since the administrative team has embraced this type of work with the LA department, we have to show our appreciation to them.  They have purchased the books that you will be reading for all of the LA classes.  With that being said, it is important that we keep up with the books, return them and keep them in the best shape.  We want them to know that we appreciate their support and effort in making this successful.  You must follow the check out process for my class.  If at any time a book that has been checked out under your name is lost or extremely damaged, be prepared for the conversation of how you will solve that problem.  Two options I can say for now will be to replace the book from another bookstore or submit $5 so that I can re-purchase the book.  However how you solve the problem of coming up with the book is up to you; I only want the book back on the shelf for another student to experience that book.  We need to maintain a wide variety on the shelves for you and your classmates to choose from.

If you or your parents have any questions about Reader Writer Workshop, or my specific class, please don’t hesitate to contact me via telephone or e-mail .

Creative Writing Elective

Pershing Middle School 2008-09

Mrs. JW Bennett, instructor

Creative writing is a term to distinguish certain imaginative or different types of writing from generic writing.  The lack of specificity of the term is partly intentional, designed to make the process of writing accessible to everyone and to insure that non-traditional writing is not excluded from academic consideration or dismissed as trivial or insignificant.  This distinction is helpful in separating

the writing from more technical, professional or journalistic writing.

Overall Course Objectives

Once a student has completed this course he/she will

be able to:

1. Write grammatically correct and imaginatively constructed poetry and fiction.

2. Use literary devices and/or characteristics such as imagery, setting, metaphor, characterization, dialogue, point of view and theme, to name a few.

Major Course Topics

-The writing of poetry and fiction

-The reading and critiquing of poetry and fiction by published writers

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing comes in many forms including novels, short stories, plays and screenplays.  The main aspect of creative writing is that it does involve some sort

of writing and that at least some elements of that writing are fictional or imaginative. Even if you are describing something actually happened to you, once

you start re-arranging the events or changing who the characters are, what they look like and/or what they say,  you have entered the world of creative writing.

Why Do Creative Writing?

There are a number of reasons why you might like to write poems, stories or drama.  Obviously, one reason why people write is because they get paid; writing is a career, but besides the monetary gain of writing professionally, there are other reasons why you may do creative writing:

You have a strong need or desire to express yourself

You are good at it

You enjoy creating things

You feel a sense of accomplishment when you are  finished

You like to think about ideas more deeply

You are interested in personal growth

You want to improve your power of expression, so that you can communicate  more persuasively, accurately and vividly

You find writing is challenging, interesting or fun

The grading for creative writing is as follows:

25% homework/class work

25% journal/notebook

50% final writing assignment

You will need to acquire the following supplies for class:

(1) spiral or bound notebook (any color or design)

(1) two-pocket folder, no brads (any color or design)

Just a final note: all final writing assignments must be typed; therefore it might be prudent to be well-stocked on computer paper, disks and ink cartridges.  If you do not have a computer at home, you will need to make arrangements to use someone else’s.  If all else fails, you are welcome to use one of the computers in my room; however, you must do this in the morning before school starts, not during class.
 

Student tutorials are held in my room, 228 every

morning from 8:00-8:30 a.m.

I can be contacted by phone at 713-295-5240 ext. 381

or via e-mail at jbennett@houstonisd.org

 
JJP The Middle
Pershing’s school newspaper and
6th, 7th and 8th grade journalism elective
syllabus 2008-09
Mrs. JW Bennett
 
In this journalism class, producing media-ready copy is acknowledged as a primary objective; therefore frequent attention to good writing is expected from
all students.  Journalists may specialize in a range of writing-based activities, including print journalism, public relations, advertising and online media.  
Practicing journalists become experts in a range of skills such as researching information, interviewing, organizing, drafting and revising writing for
specific audiences, and judging the quality of current publications.  Effective journalistic writing often has criteria different from other kinds of writing: it must be clear yet sophisticated, creative yet free of embellishment.  It must
establish a voice of its own, yet be credible and full of facts.  In addition, formatting skills require practice, and thus this class offers students the
opportunity to try their hands at layout design, headlines, subheads, pull quotes, graphics and photographs.
 
During the first six weeks, students will participate in all the aforementioned aspects of journalism.  The grading will be as follows:
homework/class work- 25%
quizzes- 50%
adherence to code of conduct- 25%
 
Once students learn all aspects, they will be required to apply for a specific position on the newspaper staff.  Some of these positions include editor-in-chief,
news editor, feature editor, op-ed editor, sports editor, in-depth report editor, photographer, reporter, art director, advertising/business manager, and layout designer etc. Selection for these positions will be based on the grade earned
for the first six weeks as well as having mastery of the position requirements.  Unfortunately, not all students will be able to receive his/her first choice, but
keep in mind that the school newspaper is a team effort and absolutely every job is crucial and important.  
 
The grading for the 2nd through 6th six weeks is as
follows:
progress check at 3 weeks (to see the progress on your assignment)- 25%
adherence to code of conduct- 25%
final piece- 50%
 
materials for the class: one accordion-style
envelope/portfolio with a securing band or fastener.
 
 
 
As journalists in your school newspaper, you have a very important job to do.   What follows is our mission statement, and I would like you to be familiar with it
and believe in it.
 
MISSION STATEMENT
The student press of John J. Pershing Middle School has adopted this as its mission:
 
1. To publish news, information, and opinion articles for and about students, faculty, and administration activities, interests and policies.
2. To maintain high ethical standards with regard to fairness, personal and legal rights.
3. To provide a forum for free and responsible expression of student opinion and present well-balanced, locally researched coverage of issues of broader student interest.
4. To strive for a high level of competency in the technical aspects of writing, including grammar, spelling, clarity and precision.
5. To welcome diversity and increase the scope and depth of our coverage in order to heighten mutual understanding and awareness throughout our entire
school community.
 
 
I’m looking forward to a great year with each and every one of you.  Remember, you were chosen to be on the staff of this newspaper based on your application
and teacher recommendations.  You were selected over hundreds of other applicants; therefore I’m expecting big things from you.  I know you will make me proud!
 
If your parents have any questions for me, I can be
reached by phone at 713-295-5240 ext. 381 or via
e-mail at jbennett@houstonisd.org