Language Arts & Reading
Mrs. Leikin, Grade 8
Peacock Middle School

Textbooks: The Language of Literature, The Writer’s Choice, Scott-Foresman Spelling, Wordskills

LANGUAGE ARTS:
1. Understand and apply proper grammar, mechanics, and usage.
2. Sharpen research skills through papers, projects, and debate.
3. Further speaking and listening skills through discussions,
speeches, debate, and drama.
4. Improve study habits and test-taking skills through learning
reading and study strategies.

WRITING (Common Time and class time)
1. Responses for critical thinking.
2. ISAT essay prep: understanding and applying the stages in the writing process, writing for different
purposes and audiences (persuasive, narrative, expository, comparison/contrast essays, creative
writing, and other genres.
3. Research writing.

READING (The Language of Literature and other sources as noted)
The Outsiders, Horror vs. Terror (comparing/contrasting, prediction, drama, and narrative writing), Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, December Stillness

SPEECH
Group discussion, debate, individual speeches, various presentations.

PROCEDURES
SPELLING: A pretest is given on either Monday or Tuesday, depending on which day our class meets. Students with perfect pretests are assigned enrichment spelling homework and excused from the week’s final test. On Thursdays spelling homework is DUE DURING CLASS. It is checked, and the week’s spelling test is given. Four extra credit words, which are part of each unit, offer an opportunity to raise the score.

LATE WORK: “On time” credit is awarded when the work is turned in on the assigned day in class. Late work will count for partial/reduced credit as long as it’s turned in the next class day or later that same day. Any student who is absent will be allowed a grace period as stated in the school’s attendance/late work policy .

TOPICS

First Semester
(Skill focus)

Language Arts
Prepositions and phrases
Verbs (tense, number, voice)
Spelling

Speech
Group discussion
Persuasive, Expository, and Narrative (storytelling) individual speeches

Reading
The Outsiders (reading, vocabulary, literature response, and literary skills)
Outside reading

Writing
In-depth work with writing paragraphs, introductions, then practicing
ISAT Persuasive, Expository, and Narrative essays.


Second Semester
(Practical application of skills)


Spelling continues

Black History Month
Underground Railroad & research challenge
Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry (reading, vocabulary, literature response, and literary skills)
Civil Rights (biographical PowerPoint)


ISAT & Stanford Prep

Homelessness & Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome
December Stillness (reading, vocabulary, literature response, and literary skills)
Research on Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome or homelessness
Tie-in with Common Time

Amusement Park
Research, plan, design
Devise PR plan for marketing the park and present to class



COMMON TIME
This class is an interdisciplinary extension of Language Arts. Common Time grades are averaged into the Language Arts grade.

Most “A” schedule Fridays, students are required to bring an independent reading book to Common Time for Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). They will receive points for bringing a book and for reading. Students who choose not to come prepared to participate will lose points. Students will be informed as to which Fridays will be SSR days.

Each quarter students rotate to another core discipline teacher to practice writing for a variety of audiences and evaluators. All Common Time teachers are experienced at teaching and evaluating ISAT writing.