Friday
04/13/18
STAR Test
Author's Purpose Assignment
Wednesday
04/11/18
Reading Groups - Phoenix Farm (Canvas)
Tuesday
04/10/18
Blood, Smoke, and Freedom (Canvas)
Monday
04/09/18
Children Who Escaped the Nazis (Canvas)
Friday
03/30/18
Forget Me Not Card
Thursday
03/29/18
Betrayed by America Text Structures (Canvas)
Begin Forget Me Not Card (Canvas)
Wednesday
03/28/18
Make-up Day
Tuesday
03/27/18
SAGE Writing Test
Monday
03/26/18
SAGE Writing Test
Thursday
03/22/18
Day to Day
Hello! I'm Mrs. Brotherson!
Welcome to 8th Grade! I am very excited to begin this new year with you all. Please visit this page to find assignments, stay up-to-date on important information, and review material that we have learned in class. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions! Let's have a great year!
Writing
Scary Story Competition!
Read Aloud - October 31st
Quarter 2 - Constructed Response Focus
Friday November 3rd: The students wrote a constructed response (R.A.C.E.S) on the prompt "Anna Starecheski writes, 'Bird overpopulation isn't good for humans, and it isn't good for birds either' (18). Explain how bird overpopulation is bad for both humans and birds." They read the article: "The Great Bird Poop Disaster" and found evidence to support their answer to the prompt. If a student missed this day, they will need to make this assignment up. Please come see me to do so.
Turkey Post Card Assignment
Women of Courage Nomination Letter
Friday December 1st: The students wrote a constructed response (R.A.C.E.S) on the prompt "Since ancient times, evidence shows that dental practices have had a big impact on overall health. How are ancient dental practices different from modern dental methods? "They read the article: "History of Teeth" and found evidence to support their answer to the prompt. If a student missed this day, they will need to make this assignment up. Please come see me to do so.
Quarter 3 - Argument
Writing Focus
All 8th grade students will be conducting research to write an argumentative essay on a topic of their choice. They will be conducting most of their research on Utah's Online Library within Gale (a database). Within that database is a section called Research in Context. I have allowed them to search through the different topics and to narrow down to their top 3 choices. The focus will be on social issues.
In class on February 20, 2018, the students will have a chance to look through several social issue topics. They will choose 3 topics that are most interesting to them, and then come up with a driving question that they could research for the topic.
Click the button to the left to visit a Prezi that explains the difference between argumentative and informational/expository essays.
Reading
Language/ Vocabulary
Important to Note
Scary Story Unit:
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"The Tell-Tale Heart" - Edgar Allan Poe
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"The Monkey's Paw" - Play adapted from W.W. Jacobs story
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"The White Dress" - Richard and Judy Dockery Young
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"Frankenstein" Poem - Edward Field
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"Fever Dream" - Ray Bradbury
Extra Credit Reading assignment: "Man-Made Monsters"
*Read and answer the questions at the end.
Quarter 1
Quarter 2
Slavery & Tubman Unit:
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"O Captain! My Captain!" - Poem by Walt Whitman
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Listening to Slave Narratives
Extra Credit Reading assignment: "The Legacy of Fredrick Douglass"
* Read and answer the questions at the end.
Click on the picture of the article to find the article "Teens Against Hitler" to complete the at-home reading assignment.
December Reading Unit:
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"Gift of the Magi" - O. Henry
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"Kidnapped Santa Claus" - L. Frank Baum
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"History of Christmas" - Informational Lit by History.com and NewsELA
Extra Credit Reading assignment: "How Santa Found the Poor House"
*Read and answer the questions at the end.
Anne Frank & World War II Background Information:
Use the links on this page to help you find the information to fill out your section of the background assignment.
World War II Background Information 1
World War II Background Information 2
Diary of Anne Frank Mini-Biographies
Kristallnacht: Night of Broken Glass
GHETTOS:
(Background) https://youtu.be/jk-sJADfWrU
(Overcrowding) https://youtu.be/bWf-nBhaL4E
(Day-to-Day Life) https://youtu.be/pMEB4Nrf278
(Welfare and Mutual Aid) https://youtu.be/mclEQHLk-RQ
(Badge of Shame) https://youtu.be/_JXXBQkcyy4
Diary of Anne Frank AUDIO
You will find this under Unit 3, Part 2: Voices of Courage
Mrs. Brotherson's
8th Grade Language Arts
“I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine.”
― Emily Dickinson
We will be having another writing contest like we did for scary stories in October. For this contest we will be writing fractured fairy tales. Follow this link to find a list of traditional fairy tales and fables you can take inspiration from.