Welcome to
Eighth Grade Language Arts
with Mrs. Lothrop
a place to grow as readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and thinkers
I am available to meet with students both before and after school.
Please let me know in advance that you'd like to meet so that I can give you my full attention.
Course Syllabus: file:///C:/Users/JLothrop/Downloads/Lothrop%20Syllabus%2017-18.pdf
Happy Spring!
Collections and Close Reader online
my.hrw.com
username: wams82
password: viking2014
Suggested Supplies
- a small three ring binder (or part of a larger binder)
- lined paper
- 4 dividers
- pens, pencils, highlighters (three different colors), and sticky notes (0.5" x 1.75" work well, but you can use any size you have.)
This week in 418
4/23-5/11
We use three weeks of daily editions of The New York Times to study news reading and news writing.
PARCC testing will take place from 5/3 - 5/8.
4/17-4/20
We will focus on specific reading skills and strategies that will be employed in our news and journalism unit.
4/2 - 4/13
Our student-written play performances will begin on Wednesday and continue through next Friday.
1/29 - 2/16
We will read and analyze The Miracle Worker as a mentor text for our play writing unit. We will focus on characterization, conflict, symbols, theme, and vocabulary.
1/15 - 1/26
In these two weeks, we will prepare for and deliver persuasive speeches, review assessed work, and set goals for the third marking period.
1/8 - 1/12
We will continue to develop our persuasive speeches using the elements of persuasion we've studied as well as speaking techniques we observe in Elie Wiesel's speeh, "After Auschwitz."
1/2/18 - 1/5/18
Happy New Year! As promised, we will start the new year by developing persuasive speeches based on our argument essays.
12/18 - 12/21
We will continue drafting and polishing our essays, and we will turn them in to a web-based program that will help us self-assess our mastery of paraphrasing.
See you in 2018!
12/11 - 12/15
We will work on paraphrasing and other techniques that help prevent plagiarism, AND we will begin drafting our essays! : )
The Day of Giving is this Friday. Please remember to bring in items on your homeroom's list.
12/4 - 12/8
We will continue researching and begin to add information to our outlines We will be in 418 on Monday, but we will meet in the Cybrary on Tuesday and meet in the media center on Wednesday and Thursday.
1/27- 12/1
We will finish presearching our topics, develop a working thesis and go t othe Cybrary to begin researching our controversial topics.
11/13 - 11/17
As readers, we will analyze two characters in Thunder on Sycamore Street to get a better understanding of the themes present in the text. As writers, we will focus on including context to successfully integrate quoted material into our own writing.
11/6 - 11/8
We will finish reading Thunder on Sycamore Street.
10-30 - 11/3
We will wrap our horror unit and begin Unit 2, Social Justice.
10/23 - 10/27
We will finish our additional scenes for "The Wishgiver" by conferring, revising, and proofreading. Remember: Friday is Empowerment Day!
10/16 - 10/20
This week we will review literary terms, vocabulary, and GUM rules to date (quiz is Wednesday) AND we will begin creating an original scene for "The Wishgiver."
10/9 - 10/13
This week we will continue to analyze word choice, irony, and foreshadowing in "The Wishgiver." We will use verbal expression, body language, and facial expressions to convey personality traits as well as mood and meaning.
10/2 - 10/6
This week we will use close reading skills to recognize irony, foreshadowing, and characterization in "The Wishgiver."
9/25 - 9/29
This week we will compare a text to a filmed performance and compare short stories to drama.
9/18 - 9/22
This week we will finish reading "The Monkey's Paw" as we continue our exploration of characterization, foreshadowing, and theme.
9/11 - 9/15
This week we will continue to build community by introducing a classmate to the group. Then we will delve into our first learning unit, The Thrill of Horror, with a short story called "The Monkey's Paw."
9/7 - 9/8
We will spend these days using close reading, speaking, and listening to learn more about the course as well as our classmates. See you Thursday! : )