GRADE 8 ELA

**REMINDER** STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO COMPLETE A MINIMUM OF 3 MYRCA
                             NOVELS AND THE EVALUATION SHEETS BY APRIL 2ND. THIS HAS BEEN
                             AN ONGOING ASSIGNMENT  SINCE SEPT. (see course outline)

 INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE UNIT/DRAMA

• Students have finished reader's theatre with  "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Each student played various roles throughout the play.
• They are working an translating one scene from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" into modern English. They are allowed to work in groups (with up to three members). Scripts must follow the format discussed in class. No more class time will be given. DEADLINE: Friday, March 18th
• Shakespeare handout must be completed by Friday, March 18th. We will be completing them in our groups.
• Shakespeare Test - Tues. March 22nd
• Students will be asked to memorize a minimum of 10 lines/one passage from one of Shakespeare's plays/sonnets - Due Monday, April 11th
• The unit will wrap up in June with two more reader's theatre experiences.

SPELLING

• Pages 1-7 have been taken up in class
• Students have pages 8-38 in their binders and should be working on them during down time, at home, and when given class time
• Pages 8-15 due Thurs. March 24th

SCIENCE FICTION UNIT/WRITER'S WORKSHOP

• Students have completed the activation activity - Science Fiction Is...
• Students have been exposed to examples of Science Fiction in class (Star Trek, Star Wars, War of the Worlds, etc...
• Assignment - Students will be tasked to:
• In their groups, write a story treatment outlining the protagonist, antagonist, and plot line for their scripts. The treatment should be in paragraph form (approx. 1/2 page long) DUE: Thurs. March 17th
• In their groups, write an original script for a science fiction story. It must contain a minimum of 3 characters, include rising action, climax, and resolution, follow the format outlined in class, and be approx 5 pages long. Final draft must be typed. DUE: Wed. April 6th

PUBLIC SPEAKING UNIT

• Students will be tasked to complete the following:
• 30 seconds about themselves - impromptu
• 30 seconds - "My Pet Peeve" - prepared
• 1 minute - "My Favorite Person in the World" - prepared
• 1 minute - Random topics drawn from a hat - impromptu
• 3 minutes - topics TBA in class - prepared
• in conjunction with our independent inquiry project on ancient Egypt - 5 minutes on their topic - prepared (must include visuals/props)
• 5 minutes - topics TBA in class - prepared *FINAL ASSESSMENT*

LITERATURE CIRCLES

• Central Theme is Acceptance
• Mrs. Fuerst will introduce the unit after Spring Break
• Students will be given the opportunity to read novels of their choice and complete activities to demonstrate comprehension
• Students must complete 2 novels and the accompanying activities/exercises to acheive curricular outcomes over a 5 week period.

GRADE 8 SOCIAL STUDIES

• Students are working on Independent Inquiry Projects about ancient Egypt. Please see handout/rubric in binder. DUE: March 24th. Presentations begin that day.
• Egypt Unit Test - Tues. April 5th