Welcome to Mr. Ammann's 8th Grade English Class Website!
I'm glad you're here! On this website, you will find homework assignments, major projects, test dates, and other important information for students and parents. Check back often as I will try to update this website on a daily basis. As always, parents, please feel free to contact me at any time regarding concerns about your child, their grade, or any issue about class in general at Steve_Ammann@hcpss.org.
~Steve Ammann
8th Grade English- Reg and GT
Mount View Middle School
Course Description:
Throughout the year we will study literature in different formats and from various regions of the world. We will begin the year with an exploration of writing and an introduction to the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing. Afterwards, we will begin our unit on short stories followed by science fiction and fantasy. Our unit on Epics and a study of the heroic will be next, follwed by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Writing and grammar will comprise a large portion of this course and will be intermixed within the literature units.
Online Grades:
Have you joined the growing number of parents who are using online grades as a means of keeping up with their child? It's really easy to set up and even easier to use. No more waiting for progress reports or reports cards to find out how your child is performing academically. To get signed up, all you need to do is send an email to Rick Frankle (our Technology Coordinator) with your email address, your child's name and student number so you can get started. He will send you back a temporary password and once you take that to www.teacherease.com you will be able to log-in and set up your new password and id from there. Once inside you'll find student grades for the various academic classes that use teacherease (note not all teachers are using this program at this time.) It is my goal to update grades every two weeks if not earlier. Feel free to email me with any questions you might have!
Absence and Late Assignment Policy:
When a student is absent it is the responsibility of the student to make up any work that was missed during his/her absence. Make up work will be available on the resource table in the front of the room. As described in the student handbook, a student will have the number of days he/she was absent to make up any work missed without suffering a penalty. After this grace period an assignment will be considered late.
Late assignments will receive a 10% deduction in grade for every day they are late. After 5 days the assignment becomes a zero. Homework that has been reviewed in class may not be turned in late (unless the student was absent when the work was assigned).
Student’s who leave early for appointments or other planned activities are responsible for that day’s assignments as if they were in class. I am available throughout the day for students to come and get work they will miss.
Grading Policy:
All assignments will be graded on a point system.
Dinner Table Discussions:
Don't you hate it when you ask your children what they did in school today and they say, "Nothing"? Good to know your tax dollars are hard at work. Check back here often to see what your child is currently doing in English class.
Last Updated 11/22/08
On-Level:
We will be wrapping up our unit on Science-Fiction and Fantasy with a little creative writing of our own. Now that we've read stories, it's time we write stories. Starting the first day back in December, students will be introduced to the Harris Burdick project. For more information on who Harris Burdick was and to get a glimpse of his creative works, click here and under "Portfolio Reflection"- Read More. Students will be
working with a partner of their choosing to create a fictional story (6 pages minimum) that incorporates elements of science-fiction and fantasy. Students will complete a packet filled with graphic organizers and pages to get their imagination flowing, a rough draft, and a final typed version. Questions on the project? Please feel free to send me an email. Happy writing!
GT:
We will be wrapping up our unit on Science-Fiction and Fantasy with a little creative writing of our own. Now that we've read stories, it's time we write stories. Starting the first day back in December, students will be introduced to the Harris Burdick project. For more information on who Harris Burdick was and to get a glimpse of his creative works, click here and under "Portfolio Reflection"- Read More. Students will
be working with a partner of their choosing to create a fictional story (6 pages minimum) that incorporates elements of science-fiction and fantasy. Students will complete a packet filled with graphic organizers and pages to get their imagination flowing, a rough draft, and a final typed version. Questions on the project? Please feel free to send me an email. Happy writing!
*** Parents, please note if your child is having difficulty with a particular story we are reading or you simply want to follow along with our curriculum yourself, I suggest using the Adventures text at home with your son/daughter.
Homework:
Monday 8/25- Study syllabus, get parent letter signed
Tuesday 8/26-None
Wednesday 8/27- None, GT-Review essay notes
Thursday 8/28- None
Friday 8/29- Reg- Finish "Scrambled Eggs" GT-None
Monday 9/1- NO SCHOOL
Tuesday 9/2- "Deliverance" BCR. GT-None
Wednesday 9/3-None. GT-None
Thursday 9/4- "Hook" worksheet. GT-none
Friday 9/5-None
Monday 9/8 Reg-None. GT- None
Tuesday 9/9-None
Wednesday 9/10- Reg- Finish topic sentence worksheet. GT-none
Thursday 9/11- Finish topic sentence worksheet
Friday 9/12- None. GT- Finish "Deliverance" BCR
Monday 9/15- work on essay. GT- "war" vocabulary
Tuesday 9/16- Continue to work on essay. GT- Finish plot chart.
Wednesday 9/17- Rought draft of essay due tomorrow. GT- Lit Questions #2 and #5
Thursday 9/18- Final draft due Tuesday. GT- Study for prep quiz. Preposition wrkst due tomorrow.
Friday 9/19- "School Sports" paper due Tuesday. GT- Provide definition and one example for each literary element on "Elements of a short story" worksheet (gold)
Monday 9/22- Final draft due tomorrow. GT- None
Tuesday 9/23- Reg- None. GT- Finish "The Necklace." Write paragraph on the theme.
Wednesday 9/24-None
Thursday 9/25-
Friday 9/26-
Monday 9/29-None
Tuesday 9/30- NO SCHOOL
Wednesday 10/1- None
Thursday 10/2- None
Friday 10/3- Reg- None. GT- Read first four letters in Frankenstein. Answer "Letter" questions, complete vocab worksheet
Monday 10/6- Pd 2 and 8- Begin answering "Most Dangerous Game" questions. Read to page 19 in "MDG." Pd.6- Read to page ___ in "Most Dangerous Game." All Reg- Begin studying for Short Story Unit Test (Pd. 6- Wed. Pd. 2 and 8- Fri) GT- Read chapters 1-6 in Frankenstein for Wed.
Tuesday 10/7- Reg- Study for test. GT- Chapters 1-6 for Wed
Wednesday 10/8- Reg- Study. GT- Progeny Project due Friday. Chaps 7-10 due Mondau
Thursday 10/9- NO SCHOOL
Friday 10/10- Reg-None. GT- Chaps 7-10 due Monday. Parents, please read the note that appears at the top of this website concerning Mr. Baird's departure on 10/16.
Monday 10/13- None. GT- Read Chaps 7-10 for tomorrow.
Tuesday 10/14- Finish "The Third Level." For a copy of the story, click here. GT- Chaps 11-16 due tomorrow.
Wednesday 10/15- None. GT- Chaps 17-20 and notes due Monday
Thursday 10/16- Finish "The Fun They Had" worksheet and BCR. For "The Fun They Had" story, click here. GT- Read chaps 17-20. Complete Paradise Lost write-up.
Friday 10/17- NO SCHOOL
Monday 10/20- Reg- None. GT- Read Chaps 21-24 in Frankenstein. Study for Frankenstein Unit Test (10/27)
Tuesday 10/21- Study for quarterly assessment (review sheet will be sent home tomorrow). GT- read chaps 21-24 and end letters. Study for unit test on Monday 10/27 (study guide sent home today).
Wednesday 10/22- Reg- Study for Quarterly. GT- Finish novel, study for unit test, brainstorm for essay, thesis statement due Friday
Thursday 10/23- Finish The Monkey's Paw. GT- Finish 21-24 worksheet and letters worksheet. Thesis statement due tomorrow.Study for Frankenstein Unit Test.
Friday 10/24- Study for quarterly. GT- Study for test. Work on essay. Study for quarterly.
Monday 10/27- Study for quarterly. GT- Study for quarterly. Work on essay- rough draft due Friday 10/31. Return permission slip asap.
Tuesday 10/28- Study for quarterly. GT- Study for quarterly. Rough draft due Friday. Return permission slip a.s.a.p.
Wednesday 10/29-None. GT- rough draft due Friday
Thursday 10/30- None
Friday 10/31- Reg-None. GT- Final draft of essay due Wednesday 11/5. Please bring final, rough copies, and rubric to turn in. Pd.1 will turn in during class. Pd 9 will turn in before FT on Wed. Info on Field Trip- Please bring money for lunch and dress for the weather. You will report to period 1 as usual and then after period 1 (8:31) you will report to my classroom. We will be gone most of the day.
Monday 11/3- NO SCHOOL
Tuesday 11/4- NO SCHOOL
Wednesday 11/5- Reg- Finish "The Mist" worksheet if not completed in class. GT-None
Thursday 11/6- Work on sci-fi article. GT-None
Friday 11/7- Sci-Fi article due Thursday 11/13. Preposition vs. Infinitive Quiz Thurs 11/3. GT-Study for quiz
Monday 11/10- Sci-Fi article due Thursday. Study for quiz. GT- Study for quiz
Tuesday 11/11- Sci-Fi article due Thursday. Study for quiz (Thursday). GT- Study!
Wednesday 11/12- Sci-Fi article due tomorrow. Study for Preposition/Infinitive Quiz tomorrow. GT- Study for quiz
Thursday 11/13- Journal project. GT- None
Friday 11/14- Finish "Earth Men". May complete journal if you choose. GT- Read "Earth Men" answer question.
Monday 11/17- Finish "Earth Men" journal. Finish "Ylla" if not already done so. GT- Read over essay. Look for areas where you can improve.
Tuesday 11/18-None. GT-None
Wednesday 11/19- Reg- Complete "Soft Rains" journal. GT-None.
Thursday 11/20- Reg and GT-Participial Phrase worksheet. Good study guide for quiz next week on Participial Phrases.
Friday 11/21- Reg- Complete journal project (due 12/2). Study for Participial Phrases Quiz Monday 11/24 or Tues 11/25 GT- Sci-Fi News Article due 12/2. Study for Participial Phrases Quiz Monday 11/24 or Tues 11/25
Monday 11/24- Reg- Complete journal project (due 12/2) Additional Information on assignment below. Study for quiz if you have not already taken it. GT- Sci-Fi News article due 12/2. Additional Info below
Tuesday 11/25- Reg- Complete journal project (due 12/2) Additional information on assignmnet below. GT- Sci-Fi News article due 12/2. Parents, confused on the journal project or sci-fi article? See helpful tips below in the Important Information section
Wed 11/26- NO SCHOOL
Thursday 11/27- NO SCHOOL
Friday 11/28- NO SCHOOL
Monday 12/1- None
Tuesday 12/2- Brainstorm for Burdick story
Wednesday 12/3- Brainstorm for Burdick story
Thursday 12/4- Brainstorm for Burdick story
Friday 12/5-Brainstorm for Burdick Story
Monday 12/8-Rough draft of Burdick Story due Thursday at the beginning of class. (20 Minutes) Recommendation- type it at home and either burn to a disc or save to a flash drive so you can bring it into the computer lab Thursday to work on your book
Tuesday 12/9-Rough draft of Burdick Story due Thursday at the beginning of class. (20 Minutes) Recommendation- type it at home and either burn to a disc or save to a flash drive so you can bring it into the computer lab Thursday to work on your book
Wednesday 12/10-Rough draft of Burdick Story due Thursday at the beginning of class. (20 Minutes) Recommendation- type it at home and either burn to a disc or save to a flash drive so you can bring it into the computer lab Thursday to work on your book
Thursday 12/11- Final Draft due 12/19 (30 Minutes)
Monday 12/15- Final Draft of Burdick story due Friday 12/19. Study subject/verb agreement for quiz tomorrow.
Tuesday 12/16-Final draft due Friday. Last day in the lab-Wednesday
Wednesday 12/17-Final draft due Friday. Last day in the lab-Wednesday
Thursday 12/18-Final draft due Friday.
Friday 12/19-None. Enjoy your break!
Monday 1/5- Finish driving ECR if necessary (20 minutes). GT-None
Tuesday 1/6- Begin studying for quarterly assessment (mulitple choice) on 1/14. Study guide sent home today.
Important Dates:
Reg:
1/6- Written portion of quarterly assessment
1/14- Multiple choice portion of quarterly assessment
GT:
1/6- Written portion of quarterly assessment
1/14- Multiple choice portion of quarterly assessment
Important Information (Reg and GT):
Before winter break, Mrs. Klein, our wonderful guidance counselor, spoke to the kids about high school registration. Your child was sent home with their MRHS course book and the homework assignment to begin thinking about their four year plan for high school. On 1/15 and 1/16, Mrs. Klein will be back in the English classrooms to help the students fill out their actual four year plan for high school. Students need to bring their course books to class those days along with an idea of what classes they want to sign up for next year and the years beyond.
Online Gradebook:
Additional Resources:
THANKS FOR VISITING OUR ONLINE CLASSROOM!
Picture courtesy of Womland.
Online grades last updated: Monday, December 8th, 2008 
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