8th Grade Humanities Syllabus

Dear Parent/Guardian and Student:

Welcome to a new year at the Computer School. I will be teaching you Humanities, a course that connects Social Studies and Language Arts. Our class will meet for two periods a day, and we will be studying the geography, history, and culture of communities from ancient to modern times. In Humanities, you will participate in hand-on projects and activities that will allow you to recreate aspects of the communities we study. In addition, you will read and analyze literature related to the school theme, Equilibrium, and the areas that are our focus. You will also practice public speaking through presentations and participate in analytic and artistic response to reading and writing. Field trips will also be a n integral component of our curriculum and a valuable opportunity to connect our learning from inside to outside the classroom. The areas, topics, and literature planned are: (1) Global Geography/Travels With Charley, (2) Middle East: Egypt and Turkey/ Egyptian mythology, poetry of Rumi, (3) latin America: Puerto Rico/When I was Puerto Rican, (4) Asia: Japan/Memoirs of A Geisha, (5) South Africa/Cry the Beloved Country, (6) Year long globally-themed research writing portfolio project. In conjunction with the Lincoln Center experience this year, we will also read A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The following will ensure that you enjoy and are successful in Humanities:
Community Building
Our classroom will become a community of learners. To ensure that everyone is able to actively participate and achieve their goals, it will be everyone’s responsibility to create and maintain an atmosphere of respect.
Assessment
Your preparation for class activities and willingness to participate each day with a positive attitude and appropriate behavior are essential. Your efforts will be based on the following components:
Homework 25%
Classwork 20%
Test & Quizzes 25%
Projects and Extended Writing 30%
Homework
Homework is the one area that you are exclusively responsible for, so it requires your complete understanding. Homework will be assigned weekly in various forms (reading, writing, reviewing material, preparing for quizzes and tests, and self-paced work on long-term assignments). All work is to be handed in on the date it is due. Late assignments will be accepted only after a teacher-student discussion, and all late work must be submitted by a predetermined date. When you are absent, you are responsible for obtaining notes, handouts, and assignments. Missing and incomplete assignments will jeopardize your success in Humanities. In addition, I require a parent signature on returned tests, long-term written assignments, and project grading rubrics.
Independent Reading
Students are required to read at least six to eight books on their own during the school year. Reflective assignments will be given throughout the year. to complete the reading requirement, students may choose books from the classroom library or obtain books from the public library or local bookstores. What you select to read is your decision. I encourage you to read as many books as possible this year, as the more you read the more you know!
Materials
The following materials are required daily to ensure your participation in class:
Global Studies, Literary Analysis, and Vocabulary/Grammar sections in an organized, clean 3-ring binder.
loose leaf paper
blue/black pens and sharpened pencils
novel (class reading and/or selected reading)
American Heritage Dictionary (for use at home)
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition ($17.00)
There will be times when it is necessary to contribute to the cost of the materials. Most often this will cover the cost of novels we will use as part of our curriculum. This affords the students an opportunity to create a wonderful home library of books they will want to read again in the future.I will notify the students when a fee is required for novels or other materials that will be used to enhance learning in Humanities.
I am looking forward to an exciting and challenging year with you. Your curiousity, enthusiasm, cooperation, and hard work will make this year a great one. Please sign the letter as indicated below and place this syllabus in your binder. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at the school number (917) 441-1236 or via my email (nekaplan1@aol.com).

Mrs. Kaplan

_______________________ ___________________________
student signature parent signature

6/7E ELA Syllabus

Dear Parent/Guardian and Student:

Welcome to a new year at the Computer School. I will be teaching you English Language Arts, a course that explores literature through reading and writing. This year in ELA, we will focus on four areas of study: Study/English Skills, Expository & Creative Writing, Intensive Grammar and Vocabulary, and Literary Elements of the Novel. In addition, we will read, discuss, and analyze literature that corresponds with your social studies curriculum, which will focus on the immigrant experience. The following is an outline of what you can expect to read this year: O Pioneers!, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Ellis Island Interviews, remix, the Colors of Freedom, Dragonwings, and Barrio Boy. In conjunction with the Lincoln Center experience this year, we will also read A Midsummer Night's Dream. Students will also practice public speaking through presentations and participating in analytic and artistic response to reading and writing. Also, in conjunction with the social studies curriculum field trips will be an integral component of our curriculum and a valuable opportunity to connect our learning outside the classroom.

The following will ensure that you enjoy and are successful in Humanities:
Community Building
Our classroom will become a community of learners. To ensure that everyone is able to actively participate and achieve their goals, it will be everyone’s responsibility to create and maintain an atmosphere of respect.
Assessment
Your preparation for class activities and willingness to participate each day with a positive attitude and appropriate behavior are essential. Your efforts will be based on the following components:
Homework & Journal 25%
Classwork 20%
Test & Quizzes 25%
Projects and Extended Writing 30%
Homework
Homework is the one area that you are exclusively responsible for, so it requires your complete understanding. Homework will be assigned weekly in various forms (reading, writing, reviewing material, preparing for quizzes and tests, and self-paced work on long-term assignments). All work is to be handed in on the date it is due. Late assignments will be accepted only after a teacher-student discussion, and all late work must be submitted by a predetermined date. When you are absent, you are responsible for obtaining notes, handouts, and assignments. Missing and incomplete assignments will jeopardize your success in Humanities. In addition, I require a parent signature on returned tests, long-term written assignments, and project grading rubrics.
Independent Reading
Students are required to read and respond, through journal writing, to at least six novels during the school year that are not part of the class selection. As you read independently, you will complete written responses in your journal.
General Objectives
The following outlines what you can expect to accomplish in ELA this year:
1) Literary Analysis and discussion of Social Studies related literature.
2) Independent Reading - 1x per week in class, the period will be divided between reading and journal writing.
3) Expository Writing - you will become proficient in at least two writing modes and will practice the descriptive, narrative, comparison/contrast and persuasive writing modes.
4) Creative Writing Project - you will complete an autobiography using writing prompts throughout the year. In addition, you will work with different poetry styles.
5) Grammar - you will understand and diagram the Eight Parts of Speech and will learn to master specific syntax and usage skills.
6) Vocabulary - you will begin to understand definitions through context clues and knowledge of etymology.
Materials
The following materials are required daily to ensure your participation in class:
Literary Analysis and Vocabulary/Grammar sections in an organized, clean 3-ring binder.
loose leaf paper
blue/black pens and sharpened pencils
novel (class reading and/or selected reading)
American Heritage Dictionary (for use at home)
Reading Journal (spiral or mead composition notebook)
There will be times when it is necessary to contribute to the cost of the materials. Most often this will cover the cost of novels we will use as part of our curriculum. This affords the students an opportunity to create a wonderful home library of books they will want to read again in the future. I will notify the students when a fee is required for novels or other materials that will be used to enhance learning in ELA.
I am looking forward to an exciting and challenging year with you. Your curiosity, enthusiasm, cooperation, and hard work will make this year a great one. Please sign the letter as indicated below and place this syllabus in your binder. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at the school number (917) 441-1236 or via my email (nekaplan1@aol.com).

Mrs. Kaplan

_______________________ ___________________________
student signature parent signature

Don't Procrastinate!