DUE DATES—FIRST TRIMESTER/FIELDS
STUDENTS: Any one of these dates/expectations could change due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. SNOWmageddon J!, my absence, our coverage speed) … The best way to use my blog (see syllabus) and this due dates packet is to ALWAYS LOOK AHEAD; see what assignments are in the imminent future. If you do not look/plan ahead, you may come to class unprepared. You have much more responsibility this year re: keeping up with assignments. I will not remind you day to day. Put these due dates on your agenda; check you agenda every night by looking ahead at least a week or two…
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: The first time you see your block will be the date of the assignment, paper, quiz, test, etc.
In the first week, we will need to do a little bit of “housekeeping” re: my blog, teacher’s policies, Davis policies (dress and academic) teacher’s expectations, intruder drills, fire drills, tornado drills, location of AEDs in case of emergency, etc. As far as academics go, you will have a quiz on A Separate Peace. We will also begin discussion of this classic and do so through various approaches, some teacher-led and some student-led. I think that you will discover some interesting ways to approach and to study/unlock literature this year.
WEEK 1: Remember: You always need to look a week and half to two weeks ahead in this packet; you must always know what lies ahead and be prepared.
Mon., Aug 17 All BLKS: Welcome! Collect all handouts and vocabulary book; we will talk about best way to use agenda/blog on-line, and Trimester 1 due dates. Be sure you and your parents look through syllabus/policies together; have your syllabus signed and returned to me no later than Friday for a 100 as a first quiz grade. Note: you do not receive a 0 if you fail to turn in signed syllabus; however, you do receive an “X”, which simply means no credit. Remember though that good quiz grades can help your final average. We will chat a little about your summer reading assignment. Do not panic: you have one week before we truly delve into the novel and before your work and illustrations are due.
HW: syllabus signed; go ahead and begin to study roots page one and start working on unit 1 in the vocabulary book. Do each unit over a span of days; in 8th grade I do not check to see that you have done vocabulary work – you should do it because doing so will help you. On each vocabulary test, you must spell the words, use them correctly in sentences with contextual clues, know synonyms and antonyms. I recommend that you use flash cards for your study. You should also at this time -- and throughout every week -- prepare for your roots tests. The first test will be over page 1. You should know each root, its meaning, two words from the right column – and their definitions that reflect the root’s influence. Every roots test is COMPREHENSIVE. Also, any time you have an outside novel or class-assigned novel, you should be working on that as well. If you need to re-read/re-fresh your memory re: ASP, do so; be sure written summer work is complete. Type 3 questions that you have about ASP, and type and document according to MLA three of the most interesting and/or revealing and/or troublesome quotes that you found in ASP. Have those ready by Thursday (if I see you) or Friday (if I don’t see you Thursdays.) Prepare for Friday’s quiz over ASP.
Tues. , Aug. 18 Blks. 1,3 We will talk about and arrange all of those darn handouts you received yesterday, and I will make a writing assignment to both on-level and honors classes; also, I will provide an example of each assignment to show you how to do it/my expectations. On-level classes will write a Personal Museum paper;
honors class will write a personal response/comparative analysis re: teacher-selected analogues. You will find that assignments often differ, as will obviously be the case this time. On-level papers are due August 26; honors papers are due August 28. Talk about drill procedures.
HW: syllabus signed; go ahead and begin to study roots page one and start working on unit 1 in the vocabulary book. If you need to re-read/re-fresh your memory re: ASP, do so; be sure written/illustrated summer work is complete. Type 3 questions that you have about ASP, and type and document according to MLA three of the most interesting and/or revealing and/or troublesome quotes that you found in ASP. Have those ready by Thursday (if I see you) or Friday (if I don’t see you Thursdays.) Work on your Personal Museum or Analogue analysis/comparison. Prepare for Friday’s quiz on ASP.
Wed., Aug. 19 Blks. 1,7,6,3 We will talk about and arrange all of those darn handouts you received yesterday, and I will make a writing assignment to both on-level and honors classes; also, I will provide an example of each assignment to show you how to do it/my expectations. On-level classes will write a Personal Museum paper; honors class will write a personal response/comparative analysis re: teacher-selected analogues. You will find that assignments often differ, as will obviously be the case this time. On-level papers are due August 26; honors papers are due August 28. Talk about drill procedures.
HW: syllabus signed; go ahead and begin to study roots page one and start working on unit 1 in the vocabulary book. If you need to re-read/re-fresh your memory re: ASP, do so; be sure written/illustrated summer work is complete. Type 3 questions that you have about ASP, and type and document according to MLA three of the most interesting and/or revealing and/or troublesome quotes that you found in ASP. Have those ready by Thursday (if I see you) or Friday (if I don’t see you Thursdays.) Prepare for quiz Friday over ASP. Work on your Personal Museum or Analogue analysis/comparison
Thurs., Aug.20 Blks 7,6 Depending on whether we have completed all of the above thus far, we may be able to start a little bit of discussion of ASP based on questions/quotes that you should have in class and that you were assigned to glean earlier in the week. If we have not thoroughly addressed all of the above introductory details/procedures for this class, those items must be completed first.
HW: syllabus signed; go ahead and begin to study roots page one and start working on unit 1 in the vocabulary book. If you need to re-read/re-fresh your memory re: ASP, do so; be sure written summer work is complete. Prepare for quiz Friday over ASP. Work on your Personal Museum or Analogue analysis/comparison.
Fri. Aug. 21 All blks. Quiz over ASP. Be sure that your answers are supported by specific support from the text. You need to write in complete sentences and to use correct grammar. Today is last day to turn in signed syllabus for credit.
HW: go ahead and begin to study roots page one and start working on unit 1 in the vocabulary book. Be sure written/illustrated summer work is complete. Work on your Personal Museum or Analogue analysis/comparison paper. Take a deep breath! You survived the first week!
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WEEK 2 : Remember: You always need to look a week and half to two weeks ahead in this packet; you must always know what lies ahead and be prepared. You should be working on Unit 1 in vocabulary book; do each unit over a span of days; in 8th grade I do not check to see that you have done vocabulary work – you should do it because doing so will help you. On each vocabulary test, you must spell the words, use them correctly in sentences with contextual clues, know synonyms and antonyms. I recommend that you use flash cards for your study. You should also at this time -- and throughout every week -- prepare for your roots tests. The first test will be over page 1. You should know each root, its meaning, two words from right column – and their definitions that reflect the root’s influence. Every roots test is COMPREHENSIVE. LOOK AHEAD on your due dates; be sure you are aware of deadlines in the imminent future. Also, anytime you have an outside novel or class-assigned novel, you should be reading.
Mon., Aug. 24 All blks. Have all summer work and illustrations in class; be sure you also have the questions and quotes you were assigned to type last week…just keep those in your notebook. Be ready to make 2-3 minute presentations/discussion of your illustration and show how it relates to ASP text. Practice your presentation at home; you need to be well organized; use your visual aid well; speak clearly and coherently; be poised. These illustrations and discussions will serve as one way that we talk about the novel; there will be many approaches to understanding literature this year.
HW: at this point, it is up to you each day to write in what you need to do; you may be finished with your paper: if not, you need to write that in as a reminder… You may have already finished unit 1 in vocabulary book; if not, you need to write that in as a reminder…Look ahead on agenda to know what you have to address and write it in…
Tues., Aug. 25 Blks. 1,3 Continue/finish illustration presentations/discussions; we will begin to chat about literary trends (sheets in notebook); we will look at some questions you have about ASP and discuss some quotations you gleaned.
HW: ________________________________________________
Wed., Aug. 26 Blks. 1,7,6,3 Back to School Night! Urge your parents to attend. Personal Museums are due; finish discussions re: illustrations/presentations; we will begin to chat about literary trends (sheets in notebook); we will look at some of the questions you have about ASP and discuss some quotations you gleaned.
HW: _____________________________________________________
Thurs., Aug. 27 We will continue to address the questions and quotations that you gleaned from ASP as a way to discuss the novel. Perhaps we will begin to talk about more literary trends that we see in ASP as well as in most novels.
HW: __________________________________________________
Fri., Aug. 28 All blks. Honors analogues are due. Finish up any unfinished business re: quotations, illustrations, questions, etc. I will explain “You Grab It! You Gab It.” We will be sure to have discussed appearance vs. reality, theme, inverted symbol, Freitag’s pyramid,
archetypes/archetypal literature, ascension (2 kinds), 3 things that usually occur in fiction literature, trips/journeys, personal museum exhibits in our own lives/Gene’s life.
HW: ____________________________________________________
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WEEK 3: Remember: You always need to look a week and half to two weeks ahead in this packet; you must always know what lies ahead and be prepared. You should be working on Unit 1 in vocabulary book; do each unit over a span of days; in 8th grade I do not check to see that you have done vocabulary work – you should do it because doing so will help you. On each vocabulary test, you must spell the words, use them correctly in sentences with contextual clues, know synonyms and antonyms. I recommend that you use flash cards for your study. You should also at this time -- and throughout every week -- prepare for your roots tests. The first test will be over page 1, second test over pages 1 & 2, etc. You should know each root, its meaning, two words from right column – and their definitions that reflect the root’s influence. Every roots test is COMPREHENSIVE. LOOK AHEAD on your due dates; be sure you are aware of deadlines in the imminent future. Also, anytime you have an outside novel or a class-assigned novel, you should be reading that too. At this point, I will not remind you of these tasks that need to be done anymore; you find and budget the time in order to meet your due dates. 
Mon., Aug. 31 All blks. Today, you have to “think on your feet.” We will play: “You Grab It! You Gab It!” It’s actually fun, and I will help you out should you need help. This game is another way to approach discussion about ASP and to stretch our brains…Take time to think and to organize your thoughts; then speak with confidence and draw a comparison between an analogue you select and ASP.
HW: _________________________________________________
Tues., Sept. 1 Blks. 1,3 FACULTY MEETING! You Grab It! You Gab it!
HW: Pack for Camp ColemanJ
Wed., Sept. 2 
We leave this morning for Camp Coleman and some FUN!:)
HW: Relax and have fun getting to know your teachers and fellow students.
Thurs., Sept. 3 We are at Camp Coleman but will head home in the afternoon…
HW: ______________________________________________________
Fri., Sept. 4 All blks. Assign autobiography reading/writing work. The essay questions are due September 25. If we have finished You Grab It! You Gab It!, we will look at some newspaper and magazine articles and draw comparisons between real-life situations and the fictional scenario in ASP. Be sure to get parent signature by next Wednesday to earn 100 on quiz.
HW: _____________________________________________________
WEEK 4:
Mon., Sept. 7 HOLIDAY!!!!!! 
Rest for the weary on Labor Day….
HW: _________________________________________________
Tues., Sept. 8 Blks. 1,3 I will be sure that we have finished Grab and Gab; We will begin to discuss some ideas in ASP: What is a “SP”? Look at bullying, ants, appearance vs. reality, personal values/characters’ values, Genesis story, characterization, archetype, several literary trends, names, epiphany, fake persona vs. authentic individual – why?, (Leper, Gene, Finny, Brinker…), motivations,… Turn in parent signature by tomorrow to earn 100 as quiz grade.
HW: __________________________________________________
Wed., Sept. 9 Blks. 1,7,6,3 Turn in parent signature today to earn 100 as quiz grade. I will be sure that we have finished Grab and Gab; We will begin to discuss some ideas in ASP: What is a “SP”? Look at bullying, ants, appearance vs. reality, personal values/characters’ values, Genesis story, characterization, archetype, several literary trends, names, epiphany, fake persona vs. authentic individual – why?, (Leper, Gene, Finny, Brinker…), motivations,…
HW: ____________________________________________________
Thurs., Sept. 10 Blks. 7,6 I will be sure that we have finished Grab and Gab; We will begin to discuss some ideas in ASP: What is a “SP”? Look at bullying, ants, appearance vs. reality, personal values/characters’ values, Genesis story, characterization, archetype, several literary trends, names, epiphany, fake persona vs. authentic individual – why?, (Leper, Gene, Finny, Brinker…), motivations,…
HW: _________________________________________________
Fri., Sept. 11 All blks. Hopefully, we can wind up our study of ASP; your test will take two days: October 1 and October 2. I will have all classes those 2 days. Oct. 1 is “A” day; Oct. 2 is “B” day.
HW: __________________________________________________
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| 
| Susan Fields
Language Arts – 8th Leadership Team
The Davis Academy
7901 Roberts Drive
Atlanta, GA 30350
770-804-9191 Main Line
xt. 144 |
| 
Catch our Ruach! The Davis Academy is Atlanta’s Reform Jewish Day
School and a proud affiliate of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. |
Rest for the weary on Labor Day….
