Syllabus for Language Arts
Week of 9/19
Essential Questions: How is suspense created? How does Sir Arthur Conan Doyle create mood through setting?
Writing: Reading as a writer, writing about writing
In-class writing assignment:
Reading: Reading as a writer
The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Through Chapter 6.
Spelling Week 3...Five words due
Grammar and Vocabulary
Roots: vis-, dict-
Work Due 9/9: Finish independent mystery
Work Assigned: Reading Homework 6
5 spelling words for Tuesday 9/27
Week of 9/12
Essential Questions: If evidence is neutral, how does Sherlock Holmes apply reasoning? How do you evaluate the relationship between Holmes and Dr. Watson?
Writing: collecting evidence from fiction to support a claim
Students will create a detective log to track characters and evidence from the in-class reading of Hound of the Baskervilles.
In-class writing assignment: two well-formed paragraphs using evidence from Slip or Trip to defend opposite claims.Was Arthur's death an accident or did Queenie murder him?
Reading: The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This is a whole-class novel and will mainly be read aloud in class.
Spelling Week 3...Five words due
Grammar and Vocabulary
Prefixes: mal-, bene-
Work Due 9/9: Reading Homework 5 (Independent Mystery)
Work Assigned: Finish independent mystery
5 spelling words for Tuesday 8/30
Week of 9/5
Essential Questions: If evidence is neutral, how does Sherlock Holmes apply reasoning? How do you evaluate the relationship between Holmes and Dr. Watson?
Writing: collecting evidence from fiction to support a claim
Students will create a detective log to track characters and evidence from the in-class reading of Hound of the Baskervilles.
In-class writing assignment: two well-formed paragraphs using evidence from Slip or Trip to defend opposite claims.Was Arthur's death an accident or did Queenie murder him?
Reading: The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This is a whole-class novel and will mainly be read aloud in class.
Spelling Week 3...Five words due
Grammar and Vocabulary
Prefixes: e-, ex-, en-, em-
Work Due 9/9: Reading Homework 4 (Sherlock Background).
Work Assigned: Reading Homework 5 (Independent Mystery)
5 spelling words for Tuesday 8/30
Week of 8/29
Essential Questions: How can the same evidence be used to support different, even opposite, claims? How do writers apply reasoning to evidence to support their claim? What is sufficient, and what is exemplary reasoning?
Writing: Elaborating and altering reasoning to show how evidence supports a claim
Students will analyze the rubric for expository responses--what elements make a proficient or advanced response, applying the rubric to sample writing, and then to students' own writing to the assignment below.
In-class writing assignment: two well-formed paragraphs using evidence from Slip or Trip to defend opposite claims.Was Arthur's death an accident or did Queenie murder him?
Reading: The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This is a whole-class novel and will mainly be read aloud in class.
Spelling Week 3...Five words due
Grammar and Vocabulary
Prefixes: de-. a-, dis-
Banned Words and Phrases (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pfi3dCU9-iq_EmZKVO-NXNVUiCQV5noxUaCXEq9boLY/edit#heading=h.r8a54tvgkpse)
Work Due 9/2: Reading Homework 3 (What makes it a mystery?) 3 stories that may not meet the requirements of a mystery.
Work Assigned: Reading Homework 4 (Sherlock Background)
5 spelling words for Tuesday 8/30
Week of 8/22
Essential Questions: How are claim, evidence, and reasoning (logic, justification, warrant) different but connected? How is evidence neutral until reasoning is applied?
Writing: Slip or Trip?...Analyzing a potential crime scene, looking at evidence as neutral until reasoning (logic, justification, support) is applied, a conclusion drawn, and then a claim made. This is the basis of almost all expository writing across content.
In-class writing assignment: two well-formed paragraphs using evidence from Slip or Trip to defend opposite claims.
Grammar and Vocabulary
Prefixes in-, im- What words fit this pattern? Which don’t and why? What part of speech has to follow these prefixes?
Spelling Week 2...Five words due
Work Due 8/26: Reading Homework 2 (The Perfect Murder) 3 stories of getting away with murder
Work Assigned:Reading Homework 3 (What makes it a mystery?) 3 stories that may not meet the requirements of a mystery.
5 spelling words for Tuesday 8/30
Week of 8/8
Essential Questions: How do I learn best and what is my identity as a learner? What experiences shaped my identity and how does my identity shape my experiences? How does the writing of others help me understand myself and others?
Reading: Exploration of learning styles.
Writing: Paragraph (or more) to teacher about learning styles and needs.
Grammar: Review of parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb)
Grammar Assessment: Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll
Vocabulary: A lot or alot: Which is right and what is the logic?
Spelling: Start collecting words that you need to learn to spell
Work Due 8/8: Response to Summer Reading
Work Assigned: Reading Homework 1 (Identity)
5 spelling words for Tuesday 8/16
Ongoing: Students should independently be reading at least a couple of books a month. Library day is Thursday, and free read is Friday. Students should have in class on Fridays the book they are reading independently.
Your Child and the Digital Classroom
Students have four ways to digitally access work for this class:
Essential Questions: How is suspense created? How does Sir Arthur Conan Doyle create mood through setting?
Writing: Reading as a writer, writing about writing
In-class writing assignment:
Reading: Reading as a writer
The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Through Chapter 6.
Spelling Week 3...Five words due
Grammar and Vocabulary
Roots: vis-, dict-
Work Due 9/9: Finish independent mystery
Work Assigned: Reading Homework 6
5 spelling words for Tuesday 9/27
Week of 9/12
Essential Questions: If evidence is neutral, how does Sherlock Holmes apply reasoning? How do you evaluate the relationship between Holmes and Dr. Watson?
Writing: collecting evidence from fiction to support a claim
Students will create a detective log to track characters and evidence from the in-class reading of Hound of the Baskervilles.
In-class writing assignment: two well-formed paragraphs using evidence from Slip or Trip to defend opposite claims.Was Arthur's death an accident or did Queenie murder him?
Reading: The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This is a whole-class novel and will mainly be read aloud in class.
Spelling Week 3...Five words due
Grammar and Vocabulary
Prefixes: mal-, bene-
Work Due 9/9: Reading Homework 5 (Independent Mystery)
Work Assigned: Finish independent mystery
5 spelling words for Tuesday 8/30
Week of 9/5
Essential Questions: If evidence is neutral, how does Sherlock Holmes apply reasoning? How do you evaluate the relationship between Holmes and Dr. Watson?
Writing: collecting evidence from fiction to support a claim
Students will create a detective log to track characters and evidence from the in-class reading of Hound of the Baskervilles.
In-class writing assignment: two well-formed paragraphs using evidence from Slip or Trip to defend opposite claims.Was Arthur's death an accident or did Queenie murder him?
Reading: The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This is a whole-class novel and will mainly be read aloud in class.
Spelling Week 3...Five words due
Grammar and Vocabulary
Prefixes: e-, ex-, en-, em-
Work Due 9/9: Reading Homework 4 (Sherlock Background).
Work Assigned: Reading Homework 5 (Independent Mystery)
5 spelling words for Tuesday 8/30
Week of 8/29
Essential Questions: How can the same evidence be used to support different, even opposite, claims? How do writers apply reasoning to evidence to support their claim? What is sufficient, and what is exemplary reasoning?
Writing: Elaborating and altering reasoning to show how evidence supports a claim
Students will analyze the rubric for expository responses--what elements make a proficient or advanced response, applying the rubric to sample writing, and then to students' own writing to the assignment below.
In-class writing assignment: two well-formed paragraphs using evidence from Slip or Trip to defend opposite claims.Was Arthur's death an accident or did Queenie murder him?
Reading: The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This is a whole-class novel and will mainly be read aloud in class.
Spelling Week 3...Five words due
Grammar and Vocabulary
Prefixes: de-. a-, dis-
Banned Words and Phrases (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pfi3dCU9-iq_EmZKVO-NXNVUiCQV5noxUaCXEq9boLY/edit#heading=h.r8a54tvgkpse)
Work Due 9/2: Reading Homework 3 (What makes it a mystery?) 3 stories that may not meet the requirements of a mystery.
Work Assigned: Reading Homework 4 (Sherlock Background)
5 spelling words for Tuesday 8/30
Week of 8/22
Essential Questions: How are claim, evidence, and reasoning (logic, justification, warrant) different but connected? How is evidence neutral until reasoning is applied?
Writing: Slip or Trip?...Analyzing a potential crime scene, looking at evidence as neutral until reasoning (logic, justification, support) is applied, a conclusion drawn, and then a claim made. This is the basis of almost all expository writing across content.
In-class writing assignment: two well-formed paragraphs using evidence from Slip or Trip to defend opposite claims.
Grammar and Vocabulary
Prefixes in-, im- What words fit this pattern? Which don’t and why? What part of speech has to follow these prefixes?
Spelling Week 2...Five words due
Work Due 8/26: Reading Homework 2 (The Perfect Murder) 3 stories of getting away with murder
Work Assigned:Reading Homework 3 (What makes it a mystery?) 3 stories that may not meet the requirements of a mystery.
5 spelling words for Tuesday 8/30
Week of 8/8
Essential Questions: How do I learn best and what is my identity as a learner? What experiences shaped my identity and how does my identity shape my experiences? How does the writing of others help me understand myself and others?
Reading: Exploration of learning styles.
Writing: Paragraph (or more) to teacher about learning styles and needs.
Grammar: Review of parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb)
Grammar Assessment: Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll
Vocabulary: A lot or alot: Which is right and what is the logic?
Spelling: Start collecting words that you need to learn to spell
Work Due 8/8: Response to Summer Reading
Work Assigned: Reading Homework 1 (Identity)
5 spelling words for Tuesday 8/16
Ongoing: Students should independently be reading at least a couple of books a month. Library day is Thursday, and free read is Friday. Students should have in class on Fridays the book they are reading independently.
Your Child and the Digital Classroom
Students have four ways to digitally access work for this class:
- Most assignments will be posted on this website, and the documents can be downloaded.
- Students have rights to their literacy google classroom, accessible from home computers via google classroom.org. Assignments and necessary documents are posted there.
- They can reach google docs via their APS logon (First name + First initial of last name + Last 4 digits of their student ID). To get to it from home, students may need to add their account onto google using the @aurora.org email.