Who is Ms. T?
Before coming to Francis Parker, Ms. T taught closest to which ocean?
A. Atlantic Ocean
B. Pacific Ocean
C. Arctic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Eighth graders will encounter all of these in English class except one:
A. A farm rebellion
B. A mysterious prince
C. A family feud
D. A fight for justice
E. A guide to becoming internet famous
E. A guide to becoming internet famous
Our reading list takes students across different time periods, cultures, genres, and perspectives.
“We got out of our seats in English today!”
What were students probably doing?
A. Avoiding their work
B. Participating in an active learning experience
C. Preparing to leave early
Participating in an active learning experience
Students will certainly read and write, but they will also move, collaborate, debate ideas, and participate in activities that help them approach a text from different angles.
An eighth grader takes a clear position on an issue. What turns that position into a convincing argument?
A. Repeating their position over and over until we agree
B. Quoting a random passage from their novel
C. Strong evidence and thoughtful explanation
Strong evidence and thoughtful explanation
Our classroom expectations protect two important rights. What are they?
A. Everyone’s right to learn
B. The teacher’s right to guide learning
C. The student's right to sit on the comfy chairs
C. The student's right to solve math problems
Everyone’s right to learn
The teacher’s right to guide learning
Rather than creating a separate rule for every possible situation, we connect our classroom expectations to these two commitments.
True or false: Ms. T has worked as both a classroom teacher and an instructional coach.
True
Why do such different books belong in the same English course?
A. They all take place during the same historical period.
B. They explore questions about people, society, power, and belonging.
C. They all have similar characters and endings.
They explore questions about people, society, power, and belonging.
Our grade-level theme is global awareness. Students will encounter experiences and perspectives that differ from their own while also considering questions that cross cultures and time periods.
“My group didn’t agree on what the passage meant.”
What would most likely happen next?
A. Students return to the text and use evidence to explain their thinking
B. The group votes and the majority decides the correct answer
C. The teacher immediately tells the group which student is right
Students return to the text and use evidence to explain their thinking
Students will learn that different interpretations are welcome when they support their thinking with sound textual evidence.
Which major project combines personal narratives, family artifacts, research, and storytelling?
The Family History Project
One of the major experiences of English 8!
What does a colored pom-pom represent in English class?
A. Perfect grades
B. A class that fulfilled its shared expectations
C. A completed homework assignment
A class that fulfilled its shared expectations
Each class co-creates expectations that students believe they can uphold in order to create a productive learning environment.
Ms. T earned her undergraduate degree from TCU and her master’s degree from a university in which state?
A. California
B. Texas
C. Hawai‘i
Hawai‘i
Developing which habit prepares students to contribute meaningfully to discussions, analysis, and reflection?
A. Memorizing every literary term
B. Reading what is assigned
C. Writing extremely long answers
Reading what is assigned
Completing the reading gives students the foundation they need for the deeper work we do together.
“We got to choose how we approached the assignment!”
What does that choice help students develop?
A. Ownership of their learning
B. A way to avoid the learning target
C. A completely different assignment for every student
Ownership of their learning
When it supports our learning goals, I offer meaningful choices in topics, texts, partners, or formats.
True or false:
Every analytical essay in eighth grade must follow exactly the same paragraph structure.
False
Building on seventh-grade learning, students will develop more flexibility in organizing their writing.
What is one way students will take greater ownership of their learning later this year?
A. Teaching part of a class lesson to their peers
B. Grading all of their own papers
C. Selecting all of the novels for the course
Teaching part of a class lesson to their peers
During one of our later novel units, each student group takes responsibility for teaching the first portion of a class period. This is structured so students have the support they need and helps students learn how to learn.