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Welcome to Second Semester!
Hi. My name is Danielle Vogel and I will be guest teaching with Ms. Threet until April 11th, 2008. I have attended Wartburg College in Waverly, IA. I have various artistic backgrounds including dance, theater, speech, stagecraft, oboe, creative writing and a Language Arts background. The students here at DSA are creative, artistic, and amazing learners! I am excited to be working with the great DSA students this term.
I can be reached at dani.vogel@wartburg.edu.
HUMANITIES
Humanities Parent Information Page Please sign and return
EIGHTH GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS
Syllabus Eighth Grade Language Arts Fall 2007
Generally, all of the books are available through the public library,
Barnes and Noble (303-691-2998), Tattered Cover (303-322-7727), and
Amazon.com. Please call and order the books before going to the library
or store. The library and/or book stores will notify you when your book
has arrived, saving you a trip.
If you are able to donate an
extra novel for a student with financial need, I would greatly
appreciate your assistance. If you have difficulty getting a book on
your own, please let me know. I have a limited number of books that I
can loan students.
Extra Novel Extra Credit
Eighth Grade Language Arts Syllabus Spring 2008
Unit I: Utopia. The first novel that students will read Spring semester is Animal Farm. In this utopia unit we will explore different governmental structures. Students will also analyze what makes great speeches great - rhetoric skills. At the end of the unit students will create their own utopias and write their own constitutions and speeches. In addition to Animal Farm, students will select another utopian novel to read at home. Second novel choices for this unit will include: 1984 by George Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Dispossessed Ursula K. LeGuin, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, and Ishmael by Daniel Quinn (Students are always welcome to read extra novels for extra credit!!)
January 9th reminder: Literary term quiz on Jan. 10th and 11th. By Jan. 22nd please have Animal Farm, by George Orwell.
January 15th Reminder:
- 1st Animal Farm Quiz, Chapters 1, 2 and 3 on January 24 & 25.
- 2nd Animal Farm Quiz, Chapters 4, 5, and 6 on January 31 and Feb. 1
- 3rd Animal Farm Quiz, Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10 on Feb. 7 & 8.
- Animal Farm Vocab Due Feb. 7& 8. Animal Farm Vocab
REMINDER FOR FEB. 7th:
Please select your second utopia novel and order it. We will begin reading by Feb. 18th.
YOUR OWN CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAY:
1. Outlines are due Feb. 12th and 13th
2. First drafts are due Feb. 14th and 15th
3. Final drafts are due Feb. 20th and 21st
If you are involved in the 8th grade play, please contact Ms. Vogel via her email
Cause and Effect Essay Directions and Rubric
Cause and Effect Sample Essay
Here are some examples of transition words to help in your essay writing
Transition Word List
1st Utopia Novel Writing Assignment (due Feb. 28th and 29th)
In two well developed paragraphs please describe the setting of your novel and predict how the setting will affect the outcome of the novel.
Homework 2/26 and 2/27
Please write your own life philosophy in at least two well developed paragraphs.
2nd Utopia Novel Writing Assignment (due March 6th and 7th):
In two well developed paragraphs, describe the characters in your novel that you are aware of at this point and explain what conflicts you have found so far.
3rd Utopia Novel Writing Assignment (due March 13th and 14th):
In two well developed paragraphs, discuss two themes from your novel.
4th Utopia Novel Writing Assignment (Due March 20th and 21st):
In two well developed paragraphs please discuss the social and political issues within your novel.
Directions for Building Your Own Utopia Presentations will begin on March 17th. Written proposals are due March 31st and April 1st
Utopia Comparison Essay Outlines and introductory paragraphs are due April 3rd and 4th. Final essays are due April 10th and 11th.
Student Sample Utopia Comparison Essay
Cutting Edge Science Fiction Unit: Our last major unit will focus on how science fiction writers use real science to make their stories so realistic. Students will read realistic science fiction novels, research cutting edge science, and write their own science fiction short stories. We will also enjoy the works of early science fiction writers (ex: I, Robot, War of the Worlds, Invisible Man, The Illustrated Man, The Time Machine, Old Time Radio). Novel choices are listed below. Our first book club meetings for these last novels will take place on April 10th and 11th.
1. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, by Philip Dick
2. Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton
3. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
4. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes
5. Eva, by Peter Dickinson
6. House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer
7. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
8. Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Science Research and Own Science Fiction Story Directions Research papers are due April 22nd (for white day students) and May 1st (for black day classes). Stories are now due May 8th and 9th.
Journal Prompts for Science Fictions Novels Now due May 22nd and 23rd. Novel presentations will be May 22nd and 23rd.
Student Sample Science Research Paper
AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE
African-American Literature Syllabus Fall 2007
Permission slip for R-ratings
The first novel for African-American Literature will be Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston. I have a class set to check out to students. You do not need to buy your own copy, unless of course you fall in love with the poetic beauty of this story.
Generally, all of the books are available through the public library, Barnes and Noble (303-691-2998), Tattered Cover (303-322-7727), and Amazon.com. Please call and order the books before going to the library or store. The library and/or book stores will notify you when your book has arrived, saving you a trip.
If you are able to donate an extra novel for a student with financial need, I would greatly appreciate your assistance. If you have difficulty getting a book on your own, please let me know. I have a limited number of books that I can loan students.
African-American Literature Syllabus for 2008
Please have first book for second semester - Why We Can't Wait, by Martin L. King - by Jan. 22nd
Why We Can't Wait Test: Chapters 1-3 on January 29th.
Why We Can't Wait Review Questions - chap. 1 - 3 Due Jan. 28th to help prepare for test on Jan. 29th.
Why We Can't Wait Review Questions - chap. 4-6 Due Feb. 7
Why We Can't Wait Review Questions Chap. 7 and 8 Due Feb. 14
Nonviolent Resistance Essay Due Feb. 28th
"King, Malcolm-X, & Obama Comparison Essay" Due May 20th for X-credit
Malcolm-X Film Review Due April 1st
Malcolm-X Review Questions Required for X-credit as you read the book
Analysis of Three Movies About Black Women Due April 1st for X-credit (Beloved, Waiting to Exhale, The Color Purple, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and/or Their Eyes Were Watching God)
Writing Prompts for Your Last Novel - Spring 2008 due May 8th
Research and Presentation of Contemporary Black Artists Presentations begin May 8th, and Research papers are due May 13th.
Projects for X-Credit:
* Why We Can't Wait review questions 1, 2, and 3
* King, Malcolm-X, Obama comparison essay - due May 20th
* Film comparison - 3 films on women's issue - due March after Spring break
* Malcolm-X review questions - due early April
* Contemporary poetry unit (in class mostly) due April
* Audacity of Hope review questions - due early May
* Research of contemporary artist and presentation (in class mostly) due May
* Class activities and notes for Civil Rights, Black Power, Blaxploitation, and Contemporary Artists
* Final exam
Projects for Regular Credit:
* Why We Can't Wait review questions 1, 2, and 3
* Nonviolent Resistance essay - due Feb. 28th
* Film review for Malcolm-X - due March after Spring break
* Contemporary poetry unit (in class mostly) due April
* Second novel notes and reflections - due early May
* Literary analysis for second novel - due May
* Research of contemporary artist and presentation (in class mostly) due May
* Class activities and notes for Civil Rights, Black Power, Blaxploitation, and Contemporary Artists
* Final exam
Grades and the Parent Portal
With the advent of the parent portal you can now check your student's
progress on line. It is my goal to have grades entered as quickly as possible.
Please keep the following factors in mind when consulting the parent portal:
- Due to the sheer number of papers submitted, most of them essays, I am unable to update grades on a daily basis. (It takes approximately 30 hours to grade 120 essays.)
- Due to school activities, field trips, student illness, art activities
and other unforeseen delays, I may extend the due date for a particular assignment. The new due date will be posted on the whiteboard in the front of the classroom and updated on the webpage.
- Missing/late homework can be submitted up to one week before the end of a nine-week grading period for partial credit. Remember even a low score is better than a 0.
- A poor essay score can be corrected by rewriting the deficient essay(s).
The best method for contacting me with questions regarding grades and/or assignments is via e-mail.
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