English I Pre-AP

How are English I Pre-AP and 8th grade ELA different?

Ms. Lever

Mr. Hibbs

Difference #1

There is a “summer” reading assignment

that must be completely read by the end of the third

week of school.

This year’s summer reading

Summer Reading

The book does not have to be read over the summer; however, waiting until the school year begins will add to the amount of homework the students will have during those first three weeks of school. There will not be class time allotted for reading The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. At the end of each week , there will be assignments based on the book (1/3 of the book each week). Here’s what that means:

Homework the first three weeks

Boy in the Striped Pyjamas—80 pages a week

To Summarize…Will not reading over the summer lead to a failing grade the first

week of school?

No!

Will there be a lot of homework if a student doesn’t read over the

summer?

Yes!

There is NO summer

composition.

. Difference #2

The reading level is much

higher.

ACT II, SCENE 2JULIET What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night

So stumblest on my counsel? ROMEO By a name

I know not how to tell thee who I am:My name, dear saint, is hateful to

myself,Because it is an enemy to thee;Had I it written, I would tear the word.

JULIET My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words

Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound:

Art thou not Romeo and a Montague? ROMEO Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike. JULIET How camest thou hither, tell me, and

wherefore? The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, And the place death, considering who thou art,If any of my kinsmen find thee here.

Difference #3

There will be several timed writings

throughout the school year. This consists of

writing a full composition in a set

amount of time (about 45 minutes). Each

composition will focus on literary analysis, not

personal narrative.

Example of a timed writing prompt

“Read the following poem carefully. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the poet uses language to describe the scene and to convey mood and meaning.”

Difference #4

There are TWO state tests.

The 8th Grade TAKS reading test

Students must pass this test in

order to be promoted to the

9th grade.

English I End-of-Course ExamThis is a two-day test

Day 1 (Writing): * Revising and editing

*Two compositions

Day 2 (Reading):* Multiple choice questions

*Open-ended questions

(answered in paragraph form)

EOC Composition

Composition #1: Students will write a “literary narrative” in relation to a prompt. This might be in the form of a short story, a play, etc.

This will be creative writing. It is not a personal narrative.

Composition #2: The student will write an expository piece in response to a prompt.

Do students have to pass the EOC?

Yes! The class of 2015 will be the

first to be held accountable for the EOC exams.

(The EOC for English I will be part of a cumulative number of points.)

Difference #5A schedule change cannot simply

be requested. Students must follow the procedures listed below:

The student will talk to the teacher and ask for help.

Parents will meet with the teacher for a conference.

The student will attend a mandatory number of tutoring sessions and follow other guidelines decided in the parent/teacher meeting.

Difference #6Attendance is extremely

important. Students are only allowed to miss 9

days per semester. For every hour missed beyond that,

students will be required to make up an hour in detention or TNL.

If the missing hours are not made up, students will not receive credit for the class.

What will the English I students do the last two years

of high school?

Students will be allowed to take Dual Credit English in the 11th grade.

By the time they reach their senior year, a Technical Writing course will be in place.

There will also be more CTE courses available to prepare students for a future career.

A successful English I student will be someone who:

didn’t just sign up for the class because friends did,

understands that making an A may not be as easy as it has been in the past,

is committed to staying in the class and asking for help when confused,

isn’t afraid of homework, and likes to be challenged.