Language+Curriculum+Grade+8

__**Welcome**__ Welcome to the Grade 8 Gifted Language Curriculum page. You will find an overview of the program for the year and a tentative schedule of when we will be working on the various subject units. You will also find attached the necessary course assignments.

__**Ongoing Work Throughout the Year**__ Throughout the course of the school year the students will be required to complete two assignments with major components due once each term.


 * Independent Study (Student) Units**: The students are required to complete two independent study units which will encompass a research component and media display, and an oral presentation and class discussion. This year's topics are: **The ABCs of Mathematics and World Issues of the Past 100 years.**

Please see attached Expectations and Rubric:

The students may use PowerPoint or Prezi for their slideshow. For those who wish to use Prezi I will need your parents written approval.

A PowerPoint Presentation on "How to give an Effective PowerPoint":

__**Science Fiction as Social Criticism**__ We will be looking at what Science Fiction is and how it is used to address, challenge, and criticize issues in society over the last century, and to speculate on the future progress of society.

The students will be required to read 4 short science fiction stories analyzing the content, the authors' purposes in writing, and effective uses of literary devices. The class, through shared reading, will read and discuss the short story //The Machine Stops// by E.M. Forster and will be required to write journal responses reflecting on the themes presented in the story with a particular emphasis on the concepts of Utopias and Dystopias.


 * Expectations and Rubric for Science Fiction Reading Activities:**

Next, the students will be focusing narrative writing by writing their own science fiction short story incorporating themes they have learned in their science fiction readings.



Finally, the students will watch and review the science fiction movie **2001: A Space Odyssey** completing the following question sheet.

The students will be required to read chapters aloud to the class in the manner of the original scops and complete a variety of assignments related to comprehension and analysis of the themes and style of the poem using critical and creative thinking. Class discussion of each chapter will be a critical component in understanding the poem.
 * __First / Second Term Work - Beowulf and Heroism__**

//Beowulf// Assignment Expectations and Rubrics:

The students will be working on research skills and essay writing as a focus for the first part of the second term. The class will read, analyze, and discuss in class Barack Obama's acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize. The students will be required to research ten of the terms Obama uses in his speech and write an essay response either supporting or refuting Obama's view of the "Just War" in modern times.
 * __Second Term Work - Non-Fiction Articles, Speeches, Documents, Essays and Research__**

Obama Peace Prize Speech: Essay Expectations and Rubric: