Mrs. Morris

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Visit the TeacherWeb® videos to learn about the features, modifications, and customizations available on your website. Click here to learn more. Humanities Overview You are currently using the Homework With Text Formatting page type. This is an old page type with limited formatting options. We would recommend switching to the Enhanced Text page, a more advanced page type with many more options. Click here for more information on the different page types. Please note: You may continue to use this page type if you desire. <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center;"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><b> <!--StartFragment--> </b></span></font></p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><b><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></font></p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></font></p><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><b>8<sup>th</sup> Grade Humanities (Formerly known as Viewpoints):<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><b>Curriculum and Expectations<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Watertown Middle School<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Mrs. Sam Morris (617) 926-7783 (ext. 1110); <a href="mailto:sam_morris@watertown.k12.ma.us">sam_morris@watertown.k12.ma.us</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">Welcome to 8<sup>th</sup> grade Humanities!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This should be an exciting and challenging year for all of us. I spent the summer working with a team of teachers to update and enhance the curriculum, and I can assure you that it is both fascinating and demanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I will help you in any way I can, but your success depends on you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If you do your best work, stay organized, and ask for help when you need it, you will flourish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I truly believe that by stretching yourself and keeping an open mind you will surprise yourself with the things you can accomplish, and as a result, you will love this class!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><b><u>Curriculum</u>:<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt">The Humanities class is an integrated study of World History and English Language Arts. The following are some of the topics we will study:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><b><u>World History</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><b><u>Units of Study:</u></b></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We will begin the year by exploring a unit called Facing History and Ourselves, which is a study of the Holocaust and Human Behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Later in the year we will be studying China; World Religions and the Rise of Islam; and Medieval Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><b><u>Essential Questions</u>:</b></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We will frame our study of history with the following yearlong questions:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How does understanding history help us to understand our world and ourselves today?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What kind of leadership/government leads to a just society?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How do the forces of integrity, justice and empathy counter violence and hatred?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What can we learn about a culture/time from its literature, art, and music?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How can individual choices make a difference?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><b><u>English Language Arts</u>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><b><u>Reading:</u></b></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We will read a variety of genres and types of literature, including novels, short stories, memoirs, folk tales, drama, and poetry, including <u>Night,</u> <u>Habibi,</u> <u>The Kite Rider,</u> <u>The Good Earth,</u> and <u>Ties that Bind: Ties that Break</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I also require students to engage in ongoing independent reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><b><u>Writing</u>:</b></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"> We will be writing every day, and again, exploring many different genres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You will keep a “journal” or writer’s notebook, as well as complete a variety of writing assignments: poetry, short stories, persuasive pieces and research projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We will use the writing process to move selected writing pieces from seed ideas to published pieces by revising, editing, and conferencing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><b><u>Word Study and Mechanics</u>:</b></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Vocabulary development and grammar instruction will be taught in the context of writing.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><b><u>Essential Questions</u>:</b></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We will focus our study of English around the following yearlong questions:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How can you connect your own personal experiences, interests, passions, or ideals to your work?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What common themes (ideas, problems, truths) can we find in literature from different places and times?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How does writing help you as a reader, and how does reading help you as a writer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How do the different elements of a piece of writing work together to make a whole?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How can you use your reading and writing skills to improve the quality of all of your work?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000EE" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; 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Mrs. Morris

Humanities Overview

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