1. What are the basic requirements of this 8th grade Language Arts class?
2. What is the Major Writing Grade Essay?
3. What are the class rules and requirements?
4. How is the Table of Contents completed?
5. Why have a main Table of Contents AND a T of C for the Essay and Homework Sections?
6. How is the notebook self-evaluated?

What are the basic requirements of this 8th grade Language Arts class?

Students must keep a notebook that consists of a Daily Entries Section (1), a Personal Dictionary 
Section (2), an Essay Drafts Section (3), and a Homework Section (4).  They must keep and 
complete a Table of Contents for the notebook each 6 weeks...and a mini Table of Contents for 
both the Essay Drafts Section and the Homework Section.  The notebook must be self-evaluated 
each grading period by using one of the blocks on the back of the Course Outline Sheet which 
should be the first page of the notebook. 

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What is the Major Writing Grade Essay?

Each 6 weeks, students will be assigned 3 to 5 essays for which they must construct a web 
diagram and write an effective draft.  Those drafts are kept in the Essay Draft Section of the 
notebook.  By the due date identified on the Table of Contents (labeled Major Writing Grade Essay 
due), students must choose which of the essays will have the most value by editing, revising, and 
producing a polished example of good writing for one of the assigned essays and turning that 
essay in with a completed rubric (with which the student will self-evaluate the essay).  That essay 
is worth 20% of the student's grade for the grading period. 

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What are the class rules and requirements?

All of the rules are clearly listed on the Course Outline Sheet.  Students are expected to read and 
sign that sheet at the beginning of the year.  Parents are asked to read and sign the sheet...and 
initial the sheet at the end of each grading period.

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How is the Table of Contents completed?

Each day's entry is broken down into several segments: Quote, Quote Summary, In Class 
Assignments, Daily Language Puzzle, editing of the D.L.P., Personal Dictionary, and 
Homework/Written Assignments.  As each segment of the day's lesson is completed, that 
completion is indicated by the student awarding himself or herself points that are indicated at 
the top of each column on the Table of Contents.  Each day's entry can be worth 10 points.  By 
awarding himself or herself points, that student is indicating the segments of the assignments 
are complete.  If the student gives him or herself points for an assignment that is not complete, 
that student can lose 10 points for each such false claim.  So be accurate!!!  Although each day's 
entry is worth only 10 points, a student could lose 70 points for indicating all the segments are 
complete on a given day when, in fact, none of them have been completed.  Failure to accurately 
complete the Table of contents will result in an "F" for the notebook grade.

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Why have a main Table of Contents AND a T of C for the Essay and Homework Sections?

The Table of Contents serves as an organizational and evaluation tool.  Each student assigns 
points for work completed or zeroes for work that is not done.  A parent, the student, or the 
teacher "should" be able to look down the Table of Contents and see what work has been 
complete and what has not... if the T of C is accurate.  The "mini" Table of Contents for both the 
Essay and Homework Sections serve as backups to keep the student conscious of what has been 
assigned and whether those assignments have been completed.  So, each written assignment 
should be indicated three times: once in the daily entry, again briefly on the main T of C, and 
again briefly on either the Essay or Homework mini T of C.

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How is the notebook self-evaluated?

For each 6 weeks period, a block for self-evaluation can be found on the back of the Course 
Outline sheet, which will be opposite the T of C when the notebook is opened to those pages.  
Each line of the self-evaluation is clear and requires a check mark or a number value.  Most 
often, the notebook is worth 300 points (10 points for each of 30 entries).  Each homework 
assignment NOT completed is minus 3 points; each essay not completed is minus 15 points.  
After subtracting any points for incomplete homework or essays from the points earned that is 
indicated by adding the value of the individual day's entries, the student will then figure the 
percentage of the 300 points the notebook has earned.  Those figures will be recorded with the 
grade the student thinks he or she has earned in the self-evaluation block for that 6 weeks.

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