"Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show."


from
David Copperfield by
Charles Dickens


Welcome to Eighth Grade Pre Advanced Placement Language Arts. One of our goals at Lake Dallas Middle School is to prepare our students for success after graduation. Pre Advanced Placement courses are designed to prepare the Eighth Grade student for higher learning. Studies have shown that students who complete PreAP and AP courses are:

More likely to exercise leadership
More likely to graduate with a double major
More likely to specialize in stringent majors
Twice as likely to go into advance study
Perform significantly better than cohorts who did not take Pre AP and AP courses
Increase scores on nationally accepted exams (SAT, ACT, CLEPT, TASP
More likely to complete more college course work in 4 years

My name is Wanda Sanders. My favorite pastime is, of course, reading. This love of literature led me to pursue a career where I could share this love with young people. I have degrees from The University of Houston and The University of North Texas. My teaching certifications are in English, Speech Communication, and Computer Technology Applications. I have taught AP and Pre AP English for twelve years at the high school level and am excited as I begin my second year teaching eighth grade.

I also love the new technology that we have available to us and enjoy painting, creating greeting cards, cooking and studying Mayan Archeology. I have a degree in English Literature with a focus on British Literature, a minor in Speech Communication, and a certification in Computer Technology Applications. I am a Master Teacher for the Intel Corporation and have taught computer classes at local colleges.

I know that this year will be an exceptional one, and I look forward to working closely with parents and students in order to instill that love of learning and motivation that is necessary to success.

New Due date - Sept. 14, 2010. Summer reading – The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.


After reading The House on Mango Street, PreAP students will create a book jacket for the book. This will be due August 25, 2010.

On the cover of the book jacket you will illustrate any picture you choose that provides a description of the story (symbolic or literal). Be sure to convey important events from the story. In addition to the illustration, the cover should include the title of the book, the author’s name, and the illustrator’s name – you.

The inside front flap will include a short summary of the book – not the ending - and the main characters. Make sure that you include only main events and write the summary so that people will want to read more. This summary should cover the entire space of the flap.

The inside back flap will include an article about the author, and an article about the illustrator of the cover – you.

The back cover will be a series of quotations from book reviews that supposedly have been written about the book. You, of course, will be creating these reviews.

The spine of the book should include the title of the book and the author’s name.

Remember to be creative and use excellent grammar. Proofread your work.