Projects: Students will use the next couple of weeks to research and complete their article for their group's magazine on the "Roaring 20's."
7th Grade Reading: We are on chapter 2 of The Outsiders and students are working hard on their character posters. Posters will be visual representations and have quotes/evidence from the book around their drawing to give the viewer an accurate picture of the full character.
8th Grade Reading: We are in the middle of chapter 2 in To Kill a Mockingbird. Students will have quizzes frequently on this novel. I am enjoying the discussions and reactions to the narrator's comments thus far.
Writing: We will contnue writing our "Favorite Mistake" stories this week and into next week. Also, students are enjoying their new Twitter page and 6 word memoirs.
Homework:
7th--Tuesday: Read Week in Rap links (quiz Thursday)
Wednesday--Continue studying links and complete IXL U.2
8th--Tuesday: Poetry annotations on "Friends in the Klan" due Wednesday
Wednesday: Study Week in Rap links (read passages) and be ready for quiz Thursday
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Monday, January 9, 2017
Monday, January 9, 2017
Happy New Year to my awesome students and families!!!!
I hope you all had a wonderful 2 weeks off. Now that it's time to get back to work, here's a look at this week:
Projects: We are starting our unit on the 1920's (The Roaring Twenties); we will begin by reading, completing webquests and watching videos related to this time period before starting our final project.
7th Grade Reading: This week we will start reading one of my VERY FAVORITES: The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton. This book consistently captures and engages my 7th graders and I can't wait to share it with them. We will begin with a small author study and some prereading exercises before moving into chapter 1 and some character analyses this week!
Writing: Students will write another narrative. This one will be called "My Favorite Mistake" and it follows a template laid out by Kelly Gallagher, the author of a great writing resource book called Write Like This. The students will focus on expression and reflection skills in this paper. I was so impressed with their "Day in the Life" narratives. I'm hanging them up outside the classroom, so be sure to come by and read them. They are great!
8th Grade Reading: This week my 8th graders and I will start reading To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This book is a powerful, wonderful story about race relations (among other things) in the deep south during the Great Depression and is, perhaps, my all time favorite book. We will read about Harper Lee and learn some facts about the Great Depression, Jim Crow, and segregation before starting the novel on Thursday.
Homework:
7th--Read for 20 minutes and record on reading log; IXL U.1 Vague Pronoun References
8th--Finish reading stories from "Week in Rap" on Monday; read for 20 and fill out reading logs.
I hope you all had a wonderful 2 weeks off. Now that it's time to get back to work, here's a look at this week:
Projects: We are starting our unit on the 1920's (The Roaring Twenties); we will begin by reading, completing webquests and watching videos related to this time period before starting our final project.
7th Grade Reading: This week we will start reading one of my VERY FAVORITES: The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton. This book consistently captures and engages my 7th graders and I can't wait to share it with them. We will begin with a small author study and some prereading exercises before moving into chapter 1 and some character analyses this week!
Writing: Students will write another narrative. This one will be called "My Favorite Mistake" and it follows a template laid out by Kelly Gallagher, the author of a great writing resource book called Write Like This. The students will focus on expression and reflection skills in this paper. I was so impressed with their "Day in the Life" narratives. I'm hanging them up outside the classroom, so be sure to come by and read them. They are great!
8th Grade Reading: This week my 8th graders and I will start reading To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This book is a powerful, wonderful story about race relations (among other things) in the deep south during the Great Depression and is, perhaps, my all time favorite book. We will read about Harper Lee and learn some facts about the Great Depression, Jim Crow, and segregation before starting the novel on Thursday.
Homework:
7th--Read for 20 minutes and record on reading log; IXL U.1 Vague Pronoun References
8th--Finish reading stories from "Week in Rap" on Monday; read for 20 and fill out reading logs.
Monday, December 19, 2016
Monday, December 19, 2016
Please, please don't forget to send students with cheap stocking stuffers for Thursday if you choose to do so.
We will be watching "Elf" this Thursday in the classroom. If you don't want your student to participate please let me know and I will have another activity for him or her.
Class auction to be held this Thursday, provided we have items to auction off. Please send things in if possible.
Projects: Students are finishing up their Survival of the Fittest comics. They are turning out great!
7th Grade Reading: Students are working to finish their 3-D pyramids depicting 4 aspects of World War 1. We will finish by Wednesday at the latest.
Writing: Most are finished with narratives and are moving into free writing for the week. I have a fun holiday writing activity planned for Wednesday.
8th Grade Reading: Students are working on finishing their King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table reading projects. These need to be done by Wednesday so we are hustling!!!
This Thursday we will do some holiday related reading and writing, then watch the movie and go to the high school lip sync assembly. For reading that day, kids are invited to bring a pillow or something to lay on while they read. I am giving them an entire block of "read to self" as per their request. :)
Happy Holidays!
We will be watching "Elf" this Thursday in the classroom. If you don't want your student to participate please let me know and I will have another activity for him or her.
Class auction to be held this Thursday, provided we have items to auction off. Please send things in if possible.
Projects: Students are finishing up their Survival of the Fittest comics. They are turning out great!
7th Grade Reading: Students are working to finish their 3-D pyramids depicting 4 aspects of World War 1. We will finish by Wednesday at the latest.
Writing: Most are finished with narratives and are moving into free writing for the week. I have a fun holiday writing activity planned for Wednesday.
8th Grade Reading: Students are working on finishing their King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table reading projects. These need to be done by Wednesday so we are hustling!!!
This Thursday we will do some holiday related reading and writing, then watch the movie and go to the high school lip sync assembly. For reading that day, kids are invited to bring a pillow or something to lay on while they read. I am giving them an entire block of "read to self" as per their request. :)
Happy Holidays!
Monday, December 12, 2016
Monday, December 12, 2016
This is the last week to send new pajamas for our Scholastic Pajama Drive sponsored by K-8 and high school student council. We are also still collecting canned food and toys for tots. Everything helps!
Projects: We will finish instruction on Natural Selection and Survival of the Fittest tomorrow. Students will create comic strips that depict an animal that has adapted to its environment as their final product. We will work on these Wednesday, Thursday, Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday will be a gallery walk so we can see everybody's creations. Next semester we will start social studies and do The 1920's, Great Depression, and World War 2. It's going to be awesome!
7th Grade Reading: As we finish frontloading information on World War 1, students will begin a project that demonstrates what they've learned. They will create a 3-D pyramid that explains several different aspects of WWI. Students will continue building stamina by reading the books that they love and writing responses to their reading.
Writing: Students are working hard to finish "Day in the Life" narratives. They are doing such a FABULOUS job on these. I am so impressed with how each student's writing has improved over the course of the semester.
8th Grade Reading: We will finish reading King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and complete a 3-D project that depicts one of the stories in the book. Students will be expected to focus on theme, characters (protagonists and antagonists), setting, and plot. Should be a fun way to end the semester!
Next Thursday we will have a class auction and do various holiday related activities. Don't forget students can bring in items to put in each other's stockings on this day. Also, we will be watching the movie Elf.
Homework:
7th: IXL P.1, Flocabulary main idea sheet (due Thursday)
8th: Poetry Annotations due Wednesday; read "Sir Percivale" in King Arthur for Tuesday's discussion
Projects: We will finish instruction on Natural Selection and Survival of the Fittest tomorrow. Students will create comic strips that depict an animal that has adapted to its environment as their final product. We will work on these Wednesday, Thursday, Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday will be a gallery walk so we can see everybody's creations. Next semester we will start social studies and do The 1920's, Great Depression, and World War 2. It's going to be awesome!
7th Grade Reading: As we finish frontloading information on World War 1, students will begin a project that demonstrates what they've learned. They will create a 3-D pyramid that explains several different aspects of WWI. Students will continue building stamina by reading the books that they love and writing responses to their reading.
Writing: Students are working hard to finish "Day in the Life" narratives. They are doing such a FABULOUS job on these. I am so impressed with how each student's writing has improved over the course of the semester.
8th Grade Reading: We will finish reading King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and complete a 3-D project that depicts one of the stories in the book. Students will be expected to focus on theme, characters (protagonists and antagonists), setting, and plot. Should be a fun way to end the semester!
Next Thursday we will have a class auction and do various holiday related activities. Don't forget students can bring in items to put in each other's stockings on this day. Also, we will be watching the movie Elf.
Homework:
7th: IXL P.1, Flocabulary main idea sheet (due Thursday)
8th: Poetry Annotations due Wednesday; read "Sir Percivale" in King Arthur for Tuesday's discussion
Monday, December 5, 2016
Monday, December 5, 2016
Please don't forget about our 7th grade stocking stuffing activity on Thursday, December 22nd. Each student, if they'd like, should bring a small treat to put in each stocking. This is meant to be fun and not expensive at all. The Dollar Tree is a great idea for this!
Also, we will be watching "Elf" on Thursday, December 22nd. If you don't want your student to watch this please let me know and I will find an alternate activity for him or her.
This week:
Projects: We began our unit on Natural Selection today. We will be looking at Charles Darwin and his theories, and study how organisms change and adapt over time. This is our last science unit of the year. Beginning in January we will do social studies for projects. Our units there will cover the 1920's, The Great Depression, and World War 2.
7th Grade Reading: This week we are going to delve into World War 1. We will read passages, do webquests and have discussions surrounding the Great War and its effects on the world. Students will continue to build reading stamina by reading books of their choice for pleasure.
Writing: Students continue working on narratives. They are writing "A Day in the Life" stories about an object or concept they are familiar with.
8th Grade Reading: Students will study the Black Plague of the Middle Ages, famous people of the Middle Ages, and continue to read King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Homework:
7th--Read for 20 minutes nightly; Flocabulary quiz Tuesday
8th--Read for 20 minutes nightly (finish "Kitchen Knight" chapter in King Arthur for Tuesday); Flocabulary quiz Tuesday; Wednesday night's reading will be a chapter in King Arthur.
Also, we will be watching "Elf" on Thursday, December 22nd. If you don't want your student to watch this please let me know and I will find an alternate activity for him or her.
This week:
Projects: We began our unit on Natural Selection today. We will be looking at Charles Darwin and his theories, and study how organisms change and adapt over time. This is our last science unit of the year. Beginning in January we will do social studies for projects. Our units there will cover the 1920's, The Great Depression, and World War 2.
7th Grade Reading: This week we are going to delve into World War 1. We will read passages, do webquests and have discussions surrounding the Great War and its effects on the world. Students will continue to build reading stamina by reading books of their choice for pleasure.
Writing: Students continue working on narratives. They are writing "A Day in the Life" stories about an object or concept they are familiar with.
8th Grade Reading: Students will study the Black Plague of the Middle Ages, famous people of the Middle Ages, and continue to read King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Homework:
7th--Read for 20 minutes nightly; Flocabulary quiz Tuesday
8th--Read for 20 minutes nightly (finish "Kitchen Knight" chapter in King Arthur for Tuesday); Flocabulary quiz Tuesday; Wednesday night's reading will be a chapter in King Arthur.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
For a fun holiday treat I will be getting stockings for every student and putting their names on them. On the last day before break students are invited to bring in 20 small treats to put in stockings. Some ideas are candy canes, chocolates, pencils, handmade gifts, etc. Please know that this should not be more than a couple of dollars out of pocket (I'm thinking Dollar Tree). Of course this is optional, but a fun way to celebrate before our break.
This week:
Projects; We will finish our unit on heredity and take a final exam this Thursday.
7th Grade Reading: Students will learn about the Gilded Age and Progress Eras in our country's history. they will take notes, watch videos, read passages, and have discussion about these two periods of time. They are both important to understanding the state of our country prio to World War 1. Students will continue to build reading stamina and responding to their books in journals.
Writing: This week we are starting narrative writing and the kids are thrilled, to say the least. We are looking at mentor texts and discussing techniques used in effective narratives. Students will write a story on "A Day in the Life of a _______" Each student will choose an object they can relate to and tell a story about a day in the life of that object. Some examples are "A Day in the Life of a Football" or "A Day in the life of a paintbrush." These are fun to write and I'm excited to see the students get creative! We will continue to build writing stamina through journal prompts, diagram sentences, and work on IXL skills. Quiz this Thursday on the 8 parts of speech.
8th Grade Reading: Students will continue to learn about various aspects of the Middle Ages. We are looking at the Crusades, the Black Death, feudalism, and important people of this time period. We will also continue to read King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
This week:
Projects; We will finish our unit on heredity and take a final exam this Thursday.
7th Grade Reading: Students will learn about the Gilded Age and Progress Eras in our country's history. they will take notes, watch videos, read passages, and have discussion about these two periods of time. They are both important to understanding the state of our country prio to World War 1. Students will continue to build reading stamina and responding to their books in journals.
Writing: This week we are starting narrative writing and the kids are thrilled, to say the least. We are looking at mentor texts and discussing techniques used in effective narratives. Students will write a story on "A Day in the Life of a _______" Each student will choose an object they can relate to and tell a story about a day in the life of that object. Some examples are "A Day in the Life of a Football" or "A Day in the life of a paintbrush." These are fun to write and I'm excited to see the students get creative! We will continue to build writing stamina through journal prompts, diagram sentences, and work on IXL skills. Quiz this Thursday on the 8 parts of speech.
8th Grade Reading: Students will continue to learn about various aspects of the Middle Ages. We are looking at the Crusades, the Black Death, feudalism, and important people of this time period. We will also continue to read King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Monday, November 14, 2016
Tuesday is the trip to the Senior Center with Mr. Lenon. Students need their permission slip and $3.
Human Growth and Development starts this Thursday. Please send signed permission slip. Students will NOT be allowed to participate without one.
Projects: We are continuing our study of heredity and genetics. This week we will play with Punnett squares and deepen our understanding of how traits are passed down and the probability of dominant and recessive genes showing up. This is really fun stuff!
7th Grade Reading: We will finish Two Miserable Presidents this week and take a test over the vocabulary and certain concepts. We have been learning so much and reading this book in great detail. I know the students are coming away with a nice grasp of the Civil War! Story Elements Quiz this Thursday! We will review terms on Tuesday.
Writing: Argumentative essays are due Thursday at the end of writing block. Students have really done well on these, and the improvement in their writing is astounding. I am also so impressed with the kids' desire to share their writing with the class. The confidence is building and I'm seeing the love of writing start to seep through. :)
8th Grade Reading: We will read chapters 2 and 3 of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table this week (maybe even more if all goes smoothly). I'm hoping the kids enjoy something a little different here. The book is full of action, as well as language and syntax more often found in earlier books.
Homework:
7th grade--20 minutes reading (Tuesday IXL V.1 Inappropriate shifts in verb tense)
8th Grade--20 minutes of reading/fill out logs (Tuesday and Wednesday read King Arthur)
Human Growth and Development starts this Thursday. Please send signed permission slip. Students will NOT be allowed to participate without one.
Projects: We are continuing our study of heredity and genetics. This week we will play with Punnett squares and deepen our understanding of how traits are passed down and the probability of dominant and recessive genes showing up. This is really fun stuff!
7th Grade Reading: We will finish Two Miserable Presidents this week and take a test over the vocabulary and certain concepts. We have been learning so much and reading this book in great detail. I know the students are coming away with a nice grasp of the Civil War! Story Elements Quiz this Thursday! We will review terms on Tuesday.
Writing: Argumentative essays are due Thursday at the end of writing block. Students have really done well on these, and the improvement in their writing is astounding. I am also so impressed with the kids' desire to share their writing with the class. The confidence is building and I'm seeing the love of writing start to seep through. :)
8th Grade Reading: We will read chapters 2 and 3 of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table this week (maybe even more if all goes smoothly). I'm hoping the kids enjoy something a little different here. The book is full of action, as well as language and syntax more often found in earlier books.
Homework:
7th grade--20 minutes reading (Tuesday IXL V.1 Inappropriate shifts in verb tense)
8th Grade--20 minutes of reading/fill out logs (Tuesday and Wednesday read King Arthur)
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