Tomorrow we will watch the movie The Outsiders in order to compare it to the novel. The movie is rated PG. Please let me know if you do NOT want your child to watch it. I will find an alternate activity for him/her.
Projects: Students will work on Great Depression websites and continue learning about through class discussion, reading passages, videos and webquests. This Thursday we will watch a video on the Dust Bowl (thank you, Mrs. Mori, for loaning it). Make sure you ask your student about daily life, government, and causes of the Great Depression!
7th Grade Reading: Students will begin preparing for their reading final after watching the movie. Our final will be in the form of a Paideia Seminar. Students will be required to research several
open-ended questions, find evidence to support answers, and articulate their opinions through discussion. Students will use formal discussion methods, including techniques we've used in class like Format Matters and Habits of Discussion. They will be graded only on what they say (quality of verbal responses). I love this assignment because it give the students a lot of control over their grade and how they want to respond to literature.
8th Grade Reading: We will continue To Kill a Mockingbird. We are starting to read the trial scene, and students seem so engaged. Students will continue to take quizzes, write responses that require text evidence, and practice reading out loud fluently and with expression. I am LOVING our discussions on this novel.
Writing: This week we will finish our collaborative informative newspaper article, and students will write an unassisted writing sample in the form of an informative essay.
Homework this week:
7th: Read and watch "Week in Rap" for this week and be prepared for a quiz on Thursday. Fill out logs.
8th: Watch/read "Week in Rap" for this week and be prepared for a quiz on Thursday. Fill out logs.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Monday, February 13, 2017
Monday, February 13, 2017
Tomorrow students may bring Valentines to pass out to the class. We will do this around 2:30-2:45 as the kids have art at 3:15.
Projects: Students are working on their Great Depression websites. Also, we are learning about causes, daily life, government role, Dust Bowl, and economics during the Great Depression.
7th Grade Reading: We are having great discussions during our Monday Flocabulary lessons! Students are really making intelligent connections to current events and have strong opinions on topics! We will continue reading The Outsiders week and will likely finish it. When we do finish, students will begin preparing for our Paideia Seminar on the novel, which will be our final exam.
8th Grade Reading: We will continue to read To Kill a Mockingbird and use Close Reading strategies to look deeply at certain parts. We are enjoying learning more about the characters and making predictions about Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.
Writing: This week we will work together on an informative/explanatory writing piece. We did this a couple of weeks ago with narratives, and we will work on an unassisted piece after we write one together. These prompts are coming off of the state website and are good examples of what the students may be facing during testing this spring.
Homework:
7th Grade--IXL AA.1, read for 20 minutes
8th Grade--Finish Flocabulary "Week in Rap" links from today; read for 20 minutes and be on chapter 12 of To Kill a Mockingbird on Tuesday.
Projects: Students are working on their Great Depression websites. Also, we are learning about causes, daily life, government role, Dust Bowl, and economics during the Great Depression.
7th Grade Reading: We are having great discussions during our Monday Flocabulary lessons! Students are really making intelligent connections to current events and have strong opinions on topics! We will continue reading The Outsiders week and will likely finish it. When we do finish, students will begin preparing for our Paideia Seminar on the novel, which will be our final exam.
8th Grade Reading: We will continue to read To Kill a Mockingbird and use Close Reading strategies to look deeply at certain parts. We are enjoying learning more about the characters and making predictions about Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.
Writing: This week we will work together on an informative/explanatory writing piece. We did this a couple of weeks ago with narratives, and we will work on an unassisted piece after we write one together. These prompts are coming off of the state website and are good examples of what the students may be facing during testing this spring.
Homework:
7th Grade--IXL AA.1, read for 20 minutes
8th Grade--Finish Flocabulary "Week in Rap" links from today; read for 20 minutes and be on chapter 12 of To Kill a Mockingbird on Tuesday.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Monday, February 6, 2017
Projects: Students will learn about the Great Depression and build a website that demonstrates what they know.
7th Grade Reading: This week students will continue reading The Outsiders, taking short quizzes on it, and building their reading stamina.
Writing: Students will complete an unassisted writing assignment Tuesday and Thursday of this week. We have worked long and hard together on narrative techniques, and now they are ready to show what they can do on their own!
8th Grade Reading: We will continue reding To Kill a Mockingbird and having discussions around it. Students should always come to class prepared for a short quiz that covers their most recent reading. We will also continue poetry and Flocabulary as usual.
Homework:
7th grade--read for 20 minutes and do any IXL assigned
8th grade--read for 20 minutes (reading logs checked every Monday)
Candy Grams are on sale all week for .75 each. Proceeds benefit the k-8 student council. We are raising money to try to purchase something for the school (item TBD).
Auction this Thursday at 3:00
7th Grade Reading: This week students will continue reading The Outsiders, taking short quizzes on it, and building their reading stamina.
Writing: Students will complete an unassisted writing assignment Tuesday and Thursday of this week. We have worked long and hard together on narrative techniques, and now they are ready to show what they can do on their own!
8th Grade Reading: We will continue reding To Kill a Mockingbird and having discussions around it. Students should always come to class prepared for a short quiz that covers their most recent reading. We will also continue poetry and Flocabulary as usual.
Homework:
7th grade--read for 20 minutes and do any IXL assigned
8th grade--read for 20 minutes (reading logs checked every Monday)
Candy Grams are on sale all week for .75 each. Proceeds benefit the k-8 student council. We are raising money to try to purchase something for the school (item TBD).
Auction this Thursday at 3:00
Monday, January 30, 2017
Monday, January 30, 2017
Projects test is moved from tomorrow to Wednesday.
Projects: Students finished their magazines on the Roaring '20's and will review for their vocabulary and essay test now scheduled for Wednesday.
7th Grade Reading: We will continue to read The Outsiders. The students are LOVING this book and we are having wonderful discussions. I am always impressed with these kids and the depth of their comments and questions. We will read annotate poetry on Wednesday, and today we watched and discussed the "Week in Rap" and took a quiz.
8th Grade Reading: We will read annotate poetry on Wednesday, and today we watched and discussed the "Week in Rap" and took a quiz. Tuesday and Thursday we will read and discuss To Kill a Mockingbird. The students are doing a great job with this book. They are asking questions and making intelligent comments about the events of the novel.
Writing: This week students will, with guidance, complete a narrative writing task put out by the state. After walking them through one, I will have kids do an unassisted task next week. We will focus on using a few different resources to write narratives, and focus on narrative writing techniques.
Homework:
7th--IXL XX.3, read for 20
8th--Read for 20, poetry annotations on "Hoods"
Please send auction items in if you are able. Thank you so much to those of you who have done so this year.
Projects: Students finished their magazines on the Roaring '20's and will review for their vocabulary and essay test now scheduled for Wednesday.
7th Grade Reading: We will continue to read The Outsiders. The students are LOVING this book and we are having wonderful discussions. I am always impressed with these kids and the depth of their comments and questions. We will read annotate poetry on Wednesday, and today we watched and discussed the "Week in Rap" and took a quiz.
8th Grade Reading: We will read annotate poetry on Wednesday, and today we watched and discussed the "Week in Rap" and took a quiz. Tuesday and Thursday we will read and discuss To Kill a Mockingbird. The students are doing a great job with this book. They are asking questions and making intelligent comments about the events of the novel.
Writing: This week students will, with guidance, complete a narrative writing task put out by the state. After walking them through one, I will have kids do an unassisted task next week. We will focus on using a few different resources to write narratives, and focus on narrative writing techniques.
Homework:
7th--IXL XX.3, read for 20
8th--Read for 20, poetry annotations on "Hoods"
Please send auction items in if you are able. Thank you so much to those of you who have done so this year.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Projects: Students are researching and writing magazine articles that explain what made the 1920s "roaring". We will finish these up next week, then move into the Great Depression.
7th Grade Reading: This week we will read several chapters of The Outsiders, stopping to discuss narrative elements and take quick comprehension quizzes. We will also annotate the poem "Hoods," which connects to our novel.
8th Grade Reading: Students will continue to read To Kill a Mockingbird. We will have whole class discussions, take quizzes, and respons in our reading journals about the book. For homework, students need to read chapter 5 at home and be ready for a quiz on Thursday.
Writing: We are finishing up our "Favorite Mistake" papers and will move into writing a fully unassisted narrative. I know these are always harder for the kids (no conferencing, no peer review, etc.), but the unassisted writing samples give me a GREAT idea of where each student is overall in writing.
Homework:
7th--IXL U.2; read for 20 if finished
8th--Read chapter 5 of TKAMB by Thursday
7th Grade Reading: This week we will read several chapters of The Outsiders, stopping to discuss narrative elements and take quick comprehension quizzes. We will also annotate the poem "Hoods," which connects to our novel.
8th Grade Reading: Students will continue to read To Kill a Mockingbird. We will have whole class discussions, take quizzes, and respons in our reading journals about the book. For homework, students need to read chapter 5 at home and be ready for a quiz on Thursday.
Writing: We are finishing up our "Favorite Mistake" papers and will move into writing a fully unassisted narrative. I know these are always harder for the kids (no conferencing, no peer review, etc.), but the unassisted writing samples give me a GREAT idea of where each student is overall in writing.
Homework:
7th--IXL U.2; read for 20 if finished
8th--Read chapter 5 of TKAMB by Thursday
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Tuesday, January 17, 2016
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
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
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.
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