Test tomorrow in projects! We will have both a vocabulary and a constructed response section. Study, study, study!
These 7th graders ROCKED their first project on cells! I am so proud of them and really impressed with their work and work ethic!
This week:
Projects:
Test Tuesday over structures and functions of cells and their parts
Wednesday we start human body systems and will study the respiratory, nervous, excretory, muscular and circulatory systems for the next couple of weeks.
7th Grade Reading
This week we will continue to pull main idea out of informative texts. We will also read and annotate poetry, as well as texts related to the Antebellum Era.We continue to do our Daily Three routine with Read to Self, Work on Writing (reading response) and Word Work (Root of the Week),
Writing:
We are starting our first big writing assignment! Students will write an informative paper on the Electoral College (it's a big topic, but they'll do great!). We started today with looking at examples of informative essays written by 7th graders. Tomorrow we are going to focus on what a thesis statement is. Students will start note taking and working on informal outlines on Wednesday and Thursday. Also, students will work on IXL WW skills (organizing writing) and do some free journal writing.
8th Grade Reading:
This week we will continue to identify main ideas and details in informative texts. Students will also read and annotate articles relating to early farming throughout the world. We continue to do our Daily Three routine with Read to Self, Work on Writing (reading response) and Word Work (Root of the Week).
Homework this week:
7th and 8th grade reading--20 minutes of reading and fill out reading log every night. Parents sign every Sunday.
Monday, August 29, 2016
Monday, August 22, 2016
Monday, August 22, 2016
It was great to see all the parents at Back to School Night last Thursday. Please, please send back any outstanding paperwork by the end of this week.
This week in a snapshot:
Projects: Students will work all week on their group cell projects AND study vocabulary for a quiz this Thursday.
7th Grade Reading: We will focus on pulling main idea and details from informative texts dealing with current events. We will also look at how to determine cause and effect while reading texts surrounding the topic of Antebellum America. Poetry Wednesday will be fun! We will read a poem called "Abandoned Farmhouse" and students will learn to annotate poems! Yahoo!
Writing: Today students wrote a narrative as an unassisted writing sample for their files. I will look at these and use them as a guide for improving writing and as a beginning of the year unassisted benchmark. Later this week we will look at the 6 writing traits, make booklets to reference all year and move into our first informative piece of writing.
8th Grade Reading: Students are focusing on pulling out main idea and details, as well as writing about characters, plot and setting with their own read to self book. Later this week we will look farming in early civilizations and read informative texts about that topic. We will also read a ballad poem and use plot boxes to comprehend it. I'm hoping for a replay of them when they performed "The Wreck of the Hesperus" last year!
Homework:
7th Grade--20 minutes of reading each night/fill out reading log (students can study cell vocabulary words as part of this this week)
8th Grade--20 minutes of reading each night/fill out reading log
Please send in items for our class auctions if you're able. Anything goes--kids love candy, $5 gift cards, fun socks, homemade items, and the list goes on!!!!
Monday, August 15, 2016
Monday, August 15, 2016
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
What a wonderful day we had together! I have a class full of sweet, smart, kind children. I am thrilled that I get to spend a whole year with them.
Please don't forget Back To School Night this Thursday, August 18th at 5:30. We will start in the lunchroom and then go to my classroom from there. Please bring all completed paperwork to me that night.
This week in school we are:
Projects: Learning about structures and processes of cells. This week we will frontload information by looking at websites, reading passages and watching short videos.
7th Grade Reading: Students will work on Reading to Self every day and building reading stamina. We will start reading about the Antebellum Era Tuesday and look at some poetry on Wednesday.
Writing: Students will write short samples for me and we will make bookets that cover the 6 traits of writing for us to keep in our folders all year. We write, write and write some more in my class and I will provide them with as many tools to make them successful as I possibly can think of.
8th Grade Reading: Love having these guys and gals back this year! We will start reading about early civilizations and preagrarian societies through reading. We will also start poetry this Wednesday. As always, students must have a book that they are excited to read in class every day so they can Read to Self and build that stamina.
Homework:
7th and 8th Grade Reading--20 minutes of reading every night (This will not be their homework every night. There will be many times that students come home with Flocabulary homeowrk or have IXL practice in lieu of reading.
What a wonderful day we had together! I have a class full of sweet, smart, kind children. I am thrilled that I get to spend a whole year with them.
Please don't forget Back To School Night this Thursday, August 18th at 5:30. We will start in the lunchroom and then go to my classroom from there. Please bring all completed paperwork to me that night.
This week in school we are:
Projects: Learning about structures and processes of cells. This week we will frontload information by looking at websites, reading passages and watching short videos.
7th Grade Reading: Students will work on Reading to Self every day and building reading stamina. We will start reading about the Antebellum Era Tuesday and look at some poetry on Wednesday.
Writing: Students will write short samples for me and we will make bookets that cover the 6 traits of writing for us to keep in our folders all year. We write, write and write some more in my class and I will provide them with as many tools to make them successful as I possibly can think of.
8th Grade Reading: Love having these guys and gals back this year! We will start reading about early civilizations and preagrarian societies through reading. We will also start poetry this Wednesday. As always, students must have a book that they are excited to read in class every day so they can Read to Self and build that stamina.
Homework:
7th and 8th Grade Reading--20 minutes of reading every night (This will not be their homework every night. There will be many times that students come home with Flocabulary homeowrk or have IXL practice in lieu of reading.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Tomorrow (Wednesday) is our Code Red Drill. Please read the emails that have been sent out by the school personnel. I also sent home a paper copy of the information with each student today.
Projects: Students played their games today and I sat with each group individually, reviewed the rubric and graded each gameboard.
8th Grade Reading: We have spent 2 days on this week's "Week in Rap" and still aren't finished! It's an 18 year review, so it goes back to 1998 and has stories from then up to now. The kids are having great dialog!
7th Grade Reading: Still trying to finish "The Week in Rap." :) We also spent some time listening to 5th graders present their projects today. They did a phenomenal job!
Writing: Very little writing today, as we spent time reviewing procedures for Code Red and reading/writing to self.
**One more auction scheduled for next week. Kids are excited!
**End of Year dance this Friday from 6-10. Hope to see everyone there
**Field day next Thursday. :)
Projects: Students played their games today and I sat with each group individually, reviewed the rubric and graded each gameboard.
8th Grade Reading: We have spent 2 days on this week's "Week in Rap" and still aren't finished! It's an 18 year review, so it goes back to 1998 and has stories from then up to now. The kids are having great dialog!
7th Grade Reading: Still trying to finish "The Week in Rap." :) We also spent some time listening to 5th graders present their projects today. They did a phenomenal job!
Writing: Very little writing today, as we spent time reviewing procedures for Code Red and reading/writing to self.
**One more auction scheduled for next week. Kids are excited!
**End of Year dance this Friday from 6-10. Hope to see everyone there
**Field day next Thursday. :)
Monday, May 2, 2016
Monday, May 2, 2016
7th graders test Monday and Wednesday of this week. 8th graders test Monday, Wednesday and Thursday!
Projects: Students will work on completing their gameboard project around westward expansion. These are due Monday, April 9.
7th Grade Reading: We will finish Which Way to the Wild West this week and continue to work on vocabulary and reading comprehension questions associated with it. Vocabulary quiz tomorrow (Tuesday) over words from the section "The Road to Little Bighorn."
8th Grade Reading: Students will watch "The Week in Rap" this week and hold discussions surrounding it. I only have them one day for reading this week, so we will hit as much as possible!
Writing: Students will continue to write responses to reading questions and provide detailed evidence in their responses.
Important Dates:
May 13 End of Year Dance
May 18 8th Grade Graduation
May 19 Last Day of School and Field Day
Projects: Students will work on completing their gameboard project around westward expansion. These are due Monday, April 9.
7th Grade Reading: We will finish Which Way to the Wild West this week and continue to work on vocabulary and reading comprehension questions associated with it. Vocabulary quiz tomorrow (Tuesday) over words from the section "The Road to Little Bighorn."
8th Grade Reading: Students will watch "The Week in Rap" this week and hold discussions surrounding it. I only have them one day for reading this week, so we will hit as much as possible!
Writing: Students will continue to write responses to reading questions and provide detailed evidence in their responses.
Important Dates:
May 13 End of Year Dance
May 18 8th Grade Graduation
May 19 Last Day of School and Field Day
Monday, April 18, 2016
Monday, April 18, 2016
Projects: This week we are learning about the California Gold Rush, the Mexican American War and the Texas Revolution. Students will watch video clips and complete short answer questions and graphic organizers related to these topics.
8th Grade Reading: We will finish Paideia tomorrow (Tuesday). Students have been rigorously responding to questions I'm asking about To Kill a Mockingbird. When we finish we will focus on independent reading, along with reading related to Westward Expansion.
7th Grade Reading and Writing: Today we read a portion of Which Way to the Wild West. Students then worked in collaborative groups to complete short responses to questions using text evidence. We will give feedback on each other's responses and talk about how to improve upon them (SBAC practice!). We continue to Read to Self every day for 20-30 minutes to build stamina. These students are all able to read independently for longer periods of time, which will help them immensely with testing. Students should read for 20 minutes each night this week for homework. We will not have Flocabulary homework. I may send home Westward Expansion homework and will update the blog if I do.
7th graders will take the math SBAC this Wednesday and Thursday. Parents, please have your kiddos to school on time, well fed and armed with lots of water and snacks. A good night's rest the night before is essential also!
8th Grade Reading: We will finish Paideia tomorrow (Tuesday). Students have been rigorously responding to questions I'm asking about To Kill a Mockingbird. When we finish we will focus on independent reading, along with reading related to Westward Expansion.
7th Grade Reading and Writing: Today we read a portion of Which Way to the Wild West. Students then worked in collaborative groups to complete short responses to questions using text evidence. We will give feedback on each other's responses and talk about how to improve upon them (SBAC practice!). We continue to Read to Self every day for 20-30 minutes to build stamina. These students are all able to read independently for longer periods of time, which will help them immensely with testing. Students should read for 20 minutes each night this week for homework. We will not have Flocabulary homework. I may send home Westward Expansion homework and will update the blog if I do.
7th graders will take the math SBAC this Wednesday and Thursday. Parents, please have your kiddos to school on time, well fed and armed with lots of water and snacks. A good night's rest the night before is essential also!
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Monday, April 11, 2016
Testing for students begins next week. Please make sure students are on time every day and have gotten a lot of sleep! :)
Projects: This week will will read about, discuss and watch short clips on the Trail of Tears and information related to it. Students will take a test over the material on Thursday, April 14.
8th Grade Reading: Paideai Seminar on To Kill a Mockingbird is this Thursday and will carry into the following Monday. Students are spending their class time preparing responses with evidence to each question.
Writing: Root of the week is "port" which is Lating for "carry." Students will free write in their journals and practice short writing prompts to get them ready for testing.
7th Grade Reading: Flocabulary on Monday and Westward Expansion readings the rest of the week. Students are answering short answer questions on their book Which Way to the Wild West. Flocabulary homework due Thursday. Students MUST develope one question into multiple paragraphs. The other 2 can be one paragraph but must contain evidence.
Auction scheduled for next Thursday, April 21. We are in need of goodies! I picked up a few things, but we can always use more.:)
Projects: This week will will read about, discuss and watch short clips on the Trail of Tears and information related to it. Students will take a test over the material on Thursday, April 14.
8th Grade Reading: Paideai Seminar on To Kill a Mockingbird is this Thursday and will carry into the following Monday. Students are spending their class time preparing responses with evidence to each question.
Writing: Root of the week is "port" which is Lating for "carry." Students will free write in their journals and practice short writing prompts to get them ready for testing.
7th Grade Reading: Flocabulary on Monday and Westward Expansion readings the rest of the week. Students are answering short answer questions on their book Which Way to the Wild West. Flocabulary homework due Thursday. Students MUST develope one question into multiple paragraphs. The other 2 can be one paragraph but must contain evidence.
Auction scheduled for next Thursday, April 21. We are in need of goodies! I picked up a few things, but we can always use more.:)
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