Many 7th graders have paragraphs to finish from class time. A half hour was given, but many students did not finish in that time. The paragraphs are due tomorrow.
This blog is for my students and their parents to access announcements, information, and homework assignments during the school year. The sidebar is an archive of posts going back a few years. Questions? Email me at awald@arsu.org.
Many 7th graders have paragraphs to finish from class time. A half hour was given, but many students did not finish in that time. The paragraphs are due tomorrow.
Before class tomorrow, November 29, 2011, 7th graders should have the following COMPLETED (yes, they’ve been aware of this for some time):
The “Lather and Nothing Else” essay
The “Boy and a Man” questions, which includes #6 – a first draft quality essay
The nonfiction book totally read AND notes and glossary completed (6 main ideas with supporting details and 20 vocab words)
It was never my intention for students to complete all of this work in one evening. Unfortunately, some students have apparently chosen to do so. It’s going to be a long night for those kiddos.
This week ends with an “eligibility report”, and these assignments will be part of that grade.
Parents and Students:
I have changed the due dates of the nonfiction reading projects to give students a little more time to complete the work. I have also added a few class times to work on the project.
Books need to be read in full and the 6 main ideas and 20 glossary words completed by NOVEMBER 29
I will give a FULL 80 minute period as a “work day” for the projects on NOVEMBER 29
Projects will be checked and graded with an expectation of being “half done” on NOVEMBER 30
I will give a HALF class (40 minutes total) for explanation and work on the Google Forms Quiz on DECEMBER 2
I will give a FULL 80 minute period as a “work day” on DECEMBER 7
Completed projects and quizzes need to be brought to class for assessment and presenting on DECEMBER 9
All details of the projects and quiz are on a bright yellow sheet in your child’s binder.
The amount of time necessary for kids to do a high quality job on this project is much more than the time they will be given in class. Please encourage your child to take advantage of after school study and the available work time in the evenings at our FHGS library.
Thanks!
ADDITIONALLY, please be aware that we have come to the end of our third set of vocabulary. There will be reviews in class (possibly homework as well), but students will need to STUDY outside of class as well. The test will be on Monday the 21st.
Abigail P. Wald
Fair Haven Grade School
Middle Level Language Arts and Co-Team Leader
802-265-3883, extension 249
8th graders need to finish the essay/letter they began in class. After 40 minutes, several students DID turn theirs in, but most needed more time. I will collect tomorrow at class time. Also, remember to be prepared for literature circles.
7th graders are to write a constructed response tonight, answering the following question about “Lather and Nothing Else:”
How does Hernando Tellez use monologue and dialogue effectively in “Lather and Nothing Else?”
7th – Be ready to show your in-process notes on your independent reading book. I want to see at least one main idea with supporting details. Also, have at least 5 vocabulary words identified, along with the sentences and definitions.
8th - Read and prepare your role for literacy circles. Boar group is to read the next chapter. Maniac group is to read to page 40.
7th grade had a “catch up” day today, working on LOTS of review activities for Word Whiz 2 Test. Any work not completed in class time should be done over the long weekend. TEST will be Tuesday.
7th grade was given a new independent reading project handout describing the expectations and due dates for their out-of-class books. I can provide electronic or paper copies at parent request. Email me if you’d like a copy for home.
8th grade should have turned in their BCP vocabulary today (but many did not). The remainder of the BCP is due next week.
Now that NECAPs are finished, I look forward to uninterrupted teaching!
Homework for grade 7 tonight: Prepare a 1 – 2 minute book talk for Wednesday. This is a short talk in which you share the title, author, setting, conflict, basic plot, characters, and theme of your outside reading book. You also need to have a visual component; ie: you bring in something that relates to your book – an object the character had with him, a copy of the book, et cetera. You are not expected to spend hours making a poster or anything like that. Keep it simple.
Also, as an FYI – parent teacher conference handouts were sent home with your children on either Friday or Monday. Call the office to set up a conference, if you are interested.
7th: Letter #3 due tomorrow. Book talk due next Wednesday the 19th. Study for vocabulary test on Thursday the 20th.
8th: Wrap up classic novel. Vocab section due 10/20; entire BCP due 10/25.
7th graders are reading “adventure novels”. They have completed two-thirds of their reading and written their first two letters. To know: their novels should be finished in the next five or six days so they have enough time to do a good job on letter #3. Letter # 3 is due on October 14, 2011.
8th graders are reading “classic novels”. I’ve extended the deadline for finishing the novel until the last Friday of NECAPS – October 14. They will need to do a BCP (Book Club Project) after they finish the novel. There will be some time spent in class modeling how to do this, using the book we are reading together. I have not finalized a due date for their classic novel BCP, but I am leaning towards the 25th of October.
Students in 7th grade are asked to have their parents review and sign their recent vocabulary test. If the student chooses, corrections can be made to increase the score on the test. One class had the tests returned today, but the other will have the tests returned tomorrow.
7 – Write the other constructed response tonight. Letter #2 is due on Friday. I will not plan any additional homework for Thursday night. Please utilize after school study and morning madness if you are feeling swamped.
8 – Time has been extended to finish reading your classic novel. The novel and vocabulary portion of the BCP should be finished by Friday the 14th. At that time, I will set a due date for the completed BCP. It will probably be about two weeks later – the 28th, perhaps. It is KEY that you pace yourself to complete this work. It will be a GIANT part of your grade. Some time will be given in class, so bring your book every day.
ALL – Open House at 6:30 on Thursday.
ALL -- NECAP testing begins next week. Please come to school well rested and with breakfast under your belt. These two simple factors make a huge difference in your ability to sustain focus on the test and access your knowledge to do well. Be sure to bring in your novels so that you will have something productive to do if you finish a section early.
Parents and students:
Please check Edline tonight to see your current English grade.
The report is labeled “Eligibility Report September 22, 2011”
7th are to finish the constructed response we began in class.
8th are to finish the 5 paragraph essay we began in class.
7th graders should answer the 8 multiple choice questions on the reading we did in class today. Save the constructed responses (# 7 and # 12) for doing together in class.
NEW rafting permission forms have been sent home. This is due to a change in LOCATION. These new forms MUST be turned in on THURSDAY, or students will not be allowed to go on the trip, even if earlier forms have been received.
Create and illustrate a metaphor for the homework rubric we’ve been working on in class.
Examples:
Homework Mountain – a 5 is Everest, a 4 is Kilimanjaro, a 3 is the Rockies, a 2 is Mount Independence, a 1 is Casey’s Hill.
Homework Shapes – a 5 is a star, a 4 is a square, a 3 is a triangle, a 2 is a line, a 1 is a point
Homework Homers – a 5 is a grand slam, a 4 is a homerun, a 3 is an RBI, a 2 is a base hit, a 1 is a walk.
We have finished our first week of Language Arts. The first homework is tonight:
Read the class information handout WITH your parents, and ask your parents to sign it at the end. Bring the signed paper back to school on Tuesday.
Begin reading your out-of-class novel (7th is “Adventure,” 8th is “Classic”).
Remember to bring in your rafting permission forms and money if you have not yet done so.
> I have finally finished Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. This book won the
> National Book Award and has been nominated for the DCF as well. It is easy to see why the book won the NBA-- it is well written and gives compelling insight into the mind of a child with Asperger's Syndrome. I would be surprised, however, if the book won the DCF, since it may not be as appealing to young readers as others in the running. As an adult who has worked with children like the protagonist, Caitlin, I was very intrigued by the internal monologue that dominated the book. I was also interested in the overall premise: that of coming to a sense of closure after a devastating school shooting. It was easy to put down for days on end, though, because it lacked the fast paced narrative I have become accustomed to, and was inherently predictable. That being said, it is worth the read, especially if you know someone with Asperger's.
>
>
The protagonist is an eleven year old African American girl who has grown up without the mother who abandoned her and her sisters. Now, after many years filled with only vague memories, Delphine is spending the summer of 1968 with her mother in Oakland, California. Her mother, Cecile, lives a life that Delphine considers "crazy," and most readers would probably agree. The most "crazy" aspect of Cecile's life is her involvement in the Black Panther movement. As Delphine explains it, "I was marching my sisters into a boiling pot of trouble cooking in Oakland" (128).
As Delphine's summer comes to a close, she realizes much about the world, herself, and her estranged mother, and comes to understand that not everything is as it seems.
This is a sweet and sorrowful coming of age novel that is beautifully written.
Sent from my iPod
> Today I finished reading "Jake" by Audrey Couloumbis. Jake is an endearing young man who lives with his mother. A few days before Christmas, she is injured, and Jake must rely on his neighbor and family friend, Mrs. Buttermark, and his estranged grandfather to care for him while his mother is in the hospital. Over the course of his mother's hospitalization, Jake learns to love and respect his grandfather. I liked this book a great deal, and found myself drawn to Jake's compassion, intelligence, and even his naïveté. A good example of the latter is this remark: "I learned Mrs. Buttermark had been a rocket. That made me sit up. She and Granddad talked about it a little and I realized it was some kind of dancer." Sweet.
>
For those who had to do the project: I will be closing access to the reader response journals as of tomorrow. Be sure you have done your 4 + 4 requirement.
Also, to the 3 students in block 2 (you know who you are) who must do the presentation: I have set aside about 25 minutes tomorrow for your presentation.
Over the weekend, please complete your graphic organizer in preparation for Tuesday’s essay.
If you are required to do the book project, please do your final entries in the online reader response journal, and be sure you are working on the presentation and vocabulary requirements. Both are due on June 1.
Study for word whiz 7 test
Finish Asian novel (see handouts for due dates of project components – vocabulary, presentations, online journals)
Block 4 finish poems
Abigail P. Wald
Fair Haven Grade School
Middle Level Language Arts and Co-Team Leader
802-265-3883, extension 249
All: Recitation # 2 due Wednesday…. Students need to learn a poem from list 2, and recite it along with the first poem they recited.
Block 4: Take the list you brainstormed (10 things I’ll never understand, 10 things that scare me to death, et cetera), and turn it into a POEM. The poem should have several poetic elements – such as rhyme, alliteration, repetition, simile, metaphor, et cetera….
Students were given a sheet with their current average and list of owed work.
Homework for all: Finish Asian novel by May 27. If doing project, be sure to be working on response journals, vocabulary, presentation, et cetera.
Homework for Block 2: Finish new poem based on ONE idea from your list poem
Homework for Block 4: Finish funny poem; Memorize poem from first set to recite on Thursday
Block 2, 3, 4: Asian novel books – keep reading, and be finished by the end of May.
Block 3: Write a new poem, based on ONE of the ideas from your list poem that we worked on today. For example, your list poem was about things that scare you. One of the things was snakes that lunge. Now write a poem that focuses on snakes.
1. A handful of students are bringing home a worksheet on punctuation, but most are not.
2. Students who are doing the Asian Novel PROJECT* will need to complete their first online reflection this weekend. We will go through the steps in class, and they will need to complete it over the weekend.
3. All students should be reading their Asian Novels, even if they aren’t required to do the project. All students must do #4 (below), even if they aren’t doing the full project.
*Project details: Block 2 and 3
Your steps:
100 points: Novel, four entries, and four responses must be done by: May 27
Optional 50 points: Vocabulary record due: May 31
100 points: Presentation to class is: June 1 (come with GoogleForms “quiz” for your audience)
100 points: In-class on-demand writing date is: May 31 (come with graphic organizers completed in advance)
*Presentation Information
All slides / posters must be neat, accurate, creative, and colorful. Speech on recordings must be slow, loud, clear, and well-planned. Videos must be well-rehearsed and edited to avoid unnecessary wait time. If doing a PowerPoint or GooglePresentation, do not do anything fancy with transitions, sounds, or other gizmos! Fluff will not cover up a weak presentation. Let your ideas speak for themselves. Regardless of the format chosen, be sure your presentation covers the following:
*Project Details, Block 4 ONLY:
Your steps:
100 points: Novel, four entries, and four responses must be done by: May 27
100 points: Vocabulary record due: May 31
Optional 100 points: Presentation to class is: June 1
100 points: In-class on-demand writing date is: May 31 (come with graphic organizers completed in advance)
Homework for Block 2: finish the “Artist to Artist” packet
Homework for Block 3: complete BOTH found poems – online at readwritethink.org (word mover in search field) and your paper one from words in the hallway
Homework for Block 4: finish the constructed response paragraph on Sadako and Hiroshima novels – What are three possible reasons that we read both books together?
Some students have poetry questions to finish.
All students should have their vocab test signed by a parent or guardian and make corrections.
Test tomorrow on ALL vocabulary so far. Also, there will be some recent grammar thrown in (pronoun usage).
Block 2 worked on “desert” paragraphs in class today. If they did not finish, the paragraph became homework.
Block three only: Finish the paragraph we began in class on deserts and desertification.
Outside Reading Projects are due TUESDAY, APRIL 26th.
There has been NO homework this week so that students can focus on finishing up their reading if necessary.
There are only TWO remaining after school study afternoons before the due date.
Reminder that the marking period independent reading project is due APRIL 26th. Students should utilize any available evening (without other pressing homework or family obligations) to read the mystery novel and begin the project. Project details were posted on this blog about 3 weeks ago.
The students are finished with their Cinderella Tales of the World Map. To see this map, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/cinderellamap
Enjoy!
As expressed to students on Wednesday, Final Drafts of original Cinderella stories are due on Monday. Final drafts are single spaced and reflect all corrections made in class. Finals must have all other drafts attached behind.
Please complete a second draft of your Cinderella story. Remember that second drafts:
Homework:
Get test signed. Make corrections if you wish to raise your grade.
Complete first draft of original Cinderella story.
Students had lots of time to work on their original Cinderella stories today in class. Ideas are shaping up and students seem excited about writing. Please complete full first drafts, either typed or handwritten, by Monday.
Homework tonight is to study for tomorrow’s test. PART of that means students will complete a review worksheet for word parts, but they should also do other studying such as reviewing flashcards, creating sentences, looking over notes, et cetera.
Also, begin to think about what details could be used to make the “traditional” Cinderella story unique when students write their own tomorrow.
Tonight there is no “homework,” per se. It would be wise to get started on studying for the test on Thursday, however. Fun and Useful Words, L/A Terms, and Prefixes/Suffixes/Roots.
Tonight’s homework is to prep/plan/organize/list/brainstorm for the essay you will be writing in class tomorrow. I don’t want students to come to class with the essay already written, but they should have thought about it and preferably jotted down some notes and ideas to help them through tomorrow. A graphic organizer would be a great idea. Each class was given at least 10 minutes to get started today.
Tonight’s homework is to finish the letter begun in class today, if it was not finished by the end of the period. The letter must be three paragraphs (intro, body, conclusion), and address reasons why the city council SHOULD enact one of the ridiculous rules/laws/ordinances we listed in class. Some of the crazy laws are:
Wearing shoes indoors is prohibited
No citizen may watch TV on Fridays
Walking will require a license
If you miss one day of school, you must serve one day in prison (I like this one!)
School will be held 7 days a week
Only electric cars will be permitted
If a citizen allows his/her toenails to grow too long, those toes will be severed
Some are even crazier than these. The point is to, in a tongue-in-cheek manner, practice the variety of persuasive techniques we have been working on in class. Some of these techniques (some more ethical than others) are:
Lying
Bribery
Precedent
Facts
Emotional appeal
Statistics
Have fun!
Independent Reading Project 5 – Mystery / Crime / Detective novel
Choose a MYSTERY, CRIME, or DETECTIVE novel. This is a work of fiction in which the main character(s), sometimes a detective by trade, is involved in trying to solve a riddle, crime, or mystery. The character(s) is on a search – sometimes for the “truth”, but more often than not, for the perpetrator of a crime. The main action of the novel is focused on turning up clues, following leads, investigating possibilities, and interviewing suspects. As the novel unfolds, the reader is invited to consider the solutions and even possibly solve the mystery before the “detective”. The novel does not end until the mystery, riddle, or crime is solved.
The first “detective” story, “Murders in the Rue Morgue” was written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1841. The first writer of mystery / crime / detective novels was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote the Sherlock Holmes books. Popular detective novels for young adult readers include the Nancy Drew series, the Hardy Boys series, The Westing Game, and From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. There is also a well-written series of mysteries in the National Parks.
Read the novel, and complete one of the projects below by APRIL 26TH. All projects need to be clearly labeled with your name and the title of your book. The project will be worth 100 points, with 10 points off per day late (you may buy one day with a late pass).
BOOK IN A BAG:
1). After reading a book, each student selects a book report container. This container can be a plastic bag, a manila envelope, a can, a shoebox or any other object that can hold items
2) The students decorate the container to convey major details, elements, or themes found in the book.
3). Students will then work on the contents of their container. They will need to include the following:
INTERVIEW WITH THE CHARACTER:
1). The student composes eight questions to ask a main character in the book. The students write the questions and the character’s response to each question. The questions and responses should indicate the student’s knowledge of the story without giving away the most significant details.
2). On the day the assignment is due, the student will either dress up as the main character or use props to depict what the character has an interest in, and will pose as he character for an “interview”.
IN THE NEWS:
1). Each student creates a front cover of a newspaper that tells about events and characters in a book just read. The newspaper must include:
DEAR DIARY:
1). The students will write at least six 100-word-minimum diary or journal entries that might have been written by the main character in the book just read. The entries should share details about the story that will prove the students read the book. (Note: the easiest way to do this is to write the entries as you are reading!)
2). The students will then make a cover for their character’s diary, and include all entries.