Week of May 20, 2013

We will work on our last assignment this week- a research project.  You and a partner will research and plan a 5 day family vacation.  Your goal is to motivate your classmates to buy your vacation plan, and if yours is the top seller, you will get 50 XC points! 
We will be meeting in the library all this week to use the computers.  Remember, you need to have a gmail account to share your presentation with your partner and with me.  Once you have your gmail account set up (see today's handout), email me @ wgmsnd@gmail.com. 

Vacation Presentations- Tue and Wed, May 28-29

Week of May 6, 2013

We are continuing on our poetry odyssey this week as we read and write poetry!  Along with our daily May Madness poetry competition, we will study and write odes as well as write a "formula" poem.  Don't forget to take time to memorize and practice for our Poetry Recitation next Tue.

Due Dates:
Ode (rough draft)- Wed
Ode (rough and final Draft showing revisions) - Thur
Poem recitation- Tue, 5/14

Week of April 29, 2013

We will write our first poem this week.  It will be a narrative poem about a first time.  We will model our poem after "Oranges."  Writing will be done in class.
Your homework is to memorize your poem.

Due Dates:
Book Report- due Tue
Poem Recitation- Tue, May 14

Week of April 23, 2013

CST testing will be this week- Tue, Wed and Thur.  Good Luck!

Because of testing, you will not have class time to work on your book report (which is due Tue, 4/30), so my classroom will be available after school this week if you would like to work on your book report.  Hope to see you!

On Friday, you will get the poem recitation assignment.  Memorizing a poem and reciting it to the class is an 8th grade standard.  The poem recitation will take place on Tue. May 14th. 

Due Dates:
Book Report- Tue, 4/30
Poem Recitation- Tue, 5/14

Week of April 15, 2013

Because CST testing is right around the corner (next week), we will do some test prep in class this week as well as learn some poetry terms.  Also, don't forget that the test on the 18 word parts (roots, prefixes and suffixes) will be on Friday.  You will be receiving the book report assignment on Friday and it will be due on 4/30. 

Week of April 1, 2013

We will continue reading non-fiction this week with a new Scope mag. article.  We will also study some more word parts- grat, cad, forc and trans. 
**For Thursday's class- finish "dolphin" essay and/or work on reading memo (bring book).
Due Dates:

Their/There/They're practice- Tue
Word Maps-  Wed.
Reading Memo 3.3- Fri
Reading Memo 3.4 - Mon, 4/15

Week of March 25, 2013

This week we will learn some root words and a prefix.  We will also dive into one of out Scope Magazines and read and analyze a non-fiction article about the dangers of cheerleading.  Don't forget to read your "RC" book at home each night and complete your reading memo for Friday!

Due Dates:
Startings and Endings (complex sentence prac.)- Tue
Word Maps- Wed.
Reading Memo 3.2-  Fri

Week of March 18, 2013

You should be reading your "reading contract" book at home- don't forget the first reading memo is due on Friday.  In class this week, we will practice writing two more response to literature essays before the WPA on Thursday.

Due Dates:
Embedding Quotes Prac.- Tue
Practice essay ("An Unlikely Friendship")- Wed.

Reading Memo 3.1- Fri.

Week of March 11, 2013

This week we will focus on writing literary response essays on theme using textual evidence to support our chosen theme.  Come to class ready to analyze a short story and write!
Also, don't forget the next reading contract is due.  Choose a book (fiction or non-fiction) that doesn't have a movie and is within your reading level.

Due Dates
Signed reading contract + book - due Fri.

Week of March 4, 2013

We will be writing an essay on a theme in The Giver this week.  Most of the writing will be done in class as this is a "we-do together" essay.  Our focus with this essay is to properly embed quotes to support our thesis.  We will also review the 4 different sentence structures- simple, compound, complex and compound-complex.

Due Dates
Comma prac.- Tue
4 sentences (1 for each structure)- Wed.
First body Par. of theme essay- Fri

Week of Feb. 11, 2013

Our last week reading The Giver!  Along with finishing the novel, you will work with a partner to chart out the plot (this will be done in class).  One more Giver memo is due on Friday, as well as our final test.  When you come back from Winter Break, you will work on a final project. 

Due Dates:
Giver Memo Ch 21-23  Fri
Final Test (on the whole novel)- Fri.

Week of Feb. 4, 2013

The Giver chapters 15- 20 will be our focus this week.

Due Dates:

Punctuation Practice  Due Tue
Giver Memo Ch 15-20 + vocab predictions   due Fri (quiz)

Week of Jan 28, 2013

We are well into reading The Giver and on Thursday we will have our own Ceremony of 13. 

Due Dates:
Vocab Story-  Mon.
Verb Tenses HO- Wed.
Ceremony of 13 Essay and certificate- Thursday
Giver Memo Ch 11-14 + Vocab Predictions- Fri.  (Quiz)

Week of Jan. 22, 2013

I hope you are enjoying The Giver and reading it carefully!  This week you will read chapters 7-10.  Don't forget to work on your vocab predictions while you are reading.    Start observing your classmate and start thinking about the perfect assignment for him or her.  Make sure that you can justify the assignment by telling about your classmates talents, qualities and traits.  Our Ceremony of 13 will be next Thur.

Due Dates:
Giver Ch 7-10: memo and vocab predictions due Fri.
Ceremony of 13 Essay and certificate due next Thur. (1/31)
Vocab Story- Due Mon

Week of Jan. 14, 2013

We will read chapters 3-6 in The Giver this week.  Make sure you keep up with the reading so you will be ready for Friday's quiz.  Also, reading memos (called Giver Memos for this unit) will be due each week. 

Due Dates:

Giver Memo Ch 1-2  due Tue.
Assessment Prep (editing prac.) due Wed.
Giver- Read ch 3-6 + vocab predictions  due Fri (quiz)
Giver Memo ch 3-6  due Fri

Week of Jan. 8, 2013

Happy New Year!  We are starting of 2nd semester with a class novel.  We will spend the next 6 weeks reading The Giver by Lois Lowry.  Chapters will be assigned each week as well as vocab words and other activities related to the book. 

Due Dates:
Goal Comic- Wed.
Author Bio- Thur.
Newberry Medal Research- Fri.
The Giver Chapters 1-2- Mon. (quiz on Mon)