A slice of inspiration!!!

WEEK 14: DECEMBER 1-5

Announcements:

*NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY -- TEACHER INSERVICE

*BOOK POST #1 for this quarter is due on TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2.

*Midterm is December 10.

Weekly Homework:

1) Check out novels by Tuesday. Read first 20 pages.
2) Study for graded dialogue quiz on Wednesday.

MONDAY:

1) Weekly Overview and homework
2) Literature Circle Overview
3) Ms.Swiggum -- book talks on our seven choices
4) Choose your novel on paper

TUESDAY:
*BOOK POST #1 DUE!!!*
1) WNB #11: What makes good writing? & What makes a good discussion group?
2) Check out novels
3) Reading time

WEDNESDAY:
1) Graded quiz on dialogue
2) Prepare role sheets for Literature Circle meeting tomorrow

THURSDAY:
Literature Circle Meeting #1: You need your role sheet completed and first 20 pages of your novel read for this.

FRIDAY:
NO SCHOOL!!!

WEEK 13: NOVEMBER 24-28

Announcements:

*NO SCHOOL NOVEMBER 26-28 for Thanksgiving Break.

*First book post for Second Quarter due December 2.

*Midterm is December 10.

Agenda:

This week, students are finalizing their fictional narratives as well as continuing to practice dialogue punctuation in the context of their writing. We are using clickers on Monday to review punctuation rules.

After break, students will be selecting a new novel to read from a collection of seven choices, and beginning a literature circle project with their chosen books. This project will culminate in a 'graphic novelette,' which is a comic storyboard showing the plot sequence, climax, and conflict resolution in the story using an online program called Comic Life.

MONDAY:
Review Novel Essay test
Dialogue with Clickers
Finish narrative peer editing

TUESDAY:
Finalize and submit narrative piece

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

WEEK 12: NOVEMBER 17-21

Agenda: This week students are peer editing their fictional narratives, using teacher and peer feedback to construct a final draft of their piece. Additionally, students are reflecting on their narrative novels through a written essay, and continuing to dramatize Gary Soto's Novio Boy, a contemporary Latino play, in class.

Weekly Homework:

Spend one hour outside of class working on your narrative. This could mean having a parent read your piece, having another peer review it, working on word choice or dialogue with a peer, or reworking your intro. or conclusion.

MONDAY:

Continue peer editing process

TUESDAY:

*Work on final drafts
*Prepare for novel essay test

WEDNESDAY:

Novel Essay Test

THURSDAY:

Dialogue Review
Novio Boy by Gary Soto

FRIDAY:

*Dialogue with clickers
*Work on final drafts

WEEK 11: NOVEMBER 10-14

Agenda: This week, students are completing their narrative novels and group discussions. Additionally, students are working on a second draft of their personal, fictional narratives, and peer editing one another's work. Students are also continuing to study and practice dialogue punctuation, and beginning to review and work with commas and semicolons.

Weekly Homework:

1) Finish novels for Tuesday
2) Dialogue Worksheet due on Friday

MONDAY:
1) Weekly Overview and homework
2) Commas and semicolons: video and practice
3) Reading time

TUESDAY: NOVEL DAY
*Novels need to be finished for today.*
1) Discuss predictions of endings and outcomes -- use WNB #9
2) Mini-lesson: 2 chunk paragraph review and structure & italicizing and quoting
3) WNB #10: Craft a 2-chunk in response to your novel

WEDNESDAY:
1) Finish 2-chunks in WNB
2) Review teacher comments on Narrative Draft #1
3) Computers: Type Draft #2

THURSDAY:
1) Novel Review Exercise
2) Novio Boy cont.

FRIDAY:
1) Review Dialogue Worksheet in class
2) Mini-lesson: Tracking Comments in Microsoft Word
3) PEER EDITING: Each student will review and comment on another's piece & Individual Conferencing with teacher on Narrative Draft #1

WEEK 10 AGENDA: NOVEMBER 3-7

Image Source:
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Announcements:

*Happy 2nd Quarter! Congratulations to all students who attended Quarterly Recognition! Keep up the good work!

*Parent/Teacher Conferences Wednesday, November 5th from 3-7 and Thursday, November 6, from 3-7 in the large gym. Parents are requested to sign up for times through students' home base teachers.

*NO SCHOOL for students or teachers on Friday, November 7, due to conferences.

*Students are required to read two books per quarter on their own, and post comments for SSR credit on Ms. Swiggum's library blog at http://www.kswiggum.edublogs.org/ (hyperlink on left of page). Posted comments can be viewed under 8th Grade Flammang link at top of page.

Agenda: This week students are continuing to draft their fictional narratives, incorporating figurative language and key aspects of narrative writing. Additionally, students are continuing to read, discuss, and respond to their narrative novels in small groups. Finally, students will be reviewing 2-chunk paragraph writing structure and practicing interactively.

Weekly Homework:

1) Turn in any leftover 1st Quarter Reflections (due Monday).

2) Novel reading and character hot-seating questions due on Wednesday. (Assigned last Tuesday, October 28).

3) Narrative Rough Draft due on Thursday.

MONDAY:
*Leftover 1st Quarter Reflections due
*Weekly Overview and homework
*Pick new classroom jobs
*Grade reports for Q1
COMPUTERS: TYPE NARRATIVE
-work with figurative language and key aspects of narrative writing

TUESDAY:
*Book Fair in Media Center
COMPUTERS: TYPE NARRATIVE
-work with headers, footers, and inserting page numbers

WEDNESDAY: NOVEL DAY
*Reading and hot-seating questions due
*Character hot-seating
*Reading assignment and homework for next time (Tuesday, November 11)
*WNB #9: Predictions of novel ending

THURSDAY:
*Narrative Rough Draft due at the end of class!*
Computers: Typing time

FRIDAY: NO SCHOOL!

WEEK 9 AGENDA: OCTOBER 27-31

Image source: www.frugallawstudent.com/.../10/halloween.jpg

Announcements:

*October 31 is the end of first quarter. ALL MISSING WORK DUE ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29.

*Students are required to read two books per quarter on their own, and post comments for SSR credit on Ms. Swiggum's library blog at http://www.kswiggum.edublogs.org/ (hyperlink on left of page). Posted comments can be viewed under 8th Grade Flammang link at top of page. Both posts for first quarter are due by October 31.

*Enrichment credit options must be completed by October 31.

*Quarterly Recognition is on October 31. All quarterly recognition forms must be in for students to participate.

*Parent/Teacher Conferences are November 5 & 6 from 3-7 p.m. in the JHMS small gym. Letters and time sign-ups will go home with students in their TEAM classes.

Agenda:
This week students are completing dramatization of Act One from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and finishing a subtext exercise that develops dramatic voice inflection. They are also continuing to read and discuss their narrative novels and draft their own fictional narratives. Additionally, students will be dramatizing a selection from Gary Soto's short play, "Novio Boy."

Weekly Homework:

FOR TUESDAY: (This was assigned last Monday, October 20).
*A Step from Heaven:
1) Read pages 33-69 for Tuesday, October 28.
2) Draw the scene that was the most interesting or powerful for you. Include a quote and a page number.

Forgotten Fire: (This was assigned last Monday, October 20).
1) Read pages 59-92 Tuesday, October 28.
2) Draw the scene that was the most interesting or powerful for you. Include a quote and a page number.

FOR FRIDAY:
Complete the 1st Quarter Reflection Questions from blog -- use directions in post

MONDAY:
*Weekly overview and homework/narrative topics/blog poll
*Record narrative deadlines and typing days
*Finish Act One of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
*Complete Subtext Excercise

TUESDAY: NOVEL DAY
*Return TTT 1-3 & Review grading points
*Reading and hand-drawn scenes with cited quotes due*

Heaven:
In-class Activity: Share drawings & pair/share 3 discussion questions
Discussion: How is Young Ju changing as a character?
Reading and HW for next time: pp. 70-110 & prepare five good questions for characters in the book(for next Wednesday - November 5).

Fire:
In-class activity: Share drawings & pair/share 3 discussion questions
Discussion: How is Vahan becoming like his father?
Reading and HW for next time: pp. 93-174 & prepare five good questions for characters in the book. (for next Wednesday - November 5).

WEDNESDAY:
*Novio Boy: Context, Selection and Dramatization
*Reflect in WNB

THURSDAY:
Mini-lesson: Dialogue in Narrative Writing
Computers: Continue drafting Fictional Narrative

FRIDAY: Happy Halloween!!!
*1st Quarter Reflection due!!!*
*Finish reflections
*Reading time for novels!
*Quarterly Recognition!!!