Monday, April 21, 2008

AGENDA APRIL 21-25


WELCOME BACK!!! Hope everyone had an excellent vacation!!!

Notes:
*Homework Help Tuesday after school
*Get binders ready for Poetry/Speech Unit
*April is National Poetry Month!!!
*R.A.P. Sign-up Deadline is April 27. Visit Teton County Library or call 733-2164 ext. 103
*Post PAWS Pizza Party - May 7 (1st and 4th) & 8 (5th and 6th). Students need to bring contributions to party organizers.

Weekly Homework: WNB 21 (See below)


Unit Focus Skills:

➢ Creating imagery
➢ Using literary techniques
➢ Poetry terminology
➢ Classification of Poems
➢ Dueling and debate
➢ Annotating Poetry
➢ Targeting an audience
➢ Memorizing and reciting
➢ Analyzing poetry
➢ Speaking and listening for different purposes
➢ Instructing an audience

***Enrichment credit options: These serve as your 4th quarter extra credit options and can be completed at any point before June 2nd.***

1)Participate in R.A.P. Sign up deadline is April 27. Visit Teton County Library for details. (30 points)

2)Post your magnetic poem on our blog (15 points)

3)Post comments (5 THOUGHTFUL, INTERESTING RESPONSES required) to the magnetic poems posted on our blog. YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND POST IN THE CORRECT PLACE FOR CREDIT. (15 points)

4)Read Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes and attend a roundtable discussion (time T.B.A.) (30 points)

5)Close poet study. Read and annotate ten poems by the same author. Write two pages of overview on poet’s life and work. Attend guidance sessions (twice during lunch). (30 points)

6)Find one revolutionary, contemporary poet. Perform two of his/ her poems for the class and give a short overview of her/his life and works. (30 points)

7)Podcast your graduation speech and drop it into Open Access Folder: Flammang JHMS Graduation Speeches (15 points)


Essential Questions

➢ What is poetry?
➢ How is poetry a form of communication?
➢ Why does poetry survive?

April 21
Web Graffiti: React to the book you read over spring break – write the title, author, and describe the mood, tone, and theme

Discussion of graffiti we wrote

WNB 21: Answer the questions below about your novel.

For homework: Then create a well-crafted 2-3 paragraph summary of your novel incorporating these answers.

1) Describe the protagonist of your book. What did she/he want? Did he/she get it? Was there an antagonist?

2) What was the main conflict of your book. How did the climax and resolution of your novel deal with it?

3) Why did the author write this book? What kind of audience was he/she targeting? What was the main theme of the piece?

4) Would you recommend this novel to someone else? Why or why not? If so, for what type of audience/individual would it be most appropriate?


Administrivia:
*Return papers
*Announce RAP POETRY SIGN-UP (remind as one of 4th quarter e.c. options)
*plan P4: Post-PAWS-Pizza-Party – MAY 7 and 8. Delegate students to collect money and set up order and ambiance.
*Weekly HW: WNB 21
*4th and 6th: Finish Poster Project Presentations

Friday, March 28, 2008

AGENDA MARCH 31- APRIL 4

Focus: Disability Poster Project

Notes:


*Homework Help on Tuesday after school

*Greg Mortenson, author of Pennies for Peace, will be at JHHS on Wednesday, April 2nd. 8th Graders will attend his speech 6th and 7th periods that day.

*Quarter 3 Recognition is on Friday, April 4th at the Rec. Center from 12:45-2:15. Remember to send swimsuits with your kids if they plan to swim.

Weekly Homework:


Over Spring Break, students need to read a novel that has been recommended to them by another student, teacher, parent, etc. They will be asked to respond in writing to this piece after break. Homework for this week is to decide on a book, check it out, and begin reading.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY:

Work on assembling posters and creating hooks for presentations.

WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY:

Poster Project Presentations

THURSDAY:
WNB #20 and share: Write a letter to a future teenager -- one who will be your age now in 10 years! What advice can you offer? What warnings are necessary?
Check out/begin reading Spring Break selection

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

QUARTER 3 REFLECTION

Directions: Respond to the questions below in a typed Word document. PLEASE DOUBLE SPACE. You need to write 3-4 sentences or more for each question. Make sure your paper has the proper heading: name, class, date, assignment.

QUARTER 3 REFLECTION QUESTIONS:


1) Look back at the goals you set for 3rd Quarter. Which ones have you achieved? Which ones are you still working on?

2) How are you feeling as you prepare to transition to high school? Are you ready? Academically? Socially? Emotionally? Be honest. What are you excited about? What are you nervous about?

3) As we enter 4th Quarter, what skills do you feel are most important for you to review and practice before graduation?

4) How have you changed from the beginning of this school year to the end of this school year?

5) Comment on how our visitors have influenced you this quarter: Kati, Molly, the community forum, Tamora Pierce.

6) How has your writing improved over the course of this year so far? Be specific. What still needs to improve in this area?

7) Reflect on our major projects this quarter: Belief Project, Literature Circles, PAWS preparation. What did you gain from these? How could they be improved?

8) What advice would you offer to incoming 8th Grade students?

Friday, March 14, 2008

AGENDA MARCH 17-21


Foci: PAWS Writing and Literature Circles

Notes:

*PAWS TESTING MONDAY AND TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK - kids can bring food and books to read after their testing.

*Friday, March 21 is the end of the quarter. All missing work and extra credit for third quarter (see below) must be in by WEDNESDAY!!!

Weekly Homework:

*Finish Literature Circle books

*Prepare roles for Lit. Circles

MONDAY & TUESDAY:

PAWS WRITING TESTING

WEDNESDAY:

Formal Literature Circle Meeting #4
-Roles
-Questionnaire
-Predict ending of novel

THURSDAY:
Formal Literature Circle Meeting #5
-Roles
-Discuss novel's resolution
-Finalize folders
-plan to present to class on disability from your book/prepare posters

FRIDAY:

Quarter 3 Reflection in iMac lab

Extra Credit Opportunities for 3rd Quarter:

1) Complete podcast and drop it into Open Access Folder: Flammang Final Podcasts

2) Submit work to Wyoming Young Authors Project (deadline is March 14).

3) Submit work to JHMS Literary Magazine - drop into Open Access Folder: Flammang - Lit. Mag. Submissions.

4) Submit Belief Essay to NPR - parent permission needed.

5) Participate in Tamora Pierce's 'Fantasy Writing Workshop' (March 13).

Monday, March 10, 2008

AGENDA MARCH 10-14


Foci: Literature Circles and PAWS Practice

Notes:


*Thanks for attending conferences! It was great to see such a fabulous turnout!

*Young Authors deadline is Friday, March 14

*Formal Lit. Circle meetings this Tuesday and Thursday

*Tamora Pierce will be holding a fantasy writing workshop 7th period this Thursday, March 13. All 8th graders are welcome to attend.

*Homework Help Tuesday after school

*Quarter 3 ends on March 21

*PAWS begins on March 24

Weekly Homework:
*Research your book's disability further.

*Write a 2-chunk paragraph explaining your findings. Use a topic sentence and concluding sentence.

*Lit. Circle reading and role preparation

MONDAY:
-PAWS reading practice
-Finish Daybook pp. 103-106

TUESDAY:
Formal Lit. Circle Meeting #2

WEDNESDAY:

Review homophones, lit. terms, and commas

THURSDAY:

Formal Lit. Circle Meeting #3

FRIDAY:
Punctuation review: semicolons, colons, dashes

Friday, February 29, 2008

AGENDA MARCH 3-6


Foci: Literature Circles and PAWS Practice

Notes:

*NO SCHOOL THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 7!!!*


*Parent/Teacher Conferences from 3-7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.*

*NO HOMEWORK HELP THIS WEEK because of PT Conferences.*

*Wyoming Young Authors submission deadline is March 14. Students can submit poems, essays, and stories. See me for details and submission forms.*

*Third Quarter ends on March 21 -- Quarterly Recognition is scheduled for that afternoon.*

*PAWS Testing begins on March 24.*

Weekly Homework:

1) Literature Circle reading and role preparation

2) Research the disability your book addresses - find 3 facts about your topic

3) Add three new vocab. words from your lit. circle novel to your vocab. list. Record their definitions, three synonyms, one antonym, and use each word in a sentence.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY:

Book Fair talks with Ms. Swiggum

Check out Literature Circle books from Media Center

Meet your groups

Set reading schedule

Get roles and make predictions

WEDNESDAY:

WNB 18: PAWS Writing Practice Round 2

PAWS Writing Rubric

Read and prepare roles

THURSDAY:

Literature Circle Meeting #1

NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY!!!

Weekend Homework:

Read and prepare roles for Literature Circles

Monday, February 25, 2008

AGENDA FEBRUARY 25-29



Foci: Belief Project Wrap-Up and What is a Literature Circle?

Notes: No School Friday, March 7 (next Friday)

***If students would like to bring small tokens of appreciation to present to Kati and Molly in thanks for their work, have them ready for Wednesday.***

NO WEEKLY HOMEWORK THIS WEEK



MONDAY:

Community Forum 8:45-10:15
Catch-up periods: 4,5,6

TUESDAY:
All Belief Project work must be in and on display boards by today: collage, poem, essay!!!

Web Quest - Vocabulary Games
Apostrophe Practice

WEDNESDAY:
Belief Project Celebration with Mrs. Hoelscher's classes and Molly and Kati!!!

THURSDAY:
Mrs. Swiggum (media center director) will be here introducing our Literature Circle novel selections. Students will vote according to interest, and be grouped according to preference. These groups will function as 3rd and 4th quarter base groups. The theme for our Literature Circles is disability/disease/handicap. We will be exploring the realities and practical implications of autism, leukemia, muteness, cerebral palsy, and blindness, as presented in these works. This project will span five weeks. The selections include:

1. Al Capone Does my Shirts by Jennifer Coldenko

2. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

3. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

4. Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman

5. Touch the Top of the World by Erik Weihenmayer

FRIDAY:
Begin Literature Circles
Meet your group

WEEKEND HOMEWORK:
Begin your reading according to group schedule and prepare your discussion sheets according to roles.