Language Arts - Holiday Weeks

Greetings Class of 2013!

Hope you have enjoyed celebrating with your families, sleeping in late, and enjoying good times with friends.

Remember to keep track of books you've read -- I know some of you are finishing Mockingjay. 
Some of you are looking for extra credit for English/Writing -- use the novel and find four key sentences.  Identify the nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, articles, prepositions and conjunctions within.  

READ!!   All should be reading a non-fiction book on a topic that stems from your Social Studies focus of the Civil War, leading to Civil War, or reconsturction.

GENEALOGY PROJECT:    I hope you have worked on your research for your Genealogy project.  Remember your holiday task was to talk to relatives and draw out how you are related, trying to go as far back as possible.  List relatives' names, dates of birth if available, countries of birth.
Did you find that one special person in your family that you wanted to interview?  Generate a set of questions before you sit down with them. 

Your papers have been graded.   Grades are posted in Gradebook.  Check for any missing work.  There are a few people who were absent who need to see me after the holiday to have your Science Fair procedures graded.

Remember after the holiday -- anything not handed in on the due date will only be able to achieve a total of 70%;  late work will not be accepted more than one week late. 

Congrats to those hard-working students who are maintaining As and Bs despite all the distractions we had in December.

Those whose averages are not at 78% for both first and second quarter are in jeopardy of not graduating with your class.  First, be sure you have no missing assignments;  second, spend more time studying for exams;  third, see me before school from 7:00 - 7:40 if there are concepts you don't understand or need help with!

Happy 2013!

Language Arts Week of 12/17/12

Over the weekend you were reading chapter 10 of The Outsiders, completing your STYLE guide defining various types of literary techniques and devices and providing examples.
Simple Solutions 9 & 10 should be completed.  Civil War Journal entry will be collected Monday if you did not hand in by Friday.
We're memorizing the first two lines of the Gettysburg Address.


Finish reading a non-fiction book about any topic related to the Civil War years and complete your reading before we return from the holidays.
Create a three-slide powerpoint presentation on the subject of your book.


Monday, December 17th
  The Outsiders - Chapter 11
   Research paper note cards/source cards/ hypothesis etc. check
   Portfolio check; oral quiz

Homework:  Simple Solutions Lesson 11, Current Events

Tuesday, December 18th
Current Events due
The Outsiders (Chapter 12)
Portfolio checks continue; oral quizzes
Homework: Simple Solutions Lesson 12, study for test on The Outsiders including figurative language and vocabulary

Wednesday, December 19th
The Outsiders Final Test includes figurative language
Movie: The Outsiders (Part I)

Thursday, December 20th
Simple Solutions Test Lessons 9-12 (hand in your lesson work)
Movie: The Outsiders (Part II)

Homework: Finish reading "Born Worker" in Green literature book preparing for unit assessment

Friday, December 21st
Performance Assessment on "Born Worker"


Happy Holidays!  Enjoy your families.  Talk with relatives and begin to gather information about your family roots for our project on our personal identity  & genealogy.
Read your non-fiction book!
   

Language Arts Week of 12/10 - 12/14

Our novel:
    The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton continues
    Friday we took our first test on chapters 1-3 and listened to Chapter 4

Weekend homework was to read Chapter 5 and complete a 3-step.

Focus this week is on
1. plot development in our novel,
2.how themes are generated through our characters, their words, actions and relationships with others
3. Literary element of style
4. finding textural evidence to support your conclusions
5. Researching -- notecards, source cards, review of literature

Monday:
Read Chapter 6,  complete a chapter map

Tuesday: (Santa's Shop)
(all forms due in in order to attend Wheel of Wisdom treat)
Read chapter 7, complete a chapter map
Simple Solutions Chapter 9

Wednesday: (Santa's Shop)
Read chapter 8, complete a chapter map
Simple Solutions Chapter 10

Language Arts Week of 12/3/12

Happy December!

Check your grades online.  Progress reports are only a few weeks away.  This quarter goes by quickly with the holiday breaks.


The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is our new novel.  We will be reading one chapter per evening and completing a chapter summary using the graphic organizer passed out in class.
Monday: Chapter 1
Tuesday: Chapter 2
Wednesday: Chapter 3
Thursday: Study for Test
Friday: Test on 1-3 plus vocabulary
Read Chapter 4

Simple Solutions:  Units 5-8 will be graded Tuesday;
Test on Thursday.

Book reports BOOK Two is due on 12/5/12.  Some students chose only one book; all three parts of report were due last week; for those who chose two books, the second parts are due Weds.

Lincoln, character traits with evidence:  due on 12/5/12.
Use the story in our Green Literature book: Lincoln, a Photobiography,  use O Captain, My Captain, the movie, Lincoln, and other sources about Lincoln to site evidence to his traits.

Be sure portfolios and notebooks are up-to-date.

Study flashcards for literary elements and devices.
We've covered: characters, theme, plot, setting, point of view, mood, & tone.

You should know what an extended metaphor is.

Review: similes, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, imagery, synecdoche.

Language Arts Week of 11/26/12

Hope you enjoyed your holiday and shared some great family time together.
Your only assignment over the holiday was to read your Science Fiction novel and Catching Fire if you opted to tackle two books.

All papers were graded and entered over the holiday.  Check the portal and see if you forgot to hand in something or had to redo something. 

Our unit on Power, how is it attained and how is it held, ended with a five paragraph essay addressing these essential questions.  Two grades were received -- one for writing, one for reading.
You have the option of rewriting this paper but must submit the original with your revision in order to have it regraded.   Some of you spent a great deal of time telling me who has power, but not how they attained it or held it.  The best papers focused on three main ways power is attained and cited examples from our readings (including The Hunger Games).  Your final paragraph asked for your opinion what type of power is the best, and is long-lasting. 

This week:
We will wrap up our Science Fiction unit with a test on Wednesday.
We will be working on a unit that focuses on the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln to coordinate with your studies in Social Studies and the "Lincoln" movie which we will be going to see.

Book reports are due Wednesday, November 28th, 2012 for those students choosing to complete only one book.  All three parts of the report are due on your book.  Those students who are reading two books, must submit one part of the book report on the completed book on November 28th, then submit the other two parts on your second book by Wednesday, December 5th, 2012.

Language Arts Week of 11/19./12

Weekend work:

Finish the figurative language packet (second sheet); take the quiz, then correct it yourself using the rest of the packet; study what you don't know so you can do well on a test.

READ, READ, READ..... you should be reading your Science Fiction novel.
Option One Read one book complete all three items on book report form by 11/28
Option Two Read two books complete all three items, but one on the first book due 11/28, the other two on the second book by 12/5

Week of 11/19/12
Monday: 
   Science Fiction -- notes
   Read "One Week and counting,"  Extended response due at end of class
   Homework: Read pages 549 and 550 (add to notes in your Reading Notebook on Science Fiction) Read "Rain Rain Go Away" by Isaac Asimov pgs. 554-562 in literature book; complete questions # 1, 2, 4, 5, 7  due on Wednesday on looseleaf to be handed in

Tuesday:
    Science Fiction -- continue notes on authors
    Read "The Martian Chronicles" as a Readers' Theatre
    Homework: Finish "Rain Rain Go Away"

Wednesday:
    Science Fiction assessment
         Read "The Secret" and complete assessment in class (bring colored pencils)


Thanksgiving Holiday -- enjoy
     READ!!

Language Arts Week of 11/12/2012

Monday -- No school Veterans Day
Tuesday -- Parent Teacher Conferences

Language Arts (Wednesday and Thursday)
     We'll be viewing The Hunger Games (be sure to have your permission slips signed).  Students will be constructing a t-chart showing similarities and differences between the book and the novel.  During class you will be noting scenes and plot details from the movie.  At home, you should be updating the second column by adding details from the book.
    Books will be collected on Friday.

First assignments that are being graded:
11/9 -- Self-evaluation was due  (students examined their own grades, strengths, weaknesses & set some goals)
11/8 -- Performance Assessment on how power is attained and held in society.  This counts for two grades:  content is a Reading test grade; structure is a Writing test grade.
11/9 -- Extra credit (electoral maps were due) --- none will be taken late.


You should have checked out a Science Fiction novel (stay at or below your lexile level).  You had a four day weekend to try to read at least 1/2.  You will receive a book report format this week.  This will be due the Tuesday after Thanksgiving break.

Current Events is due Thursday, November 15th.

New Quarter:   get new notebooks, pens, paper.....whatever is needed for a great quarter!!

Language Arts Week of 11/5/2012

End of quarter items finished and handed in by 11/2/12
*Presidential Editorial for Writing
*Reading Journals entries 11-20
*Legend of Sleepy Hollow performance packet

Weekend assignment:
Power -- gather evidence (fill in chart given out in class on 11/2/12)
Study for Hunger Games test
Prepare portfolios for examination next week (beginning Tuesday)

Monday, November 5th
Reading Test -- Hunger Games Final
Election debate -- Using your Presidential editorials, students will debate issues trying to convince class to vote for their candidate
Books read 1st Quarter report to be completed in class.

Princeton & Harvard turned in their journals -- thought you might need your vocabulary words -- here they are!
Vocabulary from Unit 3
   incapacitated -- unable to act or respond
   peruse - to read thoroughly; survey or examine in detail
   ominous - threatening; evil-looking
   futile - ineffective, useless
   extricating - freeing or releasing from entanglement; to liberate
   attributes - a quality belonging to a person, thing or group
   revoked - to take back or withdraw
   garish - crude or tastelessly colorful; showy; elaborate


Tuesday, November 6th
Election Day -- 6th, 7th and 8th grade students will participate in a Mock Election
Themes and symbols in Hunger Games
Preparation for Final Unit Assessment
Portfolio examination begins

Language Arts -- Week of 10/29/12

Language Arts

Reading:
The Hunger Games (weekend homework was reading Chapters 24 & 25, completing one job and one three step).
We'll finish the novel this week.

Special unit on irony, plot development and characterization for assessment -- Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."  We will read the play and students will analyze this literary piece.

Literature Circles will be choosing final projects for The Hunger Games and commence their work both in the classroom and at home.

Any late work is due by Friday, November 2nd, 2012.

End of the quarter is coming soon -- check your grades online.


Writing:
Final drafts of "The Right Presidential Choice" Editorials are due this week.
Harvard on Tuesday; Princeton and Yale on Thursday.

Simple Solutions Units 7 & 8 due Tuesday.

Our schedule will have minor changes this week as some of the high schools are coming to make presentations, a magic show is planned, and the Halloween reward on Wednesday.

Plan ahead on your writing work, so that you won't have homework on Halloween!

Language Arts 10/19/2012

The Weekend Update:

Reading:
Read The Hunger Games, Chapters 18 & 19 as we begin Part III of our novel.
Complete the job assigned and complete one three-step for Monday.

Writing:
Complete a draft of your newspaper editorial,  "The Right Presidential Choice" for Tuesday.





Just a note:
Don't forget to bring back progress reports signed.
8th Grade Taffy apple sales due Friday 10/19/12

Language Arts Week of 10/15/12

Update for this week!

READING:
The Hunger Games
   we are finishing chapters 17 and 18 due Friday 10/19;  Complete a three step for each chapter but no job this time.;  review vocabulary words.
   You should have finished the character traits graphic organizer for Katniss, now you are creating her Facebook page for Friday.
    Review flash cards and notes on the literary elements.  Do you remember what an ellipsis is?  What is an euphemism?

WRITING:
We created a new "muttation" as a gamemaker in the Hunger Games.  You planned it and wrote a paragraph describing it. (If you didn't finish in class, you should finish it at home).

We researched the candidates running for election, were encouraged to watch the debate Tuesday evening.  Choose the person you will endorse for president.  We are writing a five-paragraph editorial for a newspaper trying to convince people to vote for your candidate (persuasive writing).
Harvard filled in a graphic organizer with their candidate's information and working on a draft for Tuesday.
Yale and Princeton are transferring research to the graphic organizer for Friday & will continue writing their rough draft for Tuesday.

We began planning for a persuasive prompt (in our writing notebook):
       Stunt videos and pranks should be banned from You Tube.
You created a t-chart listing Pros (Yes they should be banned) and Cons (No they should not be banned).  Generate arguments on both sides and next week we'll decide.  You should have read during class the article  "You Danger" in the latest Scope Magazine to gain some text evidence.

We completed a grammar review of nouns; saw an overview of the parts of speech and practiced picking out nouns, pronouns, and adjectives.

"Going West" final letters were collected Thursday, October 18th.
A Simple Solution Quiz was taken today as well and the four lessons were collected.

Language Arts Week of 10/8 to 10/12

READING
    The Hunger Games:
Test on Part I and the vocab on Friday, October 12th.
Read chapters 10 and 11, do one three-step and one job for Friday.
"Let the Games begin!!"

    Journals were graded this week.  Keep up daily; finish at home if you don't finish during class.

WRITING:
    We're writing a draft of a 5 paragraph letter home as if we were a settler who headed west on the Oregon Trail -- draft due Thursday,  final due Tuesday.
 
    Current event weekend (get an article from the newspaper or internet); construct the summarizing technique: Who, What, etc. (see your instruction sheet)

    Test on nouns and verbs, and the parts of speech on Thursday, October 11th.

    Simple Solutions: Units 3 and 4 due Tuesday.

Language Arts 10/3 and 10/4

Wednesday:
Read Chapter 5 Hunger Games
Thursday:
Read Chapter 6 Hunger Games
   Complete a 3-step
   Complete your Literature Circle job
Any team makeup sheets due Friday.

Took an summarizing assessment during class:  This included planning, drafting and final.

English/writing:
Simple Solutions Units 1 and 2 on looseleaf paper: due Tuesday, October 9th.

JOURNALS:
Reading journals which contain 10 entries covering from September 5th to October 3rd will be collected for grading:
YALE:  Friday, October 5th
PRINCETON: Monday, October 8th
HARVARD: Tuesday, October 9th

Reading Week of 10/2/2012

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Mon:  Read chapter 3
Tuesday: in class, we began a 3-step and reviewed all literature circle jobs;  complete at home if not finished
   Homework:  Read chapter 4, complete a 3-step and your job for chapter 4

10-1-12 TEST STUDY GUIDE

Monday 10/1/12  is our first Reading test.  This guide may help you prepare.

1. Re-read "Ransom of Red Chief."   Study the vocabulary words.
Part of the test is comprehension questions on this story as well as questions that address our vocabulary words.

2. Knowledge and skills
Literary Elements --
Character -- be able to define character
  and identify the following:
      Static and Dynamic
      Round and Flat
      Protagonist and Antagonist
How does an author reveal characters to us? (5 ways)
Be able to describe how we place character traits into three categories of
   Physiology, Psychology, and Sociology (what does each mean?0

Be able to identify the Four Points of View.

Identify the three components of setting.
What is the difference between an essential and a backdrop setting?

What is an irony?
Be able to identify three types of ironies: situational, verbal, dramatic     

Language Arts Week of 9/24/12

Due Monday, 9/24/12  "I am from....." poem  and journal entry #5 describing governments


READING:
    1. "Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
    Literary focus:  irony
    vocabulary and analysis of irony in story & power relationships
    assessment test will include literary elements studied to date (character, point of view)

    2.  Literature Circle teams will be assigned  (let me know on Monday if you have already read The Hunger Games or seen the movie)
         Books will be handed out;  we will be reading the first five chapters this coming week.


WRITING:
    1. We'll examine the writing process and review the traits of good writing.
    2. Compositions for the week will include:  Let me introduce myself
                                                                           What America means to me
    3. Informational text -- summarize an article from a newspaper or magazine (Current Events)
    4. Simple Solutions -- Parts of Speech

Language Arts 9-12-12

Greetings Class of 2013,
Sorry, I am not receiving any emails from you because the email system has been down since Monday.
Mrs. Wms.

Language Arts 9-10-12 "What's in a Name?"

"What's in a Name" Assignment:
Some of you requested the details on our assignment......

Answer the following questions with the help of your parents.  Write your answer in a good essay.
Write out your name creatively using block letters, swirls, patterns, etc.  Add a picture if you have it.
What's your full name?
Were you named after someone? Why?
What does your name mean?
What names did your parents consider before deciding on the one you have?
Why did they choose your name?
What is your name's country of origin? (ex. "Ivan" has Russian origins)
What is your nick-name?  How did you get that nick name?
If you could change your name, what would you name yourself?

Language Arts 9-7-12

Creative Writing:
   draft your version of the poem "I am From..."
   use the poem and the worksheet that gives you the formula to follow.
   Don't worry about scratch outs and additions.  We'll be typing our final copies next week.
   Your draft is due 9/14

LANGUAGE ARTS Week of 9/4/12

Welcome Back!  An amazing journey awaits you.
Language Arts is a 90 minute block which meets daily. 
Common Core Standards now drive our classroom. 

Remember our keys to a successful year:
   1. Personal Best
   2. Positive Attitude
   3. Respect
   4. Responsibility
   5. Teamwork

READING:

This week: READ, READ, READ!
   Read the mystery novel you chose.   Your book report will be a detailed drawing including labels of two settings you encountered in your novel.  Give short explanations of the importance of these settings to your story.  Your drawing should include the title and author of your book.  DUE: Monday, September 17th.

Journal entries:
   Continue or finish journal entries started in class.


WRITING:

We took our REACH ASSESSMENT on Thursday focusing on Dr. Martin Luther King's speech "I Have a Dream."

  "What's in a Name?"  Assignment
(see handout)  Due Tuesday, September 11th

Begin reviewing the 7 parts of speech using the "help pages" in the back of your planner.


OTHER NEWS:
Scholastic Book orders

Welcome Class of 2013

Welcome Class of 2013

Pick up a good book this summer and read it!  Record title, author, copyright, and a short summary.  Bring it with you the first week of school.

PARENTS of the Class of 2013:

June 15, 2012

Dear Parents of the Class of 2013,

We are beginning to form a coordinating committee and identify volunteers who would like to help with various fundraising efforts for the Class of 2013.  If you are interested in being part of this group or offering your assistance, please email Principal Iles at deiles@cps.edu.  In the subject line, please list “Class of 2013.”  Please provide your name, your child’s name, and a phone number where you can be reached.

You will be contacted by email when a planning meeting has been arranged.   If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Thank you.

Mr. McCarthy

Mr. Errico

Mrs. Williams

Mrs. Jackson

Ms. Graham

Mrs. Pilas

Nathan Hale Eighth Grade Team