Tuesday, March 31st, 2015

Sadlier vocabulary tests were taken today.

Princeton:  The Skin I'm In --
Yale:  The Breadwinner
Harvard:  Iraqi Girl

ALL:  novel packets due tomorrow

Reading Journals will be collected on Thursday.

Monday, March 30th, 2015

Kennedy H.S. registration took place this morning.

Students completed a journal entry on "Birthday traditions.."
Several sections corrected Sadlier Vocabulary to prepare for the tests on Lessons 1,2,3.

We continued our dramatic performance of Romeo and Juliet, Act One and the beginning of Act Two. 

HOMEWORK: 
study for Sadlier  Lessons 1, 2, 3
finish your novel unit for Wednesday.
organize your binder

Important Notice Regarding 3rd Quarter Grades

All late work and current grades have been updated except your writing assessments (completed today) and listening grades.

I will be extending the acceptance of make-up work until Monday morning -- it must be brought in & placed in your section inbox before lunch.


BOOKS READ:
We read two books this quarter:
Nothing but The Truth
and your current novel due by Wednesday.

If you read more than these for this quarter, please list them on loose leaf and place in the homework box on Monday.

Thursday and Friday, March 26th and March 27th, 2015

Thursday:
Students took their Genre Final; went over answers & awarded their success.  Simple Solutions Test #17 was completed.
Students created a "live" version of iambic pentameter (parents, ask your kids what that means!)
Students recorded the vocabulary for Act I.
Parts were assigned and we began our drama: "Romeo and Juliet."
Coat of Arms were mounted to construction paper and handed in.  Simple Solutions Test corrections #16 were collected.

Friday:
Student took a writing assessment on Nothing but the Truth; options were to discuss theme, the book as a satire, or the irony.  A listening activity was completed as students viewed and answered quiz questions on a brainpop entitled "Shakespeare."
Yale & Princeton investigated the composition of sonnets.
All recorded the vocabulary and definitions for Act II.
Act One of Shakespeare continued as we enacted "Romeo and Juliet."
Masks were handed in.

Homework:
Continue to read your novel and complete the packet assigned (discussion questions, character graphic organizer on the main character; theme analysis sheet)  All due Wednesday, April 1st, 2015.

Organize your three-ring binder for checkin.

Go online and complete the review exercises for the Sadlier Vocabulary Lessons 1-3.  Tests will be taken on TUESDAY.

Tuesday, March 24th and Wednesday, March 25th 2015

8th Grade PARCC testing comes to an end!

Homerooms that rotated through Language Arts completed a Review Guide for the Simple Solutions test on Thursday (covering lessons 65-68), and corrected it.
We check Simple Solutions Lesson 68.

Homeroom 219: completed the drama: "Good Sports" and finished a guided reading sheet requiring the citing of evidence to prove conclusions drawn.

Homeroom 216: worked on the Chrome books reviewing the Sadlier vocabulary.

Nothing But the Truth as a satire was discussed.

Various games and power points were used to review genres.
-------------

Brainpop on Shakespeare was watched and a quiz was taken for a listening grade.
Students added to their notes on Drama & Shakespeare.

Notes on the characters and the vocabulary for Act I were recorded.

Teams paraphrased the Prologue of the play

HOMEWORK:
Read your novel & continue working on packet (discussion questions (Princeton & Yale), vocabulary (Yale & Harvard), individual choice presentation of chapters (Harvard), Character graphic organizer for main character,  theme development -- quotes from story.  Due APRIL 1st.  No fooling!

Study for your Genre test on Thursday
Study for your Simple Solutions test on Thursday

Work on your Mask and your Coat of Arms.

Monday March 23, 2015 (MASK & COAT OF ARMS)

Journal entry #10 --
Enduring Understandings/essential questions/purpose for learning -- Drama & Shakespeare

All papers were handed back;  missing assignment reports were passed around and checked.

Graphic organizers for our character analysis for our novel were passed out.

We read pages 10-15 in our Romeo & Juliet book and took notes;  we took notes on our power point on an intro to the Elizabethan era and Shakespeare.

Princeton began paraphrasing the Prologue for Romeo & Juliet and practicing reciting iambic pentameter.

HOMEWORK:
Create a mask (decorative, creative, include 8 drama vocab words in the design)
Create a Coat of Arms/shield -- 8 family traits with 8 pictures; a family motto; your last name & first name; about the size of a piece of computer paper; cut out.
Continue reading your novel and complete your packet.

Tuesday AM or PM -- retakes on Vocabulary test from Nothing but the Truth and Simple Solutions #16

3RD QUARTER COMING TO AN END

Last day to hand in late work is Friday, March 27th, 2015

Grades that count towards 3rd quarter:

    Genre test on 3/25/2015

    Sadlier Vocab tests

    Simple Solutions Test #17 on Lessons 65-68

    

Count towards 4th quarter:

   Section novel studies on Skin I'm In, Iraqi Girl or Breadwinner.

SADLIER VOCAB

    go to Sadlier vocabulary website.

    log in to your account  (Books A & C)

    Those with Book B -- find the 2005 version, middle school, book B and go on as a student, no log in necessary to do the review quiz and activities.

   

Friday, March 20th, 2015 Happy Spring!

PARCC TESTING today

Room 216 and 215 had Language Arts.
We corrected Simple Solutions #66 and 67.
Registering for chrome books continued.

Room 215:
We read our Progress Common Core book "One Step Closer to Freedom."

Both groups had time to continue reading their novels & answering discussion questions or creating summaries.

HOMEWORK for ALL:

Yale: read Breadwinner (through chapter 5); define vocab, identify characters, complete questions on looseleaf
Princeton: read The Skin I'm In (through about page 60); answer questions on looseleaf
Harvard: read Iraqi Girl (complete chapter recaps -- your choice --  story map, three-step, power point, etc.);  find vocab words that are new to you & define

SS #68

Sadlier Vocabulary -- google Sadlier vocabulary; find your book (if you registered log in; if not go to activities listed by the book);  complete review games, etc. for Lessons 1-3
Pace yourself & take the three quizzes next week during class;

Wednesday & Thursday March 18, 2015 & March 19

Journal entry was reflecting on vandalism and misbehavior

We completed our drama notes.

We began reading about the Elizabethan Age and took notes

Road to grammar was collected.  Harvard took vocab  retests

Character analysis on Phillip or Ms Narwin was collected

Homework:
Begin new novel first two chapters and questions
Simple Solutions 66 & 67

Tuesday, March 17th, 2015

Journal entry #8
A Narrative -- choose to write one:
     A person you admire & why, their words, their accomplishments
     How you met your best friend.
We edited & spoke of including a lead, a topic sentence, using correct grammar (being careful when we write !)

We recorded and discussed the special academic vocabulary of DRAMA.

We watched a Brain Pop on Drama and took a "listening" quiz.

We took notes on Tragedy, Tragic heroes, and Comedy.

We took our Simple Solutions Test #16.

HOMEWORK":
Simple Solutions #65
Take four Roadtogrammar. com  quizzes of your choice.  You may want to look especially at verb tenses; record properly & submit tomorrow.
RESTUDY your vocabulary for Nothing but the Truth -- retest tomorrow.

Organize your work! Clean your binders.


This weekend Kennedy H.S. is performing a Shakespearian play.
go see it - Thurs, Friday or Saturday  & bring in your ticket stub for extra effort!

Monday, March 16, 2015

Today we completed a Study Guide for our Simple Solutions Test on Lessons 61-64;  we corrected it together.
We completed a comprehension assessment and vocabulary test on Nothing but the Truth.
All papers were handed back. 
Princeton recorded our Drama vocabulary.
Novels will be collected tomorrow.

Homework:
Study for SS Test #16 on Lessons 61-64.
Complete the Character chart on Phillip Malloy and Peg Narwin (will be collected tomorrow)

in addition, PRINCETON:  Choose 4 roadtogrammar quizzes (look at verbs and verb tenses); take, record number and name
in addition, Mrs. Urbinai's homeroom and Mrs. Williams' homeroom had the "Good Sports" story to complete.

Friday, March 13th, 2015

Journal entry 7 -- students were given thirteen examples of figurative language from Nothing but the Truth.  List them and identify
New Unit on Drama and Shakespeare begun:  We took notes on Drama, its definition, its three characteristics, its history;  we began learning our new academic vocabulary associated with drama:
aside, soliloquy, tragedy, comedy, thespians.
We read "Good Sports" in our Purple Common Core Progress book and began analyzing this drama.
Discussion questions were collected & test corrections for SS15.  Retakes were given after school.

Homework:
SS 61-64 should be completed.
Genre Menu due Monday; breakfast games should be emailed to my cps email.

TESTS on Monday:
      Vocabulary on Nothing but the Truth
      Objective comprehension test on Nothing but the Truth
      Essay:  think about the irony of the story


Get lockers cleaned!  Make sure you have all your books & they have labels on them.
Organize your three ring binder and your folders.


Something Fun:   Don't forget --- first St. Patrick's Day Parade in Garfield Ridge begins at 12:00 Saturday from Kennedy H.S. to St. Daniel the Prophet.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015 & Thursday, March 12, 2015

Journal entry #5:
Create a chart
Character                What he/she wants              Actions taken to get what he/she wants
Phillip
Ms. Narwin
Mr & Mrs. Malloy
Superintendent Seymour
Dr. Doane
Ted Griffin
Jennifer
Jake
Dr. Palleni

Nothing But The Truth!  Our Readers' Theatre was completed.  We examined satire & irony, what was the truth, who knew it, who didn't.

Princeton corrected SS #62.

Homework:
Discussion questions Part III (Nothing but the Truth) -- will be collected Thursday AM.
SS #63 and #64
Test corrections from SS Test #15 due Friday -- will be collected Friday AM
Genre Menu due Monday
Sadlier Vocab Lesson 3
Journal entry:  Have you ever been blamed for something you didn't do, like Ms. Narwin?  Explain the situation.  How did you feel?  What was the resolution?

Thursday & Friday -- PARCC testing for the 8th grade
       

Tuesday March 10th 2015

Journal entry-- themes 1 & 2.  We read two short passages, assessed the themes and cited evidence to support our thinking  
We continued our readers theatre for Nothing but the Truth.
We corrected Simple Solutions 61

Homework:
Simple solutions 62
Yale and Princeton discussion questions part 2
Work on Genre menu
Sadler vocabulary

Late work for progress reports he tomorrow

Monday, March 9th, 2015

Inferencing Quiz #3 was given; students had the opportunity to read short stories drawing inferences and citing evidence for their opinion.
Nothing But the Truth Readers' theatre continued.

Homework:
Students with the White cover of NBT: At page 118, complete discussion questions (second set).
Students with the small hardcover copy of NBT:  these questions cover Part II of the book up to page 141
Princeton & Harvard are doing discussion questions tonight
All are completing Lesson #3 of Sadlier Vocabulary;  begin reviewing words for a test.
SS #61

GENRE - PROJECT MENU due 3/16/15

Student _________________________________
Genre – Project Menu    (choose one from each meal of the day to complete your meal – highest possible points = 315)
Breakfast (choose one)		Lunch (Analysis)		Dinner (Application)
(90)  Choose 15 genres – define; draw an illustration for each that would help you remember the difference		(75)  Create a wordle. Go to wordle.com (use 20 genres)		(75) Non-fiction report (You are a newspaper reporter for the Nathan Hale News.  Write a short article reporting on an event at school.  Minimum of 8 sentences.
(90)  Create a paper study tool for review (game/foldable/flash cards, etc.) (up to 3 team members may work together and submit a game – evidence of participation from all members necessary) Use 15 genres		(90) List 10 genres and bullet point the characteristics of each		(90) Pick two genres – one fiction and one non-fiction. You’re the narrator -- write one paragraph in each genre.
(105)  Create a computer review – power point, jeopardy game, etc. (Print a copy for submission and email to crickman-wi@cps.edu) use a minimum of 20 genres		(105) Create a poster showing the three categories of genre; Add 15 additional subgenres. Include definitions for all & an example for each		(105)  Design and write a short newspaper for Nathan Hale.   (Event): Include a report of an event that occurred at school,  (Ad) an advertisement for something you could buy at Nathan Hale, (Editorial) your opinion about a policy or need at school
Genres
Drama	Poetry		Prose
Comedy Tragedy Melodrama Farce	Lyric Sonnet Haiku Free Verse Epic Cinquain Limerick		Fiction:                                     Non-fiction: Science Fiction                           Autobiography Realistic Fiction                          Biography Adventure                                    Memoir Horror                                           Speech Mystery                                         Report Historical Fiction                         Editorial Folktales                                       Essay      Myths                                        Eulogy       Legends                                        Urban Legends       Tall Tales       Urban Legends       Fairy tales       Fables Graphic novel Western Classic

crw2015

Friday, March 6, 2015

As a listening activity we watched a Brain Pop video on Prefixes, suffixes, & roots -- we took a quiz.
Princeton/Harvard: the roadtogrammar.com quizzes were collected.
Yale: we discussed the questions for our novel.
All took the Simple Solutions Test #15.
We continued discussing our inferences for our novel, Nothing But the Truth.
Our Readers' Theatre continued.

Homework:
   Genres - Project Menus due 3/16/2015
   Sadlier Vocabulary (Lessons 1-3 should be complete by Tuesday)
   Character chart on Narwin & Phillip -- continue filling it in!

Purple Common Core Progress Book -- "Charlie and the Advice" Guided Reading Sheet

Student ___________________________________                                “Charlie and the Advice”

(On loose leaf list the 18 vocabulary words & define using the glossary at the back of your book.)

What genre? ___________________________________________________________________________________

CITE EVIDENCE:  Most folk tales have simple themes that deal with basic concerns of everyday life.  List the words in the first paragraph that connect to the idea of wisdom from the past. ____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why might this idea be important to understanding the story’s theme? __________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Our understanding of literature is enriched by reading works from other cultures.  Which paragraph identifies the culture this tale comes from? ________________   What is the value of knowing the cultural background of a story? __________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

COMPREHENSION CHECK:  Based on details from the text, what theme is suggested in the tale so far?  _____________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cite at least two phrases quoted from the story that support your thoughts: ___________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

CITE EVIDENCE:  Which paragraph explains why Charlie was right in following the advice to stay on the main road? ____

Which paragraph describes another cause-and-effect relationship between the advice Charles received and his actions.

________     What is likely to be revealed about the innkeepers? _____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

COMPREHENSION CHECK:

1.                           2.                           3.                           4.           

5.  Identify two actions Charlie has taken I the story thus far after hearing the landowner’s advice.  Explain how Charlie’s actions contribute to the development of the theme.  Cite textural evidence.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CITE EVIDENCE:  Which paragraph shows Charlie remembering the third piece of advice from his former employer? ____

What was that advice, and how does Charlie follow it? _____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Which paragraph shows how Charlie is rewarded for following the landowner’s advice? _____

How do these story events serve as the final development of the theme? ______________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What other traditional tale does this ending remind you of? _________________________________________________

COMPREHENSION CHECK:

1.                           2.                           3.                           4.                            (#5 – see page 27 on looseleaf; remember, use a lead.)

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Today we completed a Study Guide to prepare for the Simple Solutions test on Friday covering lessons 56-60.
We went over our four-box structural analysis.
Princeton & Harvard discussed the Part I of our novel and recorded the second part of the vocabulary.
All sections continued the Readers' Theatre of Nothing But The Truth

Princeton & Harvard:
www.roadtogrammar.com  #240, 314, 315, 316
Sadlier Lesson 3
Continue to fill in Character Chart on Phillip and Ms. Narwin
Study for SS Test #56-60
Retakes on #14 tomorrow after school.


Yale:
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (DISCUSSION QUESTIONS #1)
1. In what ways are Phillip's and Miss Narwin's views of one another inaccurate?
2. Create a venn diagram showing how Miss Narwin and Philip Malloy are alike and different.
3. Explain why Phillip is sent to Dr. Palleni's office.  How have both Miss Narwin and Philip mishandled the incident?
4.  How is Mr. Malloy like Phillip? How has he failed to help Philip with his problems at school?
5.  Explain the irony in the novel's title Nothing But The Truth.

Sadlier Lesson 3
Continue to fill in Character Chart on Phillip and Ms. Narwin
Study for SS Test #56-60
Retakes on #14 tomorrow after school.


COPY OF THE STUDY GUIDE COMPLETED IN CLASS TODAY:

 Student _______________________________ Simple Solutions Common Core Grammar

Study Guide  #57-60

1. Choose the correct verb.

All the air on Earth (is/are) polluted.

All the stars (is/are) sparkling brightly tonight.

(Is/Are) any of the magazines about space travel?

(Does/Do) any part of the school have Wi-Fi?

2.  Write A if the verb is active; P if it is passive.

____Our team beat the Cowboys.

____ Most of the touchdowns were scored by Tom.

3. Rewrite the sentence. Correct the misplaced modifier.

Mr. Yracheta was standing in the hall with his cat wearing a jean jacket.

4.  Underline the participial phrase and circle the word it modifies.

Nurses completing their Masters degree will get a pay raise.

5. Write the plurals of these compound nouns.

Runner-up _________________________       high school __________________________

6.  Conjugate the verb leave.  Assume the subject is he.

	Past	Present	Future
Basic
Perfect

7.  Use what you know about Greek roots to match these words with their meanings.

____  cryptic                                     A)   unit of sound

____  biomass                       B) breaking out

____ eruption                        C)  secret

____ phoneme                      D) material from living things

8. Check the spelling of the words in the sentence below;  use the proofreader’s mark for “check spelling” to mark any words that may be misspelled.

The physical therapist recieved a delivery that included specal equipment for her patients.

9.  Use context clues to find the meaning of the underlined word.

Your speech is always very formal and you may find our conversation colloquial, but it has been a long time since I’ve been with people who grew up in my ethnic neighborhood.

Boring                        informal                     sad                 proper

10.  Add commas.

We studied the assassination of the Archduke the gathering of allies the declaration of war and four years of brutal fighting.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

We corrected Simple Solutions #60.
Test corrections for SS Test #14 were collected.  (Yale handed in Grammar Test corrections).
Readers' Theatre continued for Nothing but The Truth.
We discussed the ways truth was avoided in the novel.
We examined our assigned story and the advice given to Charlie.  (Princeton & Yale handed their packets in).

Homework:
Princeton & Harvard:
     Discussion questions #1-5 covering pages 1 to 70
     Structural Analysis Vocabulary (definition, five words each, two sentences overall):  crypt/crypto, hydr, caco, ify/fy
     Binder Signature
     Work on lesson three (Sadlier vocab)

Yale:
    Binder Signature
    roadtogrammar.com  #240, 314, 315, 316
    Vocabulary (see above)
     word on lesson three (Sadlier vocab)

Princeton:
    Grammar Test (retake) corrections 10x each.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Our journal entry was "Inferencing #1,"  a formative assessment on inferencing skills.  Two answers were submitted for grading.
We corrected SS #59.
We continued our Readers' Theatre of Nothing But the Truth.
Students who had their permission forms in registered for our new chrome books.
Missing Assignment sheets were examined.

Homework:
Due tomorrow --
SS 60,
Purple Common Core Progress workbook -- "Charlie and the Advice" -- vocabulary and guided reading sheet.
SS Test #14 test corrections
Yale: Grammar test corrections 10x each

Due Thursday --
Structural Analysis:  (four box showing definitions, five examples of each, use two words in sentences):  crypt/crypto,   hydr,   ify/fy,    caco

Monday, March 2, 2015

Today we added corrections to SS Test #14 (all sections) and the Grammar Test (Yale).
We went over essay structure & reviewed leads, thesis & previews.
We examined our Jack London performance essays and examined one compiled from student answers.
We corrected SS #58.
We continued our reading of Nothing But the Truth and reviewed the plot events from pages 1-19.

Homework:
purple Common Core Progress 8 book -- Story "Advice to Charlie" beginning on page 20.
Complete vocabulary and 1/2 of worksheet this evening; must be completed by Wednesday.

Test corrections SS #14 and Grammar Test - due Wednesday.  Retakes on SS 14 Thursday morning or Friday after school.

SS #59

Sadlier Vocabulary -- students should be done with Lesson 2


8th Graders took their 8th Grade Pictures today and finished signing their "Class of 2015" logo for their t-shirts; students put in their request for a size on the shirt.