Language Arts 5-23-14

Today we heard presentations about various genocides throughout history.
We wrote down a study guide for our Grammar Final on Tuesday.
We handed in poems and Literature Portfolio Covers.

Homework:
Study!
Lessons 77, 78, 79, 80 in Simple Solutions will be collected on Tuesday 5/27

Tuesday is the last day for makeup/absent work in Writing.

EXTRA EFFORT due Tuesday.......
Road to Grammar exercises 106, 128, 130, 242


STUDY GUIDE:

Parts of Speech (noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, verb, interjection, conjunction, preposition, article)
   (use your Simple Solutions help pages to be able to define each & pick them out in a sentence).
Gerunds -- verbs ending in "ing" that act as nouns     Running is my favorite physical activity.
Participle -- verbs that act as adjectives       My running shoes are very comfortable.
Appositive -- An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it. The appositive can be a short or long combination of words.
Adjective clauses/phrases
Adverb clauses/phrases

Be able to label the words in a sentence.
    Tom threw the ball.
   (noun) (verb) (article) (noun)

Be able to label the parts of a sentence.
    Tom threw the ball.
(Subject - Tom)
(Simple predicate - threw)
(Direct Object - ball)



8th Grade News:
    MEMORY BOOK SURVEYS deadline extended to Tuesday.  Thirty-nine 8th graders won't be in the Memory Book because they haven't turned in their survey.

Language Arts 5-22-14

Today students took their Reading Final exam.
Princeton turned in their journals.
Harvard began Genocide presentations.
Students received their MAP score handouts and charted their progress in Spring.
Students read an article on the Boston bombing found in SCOPE magazine.

Homework:
Using the heavy weight cardboard paper you were given, create a decorative cover for your Language Portfolio.  Be sure your name is on the cover.

Begin studying for a grammar test on Tuesday --  you need to know the eight parts of speech.
Be able to pick them out in a sentence.
You need to be able to identify appositives and gerunds, adjective and adverb phrases.

GRADUATION FEES
    We're at about 90% paid;  get yours in so you can get your t-shirt and autograph book.

WALK A THON
    Picnic/Walk A Thon is next Friday.  $10.00 minimum donation!  Get your money and permission form in ASAP.

Progress reports need to be signed and returned in order to participate.

Language Arts 5-21-14

Today we edited two Short  Writes.  We took the End of the Year REACH assessment.
Journals were handed in for grading.

Homework:
Study for the Reading Final Exam -- it will be covering the literary elements, devices and figurative language.  Use your flash cards and reading notebook to study.
 Harvard -- construct a poem about graduation or beginning high school (see below); counts as a grade and as a bonus

BONUS FOR WRITING (Yale and Princeton):
   construct a poem about graduation or starting high school;  choose any format -- haiku, limerick, free verse, cinquain, etc.

Language Arts Tuesday 5-20-14

Princeton finished their Socratic discussion.
All took notes reviewing the Short Write process.
Simple Solutions Lessons were corrected.
Genocide Research teams met to put together their presentations.
Review of Literary elements and figurative language.

Homework:
   All makeup/missing work is due tomorrow 5/21 (only exception is the After School Group which meets for the last time on Thursday from 2:45 to 4:00)
  Study for final Reading exam on Thursday
  Review process for Short Writes;  complete two short writes 1.  Resistance to Hitler    2.  How Hitler gained control



8th Grade News:
Walk-A-Thon on Friday, May 30th
(get your form and $$ in before that date)

Language Arts 5-19-14

Today we conducted our Socratic discussions, handed in questions and team evaluations

Homework:
   Begin studying for final Reading Exam on Thursday.
   Simple Solutions #90
   Genealogy research for tomorrow; teams coordinate presentation
   Novels will be collected

Language Arts Friday 5-16-14

Today students handed in their roadtogrammar exercises #8, 104, 189, 190.

The Class of 2014 enjoyed a wonderful luncheon/dance at the Palos Country Club coordinated and paid for by the fundraising efforts of the 8th Grade Parent Committee!
Special thanks to Mrs. Chavez, Mrs. Kato, and Mrs. Espinosa for all their hard work this year.
Thanks to Mrs. Hinckley and Mrs. Stoll for accompanying our students for this fun day.


Continuing assignments:
Princeton: Monday -- test on NIGHT

ALL: Socratic discussion questions due; genocide research; grammar handbooks
Simple Solutions #79

Language Arts 5-15-14

Today we corrected Simple Solutions #78.  Princeton & Yale finished watching Swing Kids.
All sections watched Confessions of a Nazi Youth.  Partners and questions were assigned for Monday's Socratic Discussions.  Memoir Maps were collected.  Yale and Harvard took a test on the novel, Parallel Journeys.  Binders were checked.

Homework:
Simple Solutions #79
Due tomorrow:  roadtogrammar.com quizzes #8, #104, #189, #190

Due Monday:
Grammar Handbook - lessons 51 to 76
Socratic discussion evidence sheets
Genocide research

Novels will be collected.

Language Arts Wednesday 5-14-14

Today we corrected Simple Solutions 77.
We discussed our novels and continued the timeline of the lives of the survivors.  Harvard read an article about "Memory."  We continued to watch & note ideas about resistance and control through our movie, SWING KIDS.

Homework:
Princeton: finish book and Memoir Maps (due Thursday); review novel for test
Yale & Harvard:  finish chapter 22 and Memoir Map (due Thursday); review novel for test

ALL:
Simple Solutions #78
Grammar Handbook 51-76 due Monday
Roadtogrammar quizzes #8, 104, 189, 190 (label each with title and number, then your score; hand in by Friday)

Language Arts Monday 5-12-14

Today we corrected Simple Solutions #76; we wrote a review guide for tomorrow's test.
We took a test on our novel, Parallel Journeys, chapters 9-17 and corrected them.
We continued to watch SWING KIDS noting resistance and control.

Homework:
Princeton:  after reading a chapter together in class, your assignment is to complete the Memoir Map.
Yale & Harvard:  Chapters 18, & 19 and Memoir Maps

ALL:
Study for SS TEST on 73, 74, 75, 76
Get packet ready to hand in.
Grammar handbook chapters 51 to 76 due May 19th
Roadtogrammar.com quizzes:  4, 104, 189, 190

Language Arts Tuesday 5-13-14

Today we read an article called "The Sunflower" about a Nazi soldier who wanted forgiveness from one of the concentration camp workers.  We reflected in our journal on the article and if we could forgive him.

We took our Simple Solutions test on Lessons 73-76 and handed in our packets.

We handed in our Current Events from the Newsela website.

We continued watching SWING KIDS.

Homework:
Princeton: read pages 98-104; Memory Map
Y & H: read Chapters 20 & 21 Memory Maps

ALL:
SS #77
Grammar Handbook
Genocide research
Roadtogrammar quizzes due by Friday
    #8, 104, 189, 190

NEWSELA CODES

Yale Grade 8  Class Code: IFQSE 

Harvard Grade 8  Class Code: ZPRJP 

Princeton Grade 8  Class Code: XBERI

After you read an article,   take the quiz! 

Language Arts 5-9-14

Today we graded Simple Solutions #75.
We examined propaganda posters from Hitler's Propaganda Chief Goebbels.  We reviewed our novels and watched part of Swing Kids.

Homework:
register on Newsela.com (use your section code)  User name should be your first and last name with no space.  Go to Binder and look at the three articles.  Choose one for your current event due Tuesday.

Princeton:
Continue reading Night; finish next chapter and complete a Memoir Map.

Yale & Harvard:
Read 16 & 17; complete two Memoir Maps;  test on chapters 9-17 on Monday.


ALL:
Do something nice for your Moms!!

Language Arts 5-8-14

Today in Princeton we read an article about an incident of antisemitism.  We discussed the need for remembering so we can change the world.  Binders will be checked Friday.
Today in Yale and Harvard we finished our examination of Nazi propaganda; teams reported on what they saw in the piece and what method of propaganda was employed.  Memoir Maps were collected.
Binders were checked.

We corrected Simple Solutions #73.
We began watching the movie, Swing Kids, and began a journal entry creating a "Think and Note" focusing on how people resisted the Nazi takeover and how the Nazi's tried taking total control.

HOMEWORK:
Simple Solutions #74
Y & H:  read chapters 13, 14, 15; create memoir maps
Night: read next chapter and create a memoir map

Language Arts 5-7-14

Journal entry:
    stereotyping, discrimination, bias, segregation (define in your own words)  
    How do we stop it?
     (we read and discussed an article about Eboo Patel and his experience with friends of different faiths in high school)
 
We corrected Simple Solutions #73.  Be able to explain what a gerund is.

In pairs, we examined a piece of propaganda from the 1930s and 1940s in Nazi Germany.  We shared out findings as we connected each with a technique that we learned.

Papers were returned. Get binders signed tonight.

Homework:
Princeton:  finish reading 56-65 (chapter 4) complete a Memoir Box
Harvard & Yale: Read chapters 11 & 12; two Memoir Boxes

ALL: Simple Solutions Lesson 74

Language Arts 5-6-14

Today we took our Simple Solutions Test on Lessons 69-72 (students were given 5 minutes to review five key concepts & hand in their packets)
Yale and Harvard took their test on our novel Parallel Journeys  Chapter 1-8.
We discussed the timeline of Hitler's Final Solution from his election in 1933 to 1945.

Key terms:
Concentration camp
Death camp
Inhumanity
Fuhrer
Reich

Homework:
   Y & H: read chapters 9 & 10; Memoir Boxes
   Princeton: read first half of chapter 4 of Night

ALL: Simple Solutions #73


8th Grade News:
Progress Reports go out tomorrow
Yearbook orders due by May 14th  $16.00
Luncheon May 16th

Language arts 5-5-14

Today:

Journal entry:  "Think and Note" on two handouts regarding Hitler's statements on the Jewish Question and the Nuremberg laws

Corrected SS 72

Watched movie on Auschwitz

Homework:

Yale & Harvard - Test Tuesday on chapters 1-8; read 9 & 10 and Memoir Map

Princeton -- Finish 3 and complete a Memoir Map

ALL Simple Solutions test on Tuesday and packet due

Lessons 69, 70,71, 72

Language Arts 5-2-14

Today we created an entry in our Purple Journal entitled "Quotes" from our novel.
   for Yale & Harvard it was two-sided -- one side labeled German Youth, the other German Jewish girl.
We completed one quote together for the German Youth using ellipsis.  Students are to add illuminating lines from their story as they continue reading so that when we are finished they can create a "Found Poem."

We recorded and discussed key vocabulary from our unit including:  discrimination, prejudice, NAZIs, identity, Media, etc.  (get notes from a fellow classmate or stay after to record from powerpoint).

Princeton continued page by page to tell the story of Elie Wiesel.

Harvard's teams continued to work on posters showing how Hitler gained power.

ALL corrected Simple Solutions #71

Homework:
ALL Simple Solutions #72
(Test will be Tuesday; packet on lessons 69, 70, 71, 72 due at that time)

Princeton: finish reading Chapter 3 and create a memoir box
Yale & Harvard: finish reading Chapter 8 and create a memoir box  (Be prepared for Test on chapters 1-8)

Princeton extra credit:  research the Nobel Peace Prize; what it is; how is it awarded; who has won & why.
Look for Elie Wiesel's name.  List your sources.


*****
Bonus for those checking the blog this weekend:
    On a sheet of looseleaf paper........ Write this quote in ink.... Have the proper heading on your paper
(fourth line - BONUS - reading or writing);  no squiggles at the edges of the paper and you get a bonus for checking the blog!!!!
"History is the story of our lives.  How did we become the country and people that we are today?
How did I become the person I am today?  In our history lies the answer."

(Don't tell your friends!  You can recommend that they check the blog, but don't tell them why.  Let's see how many Bonus Sheets I get

Language Arts 5-1-2014

Happy May!  Maybe we'll see some sunshine and some warmer temperatures soon!
Today Room 203 took their Reading Map test!  Congratulations on increasing scores!

In class, we took notes on two methods that Hitler used to gain control in Germany:  rhetoric and propaganda.  We noted nine keys methods of propaganda and discussed their meaning by sharing examples.
We corrected Simple Solutions 69 & 70.

Homework:
 Princeton:  Read first half of Chapter 3
 Yale & Harvard: Read Chapter 7 and complete one memory box.

ALL Simple Solutions #71


Tomorrow Night is the 8th Grade Dance from 6-8.
To attend you must have a signed permission form in by tomorrow.
There are no requirements for attendance; this a reward for achieving the most participation at the Rummage Sale.