Hey, I like the title of this post - I think it will become the new title of this blog!
Well, I guess winter has made itself known this week! Time for another update!
In class we have finished the first part of our Understanding Character unit after analyzing characters in small excerpts and three short stories - "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant, "The Moustache" by Robert Cormier, and "The Elevator" by William Sleator. The students just took a large exam on all three stories and so far I've been quite pleased with the results. We will take a break from the character analysis to do some argumentative writing, but will pick up in January where we will be expanding the texts to a long story adapted from the novel Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes and finally to novel reading in the form of a literature circle.
In terms of the argumentative writing, the students are beginning their work with some of the very basics of argument. Our first activity involves matching dogs up with potential owners. The focus of this activity is having the students make a decision and then find evidence that backs up their decision from the description of the owners and the descriptions of the pets. We will share our decisions with evidence in a whole class discussion. It also will show how there is evidence for more than one possible combination. From there we move to examining a dispute over a bat that was left to two adult children by their recently deceased father. Students are reading the background on the each of the two adult children (Sue and Steve) and had to annotate the reading indicating evidence for Sue and Steve. I then assigned each student one of the two perspectives (Sue or Steve) and instructed them to write a letter to their Aunt - who is the person that will ultimately decide who gets the bat - to persuade her to give the bat to him/her. My goal for this activity is two-fold. First, I want to gauge how well the students can pull evidence from a text, and secondly, I want the kids to give evidence for their assigned side as well as identify the arguments on the opposing side.
Mid-quarter for quarter #2 is already next week! Yikes! That really crept up on me! Make sure to take a look at the portal to check in on your child's grades. Better yet, have your child take sit down with you and walk you through their classes on the portal!
My student teacher, Mrs. Neuville has currently taken over blocks two and three and will soon take over block one. She is doing a fantastic job - her time spent as a substitute teacher definitely shows in her ability to run a classroom.
In other news, great job on the penny war! As an 8th grade we raised almost $1000.00 to buy gifts and other essentials for the family of six we adopted through the Salvation Army.
Have a great week and as always, if you have any questions or concerns please let me know!
Friday, December 6, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
November Update...
Well, it has definitely been quite a while since I've posted. I do apologize for that. The changes to this course and other additional duties have unfortunately reorganized my priority list and my updating of this blog got pushed down the list.
We have concluded our first unit and began our second focused on the themes of influence and choice. We are beginning with several lessons about how to recognize cues an author uses to develop his/her characters. These skills will be applied first in short excerpts of text, leading to short stories, finishing with application through reading a novel in literature circles. We have read two short stories in this unit so far - "The Moustache," and "The Elevator." Our next short story will be "The Necklace." From here we will take a bit of break on understanding character and shift gears into writing activities.
The writing component of this unit will be focused on argumentative writing. The preliminary instruction will focus on how to create a valid, coherent argument with supportive evidence. There will be mini-lessons on how to incorporate data into their writing as well as how to identify the counter-arguments and how to craft refuting statements. While students have written in the argumentative mode before, it has generally been focused on having an opinion on an issue and clearly stating it as well as have some supporting detail. Our focus will be on selecting evidence that best supports the claim. The skill of crafting refuting statements is also something new for 8th graders. Understanding the "other side" of an issue and being able to refute those points is a vital skill for the future.
Our grammar focus will be on sentence problems. In the first writing piece of the year, run-on sentences (comma splices and fused sentences) as well as fragments were significant problems. The first grammar unit of the year already gave the students the necessary tools to fix these problems - so now students just need to learn how to identify the problems and select the most appropriate fix.
The months of November and December tend to be very hectic and full of both excitement and interruptions. In November we had WKCE testing, followed by parent conferences, followed by Thanksgiving. Then three short weeks after Thanksgiving comes Christmas break. Understandably, this can be a difficult time to stay focused and to manage the fun of the season with tasks of school, but we'll do our best!
Have a great Thanksgiving - good luck to all hunters (those hunting deer, and those hunting for a bargain)!
We have concluded our first unit and began our second focused on the themes of influence and choice. We are beginning with several lessons about how to recognize cues an author uses to develop his/her characters. These skills will be applied first in short excerpts of text, leading to short stories, finishing with application through reading a novel in literature circles. We have read two short stories in this unit so far - "The Moustache," and "The Elevator." Our next short story will be "The Necklace." From here we will take a bit of break on understanding character and shift gears into writing activities.
The writing component of this unit will be focused on argumentative writing. The preliminary instruction will focus on how to create a valid, coherent argument with supportive evidence. There will be mini-lessons on how to incorporate data into their writing as well as how to identify the counter-arguments and how to craft refuting statements. While students have written in the argumentative mode before, it has generally been focused on having an opinion on an issue and clearly stating it as well as have some supporting detail. Our focus will be on selecting evidence that best supports the claim. The skill of crafting refuting statements is also something new for 8th graders. Understanding the "other side" of an issue and being able to refute those points is a vital skill for the future.
Our grammar focus will be on sentence problems. In the first writing piece of the year, run-on sentences (comma splices and fused sentences) as well as fragments were significant problems. The first grammar unit of the year already gave the students the necessary tools to fix these problems - so now students just need to learn how to identify the problems and select the most appropriate fix.
The months of November and December tend to be very hectic and full of both excitement and interruptions. In November we had WKCE testing, followed by parent conferences, followed by Thanksgiving. Then three short weeks after Thanksgiving comes Christmas break. Understandably, this can be a difficult time to stay focused and to manage the fun of the season with tasks of school, but we'll do our best!
Have a great Thanksgiving - good luck to all hunters (those hunting deer, and those hunting for a bargain)!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
What's in a name?
Those of you who have had students move through the middle school in the past several years may have noticed the seemingly endless changing of the reading and writing class formats and contents. For many years the middle school had separate reading and writing courses to meet the needs of our students. When the Common Core Standards were introduced and adopted, the courses changed focus as well as names - Reading/Writing-Literature (where students focused on reading works of fiction and the writing was closely related to those works) and Reading/Writing - Informational (where students focused on reading works of non-fiction and focused more on argumentative and informational writing). Now that we have a new master schedule we also have a new course. This year we have fused the Literature and Informational courses into one 80-minute course called English Language Arts or ELA. And to be honest - I hope this will be the last change for quite a while...
Here is the official course description..
English Language Arts (ELA) in eighth grade calls for students to read high quality, complex informational text and great works of literature. The study of literature in ELA 8 is organized around the study of literary elements, including character, setting, point of view, and plot. Students will learn to cite textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis or critique. They will become increasingly adept at reading closely to uncover evidence to use in their own writing. Eighth grade ELA students read a variety of genres and text types, including nonfiction books and articles, novels, poetry and drama, and classic literature such as Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Eighth graders also write with increasing sophistication in several modes, including narrative, informational, and argumentative, with a focus on organizing information and concepts into broader categories, as well as using varied transitions to clarify relationships among ideas. Students continue to develop a rich vocabulary of academic words, which they use to speak and write with more precision in preparation for success in college and careers.
The units your child will be working through this year are all based around a large thematic question or idea. All the reading and writing will connect to these ideas.
Unit 1- Who do you think you are?
Unit 2 - Influences and Choices
Unit 3 - Looking Back on America
Unit 4 - The Civil War Research Paper
Unit 5 - The Non-fiction Book Unit
Unit 6 - Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide
Various works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and articles will be used and grammar content will be infused with the writing pieces that accompany each unit.
Hope this helps to give a little focus to what your child will be learning in ELA this school year. Keep reading for posts that are more specific to each unit and the activities within.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns please drop me an email or give me a call!
Here is the official course description..
English Language Arts (ELA) in eighth grade calls for students to read high quality, complex informational text and great works of literature. The study of literature in ELA 8 is organized around the study of literary elements, including character, setting, point of view, and plot. Students will learn to cite textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis or critique. They will become increasingly adept at reading closely to uncover evidence to use in their own writing. Eighth grade ELA students read a variety of genres and text types, including nonfiction books and articles, novels, poetry and drama, and classic literature such as Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Eighth graders also write with increasing sophistication in several modes, including narrative, informational, and argumentative, with a focus on organizing information and concepts into broader categories, as well as using varied transitions to clarify relationships among ideas. Students continue to develop a rich vocabulary of academic words, which they use to speak and write with more precision in preparation for success in college and careers.
The units your child will be working through this year are all based around a large thematic question or idea. All the reading and writing will connect to these ideas.
Unit 1- Who do you think you are?
Unit 2 - Influences and Choices
Unit 3 - Looking Back on America
Unit 4 - The Civil War Research Paper
Unit 5 - The Non-fiction Book Unit
Unit 6 - Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide
Various works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and articles will be used and grammar content will be infused with the writing pieces that accompany each unit.
Hope this helps to give a little focus to what your child will be learning in ELA this school year. Keep reading for posts that are more specific to each unit and the activities within.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns please drop me an email or give me a call!
Mr. Dernbach said you had to read how many pages?
OK, I'm sure at this point you have probably heard from your child about the independent reading requirement that was given to them in class. In case you haven't heard about it yet, ask! I'd like to make sure we are all on the same page (pun intended), so here are some details about the assignment.
To start, I'd like to provide a piece of rationale for why the project exists in the first place. Reading is a skill that is vital to the success of all students whether he or she is bound for college or the work-place immediately after high school. Just like in other areas of life, the cliche - practice makes perfect - applies to reading as well. Increasing the volume a student reads in a given quarter is a way to practice their reading skills. Now, on to the project details.
The independent reading requirement consists of students logging the number of pages they read in a given quarter. The logs do not require parent signatures as I am trying to instill some personal responsibility for each students' learning. That being said, I would encourage you to ask to see your child's log from time to time. The purpose of the log is strictly for data gathering. Statistics are kept on just about anything that one tries to improve upon; reading is no different. We will be using the data throughout the year to set some goals. The grade for this project will be entered into the gradebook as an assignment out of 100 points in the Independent Reading category - which accounts for only 10% of the total grade in my class. The grade breakdown for the page log totals is as follows:
1700 pages and up = A+
1600 - 1699 pages = A
1500 - 1599 pages = A-
1400 - 1499 pages = B+
1300 - 1399 pages = B
1200 - 1299 pages = B-
1100 - 1199 pages = C+
1000 - 1099 pages = C
900 - 999 pages = C-
800 - 899 pages = D+
700 - 799 pages = D
600 - 699 pages = D-
300 - 500 pages = 50%
less than 300 pages = 0
Initially I know that this seems like a lot, but according to the research I've done, 8th graders should be reading at a rate of around three-quarters of a page to one page per minute. This was the basis for the determination of the page requirement. Students may log pages any time they read - in class, in study hall, after they finish a test, at home, etc. I suggested that students may want to keep their page log folded up and use it as a book mark, that way they will always have it. To be honest, if students are reading during the time I give in class, over the course of a quarter they should be able to get around 500 pages during the school day.
If you have any further questions regarding the independent reading requirements or need extra copies of any of the assignment handouts, please contact me or visit the Justice League website.
Happy Reading!
To start, I'd like to provide a piece of rationale for why the project exists in the first place. Reading is a skill that is vital to the success of all students whether he or she is bound for college or the work-place immediately after high school. Just like in other areas of life, the cliche - practice makes perfect - applies to reading as well. Increasing the volume a student reads in a given quarter is a way to practice their reading skills. Now, on to the project details.
The independent reading requirement consists of students logging the number of pages they read in a given quarter. The logs do not require parent signatures as I am trying to instill some personal responsibility for each students' learning. That being said, I would encourage you to ask to see your child's log from time to time. The purpose of the log is strictly for data gathering. Statistics are kept on just about anything that one tries to improve upon; reading is no different. We will be using the data throughout the year to set some goals. The grade for this project will be entered into the gradebook as an assignment out of 100 points in the Independent Reading category - which accounts for only 10% of the total grade in my class. The grade breakdown for the page log totals is as follows:
1700 pages and up = A+
1600 - 1699 pages = A
1500 - 1599 pages = A-
1400 - 1499 pages = B+
1300 - 1399 pages = B
1200 - 1299 pages = B-
1100 - 1199 pages = C+
1000 - 1099 pages = C
900 - 999 pages = C-
800 - 899 pages = D+
700 - 799 pages = D
600 - 699 pages = D-
300 - 500 pages = 50%
less than 300 pages = 0
Initially I know that this seems like a lot, but according to the research I've done, 8th graders should be reading at a rate of around three-quarters of a page to one page per minute. This was the basis for the determination of the page requirement. Students may log pages any time they read - in class, in study hall, after they finish a test, at home, etc. I suggested that students may want to keep their page log folded up and use it as a book mark, that way they will always have it. To be honest, if students are reading during the time I give in class, over the course of a quarter they should be able to get around 500 pages during the school day.
If you have any further questions regarding the independent reading requirements or need extra copies of any of the assignment handouts, please contact me or visit the Justice League website.
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Welcome Back!
I don't know about anyone else, but for me this summer just flew by - I can't believe I'm already writing my back-to-school post! When trying to think of a word to describe the upcoming school year, the one that kept coming to mind was the word change. There are several exciting changes that are happening this school year. I'll use this post to run down some of the changes you and your child can expect this year.
Principal - Ms. Woulf has taken a new job and is moving on from DPMS this year. Taking her place is the former Assistant Principal of Foxview Intermediate School, Mrs. Hartman. I have known Mrs. Hartman for many years, as she was a school counselor at DPMS when I started teaching here 13 years ago. Ms. Heatwole is continuing in her role as Assistant Principal.
Schedule - In English/Langauge Arts we are combining what used to be taught in two separate courses (Literature and Info) into one 80 minute course. In addition we have expanded the amount of math instruction to 80 minutes a day. All other courses are at 40 minutes. For those of us teaching in the blocked courses (the 80 minute classes) one of our biggest challenges is going to be structuring the day so that we can keep student engagement and productivity high.
House Structure - Many of the houses in the 8th grade have switched up staff. The Justice League has added Mr. Endries to our team. The Avengers is a second 8th grade house and is now a team of six teachers, while the third 8th grade house, the X-Men, is a team of three.
This first week in class your students are being reminded of "The Redbird Way" of acting at DPMS - which is a part of the PBIS(Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) program. We have several reminder videos and brief lessons reinforcing the more detailed lessons that they received in 7th grade.
One quick note on keeping informed...our newly re-designed team website is now linked from the middle school home page - or you can access it by clicking HERE. You will find information from each content area as well as a page that contains all the assignments from each course. Note that several components are still under construction so check back often.
Again, I'd like to welcome everyone to the 2013-2014 school year and to the Justice League! If you ever need to contact me, email will get the quickest response, but I do welcome a phone call as well.
Principal - Ms. Woulf has taken a new job and is moving on from DPMS this year. Taking her place is the former Assistant Principal of Foxview Intermediate School, Mrs. Hartman. I have known Mrs. Hartman for many years, as she was a school counselor at DPMS when I started teaching here 13 years ago. Ms. Heatwole is continuing in her role as Assistant Principal.
Schedule - In English/Langauge Arts we are combining what used to be taught in two separate courses (Literature and Info) into one 80 minute course. In addition we have expanded the amount of math instruction to 80 minutes a day. All other courses are at 40 minutes. For those of us teaching in the blocked courses (the 80 minute classes) one of our biggest challenges is going to be structuring the day so that we can keep student engagement and productivity high.
House Structure - Many of the houses in the 8th grade have switched up staff. The Justice League has added Mr. Endries to our team. The Avengers is a second 8th grade house and is now a team of six teachers, while the third 8th grade house, the X-Men, is a team of three.
This first week in class your students are being reminded of "The Redbird Way" of acting at DPMS - which is a part of the PBIS(Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) program. We have several reminder videos and brief lessons reinforcing the more detailed lessons that they received in 7th grade.
One quick note on keeping informed...our newly re-designed team website is now linked from the middle school home page - or you can access it by clicking HERE. You will find information from each content area as well as a page that contains all the assignments from each course. Note that several components are still under construction so check back often.
Again, I'd like to welcome everyone to the 2013-2014 school year and to the Justice League! If you ever need to contact me, email will get the quickest response, but I do welcome a phone call as well.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Vintage Schooling...
So we are now about a full week back with technology. I had mixed feelings about the week-long tech blackout that our district experienced. It showed me just how much I rely on computers in my teaching and my day to day work life. On the upside, being "unplugged" was a nice break. It made me feel like it was back when I was in school - before the internet :).
In class we have just finished our "This I Believe" essays. I always marvel at the growth and maturity of my students as they finish their 8th grade year. This essay really gives them a chance to shine and share some of their life experiences that have shaped personal beliefs and philosophies. If you haven't already seen the essay, ask your child if you can read it! If your child is interested in submitting their essay to the This I Believe website, just click here and follow the directions. Because my students are under 18, I cannot submit an essay without parent permission.
Yesterday we began our final unit of the school year, a whole-class novel entitled Ashes of Roses. This novel is set in 1911 at the height the European immigration period. It revolves around an Irish immigrant named Rose and her family. They settle in New York and soon Rose begins to work in a factory in the garment district of the city - the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. This novel is historical fiction and is based on actual events that occurred at the Triangle Shirtwaist company - specifically the horrific fire that killed over one hundred young girls working at the factory. This novel also looks closely at our nations industrial development and how we have progressed from the sweatshops that were a commonplace so many years ago.
This novel will be taught in a more traditional method. Students can expect assigned reading most nights as well as discussion questions and vocabulary to complete for use in class. There will be two tests on this novel as well. The first will be after the completion of chapter 15 and the second will be upon completion of the book.
In class we have just finished our "This I Believe" essays. I always marvel at the growth and maturity of my students as they finish their 8th grade year. This essay really gives them a chance to shine and share some of their life experiences that have shaped personal beliefs and philosophies. If you haven't already seen the essay, ask your child if you can read it! If your child is interested in submitting their essay to the This I Believe website, just click here and follow the directions. Because my students are under 18, I cannot submit an essay without parent permission.
Yesterday we began our final unit of the school year, a whole-class novel entitled Ashes of Roses. This novel is set in 1911 at the height the European immigration period. It revolves around an Irish immigrant named Rose and her family. They settle in New York and soon Rose begins to work in a factory in the garment district of the city - the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. This novel is historical fiction and is based on actual events that occurred at the Triangle Shirtwaist company - specifically the horrific fire that killed over one hundred young girls working at the factory. This novel also looks closely at our nations industrial development and how we have progressed from the sweatshops that were a commonplace so many years ago.
This novel will be taught in a more traditional method. Students can expect assigned reading most nights as well as discussion questions and vocabulary to complete for use in class. There will be two tests on this novel as well. The first will be after the completion of chapter 15 and the second will be upon completion of the book.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
All aboard!
Yesterday we had a great time on our field trip to the National Railroad Museum to participate in "A Day in the Life." A program focusing on what life was like during the time of the American Civil War as well as the importance of the railroad during that time in our history.
The students participated in six different stations throughout the day.
Station one focused on life after the war and how trains played a part. It was a train ride around the grounds with a focus on how people used the trains as transportation as well as how hobos communicated with each other using symbols.
Station two was a living history performance by a woman who portraits Louisa May Alcott. In character, she discussed what life was like during her time as a nurse in the Civil War, as well as how she adapted events and people from her own life for her well-known book Little Women.
In station three students learned about period clothing, toys, and dating/courting customs of the 1860s.
Station four was all about how the land was surveyed and measured for the development of the trans-continental railroad.
Station five had two parts. The first was some history and a simulation of the pony express. The second was a simulation of the trials and tribulations settlers faced heading west on the Oregon Trail.
Station six focused on the science of trains as well as the way that track was laid. First students learned about simple machines and how they were used to build handcarts. In small groups, students actually got to use the handcart and move down the track. At a second part of this station, students were taught how a steam locomotive functioned as well as how to build and break apart a full-sized train. In the third part students learned how track was laid and got to place a piece or rail and then hammer the spikes in.
Even though it was a bit cold and soggy, this field trip was great and provided a hands-on connection to the curriculum that we have been studying in history and writing about in RW-Info.
The students participated in six different stations throughout the day.
Station one focused on life after the war and how trains played a part. It was a train ride around the grounds with a focus on how people used the trains as transportation as well as how hobos communicated with each other using symbols.
Station two was a living history performance by a woman who portraits Louisa May Alcott. In character, she discussed what life was like during her time as a nurse in the Civil War, as well as how she adapted events and people from her own life for her well-known book Little Women.
In station three students learned about period clothing, toys, and dating/courting customs of the 1860s.
Station four was all about how the land was surveyed and measured for the development of the trans-continental railroad.
Station five had two parts. The first was some history and a simulation of the pony express. The second was a simulation of the trials and tribulations settlers faced heading west on the Oregon Trail.
Station six focused on the science of trains as well as the way that track was laid. First students learned about simple machines and how they were used to build handcarts. In small groups, students actually got to use the handcart and move down the track. At a second part of this station, students were taught how a steam locomotive functioned as well as how to build and break apart a full-sized train. In the third part students learned how track was laid and got to place a piece or rail and then hammer the spikes in.
Even though it was a bit cold and soggy, this field trip was great and provided a hands-on connection to the curriculum that we have been studying in history and writing about in RW-Info.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Wait...we just started WHAT quarter?
Wow. Fourth Quarter. Time has really zoomed by this year. I mentioned to my classes that they have 45 more days of being in middle school and then on to the high school. Crazy.
Anyway, as you can probably guess - the first thing that slides down my list of things-to-do is my blog. In fact I hate to say it, but I think I skipped a whole month. I thought it was about time I give everyone an update as to what is going on in class.
We are currently in the final week of our online literature circles. The kids have been in book groups reading a variety of novels (around a dozen different book groups are going). We are completing the books over a period of three weeks (plus the week of spring break). I am using My Big Campus to facilitate the lit circles. This online platform allows me to offer the greatest amount of choice in terms of books as I can log in and check in on the book discussions from just about anywhere at any time. I am also using the lit circles as an assessment on the students' understanding of setting and character. All work for the lit circles is due this week Friday.
The next unit we will be entering is a three week unit on writing a personal essay. The concept centers around the National Public Radio series "This I Believe." Students will be exploring their personal values and beliefs and then turn it into a personal essay illustrating something that they believe. We will start by exploring some of the published "This I Believe" essays written by teens to analyze the structure and types of content. After the unit is completed there will be an opportunity for students to submit their essays to NPR for publishing on their "This I believe" website. Parent permission will be required prior to any submissions. I will also let you know when students are finished as I think it would be a great opportunity to sit down and have your child share their writing as well as their thoughts. These kids are maturing quite rapidly, and it's neat to see the variety of opinions and viewpoints that come through in an activity such as this.
The final unit we will work on this year will be a whole-class novel unit based on the book Ashes of Roses. This is a historical fiction novel that students will read to explore the concepts of point of view and theme. In addition, the unit is structured in a format that is more like students will encounter in their high school English courses.
Anyway, as you can probably guess - the first thing that slides down my list of things-to-do is my blog. In fact I hate to say it, but I think I skipped a whole month. I thought it was about time I give everyone an update as to what is going on in class.
We are currently in the final week of our online literature circles. The kids have been in book groups reading a variety of novels (around a dozen different book groups are going). We are completing the books over a period of three weeks (plus the week of spring break). I am using My Big Campus to facilitate the lit circles. This online platform allows me to offer the greatest amount of choice in terms of books as I can log in and check in on the book discussions from just about anywhere at any time. I am also using the lit circles as an assessment on the students' understanding of setting and character. All work for the lit circles is due this week Friday.
The next unit we will be entering is a three week unit on writing a personal essay. The concept centers around the National Public Radio series "This I Believe." Students will be exploring their personal values and beliefs and then turn it into a personal essay illustrating something that they believe. We will start by exploring some of the published "This I Believe" essays written by teens to analyze the structure and types of content. After the unit is completed there will be an opportunity for students to submit their essays to NPR for publishing on their "This I believe" website. Parent permission will be required prior to any submissions. I will also let you know when students are finished as I think it would be a great opportunity to sit down and have your child share their writing as well as their thoughts. These kids are maturing quite rapidly, and it's neat to see the variety of opinions and viewpoints that come through in an activity such as this.
The final unit we will work on this year will be a whole-class novel unit based on the book Ashes of Roses. This is a historical fiction novel that students will read to explore the concepts of point of view and theme. In addition, the unit is structured in a format that is more like students will encounter in their high school English courses.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Update...
So apparently the first thing that gets put on the back-burner when time gets tight is keeping up with blog posting. :)
Here is an update about what has been going on in class. We are winding up our unit examining the different aspects and levels of setting. We started with examining setting in visual elements - art work and photos; eventually moving into short excerpts of literature. This week we read a short story called "The Landlady" bu Roald Dahl (author of James and the Giant Peach, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory among others). After reading the story, students progressed through a graphic organizer examining all the different aspects and levels of setting. Eventually they will expand out to doing the same analysis with a novel.
The last couple of days I have been book talking all the options for the literature circles in which all students will be involved. As the bulk of the discussion will take place in an online environment I am able to form groups across all of my classes. Students were given the option of 23 different novels from which to choose, and after I complete book talking them all, I will ask for their top 4 selections. Based on a variety of factors, including the number of copies of each book, the reading level, and the content level (reading level and content level are different for students at times) I will form the groups. On Monday of next week I will also go through the online environment as well as my expectations for the literature circles. The length of this unit will be 3 weeks - that means that all students must complete their novel within that time period.
The upcoming post next week will have all the specific due dates as well as some links to help keep parents in the loop.
Have a great week!
Here is an update about what has been going on in class. We are winding up our unit examining the different aspects and levels of setting. We started with examining setting in visual elements - art work and photos; eventually moving into short excerpts of literature. This week we read a short story called "The Landlady" bu Roald Dahl (author of James and the Giant Peach, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory among others). After reading the story, students progressed through a graphic organizer examining all the different aspects and levels of setting. Eventually they will expand out to doing the same analysis with a novel.
The last couple of days I have been book talking all the options for the literature circles in which all students will be involved. As the bulk of the discussion will take place in an online environment I am able to form groups across all of my classes. Students were given the option of 23 different novels from which to choose, and after I complete book talking them all, I will ask for their top 4 selections. Based on a variety of factors, including the number of copies of each book, the reading level, and the content level (reading level and content level are different for students at times) I will form the groups. On Monday of next week I will also go through the online environment as well as my expectations for the literature circles. The length of this unit will be 3 weeks - that means that all students must complete their novel within that time period.
The upcoming post next week will have all the specific due dates as well as some links to help keep parents in the loop.
Have a great week!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
So, What's Next?
As the Understanding Character Unit came to a close, projects analyzing a character from book read by your children came in - and they were, as a whole, wonderful! There was some pretty high level character analysis coupled with high levels of creativity to be found.
We are in-between major units at the moment working on a new writing piece. One of the Common Core Standards for Language Arts involves analyzing a work of literature that has been adapted either for film or for the stage. In class we just finished watching a movie version of the short story "Flowers for Algernon." Students took notes on the similarities and differences they could identify. This week everyone identified three major differences and completed a graphic organizer as pre-writing to aide in analysis of why a change was made and if that change was effective. We are then going to be turning that preliminary analysis into a more formal essay. Our writing focus will be on structure - well-developed and interesting beginnings, solid paragraph structure (topic sentence, supporting details, concluding sentence), and satisfying conclusions that are not redundant.
Our grammar focus is going to be on how to identify and eliminate the various types of run-on sentences. Students will be given some sentences that contain run-ons, and then they will see the corrected versions. I will have the kids working in groups looking for patterns in the grammar and then coming up with the rules surrounding run-ons. Once they can clearly articulate the grammar rule, each group will develop a guide to help identify run-ons during the editing process.
The next major unit of class will focus on setting. I know when I was in school, setting was simply a term we had to define - the time and place in which a story occurs. Now we look at setting on a much deeper level. In class we will discuss three dimensions of setting - the physical setting, the temporal setting (time period and time lapse), as well as the psycho-social setting (rules governing behavior created by the setting). In addition we will look at how these dimensions of setting affect characters, plot, and conflict.
As we enter the third quarter, remember to keep checking in on your son/daughters reading page logs. That assignment is recurring every quarter so students should keep logging their pages.
We are in-between major units at the moment working on a new writing piece. One of the Common Core Standards for Language Arts involves analyzing a work of literature that has been adapted either for film or for the stage. In class we just finished watching a movie version of the short story "Flowers for Algernon." Students took notes on the similarities and differences they could identify. This week everyone identified three major differences and completed a graphic organizer as pre-writing to aide in analysis of why a change was made and if that change was effective. We are then going to be turning that preliminary analysis into a more formal essay. Our writing focus will be on structure - well-developed and interesting beginnings, solid paragraph structure (topic sentence, supporting details, concluding sentence), and satisfying conclusions that are not redundant.
Our grammar focus is going to be on how to identify and eliminate the various types of run-on sentences. Students will be given some sentences that contain run-ons, and then they will see the corrected versions. I will have the kids working in groups looking for patterns in the grammar and then coming up with the rules surrounding run-ons. Once they can clearly articulate the grammar rule, each group will develop a guide to help identify run-ons during the editing process.
The next major unit of class will focus on setting. I know when I was in school, setting was simply a term we had to define - the time and place in which a story occurs. Now we look at setting on a much deeper level. In class we will discuss three dimensions of setting - the physical setting, the temporal setting (time period and time lapse), as well as the psycho-social setting (rules governing behavior created by the setting). In addition we will look at how these dimensions of setting affect characters, plot, and conflict.
As we enter the third quarter, remember to keep checking in on your son/daughters reading page logs. That assignment is recurring every quarter so students should keep logging their pages.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
It's been a while...
Yes, it has definitely been a while since I've posted anything on the old blog. With the holidays and the end of the quarter approaching so quickly, I've had trouble fitting in an update. I've caught up on my grading and planning, so I can finally check "update blog" off my to-do list.
We are finishing up the Understanding Character unit. The assessment on all we've done has three parts. The first is the character analysis project. This project allowed students to use their creativity to analyze a character from a book of their choosing. There were six projects to choose from, and an infinite number of ways to present their analysis. Click here to see the project requirements and project samples that were shown to the students. The second form of assessment on the Understanding Character unit will be a value and motive assessment on the main character from the short story, "Flowers for Algernon." Students will have to rank a list of 22 common values/motives and then write justification for their top two choices which must include evidence from the text as support. The final assessment is the actual test from "Flowers for Algernon."
That is what we will have finished this week, so what's coming up in class as we start the third quarter? Well, to begin, we will be watching the made-for-TV movie version of "Flowers for Algernon." Students will be taking note of differences between the movie version and the text version to use in the compare/contrast essay they will be writing. One of the Common Core Standards for eighth graders is to compare a movie/play adaptation of a text, so this fits perfectly.
When the essay is complete we will be moving into the Understanding Setting unit. In this unit students will be looking at the three types of setting (physical setting, temporal setting, and psychosocial setting) and how they each interact with character and plot. This unit and the unit on point of view go much quicker than the unit on character as the character unit serves as the foundation for all other elements of literature.
Just a quick reminder of dates - the end of the second quarter is on Thursday of this week. I asked students to have their page logs ready to be turned in on Monday of this week. I will still accept them after Monday but the earlier the better - for my own sanity. :-)
Look for future posts regarding the online literature circles beginning in late February!
We are finishing up the Understanding Character unit. The assessment on all we've done has three parts. The first is the character analysis project. This project allowed students to use their creativity to analyze a character from a book of their choosing. There were six projects to choose from, and an infinite number of ways to present their analysis. Click here to see the project requirements and project samples that were shown to the students. The second form of assessment on the Understanding Character unit will be a value and motive assessment on the main character from the short story, "Flowers for Algernon." Students will have to rank a list of 22 common values/motives and then write justification for their top two choices which must include evidence from the text as support. The final assessment is the actual test from "Flowers for Algernon."
That is what we will have finished this week, so what's coming up in class as we start the third quarter? Well, to begin, we will be watching the made-for-TV movie version of "Flowers for Algernon." Students will be taking note of differences between the movie version and the text version to use in the compare/contrast essay they will be writing. One of the Common Core Standards for eighth graders is to compare a movie/play adaptation of a text, so this fits perfectly.
When the essay is complete we will be moving into the Understanding Setting unit. In this unit students will be looking at the three types of setting (physical setting, temporal setting, and psychosocial setting) and how they each interact with character and plot. This unit and the unit on point of view go much quicker than the unit on character as the character unit serves as the foundation for all other elements of literature.
Just a quick reminder of dates - the end of the second quarter is on Thursday of this week. I asked students to have their page logs ready to be turned in on Monday of this week. I will still accept them after Monday but the earlier the better - for my own sanity. :-)
Look for future posts regarding the online literature circles beginning in late February!
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