Word on the Street

On-level Classes – we read “Flowers for Algernon.”  1st period to p. 55, 8th period to p.53, and 4th period to p. 51.

Advanced Classes – took the first part of their Hound test.  Students had the option of taking the annotation portion home – the part students can use their books to complete – or coming early or staying late on Monday to complete this part.  Projects are due on Monday – students have had over a month to work on this project.  I know things have been hectic for the last two weeks, but rest assured we will be slowing up a bit for the next few weeks so the students do have a little bit of breathing room! 

After the project presentations are complete, we will be watching the video version of the movie in class.  We will then begin reading the screenplay version of  The Diary of Anne Frank.

On-Level Classes - worked on a grammar review packet focusing on pronouns and sentence revision.  Because students had “Fun with Grammar” today, they should bring their literature books to class on Friday so that we can read “Flowers for Algernon.”  No Fun with Grammar Friday this week.

Advanced Classes - wrapped up the cohort questions on The Hound of the Baskervilles and studied for tomorrow’s test.

ALL CLASSES – MAKE SURE YOU COME TO CLASS FRIDAY WITH YOUR FINAL MOLDY BREAD ESSAY READY TO TURN IN!!!! Use the check list to highlight the required elements and put the pages in the correct order.  This major assignment will not be accepted until it is in the required order, and 10 points will be deducted from the grade each day the paper is late.

On-Level Classes – Completed Caught’ya Sentence #25 and turned in sentences #20-25.  Discussed reading strategies to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words.  Discussed genres of literature and the elements of science fiction as an intro to the science fiction short story we began today “Flowers for Algernon.”

Homework:

• 4th period only – write a paragraph detailing the elements usually associated with the genre of science fiction.
• Final Moldy Bread Essay is due at the beginning of class on Friday

Advanced Classes – We discussed the test Friday and students worked in cohort groups on chapter questions.

Homework:

• Final Moldy Bread Essay is due at the beginning of class on Friday
• Hound Test Friday
• Hound Project Due Monday

All Classes wrapped up the peer editing step of the moldy bread essay.  There will be no more class time spent on this assignment.  Students should bring the required steps to class Friday ready to turn in per the specifications on the Check Lists.

On-Level Classes – Did the “Quick Write” on p. 44.  Students need to write a paragraph response to EACH question.  This is in preparation for reading our next literature selection, the classic “Flowers for Algernon.”

Homework:

• Finish moldy bread essay due Friday, November 6
• Finish Quick Write if not completed in class.
• “Words to Own” worksheet

Advanced Classes – Turned in chapter responses for chapters 12-15 and vocabulary for chapters 12-15.  Students then worked in cohort groups on chapter questions.

Homework:

• Finish moldy bread essay due Friday, November 6.
• Study for Hound test Friday, November 6.
• Finsh Hound projects due Monday, November 9.

All Classes peer edited their rough drafts of the Moldy Bread Essay using this worksheet Peer Edit Moldy Bread.  Students will have 15-20 minutes to complete this step in class on Tuesday.  Students who were absent today or Friday will need to have a parent or friend peer edit their essay for them outside of class.  Students were reminded of the Correct Essay Format and the Steps to Prepare Essay for Turn-in.  All essay steps must be put together in order per the check-list when students arrive for class on Friday, November 6. If the essays are not ready for turn in, students will have to turn in the essay late for a 10 point deduction each day from the grade.

Advanced Language Arts – Should have finished Hound of the Baskervilles, chapter responses for chapters 12-15, and annotation of chapters 12-15 by tomorrow.  After completing the peer editing activity, we will work in cohort groups on the questions for these chapters.

Moldy Bread Contest Winners

1st Period

• Colby Brooks - Grossest
• Alex Ramirez - Most Colorful
• Corina Havelka - Smelliest

7th Period

• Monisha Rao – Grossest
• Grey Davis – Smelliest
• Drew Thiel – Most Colorful

8th Period

• Emma Harden’s Dad – Grossest
• Zach Todd – Smelliest
• Amy Oliver - Most Colorful

3rd Period

• Sam Sasser - Grossest
• Will Baggett – Smelliest
• Sarah Hay - Most Colorful

4th Period

• Bradley Keegan - Grossest
• Alex Loeser – Smelliest
• Kevin Tran- Most Colorful

Homework – Students should finish the rough draft self-evaluation that was started in class today. Revising Moldy Bread

All classes worked on their rough drafts of the Moldy Bread Essay.  Rough drafts and moldy bread are due Friday, October 30. Students were given a pass to bring their moldy bread to my room when they arrive at school in the morning.  Bread should be in a sealed container with the student’s name, first and last, clearly visible.

For more information, please see Monday’s post or the blog tag “moldy bread essay.”

8th Grade Wildcat Day – No class

Thursday students will work on their rough drafts in class. These will be due at the beginning of class on Friday.

All Classes worked on the rough drafts of the moldy bread essay.

We discussed that essays could be organized chronologically, by sensory details being described (one paragraph smell, one paragraph looks, etc.), as a cause-effect essay (what the student did to to the bread and the result), or as a comparison-contrast (if students tried to mold more than one type of bread or tried different things on different pieces of bread).

All Language Arts Classes – We went over the requirements of the moldy bread essay rough draft which is due on Friday, October 30.  Students will have at least one class day (Tuesday, October 27) to work on their rough drafts in class, and students might be given Thursday as well. We have to see how it goes tomorrow.

Handouts:

Rubric & Check Lists

Essay Format

Graphic Organizer – Prewriting/Planning Moldy Bread Essay  – This is due in class Tuesday, October 27!

Rough Draft Requirements

• Can be typed or handwritten
• If typed, two pages, double-spaced
• If handwritten, four pages, skipping lines, front only
• Rough Draft Due in Class on Friday, October, 30

Moldy Bread Schedule:

• Tuesday, October 27 – Using graphic organizer completed for homework, writing workshop to work on rough draft in class.
• Wednesday, October 28 – Wildcat Day – no class
• Thursday, October 29 – Possibly another writing workshop day to work on rough drafts and information about bringing bread to class on Friday.
• Friday, October 30 -Rough Draft and Moldy Bread due in class.  Moldy Bread judging for smelliest, most colorful, and grossest.  Students need to have three different colors of highlighters so they can work on their self-evaluation of the essay in class.  After the self-evaluation, students will be assigned a partner for peer editing of the rough draft.  If students do not finish peer-editing in class, they will be given time to finish up this step in class on Monday.
• Monday, November 2 – Any pairs that did not finish peer editing will be able to do so, and students who have finished peer editing will have time to work on revising their essays.
• Friday, November 6 – Final Moldy Bread Essay is due. Students will follow the check lists on the back of the rubric to prepare the essay for submission.  Students will be turning in all of the following: rubric/check list, final essay, peer-edit worksheet, rough draft, self-evaluation/revising worksheet,  graphic organizer for planning/prewriting essay, and observation log.

Language Arts Advanced – Students were given several due dates for Hound of the Baskervilles.

Tuesday, November 3:

• Book must be completed
• Turn in chapter responses for chapters 12-15
• Turn in Vocabulary Ch. 12-15

Friday, November 6:

• Unit Test – Hound of the Baskervilles
• Annotation Check
• Students will be able to use annotated book for at least one essay question.

Monday, November 9:

• Hound of the Baskervilles Unit Projects Due (For information, please see the tag “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” The handout describing the project and the rubrics that were distributed to students are available there for downloading if you have lost your copy.)