Weekly Updates for 7th Grade English Language Arts (ELA)
My goal is to write a short recap each week at the end of the week. I will also provide information on what's coming up next. The most recent update will be at the top but I will save all of the updates as we progress through the year...keep scrolling to see past updates.
My goal is to write a short recap each week at the end of the week. I will also provide information on what's coming up next. The most recent update will be at the top but I will save all of the updates as we progress through the year...keep scrolling to see past updates.
October 21st-October 25th:
We started the week by finishing up the root word studies for geo, aer & pyr. If students were unable to finish all three roots in the class time allotted they took the pages home to be completed for homework. All three root words must be completed & turned in before Firday, October 25th! Students also took notes on conflict this week & as we read chapter 5 we started to identify the various conflicts that have arisen so far in The Outsiders. On Thursday & Friday students completed an Achieve 3000 article titled 'Stopping the Bullies' & then they completed their chapter 4 & 5 assignments.
We started the week by finishing up the root word studies for geo, aer & pyr. If students were unable to finish all three roots in the class time allotted they took the pages home to be completed for homework. All three root words must be completed & turned in before Firday, October 25th! Students also took notes on conflict this week & as we read chapter 5 we started to identify the various conflicts that have arisen so far in The Outsiders. On Thursday & Friday students completed an Achieve 3000 article titled 'Stopping the Bullies' & then they completed their chapter 4 & 5 assignments.
October 14th-October 17th:
This week we read chapter 4 in The Outsiders. In addition, we completed an Achieve 3000 article titled "The 60s Are Back' & started to explore Greek & Latin word roots. Our first roots were: geo, aer & pyr. Next week we'll finish up the first three root word studies & move on to chapter 5 while exploring Conflict.
This week we read chapter 4 in The Outsiders. In addition, we completed an Achieve 3000 article titled "The 60s Are Back' & started to explore Greek & Latin word roots. Our first roots were: geo, aer & pyr. Next week we'll finish up the first three root word studies & move on to chapter 5 while exploring Conflict.
A few things about 1st quarter grades...they won't be finalized until Thursday, October 17th for me! I'd like to share a few details about the Reading Response Cards & composition books.
Reading Response Cards:
I am working hard to get Reading Response Card grades updated. This has been the on-going homework assignment for students for the entire 1st quarter. It was discussed at Open House & I have mentioned it regularly in class.
I recorded a batch of the cards & updated Focus on Sunday, October 6th & I did another batch on Saturday, October 12th.
The deadline for the RRCs was Friday, October 11th. I was disappointed with the amount of students who did not turn in any RRCs for this quarter & their grades have taken a pretty substantial hit! This is a 50 point grade which can have a very detrimental impact on a student's final average if they end up with a zero for not turning in any RRCs. Because of this, I will accept RRCs until the end of the school day on Monday, October 14th.
Composition Book Grades:
Students have been taking notes & working on The Outsiders assignments in their composition books throughout the quarter. I will be checking to see that those notes & assignments have been being completed.
I had hoped to do this on Thursday, October 10th & Friday, October 11th but many of the students needed additional time before I assessed their composition books, therefore, I will assess composition books Monday, October 14th-Wednesday, October 16th.
Three sizable grades will come from this composition book check:
1st quarter notes: worth 30 points
Outsiders Assignments: worth 45 points
Reading Questions for chapters 1-3: worth 50 points
I know it seems that this is big portion of the students' grades right at the end of the quarter, and it is! But please know, I have been communicating this with them throughout the quarter & I have really been emphasizing it over the last week, October 7th-October 11th. This is NOT a surprise to your student!
Reading Response Cards:
I am working hard to get Reading Response Card grades updated. This has been the on-going homework assignment for students for the entire 1st quarter. It was discussed at Open House & I have mentioned it regularly in class.
I recorded a batch of the cards & updated Focus on Sunday, October 6th & I did another batch on Saturday, October 12th.
The deadline for the RRCs was Friday, October 11th. I was disappointed with the amount of students who did not turn in any RRCs for this quarter & their grades have taken a pretty substantial hit! This is a 50 point grade which can have a very detrimental impact on a student's final average if they end up with a zero for not turning in any RRCs. Because of this, I will accept RRCs until the end of the school day on Monday, October 14th.
Composition Book Grades:
Students have been taking notes & working on The Outsiders assignments in their composition books throughout the quarter. I will be checking to see that those notes & assignments have been being completed.
I had hoped to do this on Thursday, October 10th & Friday, October 11th but many of the students needed additional time before I assessed their composition books, therefore, I will assess composition books Monday, October 14th-Wednesday, October 16th.
Three sizable grades will come from this composition book check:
1st quarter notes: worth 30 points
Outsiders Assignments: worth 45 points
Reading Questions for chapters 1-3: worth 50 points
I know it seems that this is big portion of the students' grades right at the end of the quarter, and it is! But please know, I have been communicating this with them throughout the quarter & I have really been emphasizing it over the last week, October 7th-October 11th. This is NOT a surprise to your student!
October 7th-October 11th:
Students read chapter 3 in The Outsiders this week & worked on the reading questions for chapters 1-3. I have been discussing with the students that this will count as their 1st quarter test grade since we have not had an official test this quarter. I also provided time this week for students to add to The Outsiders assignments we have been working on over the past couple of weeks. As of this week, the anticipation guide should be complete, the exposition & 2-3 events on rising action should be listed on the plot diagram, the short mood/imagery activity should be complete, & the chapter 1-3 reading questions should be done or nearly done. If students were missing any notes in their composition books I made my teacher example available for catching up this week so all students should be up-to-date with their notes, even if they have had an absence. I will begin to grade composition books as soon as possible...hopefully by Friday, October 11th!
Students read chapter 3 in The Outsiders this week & worked on the reading questions for chapters 1-3. I have been discussing with the students that this will count as their 1st quarter test grade since we have not had an official test this quarter. I also provided time this week for students to add to The Outsiders assignments we have been working on over the past couple of weeks. As of this week, the anticipation guide should be complete, the exposition & 2-3 events on rising action should be listed on the plot diagram, the short mood/imagery activity should be complete, & the chapter 1-3 reading questions should be done or nearly done. If students were missing any notes in their composition books I made my teacher example available for catching up this week so all students should be up-to-date with their notes, even if they have had an absence. I will begin to grade composition books as soon as possible...hopefully by Friday, October 11th!
September 30th-October 4th:
This week we continued analyzing characters in The Outsiders as we read chapter 2. Students also took some notes on mood, tone & imagery before doing an activity related to our reading of The Outsiders. I was out this week for some scheduled doctor's appointments & my ELA classes did not get the glowing reports from their substitute that I was hoping for! Please remind your students of the importance of their education & their responsibility in making each day successful & productive. Students started to read chapter 3 in The Outsiders this week. With chapter three there are 17 reading questions that the students will be working on. These questions will be counted as a test grade for the 1st quarter.
I also revisited & went over Reading Response Card expectations & shared model examples written by students for the "Harrison Bergeron" practice RRC that we completed in class. If students would like to give that assignment another try they may do that for homework & turn their card in to the RRC basket in class by Monday, October 14th. I also shared with the students that their 1st quarter RRCs are due no later than Friday, October 11th. I have this written on the board in the classroom & I have been providing verbal reminders daily!
In addition, I sent home score reports for the 2018-2019 FSA & Civics assessments. You can also view your child's test score throughout the year through Performance Matters. I showed the students how to access their data in class the week of September 16th. You can scroll down to that update to see a quick view of how to access student data.
This week we continued analyzing characters in The Outsiders as we read chapter 2. Students also took some notes on mood, tone & imagery before doing an activity related to our reading of The Outsiders. I was out this week for some scheduled doctor's appointments & my ELA classes did not get the glowing reports from their substitute that I was hoping for! Please remind your students of the importance of their education & their responsibility in making each day successful & productive. Students started to read chapter 3 in The Outsiders this week. With chapter three there are 17 reading questions that the students will be working on. These questions will be counted as a test grade for the 1st quarter.
I also revisited & went over Reading Response Card expectations & shared model examples written by students for the "Harrison Bergeron" practice RRC that we completed in class. If students would like to give that assignment another try they may do that for homework & turn their card in to the RRC basket in class by Monday, October 14th. I also shared with the students that their 1st quarter RRCs are due no later than Friday, October 11th. I have this written on the board in the classroom & I have been providing verbal reminders daily!
In addition, I sent home score reports for the 2018-2019 FSA & Civics assessments. You can also view your child's test score throughout the year through Performance Matters. I showed the students how to access their data in class the week of September 16th. You can scroll down to that update to see a quick view of how to access student data.
September 23rd-September 27th:
Achieve 3000 article for this week: "Drive-Ins Are Back". This week we took some notes on plot as we begin to document the main events in The Outsiders as we read. We also started to look at characterization & took some notes before analyzing the members of Ponboy's gang in The Outsiders. As of Friday, we have started reading chapter 2. Next week we will continue analyzing the characters as we finish reading chapter 2.
Achieve 3000 article for this week: "Drive-Ins Are Back". This week we took some notes on plot as we begin to document the main events in The Outsiders as we read. We also started to look at characterization & took some notes before analyzing the members of Ponboy's gang in The Outsiders. As of Friday, we have started reading chapter 2. Next week we will continue analyzing the characters as we finish reading chapter 2.
September 16th-September 20th:
We finally finished the baseline writing assessment this week in ELA which concluded all of the start of the year pre-tests for ELA. A few students who were absent still need to finish! I will try to allow class time but I may need some students to work on their essays at home for homework so we can move forward in class.
We completed our first Achieve 3000 article this week & also did a second one for the month of September. "It's Who You know" & "Too Many Teen Smokers" were this week's articles. We are trying to align the Achieve articles with ideas & concepts that will be raised during our reading of The Outsiders.
I shared with the students how they can access their testing data, this is new this year! We recorded some data tracking including the scale score & achievement score for the 6th grade ELA FSA. We also identified the highest strand & lowest strand for each student. The students recorded their FSA Writing score from 6th grade as well as their current Lexile Level for the month of September. I attached an image for how to access student data below.
Finally this week, we started The Outsiders. We began with an anticipation guide activity & then I did a brief introduction to provide some background information for the students before we started reading. On Friday we took some notes on plot & then started to read chapter one. We'll finish chapter one next week & work on completing the Exposition portion of the plot diagram before moving on to chapter one. I also plan to introduce root word studies next week.
We finally finished the baseline writing assessment this week in ELA which concluded all of the start of the year pre-tests for ELA. A few students who were absent still need to finish! I will try to allow class time but I may need some students to work on their essays at home for homework so we can move forward in class.
We completed our first Achieve 3000 article this week & also did a second one for the month of September. "It's Who You know" & "Too Many Teen Smokers" were this week's articles. We are trying to align the Achieve articles with ideas & concepts that will be raised during our reading of The Outsiders.
I shared with the students how they can access their testing data, this is new this year! We recorded some data tracking including the scale score & achievement score for the 6th grade ELA FSA. We also identified the highest strand & lowest strand for each student. The students recorded their FSA Writing score from 6th grade as well as their current Lexile Level for the month of September. I attached an image for how to access student data below.
Finally this week, we started The Outsiders. We began with an anticipation guide activity & then I did a brief introduction to provide some background information for the students before we started reading. On Friday we took some notes on plot & then started to read chapter one. We'll finish chapter one next week & work on completing the Exposition portion of the plot diagram before moving on to chapter one. I also plan to introduce root word studies next week.
September 9th-September 13th:
ELA students worked on setting up their composition books this week. We had a quick book pass in class so students could get acquainted with the books that are in my classroom library. Students recorded titles that they may want to read this year on a page in their composition book. Book checkout from the classroom library began on Thursday, September 12th & from this point forward every student should have an independent reading book with them in class every day, this will be part of the 'classroom engagement' category in Focus.
Students also started a Writing Baseline Assessment to determine their starting skills as far as essay writing is concerned. Starting in 7th grade students will be required to type their FSA Writing so we have begun typing essays! We will need to finish those up in some classes next week & they will be uploaded to Focus. Students will receive participation points for completing their writing assessment.
Next week we WILL start The Outsiders! I'm really anxious to get started :)
ELA students worked on setting up their composition books this week. We had a quick book pass in class so students could get acquainted with the books that are in my classroom library. Students recorded titles that they may want to read this year on a page in their composition book. Book checkout from the classroom library began on Thursday, September 12th & from this point forward every student should have an independent reading book with them in class every day, this will be part of the 'classroom engagement' category in Focus.
Students also started a Writing Baseline Assessment to determine their starting skills as far as essay writing is concerned. Starting in 7th grade students will be required to type their FSA Writing so we have begun typing essays! We will need to finish those up in some classes next week & they will be uploaded to Focus. Students will receive participation points for completing their writing assessment.
Next week we WILL start The Outsiders! I'm really anxious to get started :)
September 10th, 2019:
It's Open House night at LaVilla! I hope to see lots of parents tonight. This is where you find the weekly updates about what is happening in class. Check at the end of the week or over the weekend to see what we've been working on!
It's Open House night at LaVilla! I hope to see lots of parents tonight. This is where you find the weekly updates about what is happening in class. Check at the end of the week or over the weekend to see what we've been working on!
August 19th -August 23rd:
This week in 7th grade ELA we finished the Achieve 3000 Level Set assessment as well as the District ELA Pre-Test (two 45 minute sessions). With the little bit of class time that students were not testing, we started to learn the process for completing the Reading Response Cards. Throughout the year students will complete RRCs when they finish reading an independent novel. Remember, the standing homework for 7th grade ELA is to read for 20 minutes each day. We are using a Kurt Vonnegut short story called "Harrison Bergeron" to practice the process of how the students will complete a Reading Response Card upon finishing a novel. This will be how students record/track what they are reading toward their 500 page reading requirement for each quarter. We will finish that up next week by writing response to "Harrison Bergeron" & then start organizing class composition books. We still have one more baseline assessment & that is a writing assessment. We will start that next week as well.
This week in 7th grade ELA we finished the Achieve 3000 Level Set assessment as well as the District ELA Pre-Test (two 45 minute sessions). With the little bit of class time that students were not testing, we started to learn the process for completing the Reading Response Cards. Throughout the year students will complete RRCs when they finish reading an independent novel. Remember, the standing homework for 7th grade ELA is to read for 20 minutes each day. We are using a Kurt Vonnegut short story called "Harrison Bergeron" to practice the process of how the students will complete a Reading Response Card upon finishing a novel. This will be how students record/track what they are reading toward their 500 page reading requirement for each quarter. We will finish that up next week by writing response to "Harrison Bergeron" & then start organizing class composition books. We still have one more baseline assessment & that is a writing assessment. We will start that next week as well.
August 12th-August 16th:
We made it through our first week of school!! The first couple of weeks are all about introductions, getting to know one another & rituals & routines! I sent home a welcome letter with students on our first day of class as well as a permission slip to check books out of my classroom library. We talked about expectations for class, supplies, curriculum, etc... We also started out first assessments with the Achieve 3000 Level Set. More of those beginning of the year assessments will continue over the next 2-3 weeks. We also started a "get to know you" activity called My Life in 30 Words. A day students took that for homework on Friday to finish it up for homework & B day students will be taking it home to complete on Monday, August 19th. Next week we have some more pretests & we will be starting to learn how to complete Reading Response Cards. Enjoy your first weekend of 2019-2020 :)
We made it through our first week of school!! The first couple of weeks are all about introductions, getting to know one another & rituals & routines! I sent home a welcome letter with students on our first day of class as well as a permission slip to check books out of my classroom library. We talked about expectations for class, supplies, curriculum, etc... We also started out first assessments with the Achieve 3000 Level Set. More of those beginning of the year assessments will continue over the next 2-3 weeks. We also started a "get to know you" activity called My Life in 30 Words. A day students took that for homework on Friday to finish it up for homework & B day students will be taking it home to complete on Monday, August 19th. Next week we have some more pretests & we will be starting to learn how to complete Reading Response Cards. Enjoy your first weekend of 2019-2020 :)
2019-2020
7th Grade ELA
Welcome to your 7th grade English Language Arts class! We will meet in room 105 & I am looking forward to a productive year! :)
7th Grade ELA
Welcome to your 7th grade English Language Arts class! We will meet in room 105 & I am looking forward to a productive year! :)
BELOW ARE UPDATES FROM 2018-2019
May 6th-May 17th:
(double update, two weeks included...)
The students have been working on Literature Circles in-between all of the testing that has been taking place here at school! We have had three meetings so far with the 4th and FINAL meeting scheduled for Monday, May 20th. Students must have completed the required reading as well as their notes page & role sheet BEFORE Monday's meeting. On May 14th I introduced the final project for the end of the novel...the One-Pager. This is a creative way for students to thoughtfully express their analysis & understanding of the text in a visual format. All students were given a packet that will guide them through creating the One-Pager. I included some example images of One-Pagers below. The due date for the final project is Wednesday, May 22nd & we will be doing a class "gallery walk" on Friday, May 24th to view the students' work.
(double update, two weeks included...)
The students have been working on Literature Circles in-between all of the testing that has been taking place here at school! We have had three meetings so far with the 4th and FINAL meeting scheduled for Monday, May 20th. Students must have completed the required reading as well as their notes page & role sheet BEFORE Monday's meeting. On May 14th I introduced the final project for the end of the novel...the One-Pager. This is a creative way for students to thoughtfully express their analysis & understanding of the text in a visual format. All students were given a packet that will guide them through creating the One-Pager. I included some example images of One-Pagers below. The due date for the final project is Wednesday, May 22nd & we will be doing a class "gallery walk" on Friday, May 24th to view the students' work.
April 29th-May 3rd:
It's time for the FSA Reading Assessment! Students are required to have earbuds/headphones for the testing on Wednesday & Thursday this week!! We will also be continuing with our Literature Circles in class over the next several weeks...
It's time for the FSA Reading Assessment! Students are required to have earbuds/headphones for the testing on Wednesday & Thursday this week!! We will also be continuing with our Literature Circles in class over the next several weeks...
April 23rd-April 26th:
The FSA Reading Assessment is NEXT WEEK! All students must have a set of headphones or earbuds for the testing on Wednesday, May 1st & Tuesday, May 2nd. The PTSA will sell earbuds for $5 before school starting Monday, April 29th!
In class we are working on some FSA test prep articles as well as Literature Circles. Students should be keeping up with their reading schedule, as well as have the notes page & role sheet completed before each meeting. Students were all given a schedule of the Literature Circle meetings that they should have in their homework folder. Progress Reports for 4th quarter will be sent home next week.
The FSA Reading Assessment is NEXT WEEK! All students must have a set of headphones or earbuds for the testing on Wednesday, May 1st & Tuesday, May 2nd. The PTSA will sell earbuds for $5 before school starting Monday, April 29th!
In class we are working on some FSA test prep articles as well as Literature Circles. Students should be keeping up with their reading schedule, as well as have the notes page & role sheet completed before each meeting. Students were all given a schedule of the Literature Circle meetings that they should have in their homework folder. Progress Reports for 4th quarter will be sent home next week.
April 15th-April 18th:
We finished up The Omnivore's Dilemma in class this week with a series of FSA style questions. We also completed our LAST TWO Achieve 3000 articles this week! Next week we are scheduled to take the Level Set Assessment to see how much reading growth was made this year. We have also been continuing with our Literature Circle reading...next week is our first meeting & the notes page as well as the role sheet will be due at the start of class on Friday, April 26th. Enjoy the long weekend :)
We finished up The Omnivore's Dilemma in class this week with a series of FSA style questions. We also completed our LAST TWO Achieve 3000 articles this week! Next week we are scheduled to take the Level Set Assessment to see how much reading growth was made this year. We have also been continuing with our Literature Circle reading...next week is our first meeting & the notes page as well as the role sheet will be due at the start of class on Friday, April 26th. Enjoy the long weekend :)
April 8th-April 12th:
We starting reading The Omnivore's Dilemma this week in class. This is the first of several nonfiction pieces we will be reading to prepare for the FSA Reading test which is approaching quickly! It may have started some discussion at home about what we eat! I purchased the book because the excerpt we are reading in class was so engaging & interesting! It would be great summer reading book!
We also started Literature Circles this week. Between our nonfiction texts & our Literature Circles the rest of the year is basically planned! I have attached a document below (not available on the mobile app, scroll all the way down if you are using a cell phone & switch to the web version!) with some important upcoming dates to help keep everyone on track.
On Friday I was able to take all of my classes to the book fair for a photo op & a quick purchase if they found a book the loved! I bought The Van Gogh Deception & I can't wait to start reading! Check out the class pictures below :)
We starting reading The Omnivore's Dilemma this week in class. This is the first of several nonfiction pieces we will be reading to prepare for the FSA Reading test which is approaching quickly! It may have started some discussion at home about what we eat! I purchased the book because the excerpt we are reading in class was so engaging & interesting! It would be great summer reading book!
We also started Literature Circles this week. Between our nonfiction texts & our Literature Circles the rest of the year is basically planned! I have attached a document below (not available on the mobile app, scroll all the way down if you are using a cell phone & switch to the web version!) with some important upcoming dates to help keep everyone on track.
On Friday I was able to take all of my classes to the book fair for a photo op & a quick purchase if they found a book the loved! I bought The Van Gogh Deception & I can't wait to start reading! Check out the class pictures below :)
April 1st-April 5th:
This week the students took the FSA Writing test on Tuesday! And on Thursday in class we finished up our writing workshop by writing a modified expository essay on Bees. Some students were unable to finish their 3 paragraph essay in class so it must be completed for homework. The modified essay should include: a strong introduction (with 3 point thesis), ONE body paragraph with at least 2 pieces of evidence + your elaboration & a strong conclusion. These essays will be due at the start of class on Monday, April 8th & they will NOT be accepted late! It's time to Let Gogh of WRITING for now!!!
Next week we will begin looking at some nonfiction texts to prepare for the FSA Reading (which will be May 1st & 2nd) & we'll be starting Literature Circles soon!!
This week the students took the FSA Writing test on Tuesday! And on Thursday in class we finished up our writing workshop by writing a modified expository essay on Bees. Some students were unable to finish their 3 paragraph essay in class so it must be completed for homework. The modified essay should include: a strong introduction (with 3 point thesis), ONE body paragraph with at least 2 pieces of evidence + your elaboration & a strong conclusion. These essays will be due at the start of class on Monday, April 8th & they will NOT be accepted late! It's time to Let Gogh of WRITING for now!!!
Next week we will begin looking at some nonfiction texts to prepare for the FSA Reading (which will be May 1st & 2nd) & we'll be starting Literature Circles soon!!
March 25th-March 29th:
This is our last week of writing workshop before the FSA Writing assessment on Tuesday, April 2nd. I know I have a lot of students who will be missing classes this week due to field trips so read this update in its entirety, there will be some important information about what was missed in class on Wednesday & Friday!!
On Monday we spent some time looking at the scored "mock" FSA Writing essays. The students deciphered my highlighting code & we discovered that ORANGE was missing from a lot of the essays...ORANGE happens to be my favorite color & the MOST IMPORTANT part of the students' essays!! It is the ELABORATION part of the essay. In most cases students are simply restating the evidence instead of furthering the evidence through effective elaboration. We talked a lot this in class & I shared an example essay that I wrote to illustrate effective elaboration versus simple restatements.
On Wednesday we focused on Expository Writing. We completed two Achieve articles, took some notes on Expository Writing & then looked at our Bees sources & the expository writing prompt for an essay about bees. We analyzed the prompt together in class for SAP--Subject, Audience, Purpose & discussed how to tell the difference between an Expository prompt & a Persuasive prompt. **See the file below for more details from the PPT I used in class!**
On Friday we tried to cover all of the last minute things before the official FSA Writing test. I know my students have been adequately prepared for this test, they just need to use what they've been learning in class!! Students should be reviewing their notes on writing (February 13th-March 27th) in their composition books this weekend! Let's OWN this FSA :) **See the file below for more details from the PPT I used in class!**
This is our last week of writing workshop before the FSA Writing assessment on Tuesday, April 2nd. I know I have a lot of students who will be missing classes this week due to field trips so read this update in its entirety, there will be some important information about what was missed in class on Wednesday & Friday!!
On Monday we spent some time looking at the scored "mock" FSA Writing essays. The students deciphered my highlighting code & we discovered that ORANGE was missing from a lot of the essays...ORANGE happens to be my favorite color & the MOST IMPORTANT part of the students' essays!! It is the ELABORATION part of the essay. In most cases students are simply restating the evidence instead of furthering the evidence through effective elaboration. We talked a lot this in class & I shared an example essay that I wrote to illustrate effective elaboration versus simple restatements.
On Wednesday we focused on Expository Writing. We completed two Achieve articles, took some notes on Expository Writing & then looked at our Bees sources & the expository writing prompt for an essay about bees. We analyzed the prompt together in class for SAP--Subject, Audience, Purpose & discussed how to tell the difference between an Expository prompt & a Persuasive prompt. **See the file below for more details from the PPT I used in class!**
On Friday we tried to cover all of the last minute things before the official FSA Writing test. I know my students have been adequately prepared for this test, they just need to use what they've been learning in class!! Students should be reviewing their notes on writing (February 13th-March 27th) in their composition books this weekend! Let's OWN this FSA :) **See the file below for more details from the PPT I used in class!**
3-27-2019_what_is_expository_writing.pdf | |
File Size: | 831 kb |
File Type: |
3-29-2019_last_minute_writing_tips_for_fsa.pdf | |
File Size: | 2035 kb |
File Type: |
March 18th-March 22nd:
This week we started to type & finalize the shark essays. We also worked on two Achieve articles that will be sources for our Expository Essay on bees. On Wednesday we went through the official state practice for the FSA Writing assessment. I also sent a letter about the upcoming FSA dates home with students on Wednesday. Students are required to finish their shark essays for homework & share them with me through OneView before Monday's class. We will be looking at the "mock" FSA essays on handwriting & we will also work with the shark essays next week...please make sure you share your essay with me before Monday! We will also focus on Expository Writing next week...
This week we started to type & finalize the shark essays. We also worked on two Achieve articles that will be sources for our Expository Essay on bees. On Wednesday we went through the official state practice for the FSA Writing assessment. I also sent a letter about the upcoming FSA dates home with students on Wednesday. Students are required to finish their shark essays for homework & share them with me through OneView before Monday's class. We will be looking at the "mock" FSA essays on handwriting & we will also work with the shark essays next week...please make sure you share your essay with me before Monday! We will also focus on Expository Writing next week...
March 4th-March 8th:
We are still plugging through writing workshop lessons! This week we focused on counterclaims & conclusions in class & then the students wrote their "mock" FSA Writing Essay on Wednesday. On Friday we did an Achieve article & students had an opportunity to work on missing assignments or Reading Response Cards...those will be due right after Spring Break! We will finish up our shark essays after Spring Break as well. Enjoy your week off...you've earned it :)
We are still plugging through writing workshop lessons! This week we focused on counterclaims & conclusions in class & then the students wrote their "mock" FSA Writing Essay on Wednesday. On Friday we did an Achieve article & students had an opportunity to work on missing assignments or Reading Response Cards...those will be due right after Spring Break! We will finish up our shark essays after Spring Break as well. Enjoy your week off...you've earned it :)
February 25th-March 1st:
We are moving right along with our Writing Workshop before the "mock" FSA Writing test next week! If we stay on track we'll get to counterclaims & conclusions next Tuesday right before student take their writing assessment on Wednesday, March 6th! We reviewed information about writing a thesis, wrote essay plans, got an introduction paragraph started, & started on the body paragraphs. Next week...counterclaims & conclusions...
We are moving right along with our Writing Workshop before the "mock" FSA Writing test next week! If we stay on track we'll get to counterclaims & conclusions next Tuesday right before student take their writing assessment on Wednesday, March 6th! We reviewed information about writing a thesis, wrote essay plans, got an introduction paragraph started, & started on the body paragraphs. Next week...counterclaims & conclusions...
February 19th-February 22nd:
This week we started to practice using our nonfiction signposts to identify important details in nonfiction articles about sharks. This is preparing us with background knowledge to find evidence to use in an essay we will write in class about sharks. We will be writing this essay in bits & pieces, the students will complete a part of their essay at a time when we learn a concept in class & then upload their work to Focus to practice for the TYPED FSA Writing Assessment on April 2nd. We also learned about Analyzing a Writing Prompt (Neadpod: FQXTA) & Writing Thesis Statements (Nearpod: YVLKA).
HOMEWORK: Students should read the article titled "Misunderstood Monsters" & label the signposts. They also need to complete the STOP, NOTICE, NOTE chart in their composition books with at least 10 signposts from the article. They have done this in class with the "Making Cape Town Beaches Shark-Safe" article so they can use that as the model example.
We will continue with the Writing Thesis Statements Nearpod in class on Monday, February 25th & the students will write their thesis statements for their shark essay. They will also start to plan their essay & organize the evidence they have been collecting.
This week we started to practice using our nonfiction signposts to identify important details in nonfiction articles about sharks. This is preparing us with background knowledge to find evidence to use in an essay we will write in class about sharks. We will be writing this essay in bits & pieces, the students will complete a part of their essay at a time when we learn a concept in class & then upload their work to Focus to practice for the TYPED FSA Writing Assessment on April 2nd. We also learned about Analyzing a Writing Prompt (Neadpod: FQXTA) & Writing Thesis Statements (Nearpod: YVLKA).
HOMEWORK: Students should read the article titled "Misunderstood Monsters" & label the signposts. They also need to complete the STOP, NOTICE, NOTE chart in their composition books with at least 10 signposts from the article. They have done this in class with the "Making Cape Town Beaches Shark-Safe" article so they can use that as the model example.
We will continue with the Writing Thesis Statements Nearpod in class on Monday, February 25th & the students will write their thesis statements for their shark essay. They will also start to plan their essay & organize the evidence they have been collecting.
February 11th-February 14th:
ELA students had their Poetry/Figurative Language test on Monday. They also completed an Achieve 3000 article titled Helping a Poet Shine & we did root word #18-corp. On Wednesday we looked at root #19-viv (vit) & then took some introductory notes on Nonfiction Questioning Stance & Nonfiction Signposts. This kicks off our writing unit! We will workshop through informational/expository essay writing & then on March 6th the students will have a "mock" FSA Writing test with an argumentative/persuasive essay writing prompt in an actual "testing" environment. Throughout the workshop process in class we will utilize as many Achieve 3000 articles as possible to meet that requirement at the same time. Next week we'll start talking about gathering evidence & writing a thesis statement.
ELA students had their Poetry/Figurative Language test on Monday. They also completed an Achieve 3000 article titled Helping a Poet Shine & we did root word #18-corp. On Wednesday we looked at root #19-viv (vit) & then took some introductory notes on Nonfiction Questioning Stance & Nonfiction Signposts. This kicks off our writing unit! We will workshop through informational/expository essay writing & then on March 6th the students will have a "mock" FSA Writing test with an argumentative/persuasive essay writing prompt in an actual "testing" environment. Throughout the workshop process in class we will utilize as many Achieve 3000 articles as possible to meet that requirement at the same time. Next week we'll start talking about gathering evidence & writing a thesis statement.
February 4th-February 8th:
This week we finished up voting for LaVilla's favorite book with the Battle of the Books--The Outsiders made it to the top 2 but lost by 72 votes to The Hate U Give. I now have that one on my reading list, it sounds very intriguing & topical!
We took a look at Symbolism this week as well as Imagery. Students worked through two Nearpod presentations to guide them in analyzing poetry this week; one on Analyzing the Structure of Poems & one on Determining a Poems' Theme. Bringing back theme from our "Outsiders" days!! We also got back to our root word studies with root #16 astro (aster) & #17 clam (claim). Finally, on Thursday we did an Achieve 3000 article titled "The Return of the Unicorn". ALL STUDENTS took their composition books home at the end of class on Thursday so they could STUDY for their Poetry Test which will be on Monday, February 11th. ALL COMPOSITION BOOKS must be returned to class on Monday!
This week we finished up voting for LaVilla's favorite book with the Battle of the Books--The Outsiders made it to the top 2 but lost by 72 votes to The Hate U Give. I now have that one on my reading list, it sounds very intriguing & topical!
We took a look at Symbolism this week as well as Imagery. Students worked through two Nearpod presentations to guide them in analyzing poetry this week; one on Analyzing the Structure of Poems & one on Determining a Poems' Theme. Bringing back theme from our "Outsiders" days!! We also got back to our root word studies with root #16 astro (aster) & #17 clam (claim). Finally, on Thursday we did an Achieve 3000 article titled "The Return of the Unicorn". ALL STUDENTS took their composition books home at the end of class on Thursday so they could STUDY for their Poetry Test which will be on Monday, February 11th. ALL COMPOSITION BOOKS must be returned to class on Monday!
January 28th-February 1st:
All week we have been celebrating Literacy Week in Florida. Our students have been voting on the "best books" for middle schoolers according to LaVilla students. The Outsiders has made it all the way to the FINAL FOUR!! Yipee! On Monday I introduced the students to www.storylineonline.net & while we "watched" a story the students colored themselves a special bookmark. After that we continued learning about Figurative Language with a Flocabulary activity. We also took some notes on Mood & Tone. We have been practicing analyzing poems to find the figurative language by doing 'A Poem with A Partner'. Students pair up & answer the guiding questions to uncover the figurative language in a poem. We will do several of these continuing into next week. We also worked through a Nearpod on predicting what a poem will be about by looking only at the title. On Monday, February 11th the students will take a test on Figurative Language & then we will be moving into nonfiction & writing.
A few class period ago the students completed a Quill diagnostic test in class to see where the students' grammar/writing skills were. We have tried to start using this in class but there simply isn't enough time for everything! I have assigned some activities for the students & if they would like to complete those at home I will offer a little extra credit because I believe it is worthwhile! Here is the website: www.quill.org The students created accounts with me in class & their username/password should follow this pattern: user name is student number with the lowercase s at the beginning & the password is the student's first, middle & last name with no caps & no spaces. If you have issues logging in, try to send me an email & I'll see what I can do.
All week we have been celebrating Literacy Week in Florida. Our students have been voting on the "best books" for middle schoolers according to LaVilla students. The Outsiders has made it all the way to the FINAL FOUR!! Yipee! On Monday I introduced the students to www.storylineonline.net & while we "watched" a story the students colored themselves a special bookmark. After that we continued learning about Figurative Language with a Flocabulary activity. We also took some notes on Mood & Tone. We have been practicing analyzing poems to find the figurative language by doing 'A Poem with A Partner'. Students pair up & answer the guiding questions to uncover the figurative language in a poem. We will do several of these continuing into next week. We also worked through a Nearpod on predicting what a poem will be about by looking only at the title. On Monday, February 11th the students will take a test on Figurative Language & then we will be moving into nonfiction & writing.
A few class period ago the students completed a Quill diagnostic test in class to see where the students' grammar/writing skills were. We have tried to start using this in class but there simply isn't enough time for everything! I have assigned some activities for the students & if they would like to complete those at home I will offer a little extra credit because I believe it is worthwhile! Here is the website: www.quill.org The students created accounts with me in class & their username/password should follow this pattern: user name is student number with the lowercase s at the beginning & the password is the student's first, middle & last name with no caps & no spaces. If you have issues logging in, try to send me an email & I'll see what I can do.
January 22nd-January 25th:
In ELA this week students finished up their Quill diagnostic & they started on their first Quill activity to improve writing & grammar. They also completed an Achieve 3000 article of their choice. We have Celebrate Literacy Week beginning next week so we did nominations for our Battle of the Books which will take place next week in class. We are still working on learning various types of Figurative Language & that will continue into next week as a result of our unexpected day on Thursday! Hopefully things will be normal next week :)
Students should be reading for 20 minutes each night...they can be looking for examples of figurative language as they read! All Reading Response Cards for 3rd quarter will be due by March 8th!
In ELA this week students finished up their Quill diagnostic & they started on their first Quill activity to improve writing & grammar. They also completed an Achieve 3000 article of their choice. We have Celebrate Literacy Week beginning next week so we did nominations for our Battle of the Books which will take place next week in class. We are still working on learning various types of Figurative Language & that will continue into next week as a result of our unexpected day on Thursday! Hopefully things will be normal next week :)
Students should be reading for 20 minutes each night...they can be looking for examples of figurative language as they read! All Reading Response Cards for 3rd quarter will be due by March 8th!
January 15th-January 18th:
This week ELA students took a quiz on root words #11-#15, we finished up a Figurative Language Nearpod, we read an Achieve 3000 article about computers as poets, we started a Quill diagnostic to identify grammar skills that could use some work, & students should have brought home their PSAT score reports. That score report is FABULOUS & provides a wealth of information & study material...hold on to that one :) Next week we will continue with Figurative Language!
This week ELA students took a quiz on root words #11-#15, we finished up a Figurative Language Nearpod, we read an Achieve 3000 article about computers as poets, we started a Quill diagnostic to identify grammar skills that could use some work, & students should have brought home their PSAT score reports. That score report is FABULOUS & provides a wealth of information & study material...hold on to that one :) Next week we will continue with Figurative Language!
January 8th-January 11th:
Welcome back to 2019! We started this week by organizing our 2nd quarter assignments in our classroom folders to close out that quarter before starting our new quarter. I am also having "data chats" with students that will be on-going so I can discuss some recent test data & future goals for each student..
This week we completed our first Achieve 3000 article for the month: 'Remembering Maya Angelou'. This was a great article to transition us into POETRY! We started exploring poetry by taking some notes on Figurative Language; we explored seven types of Figurative Language with the acronym SHAMPOO! We got started on a Nearpod focusing on Figurative Language that we will continue next week.
The other thing we did this week was root #15-prot/proto. The students will have a quiz on roots #11-#15 on Tuesday, January 15th.
December 17th-December 21st:
This week we shared some of The Outsiders final projects. We also completed a Nearpod about 'The Gift of the Magi' which was a fun & interactive way to learn about a classic short story as well as learn a little bit about the three types of IRONY. AND, we reinforced our lessons on THEME by writing a theme statement for "The Gift of the Magi'. The Nearpod should have ended with the Sesame Street version of "The Gift of the Magi' but we didn't make it to the end in every class so here is the link if you'd like to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2VFgHGKzx4
On Friday we finally got the chance to see the movie version of The Outsiders which officially ends that unit for us.
AND...we had our school Spelling Bee on Friday as well!
I hope everyone has a relaxing & enjoyable holiday break :)
This week we shared some of The Outsiders final projects. We also completed a Nearpod about 'The Gift of the Magi' which was a fun & interactive way to learn about a classic short story as well as learn a little bit about the three types of IRONY. AND, we reinforced our lessons on THEME by writing a theme statement for "The Gift of the Magi'. The Nearpod should have ended with the Sesame Street version of "The Gift of the Magi' but we didn't make it to the end in every class so here is the link if you'd like to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2VFgHGKzx4
On Friday we finally got the chance to see the movie version of The Outsiders which officially ends that unit for us.
AND...we had our school Spelling Bee on Friday as well!
I hope everyone has a relaxing & enjoyable holiday break :)
December 10th-December 14th:
The students completed their District Mid-Year Scrimmage for ELA on Tuesday & Thursday this week. There were two sections of the test; section 1 on Tuesday & section 2 on Thursday. Students who were absent will need to make-up that test when they return to school. Students also submitted their Outsiders Final Projects on Tuesday. On Thursday I communicated with the students who did not turn their project in & offered them a way to "recover" the zero they currently have for that project. Next week, on Friday, we will watch The Outsiders movie in class. I also need ALL Reading Response Cards by Friday, December 21st!
SPELLING BEE!! The school Spelling Bee is on Friday, December 21st at 8:25 AM in the theater. I have three amazing spellers representing my three classes & I wish them nothing but the best as the spell :) Good Luck Isabella, Luna & Juliana!!
The students completed their District Mid-Year Scrimmage for ELA on Tuesday & Thursday this week. There were two sections of the test; section 1 on Tuesday & section 2 on Thursday. Students who were absent will need to make-up that test when they return to school. Students also submitted their Outsiders Final Projects on Tuesday. On Thursday I communicated with the students who did not turn their project in & offered them a way to "recover" the zero they currently have for that project. Next week, on Friday, we will watch The Outsiders movie in class. I also need ALL Reading Response Cards by Friday, December 21st!
SPELLING BEE!! The school Spelling Bee is on Friday, December 21st at 8:25 AM in the theater. I have three amazing spellers representing my three classes & I wish them nothing but the best as the spell :) Good Luck Isabella, Luna & Juliana!!
December 3rd-December 7th:
The week was all about the final activities for The Outsiders. We started the week with the final Socrative quiz for chapters 10 & 11. We explored the various themes & each student wrote their own theme statement (see pictures below this update...). On wednesday students worked on their final essay in class. On Friday students finished up their essays & had the remainder of the period to work on their individual final projects. The final projects are due on Tuesday, December 11th at the start of class. Next week we have District Mid-Year Scrimmages for ELA. Students will test on Tuesday & Thursday next week & they must have their earbuds with them for the testing.
The week was all about the final activities for The Outsiders. We started the week with the final Socrative quiz for chapters 10 & 11. We explored the various themes & each student wrote their own theme statement (see pictures below this update...). On wednesday students worked on their final essay in class. On Friday students finished up their essays & had the remainder of the period to work on their individual final projects. The final projects are due on Tuesday, December 11th at the start of class. Next week we have District Mid-Year Scrimmages for ELA. Students will test on Tuesday & Thursday next week & they must have their earbuds with them for the testing.
November 26th-November 30th:
On Tuesday the students had their second Literature Circle discussions in small groups for chapters 10 & 11 of The Outsiders. After the discussions we worked on completing the Conflict Chart & the students were introduced to the four options for the final Outsiders project. For homework they were asked to review all four options & choose which ONE they wanted to work on. On Thursday I gave each student a specific Rubric for the project option they chose. The deadline for this project is December 11th, NO EXCEPTIONS! On Tuesday we explored root #12 -mot, mov, mob which means MOVE. On Thursday we took some notes on theme & practiced identifying various themes. We also finished reading The Outsiders!!
On Tuesday the students had their second Literature Circle discussions in small groups for chapters 10 & 11 of The Outsiders. After the discussions we worked on completing the Conflict Chart & the students were introduced to the four options for the final Outsiders project. For homework they were asked to review all four options & choose which ONE they wanted to work on. On Thursday I gave each student a specific Rubric for the project option they chose. The deadline for this project is December 11th, NO EXCEPTIONS! On Tuesday we explored root #12 -mot, mov, mob which means MOVE. On Thursday we took some notes on theme & practiced identifying various themes. We also finished reading The Outsiders!!
November 20th:
It was a VERY short week due to our Thanksgiving break! On Tuesday the students completed their mid-year Achieve Level Set assessment & most of my students reported that their Lexile levels are increasing...just what I like to hear! :) After that I had a make-up or recovery work day for students to complete missing assignments due to absences or recover assignments they failed the first time around. Students have HOMEWORK over the break if they didn't finish in class today. All students are required to read chapters 10 & 11 in The Outsiders & complete the "windowpane" handout in preparation for our 2nd Literature Circle meeting which is scheduled for the day we return from break, Tuesday, November 27th. If students do not have their "windowpane" complete they will not be able to participate in the discussion & they will receive a zero for that portion of the assignment!
It was a VERY short week due to our Thanksgiving break! On Tuesday the students completed their mid-year Achieve Level Set assessment & most of my students reported that their Lexile levels are increasing...just what I like to hear! :) After that I had a make-up or recovery work day for students to complete missing assignments due to absences or recover assignments they failed the first time around. Students have HOMEWORK over the break if they didn't finish in class today. All students are required to read chapters 10 & 11 in The Outsiders & complete the "windowpane" handout in preparation for our 2nd Literature Circle meeting which is scheduled for the day we return from break, Tuesday, November 27th. If students do not have their "windowpane" complete they will not be able to participate in the discussion & they will receive a zero for that portion of the assignment!
November 13th-November 16th:
This week in ELA the students explored root #11 lab which means work. We had Literature Circle discussions covering chapters 7 & 8 of The Outsiders on Wednesday. Students had to have their "windowpane" handout completed in order to participate in the small group discussions; if they were unprepared they had to complete their assignment during the discussion & forfeit the discussion grade. We will have another round of Literature Discussions for chapters 10 & 11. We started to read chapter 9 together but some classes need to finish reading chapter 9 for homework.
HOMEWORK FOR ALL CLASSES: Read chapter 10 & complete HALF of the "windowpane" handout for chapter 10. That will be due on Tuesday, November 20th.
We also had our class Spelling Bee on Friday this week. The three winners from my classes with move on to the school Spelling Bee on December 21st. The 6th period winner was Isabella M. The 7th period winner was Luina B. The 8th period winner was Juliana L. I can't wait to see you spell like champs at the school Spelling Bee on Friday, December 21st :) GOOD LUCK, you know I'll be rootin for you girls! :)
This week in ELA the students explored root #11 lab which means work. We had Literature Circle discussions covering chapters 7 & 8 of The Outsiders on Wednesday. Students had to have their "windowpane" handout completed in order to participate in the small group discussions; if they were unprepared they had to complete their assignment during the discussion & forfeit the discussion grade. We will have another round of Literature Discussions for chapters 10 & 11. We started to read chapter 9 together but some classes need to finish reading chapter 9 for homework.
HOMEWORK FOR ALL CLASSES: Read chapter 10 & complete HALF of the "windowpane" handout for chapter 10. That will be due on Tuesday, November 20th.
We also had our class Spelling Bee on Friday this week. The three winners from my classes with move on to the school Spelling Bee on December 21st. The 6th period winner was Isabella M. The 7th period winner was Luina B. The 8th period winner was Juliana L. I can't wait to see you spell like champs at the school Spelling Bee on Friday, December 21st :) GOOD LUCK, you know I'll be rootin for you girls! :)
November 5th-November 8th:
This week we started to make significant progress towards catching up to where we should be in The Outsiders! As a result of my absences we got a little bit behind the other 7th grade ELA classes (which was leading to SPOILERS!) but we are so close to being caught up as of today, Thursday! The students read chapters 5-8 this week & they took a quiz on chapters 4 & 5 on Thursday. Students will participate in small group literature circle discussions next Wednesday, November 14th focused on chapters 7 & 8. They are working on a 'windowpane' handout that will help facilitate the discussions next week. The 'windowpane' handout must be completed prior to the start of class on Wednesday, November 14th. All students should have the handout in their homework folders to finish up this weekend!
We explored root #10 junct this week & the students took their Root Word Quiz #2 (roots #6-#10) on Thursday.
We read an Achieve 3000 article titled 'The Gift of Life' that has a small connection to The Outsiders...the article was focused on blood donations & in The Outsiders Johnny just had to have a plasma transfusion following the injury he suffered rescuing the kids from the burning church!
As always, students should be reading for 20 minutes each evening in order to reach the goal of 500 pages for 2nd quarter. Please complete Reading Response Cards in a timely manner & get them turned in to the basket on the bookshelf ASAP!
Enjoy the 4 day weekend :)
This week we started to make significant progress towards catching up to where we should be in The Outsiders! As a result of my absences we got a little bit behind the other 7th grade ELA classes (which was leading to SPOILERS!) but we are so close to being caught up as of today, Thursday! The students read chapters 5-8 this week & they took a quiz on chapters 4 & 5 on Thursday. Students will participate in small group literature circle discussions next Wednesday, November 14th focused on chapters 7 & 8. They are working on a 'windowpane' handout that will help facilitate the discussions next week. The 'windowpane' handout must be completed prior to the start of class on Wednesday, November 14th. All students should have the handout in their homework folders to finish up this weekend!
We explored root #10 junct this week & the students took their Root Word Quiz #2 (roots #6-#10) on Thursday.
We read an Achieve 3000 article titled 'The Gift of Life' that has a small connection to The Outsiders...the article was focused on blood donations & in The Outsiders Johnny just had to have a plasma transfusion following the injury he suffered rescuing the kids from the burning church!
As always, students should be reading for 20 minutes each evening in order to reach the goal of 500 pages for 2nd quarter. Please complete Reading Response Cards in a timely manner & get them turned in to the basket on the bookshelf ASAP!
Enjoy the 4 day weekend :)
October 29th-November 2nd:
This week we finished up the PEEL paragraphs focused on a character analysis from The Outsiders. Some students had to take that home to complete because they did not finish in the allotted class time. Those were due at the start of class on Friday. The students took a quiz on chapters 2 & 3 of The Outsiders on Monday & we followed the quiz up with an Achieve 3000 article that the students were able to choose instead of me assigning a specific article. We worked on root word #9 on Wednesday before doing the first reading of chapter 4 in The Outsiders. On Friday in class we did 2 quick mini-lessons on Conflict & Plot before the students completed their second, independent reading of chapter 4 with specific assignments to focus on conflict & plot. HOMEWORK: Read chapter 5 & complete the Reading Guide Questions handout as well as the Poetry Analysis handout. Those handouts will be due at the start of class on Tuesday, PLEASE DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!
This week we finished up the PEEL paragraphs focused on a character analysis from The Outsiders. Some students had to take that home to complete because they did not finish in the allotted class time. Those were due at the start of class on Friday. The students took a quiz on chapters 2 & 3 of The Outsiders on Monday & we followed the quiz up with an Achieve 3000 article that the students were able to choose instead of me assigning a specific article. We worked on root word #9 on Wednesday before doing the first reading of chapter 4 in The Outsiders. On Friday in class we did 2 quick mini-lessons on Conflict & Plot before the students completed their second, independent reading of chapter 4 with specific assignments to focus on conflict & plot. HOMEWORK: Read chapter 5 & complete the Reading Guide Questions handout as well as the Poetry Analysis handout. Those handouts will be due at the start of class on Tuesday, PLEASE DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!
October 22nd-October 26th:
The students started this week with a substitute while I recovered from surgery but they continued to move forward with chapter 3 & analyzing characters. They learned some new vocabulary to help them describe character traits & they chose ONE character to focus on for an in-depth character analysis. They completed a Characterization Clues chart on the one character they wanted to focus on before starting to write a response to literature paragraph using PEEL. We will finish those paragraphs on Monday next week before starting chapter 4. We also got back to our root word studies this week & focused on hyper which was root #8. Next week there will be a Socrative quiz on chapters 2 & 3.
The students started this week with a substitute while I recovered from surgery but they continued to move forward with chapter 3 & analyzing characters. They learned some new vocabulary to help them describe character traits & they chose ONE character to focus on for an in-depth character analysis. They completed a Characterization Clues chart on the one character they wanted to focus on before starting to write a response to literature paragraph using PEEL. We will finish those paragraphs on Monday next week before starting chapter 4. We also got back to our root word studies this week & focused on hyper which was root #8. Next week there will be a Socrative quiz on chapters 2 & 3.
October 15th-October 18th:
This week I passed out the Spelling Bee Study Word List for 7th graders. We will have our class Spelling Bee in November & the school Spelling Bee will be in December. We did an Achieve 3000 article, 'It's Who You Know' & worked on some make up work as the first quarter came to a close. I had to have surgery so there was a fantastic substitute here to move the students forward with The Outsiders while I was out. Students read chapter 3 & completed 4-column notes in my absence.
This week I passed out the Spelling Bee Study Word List for 7th graders. We will have our class Spelling Bee in November & the school Spelling Bee will be in December. We did an Achieve 3000 article, 'It's Who You Know' & worked on some make up work as the first quarter came to a close. I had to have surgery so there was a fantastic substitute here to move the students forward with The Outsiders while I was out. Students read chapter 3 & completed 4-column notes in my absence.
October 8th-October 12th:
We completed our PEEL paragraphs on Monday before moving on to chapter 2. We are using the 4 column notes structure for this chapter with a focus on Characterization. Student took some notes on direct & indirect characterization before starting to read the chapter. Throughout the reading they should be looking for places where the author uses indirect characterization. We are also working on an Outsiders Character Chart that we will continue to use into chapter 3. I handed back Reading Response Cards on Friday--if there are corrections to be made please return the card to me no later than Tuesday, October 16th! I will be out for surgery after that date & I will not be able to accept any cards. If you have a zero for the 500 pages assignment, you also have until Tuesday, October 16th to get me your Reading Response Cards!
*Wednesday was the PSAT testing for 7th & 8th grade students.
We completed our PEEL paragraphs on Monday before moving on to chapter 2. We are using the 4 column notes structure for this chapter with a focus on Characterization. Student took some notes on direct & indirect characterization before starting to read the chapter. Throughout the reading they should be looking for places where the author uses indirect characterization. We are also working on an Outsiders Character Chart that we will continue to use into chapter 3. I handed back Reading Response Cards on Friday--if there are corrections to be made please return the card to me no later than Tuesday, October 16th! I will be out for surgery after that date & I will not be able to accept any cards. If you have a zero for the 500 pages assignment, you also have until Tuesday, October 16th to get me your Reading Response Cards!
*Wednesday was the PSAT testing for 7th & 8th grade students.
October 1st-October 5th:
This week we continued working on roots; #6: -extra & #7 -funct. We also completed another Achieve 3000 article; 'Drive Ins Are Back'. We are trying to find relevant articles to go along with our reading of The Outsiders. We finished chapter 1 this week & started chapter 2. Students also took notes on Text Dependent Questions (TDQs) & an acronym for writing more complete short answer responses in paragraphs--PEEL. Students practiced answering a TDQ for The Outsiders utilizing PEEL. We will finish that up next week & continue with chapter 2. Reading Response Cards are due Monday, October 8th!
This week we continued working on roots; #6: -extra & #7 -funct. We also completed another Achieve 3000 article; 'Drive Ins Are Back'. We are trying to find relevant articles to go along with our reading of The Outsiders. We finished chapter 1 this week & started chapter 2. Students also took notes on Text Dependent Questions (TDQs) & an acronym for writing more complete short answer responses in paragraphs--PEEL. Students practiced answering a TDQ for The Outsiders utilizing PEEL. We will finish that up next week & continue with chapter 2. Reading Response Cards are due Monday, October 8th!
September 24th-September 28th:
This week we worked on root words #4 dur & #5 dyn before taking the first root word quiz on Friday. We will have a quiz after every fifth root word moving forward. Students also finished reading & taking notes on chapter one of The Outsiders. We did an activity to clarify the Setting details in the first chapter as well as writing a clear & concise summary of the first chapter. Students took a short Socrative quiz on chapter one on Friday. We also completed one final Achieve 3000 article for the month of September, "The 60s Are Back".
Students should be reading for 20 minutes each night & completing Reading Response Cards upon finishing books. The last day to turn in Reading Response Cards to count pages for first quarter is October 8th. Requirement is 500 pages per quarter.
This week we worked on root words #4 dur & #5 dyn before taking the first root word quiz on Friday. We will have a quiz after every fifth root word moving forward. Students also finished reading & taking notes on chapter one of The Outsiders. We did an activity to clarify the Setting details in the first chapter as well as writing a clear & concise summary of the first chapter. Students took a short Socrative quiz on chapter one on Friday. We also completed one final Achieve 3000 article for the month of September, "The 60s Are Back".
Students should be reading for 20 minutes each night & completing Reading Response Cards upon finishing books. The last day to turn in Reading Response Cards to count pages for first quarter is October 8th. Requirement is 500 pages per quarter.
September 17th-September 21st:
On Tuesday students completed a second Achieve 3000 article titled, "Using the Web to Watch Gangs". Students also learned root #2: aero & we read an interview with S.E. Hinton & did a 3-2-1; students wrote down 3 things learned, 2 surprising things & 1 confusing thing from the interview. On Thursday we did root #3: cert, we took some notes on setting & then we started Chapter 1 notes. Chapter 1 notes are being taken in the 4 column style; one column for Greaser Glossary words, one column for the chapter 1 summary, one column for notes & quotes specifically focused on the setting, and one column for questions & comments for discussion. We started to read chapter 1 & got up to page 8. Next week we will continue with our root word studies (there will be a quiz after every 5 roots!) & continue reading The Outsiders. I plan to do one last Achieve 3000 for the month of September next week as well.
HOMEWORK: The following is what I have been reminding students about at the end of each class period...
•It is up to you to read for 20 minutes each day.
•This should allow you to reach the 500 pages per quarter requirement.
•In order for your pages to “count” you MUST complete a Reading Response Card & turn it in to the basket on the book shelf.
•ALL READING RESPONSE CARDS FOR 1st QUARTER ARE DUE BY OCTOBER 8TH!!
(IF YOU GAVE ME SUMMER READING LISTS, THAT COUNTS!)
On Tuesday students completed a second Achieve 3000 article titled, "Using the Web to Watch Gangs". Students also learned root #2: aero & we read an interview with S.E. Hinton & did a 3-2-1; students wrote down 3 things learned, 2 surprising things & 1 confusing thing from the interview. On Thursday we did root #3: cert, we took some notes on setting & then we started Chapter 1 notes. Chapter 1 notes are being taken in the 4 column style; one column for Greaser Glossary words, one column for the chapter 1 summary, one column for notes & quotes specifically focused on the setting, and one column for questions & comments for discussion. We started to read chapter 1 & got up to page 8. Next week we will continue with our root word studies (there will be a quiz after every 5 roots!) & continue reading The Outsiders. I plan to do one last Achieve 3000 for the month of September next week as well.
HOMEWORK: The following is what I have been reminding students about at the end of each class period...
•It is up to you to read for 20 minutes each day.
•This should allow you to reach the 500 pages per quarter requirement.
•In order for your pages to “count” you MUST complete a Reading Response Card & turn it in to the basket on the book shelf.
•ALL READING RESPONSE CARDS FOR 1st QUARTER ARE DUE BY OCTOBER 8TH!!
(IF YOU GAVE ME SUMMER READING LISTS, THAT COUNTS!)
September 10th-September 14th:
This week we finished up our practice Reading Response Cards with the short story "Harrison Bergeron". I will be assessing those & providing feedback in the near future so all students will be on the right track when completing their Reading Response Cards as they finish books throughout the year. We also set up our composition books & worked on our first root word exploration this week. We went over the expectations for Sustained Silent Reading & reviewed the Rubric that I will use to assess their performance during Silent Reading time in class. On Friday the students had a substitute but I prepared them for that on Wednesday so it should have been a productive day with Mr. Smith! Students completed a pre-reading activity for The Outsiders which we will begin reading next week in class & completed their first Achieve 3000 article in my absence. Students are required to bring their copy of The Outsiders as well as their independent reading book to class each & every day!
This week we finished up our practice Reading Response Cards with the short story "Harrison Bergeron". I will be assessing those & providing feedback in the near future so all students will be on the right track when completing their Reading Response Cards as they finish books throughout the year. We also set up our composition books & worked on our first root word exploration this week. We went over the expectations for Sustained Silent Reading & reviewed the Rubric that I will use to assess their performance during Silent Reading time in class. On Friday the students had a substitute but I prepared them for that on Wednesday so it should have been a productive day with Mr. Smith! Students completed a pre-reading activity for The Outsiders which we will begin reading next week in class & completed their first Achieve 3000 article in my absence. Students are required to bring their copy of The Outsiders as well as their independent reading book to class each & every day!
September 4th-September 7th:
7th grade students began going on their mandatory Library Field Trips this week & those field trips will continue until September 14th. That means ALL 7th graders should have a reading book with them in class from now on. :) This also means that students will be absent from class (randomly!) so there will be some catching up to do to be sure we are all back on the same page by the week of September 17th!
In class this week we learned a little bit about annotating a text & practiced that strategy while reading "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. Students are learning to use specific symbols to interact with & read a text with purpose (close reading). They are including their thoughts each time they mark a symbol on the text. We also learned how to write an effective Reading Response Card & used the "Harrison Bergeron" story to practice that concept. Students will complete a Reading Response Card after they finish each book this year--this is how we will track that they are reading the required 500 pages per quarter.
Next week we will finish the practice responses for "Harrison Bergeron", set up our class composition books, start exploring root words, & hopefully we'll have time to start our class novel: The Outsiders. Students (except 8th period!) checked a copy of the book out from our Media Center at school on Thursday.
7th grade students began going on their mandatory Library Field Trips this week & those field trips will continue until September 14th. That means ALL 7th graders should have a reading book with them in class from now on. :) This also means that students will be absent from class (randomly!) so there will be some catching up to do to be sure we are all back on the same page by the week of September 17th!
In class this week we learned a little bit about annotating a text & practiced that strategy while reading "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut. Students are learning to use specific symbols to interact with & read a text with purpose (close reading). They are including their thoughts each time they mark a symbol on the text. We also learned how to write an effective Reading Response Card & used the "Harrison Bergeron" story to practice that concept. Students will complete a Reading Response Card after they finish each book this year--this is how we will track that they are reading the required 500 pages per quarter.
Next week we will finish the practice responses for "Harrison Bergeron", set up our class composition books, start exploring root words, & hopefully we'll have time to start our class novel: The Outsiders. Students (except 8th period!) checked a copy of the book out from our Media Center at school on Thursday.
August 27th-August 31st:
This week my ELA students completed their Writing Baseline Assessment. We tried to simulate what the students will experience on the actual FSA Writing Assessment later this school year & the big change from 6th to 7th grade is that the students will be required to TYPE their essays. The students typed their essays in Word & then we learned how to upload a document to Focus on Thursday.
I also got the classroom library up & running (with lots of help from Jack!!) so students were given an opportunity to check out a book if they needed one. From now on students will be required to have a reading book with them in class everyday! There is also the standing homework assignment of reading for 20 minutes each day.
Next week we will practice how to complete a Reading Response Card by looking at some teacher created examples & then reading a short story to practice writing an appropriate response. A Reading Response Card will be completed each time a student completes a book. The expectation is that students are reading 500 pages per quarter. I also plan to set up & start using composition books next week in addition to doing "data chats" with each student to look at current Lexile Levels & test scores. And maybe...if there's any time left...we will try to get our first Achieve 3000 article done. We are required to have students complete 4 articles per month at 75% or better.
This week my ELA students completed their Writing Baseline Assessment. We tried to simulate what the students will experience on the actual FSA Writing Assessment later this school year & the big change from 6th to 7th grade is that the students will be required to TYPE their essays. The students typed their essays in Word & then we learned how to upload a document to Focus on Thursday.
I also got the classroom library up & running (with lots of help from Jack!!) so students were given an opportunity to check out a book if they needed one. From now on students will be required to have a reading book with them in class everyday! There is also the standing homework assignment of reading for 20 minutes each day.
Next week we will practice how to complete a Reading Response Card by looking at some teacher created examples & then reading a short story to practice writing an appropriate response. A Reading Response Card will be completed each time a student completes a book. The expectation is that students are reading 500 pages per quarter. I also plan to set up & start using composition books next week in addition to doing "data chats" with each student to look at current Lexile Levels & test scores. And maybe...if there's any time left...we will try to get our first Achieve 3000 article done. We are required to have students complete 4 articles per month at 75% or better.
August 20th-August 24th:
We managed to have our internet access back this week so students were finally able to complete their Achieve3000 Level Set test. Next week I plan to start having "data chats" with the students to inform them of their Lexile levels (based on their Level Set test) as well as their previous FSA scores to set a goal for this year. We also worked on our "business cards" which will become the cover of our Reading Response Cards. Students need to finish their "business cards" for homework if they were unable to finish during class time on Friday. This assignment is due at the START of class on Tuesday, August 28th. See my example below :)
We managed to have our internet access back this week so students were finally able to complete their Achieve3000 Level Set test. Next week I plan to start having "data chats" with the students to inform them of their Lexile levels (based on their Level Set test) as well as their previous FSA scores to set a goal for this year. We also worked on our "business cards" which will become the cover of our Reading Response Cards. Students need to finish their "business cards" for homework if they were unable to finish during class time on Friday. This assignment is due at the START of class on Tuesday, August 28th. See my example below :)
August 13th-August 17th:
This week in ELA we did the expected introduction things; introductions to me and the class, syllabus review, supplies required for the class, Remind sign up instructions, and we started to learn some rituals and routines that will help us to have an organized and productive class this year. We also did an activity to get to know one another that had to do with names and some connections to ELA. The students showed me that some need reminders on the simplest of concepts...they forgot what verbs, adjectives and nouns were!! :( I did a brief introduction to my small, but growing classroom library and the students recorded books they would "love" to read this year. We were SUPPOSED TO start the Achieve3000 Level Set this week but the district had some serious issues with the internet which means hopefully we can get that done early next week if all of the issues are worked out.
This week in ELA we did the expected introduction things; introductions to me and the class, syllabus review, supplies required for the class, Remind sign up instructions, and we started to learn some rituals and routines that will help us to have an organized and productive class this year. We also did an activity to get to know one another that had to do with names and some connections to ELA. The students showed me that some need reminders on the simplest of concepts...they forgot what verbs, adjectives and nouns were!! :( I did a brief introduction to my small, but growing classroom library and the students recorded books they would "love" to read this year. We were SUPPOSED TO start the Achieve3000 Level Set this week but the district had some serious issues with the internet which means hopefully we can get that done early next week if all of the issues are worked out.