Monday, March 28, 2011 - Thursday, March 31, 2011

7th Grade English Language Arts

Students will be in the computer lab Monday through Thursday working on their final drafts of their research-based persuasive essays. They have already been provided with a rubric, and as of Tuesday, March 29th they will have an additional checklist to help them gather and organize their materials for submission. Students must have their rough drafts revised, edited, and signed by a parent or guardian before they can begin working on their final drafts. In addition, final drafts are due by the end of the day on Thursday, March 31st. All other materials (note-cards, outlines, and rough drafts) will be collected the Monday after we return from Spring Break.

8th Grade English Language Arts

Students will be in the media center Monday through Thursday conducting research for the persuasive speech they will deliver upon return from Spring Break. On Monday students were provided with a list of possible topics, as well as a list of online resources and databases for their use. As of Tuesday, students will have received a rubric for their speeches. After students have checked in their sources and notes with me, they may begin working on their outlines. We will continue working on these speeches after Spring Break, but conducting additional research and drafting speeches at home is encouraged.
8th Grade Advanced English Language
Students will be in the media center Monday through Thursday conducting research for the persuasive speech they will deliver upon return from Spring Break. On Monday students were provided with a list of possible topics, as well as a list of online resources and databases for their use. As of Tuesday, students will have received a rubric for their speeches. After students have checked in their sources and notes with me, they may begin working on their outlines. We will continue working on these speeches after Spring Break, but conducting additional research and drafting speeches at home is encouraged. There will be no SAT vocabulary test this week. However, students will be given Unit 19, Groups 3 & 4 SAT words to study over Spring Break.

Monday, March 7, 2011 - Friday, March 11, 2011

7th Grade English Language Arts

Monday: No D.O.L. Today; Media Center Day; Continue Research for Ancient Greece/Ancient Rome Persuasive Essay

Homework: Continue research (don't forget to check out the public library for additional sources!) and continue working on source cards

Tuesday: Agenda; D.O.L.; Time in Lab 104; Continue Research for Persuasive Essay

Homework: Continue research and source cards

Wednesday: Agenda; D.O.L.; Media Center Day; Continue Research for Persuasive Essay

Homework: Continue research and source cards

Thursday: Agenda; D.O.L.; Media Center Day; Continue Research for Persuasive Essay

Homework: Continue research and source cards

Friday: Agenda; D.O.L.; Review Plagiarism and Proper Citation; Watch Video Clip about Ancient Greece
Homework: Continue research and source cards

8th Grade English Language Arts
Monday: No D.O.L. Today; Review Placement and Function of Commas
Homework: Complete all comma exercises in pink packet, including "comma conventions"
Tuesday: D.O.L.; Answer Questions About Comma Exercises; Review Placement and Function of Periods
Homework: Complete all period exercises in pink packet
Wednesday: D.O.L.; Answer Questions About Period Exercises; Review Quotation Marks
Homework: Complete all quotation mark exercises in pink packet
Thursday: D.O.L.; Answer Questions About Quotation Marks; Review Exclamation Points and Question Marks
Homework: Complete the question mark and exclamation point exercises in pink packet
Friday: D.O.L.; Answer Questions About Exclamation Points and Question Marks; Review Semicolons
Homework: Complete both semicolon exercises in pink packet

8th Grade Advanced English Language Arts
Monday: No D.O.L. Today; Continue Working on Comma Exercises in Pink Packet; Pass Out Unit 18 SAT Vocabulary Words
Homework: Study vocabulary words (Units 17 and 18)
Tuesday: D.O.L.; Take Unit 17 SAT Vocabulary Test
Homework: Begin writing vocabulary short stories (Due Friday); study vocabulary words
Wednesday: D.O.L.; Answer Questions About Colons, Brackets, and Parentheses; Review Placement and Functions of Commas
Homework: Complete all comma exercises in pink packet, including "comma conventions"; study vocabulary words; continue working on short stories
Thursday: D.O.L.; Answer Questions About Commas; Review Placement and Functions of Periods; "Soup" Review Game
Homework: Complete period exercises in pink packet and begin quotation marks exercises; finish short story (Due tomorrow!); study vocabulary words
Friday: No D.O.L. Today; Answer Questions About Periods and Quotation Marks; Collect Short Stories; Take Vocabulary Test
Homework: Study Unit 18 (Groups 3 and 4) vocabulary words; begin exclamation points and question marks exercises in pink packet

Monday, February 7, 2001 - Friday, February 11, 2011

7th Grade English Language Arts
Students will continue discussing and practicing various elements of poetry, as well as reviewing for the upcoming Poetry Unit test next week. This week we will finish our discussion of figurative language with a review of personification and will begin examining different forms of poetry. By Friday we will have covered limerick poetry and the haiku.
8th Grade English Language Arts
On Monday students will take exams focusing on the novels they have covered in their literature circles. Students will also begin the Grammar Unit, which will start with a study of appositives, hyphens, and dashes. Throughout this unit students will be expected to produce their own works of creative writing that focus on the different grammar lessons covered in class. More details about these assignments will follow.
8th Grade Advanced English Language Arts
The students will finish reading and take the test on John Steinbeck's "The Pearl." In addition, students will begin a short Grammar Unit in order to prepare them for their persuasive writing project and their study of Shakespeare. Students are expected to continue studying their weekly SAT words and to prepare for the SAT vocabulary tests each Friday. More details about the Grammar Unit assignments will follow.

February 2011 - April 2011

Dear Parents/Guardians,

From February 1st, 2011 to April 12th, 2011, there will be a Grand Valley State University student teacher, Miss Kristyn Konal, teaching all of Miss Brown's 7th, 8th, and Advanced 8th grade English Language Arts classes. The same rules and regulations apply under the instruction of Miss Konal as they have for the students the entire academic year. To keep up with what's happening in the class on a daily basis, please click the following link to Miss Konal's Blog.

Thanks You,
Miss Brown

Miss Konal's Blog Link:
http://misskonalela.blogspot.com

Mon., January 3rd, 2011 - Mon., January 31st, 2011

Welcome Back!

7th grade English Language Arts:
Students are finishing reading, discussing, and correcting the follow-up assignment with Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki Tikki Tavi" short story, and upon it's completion will move into their Poetry Unit. (Major assignments and project due dates pertaining to the Poetry Unit will be posted soon.)

8th grade English Language Arts:
For the month of January the students will be expected to read, discuss, complete assignments, and a project for the book they are reading with their Literature Circle group. Each group consists of 4-5 students and will meet daily, in class, to discuss their assigned readings and assignments. When students finish their books, they are to complete their final project. The novels, reading assignments, and final project are all due at the end of the month (Monday, January 31st, 2011). For homework, expect your students to be reading daily and completing a page from their green packet.

8th grade Advanced English Language Arts:
The students are reading John Steinbeck's "The Pearl", completing reading response questions and class dicussions with the novel. In addition to their readings and response questions, students are expected to be studying their weekly SAT vocabulary words. Test will be every Friday and new SAT Vocabulary words will also be distributed every Friday for the remainder of the year. (Additional assignments, projects, and due dates for this month will be posted soon.)

Monday, Dec.13th, 2010 - Friday, Dec.17th, 2010

7th Grade ELA
Monday: Agenda, D.O.L., & Review Elements of Fiction
Homework: No Homework
Tuesday: Agenda, D.O.L., & Identify Elements of Fiction in Silver Blaze
Homework: No Homework
Wednesday: Agenda, D.O.L., & Practice Identifying Elements of Fiction in Mystery Stories
Homework: No Homework
Thursday: Agenda, D.O.L., & Practice Identifying Elements of Fiction in Mystery Stories
Homework: No Homework
Friday: Agenda, D.O.L., & Complete 2nd Quarter Assessment
Homework: No Homework

8th Grade ELA & AELA
Monday: Agenda, D.O.L., Begin writing "Respecting Differences" Essay
Homework: Continue writing "Respecting Differences" Essay...due 12/15/10
Tuesday: Agenda, D.O.L., Continue writing "Respecting Differences" Essay
Homework: "Respecting Differences" Essay...due 12/15/10
Wednesday: Agenda, D.O.L., Finish writing "Respecting Differences" Essay, and begin veiwing "Charly"
Homework: No Homework
Thursday: Continue viewing Daniel Keyes' "Charly"
Homework: No Homework
Friday: Finish viewing Daniel Keyes' "Charly"
Homework: No Homework

Monday, Dec.6th, 2010 - Friday, Dec.10th, 2010

7th Grade ELA
Monday: Agenda, D.O.L., Continue rehearsing Doyle's "Silver Blaze" Play
Homework: Play Performance...12/10/10
Tuesday: Agenda, D.O.L., Continue rehearsing Doyle's "Silver Blaze" Play
Homework: Play Performance...12/10/10
Wednesday: 1/2 Day of School...Continue rehearsing Doyle's "Silver Blaze" Play
Homework: Play Performance 12/10/10
Thursday: Agenda, D.O.L., Continue rehearsing Doyle's "Silver Blaze" Play
Homework: Play Performance...12/10/10
Friday: Perform Doyle's "Silver Blaze" Play
Homework: No Homework

8th Grade ELA & AELA
Monday: Agenda, D.O.L., Finish reading Daniel Keyes' "Flowers for Algernon", & complete reading assignment (page 223: #1-12, 1-4, and 1-3)
Homework: Flowers for Algernon Assignment (page 223: #1-12, 1-4, and 1-3)...due 12/9/10 & Study for Test...12/10/10
Tuesday: Agenda, D.O.L., Finish reading Daniel Keyes' "Flowers for Algernon", & complete reading assignment (page 223: #1-12, 1-4, and 1-3)
Homework: Flowers for Algernon Assignment (page 223: #1-12, 1-4, and 1-3)...due Thursday 12/9/10 & Study for Test...12/10/10
Wednesday: 1/2 Day of School, complete Daniel Keyes' "Flowers for Algernon" Assignment
Homework: Flowers for Algernon Assignment (page 223: #1-12, 1-4, and 1-3)...due Thursday 12/9/10 & Study for Test...12/10/10
Thursday: Agenda, D.O.L., Correct Daniel Keyes' "Flowers for Algernon" reading assignment
Homework: Study for Flowers for Algernon Test...12/10/10
Friday: Agenda, D.O.L. Pop Quiz, Collect reading assignment, Take Test, Read Assessment Assignment and Write Sourc pages 199-204 and 214-217
Homework: No Homework