Happy Halloween!

I hope you all have a safe and FUN weekend.  Just a reminder:  your story ending is due next class (minimum of three paragraphs).  Be prepared to participate in a peer review session for full credit on this assignment. 

10/27-31

ELA Curriculum Guide Assessment #1:  this assessment will look more like the Reading Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) as it will have interactive questions(hot questions), questions that will ask for more than one answer choice, click and drag questions, etc.  The test is 21 questions and will only assess the standards we have worked on so far.  The test will count as a grade since all of the material has been covered.

We will continue our work on point of view by reading another chapter in 1984 by G. Orwell and completing a journal entry activity with a partner and independently.  

In class we will analyze essays that have been released.  We will focus on word choice and we will select low level words that we want to avoid using while writing.  We will write a humorous eulogy for these words and have a "word funeral" for the words so that they may 'rest in peace.'

I will read a portion of a spooky story from one of Edgar Allen Poe's collection and you will re-write the ending using your own creative style and twist.

Home Learning:  Obtain a copy of the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne; consider borrowing the book from the library, purchasing the book on a discounted website, or visiting a local book store that supports trading old books for new books.  Of course, you can always drive across town and pay full price.  BONUS points for students who have a copy prior to Friday, November 7th.

If you have any problems obtaining this book please email me at sargenta@duvalschools.org

10/21-23

Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) Writing Test
--Rubric Analysis
--Group Poster Project
--Project Presentations

Note Check:

--Mood and Tone
--Figurative Language:  Denotative and Connotative Meaning
--Point of View
--Making Inferences
--The Writing Rubric

While I am Away....

Wednesday and Thursday Lesson Plan (10/15-16):

Note:  this is what I am leaving for the sub

·         Bell Ringer:  Pass out the bell ringer sheets and tell the students that I have provided their first grammar byte on their handouts.  Instruct students to make the grammar, punctuation, and spelling corrections that are necessary.  After 3-5 minutes has passed and most students have stopped working ask for student volunteers to share the corrections that they have made.  See key for assistance.

·         Instruct students to get out two sheet of notebook paper and put a heading in the upper right hand corner (name, period, and date).

·         Note Taking:  Students will use the one sheet of notebook paper and the textbook (pg. 162) to take notes on “Point of View.”  Inform students that taking notes is for a grade and I will conduct a note check-in next week before grades are due.  They should keep these notes in their three ring binder behind the “Reading Strategies” tab.  Their notes should include a definition for point of view and each point of view should be on their notes with a brief description and an example.  

·         Instruct students to put their notes in their binder and use the second sheet of notebook paper to answer the “Quickwrite” questions on pg. 222.  Ask for a student volunteer to read the “Key Idea” on page 222 and another volunteer to read the “Quickwrite” questions.  Provide 3-5 minutes for students to answer the questions.  

·         Mini-lesson:  pg. 223 Read “Literary Analysis:  First Person Point of View” and “Reading Skill:  Draw Conclusions.”  Remind students that we have already demonstrated mastery on making inferences using George Orwell’s 1984 so they shouldn’t have any problems with the questions as they read.  

·         As a group (ask for student volunteers) read, “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan, pages 224- and get as far as you can during this period—it’s not a race though so take your time and pause to discuss the margin questions.  While you are reading stop at EACH question in the margin and ask the questions aloud.  Instruct students to answer each margin question on the notebook paper they used for the “Quickwrite” questions.  Students should respond using complete sentences; please provide 2-4 minutes for students to answer each question.  Ask for student volunteers to share their response.  Ideally, you will only get half way through the story so we can use the second half for day two.  Note:  You might consider using a post it note to mark where each class stops.

·         Home Learning:  Research the origins of chess and write a brief summary of your findings.  Be prepared to share your summary with your group.  The assignment will be collected for a grade.

Friday, 10/17 and Monday, 10/20 Lesson Plan:

·         Bell Ringer:  Grammar Byte—distribute the sentence strips and instruct students make an necessary corrections (punctuation, grammar, and spelling).  After you allow 3-5 minutes for students to work through the Grammar Byte ask for student volunteers to share 2 or 3 corrections that they made.  Students will use a glue stick to affix the strip to their bell ringer sheets. 

·       

  Mini-lesson: 

1.        Have students get out their home learning/homework assignment.  In their small groups, students should share their work with their group one person at a time while the others listen.  After all students have shared their summary they should select one person to share out and represent the group.  Please identify that paper for each group as it will receive a “A” in the grade book. 

2.       Instruct students to open their textbooks to page 223 and read the right column, “Author Online.”  Ask for student volunteers to read each section column.

3.       Remind students that we started reading, “Rules of the Game” last class; ask for a student volunteer to summarize what we have read so far.  

·         Work Period:  Continue reading, “Rules of the Game” and pausing at each margin question.  Students should use the same sheet of notebook paper to answer the margin questions.  Please remember to pause at each question, provide 2-4 minutes to answer each question in a complete sentence, and ask for student volunteers to share their response.  

·         When finished, students can work with a partner to answer questions #1-8.  If you feel they have worked hard and maintained good focus you can consider allowing them to move around the room and select a partner to work with.  If students are off task you may send them back to their table to work independently.  

·         Home Learning:  Note:  Inform students that this activity is similar to the new Writing FSA they will take in March.  The writing FSA will provide 2-4 articles and they will need to synthesize the information from the sources to answer and respond completely.  Page 182 in the textbook is the introduction; if time allows consider reading this together.  Students should read the timeline on page 183, the history article on pages 184-185, and the feature article/newspaper article on page 186.  After reading the three selections students should answer #1-5 on page 187 AND complete the Writing Prompt at the bottom of pg. 187.  This assignment will be collected next class.  We will review the answer to the questions in class so late work will not be accepted. 

10/6-10

Writing:  Part One

Unpacking the Standards

Objective:  Students will analyze and discuss the new Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) writing rubric and become familiar with the requirements for demonstrating proficiency on the annual writing assessment they will take in March.

In class, we will analyze, discuss, and take notes on the new writing rubric.

Then, students will work in small groups to create a poster demonstrating their knowledge of the FSA writing rubric (level 4) and clearly inform others of the requirements needed to write proficiently.  

9/29-10/3

Unit One:  Corruption and Society

Standard:  Mood and Tone continued; how will tone be assessed on both the writing and reading assessments this year?

In class:  notes on mood and tone and analysis of the writing rubric.

As we continue to embrace the new curriculum that the county has prepared for our students to become more college and career ready I have realized that it is challenging to provide home learning assignments because we have been relying on a class set of the novels.  To support additional growth I will start to assign computer based home learning, assignments out of the textbook, and occasional articles from the NY Times Upfront periodical.  Thank you for your understanding as we adjusted to the new curriculum and out new way of work.  Preparing our 8th grade students for high school is my number one priority.

9/22-26

Unit 1:  Corruption and Society

Standard:  Figurative Language (emphasis on denotative and connotative meaning as well as the mood and the tone of a passage)

In class:  Note taking, class discussion, partner activity for connotative meaning, group work activity for denotative meaning (street synonyms for denotative example and understanding in a real life situation).

Analysis of 1984 by George Orwell for various connotative meanings found throughout chapter one.

9/15-19

Unit 1:  Corruption and Society

Standard:  Making Inferences

Home Learning:  Making Inferences Practice Worksheet

In Class:  Read Part I of Chapter 1 as we made inferences together and documented them on a chart.

Quiz:  Documented inferences independently after teacher modeled and we worked in pairs.

9/8-12

Using the foundation of the summer reading assignments students participated in Socratic Seminars and reviewed of student work.

Unit 1: Corruption and Society

Essential Question:  Does society control people of do people control society?

Started reading George Orwell's novel, 1984.

9/1-5

Writing and Interest Inventory:  Students shared their interest creating a biographical collage to promote reading as a foundation for learning and reaching their 25 book goal.

Each student wrote and shared an expository essay as a baseline writing assessment.

Testing

8/20-21:  Achieve 3000 Lexile Level Set Testing

This test was created to set up the Achieve 3000 program so each student will be challenged at their individual reading comprehension level.  To obtain more information about lexile levels you can refer to www.lexile.com.

9/22-9/29:  Curriculum Guide Assessments (CGA) were administered as a baseline to guide our instruction.