Hang in there...one more week!

Today all classes reviewed the differences in sentence types, and we identified the three main sentence types- simple, compound, and complex. After that students worked on their novel studies, and then we went to the lab to double-check that all students can sign into noredink.com.

A BIG reminder that all students should be working on their language arts elearning this week to avoid having to do it over Spring Break. It is due April 15, which is the Tues. after the break. No late assignments will be accepted. Please reread the letter sent home so you are doing the correct assignments. Do practice assignment first, and then take the corresponding quiz.


H/W: P.1,4: Make sure you are reading to keep up with the timeline I gave you. Respond to the questions and fill out your Alphablocks. Make sure you are reading the questions very carefully and answering all parts. Ask me if you don't understand a question! Elearning due April 15.

H/W P 5:  Keep reading Ties the Bind. Keep up with the timeline I gave you! Continue to record in culture model and T-chart. Don't forget the essential question! Elearning due April 15.

H/W P. 2,6: Keep up with your culture novel timeline. Fill out the culture model and the T chart for your novel. Be thinking about how you're going to create your culture comparison model. Tomorrow you will be expected to explain your culture model idea.  Elearning due April 15.

Thank you!

Yay! Friday!

Today all classes worked with more complex complex sentences (does that make sense?) and how to identify the parts of a complex sentence. Students continued with their novel study assignments and applying the concepts to relevant topics. They are working hard!

A big reminder!! LA Elearning is due April 15! If you don't want to be working on it over Spring Break, you should work on it next week. It is due the Tues. after the break, and that is a quick turn-around. Also, if you choose to do it over break, I may not be able answer   questions if you have problems with the assignment. Bottom line: Do you assignment next week!


H/W: P.1,4: Make sure you are reading to keep up with the timeline I gave you. Respond to the questions and fill out your Alphablocks. Make sure you are reading the questions very carefully and answering all parts. Ask me if you don't understand a question! Elearning due April 15.

H/W P 5:  Keep reading Ties the Bind. Keep up with the timeline I gave you! Continue to record in culture model and T-chart. Don't forget the essential question! Elearning due April 15.

H/W P. 2,6: Keep up with your culture novel timeline. Fill out the culture model and the T chart for your novel. Be thinking about how you're going to create your culture comparison model.  Elearning due April 15.

See you Monday!

Hello!

What a great day today! It must be the gloominess outside that kept students focused and on task...thank you for a lovely Thursday.

All classes were introduced to complex sentence structure today. This is one more way of improving writing to become more effective writers. I am always asked if a sentence can start with "because," well...now you know! All classes worked on novel studies, and I saw such high interest in the novels! Now it's time to analyze the novels and make connections.

H/W: P.1,4: Make sure you are reading to keep up with the timeline I gave you. Respond to the questions and fill out your Alphablocks. Make sure you are reading the questions very carefully and answering all parts. Ask me if you don't understand a question! Elearning due April 15.

H/W P 5:  Keep reading Ties the Bind. Keep up with the timeline I gave you! Continue to record in culture model and T-chart. Don't forget the essential question! Elearning due April 15.

H/W P. 2,6: Keep up with your culture novel timeline. Fill out the culture model and the T chart for your novel. Be thinking about how you're going to create your culture comparison model.  Elearning due April 15.

See you tomorrow!

Hello!

H/W for all classes: E Learning! Math is your priority this week. Did your child share their ELearning letter?

P. 1, 4: Today we reviewed vocab for our last Jackie's Nine story, and students picked their own choices from a student-generated vocab list. As they read their "courageous Character" novel, they wrote the theme based vocab on Alphablocks sheets. For now, we are reading in class because of eLearning, but that is going to change soon :)

P. 2, 5, 6: We analyzed a visual image of a culture model to go along with the culture novels students are reading. Students applied information from our "American" culture, and tomorrow they will apply attributes from the culture they are studying. They will be reading several books which will result in creating a 3D replica of culture and an argument paper.


Have a lovely evening!

Happy Monday~

Here it comes  ....
E Learning! All the assignments for E Learning were rolled out today and presented to students (social studies has already been completed). They can all be viewed on the PHM Website. In addition to that, parent letters with instructions and valuable information were sent home from language arts today. Please have your child share it with you. I also included a time-management calendar so students can spread out their work...they had a lot of information to process today! Students have a packet which includes parent letter, calendar and note-taking sheets. Make sure you take a look at these.

There are office hours listed on the letter for me. This means you are able to get in touch with me, and I will promptly respond. Students know they can email me at any time, but the office hours ensure a quick reply.

I have checked, and all students are registered into NoRedInk.com. You shouldn't have any trouble logging on. You will not need the class code because you already are registered. Remember, in your planner you recorded your username (fist initial, last name), but some of you had to add some of your ID# to your username. Password is your ID#. Everything you do on NoRedInk.com for E Learning is for a grade. At 9a.m. on April 15, your assignments and quizzes on NoRedInk.com will disappear. That means that there are no late assignments accepted, no exceptions. Stay organized with your lessons!

Don't hesitate to let me know if you have questions...that's why I am here!

Hi!

Since E Learning has started, I am going to try and be very selective with homework assignments. You might see "no homework" on my blog for most days in the following weeks. There will still be studying for assessments, but I will write that specifically when necessary.

P. 1,4:

After the exhilarating Divergent Scavenger Hunt, we settled down and went over the quiz from yesterday. Because there was a guest teacher yesterday, I clarified directions and gave students extra time to fine-tune their quiz responses. After that, there was more practice with compound sentences and we began another story form Jackie's Nine.
No h/w

P. 2, 6: We reviewed the Wordmasters quiz from yesterday and scored it. After that, students worked on "Talking Point" from Tom Sawyer to prepare for a "Talking Points" class discussion tomorrow.
H/W: Finish Talking Points and be prepared to discuss your responses tomorrow. Try to ask a few "thinking" questions!

P. 5: We reviewed the instructions for the quiz taken yesterday, and students were allowed time to fix up any points they may have misunderstood. After that, students delved into Ties that Bind, Ties that Break. The overarching question for the book is relevant: How "American" do immigrants have to become? This will be pondered as they read.
No h/w

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Hello!

Today I had a collaborative language arts meeting day, so we had a guest teacher. Thank you for your respectful behavior...we want the reliable guest teachers to come back! It is your responsibility to show them what a Blue Ribbon school looks like, so thank you for doing just that!

All students took quizzes today. See yesterday's blog to view what was on the quiz.

There is no homework assigned for any classes today.

I have received many questions about E Learning. With the exception of social studies, all content areas will be passing out their assignments on Monday.

Have a wonderful evening!

Hello!

P. 1,4: We reviewed the components of compound sentences and correctly using FANBOYS. Also, we reviewed vocab and bid ideas for the quiz tomorrow.

H/W: Quiz tomorrow on the Jackie's Nine stories, "The Bracelet,"and "Wartime Mistakes." The focus on the quiz is not so much on the specifics of the stories, but how they symbolized racial injustice. Review the stories, T-charts, and vocabulary for the quiz. It is open-book. You will be graded on the depth of your ideas, support with evidence, and correct spelling.

P.2, 5, 6: We continued with the structural elements of Tom Sawyer and social implications of the story. Theme was a major topic today. We had some great discussions!

H/W P. 5:  Quiz on Tom Sawyer and the Robert Frost poems and how they relate to "change" and "persuasion." You should also know the structure of each piece of writing. It is open-book, but please review your notes and what we what have completed in the persuasion book. The focus of the quiz is from our class discussions.

H/W P. 6: Wordmaster quiz on words 13-25.

Have a great evening!

Feeling like spring! Yay!

Today all classes practiced the E Learning assignment that I will using to make up for our snow days. It is an interactive grammar/writing site called NoRedInk.com. Students had to register and learn how to maneuver around the site! It is a fun way to learn, and I think they will enjoy it. We will be rolling out the LA assignments next Monday.

H/W: P.1,4: Quiz Wednesday on the two stories from Jackie's Nine and the fiction/nonfiction stories "The Bracelet"  and "War Time Mistakes, Peace Time Apologies." It is open-book, and you may use notes. You must show understanding of the common themes, vocab, and show examples of civil rights violations.

H/W: P. 5: Quiz Wed. on the Robert Frost poems and Tom Sawyer. Know how these pieces of writing pertain to the concept of "change," know the vocab, and know the parts of the plot line for Tom Sawyer. This will be open-book.

H/W: P. 2,6: Quiz Wed. on Wordmasters 13-25. This will be an analogy quiz and also have a paragraph where you fill in the appropriate words.

Have a good evening! Warm weather is coming:)

Hello!

P. 1,4: Today we continued with our nonfiction articles about civil right during the 1940s and 1960s in America. The skill learned today was note taking. Students were surprised that some of these events took place in the good 'ole USA!
H/W: Reread "The Bracelet" and "Wartime Mistakes Peacetime Apologies." This will help you to prepare for a quiz next Tues. on these stories and their vocabulary.

P. 2,5,6: We continued with the analysis of Tom Sawyer. Classes have "acted" the important points of the story, and we have also looked at its structural elements. We have focused on the humor of Twain, but also the serious undertones in his writing...these can be easy to miss.

H/W: P. 5 - You will have a quiz next Wed. on the concepts of Tom Sawyer and the Robert Frost poems. This will include vocab. from Tom Sawyer and Robert Frost poems.

H/W P. 2,6: Wordmaster quiz on Wed. for words 13-25

Have a great night!

Good afternoon!

Sorry for the lapse in posts; meetings after school and during my plan times have kept me form posting. I am back!

Phase 1 of ISTEP is over! Students did a great job of being focused and working hard. It makes for a long day, and they tried hard to hang in there. It looks like the last week of April will be our next window for ISTEP.

P. 1,4: Today we completed a historical fiction story about Japanese internment camps to coincide with the civil rights violations we read about in Jackie's Nine. We pulled out important vocabulary that could also apply to Jackie's Nine and The Bracelet.

H/W: Start studying your vocab words on the yellow Cobb webs. There will be a quiz over the stories and vocabulary next Wed.

P. 2,5,6: We are continuing with Tom Sawyer and the structural elements of the story. We watched a short video on Mark Twain and discussed the predicament of Missouri during the years before the Civil War. It has been fun trying to read with the vernacular of small town Hannibal, and we discussed how Twain was greatly admired for bringing characters to life by writing with authentic vernacular.

P. 2,6: You should finish the story and do the vocabulary for Tom Sawyer for tomorrow.
P. 5: If you need to finish Talking Points for Tom Sawyer, please look below

Talking Points – “Tom Sawyer” Find evidence!

1. What was Tom's “great magnificent inspiration”? How did he put things in a “new light”?

2. What did Tom mean when he found the world “not so hollow”? See

p. 34 and p. 36

3. Create a title for this excerpt. Why did you choose that title?

4. What was Tom's first and second solution to his problem?

5. If Jim had agreed to trade places with Tom, how would Tom's consequences been different?

6. Would you have been persuaded by Tom's argument? Why? Why not?

7. Is Tom persuasive or is he dishonest?

8. What changes took place for the people involved in the story? Would you classify them as positive or negative?

9. In what ways was the whitewashing arrangement thought to be positive by the characters?

10.What persuasive techniques do you use to get something you want? :)

Have a great evening!

Feeling like spring!


ISTEP tomorrow!! Make sure you have two #2 pencils and a calculator. Get a restful night's sleep, and eat a protein-filled breakfast...fuel for the brain! See previous blogs for ISTEP practice.

P. 1,4: Today students practiced more pre-writes for the essay portion of ISTEP. We continued with Jackie's Nine and vocabulary related to the Civil Rights movement in America.

P. 2,6: After ISTEP prewrite practice, students took the Wordmaster quiz on words 1-12. These were graded in class.

P. 5: After ISTEP prewrite practice, we continued with the vocabulary and reading of Tom Sawyer. Our focus was Tom's prodigious mastery of persuasion. We will analyze these techniques to use in an argument paper.

There will be no homework assigned during ISTEP.

Enjoy the warm weather!

Hello everybody!

ISTEP next week~ Tues., Wed., Thurs! Get ready!

To prepare:
Bring two #2 pencils to Period 1. No mechanical pencils or highlighters allowed.

• Bring a four function or scientific calculator to Period 1. Put your name on it.
• Get plenty of hours of sleep! ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzz
• Eat a delicious, protein-filled breakfast!
• No snacks allowed during testing. We will provide gum and water.

Want to practice for ISTEP? Here is a link which provides practice activities for ISTEP. Just scroll down and look for the subject are and grade: http://www.doe.in.gov/assessment/istep-grades-3-8. You are SO ready for this! Bring it on!

P. 1,4: Our focus today was vocabulary for our unit on courageous characters. Because we are reading Jackie's Nine, the vocabulary is based upon the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. We started to read the next story, written by Jackie Robinson, about the way he and his wife were treated on their way to spring training. Acuity logs were submitted.
H/W: Take some time to do the ISTEP practice listed above!

P. 2, 6: Classes played "Stump the Class" by writing Wordmaster word analogies to present to the class. You're a tough crowd with those analogies! We also analyzed "Hyla Brook" and how it relates to "change," which will lead to "persuasion."
H/W: Wordmaster quiz on Monday, words 1-12. Look under "links" for practice analogies. Studystack is posted for words 1-12: DMS Wordmaster III 2014

P. 5: We began looking at content specific vocab. for "Tom Sawyer" before going into the excerpt. I introduced the background of the story and author, and students began the story. Lovin' the accents!

Enjoy your weekend! Get plenty of rest and eat healthy!

ISTEP next week~ Tues., Wed., Thurs! Get ready!

To prepare:

• Bring two #2 pencils to Period 1. No mechanical pencils or highlighters allowed.
• Bring a four function or scientific calculator to Period 1. Put your name on it.
• Get plenty of hours of sleep! ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzz
• Eat a delicious, protein-filled breakfast!
• No snacks allowed during testing. We will provide gum and water.

Want to practice for ISTEP? Here is a link which provides practice activities for ISTEP. Just scroll down and look for the subject are and grade: http://www.doe.in.gov/assessment/istep-grades-3-8. You are SO ready for this! Bring it on! 

Today all classes reviewed ISTEP tips and tricks, and then we went to the IMC to stock up on books for Everyday Reads!

H/W: P. 1,4: Acuity (8 activities) due tomorrow. If you don't have a computer at home or are having difficulty, you can come to school early. don't forget you could also use computers at your public library.

H/W: P. 5: No homework

H/W P 2,6: Wordmasters 7-12 due tomorrow. Quiz Monday
                   Look under "Links" and you will find 3 website links to help you practice analogies!

Enjoy your evening!

Good afternoon~

Please look at previous posts to see ISTEP reminders. ISTEP is next Tues, Wed., Thurs.
You need two #2 pencils (no mechanical) and a calculator.

P. 1,4: Students finished their analysis of ISTEP writing by comparing their written responses to a "perfect score" response. After that we embarked on our "Courageous Character" unit by gaining some background knowledge about civil rights. Student watched a short video and made connection to the story in Jackie's Nine. 
H/W: Eight acuity assignments due Friday.

P. 2, 6: Students reviewed Wordmaster words 1-6 and made connections to previous words; every word had so many connections! These words will be a piece of cake! After that students worked in groups to complete charts related to "change" in the Persuasion book. We started "Hyla Brook" to see evidence of change in the poem.
H/W: Wordmaster words 7-12 due Friday. There will be a quiz on words 1-12 on Monday (this will include some analogies).

P. 5: Today students finished their ISTEP writing analysis, and then moved on to discussing the literature webs for the Robert Frost poems. After that, they picked out important vocab related to "change" and worked in groups to complete webs for the Persuasion unit.
H/W: Complete the vocab web words for tomorrow.

Have a great evening!

Fat Tuesday! :)

Please note on yesterday's blog there are links to ISTEP practice. It might be worthwhile for you to work on some of these.

Today all classes compared their ISTEP writing to exemplars from previous years. Students worked with partners and charted the "tools" the exemplary students used to earn their scores. Then, they analyzed and charted the tools they used in their own writing, and the tools they should have used. They also did this with their learning partner. Some valuable feedback was given!

P. 2,6: Students also worked on their six Wordmaster words due tomorrow. The next six will be due on Friday if you want to get a head start.

H/W: P. 1,4: Eight more acuity activities due Friday. Please let me know if yours need to be done at school. I am available to help!

H/W P. 5: Lit. web on pgs, 27, 28 of Persuasion due tomorrow. Please read page 5 in Persuasion if you need to be reminded what goes in each section.

H/W: p. 2,6: Wordmaster 1-6 due tomorrow. Word, definition, connectio to previous WM words, picture, sentence.

Thank you for your work today!

Happy Monday!

ISTEP is next week on March 11, 12, and 13. All students will be testing with their P. 1 teacher (unless other arrangements are in place.) Please make sure your child is on time to school, well- fed, and well-rested! ISTEP has become a high-stakes test, and students should be on the top of their game! All students should bring two #2 pencils; mechanical pencils are not allowed. For the math portion, they will need a calculator (graphing calculator not allowed.) A four-function calculator is fine.

Want to practice for ISTEP? Here is a link which provides practice activities for ISTEP. Just scroll down and look for the subject are and grade: http://www.doe.in.gov/assessment/istep-grades-3-8

Today all classes worked on the "Constructed Response" practice for ISTEP. This applies to the short answer responses to fiction and nonfiction. It is sometimes difficult for students to decipher what information should go into the limited space the test provides, so practicing this type of writing is worthwhile. Students will compare their answers to exemplars tomorrow.

H/W: P. 1,4: Continue with acuity, doing eight activities for Friday.

H/W P. 5: Complete Literature Webs on p. 27 and 28 of Persuasion book for Wed.

H/W P. 2,6: Do WM words 1-6 on the white paper you got in class. You should have definition, connection with other WM words, illustration, sentence.

Have a good evening!