12/13/16

English 7 - Due Wednesday, 12/14 - Handout exercise 106.

12/2/16

English 7 - Thursday, 12/8, Pronoun unit test. Folders are due at time of test.

12/1/16

Eng 7 - Due Friday, 12/2, English handout, exercise 44 old.
Eng 8 - Wednesday, 12/ 7, Pronoun unit test. Folders are due at time of test.

11/29/16

Lit 7 - Due Wednesday, 11/30 - Proofreading, p. 71, top and bottom.

11/28/16

Lit 6 - Due Tuesday, 11/29 - proofreading handout, page 27, top and bottom.
Lit 8 - Due Tuesday , 11/29 - proofreading handout, page 119, top and bottom.

11/18/16

Lit 7 - Tuesday, 11/22 - Essay test on The Pearl. Students should review their notes for the test.
Lit 8 - Tuesday, 11/22 - Essay test on Poe. Students should review their notes for the test.

11/16/16

English 7 - Friday, 11/18, Test on relative pronouns.

11/14/16

English 8 - Thursday, 11/17 - Test on relative pronouns.

11/10/16

Lit 7 - Tuesday, 11/15- Journal. Students should have 5 entries. I went over them today in class.
Lit 6 - Nonfiction vocab test on Tuesday, 11/15.

11/7/16

Lit 8 - Wednesday, 11/9 - journal check.
Lit 6 - Tuesday, 11/8 - journal check.

11/4/16

Reminders:
Lit 8 - Tuesday, 11/8 - short story vocab test - oxymoron - surprise ending.
Lit 7 - Tuesday, 11/8 - novel vocab test - climax - symbol.
Lit 6 - Tuesday, 11/15 - nonfiction vocab test - genre - autobiography.

10/27/16

Lit 6 - Due Tuesday, 11/1, Proofreading handout, page 23, top and bottom.
Lit 7 -  Due Tuesday, 11/1, Proofreading handout, page 67, top and bottom.
Lit 8 - Due Monday, 10/31 - Proofreading handout, page 115, top and bottom

10/20/16

Literature 7 - Tuesday, 11/8 - Novel vocab test - climax - symbol:

Climax: That point in the story where you know that the dilemma has been resolved.

Denouement: What happens as a result of the dilemma being resolved.

Antagonists: Forces creating the dilemma. Must have both positive and negative forces or there is no dilemma. They can be a person, thing, situation, or belief.

Theme: A universal truth about people – the things they do, the way they are, that can be applied to your life. Not a dippy moral.

Parable: Short tale that illustrates a universal truth, a belief that appeals to all people.

Foreshadowing: A device where the author gives clues that hint at later events in the story. Makes surprise endings more believable.

Symbol: Something that has meaning in itself and also stands for or represents something else. (American flag – patriotism, Dove – peace, Crucifix – our faith)

Literature 8 - Tuesday, 11/8 - short story vocab test - oxymoron - surprise ending:

Oxymoron: Figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory ideas or terms are combined for a certain effect. (Bittersweet, horribly good.)

Connotation: An emotional impact of a word or phrase beyond its literal meaning.

Science Fiction: A literary genre that deals with people or worlds that do not exist in our reality. Based loosely on scientific principles.

Flashback: A literary device where an event from the past is inserted into the present. Seems as if it is happening in present time. Shows how the present is influenced by the past.

 Chronological Order: The order in which events actually occur in time.

Foreshadowing: A device where the author gives clues that hint at later events in the story. Makes surprise endings more believable.

Red herring: False clue meant to mislead.

Foil: Anyone serving to set off/contrast someone different or superior.

Symbol: Something that has meaning in itself and also stands for or represents something else. (American flag – patriotism, Dove – peace, Crucifix – our faith)

Surprise ending: Unexpected twist at the end of a story that you did not predict. Must be believable. Use of foreshadowing to hint at the surprise so it is believable.

10/18/16

English 8 - Due Thursday, 10/20 - Handout exercise 22.
Lit 6 - Tuesday, 11/15 - nonfiction vocab test - genre - autobiography. I just give students the words, and they have to write out the complete definitions.

Nonfiction Vocabulary

Genre: A group, type, or classification of Literature. (Short Story, Poetry, etc.)

Letter: A written communication from one person to another. In personal letters writer shares information, thoughts, and feelings with one other person.

Journal: A daily account of events and the writer’s thoughts and feelings about those events.

Media accounts: Reports, explanations, opinions, and descriptions written for television, radio, newspapers, and magazines.

Essay: A short piece of nonfiction in which a writer presents a personal view of a topic.

Expository essay: A short, nonfiction piece that explains or gives information about a topic.

Autobiography: The story of a person’s life written by that person. Includes key events of a person’s life and reveals his struggles, values, and ideas.

10/17/16

Literature 6 - Due Tuesday, 10/18, Synonym worksheet, page 7.

1013/16

English 7 - Due Friday, 10/14 - Handout exercise 26.
English 8 - Monday, 10/17 - Test on declension chart.

Case	Singular	Plural
1st person:
Nominative	I	we
Possessive	mine	ours
Objective	me	us
2nd person:
Nominative	you	you
Possessive	yours	yours
Objective	you	you
3rd person:
Nominative	he, she, it	they
Possessive	hers, its, his	theirs
Objective	him, her, it	them

10/12/16

English 7 - Tuesday, 10/18 - Test on the declension chart. Students will be given a blank chart to fill in.

Case	Singular	Plural
1st person:
Nominative	I	we
Possessive	mine	ours
Objective	me	us
2nd person:
Nominative	you	you
Possessive	yours	yours
Objective	you	you
3rd person:
Nominative	he, she, it	they
Possessive	hers, its, his	theirs
Objective	him, her, it	them

10/6/16

Literature 6 - Due Tuesday, 10/11/16 - Vocab worksheet, p. 6, on synonyms.

English 8 - Tuesday, 10/11 - noun unit test. English folders are due at time of test.
English 7 - Tuesday, 10/11 - noun unit test. English folders are due at time of test.

9/23/16

Literature 7 - Tuesday, 9/27 - Journal check:
8/30 - Secrets
9/6 - Fly/Land
9/13 - Survive
9/23 - Brian
English 7 - Tuesday, 9/27 - Handout exercise 7, if not finished in class.

9/21/16

English 7 - Thursday, 9/22 - Test on objective case uses for nouns: DO, IO, OP, and APP.
Also due Thursday, 9/22 - English handout exercise 9.
Literature 6 - Thursday, 9/22 - Journal check. Students should have 4 entries, each a page long. I went over the topics today in class.
Literature 8 - Thursday, 9/22 - Journal check.

9/20/16

Literature 8 - Thursday, 9/22 - Journal check - students should have 5 journal entries.

9/19/16

English 8 - Tuesday, 9/20 - test on objective case uses for nouns.
                   Tuesday, 9/20 - Handout exercise 6 due in literature class.

9/16/16

Literature 7 - Due Tuesday, 9/20 - Proofreading handout, page 61, top and bottom.

9/15/16

Literature 8 - Due Monday, 9/19 - Proofreading p. 107, top and bottom.
Literature 6 - Due Tuesday, 9/20 - Proofreading p. 19, top and bottom.

9/14/16

Lit 8 - Reminder - short story vocab test on 9/21 - protagonist - title.
Lit 7 reminder - novel vocab test on 9/20 - genre - dilemma.

9/13/16

English 8 - Due Wednesday morning, 9/14,  in literature class - English handout exercise 4.
English 7 - Due Wednesday, 9/14 - English handout exercise 5.

9/8/16

English 8 Monday, 9/12 - Test on nominative case uses for nouns: subject, subject complement, direct address, and apposition.

9/7/16

English 7 - Friday, 9/9 - Test on nominative case uses for nouns: subject, subject complement, direct address, apposition

9/6/16

Literature 6 - Due Wednesday, 9/7 - Proofreading handout, page 15, top and bottom.
Literature 7 - Due Wednesday, 9/7 - Proofreading p.59, top and bottom.
English 7 - Due Wed., 9/7 - English handout, exercise 3.
Literature 8 - Due Wed., 9/7 - Proofreading, page 103, top and bottom.
English 8 - Due Wed., 9/7 - English handouts, exercises 1 and 2.

9/2/16

English 7 - Due Tuesday, 9/6 - English handout, exercise 2.

9/1/16

English 8 - Due Tuesday, 9/6 - English handout, exercise 3 old.

8/30/16

Literature 7 - Tuesday, 9/20 - Novel vocab test - Genre - dilemma.

Novel Vocabulary

Genre: A group, type, or classification of Literature. (Novel, Poetry, etc.)

Plot: What happens in a story. Multiple plots and subplots in a novel

Setting: Where the story takes place. Includes description and sensory images. Multiple settings in a novel.

Title: Name of story. Often an important key into the meaning of the story.

Characterization: Drawing of three-dimensional characters including looks, personality, character traits.

Dilemma: A struggle between opposing forces. The conflict can be internal or external. It’s often a problem the protagonist needs to solve or a realization that he needs to have.

8/29/16

Literature 8 - Wednesday, 9/21 - Short story vocab test - Protagonist - title.

Short Story Vocabulary

Protagonist: The main character of the story. Can be one person or a group of people. Always faces a dilemma and present in the climax. Always has some revelation or realization that he needs to have.

Dilemma: A struggle between opposing forces. The conflict can be internal or external. It’s often a problem the protagonist needs to solve or a realization that he needs to have.

Climax: That point in the story where you know that the protagonist has resolved his dilemma. It must be a direct quote from the story. The protagonist must be present in the climax.

Denouement: What happens as a result of the protagonist solving his dilemma. Not every story has one.

Antagonists: Forces upon the Protagonist creating his dilemma. Must have both positive and negative forces or there is no dilemma. They can be a person, thing, situation, or belief.

Theme: A universal truth about people – the things they do, the way they are, that can be applied to your life. Not a dippy moral.

Characterization: A drawing of three-dimensional characters that include looks, personality, character traits. In a short story it needs to be done quickly.

Plot: What happens in a story. Limited in a short story.

Setting: Where the story takes place. Includes description and sensory images.

Title: Name of the story. Often an important key into the meaning of the story.

6/3/16

Literature 7 - Tuesday, 6/6/16 - Original play performances. Students should have simple costumes, and each group should have decided on what simple props they will use. They should be working on memorizing their parts. I have included  the score sheet I will use.

Drama project

Seventh Grade

Name ______________________________________

Script (Classwork grade) ___________

Individual Performance Grade (Homework and test grade) _________  

Skit grade (Test grade) ____________

Requirements	Requirements Met?
Know your part?
Developed the conflict/resolution?
Simple Props
Simple costumes
Effort
Time

5/31/16

Literature 6 - Thursday, 6/2 - Journal check. Students should have 9 entries. I went over them today in class.

5/20/16

Literature 7 - Due Tuesday, 5/24 - journal check. Students should have 5 journal entries:
4/14-  Marriage - What does it take to make a happy marriage?
4/19 - Beauty - Who is the most beautiful person?
5/3 - Animals - Do we have the right to experiment on animals?
5/12 - Dolphin - Did Helen help the dolphin by the end of the play?
5/20 - Monsters - What point was Rod Serling trying to make in this play? What was he trying to say about humans?
Literature 6 - Remember to study for the vocab test on Thursday, 5/26.

5/19/16

Literature 6 - Monday, 5/23 - Binder check. I'm checking literature binders to make sure students have been taking the notes that I have dictated for what we've read and that they have the vocab in the vocab section. They should have 5 sections. Nonfiction vocab, nonfiction notes, Myth vocab, Myth notes, and Misc. This will count as a test grade.
Please remember the Literature vocab test on May 26.

5/18/16

Literature 6 - Due Thursday, 5/19 - Proofreading, p. 47, top and bottom.

5/13/16

English 7 - Due Tuesday, 5/17 - Handout exercise 86.

5/11/16

English 7 - Due Thursday, 5/12/16 - English handout, exercise 85.

5/6/16

English 7 - Due Tuesday, 5/10 - Adverb Worksheet, exercise 83.

5/5/16

Literature 8 - Due Monday, 5/9  - Proofreading worksheet, page 141, top and bottom.
Literature 7 - Due Friday, 5/6 - Homophones worksheet, page 22
                      Due Tuesday, 5/10 Proofreading worksheet, page 93, top and bottom.
Litreature 6 - Due Monday, 5/9 - Homophones worksheet, page 22.

5/6/16

Literature 6 - Thursday, 5/26 - Vocab test - myth - exaggeration.

Myth: 

·        Stories about gods and heroes.

·        Deals with right/wrong.

·        Explains world in human terms.

·        Explains natural occurrences.

Fable:

·        Teaches lessons at end of story.

·        Short.

·        Underdeveloped characters, situations, conflicts.

·        Animals act like humans.

·        Points out our human failings/weaknesses.

Folklore: Records the customs, traditions, and beliefs of people.

Yarn: A tale or story filled with exaggeration. The subject is the best, worst, or most unusual of its kind.

Conflict: A struggle between opposing forces. It can be internal or external.

Folkhero: An extraordinary person, glorified for his/her wonderful qualities that are far superior to the common man.

Exaggeration: Overstatement, often used for a humorous effect.

4/28/16

English 7:
Friday, 4/29 - Test on subject/verb agreement.
Thursday, 5/5 - Verb unit test. English folders will be collected at test time.
Lit 8:
Monday, 5/2 - Crafted poem due. Poem must be typed. Students should take one of their journal poems and craft it to make it a better poem. I explained the expectations for crafting a poem in class.
English 8:
Monday, 5/2 - Test on subject/verb agreement.
Thursday, 5/5 - Verb unit test. English folders will be collected at test time.
Lit 6:
Students should be working on memorizing their lines for the performance of the original skits that were written in class. Groups will be performing them next Tuesday and Wednesday.

4/27/16

Literature 7 - Thursday, 4/28 - Essay test on The Ugly Duckling play. Students should study their notes on the play for the test.

4/22/16

*** Report cards are coming home today.
Lit 7 - Due Wednesday, 4/27 - proofreading p. 83 top and bottom.

4/20/16

Lit 8 - Thursday, 4/21 - Journal check. I reviewed the requirements today in class. Students should have 8 poems.

4/18/16

Lit * - Due Tuesday, 4/19 - Proofreading worksheet, p. 127 top and bottom.

4/13/16

Lit 7 - Thursday, May 5 - Drama vocab - soliloquy - euphemism.

Soliloquy: A speech in which a character talks to himself or the audience and reveals what he is thinking. Longer than an aside.

Scrim: A light, semi-transparent curtain.

Protagonist: Main character of a story, can be one person or a group of people.

Conflict: A struggle between opposing forces. Can be internal or external.

Parody: A humorous mimicking of a serious piece of literature.

Flashback: A literary device where an event from the past is inserted into the present. Seems as if it is happening in present time. Shows how the present is influenced by the past.

Foreshadowing: A device where the author gives clues that hint at later events in the story. Makes surprise endings more believable.

Euphemism: A nice way of saying something that is not usually nice (fat = big bones).

4/11/16

Lit 8 - Wednesday, April 27 - Poetry vocab test - alliteration - stereotype.

*Alliteration: The repetition of an initial consonant sound in two or more words in a phrase. Picked to enhance meaning.

*Onomatopoeia: The use of a word or phrase that actually imitates or suggests the sound of what it describes. (Buzz, Whir)

* Symbol: Any person, place, or thing that has meaning in itself and also stands for or represents something else. (Flag – nation, Dove – peace.

*Parallel structure: The repetition of a grammatical structure. ( Example on pg. 556 & 565)

Lyric poetry: Poetry that expresses the poet’s thoughts and feelings. Creates a mood through vivid images, descriptive words, and the musical quality of the lines.

*Sensory language: Language that appeals to the senses.

Free verse: Poetry with irregular rhythms and varied line lengths. Free of traditional forms of poetry. Similar to regular speech.

Concrete poetry: Poetry in which the shape of the poem on the page resembles the subject of the poem.

Stereotype: an oversimplified mental picture or judgment.

Lit 6 - Monday, April 25 - Vocab test on the word "Folktales."

Folktales:

·         Communicates values/ideals.

·         Composed orally.

·         Passed by word of mouth.

·         Anonymous.

·         Has heroes, amazing feats of strength or daring.

·         Solves problems.

·         Uses repetition to make easy to remember.

·         To be authentic, must have at least two versions 

3/22/16

Literature 8 - Monday, 4/11, Poetry vocab test - Rhyme - Imagery.

Rhyme: The repetition of sounds in words that appear close to one another in a poem.

End Rhyme: The repetition of sounds in words which occurs at the end of two or more lines.

Refrain: A word, phrase, line, or group of lines that are repeated regularly in a poem.

Infer: A reasonable conclusion one can draw on clues or evidence given.

Figurative language: Language that is meant to be interpreted imaginatively, not literally. (I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.)

*Simile: A comparison between two basically unlike things using the words "Like" or "AS." (She is like the sun.)

*Metaphor: A direct comparison between two unlike things saying something is something else. Doesn’t use "Like" or "As." (She is the sun.)

*Extended metaphor: A comparison that makes more than one continued point of comparison.

*Imagery: The use of vivid language to describe people, places, things, and ideas. Creates a mental picture. Suggests how things look and also how they sound, smell, taste, and feel.

3/18/16

Lit 7 - Tuesday, 3/22/16 - journal check. Students should have 4 diary entries.

3/17/16

English 8 - Tuesday, 3/22, test on tense and voice.
English 7 - Wednesday, 3/23 - test on tense and voice.
Literature 6 - Monday, 4/11 - vocab test on Legend:

Legend:

·        Traditional story about the past

·        based on real people/events

·        passed down by word of mouth.

·        Details increasingly exaggerated.

·        Have fantastic details, larger than life characters, amazing feats.

·        Reveals culture's attitudes/values.

3/15/16

Lit 8 - Due Wednesday, 3/16 - Prefixes worksheet, page 16
Lit 7 - Due Wednesday, 3/16 - Compound words worksheet, page 20.
Lit 6 - Due Wednesday, 3/16 - Compound words worksheet, page 20.

3/9/16

English 7 - Due Thursday, 3/10 - Handouts exercises 63old and 64old. Please remember that the "Where was God During the Holocaust?" essays are due tomorrow.

3/8/16

Literature 8 - Due Wednesday, 3/9 - Write a 12 line, rhyming poem about a vegetable. This assignment must be typed.

3/3/16

Lit 8 - Tuesday, 3/22 - Poetry vocab test Connotation - rhythm.

Poetry Vocabulary

Connotation: Emotional impact attached to words beyond their literal meaning.

Paraphrase: Putting something into your own words. In poetry, you lose the musical quality and rhyme

Prose: The ordinary form of written language. Everyday speech.

*Personification: Giving human qualities or characteristics to inanimate objects or animals.

Narrative poem: A poem that tells a story in poetic form. Contains plot, setting, characters, etc. Relies on rhythm and rhyme. Organized in stanzas.

Stanzas: Groups of lines that form units in a poem.

 Ballad: A Narrative poem that tells a simple and dramatic story. Intended to be sung or recited. Has strong rhythms and rhymes.

*Juxtaposition: The placing of two images or ideas side by side allowing the reader to make the comparison. Not a direct comparison.

Rhythm: A pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in the lines of a poem. Usually contributes to meaning.

Lit 6 - Tuesday, 3/8 - Journal check: 

2/9 - "Tolerance" - What can you do to promote tolerance?

2/10 - "TV" - Is TV a good or bad thing, or can it be both?

2/18 - "Sequence of Events" List the sequence of events from "The Night the Bed Fell."

2/24 - "Loch Ness Monster" What would it take for you to believe in the Loch Ness Monster?

3/2 - Expository Essay" - Write an expository essay giving facts and information on a topic you know a lot about and are interested in.

Lit 7 - Due Thursday, 3/10 Essay - "Where was God during the Holocaust?" It must be typed, double-spaced, and at least 3 paragraphs long. 

3/2/16

Literature 8 - Thursday, 3/3 - Journal check. Students should have 13 ientries. I reviewed the requirements in class tody.

3/1/16

Lit 8 - Due Wednesday, 3/2 - proofreading handout, page 123.
Lit 7 - Due Wednesday, 3/2 - proofreading handout, page 79.
Lit 6 - Due Wednesday, 3/2 - proofreading handout, page 31.

2/23/16

English 7 - Friday, 2/26 - Adjective unit test. Folders are due at test time.
English 8 - Monday, 2/29 - Adjective unit test. Folders are due at test time.

2/22/16

Eng 8 Due Tuesday, 2/23 - English handout exercise 14.

2/19/16

Eng 7 - due Tuesday, 2/23 - English handout exercise 19.
Lit 6 and 7 - Remember that there is a vocab test on Thursday, 2/25.

2/18/16

Lit 8 - Due Monday, 2/22 - vocab worksheet, p. 15.

2/17/16

Eng 8 - Thursday, 2/18 - test on limiting adjectives.
Lit 6 - Due Thursday, 2/18 - compound words, p.19
Lit 7 - Due Thursday, 2/18 - compound words, p.19

2/12/16

English 7 - Tuesday, 2/16 - test on limiting adjectives - numeral, article, and pronominal (demonstrative, possessive, distributive, indefinite, and interrogative).

2/10/16

Lit 8 - Due Thursday, 2/11 - vocab (adverbs) worksheet, page 12.
Lit 7 - Due Thursday, 2/11 - vocab (compound words) worksheet, page 18.
Lit 6 - Due Thursday, 2/11 - vocab (compound words) worksheet, page 18.
English 7 - Due Thursday, 2/11 - Handout exercise 48 old.

2/9/16

English 8 - Due Wednesday, 2/10 - English handout exercise 51 old.

2/8/16

English 8 - Due Tuesday, 2/9 - handout exercise 11.

2/5/16

7th grade parents, Please ask your child to see the grades on the 2 sentence unit tests.
7th Lit: Due Tuesday, 2/9 - Antonyms worksheet, page 17.

2/4/16

8th grade parents - Please ask to see your child's grades on the 2 sentence unit tests.
Lit 7 - Due Friday, 2/5 - Journal check.
10/20 Ideal Life
10/27 Worst Sin
11/13 Lottery
12/8 Throw
12/11 Reputation
1/5 Chains
1/14 Future

2/3/16

Lit 6 - Monday, 2/8 - Journal check
12/16 Help
1/6 - Cowboy/cowgirl
1/11 - Pet
1/20 - Oscar, Debbie, Buster, or Sancho?
2/3 - New Kid
Literature 7 - Holocaust Survivor project, due Friday, February 19.

Holocaust Survivors Research Paper

Due Friday, February 19, 2016

            Research a survivor of the Holocaust.  Start your search at www.ushmm.org. This is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website. Click on Personal Histories and then select a category, Children, Individuals, etc.  When you select a survivor, you must also do a general search on the person’s name to find additional information. You should include the person’s name, date and place of birth, and general information on his or her life.  You should also include what happened to the person during the war and what kind of experiences he or she had.  Also tell what happened to the person after the war.

Paper requirements:

Cover sheet with the person’s name and a picture or graphic.  You should also include your name and the due date. You may use any font and type size for the cover, but use black ink for the words.

The body of the paper should include the information listed above. It should be a minimum of five paragraphs with at least five sentences in each paragraph.  You must put all information into your own words.  You may not copy and paste sections into your paper.

You must have a bibliography listing the websites where you found the information you included in your report.

For the body of the paper and bibliography you must use:

·        Times new Roman font

·        12-point type size

·        Double spaced

·        Black ink

You will lose 20 points if you do not follow the above format for font, type size, spacing, or ink.

2/2/16

Lit/English 7
Due Wed. 2/3 - antonyms worksheet, page 16.
Wed. and Thursday 2/3 and 2/4  - Sentence unit test. Folders due on Thursday.
Thursday, 2/25 - drama vocab test - costuming - flashpot.

Costuming: The way the characters are dressed. Can be used to create mood, illusion, and set the piece in a particular time.

Plot: What happens in the story, may not be sequential. Has to hold the audience’s attention, visually interesting.

Theme: A universal truth about people – the things they do, the way they are, that can be applied to your life. Not a dippy moral.

Infer: A reasonable conclusion one can draw from facts or evidence given.

Aside: A character speaks directly to the audience. Through asides, characters in a play reveal directly to the audience their thoughts or other characters’ thoughts. Usually delivered in confidence pretending that other characters cannot hear.

Nota Bene, N.B.: Note well. Used to call attention to something important.

Flash-pot: A device that creates a burst of fire and smoke that creates a magical effect.