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Showing posts from 2017

Monday, January 8th Late Start

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Revisit our descriptive pieces about a person.  Edit/revise as needed. Print a copy.  Put your secret name on it.  The art students will be drawing your character.  We will then play a fun game with their art work and your descriptions! Class Poem Write a word on the white board.  Try to use as many of the words in a poem about a topic of your choice.

Thursday, December 20th

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Celebration with Ms. H's class in the media center.  We will eat and watch a movie!

Tuesday, December 18th

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We will do a bit more writing to music. Pick one of the pieces you started and continue! Write a heartfelt letter to someone (more than one is great).  You can write to: grandparent aunt, uncle cousin neighbor coach teacher mom dad friend ANY PERSON who makes a difference in your life Thursday we will join Ms. H's class for a little celebration. Feel free to bring STORE bought snacks or drinks. 

Thursday, December 14th

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Today we will meet in our writing groups and share our work.  We will then publish to Kidblog.  I would like everyone to try to publish a MINIMUM of eight pieces by today. Also, comment!  Make LOTS of comments!  Check out our followers too!  We have quite a few now! Write to music.  I will play a variety of types of music and you will write to each to inspire you. Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, December 12th

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Finish up "What Women Do in the Bathroom Piece" Poem-We will read the poem "If I Were in Charge of the World" and then do a copy change.  Writing to music Mrs. K. will play a variety of types of music to inspire different pieces of writing!  Should be fun!  Bring a piece to share in Writing Group on Thursday. 

Monday, December 11th

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What Women Really Do in the Bathroom Go to Google Classroom to access this file.

Thursday, December 7th

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Write your own opinion piece about anything you would like. CHARACTERISTICS OF EDITORIAL WRITING An editorial is an article that presents the newspaper's opinion on an issue. It reflects the majority vote of the editorial board, the governing body of the newspaper made up of editors and business managers. It is usually unsigned. Much in the same manner of a lawyer, editorial writers build on an argument and try to persuade readers to think the same way they do. Editorials are meant to influence public opinion, promote critical thinking, and sometimes cause people to take action on an issue. In essence, an editorial is an opinionated news story. Editorials have: 1. Introduction, body and conclusion like other news stories 2. An objective explanation of the issue, especially complex issues 3. A timely news angle 4. Opinions from the opposing viewpoint that refute directly the same issues the writer addresses 5. The opinions of the writer delivered in a professional ma

Tuesday, December 5th

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Describe Someone with a Different Look Today we will finish up our opinion pieces!   In case we didn't finish... Read Teen Ink Student Pieces Publish comments to several articles. Sign in with Google. What are the characteristics of an Opinion piece?  Brainstorm.  List ideas for pieces.   Publish comments to several articles. Sign in with Google. Write your own opinion piece about anything you would like. CHARACTERISTICS OF EDITORIAL WRITING An editorial is an article that presents the newspaper's opinion on an issue. It reflects the majority vote of the editorial board, the governing body of the newspaper made up of editors and business managers. It is usually unsigned. Much in the same manner of a lawyer, editorial writers build on an argument and try to persuade readers to think the same way they do. Editorials are meant to influence public opinion, promote critical thinking, and sometimes cause people to take action on an issue. In essence, an editorial is

Monday, December 4th

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Read Several Opinion Columns from The New York Times Publish comments to several articles. Sign in with Google. What are the characteristics of an Opinion piece?  Brainstorm.  List ideas for pieces.   Publish comments to several articles. Sign in with Google. Read Teen Ink Student Pieces Write your own opinion piece about anything you would like. CHARACTERISTICS OF EDITORIAL WRITING An editorial is an article that presents the newspaper's opinion on an issue. It reflects the majority vote of the editorial board, the governing body of the newspaper made up of editors and business managers. It is usually unsigned. Much in the same manner of a lawyer, editorial writers build on an argument and try to persuade readers to think the same way they do. Editorials are meant to influence public opinion, promote critical thinking, and sometimes cause people to take action on an issue. In essence, an editorial is an opinionated news story. Editorials have: 1. Introducti

Thursday, November 30th

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Share your piece with your writing group and get feedback. Revise your piece. Publish your work to Kidblog. Make comments on at least THREE other pieces. IF time, we will write  limericks !   SO fun. You may work alone or with friends!   More silly examples How to Write a Limerick What is a Limerick? Limericks are one of the most fun and well-known poetic forms. No one knows for sure where the name “limerick” comes from, but most people assume it is related to the county of Limerick, in Ireland. The reason limericks are so much fun is because they are short, rhyming, funny, and have a bouncy rhythm that makes them easy to memorize. In this lesson, I’ll show you how you can write your own limericks in just a few easy steps. The Rules of Limericks Limericks, like all poetic forms, have a set of rules that you need to follow. The rules for a limerick are fairly simple: They are five lines long. Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with one another. Lines 3 and 4 rhyme with eac

Tuesday, November 28th

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Finish your funny review from yesterday. We will play with sentence structure by imitating some mentor sentences. Today's sentences will focus on hyperbole “It would have taken a lumberjack ten minutes to cut down all the trees in Kansas.” In Cold Blood by Truman Capote pg 12 "I started throwing up a ton of water and food. If there was a forest fire somewhere all they would have to do is hold me over it and I would have put it out! I threw up and coughed and choked and vomited about a million times, and all this just because I'd breathed in some air!" Christopher Paul Curtis, The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963, p. 178 “Well, when Pap’s full, you might take and belt him over the head with a church and you couldn't faze him. Tom Sawyer page 65 Post your TWO favorite Sentences to THIS PADLET Odes We will look at  this  slideshow. (If we have time)  Think of an everyday object What are the objects best qualities? How does the obj

Monday, November 27th

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Write our actors letters of appreciation for performing our scenes. Reflect on the assignment. Furniture Slide Show SURVEY SURVEY TO FILL OUT ABOUT FURNITURE Sign card for Romeo and Juliet actors. Let's have some laughs today. I have been scouring Amazon for some funny reviews to share with you! Click  HERE  to read about a tool you will wonder how you ever lived without! By Mikey B on June 5, 2016 Format: Board book I was hoping to learn something new from reading this book, however, it turns out the baby's belly button was exactly where I expected it to be. There were no significant plot twists, and none of the characters were developed thoroughly enough for me to really "care" what happened next. If you're looking for a challenging yet entertaining way to spend 4 hours reading, this is for you, but if you are seeking more thrills and suspense, consider a Steven King novel. George Takei 5.0 out of

Tuesday, November 14th

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We are going to the media center today. Collect permission slips Storybird has a challenge that is too good to resist!   Our class code is  ZCW9J.  Hopefully, you can join my class easily!  We'll work through it together! Here  is a link to the November challenge. I would like everyone to finish this project.  We will work on it again! Odes We will look at this slideshow. (If we have time)  Think of an everyday object What are the objects best qualities? How does the object look, feel, sound, smell? Pay tribute to this object in your ode How could you use figurative language to compare this object? Write an ode or two.  Consider using Storybird.   IF time, we will write limericks !   SO fun. You may work alone or with friends!  

Monday, November 13th LATE START

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Collect permission slips Some students will be leaving to attend a STEP IT UP activity You may work on whatever you like since so many people left for the STEP IT UP activity.  You will need to have a piece to share with your writing group when we return from Thanksgiving break

Tuesday, November 7th

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 I will do my best to help you fairly cast for your play.  How to Describe a Person Pick a person-real or imagined. Use descriptive writing to portray your person in action.  You may want to select a loved one.  These can make nice holiday gifts. Here is a link to ideas More ideas and examples are here

Thursday, November 9th

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Today we will have a guest teacher come in and help us prepare for our field trip to see Romeo and Juliet.     Then, we will go work with the drama students on their scenes.  

Thursday, November 2nd

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HI Everyone! Today we will write some haikus.   HAIKUS A syllable is a part of a word pronounced as a unit.  It is usually made up of a vowel alone or a vowel with one or more consonants.  The word "Haiku" has two syllables:  Hai-ku; the word "introduction" has four syllables:  in-tro-duc-tion. "Haiku" is a traditional form of Japanese poetry.  Haiku poems consist of 3 lines.  The first and last lines of a Haiku have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables.  The lines rarely rhyme. Here's a Haiku to help you remember: I am first with five Then seven in the middle -- Five again to end. Then we will head down to the drama room to watch rehearsals and consider who we'd like to cast for our scenes. Then we will return to class. :)

Tuesday, October 31st

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Happy Halloween!  Of course, we have to read and write something scary!   Next, we will write a scary story. You may work alone or with a friend.   The air turned black all around me. Icy fingers gripped my arm in the darkness. Wandering through the graveyard it felt like something was watching me. The eyes in the painting follow him down the corridor. A shrill cry echoed in the mist. Here is a link to some good ideas

Monday, October 30th

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Today I would like to give you time to work on whatever you like. You may revisit old pieces or start something completely new!  Feel free to share your work with a friend and get feedback using Google.   You may also post to Kidblog or comment on student work. :)

Thursday, October 26th

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Writing Groups-We will meet in the media center. You will get feedback on your piece. We will then revise and post to our blog Next, you will write using the following prompt: My_______ history.  You may consider filling in the blank with words like:  music, hair, fashion, television, friend,  pet, toy, video game, reading, writing, shoe, slang, food, etc.  Feel free to add a picture!

Tuesday, October 24th

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I really enjoyed reading  your scripts over the weekend.  I gave you all feedback.  Today you will have time to revise your script.  You will then print two copies of your final draft and bring to class Thursday. :) Next, we will read an excerpt from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Alexie’s coming of age novel is the hilarious and touching story of high school freshman Arnold “Junior” Spirit who realizes that his life on his Indian reservation is a dead end and so decides to attend the nearby “white” high school.  What he discovers, though, is that by straddling two very different worlds, he is now an outsider in both. There’s a great sequence early in the book where Junior feels like he is being insulted by a boy at his new school.  So he punches him in the face, and is then surprised that the kid didn’t see it coming.  Because, you see. on the reservation, there are what Junior describes as the “Unofficial and Unwritten (but you better follow them or you’re

Thursday, October 19th

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Today we will work in our script writing groups to get feedback from other groups. We will rotate through a variety of stations, so that you get feedback from a variety of people We will then come back to class and take twenty minutes or so to revise our scenes. THEN, ONE person from the group will share the scene with me.  I will give you feedback. :) We will watch  a video about diamante poetry. You will write your own! Format for Diamante

Tuesday, October 17th

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I will give you a handout and we will complete it.  We will look for words to re place RIP words. Here are  50 story starters  that are sure to inspire your writing assignment. Character names/pronouns can be changed to fit the story. 1. It was the last time I'd try that again. 2. He packed his bags and left. 3. No one would believe what happened that night. 4. It's not every day you wake up in a puddle of blood. 5. I could only think of one reason why this wouldn't work. 6. Storms were certain that night, but it wasn't the weather that caused the turmoil. 7. Never again would I utter her name. 8. I believed him one too many times; this was the last. 9. Words were her weapon. 10. "You're fired." We will then have free time to work on what you want.  Make sure your scene is awesome. You will need four copies on Thursday. Then we will work on our scenes!