January 6, 2010
1. After studying the three Langston Hughes' poems, "Dream Boogie:
Variation," "Harlem," and "I, Too," write a well-developed paragraph (in ink
or typed) explaining how all three poems have something to say about the
American dream. What does Langston Hughes say to us about the American
dream? What pictures does he paint of the dream? Your paragraph should have
a topic sentence which states the main idea of the paragraph and uses the
words in the question. You then need to have at least five supporting
details in the body of your paragraph. These details should include quotes
from each one of the three poems. Your explanation of the ways the poems
address the dream theme is essential to writing a good paragraph. Your
paragraph should end with a strong summary sentence, a well-written
conclusion. This paragraph is your ticket to tomorrow's group activity in
the library.
2. Poetry notes and analysis (in your class notes spiral--not on looseleaf
paper) are due tomorrow. Your notebooks will be checked and scored. They
are worth 15 points. Make sure you have defined all poetry terms from the
handout you were given in class, provided definitions of odes, elegies,
sonnets, ballads, sonnets, epic poetry, and free verse, taken good notes each
day in class, and completed poetry questions over the seven poems we have
studied in the last two days (poems by Dunbar, Angelou, and Hughes). Use the
handouts I have provided in class and the Glossary of Literature and Reading
terms in the back of your book. If you have been absent, please get together
with a study buddy and ask him/her to share his/her notes with you so that
you can get caught up and start the third quarter off on solid ground!
January 4-5, 2010
1. Answer all questions on Maya Angelou's poem, "Caged Bird" and Paul
Laurence Dunbar's poem, "Sympathy." These questions were given out in class
on Tuesday, and you should have completed most of them during the class
period. Write the answers in your class notes.
2. Use either the handout you were given in class today or your literature
book's Glossary of Literary and Reading Terms to help you define new
vocabulary related to poetry. In your class notes spiral, write the
definitions of words related to poetry and new to you. These words should
include figurative language (onomatopoeia, alliteration, imagery, symbolism,
metaphors, similes, personification, hyperbole, etc.) and types of poetry
(sonnets, odes, elegies, ballads, epic poetry, free verse). These notes
should be in your language arts class spiral; notebooks will be graded on
Thursday and Friday of this week. Your class notes and your homework should
all be carefully and neatly written in your class notes.
December 14-15, 2009
1. Make sure that you have 3/4 of your two-sided Comparison/Contrast sheet
completed. Think about ways that "Rules of the Game" and "Searching for
Bobby Fischer" are similar and different in their settings, characters,
conflicts, plot, and themes. Compare themes across genres (fiction-
nonfiction; literary text-film).
2. If you have not yet done so, read pages 359-366 in your literature books.
Read for information!
3. Take at least one page of notes on either (a) HOW TO PLAY CHESS (using the
pages in your textbook to teach you) or (b) HOW TO TEACH A CLASSMATE WHO HAS
NEVER PLAYED CHESS HOW TO PLAY CHESS. You will need to have at least one
page of chess notes (from the book) or, if you already know how to play, you
need to create a one page handout on how to play that you can share with the
students you will be teaching. Use your literature book to help you! Your
notes will serve as your Ticket to our upcoming chess tournament. Beginners
will play beginners, experienced chess players will play experienced chess
players. Your participation in the tournament will show me that you read and
comprehended the expository text in the literature book!
4. Bring in a chess set (IF YOU CAN!) and drop it off in the morning before
school with your name taped on the box or the set. Please do not bring in
expensive sets, but if you have a set to share throughout the day, I can lock
it up overnight in a closet, and we can have a two day tournament this
Thursday and Friday.
December 10, 2009
1. Tonight's homework is to first make sure that you have completed BOTH
SIDES of the editing checklist given out in class on Wednesday. This was
yesterday's classwork and yesterday's homework; however, if you have not yet
had two people use this paper to help you edit, you need to do that tonight.
I will not grade personal narratives until the two sided editing sheet has
been completed. In other words, I will not accept final drafts until you
have gone through all of the required steps of the writing process; having
the two-sided editing sheet completed by two different editors is the last
step before you create your final draft.
2. Create a final draft of your personal narrative. Do not put your name on
this paper, but do come up with an original title. Also, please put your
language arts period on the paper. Staple your final draft on top of the two-
sided editing checklist that has been filled out by two different editors.
Tomorrow before class, I will give you a clean copy of the Personal Narrative
Rubric, the paper I will use to score your narrative. (You were given a copy
of this paper at the start of the unit; it would be wise to go over this
paper again tonight as you make final revisions to your narrative.)
*****Personal Narratives Must Have An Editing Checklist Completed and Stapled
to Them in Order to Be Scored.
****EACH DAY THAT A PAPER IS LATE, IT LOSES 10 PERCENT OF ITS TOTAL WORTH.
****STUDENTS MAY NOT VIEW THE MOVIES OR PARTICIPATE IN THE CHESS TOURNAMENT
NEXT WEEK UNTIL ALL WRITING REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN MET.
December 9, 2009
1. Revise your personal narrative using the suggestions you were given in
class today by a peer. Print out a new draft to give to a family member or
friend outside of class.
2. Ask a family member or friend or former teacher to read the editing
checklist and then read your paper (or listen to it being read aloud) and
then fill in the editing checklist on the back side of today's classwork.
Staple this editing checklist to your final draft when you turn it in on
Friday.
3. Prepare for tomorrow's graded Socratic Seminar. Make sure you have answers
to six of the nineteen questions over "Rules of the Game."
December 8, 2009
1. Revise your personal narrative tonight using what you learned from today's
lesson on word choice, voice, and sentence variety. Replace "to be" verbs
(is, was, are, were) with action verbs. Using concrete nouns, proper nouns,
and specific details to "paint a picture" with words. Give setting and
character details. Use imagery. Add dialogue that will give voice to your
paper. Consider your dialogue carefully, and include words, phrases, and
nicknames that will make your characters come alive and will "show" your
readers instead of "tell" them.
2. Add figurative language: similes, metaphors, personification,
alliteration, symbolism.
3. Replace telling lines such as "My grandma was kind and loving" with
showing lines such as "Grandma leaned down, put her soft hand on my back, and
comforted me with three words I can still hear today, more than twenty years
later: 'Angel, it's gonna be okay.' "
4. For tomorrow, you need to have a new and improved draft. Put a creative
title on your paper, but do not put your name on this draft. You will be
editing papers tomorrow in class.
Our Socratic Seminar on "Rules of the Game" has been postponed until
Thursday. Make sure that by Thursday you have prepared good answers to six
of the nineteen questions I gave you over Amy Tan's chapter from The Joy Luck
Club.
December 7, 2009
1. After reading Amy Tan's "Rules of the Game," select any six of the
nineteen questions you were given in class today. Write (or type) your
responses using quotes and/or details from the text. Tomorrow we will have a
graded Socratic Seminar over this chapter, "Rules of the Game," from Tan's
award-winning novel, The Joy Luck Club.
2. If you did not complete questions A-H in class today as we read "Rules of
the Game," you also need to answer all of the questions on this two-sided
handout.
3. Deliver the language arts letter to your parents. Bring back a parent
signature if you have their consent to watch the movie clip
dramatizing "Rules of the Game" and the movie based on Fred
Waitzkin's "Searching for Bobby Fischer."
December 3, 2009
1. Think about the major points in today's lesson: the importance of
narrowing your story's focus; editing to correct errors in conventions;
showing with actions instead of telling with general statements; and using
sentence variety, repetition, and parallelism to achieve sentence fluency.
Then review the feedback your classmate provided you on the peer-editing
paper that was done in class today. Use the class lecture plus the peer
feedback to revise your paper tonight.
2. After creating a new and improved draft, proofread it, print it off, and
bring it to class tomorrow (Friday). You will be reading it to your peers
and getting additional feedback to guide your next round of revisions. The
final draft of your one to two page personal narrative is due next Friday.
It will be worth 20 points.
December 2, 2009
Revise your personal narrative. Create a new and improved draft for class
tomorrow. This draft should have a title and your class period but no name.
Tomorrow in class, you will be peer-editing using the checklist below. I
suggest you look over this checklist to guide tonight's revisions.
Ideas and Content/Word Choice/Organization/Voice/Sentence Fluency:
Mark “Good” or “Needs Work” in each of the spaces below after carefully
reading your peer’s paper. Offer honest feedback which will help guide your
peer’s revisions. Be honest.
____________1. This personal narrative is definitely on topic: it is the
story of ONE PARTICULAR TIME SPENT WITH ONE PERSON TREASURED by this writer.
___________ 2. This paper begins with an interesting first line which
grabs my attention, is different from all the other first lines of other
papers, shows “voice,” and motivates me to continue reading this story.
___________ 3. This paper has characters who are described using specific
details that paint a picture in my mind. Because of the way the writer has
used concrete nouns, proper nouns, and action verbs, I can “see” what the
people in this story are doing and saying and feeling.
____________4. This paper has a clearly described setting. Because of the
way the writer has used specific details, I can “see” where the characters
are, what the scene looks like, and what is in the “background” all around
the characters.
___________5. This paper has an engaging plot. This paper has an
exposition, rising action, a climax, and a resolution. This paper tells a
story that is interesting. This paper tells one story, and as I read it, I
felt interested in reading on and finding out how it would end.
___________6. This paper has a good ending that wraps up the story, shows
voice, and leaves me with an emotion. As I finish the last line of this
paper, I experience (vicariously) the writer’s “vision of love.”
___________7. This paper is enjoyable to read because the sentences have
been well-constructed. The sentences are all complete, and because some are
long and some are short, the paper has a musical quality to it. It would be
great to read this paper aloud; it is smooth-sounding. The writer has varied
sentence length and style, used repetition effectively, and demonstrated an
understanding of parallelism (the repetition of a grammatical structure which
gives balance to phrases and sentences and makes the sentences “sound good”).
To improve this paper in the next week I suggest:
December 1, 2009
In class today, students completed a self-assessment that asked them to
evaluate their progress in completing three drafts of a one to two page typed
personal narrative. Students turned in their three different drafts of their
personal narratives.
Over the past seven days, students had been instructed to write a one to two
page story about a special time that they spent with a person they treasure.
It should be a story with a "vision of love" theme. The story should have an
interesting opening, an engaging plot, setting and character description, and
a strong ending. The writer should use specific details (concrete nouns,
proper nouns, action verbs) to paint a picture with words. The writer
should "show, not tell." Part of this writing assignment involved having at
least one peer and at least one adult (1) review the assignment instruction
sheet; (2) study the scoring rubric for the personal narrative; and (3)read
over a draft of the personal narrative and either ask questions to help guide
the student's revisions or offer a few suggestions to help the student
improve the paper.
Students who are behind in this writing process should be writing, seeking
editors' advice, and/or revising their papers tonight.
Because of today's multi-media presentation and/or Spelling Bee, there is no
additional homework, but students who failed to earn a 5/5 on today's self-
assessment should use tonight to get caught up on their personal narrative
writing, revising, editing, rewriting.
November 30, 2009
Three drafts of your personal narrative are due tomorrow. You will earn
points for having three different drafts (with considerable changes made from
draft to draft).
Staple your first and second drafts underneath your third draft, or your
latest draft. Please do not put your name on your latest, best draft.
Please create a title for your narrative.
If you feel that your drafts are similar to one another, I recommend that you
ask someone else to read over your instruction sheet and your rubric and then
help you to improve your draft tonight. Make revisions and then come to class
tomorrow with all drafts stapled together and your best draft, the one with
no editing marks, on the top.
November 23 and 24 Homework
(These three assignments should be completed by next Tuesday.)
1. Write a personal narrative describing one particular time that you spent
with a person you treasure. Tell the story of this special time that you
shared. Describe the setting, the person you were with, the events which
transpired. Use dialogue as well as description to make your story come
alive. Provide specific details. Show; don't tell. Your personal narrative
should be one to two pages double spaced with 12" type. Follow the
instructions provided on the handout given to you in class. Also use the 4-
point rubric to guide you. Study the model that we went over in class (the
story I wrote for my grandmother on her 80th birthday).
2. Take a rest from writing after you have completed your first draft. Then
go back to your writing, and see where you could add descriptive details, be
more specific, replace "to be" verbs with action verbs, and do a better job
of "painting a picture" with words. Consider adding dialogue. Pay attention
to word choice, sentence fluency, and organization as you make revisions to
your first draft and create a new and improved second draft. Begin with an
attention-grabbing first line that will make your paper different from
everyone else's. End with a great last line.
3. Now give your second draft to at least one peer and at least one adult,
and ask these two people to first read over your instruction sheet, then read
over the scoring rubric, and then read and edit your paper for you. Ask them
to give you as much feedback as they can, using the rubric and the
instruction sheet as their guide. Edit your paper. Create a polished third
draft for next Tuesday. Do not put your name on your paper.
(BELOW YOU WILL FIND ONE OF THE TWO HANDOUTS DISTRIBUTED IN CLASS ON
MONDAY;PLEASE SEE MS.BORKOWSKI TO PICK UP THE OTHER ONE IF YOU WERE ABSENT ON
MONDAY.)
Language Arts: Personal Narrative
(Instruction Sheet)
A narrative is a story. A personal narrative is a story that is close to
your heart, a story that matters to you, a story you want to tell.
A few weeks ago, we read Robert Cormier’s “The Moustache” and traveled
vicariously with a teenager named Mike as he drove out to a nursing home
called Lawnrest and visited with his grandmother, Meg. In “The Moustache”
Cormier teaches us that “It’s the things of the spirit that count.” This
story, "Raymond's Run," "Stop the Sun," and "The Treasure of Lemon Brown,"
all revolve around the themes of family relationships, character change, and,
to borrow the words of a Mariah Carey song, “a vision of love.”
In the spirit of these stories and their "visions of love," reflect on the
people in your own life and the special times you have spent together. Then
select one particular person (a parent, an older brother or older sister, a
grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt or uncle, an older person in your
neighborhood, etc.) and one particular time that you spent together that has
left a big impression on you and has taught you something about love. Write a
one to two page personal narrative which tells the story of one special time
with that person that you will always remember.
Your personal narrative should include:
*a strong beginning, a hook, which makes the reader want to read on
*specific details (How old were you? Where were you? What were you doing?
What was important about your time together?)
*good description, good word choice, use of action verbs and concrete nouns
to paint a picture of your story’s people, setting, and sequence of events
*sentences that are complete and easy and enjoyable to read
*dialogue to add Voice and make the characters and events come alive
*proper spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and usage
*a strong ending which brings your story to an effective and satisfying
conclusion
For this assignment, you will do prewriting and begin your story today; by
tomorrow at the end of class, you should have finished typing a first draft.
Then you will reread what you wrote and revise it to make it even more
specific, more detailed. After revising it, you will ask a peer and then a
parent or older sibling to give you feedback. What did they like? Where
could you make changes? What should be cut? What parts need more detail?
After getting advice from at least one peer and one adult, make your changes,
proofread, and submit a typed, double space polished 2nd draft by Tuesday of
next week.
Remember: “Everyone has a story to tell.” Your classmates and I will be your
audience next week, but I encourage you to write this narrative as a kind
of "thank you" to the special person in your life (or for a family member if
the subject of your narrative is no longer living). Writing is gift-giving,
and I suspect your story would make a great gift…
November 19, 2009
1. Writing folders (your working portfolio) will be shared and evaluated
tomorrow. Work tonight to make sure that you have completed the
assignments, reviewed and refined your assignments, organized all of your
work, and placed a neat and professional-looking Table of Contents on the top
of your work. When you review, evaluate, and refine your work, strive to
improve your writing by focusing on each one of the six traits:
1. ideas and content (cite quotes from the text and put page #s in
parentheses; give supporting details from the readings to support your
answers; bring in examples from your own life or from the lives of others)
2. word choice (when introducing quotes, use action verbs such as writes,
describes, explains, tells; strive to limit your use of "to be" verbs such as
is, are, was, were; use new vocabulary words and literature terms in relevant
contexts)
3. sentence fluency (introduce quotes smoothly with transitions, clear
explanation of the characters and plot of the story, and the use of the
active, not passive, voice; reread your sentences (aloud), and work to
improve your sentence construction; make your sentences sound musical!)
4. voice (make text-text and text to life connections; give specific details
that provide real examples to support what you are trying to say; show; don't
tell!)
5. organization (each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence with the
author's name, the title of the short story, and the key words from the
question; each paragraph should have four to six supporting details including
quotes fand ( ) with page numbers inside, examples from the story, and
examples from other stories or real life experiences; each paragraph should
end with a good wrap up, a good concluding sentence which restates the main
idea of the paragraph and adds a personal touch to bring voice to the ending.
6. conventions (proofread your work to correct errors in capitalization,
spelling, punctuation, and grammar/usage)
2. Writing folders will be worth 40 points and will be a large part of your
second quarter grade. Put effort into your working portfolio. Use the
entries you see below to help you organize and improve your folder. You will
see detailed explanations below. Use them to help you to evaluate and refine
your writing tonight. Show what you have learned this quarter about
literature response writing. Put pride into your work, and be ready to share
your work with your classmates and your teacher tomorrow.
November 18, 2009
1. Create a professional-looking or artistic-looking Table of Contents for
your eight writing folder assignments that will be shared in class and then
collected on Friday. Add today's writing about your treasures to last
night's homework (D) and (E) from "The Treasure of Lemon Brown" worksheet.
These are the last three assignments; the first five are described for you
under November 16th's entry on this website.
2. Organize and revise your eight writing folder assignments. (Staple your
(D) paragraph to the worksheet which has A, B, C, D, and E on it.)
NOvember 17, 2009
Complete D and E by writing two separate literature responses. Paragraphs
should include a good topic sentence, five supporting details with examples
and quotes from the text plus text-text and text-life connections, and a
strong conclusion. Follow the directions supplied on the ten step literature
response guide you were given in class. D should be typed. E should be
written on the back side of the paragraph you wrote about homelessness on
Monday (or typed and attached to it). These two paragraphs should be put in
your writing folder (along with the paragraph you wrote on Monday about what
you knew about homelessness before we began this unit).
November 16, 2009
1. Read the Walter Dean Myers' short story entitled "The Treasure of Lemon
Brown" in your green literature book.
2. Complete A,B, and C on the worksheet given out in class today.
November 12-13, 2009 (It is midquarter time. Please, parents, initialize
your son or daughter's planner next to his or her language arts midquarter
grade. Students who are earning D's or F's at midquarter should be showing
you an official print out of all assignments and scores. Please sign and
return this form to school if your child has a D or an F.)
Writing folders will be due next Friday, November 20th. Students should
have each one of the following five writing assignments in their folder by
now, and each paragraph should include a topic sentence, 4-6 supporting
details, and a conclusion. Paragraphs should include quotes from the story
with page numbers (digits only) in parentheses. Students need to demonstrate
their ability to interpret literature and use specific examples and quotes
from the stories to support their opinions.
1. One paragraph focusing on Toni Cade Bambara's "characterization" of
Squeaky in the exposition of "Raymond's Run." (Write about Squeaky's
actions, description, and dialogue in the beginning of the story
called "Raymond's Run.")
2. One paragraph explaining a theme developed in Toni Cade Bambara's
short story, "Raymond's Run."
3. Write answers to six literature response questions over Robert
Cormier's "The Moustache." These were the questions we discussed in class in
our Socratic Seminar; your job was to select six questions from a list of
twenty. Use specific quotes from the text to support your answer. Each
answer should be about three sentences in length.
4. Write a paragraph which presents one main idea and uses the five "Stop the
Sun" vocabulary terms: Vietnam War, guerrila warfare, Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder, quagmire, and vicarious. Before writing this paragraph, think
about the connection, or relationship, between these words. Think about
writing a paragraph that shows how these terms fit together to help you
understand the message and interpret the theme of Gary Paulsen's "Stop the
Sun."
5. Write two literature responses to Gary Paulsen's "Stop the Sun" by
answering "D" and "E" on the "Stop the Sun" worksheet distributed in class.
For "D" select one of the four questions provided, and write a well-developed
paragraph which demonstrates your ability to make inferences, interpret text,
make connections between the text and life experiences and other texts, and
use quotes from the text to support your opinions. Be sure to cite your
textual references correctly by putting the page number in ( ) after the
quote. Before quoting the text, introduce your quote with well-written
transitions and introductory phrases such as:
For example, in the exposition of the story, Gary Paulsen
writes, " " (50).
Later, in the story's climax, Terry tells his dad, " " (52).
After the discussion with his dad, Terry admits, " " (54).
Please DO NOT use the phrases "A quote I found is..." or "One quote that
shows this is..." in your literature response. Instead, follow the pattern
of the three sentences above; by using transitions, introductory phrases, and
action verbs such as "writes" and "explains" and "admits", you will be
improving your writing's word choice and sentence fluency. By using specific
details and quotes from the text in your literature responses, you will be
improving your writing's ideas and content. By making connections (between
the stories and your life, other people's lives, history, and other works of
literature), you will be improving your paper's ideas/content and its voice,
as well. Please see me before or after school if you would like additional
help with your literature response writing.
November 9, 2009
1. Study for tomorrow's 20 point vocab test by reviewing your flashcards and
focusing on using the words in the context of the stories we have read.
2. "Stop the Sun' paragraphs D and E from today's in-class assignment are due
tomorrow BY THE END OF CLASS. You will have twenty minutes tomorrow to work
on these two literature response paragraphs over "Stop the Sun", but you
should think about the questions today so that you will be prepared to write
tomorrow. I will be looking for well- developed paragraphs with a topic
sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion. Interpret the text. Make
inferences. Make connections to history, to life, and/or other texts. Cite
textual references to support your opinions.
November 6, 2009
Friday in class students participated in an activity known as a carousel. In
groups, they discussed all that they had learned about the following terms
related to Gary Paulsen's short story, "Stop the Sun":
1. the war in Vietnam
2. guerilla warfare, civilian casualities, and the psychological effects of
guerilla warfare
3. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
4. quagmires (associated with battlefield conditions, guerilla warfare, and
the Vietnam conflict)
5. reading a short story as a way to take a vicarious journey and learn
things you "never knew you never knew."
Students discussed the terms above, created posters showing what they knew,
and then were assigned to write a well-developed paragraph using each term
above and showing the way the terms fit together, the way the terms relate to
one another. Students should use each of the five terms in their paragraph
and should underline each of the five vocabulary words or terms. This is a
writing folder assignment, the fourth one since the last time writing folders
were graded. It may be written in ink or typed. It should be completed by
Veteran's Day at the latest (next Wednesday).
Homework for November 5, 2009
Use a dictionary, the internet, interviews with family or friends, and/or
your literature and social studies textbooks to help you learn about each
word or phrase below. Either take notes on these words and phrases or bring
in print outs from the computer. These words are all related to our next
short story, Gary Paulsen's "Stop the Sun." These words conclude the list of
words which will be on your test on Tuesday.
1. quagmire
2. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
3. Vietnam War
4. guerilla (warfare)
5. vicarious (as in the idea of reading being a "vicarious journey" or Gary
Paulsen taking us on a "vicarious" journey to a battlefield in Vietnam.
Homework for November 3-4, 2009 (This was assigned on Tuesday and due at the
beginning of class on Thursday)
1. Read the Robert Cormier short story entitled "The Moustache" and answer a
total of six of the twenty questions on the handout distributed in class
on Tuesday. Choose one question to answer from each section, and make sure
to do #9 both (a) and (b). Follow the directions typed up for you on the
handout.This literary response writing is due Thursday. It is your "Ticket"
to our (graded) whole class discussion of "The Moustache"--our second
Socratic Seminar. The writing assignment will also be a part of your second
quarter writing folder score.
2. Make flashcards for the new vocabulary related to "The Moustache":
symbolism, arteriosclerosis, pretense, irony, and resolution. On each
flashcard, write the definition provided in class (found in the literature
books, as well). Also write a good sentence using the word in the context of
the Robert Cormier short story.
3. Ask a family member to quiz you over your flashcards. Your 20 point
vocabulary test is next Tuesday. Prepare for it now.
4. Remember that the high school fair it tonight at Madison #1. I hope you
are able to attend.
Homework for Monday Night, November 2, 2009
For each word below, write a good sentence using the word in the context of
the designated story. (Write your sentence about the story!) Write each
sentence on your flashcard for that word; flashcards will be graded this
week. Next Tuesday you will be tested over the vocabulary words from four
different short stories.
"Raymond's Run"
1. hydrocephalus
2. hypocritical
3. egotism or egotistical
4. altruism or altruistic
5. exposition (in a short story's plot)
6. rising action
7. climax
8. dynamic character
"The Tell-Tale Heart"
1. acute
2. hypocritical
3. vex
4. vehemently
5. derision
6. stifled
7. conceived
8. mood
Homework for Thursday Night, October 29, 2009
1. Use the notes you took in class today to help you to make flashcards for
the following eight words which will be used tomorrow in Edgar Allan
Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart": acute, conceived, vex, stifled, audacity,
vehemently, derision, and mood (as it is used in literature).
2. Research the life and literature of Edgar Allan Poe. Find out about this
famous author's life and his contributions to literature. Why is he famous?
When and where did he live, and what type of life did he have? Why is he
important? Read to find answers to these questions. Write down your answers
in your class notes. Your class notes should have a minimum of five
important facts about Poe's life and work. Tomorrow there will be a quiz
over Poe's life and literature. Half of the questions will be over "The Tell
Tale Heart". It will be open note, so come to class prepared!
Homework for Wednesday Night, October 28, 2009
1. Review your 14 flashcards from our new short story unit. Ask someone at
home to quiz you over these words.
2. Bring either your running shoes (!) or a finish line to use for
tomorrow's "Language Arts Run" in honor of "Raymond's Run." If you do not
wish to be in one of the races, you may serve as a line judge; please judges,
bring finish lines!
3. Make sure your writing folder is up to date. You should have two new
writing assignmnents in it this week: a one paragraph characterization of
Squeaky's actions and description in the exposition of the story "Raymond's
Run"; and a one paragraph analysis of the theme of "Raymond's Run".
Homework for Tuesday Night, October 27, 2009
Read the Socratic Seminar directions and preview questions #1-15 on
today's "Raymond's Run" handout. Then select four or five of the questions,
and prepare answers to these questions by jotting down ideas and PAGE NUMBERS
from the story, "Raymond's Run" in your literature book. Select the
questions that interest you the most, and make sure that you can find a quote
from the story to use to support each one of the answers. Tomorrow you will
participate in a graded Socratic Seminar, and your grade will be based on the
quality of your contributions to the class discussion of 1-15. Prepare
tonight so that you will be successful in tomorrow's whole class discussion.
In class today, students wrote a paragraph analyzing what they saw as the
major theme of Toni Cade Bambara's short story, "Raymond's Run." This
paragraph should be placed in the writing folder.
Homework for Monday Night, October 26, 2009
Use today's class notes and the handout you were given in class to create 14
flashcards, one for each word below:
1. characters
2. narrator
3. setting
4. conflict
5. plot
6. theme
7. characterization
8. hydrocephalus
9. conceit
10. egotism
11. altruism
12. hypocritical
13. dynamic characters
14. static characters
In class today, students wrote a one half page characterization of the
character of Squeaky in the exposition of "Raymond's Run"--this is the first
writing folder assignment of the second quarter.
Homework for Monday Night, October 19, 2009
1. Prepare for tomorrow's test over the Joaquin Miller poem
entitled, "Columbus", the vocabulary from this poem and from our Columbus
mini-unit, the Columbus debate, and the process of inferring a poem's theme
(see you class notes!). Make sure you can define each of the following
words: infer, theme, rhythm, refrain, stanza, wan, swarthy, Azores, unfurl,
mutinous, conquistador, indigenous, and genocide. Reread the poem and think
about the many different problems that the crew faced and Columbus' refrain
at the end of the first four stanzas.
2. By Wednesday, you need to have your writing folder organized and up to
date with a Table of Contents. If you have been doing your homework, then all
you will have to do in the next few days is make a Table of Contents with
your name, the date, the five assignments due in the folder (see below), the
points possible on each assignment, and the total points of 25.
If, however, you have fallen behind on your work, you will need to get busy
and catch up! You will find what you will need to have in your writing
folder in the list of 1-5 below:
1. All first quarter writing folder assignments PLUS your first quarter
language arts test and TEST CORRECTIONS. You may use your book, your notes,
the internet (parts of speech websites, for example), and your friends or
family members to help you. I am also available before or after school or
during Academic Lab or recess if you have questions. /5
2. Revised five paragraph essay on personal responsibility /5
3. 1492 Diary Entry /5
4. Heroism in MIller's "Columbus" or Debate Research if you were one of the
eight debaters in class /5
5. Columbus: Closing Argument (to be written in class on Tuesday, October
20th) /5
Total /25
Homework for Thursday Night, October 15, 2009
1. Prepare your writing folder for student-parent-teacher conferences next
week. Make sure you are up to date with all of your assignments. Your
writing folder is a working portfolio. It should contain writing folder
assignments from the first quarter, your first quarter language arts test and
a paper attached to it with all of the corrections of the questions you
missed, your revised five paragraph essay on personal responsibility, your
1492 diary entry, and either a one paragraph analysis of the Miller
poem, "Columbus" or, if you are one of the Columbus debaters, the research
you have found on Columbus.
2. Prepare to effectively play your part in tomorrow's debate. We will have
debaters, judges, visitors, greeters, timekeepers, scorekeepers, artists,
media, entertainers, videorecorders, and a set design and stage crew. The
debate will be a total team effort.
3. Make sure that you have completed yesterday's 15 questions over the
Columbus poem and have created 14 flashcards by Monday. Bring these
flashcards to class on Monday.
Homework for Wednesday Night, October 14, 2009
1. All eighth grade language arts students need to give their parents and/or
grandparents the letter from Ms. Borkowski and ask them to sign it and
circle "Attending" or "Not Attending". (A copy of the letter has been
attached below #3 on tonight's homework.)
2. Make 14 new flashcards, one for each of your new Columbus unit vocabulary
words. You will be tested over Miller's poem, "Columbus", our class debate,
and the 14 vocab words on Tuesday of next week.
3. Debaters, please work tonight to do additional research. Find quotes from
expert sources, statistics, lists, definitions, anecdotes, etc. Make sure
that you cite your source for everything that you find. In the debate, you
must cite your source for all of your evidence. If you do not, you are going
to jeopardize your team's chance of success.
Dear Parents and Grandparents, October 14,
2009
You are invited to attend a Lincoln-Douglas style debate this Friday, October
16, 2009 in the Madison Meadows media center. For three periods throughout
the day, two teams of eighth grade language arts students will square off
against one another in a formal debate of Christopher Columbus and the
holiday in his honor. Eight students in each class have selected a side and
will build and present an argument to support their point of view. The
affirmative team will argue that Christopher Columbus is a hero, and we
should honor him on the federal holiday in his name. The negative team will
argue that Columbus is not a hero, and Columbus Day should not be a day of
celebration.
Eighth grade language arts students have been working on the concepts of
persuasive writing and speaking. They have also been studying the important
idea of point of view, or the angle from which a story is told. One of the
important state standards in language arts involves evaluating the
effectiveness of a writer (or speaker’s) use of supporting details to build
an argument.
I hope that you are able to join us on Friday to participate in a debate as
either a member of the audience, or, if your son or daughter is not in the
debate, as one of our distinguished panel of judges. Judges will score each
of the eight debaters on their evidence, organization, delivery, courtesy,
and rebuttal/refutation. Training and materials will be provided to the
judges in the ten minutes before each debate.
Please sign below, and if you plan to attend, circle the time you are
available and the role you would like to play. Your presence and involvement
are always appreciated. If I do not see you this Friday, I hope to see you
next week at our student-parent-teacher conferences, or perhaps in the spring
at our Second Annual 7th-8th Grade Poetry Slam!
Take care, and know that I am looking forward to working with your son or
daughter as we “sail on” into the second quarter of eighth grade language
arts.
Sincerely,
Mary Beth Borkowski
Eighth Grade Language Arts Teacher
------------------------Detach and Return to Ms. Borkowski on Thursday--------
---------------
Parent Name: _______________________ Student Name:_______________
Please circle one: Attending/ Not Attending Parent Role if Attending:
Please circle one if attending: Audience Member
Period 1 (8:15-9:00) Period 3 (10:30-11:15) or
Period 6 (12:55-1:45) Judge (please do not sign up as a judge if your
child is one of the debaters during that time period)
Homework for Tuesday Night, October 13, 2009
1. Read Joaquin Miller's poem "Columbus." Think about the poem's title,
rhythm, and refrain. Analyze each of the five stanzas and think about what
the poet is saying. Then write a one paragraph answer to the following
question: "From Joaquin Miller's perspective, why is Christopher Columbus a
hero?"
Begin your paragraph by writing: "Joaquin Miller's poem "Columbus" focuses
on ..." In your own words, explain how Miller lifts up Columbus and
honors his legacy. In other words, what does Miller admire about
Columbus, and what specific examples does he use to show Columbus' heroism?
Use at least one quote from the poem in your paragraph. End with a
thoughtful conclusion to your paragraph.
2. If you signed up today to be one of the debaters in our Lincoln-Douglas
debate this Friday, instead of doing #1 above, please spend time tonight
doing research to support your point of view on Columbus. As you read about
Columbus, his voyages, his day, and his legacy, be sure to cite your
sources. Record the authors, title of the web pages, urls, dates, page
numbers, etc. You will need to cite all of your sources in the debate. If
you do not do this, you will lose points for evidence and may jeopardize your
team's success. Find reliable sources; seek to find strong quotes from
important, impressive people. Statistics work well, too. Another route
would be to look for dictionary definitions of "hero" and "villain" and go
from there...Please work to outline a 2-3 minute speech convincing the
audience and judges of your opinion of Columbus.
Homework for Monday, October 12, 2009
1. Revise the diary entry draft that you wrote in class today. The writing
prompt is provided for you in the space below. Tonight you should work to
add details, description. Use sensory details (details related to the five
senses) and focus on painting a picture of the setting, characters, and
conflicts on your ship in 1492.
2. Type a new and improved second draft at home tonight. You will be sharing
your writing in class, and then it will become a part of your second quarter
writing folder score. The first assignment for your writing folder is your
revised five paragraph essay on personal responsibility; your 1492 journal
should be your second entry for your second quarter writing folder. Please
make sure that you keep all of your first quarter writing in your folder;
this folder is a working portfolio and should contain your work from the
entire school year.
Writing Assignment from October 12, 2009
Begin today’s creative writing assignment by writing:
Dear Diary, October 11, 1492
Here I am on the ship, sailing towards the setting sun…
Pretend that you are on that ship. You have been sailing west for weeks and
weeks and weeks (69 days to be exact, but you may or may not know this). Land
has been no where in sight.
Write from either the point of view of one of Columbus’ mutinous sailors, the
cook on board, or Columbus himself.
What do you want to say in your journal? What stories are you going to
tell? Use specific details to make your story come alive. Show us the
details! Use the “5 Ws” as your guide:
1. Who are you?
2. What has been happening to you? What are you seeing, hearing, tasting,
feeling, thinking? What are you planning to do next? What do you think about
Columbus? What do you think about this voyage? What is going to become of
you? What are your chances of survival?
3. When did you leave your home? When did you set sail? When do you eat,
sleep, work, write? When will you find land? When will you be in India?
When will you get home?
4. Where do you think you are? Where do you eat, sleep, work, write? Where
do you wish you could be?
5. Why are you on this ship? Why do you feel like you do? Why are you
planning to do what you are planning to do?
Write an imaginative tale which carries us right onto your ship. Recreate
the scene around you. Paint a picture of everything you are experiencing:
the people around you, the conflicts aboard the ship, your hopes, your
frustrations, your dreams…
Be descriptive. Be detailed.
Write fast: strive to fill one page in the next ten minutes.
For five minutes you will be writing “to the beat” of a sailing song by a
group of identical twins called the Washington sisters.
For five minutes you will be writing in silence.
See what you can do in the next ten minutes! Have fun creating a story of
your life on that ship in the deep blue sea in October 1492.
Homework for Thursday, October 8, 2009
Use today's class notes and lecture on writing, the feedback provided on
your pink or blue rubric, and the comments and corrections given to you on
your essay to revise your essay and create a new and improved (polished)
final product to place in your writing folder as your major paper of the
first quarter. Another way to improve your paper is to go back to your class
notes from September 4th, review them, and follow the advice given to you in
that lecture on how to write a strong persuasive essay.
You will have an opportunity to ask me questions about your paper and work on
it in the computer lab tomorrow, but because we have a shortened school day,
you will need to make most of your revisions at home tonight (or over the
weekend).
Please bring a flashdrive to school tomorrow, or e-mail your paper to
yourself. It is important that you be able to access it and work on it
at school. Please remember to put your revised paper and your graded copy in
your writing folder. It should be there Monday as we begin the second
quarter.
Homework for Wednesday Night, October 7, 2009
1. All students need to use their class notes to correct the errors on their
language arts test. On a separate sheet of paper, please redo the questions
that you missed.
2. If you did not complete today's in-class assignment over "Flowers for
Algernon" (questions 1-12 and questions 1-16 on the back), please finish this
assignment at home tonight. We will grade it in class.
Homework for Monday-Tuesday Night, October 5-6, 2009: Your one page letter
about "Flowers for Algernon" is your ticket to tomorrow's group activity.
A. Finish reading "Flowers for Algernon", and then write a one page letter to
Ms. Borkowski which discusses each one of the three topics below:
1. Write about how you used any two of the six reading strategies to
understand, or interpret, the Daniel Keyes story, "Flowers for Algernon."
2. Write about what you learned, or how your mind and/or heart were expanded
in some way, by reading this famous story.
3. Write about what you consider to be two of the most important themes that
Daniel Keyes explored and developed in his famous story, "Flowers for
Algernon." Use at least one quote from the text to support an idea that you
make in your one page letter.
B. The Book Talk Quiz is Tuesday. It is open note. Make sure you have your
notes.
Homework for Thursday, October 1, 2009: Point of View Flashcards and Family
Member's Signature and "x/21" After You Have Been Quizzed
1. Read (or reread) and take notes on the section on "Point of view" on page
R134 in your literature book. Then make flashcards for the five terms below:
1. point of view
2. first person point of view
3. second person point of view
4. third person point of view
5. third person omniscient point of view
On each flashcard, give the definition (use what you learned in class today)
and examples from literature we have read or are reading this year. Use your
literature book to help you.
2. Ask a family member to quiz you over your 21 flashcards, sign your
planner, and write the number of words you correctly defined out of 21 beside
the signature in the planner.
If you would like to do so, complete the maze that I gave you in class.
Think about how you would feel if you were clocked against a mouse...and the
mouse figured out the maze and got to the cheese before your pencil arrived
at the finish! Put yourself in our narrator's shoes. How must Charlie
Gordon feel?
******If you missed class on Thursday, please make sure you pick up the
handout on the Rorschach Test when you return to school. Also ask a friend
to share his or her class notes with you (on point of view). If you were
absent on Thursday, you should also read pages 221-222 up to "progris report
3-martch 7" in your literature book. In class we focused on Daniel Keyes'
characterization of Charlie Gordon and his interesting choice of first person
point of view for this story.
Homework for Wednesday, September 30, 2009: Exploring Point of View
1. Use the internet, the cranberry-colored pages of your literature book,
family members, or friends, to help you define each literature term below.
Write these definitions in your class notes.
--point of view in literature
--first person point of view
--second person point of view
--third person point of view
--third person OMNISCIENT point of view
2. For first and third person point of view, please provide an example (give
the title of a short story or novel which is written from that particular
point of view.) Supply a title which you can estimate that at least half of
the class knows.
Homework for Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Make flashcards for yesterday's vocabulary words (see below for details; the
words are on page 220 in your literature book). Put the word on one side of
the card and the definition, the part of speech, and the sentence (the quote)
from the book using the word, OR a drawing (or sketch) of the word on the
other side of the card.
Homework for Monday, September 28, 2009
1. Read pages 220, 246, and 247 in your green literature book. Preview
Daniel Keyes' "Flowers for Algernon."
2. Take notes on characterization. Write the definition in your notes; use
your literature book.
3. Copy down each vocabulary work on page 220, and--using your green
literature book's tan rectangles at the bottom of the pages--define each word
and write each word's part of speech. Write in your class notes.
Homework for Thursday, Septmember 24, 2009
Prepare for tomorrow's literature, writing, and grammar test.
1. Review the stories and poems in your literature book, the Reader's Guides
before each story, and the definitions of irony and science fiction in the
cranberry-colored handbook of terms in the back of the book.
2. Review your class notes from the beginning of school up through today.
3. Study your mistakes in the practice sentences that we have done in class.
Learn from your mistakes.
4. Ask a family member to quiz you tonight over the study guide that you
created today in class.
Homework for Tuesday and Wednesday Nights, September 22-23, 2009
1. Review your class notes from the first day of school through today. The
test is being postponed until Friday, and Book Talks will be completed on
Monday instead of this Friday. This gives you one more night to
prepare for this important exam. Take advantage of it, and make sure you
come to class tomorrow with last night's homework completed (the 10 test
questions and answers that you created). Tomorrow we will play a review game
in class ("Review Baseball"). Below you will find study tips; I hope you find
them helpful.
a. Review the six reading strategies of active readers, the two poems by
Emerson and Noboa, and the two short stories by Jackson and Asimov. Reread
the poems, take notes on their main ideas, and think about the images,
symbolism, and themes of these poems. Review the short stories with a focus
on the authors' use of irony. Think about science fiction and memorize its
definition. Describe in detail what makes Asimov's story science fiction.
Reread the beige introductory page which comes before each of the two short
stories we read.
b. Study the rules of punctuation and capitalization that we have discussed
in class these past six or seven weeks. Make sure you review all grammar
terms and understand how commas are used (1)to separate nouns of direct
address from the rest of the sentence; (2) to separate two independent
clauses joined by a conjunction; (3) to separate an introductory phrase, or
dependent clause, from the independent clause which follows it; (4) to
separate a series of phrases. Be aware of what a comma splice is and how you
should correct one when you are proofreading.
c. Review the structure of a five paragraph essay and the role
of the thesis sentence (the controlling idea found at the end of the intro
paragraph).
d. Google "parts of speech" and go to the second option for units on each of
the eight parts of speech and quizzes that you can take to check your
understanding. Review all of the class notes and practice sentences you have
done in class. Review the errors you made, and look carefully at the
corrections you made; learn from your mistakes.
2. Last night's homework (Tuesday night's) was to create ten good test
questions with answers included. Bring these questions to class tomorrow
(Thursday). Three of your questions should be literature-based, two grammar-
based, two comma-based, and two capitalization- based. Write one questions
related to the strategies active readers use. Use the beginning section of
the literature book to review Active Reading Strategies.
3. Prepare for the book talks on Friday during Academic Lab and Monday during
language arts class. Practice your 2-3 minute book evaluation at home.
Think about quotes from the book that you would like to share with your
classmates and teacher. Use your rubric as your guide, and practice in front
of your parents. Ask them to time you and give you feedback using the Book
Talk rubric.
Homework for Monday Night, September 21, 2009
1. Your final draft of your five paragraph essay on personal responsibility
is due tomorrow. Review the materials you have been given (your "Eight Steps
in Revising", your "Peer Response Guide", and your "Peer Editing" paper from
today). Revise your paper tonight. Find one more editor to help you
proofread and make final changes to your paper. Seek the advice of
an "honest critic"! Staple your final draft on top of your pink or blue
rubric. Make sure you have your code--not your name--on your essay. Essays
are worth 30 points (10 for conventions, 10 for organization, and 10 for
ideas and content; use the rubric as your guide).
2. The first language arts test of the year will be this Thursday. Use your
literature book and your class notes to prepare for this test. It will be
worth 40 points; it will assess your writing skills, your understanding of
essay organization, your ability to analyze literature, and your
comprehension of literary terms such as irony, imagery, symbolism, and
science fiction. You also need to review the Reading Strategies section of
your book, your notes on comma rules and comma splices, your notes on
capitalization rules, and the eight parts of speech. You will need to be
able to take a sentence and label each word in it, writing down what part of
speech each word is. I suggest you "Google" the term "parts of speech" and
check out the second site.
3. Book talks will conclude this week. Practice your speech at home this
week. Use the speech rubric as your guide.
Homework for Thursday Night, September 17, 2009
1. The first language arts test of the year is in one week; complete the 20
question review sheet tonight. It is due tomorrow. If you have misplaced
the 20 questions, you can find them below under Tuesday night's homeowork.
These questions will serve as a study guide for the test, but they need to be
completed by tomorrow before class. They are worth 10 points.
2. "Book Talks" are tomorrow and next Friday. If you have not yet given your
2-3 minute speech on the novel you selected back in August, you need to
complete the book and practice your speech at home. Use the Book Talk rubric
as your guide. Follow the directions on your rubric; that will help you to
do well on your Book Talk.
3. Your five paragraph essay on personal responsibility is due in final draft
form next Tuesday. You will be reading it to your classmates. Over the next
five days, you need to make revisions to your essay. It will be graded on
the three traits of Organization, Ideas and Content, and Voice. Study the
blue or pink two-sided rubric that you were given in class; I will use it to
score your paper. Your paper is worth 30 points; it will be a major part of
your first quarter grade. At home over the next five days, you need to share
your blue or pink rubric and your essay with a family member and ask him or
her to complete the "Response Guide" that you were given. On Tuesday you
will turn in your final draft of your five paragraph essay and the pink or
blue rubric.
Homework for Wednesday Night, September 16, 2009
1. Complete your five paragraph persuasive essay on taking personal
responsibility for your education. This essay should be typed, double space.
2. Read your paper aloud. Make revisions to improve its sentence fluency,
word choice, voice, organization, conventions, and ideas and content.
3. After making revisions, print off a new and improved copy. Your name
should NOT be on this essay. Instead, make up a creative title and a
creative opening sentence that no one else could replicate.
4. Questions 1-10 and 1-0 below are due on Friday and worth 20 points.
Homework for Tuesday Night, September 15, 2009: (Please excuse the typo on
question #10 of the first section of today's handout. Take out the
word "title" that is in the middle of the sentence; it should not be there.)
1. Use today's class notes and lecture to help you answer questions #1-10 on
the handout I distributed in class today.
2. If you have time tonight, go ahead and answer the second set of questions,
1-10, on the same paper. The paper is not due until Friday, but you will
have other language arts homework tomorrow and Thursday, so if you have time
to do all 20 questions tonight, that would be a good idea. If you do not
have time, just make sure that you have completed all twenty questions before
class on Friday. This homework assignment is worth 10 points, and you will
see that it also serves as a study guide for next Thursday's test in language
arts.
Language Arts-8 Homework Assigned on Tuesday
Test Review: 10 points
Assigned September 15, 2009—Due Friday at the beginning of class
Directions: Use your knowledge and notes from class plus your textbook to
help you respond to the 20 items below. Please write neatly in ink on a
separate sheet of paper, or type your answers if you are able to do so. This
assignment will help you prepare for your first language arts test (a week
from Thursday). Also, I am available before and after school by appointment
if you would like some extra help. I care about your language arts success!
A. Writing (Conventions/Mechanics)
1.Create a sentence which uses the word “good” as an adjective describing a
noun.
2.Create a sentence which uses the word “well” as an adverb modifying a verb.
3.Create a sentence with two independent clauses joined by a conjunction.
Punctuate properly!
4.Create a sentence with a dependent clause, or introductory phrase, followed
by an independent clause. Punctuate properly.
5.Create a sentence which contains the word “Mom” capitalized correctly in
the middle or end of the sentence.
6.What is a gerund? Write a short sentence with a gerund as its subject.
7.Create a sentence which contains the word “dad” in the middle or end of the
sentence.
8.What are the eight parts of speech? Across from each part of speech,
define it and give two to three examples. (Sample: noun=person, place,
thing, or idea…student, school, learning)
9.Create a sentence which discusses your course subjects in school this year;
follow the rules of capitalization.
10.Create a sentence which includes an evaluation of a novel, short story, or
poem you have read for language arts class; follow the rules for writing
titles.
B. Literature (Writers, Literature Terms & Techniques, and Reading Strategies)
1.What are six strategies used by active readers?
2.What does Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem teach you about success?
3.What does Michael Jordan’s book teach you about failure and success and the
relationship between the two?
4.What are the two symbols in Julio Noboa’s poem, and what did each of the
symbols represent?
5.For what is Isaac Asimov famous?
6.What is irony?
7.Give an example of irony in a recent work of literature discussed in class.
8.What is science fiction?
9.What makes “Rain, Rain, Go Away” science fiction?
10.Of the works of literature that you have read so far this year, which has
impacted, affected, or entertained you the most—and why? Use specific
details to explain.
Homework for Monday Night, September 14, 2009:
Please answer these questions in your class notes. Take good notes this week
and next. Study your notes at home. Review them. We will have a test over
literature, grammar, and writing next Thursday.
1. Read Isaac Asimov's "Rain, Rain, Go Away."
2. Define irony, and explain the story's ironic twist. (Hint: the irony is
in the story's resolution, or ending.)
3. Define science fiction.
4. Explain why "Rain, Rain, Go Away" is considered science fiction. Give at
least two specific details from the text to back up your answer. Take two
elements, or details, from the story to show (specifically) what makes this
literary work sci-fi. (Hint: Use the definition of science fiction given to
you today in class, and find parts of the story which match with the
different parts of the definition of science fiction.)
Homework for Thursday Night, September 10, 2009
1. Revise your thesis (as needed). Use what you learned from the thesis
sentence I revised in class for you today. Make sure that your thesis is
based on three major steps that you can take to be successful this year as a
student. Make sure that your thesis is written with parallel structure, or
parallelism (balance in writing, the repetition of the same grammatical
pattern in a sentence or phrase).
2. Use your thesis and your prewriting from yesterday to complete the "5
Paragraph Persuasive Plan" (the graphic organizer which will help you to plan
and organize your essay's ideas). Fill in each box on the graphic organizer
you were given in class today. Make sure that you have at least three good
examples, or specific details, to support each one of your three main steps
to success.
3. Book Talks are scheduled for tomorrow. They should be 2-3 minutes in
length, focus on visualization and evaluation, include a quote from the
book, and be practiced so much that you do not need notecards and have timed
your speech just right. After tomorrow, there are only two weeks left to
give your Book Talk. Book Talks are worth 20 points.
Homework for Wednesday Night, September 9, 2009
1. On the back side of the "Personal Responsibility in Education" prewrite
that you did last night for homework, write a thesis sentence, which is one
great sentence which will serve as the controlling idea for your upcoming
five paragraph persuasive essay on taking personal responsibility for your
education. In this one sentence, make sure that you identify three ways that
you plan to take personal responsibility for your education. For example,
you might write this as a thesis sentence: "By ________________(first step),
______________(second step), and ____________________(third step), I will
take responsibility for my education in the 2009-2010 school year." Another
thesis might be: In my final year as a middle school student, I plan to take
responsibility for my education by ______________, _______________, and
__________________. (Remember, tonight you are not writing the essay, but
you are setting up the sentence which will be your essay's guide; in the next
two days you will be actually writing the essay. Each one of those phrases
that you put in the blank line will become a body paragraph.)
2. Today is the midquarter mark of the first quarter of eighth grade. If you
received a print out of your grade, you are currently in danger of failing
language arts for the first quarter. You need to get your midquarter grade
print out signed by a parent after discussing it and setting goals for
yourself for the rest of the quarter. If you did not receive a print out,
you are averaging a C, B, or an A right now. There are four weeks to go!
Please check PowerSchool tonight, ask a parent to check it at work for you,
or come in during recess today to get your exact language arts percentage.
Write your percentage in language arts on the back of your Personal
Responsibility prewrite, and please have a parent sign next to the percentage
so that I know that he or she has been informed of your current progress.
3. Writing folders are due tomorrow; tonight you need to organize your folder
and make sure it has each of the following assignments described in the
sample Table of Contents below.
Midquarter Table of Contents
Language Arts-8
September 9, 2009
Name: ____________________________
1. Two Parent Signatures (Beneath your last writing folder score and beneath
the paragraph you wrote reflecting on how you did on your first writing
folder submission, what you learned about writing, how you feel about your
writing folder after the first three weeks of school, and what your writing
folder shows about you as a writer and as a student) /2
2. Reading Strategies (Answer #1-8 in complete sentences, and on the back of
the paper with questions 1-8, draw either a web showing the connections you
are making as you read, or a sketch which shows what you are visualizing as
you are reading your first quarter novel) /10
3. Getting to Know Your Textbook (15 Questions, 15 Answers, 15 Page Numbers)
15 ------5/5
12-14 ---4/5
9-11 ----3/5 /5
5-8 -----2/5
1-4 ----1/5
4. Thinking about Identity and Success (Images, Symbols, Sketches)
/3
5. Three Drafts of Your Kindergarten Memory Narrative
with Multiple Revisions on Each of the First Two Drafts /9
6. Prewriting on Personal Responsibility and Education
1 full page---4/4
2/3-3/4 page--3/4 /4
1/2 page--2/4
less than 1/2 page 1/4
7. Thesis Sentence for the Personal Responsibility Paragraph /1
8. Parent Signature for your Midquarter Percentage /1
Total Points: /35
Reflection:
Homework for Tuesday Night, September 8, 2009
1. For tomorrow, you need to have one page of prewriting done on the topic
of "Student Responsibility and Education." Teachers, principals, school
districts, and school boards are responsible for your education; at the same
time, parents and other family members play a role in your education, as
well. What, though, is YOUR responsibility in your education? What is it
YOUR job to do? What does it mean to take "personal responsibility" for your
education? Write about this tonight. Also think about three steps that you
could take this year to take responsibility for your education. What are
your three main "keys to success" in the 2009-2010 school year? Use your own
life experiences, talks with your parents, use information from the back side
of your language arts syllabus, from Michael Jordan's book, "I Cannot
Accept Not Trying", and--if you wish--the President's address to students
across the country today--to help you write one page on the topic of a
student's responsibility in his or her education.
2. Writing folders are due this Thursday. Make sure you are up to date.
3. Midquarters are tomorrow. Make sure you know how to get on to PowerSchool
to check your grade. You will need to write your language arts grade on a
piece of paper and get a parent signature beneath it by Thursday. This
paper will be a part of your writing folder.
Homework for Thursday Night, September 3, 2009:
Do EITHER A,B, or C below. Select one.
A. Do internet research to find one page of advice on how to write a
persuasive essay. This page may provide steps, pointers, or "persuasive
essay writing techniques." Print off this page, and prepare to share it in
class tomorrow.
B. Interview your family members and/or teachers (before or after school by
appointment) to learn at least 8 keys to writing a good persuasive essay.
Write down what the expert you interview considers to be the eight most
important points to keep in mind when writing a persuasive essay. Write in
ink on a separate sheet of paper, or type out the eight ideas, tips, or
pointers. Cite your sources on your paper (the person's name, relationship
to you, and place, time, and date of the interview).
C. Find a one to two page long persuasive essay or "Letter to the Editor"
from a newspaper, a magazine, a credible online source, or from essays that
your older siblings or parents have written in order to make a point
persuasively. Bring in a photocopy of this persuasive writing so that it can
be shared with your classmates. You will write on this in class, so please
make a copy of the essay if it is your parent's or sibling's writing.
EXTRA CREDIT ESSAYS ON THE MAGAZINE SALE ARE DUE TOMORROW, FRIDAY.
BOOK TALKS BEGIN TOMORROW AND WILL BE GIVEN EACH FRIDAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
Homework for Wednesday Night, September 2, 2009
Use what you learned in class today to create a new and improved third draft
of your kindergarten memory paper. Clean up your errors in conventions
(spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage). Focus on using
imagery and dialogue to "paint a picture" with words. Choose action verbs
and concrete and proper nouns to add specificity and voice to your paper.
Finally, read your paper aloud to ask yourself how you might improve its
sentence fluency. Does your paper sound good when you read it aloud? Does
your paper flow together smoothly?
Bring your third draft to class tomorrow. Keep all three of your drafts in
your writing folder.
Homework for Tuesday Night, September 1, 2009
1. After reading your kindergarten story aloud to your classmates today, you
should have a few ideas about how you might revise your draft and add
information, cut information, or make changes to your beginning, middle, or
ending. Based on your classmates' feedback, your own ideas, and the
suggestions of family members whose feedback I suggest you seek, make at
least five changes to the story you wrote about your kindergarten memories.
Think about adding specific details, dialogue, and description to make your
memories come alive for the reader. Consider using poetic devices such as
hyperbole (exaggeration for humorous effect), similes, metaphors,
personification, and/or alliteration.
2. After revising your story at home tonight, print off a new and improved
second draft. Bring your first and second draft to class tomorrow. Prepare
to share your story with the class.
Homework for Monday Night, August 31st:
Write a one to two page story, or personal narrative, based on your memories
of your first year or years of school (pre-school, kindergarten, or first
grade). Tell a story, or "share an anecdote", about you or your classmates
or your teacher...you may write about your kindergarten class, Show and Tell,
recess, plays that you put on, Valentine's Day parties at school...anything
related to your early school memories. Put VOICE into your writing. Use
proper nouns, concrete nouns, specific details, and dialogue to tell your
story in a way which will bring the past alive and entertain your reader.
Homework for Thursday Night, August 27th:
1. Take home your writing folder. Finish your reflection writing if you have
not yet done so (this is your paragraph about your writing folder and how you
feel about it, what you have learned from working on it, what you have
learned so far this year about writing, what you understand about the writing
process, etc.). Review your folder with a parent. Ask him or her to sign in
two places: (1)on your Table of Contents beneath your score; and (2)
underneath your reflection writing.
2. Read the novel you selected for your first quarter independent reading.
Read for a minimum of twenty minutes. As you read, visualize what you are
reading and also try to make connections to your reading. Think about
similarities, or connections, between the characters in your book and people
you know, the setting in your book and places you have been, the conflicts in
your book and problems you or people you know have experienced. Connections
are comparisons. You may compare your book to other books, movies, songs,
short stories, plays, poems, television shows, current events, or famous
historical events.
3. After reading and visualizing and connecting, either illustrate what you
visualized while reading, and put this illustration on the back side of the
eight question Reading Strategy assignment from last night, OR on the back of
the Reading Strategy assignment, create a web which shows at least two
different connections you are making as you are reading. (Use the web I
provided on the board in class as your guide.)
Homework for Wednesday Night, August 26th:
1. Preview pages 976-R179 of your green literature book. Skim through these
pages for fifteen-twenty minutes. Study sections that contain information
that interests you or is totally new to you.
2. As you are skimming and scanning your literature book, create ten
questions over your reading. Write the questions on one side of your paper
(in pen or typed), and write the answers the page number of each answer on
the back of the paper. Write meaningful questions over relevant content. For
example, as you read the cranberry colored pages with literary terms, one
good question might be: "What is foreshadowing?" Then on the back side of
your paper, you would define it and give the page number of the definition.
Create questions that will get your classmates thinking about important parts
of the eighth grade language arts curriculum.
3. If you did not finish today's classwork, then you will need to complete
that at home tonight, as well. That assignment involves reading the
front "S" section of your textbook and answering the eight questions I typed
up for you; I have pasted them below in case you are absent on Wednesday or
need an extra copy of the questions.
Wednesday's Reading Strategies Assignment:
Please read sections S2-S13 (that’s an “s” as in “snake”—not a 5!) in your
literature book, and skim sections S14-S20. (These sections are found in the
front of your green literature anthology.) Complete the questions below.
Type your answers, or write neatly in blue or black ink. Please make sure to
meet the writing requirements we have discussed in class (write in complete
sentences, use the words in the question to begin your answer, proofread,
edit, etc.).
Questions:
1.It is important that you stop from time to time while reading. You should
stop and check to see if you are understanding what you are reading. You
should reread if necessary. You should also reflect on your reading. Your
textbook describes six different ways that you might reflect on your reading.
They are all reading techniques, or strategies, that will help you become a
better, more thoughtful reader. Name these six reading strategies, and
across from each one, write down (in your own words) what it means.
2.In what two ways is the information on page S5 in your textbook similar to
procedures/activities/assignments already established in language arts and
Academic Lab? Make connections between the book’s advice and classroom
practices that you are already doing.
3.What should you do, or what strategies should you employ, before reading a
work of literature?
4.What should you do, or what strategies should you employ, as you read a
work of literature?
5. What strategies should you employ after reading a work of literature?
6. Reading reference books,textbooks, newspapers, and magazines often times
involves “reading for information.” What are three different reading
strategies that you would use for reading reference books, textbooks,
magazines, and newspapers that you would probably not use when reading a work
of literature such as a poem, short story, or novel?
7. From reading S18-S19, what did you learn about reading and taking notes on
Web Sites? How is website reading similar to other types of reading, and how
is website reading different from other types of reading?
8. What is the main idea of today’s reading? What would you like to remember
from all of the reading and writing you did today?
Homework for Tuesday Night, August 25th:
Tonight's homework involves first reviewing the notes you have taken related
to two different comma rules and then writing four magazine sale-based
sentences of your own which put these rules into action! Do you know the two
rules? Can you find them in your class notes? (If not, search no more! I
have written them out for you below; please copy them into your notes right
now.)
(1) Use a comma to separate two independent clauses joined by a conjunction;
and (2) Use a comma to separate a long introductory phrase (or dependent
clause) from the independent clause which follows it.
Okay, by now you should have these rules in your notes. Hopefully, you took
notes in class which provide examples of sentences which apply these rules,
or put these rules into action. Here is what you need to do for tomorrow:
using your notes, make up four sentences of your own on the topic of the
school-wide magazine sale, but what is essential is that two of the sentences
show the first rule listed above and two of the sentences show the second
rule above. Below you will find a sample of what your homework should look
like, except my four sentences are about language arts class, and yours will
be about the magazine sale.
Rule 1:
1. We graded writing folders in class today, and the great majority of
students did well.
2. Ms. Borkowski provided examples of sample sentences, but a few students
did not write down the examples she provided.
Rule 2:
3. Because the students did not write down the sample sentences, they may
have a difficult time with tonight's homework.
4. After checking out this website, students will have a better idea of how
to complete tonight's homework.
Please put these sentences in your class notes. Your comma test will be open
note!
Homework for Monday Night, August 24th:
1. Use today's class notes to help you to complete and to then organize your
writing folder; it is due tomorrow and worth 30 points.
2. Make a Table of Contents for your writing folder. Type it or design it
(with crayons, markers, or colored pencils on unlined paper). Include your
name, the date, each assignment's title, the points possible on each
assignment, and the total points. Use the information below to organize your
folder and create its Table of Contents:
Table of Contents for (Your Name)
Date
1. "If Ms. Borkowski Were to Come to My House for Dinner" /6
(Three Drafts with Revisions On Two of the Drafts, Specificity
Through the Use of Proper Nouns and Concrete Nouns, Voice)
2. Planner Paragraph /3
(One Draft with Revisions on It,
One 4-Quadrant Piece of Paper with
Advice to or from other Writers)
3. Sock Game Analysis /8
(Six Answers in Complete Sentences,
Suggestions from an Editor and Revisions in Red,
Editor's Signature on the Paper)
4. Visualization and Evaluation Paragraph /13
(Topic Sentence According to the Instructions Below,
Supporting Details According to the Instructions Below,
A Conclusion According to the Instructions Below,
First Draft with Revisions, First Draft Signed By Parent/s,
Final Draft)
Total Points: /30
(Bonus points are available for doing a final draft of the planner paragraph
and finding and correcting comma errors on what was formerly
considered "final drafts"--use a red pen to show that you can apply the two
comma rules that we have been studying in class!)
Homework for Thursday Night, August 20th:
Use your editing/revising work from last night and today -- plus your class
notes (they should be the same as the notes provided on this website)-- to
create a final draft of your "Visualization and Evaluation" paragraph.
Follow directions provided to you in class and in the notes below. Use the
coaching you have been given at school and at home to produce a polished
final draft. Put all drafts in your writing folder; writing folders will be
graded on Tuesday.
Class Notes on Revising Your Paragraphs:
1. Make sure your topic sentence has the author's name, the book title
(underlined and properly capitalized), the two strategies (visualization and
evaluation) and the chapters you have read (chapter titles go inside
quotation marks and need to be properly capitalized).
2. Make sure that in the body of your paragraph you have described what you
have visualized, or pictured in your head, as you have read. Paint a picture
with words.
3. Do not summarize your book's plot. I am asking you to visualize and
evaluate---NOT TO SUMMARIZE.
4. Explain how you feel about this book you have selected. What do you like
and/or dislike about it, and why?
5. Use a quote from the book to prove your point, to illustrate what you are
saying. Give the page number in ( ) after the quote. Do not use the
word "quote" in your writing. Introduce the quote by writing something
like, "For example, (author's name) writes, ".............." (34).
Class Notes on Editing Your Paragraphs:
1. Double space.
2. Tab, or indent five spaces, to begin each paragraph.
3. Make sure you have written your book title and chapter titles correctly.
Books should be underlined and chapters should be in quotes.
4. Check your comma usage. In class we are studying the following two comma
rules:
(a) use a comma to separate two independent clauses joined by a conjunction
(Ex. "We went to the Open House on Tuesday night, and we learned that there
is language arts homework each Monday through Thursday night.")
(b) use a comma to separate a dependent clause (or long introductory phrase)
from the independent clause which follows it (Ex: "If you read the notes
provided by Ms. Borkowski on this website, you will have a good chance of
writing a great paragraph about the book you have selected for your first
quarter reading.")
5. Go back and review your sentences in all of your writing folder papers; if
you are able to find and correct errors related to the two comma rules above,
make the corrections in red pen. Show them to me on Tuesday when we go over
folders, and I will reward you with extra credit for demonstrating your
understanding of these two rules and taking the initiative to proofread all
of your papers.
Homework for Wednesday Night, August 19th:
1. Read to a parent the paragraph you wrote last night about the book you
have selected to read this first quarter and the ways that you used two
reading strategies, visualization and evaluation, to help you understand your
reading.
2. After reading your paragraph to one of your parents, talk to him or her
about ways that you might add details, explanation, or a quote from the novel
to improve your paper. Be open to their advice, and think about what you
learned in class and the notes you have taken. Using a red pen, make
changes on your draft (so that I can see them tomorrow in class).
3. Also discuss ways that you might improve your topic sentence and your
conclusion. For example, have you begun like the sample sentence I provided
in class? Do you begin with "While reading ____________________'s(author's
name plus an apostrophe "s") ________________(book title capitalized properly
and underlined or in italics), I used two reading strategies, visualization
and evaluation, to help me understand __________________________(whatever you
read...the chapter numbers or titles). Have you ended your paragraph with a
good summary sentence that includes the author's name and the book title once
again?
4. After revising your paper with a red pen, go through and do some "easy
edits": check to make sure you have indented five spaces to begin your
paragraph, double spaced your paper, underlined your book title, and used
correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Tomorrow in class we will
review two important comma rules, but do the best that you can in your
editing tonight based on what you have already learned at school and what
your parents may point out to you. Be open to advice! This is what good
writers do.
5. Ask the parent who hears your paragraph and gives you some feedback on it
to sign your first draft.
Homework for Tuesday Night, August 18th:
1. Read your book for at least fifteen minutes.
2. Write (type if you have computer access) a well-developed paragraph
describing what you visualized (pictured in your head) as you read and how
you would evaluate your book so far (what you think of it and why). Begin
with a topic sentence which includes the author's name, the title, and the
two reading strategies of visualization and evaluation. For example: "While
reading Francisco Jimenez's The Circuit, I used two reading strategies,
visualization and evaluation, to help me comprehend the chapter
entitled "Christmas Gift." After your topic sentence, give four to six
supporting details which describe what you visualized as you read and what
you like and/or dislike about your book and why. Describe what you saw as you
read and what you think of the book's characters, setting, plot, conflicts,
or themes. You may also evaluate the writer's style of writing. Then end
your paragraph with a conclusion that contains the book's author, its title,
and an interesting summary statement related to visualization and evaluation.
3. Please give your parents a schedule to follow for tonight's Open House.
They will go to the cafeteria first, then to one of your exloratory classes,
and then to your four core courses in the order that you have them. Open
House begins at 6:00 P.M..
Homework for Monday Night, August 17th:
1. After completing the six sock game questions, ask a family member to work
with you to help you find and fix your conventions errors including spelling,
punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and usage mistakes. Then please have
your editor (the family member who helped you) sign your first draft.
Finally, revise your first draft and produce a second draft; two drafts of
the Sock Game Analysis (including your editor's signature on the first draft)
should be placed in your writing folder. Writing folders will be graded next
Tuesday.
2. If you are reading a book at home, please bring it to school each day
beginning tomorrow. You will have time to read this book in the library
tomorrow while other students are searching for their books.
3. You will need to read at least one novel per quarter, and the first
quarter you have the opportunity to select this book. Select a book that
interests and challenges you. Try to find a book that, after reading the
first few pages, you would estimate that you know 90-95 % of the words. If
you know every word, the book is not challenging enough to help you develop
as a reader and expand your vocabulary. If you know less than 90% of the
words, this book is likely to frustrate you because it will be difficult for
you to read and enjoy. Take your time to find a great book for you. Please
see me if you would like me to help you with this endeavor! I would be happy
to help you.
Homework for Thursday Night, August 13th:
Select ONE of the following four homework options:
1. Use what you learned in class today to revise your planner paragraph and
then type a final draft of this paper that is new and much improved. Staple
your final draft on top of your previous draft's and on top of the four
quadrant peer evaluation paper that you completed in class. (If you choose
this option and create a final draft, you will earn a bonus point when
writing folders are assessed!)
2. Spend at least 20 minutes reading a book of your choice, a magazine, or a
newspaper. Enjoy this time to spend reading whatever you like!
3. Spend at least 20 minutes reading and reviewing the planner. There is so
much information in it, and you are responsible for understanding your
school's mission, goals, policies, and procedures. You may just like to read
the biographies that are provided, study the tables, or review the parts of
speech. You will need to know the eight parts of speech, so if you don't yet
know them, reading this page of your planner would be a wise action to take!
4. Spend at least 20 minutes reading and reviewing your class notes from
language arts and any other classes that you would like to add to that.
Class notes are a critical part of the learning process. Take the time to
review them each week; that will make you a better, more efficient learner
than you were in the past.
Homework for Wednesday Night, August 12th:
Write a well-developed paragraph summarizing what you learned by reading and
studying your planner. Use today's class notes to help you. Remember the
formula P= TS + 4-6 SD + C. Your paragraph needs:
1. A topic sentence which states the subject of your paragraph and makes a
general statement about this subject.
2. 4-6 supporting details which provide specific examples of what you found
to be either most important in the planner or most interesting to you.
3. A conclusion which summarizes the paragraph and adds a twist which brings
voice into your last line.
Homework for Tuesday Night, August 11th:
1. Use what you learned in class today to make more revisions to your paper.
Add more specificity. Use imagery to paint a picture with words. Be
descriptive. Vary your sentence length and structure. Edit to fix errors in
capitalization, punctuation, and grammar/usage. Print off a third draft
which is new and improve, and bring all three drafts to class tomorrow.
2. Spend 20 minutes reading and studying your planner. Pay special attention
to the following pages: 7,9,10, 12, 19, 21-22, 2 of the next section, 44, and
123-127. Highlight or mark in the margin with a pen or pencil important
points as you read. Read the biographies in the lower left hand corner, and
find someone that you have heard of before and a quote that you really like.
Be prepared to discuss and write about the contents of the planner tomorrow
(Wednesday).
Monday, August 10th:
1. The first part of Monday's homework is to take the paper that you wrote in
class and revise it (this means adding details/description, cutting parts
that don't fit, reordering and/or reconstructing sentences, improving your
word choice and sentence fluency, and working to improve your ending). Seek
advice from a family member. Ask a parent or sibling for suggestions that
will help you to take your narrative to the next level.
2. Proofread your writing. Correct errors in capitalization, punctuation,
spelling, grammar, usage. Again, seek an editor at home. This may be a
parent or a sibling. The more eyes that look over your paper, the better.
3. Finally, type your revised narrative. Please, if you have a computer at
home, type all of your writing assignments this year (double space, 12",
Times New Roman or Arial, no bold). If you do not have a computer at home
and are unable to get to the public library to use their computer, you may
revise and then rewrite your paper in blue or black ink.
