HELPFUL LINKS
Dear Students,
Here are some links I think you will find to be helpful. They are all related
to some thing or other that we will do in 8th grade reading/language arts
class.
GENERAL WRITING HELP:
The OWL at Perdue University is an online writing lab that gives
detailed information for just about any kind of writing you might
be doing. Just click on the list on the right-hand side; another
list of sub-categories will drop down. Of special interest: the
writing process; general academic writing; grammar and mechanics;
literary analysis and criticism. Thanks, OWL!
PERDUE'S "OWL" (Online Writing Lab)
NEED TO FIND SOMETHING ON THE INTERNET?
Only my favorite search tool. I always recommend that you start
your research there.
GOOGLE
MARK TWAIN
8th graders may read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.
If you're interested in learning a little about the author, check
out this site. Don't miss the photo gallery on the right-hand
side of the page for lots of cool pix of this grandfatherly-
looking author.
MARK TWAIN WEBSITE
THE REAL ANNE FRANK
We'll be reading a piece about Anne Frank--if you're interested
in learning more about her, try this site.
ANNE FRANK WEBSITE
WANT SOME MORE HELP UNDERSTANDING YOUR NOVEL?
Using guides to literature is certainly NOT cheating-- it's using
your resources wisely! Sparknotes is a site where you can find
study guides to look at online. Chapter summaries can help if
you're having trouble understanding what's going on in a book.
WARNING: a site like this will NOT carry you through your
literature unit. Read the book.
SPARKNOTES LITERATURE GUIDES
WHAT'S THE LEXILE OF THIS BOOK?
At lexile.com, you can find the lexile level of almost any book
published in the United States (and more!). Just click where it
says "search the lexile" and search by your book's title.
LEXILES
WIKIPEDIA AS A RESOURCE
When doing a research project, it is important to know that the
information you use is correct. If you are thinking about using
Wikipedia, check out this page on their own site. Wikipedia
explains why there is no guarantee that the information found
there is accurate.
SHOULD I USE WIKIPEDIA?
FUN WITH ADVERTISING
This fun site encourages you to question advertisements and think
smart. Be sure to catch "advertising tricks."
AD SMARTS WEBSITE
GENERAL HOMEWORK HELP
High School Ace has homework help for all subjects, not just
English. You can also find general resources such as news,
weather, world maps, and fun things like quizzes and crossword
puzzles.
HOMEWORK HELP
WANT TO GET PUBLISHED?
You'll find Teen Ink magazine in our classroom, but they also
have this cool site. Did you ever want to see your work published
on the internet or in print? Submit your work here, and you
might. You can also see the artwork, poems, and essays of other
teens aged 13 through 19.
PUBLISH YOUR STUFF AT TEEN INK
DO YOU DIG SOCIAL STUDIES?
This site has an incredible collection of primary source
photographs, sound bytes, documents of all sorts!
AMERICAN MEMORY from the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS