Week 15: December 10 - December 14

What you miss if you miss this week -

PreAP -

Monday we will review the essay prompts for your Independent Reading book test.  Remember - you will be given the option to test over The House on Mango Street if you wish.  Your book test will be on Tuesday, the 11th.

Writing Workshop -

On Wednesday, all classes will choose and begin researching a persuasive topic.  We will review the research and note taking process on Thursday and Friday.

Week 14: December 3 - December 7

What you miss if you miss this week:

Reading Workshop

We will finish reading the novel The House on Mango Street this week and complete the "Esperanza's Open Mind" activity
On Friday we will have a socratic seminar

Writing Workshop

All pre-reading writing assignments will be due for a grade on Friday.  Please make sure these are properly labeled and shared with me in your Reader/Writer Notebook

Quizzes
Fact and Opinion
Inference

Week 13: November 26 - November 30

REMINDER!!!
Common Assessment #3 will be on Friday November 30. 

What you miss if you miss this week:

Reading Workshop

We will practice inference skills, and analyze tone in expository essays
We will review and practice determining fact from opionion
We will review test strategies on Thursday

Please Note:  If you do not see your chapter title project on the wall, you might want to check with me.  I had quite a few without names.

Week 12: November 13-November 16

What you miss if you miss this week -

Reading Workshop

We will complete sections 5 and 6 of Mango Street this week. 

Inference Activity for Geraldo No Last Name

Figurative Language practice with Edna's Ruthie

Read one more expository essay from the paired reading folder (PreAP - read two)

Tone practice with expository essays

We will also review the new late policy regarding Google Docs. 

Writing Workshop 

Don't forget to keep up with your writing assignments.  These should be completed BEFORE you read each section.  Find the complete list of questions in your Mango Street Student Folder.

Week 10: October 29-November 2

What you miss if you miss this week -

Reading Workshop

Be sure you are keeping up with your pre-reading writing assignments.  I've divided the novel into sections, and there are journal assignments at the beginning of each section.  You will find the list of these assignments in the google doc folder labeled Mango Street Student Folder

Figurative Language - Chart the figurative language you find as you read.  Be sure you understand what is being compared.  You will have a figurative language test early next week.

Continue Reading The House On Mango Street 

Writing Workshop

Hairs Modeling Assignment
Chapter Titles Assignment

Week 9: October 22-26

What you miss if you miss this week -

TEST CORRECTIONS - You will be given the opportunity to earn half credit back on each test question you missed.  Please take advantage of this opportunity. 

Reading Workshop

We will read the poem "Where I'm From" and begin the novel, The House on Mango Street.

Writing Workshop

Learn to use the Holt McDougal online grader.  You may also use this password to access the textbook online.  After you get your score from Holt, check the rubric to determine your grade.  If you are not satisfied, please make revisions before Friday, and let me know that you have rewritten your essay.

We will write our own "Where I'm From" poems.

You will be given all pre-reading journal assignments for The House on Mango Street.

PLEASE REMEMBER - Friday is the end of the grading period!

Week 8: October 15-19

What you miss if you miss this week:

Writing Workshop -

This week we will write our own personal narratives using Amy Tan's "Fish Cheeks" as a model.

Reminder -

Personal Narrative Common Assessment on Friday!

PreAP -
It's time to choose a new independent novel!

"You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built into the human plan. We come with it."
-- Margaret Atwood

Week 7: October 8-12

What you miss if you miss this week:

Writing Workshop -
We will begin gathering details for our personal narratives, using Amy Tan's "Fish Cheeks" as a model narrative.

PreAP -
We will take a look at the AP English Literature and Composition free response questions and discuss the independent book test on Friday.

REMINDER!!   Don't forget to bring your independent novel on Friday!  You will be able to use the book to complete your essay.

Week 6: October 1-5

What you miss if you miss this week:

Reading Workshop
We will continue to read our literary nonfiction selections, while keeping an eye out for the traits of a successful personal narrative.

Writing Workshop
We will use the interview process to uncover the seeds of our own personal stories.

Vocabulary
Thesis Statement/Implied Thesis
Paragraph/Paragraph Unity

Reminder!  Friday is the end of the six week grading period.  Eligibility will be checked on October 5th.  Please be sure to turn in all test corrections, make up work, and extra credit by Thursday.  

"Books are smart and brilliant and wise. Love what you do and do what you love. Don’t listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. You do what you want, what you love. Imagination should be the center of your life."  ~Ray Bradbury

Week 5: Sept 24-28

What you miss if you miss this week:

Writing Workshop -
Kiosk Presentations - Group Project/Major Grade
Compare and Contrast Assignment - Partner Project/Major Grade (PreAP Independent Writing)

Reading Workshop -
We will begin our Literary Non-fiction unit on Thursday
All Classes will read "Fish Cheeks" by Amy Tan
Students will choose 2 more selections from the following list (PreAP students will choose 3)

"Salvation" by Langston Hughes

"A View from the Bridge" by Cherokee Paul McDonald

"Ike" by Gary Paulsen

"Josh" by Gary Paulsen

"The Great Mouse Plot" and "Mr. Coombs" by Roald Dahl (together these count as one selection)

"Mrs. Flowers" by Maya Angelou

"The Street" by Richard Wright

Common Assessment Test Corrections

How to -

Using the question you missed as a model, create your own multiple-choice question using one of the reading selections from the same unit.  Remember that your answer choices can be true without being correct!  You will be awarded half the value of the question for writing an imitation of your own.  Fully understanding the question will help you earn a higher score on future assessments!

Kiosk Presentations

(also known as “Presenterless” Presentations)

•    The purpose is to communicate the essence of a novel, short story, or poem by revealing the impression that it left on you. People will know by looking at your presentation what kind of reading experience they could expect if they read that same piece.

•    Most of the message of your presentation is contained in the passages from the literary piece and the images you use. (Each presentation has a minimum number of both passages and images, and that number could change with each assignment.)

•    Your presentation should include the following:

·        exact passages—words or phrases or sentences—from the piece that communicate its essence/theme/meaning (minimum for any assignment: 4)

·        images which enhance and expand the meaning of the selected passages (minimum for any assignment: 4)

·        the author’s name and the title of the literary piece

·        any “instructions” the audience needs as they look at your presentation; for example, if you want the audience to read one specific passage before reading another, you’ll have to provide direction (i.e., arrows or numbers)

•    And here are a few other things you need to keep in mind:

·        The ONLY words that can be used on the visual presentation are the direct quotations from the literary piece.

·        The “images” can take any form: drawings, pictures from print sources, shapes cut from colored paper, etc. Use whatever you have available!

·        No matter whether you are doing an individual or group kiosk presentation, do NOT talk to other individuals or groups about your passages and images. Let them look at your presentation and figure out what you are communicating without talking about it. Discussion will come after everyone has had a chance to look at all the visual presentations.

Week 4: September 17-21

What you miss if you miss this week!

Reading Workshop -
Analyze figurative language within a text

Writing Workshop -
Identify and analyze the use of intentional fragments
Create a Kiosk Presentation

Common Assessment - Wednesday - Thursday
Be sure you understand and know how to apply the following terms
theme
conflict
characterization
conflict resolution
climax
point of view
narrative
inference
dialogue
figurative language
simile
metaphor
imagery
intentional fragment

Week 3: Sept 10-14

What you miss if you miss class this week -

Reading Workshop -
Conflict, Theme, Figurative Language

If you have already finished both of your first selections, please choose two of the following stories to read next:   Two Kinds, The First Day, Mother and Daughter, The Veldt, I Stand Here Ironing

Writing Workshop -
Story Circle

Open House! - Thursday, September 13.  If you cannot be here, please give your parents your id number. 

PreAP
You should be making significant progress on your independent novel!

Week Two: September 4-September 7

What you miss if you miss this week -

Reading Workshop -
We will begin reading the short stories we selected last week.  By the end of the week you should have collected some great of examples of characterization from your reading.

Reading Selections - Harrison Bergeron, The Lottery, The Monkey's Paw, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, A Sound of Thunder

Writing Workshop -
We will practice writing what we learned with our own fictional characters.

Library Orientation

PreAP - Don't forget to choose a novel for your independent assignment!
 

The Red Wheelbarrow

by William Carlos Williams

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

How to Earn Extra Credit in Ms. Poulter's Class (all year long!)

Throughout the school year you will have the opportunity to earn extra credit by imitating poems written by published poets.  Don’t forget you have an example of this assignment your reader/writer notebook.  (Remember “The Red Wheelbarrow”?)

1.      Find a poem you would like to imitate. 

***Dear Parents, Teachers and Friends

Please resist the urge to help the student find the right poem.  This is the research portion of the assignment and worth half the credit the student will receive. 

2.  Decide HOW you intend to imitate this poem.  Will you imitate syntax?  Theme?  Rhyme scheme?  You decide! (We imitated syntax with “The Red Wheelbarrow”)

3.  Write your imitation.

4.  Tell me how you imitated your poem by completing the following sentences.

I used __________________________________________ by

 _________________________________________________

as a model for my poem.  I imitated his/her use of

_________________________________________________

5.  Attach your imitation and the original poem to this sheet and turn in all three items for UP TO 10 points on a major grade!!

***PLEASE NOTE!!  The difficulty of the poem will determine the value of the extra credit.  A great imitation of a Shel Silverstein poem will probably earn you 1 point.  A great imitation of William Shakespeare might earn you 10.  Most poetry imitations earn between 2-5 points. 

Welcome Back!

Welcome to 8th grade ELA!  We are going to have a great year!  I look forward to helping each one of you become a better reader, writer, and thinker.

What you miss if you miss this week:

Policies and Procedures
How to log in
Reading Interest Inventory
Find Your Strengths
How to access your school email account
How to set up your Reader/Writer notebook in Google Docs
How to access your Epsilen Account
How to earn extra credit in this class all year long!
PreAP Independent Reading Assignment

What Do I Do When I'm Finished?

1.      READ!!! 

·         your independent novel

·         an ebook

·         another selection from our current genre study

·         a news article (Check out New York Times Learning or Teen Tribune)

·         some poetry (Poetry 180)

2.  Start planning for college!  (Check out Big Future)

3.  Practice your research skills at agoogleaday.com

4.  Learn something at TED-ed.  (view by series)

5.  Practice SAT or Commonly confused words (Quizlet)

The fact is that anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.
                                                                                            ~Flannery O'Connor

How To Set Up Your Reader/Writer Notebook in Google Docs

1.  Go to google and open your mybisd account.  Your username is firstname.lastname@mybisd.net.

2.  Choose the drive tab.  It will either be at the top of your screen or in a drop down box under "more".

3.  Choose the red "create" button on the upper left side of your screen.

4.  Choose "folder" at the top of the drop down tab.

5.  Name your collection "Reader/Writer Notebook" and choose the "create" button.

6.  Now your notebook will appear under the drop down tab "My Drive" on the left of your screen.

7.  Click the down arrow to the right of the words "Reader/Writer Notebook" and choose "share."

8.   At this point, the small size of your Netbook screen may prevent you from seeing the entire box you are using.  If this is the case, hit the button "F11" at the top of your keyboard.  This will allow you to view your entire screen. 

9.  At the bottom of the box where it says "add people" enter my email address.   Sharing your notebook with me allows me to grade your assignments.  My email address is carolyn.poulter@mybisd.net. PLEASE NOTE:  Any assignment NOT shared with me will receive a zero.  I cannot grade what I cannot see.

10.  Select done.  If you skip this step, you have not shared your notebook with me. PLEASE NOTE:  All of your documents will automatically say they are shared because they are shared with the district office.  This does NOT mean they are automatically shared with me.  Just because your folder says it is "shared" does not mean I can see it!

11.  When you wish to add a document to your reader writer notebook, select the arrow to the right of the words "My Drive" and choose create, then choose document. PLEASE NOTE:  If you choose to use the big red CREATE button, you will have to share every single document with me separately.  It is much easier to simply open a document that is already INSIDE your notebook.  (Imagine you are writing on a piece of paper that is already inside a binder as opposed to having to put the paper in the binder after you complete the assignment).

12.  Try this now.  After you choose document, you will select the blue button that says "create and share."

13.  Click the words "untitled document" to name your document.

PreAP Independent Reading Assignment

Ms. Poulter

PreAP Independent Reading Assignment

Requirements:

Read 4 novels independently.

Complete the appropriate Novel Study Sheet for each novel and turn in by the due date.

·         These must be completed at home.

·         These may be turned in early.

·         You should read daily. You should read in HOMEROOM.  

·         Two of the books must have either won an award or appeared on the AP recommended reading list

On each test, the student will be expected to know (at least) the following items and be able to explain them in writing*:

1. Title & Author

2. Characters: Protagonist, Antagonist, Secondary or minor characters.

3. Elements of a good plot:

a. Exposition

b. Rising Action (5 significant events)

c. Climax

d. Falling Action (3 significant events)

e. Resolution

4. Conflicts

a. Internal (inside)

b. External (outside)

5. A short summary of the entire plot (beginning, middle and end)

6. A short answer summary of the conflicts

7. A brief review of the book (including why or why not the student is recommending the book)

*Other items may also show up on certain tests. These may include questions related to: tone, mood, POV, theme, genre, comparisons and contrasts.

"If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” – Stephen King