Winter Break 12/20/18-01/06/19

Week 12/17-12/21

Last week, students completed their Holocaust Hero's Journey Research-Based Illustrated Narratives and went through the peer editing process. Over the next few days, I will finish assessing these using the SBAC narrative rubric and input the final scores into Parent Portal. Please click here to view the narratives--some of them are absolutely amazing!

This week, students will watch the movie "Anne Frank." This movie will give students a look at everyday heroes who became historical heroes and provide a visual depiction that allows for a deeper glimpse and understanding of the life that those endured during the Holocaust.

I should have final grades finished by Wednesday, December 19, 2018!

Monday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Peer Edit Due
"Anne Frank" Movie
Tuesday
"Anne Frank" Movie
Wednesday
"Anne Frank" Movie
Thursday
Non-Student Day
Friday
Non-Student Day

Week 12/10-12/14

Last week, students turned in two-thirds of their Holocaust Hero's Journey. Their illustrated research-based narratives are very interesting and I can't wait to see their final products--there writing has come a long way and their creativity is astounding! As always, I will share some of them with you so you can see what a bright future we have in these kiddos!

Monday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Return
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Tuesday
AR Due--30 points *Please see the Accelerated Reader Roadmap for more information. 
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Return
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Wednesday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Return
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Thursday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Return Checkpoint Due
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Friday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Peer Edit/Essay Due at 11:59 p.m.
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!

Week 12/3-12/7

Last week, students finished reading Maus I: My Father Bleeds History. Many students went on to read Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began which is awesome! Students moved into writing their own illustrated research-based narrative essay that follows the monomyth or the hero's journey/archetype. Their outlines for their narratives sound very interested and I am excited to read their illustrated research-based narratives in the coming weeks.

Monday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Departure
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Tuesday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Departure Checkpoint Due
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Wednesday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Initiation
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Thursday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Initiation
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Friday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Initiation Checkpoint Due
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
AR Log Check (Log/Signature)
*Students need to be reading an AR book that has a reading level of 3.5+ for 30 minutes 5 nights per week. Students need to earn 30 points at every checkpoint (12/11, 03/19, and 05/28). Please see the Accelerated Reader Roadmap for more information. 

Week 11/26-11/30

Last week, well, it was wonderful! The air quality was not the best; however, being with family and friends was a true blessing and just the little break that we all needed (and wanted). It was just the rejuvenation that all of us needed to make it to the end of the semester and winter break that will begin in three and a half short weeks!

This week, we will finish reading Maus I: My Father Bleeds History and then students will move into writing their own illustrated research-based narrative essay that follows the monomyth or the hero's journey/archetype. Students will start by outlining the plot for their narrative and finding evidence to support each part of the journey. While this is a big endeavor, the students generally have fun writing this essay! 

Monday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Poster Instructions (Chapter 6)
Tuesday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Outline 
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Wednesday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Outline 
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Thursday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Outline 
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Friday
Holocaust Hero's Journey: Departure
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
AR Log Check (Log/Signature)
*Students need to be reading an AR book that has a reading level of 3.5+ for 30 minutes 5 nights per week. Students need to earn 30 points at every checkpoint (12/11, 03/19, and 05/28). Please see the Accelerated Reader Roadmap for more information. 

Week 11/19-11/23

Week 11/12-11/16

Students will finish Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman (1986) this week. It has been so much fun to watch them engage with one another while they take on character voices as they read. I wish I could get a good video; however, whenever I come around with the camera, they stop! Arrrgh...Teenagers! They have also been collaborating with one another and engaging in academic discourse throughout this entire process. They seem to enjoy the book and I hope it will serve as background information for the hero's journey narrative they will write when they return from Thanksgiving break.

Monday
Veterans' Day Observed
Tuesday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Poster Instructions (Chapter 4)
Wednesday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Poster Instructions (Poster)
Thursday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Poster Instructions (Chapter 5)
Friday
School Canceled Due to Air Quality

Week 11/5-11/9

Last week, students completed their Hero Definition Essays. Please click here to see examples of student writing that met the 8th-grade level standard. 

Students also started to read Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman (1986) in literature circles. It is fun to watch them engage with one another while they take on character voices as they read (pictures of Period 2 to the left). This will help them improve their reading fluency and listening comprehension, all the while having a little fun. Students also worked collaboratively on a depth and complexity poster to help with understanding the graphic novel and the embedded literary elements.

Monday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Poster Instructions (Chapter 2)
Tuesday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Poster Instructions (Poster)
Wednesday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Poster Instructions (Poster Due)
Thursday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Poster Instructions (Chapter 3)
Friday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Poster Instructions (Poster)
AR Log Check (Log/Signature)
*Students need to be reading an AR book that has a reading level of 3.5+ for 30 minutes 5 nights per week. Students need to earn 30 points at every checkpoint (12/11, 03/19, and 05/28). Please see the Accelerated Reader Roadmap for more information. 

Week 10/29-11/2

Last week, students wrote their hero definition essay. Many of them found the writing process to be much easier this time around (it will continue to get easier the more and more we write).  

This week, we will finish the essay by peer editing, revising, and reflecting on the essay. It will then be my turn to assess them (I should have this completed by the next blog post--fingers crossed). Next, we will take a break from essay writing and move into actually reading a novel--Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman (1986). It is a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Jewish Holocaust that symbolically portrays the Jewish people as mice and the German people as cats. This graphic novel will help students learn about the Jewish Holocaust and research-based narrative writing, which they will be moving into when they return from Thanksgiving break. 

Monday
Hero Definition Essay: Share and Revise (Essay Due to GC by 11:59 p.m.)
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Tuesday
Hero Definition Essay: Reflection
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Wednesday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Collaboration 
Thursday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Poster Instructions 
Friday
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History (PDF)/Group Poster Instructions
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
AR Log Check (Log/Signature)
*Students need to be reading an AR book that has a reading level of 3.5+ for 30 minutes 5 nights per week. Students need to earn 30 points at every checkpoint (12/11, 03/19, and 05/28). Please see the Accelerated Reader Roadmap for more information. 

Week 10/22-10/26

Last week, students finished their district writing argumentative assessment (these will be assessed this week by all English teachers and a score will be entered into Parent Portal). Students also started to look at the concept of a hero and brainstormed what makes a hero and how to define a hero with a partner of their choice. 

This week, students will take their definition of a hero from the brainstorming activity, complete an outline, and write a definition essay that utilizes examples and analyzes how these examples embody the concept of a hero and prove the overall definition. I know that we just finished writing an essay, but I did warn you at back to school night--my main goal this year is to make writers out of your kiddos! The writing process will continue to get easier and easier (I swear) and you should see tremendous growth in your child's writing ability over the course of the year.  

Monday
Hero Definition Essay: Apply (Outline Due to GC by 11:59 p.m.)
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Tuesday
ELA Reference Notebook: Reading Section
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Wednesday
Hero Definition Essay: Apply
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Thursday
Hero Definition Essay: Apply
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Friday
Hero Definition Essay: Apply
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
AR Log Check (Log/Signature)
*Students need to be reading an AR book that has a reading level of 3.5+ for 30 minutes 5 nights per week. Students need to earn 30 points at every checkpoint (12/11, 03/19, and 05/28). Please see the Accelerated Reader Roadmap for more information. 

Week 10/15-10/19

We are finishing up the district writing test this week and these will be assessed on October 23 by all the Green Valley Middle School English teachers. The scores will be based on the following rubric: 

40	1) Claim is clear (thesis) and body paragraphs link to it 2) Transitional words and phrases help the reader understand how ideas connect 3) Must include relevant evidence from sources with citation/reference of sources 4) 7/8 ONLY: Clearly explains the opposing argument and why their claim is better than the opposing view
30	1) Claim is clear (thesis) 2) Adequate transitional words and phrases used 3) Must include evidence from sources that support the claim with citation/reference to sources 4) 7/8 ONLY: Acknowledge the opposing argument and explain why their claim is better than the opposing view
2o	1) Claim is mostly clear (thesis) 2) Includes evidence from sources, but may not be cited/reference correctly
10	1) Claim was intended but may be confusing 2) Supported claim with reasons, but may not use sources correctly
0	1) No claim/off topic 2) No explanation

Last week, we also watched Big Hero 6 to map the hero's journey and familiarize ourselves with this literary structure known as the monomyth. As we move forward, we will look at the definition of the word hero and how it applies to everyday heroes, historical heroes, and literary and/or fictional heroes (definition essay) and then apply this to the literature that we read in class (Maus and Fahrenheit 451), while also writing an illustrated research-based narrative in the hero's journey format. Whew! That will definitely take us a while to get through, and it will be the most rigorous part of this course--I am just giving all of you fair warning!

Monday
District Writing Assessment
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Tuesday
8th Grade Inspire Field Trip to the KROC Center
AR Book Talks Due by 11:59 p.m.
Please see the Accelerated Reader Roadmap for more information. 
Wednesday
AR Logs Due
Hero Definition Essay: Explore and Explain
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Thursday
Hero Definition Essay: Explain
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Friday
ELA Reference Notebook: Reading Section
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!

Week 10/8-10/12

Last week, students finished their multimedia campaigns, critiqued their peers' multimedia campaigns, and then reflected on the process. Click here to see some of the amazing multimedia campaigns! From their research, students found that both AR Book Talks and the AR Quizzes have their pros and cons, but it does appear that students are missing the AR quizzes (they say that they are much easier and not as time-consuming as the AR book talks).

Students also started the District Writing Assessment to assess their writing abilities in the argumentative genre of writing. Since it is still early in the year, I am allowing students to use their ELA Reference Notebooks to practice the proper way to write an essay; however, they will not be able to get any other help. Based on their last argumentative essay where the average grade was a B, I am sure that they will do just fine! We will continue this assessment for part of this week and next Monday.

Monday
Non-Student Day
Tuesday (Block Schedule 135)
Big Hero 6: Mapping the Hero's Journey
Wednesday (Block Schedule 246)
Big Hero 6: Mapping the Hero's Journey
*Period 2 Goes to Soul Shoppe
Thursday
District Writing Assessment
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Friday
District Writing Assessment
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
AR Log Check (Log/Signature)
*Students need to be reading an AR book that has a reading level of 3.5+ for 30 minutes 5 nights per week. Students need to earn 30 points at every checkpoint (10/16, 12/11, 03/19, and 05/28). Please see the Accelerated Reader Roadmap for more information. 

Week 10/1-10/5

Last week, students worked on their multimedia campaigns in class. It always amazes me to watch them in action, especially during a group based project. The natural leaders always come forward and take control at the planning stage; the hard workers always make sure that everyone is on task and being held accountable; the social ones always make sure that there is a little fun to be had; and, the compassionate ones always make sure that everyone is included. The truly amazing part is to watch as these roles change throughout the course of the project. I am really excited to see what they have produced (I have seen some glimpses and I am impressed). What is interesting, is that most students miss the AR book tests and are arguing that it is a better way to hold students accountable for their reading and comprehension. I never thought I would hear that! 

This week, students will finish their multimedia campaigns, view and critique their peers' multimedia campaign, and then reflect on the process and evaluate the different mediums used to persuade (essay vs. campaign). Students will also begin their district writing test to assess their writing abilities in the argumentative genre of writing. Since it is still early in the year, I am allowing students to use their ELA Reference Notebooks to practice the proper way to write an essay; however, they will not be able to get any other help. Based on their last argumentative essay where the average grade was a B, I am sure that they will do just fine!

Monday
Multimedia Campaign: Importance of Reading and Accountability (Apply)
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Tuesday (Block Schedule P135)
Multimedia Campaign: Importance of Reading and Accountability (Share and Reflect)
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Wednesday (Block Schedule 246)
Multimedia Campaign: Importance of Reading and Accountability (Share and Reflect)
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Thursday
District Writing Assessment: Argumentative Essay (SBAC Style)
Friday
District Writing Assessment: Argumentative Essay (SBAC Style)
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
AR Log Check (Log/Signature)
*Students need to be reading an AR book that has a reading level of 3.5+ for 30 minutes 5 nights per week. Students need to earn 30 points at every checkpoint (10/16, 12/11, 03/19, and 05/28). Please see the Accelerated Reader Roadmap for more information. 

Week 9/24-9/28

Last week, students finished writing their argumentative essays on bullying! Woohoo--two essays down and a bunch more to go! This weekend, I have been really busy trying to assess and provide feedback in Google Classroom to all students in time for progress reports. Click here to review some of the standards met/standards exceeded examples!

This week, students will start a group based project (while it is encouraged to work in groups of their choice, students ALWAYS have the option to work by themselves). This project is to create a persuasive multimedia campaign that discusses the importance of reading and how best to hold students accountable for their independent reading. This year, I have heard many students say that they miss the AR tests, so this should be interesting to see what they come up with! Whatever it is they choose, I will share all of them with our school site to get student voices heard and, in hopes, to affect meaningful change based on their findings!

Monday
Multimedia Campaign: Importance of Reading and Accountability (Engage-Explain)
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Tuesday
Multimedia Campaign: Importance of Reading and Accountability (Explain)
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Wednesday
Multimedia Campaign: Importance of Reading and Accountability (Explain)
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Thursday
Multimedia Campaign: Importance of Reading and Accountability (Apply)
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
Friday
Multimedia Campaign: Importance of Reading and Accountability (Apply)
*Chromebook needs to be brought to school and fully charged!
AR Log Check (Log/Signature)
*Students need to be reading an AR book that has a reading level of 3.5+ for 30 minutes 5 nights per week. Students need to earn 30 points at every checkpoint (10/16, 12/11, 03/19, and 05/28). Please see the Accelerated Reader Roadmap for more information.