8th Grade--4/29

We had a pretty busy day today.

First, I collected the second drafts of your Book Thief Essays. If you were not here today or were not prepared, please bring me this draft on Monday. I will correct these over the next week, and then hand them back to you for a final round of corrections.

Next, I passed back data from yesterday's grammar preassessment. This data should be kept in your portfolio here at school, and can help to guide your studying over the next couple of weeks.

Moving on to the beginning of our science fiction unit, we started by working on two activities that are intended to answer the question "What is science fiction?". First, students answered the following three prompts on pieces of poster board:

• When I think of science fiction, I think of...

• A science fiction book I've read/movie I've seen is...

• A science fiction story can take place...

After that, we looked at a number of textbook definitions of science fiction and cut them up, rearranging them to make our own definitions. We'll be thinking of these definitions as we move forward through the science fiction unit.

A student definition in progress

Class closed with a little book group discussion. Students met and discussed the discussion questions they had written for today. If you were absent today, please show me your question upon returning. I will need to initial it for you to receive credit.

Also, the weekly calendar says that you are to read Harrison Bergeron for Monday, but since you will have a speaker on Monday for social studies, I have moved that to Tuesday. I will give you copies of the short story on Monday, or you can read it here. Have a great weekend!

Homework due Monday:
-April IR Log due (signed!)
-Write your reflection on question #1 if you didn't finish it during class.

Long term due dates:
5/3--Read Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
5/4--Section #2 of sci fi book groups is due (question, too!)
5/5--Read There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury
5/12--Cumulative Grammar Test (eek!)

Challenge question: What is the underlined sentence above an example of?

7th Grade--4/29

Today we spent the day in lab 2 during our second day of work on our narrative podcasts. We continued to work on recording our voices and adding music, but I also gave a new lesson on adding images to your podcast. A video of how to do this is above.

This was our last day in the computer lab for this assignment. If you are not finished with your podcast, please plan to come into Lab #2 some time early next week (they open at 7:30am). A saved copy of the program should go into the "Etter 7th grade podcasts" folder in group share before class time on Wednesday. If you have trouble, please see me for help, or ask anyone in the computer lab! A video of how and where to save your podcast appropriately is below.

Homework due Monday:
-April IR Log due (signed!)

Long term due dates:
5/4--Narrative Podcasts Due
5/16--Grammar Test

Next week we'll begin reading A Raisin in the Sun!

8th Grade--4/28

Today we began reviewing for our cumulative grammar test. To do this, students took a cumulative preassessment that was meant to assess the understanding of all of the grammar topics we've covered during your two years at Washburne. This test will NOT count for a grade, but I will use the results to determine how you spend your time reviewing over the two grammar review days coming up (May 2nd & May 9th). Also, you may keep this preassessment to use as a study guide for the test on May 12th.

After taking the preassessment today, students then used the answer key to score themselves in each grammar content area, and recorded their individual scores on cards (pictured below). I will review these cards over the weekend and place you in your review groups on Monday.

Also, grammar homework was checked in today. If you struggled on it, be sure to schedule a time to meet with me about it. If you were absent today, bring the grammar HW in tomorrow to receive full credit.

Homework due tomorrow:
-Book Thief essay draft #2 due
-Section #1 reading due from your science fiction book group novel (don't forget to write a discussion question in your packet!)

Long term due dates:
5/2--April IR Log due (signed!)
5/3--Read Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
5/4--Section #2 of sci fi book groups is due (question, too!)
5/12--Cumulative Grammar Test (eek!)

7th Grade--4/28

Today we went to Lab #2 to work on our narrative podcasts! We began class by logging into our iaccounts, and I gave a lesson on how to open up a podcast project in Garageband, as well as how to record your voice into the audio track. Remember, you want to make sure your audio track has "no effect" before beginning to record your voice.

About halfway through class I stopped the group to explain inserting a jingle track (the music that plays in the background of your podcast). Some people moved on to this step, but plenty are still hard at work recording their voices. We will be in the computer lab tomorrow as well to continue working on this project. If you will be on the chorus field trip tomorrow, check back here tomorrow to catch up on the lessons you missed. This project is due on Wednesday of next week, so you have plenty of time to work on it before school. Lab #2 will be open every day of the week at 7:30am, and remember that you'll need to work on the same computer throughout this project.

My sample podcast window. What's wrong about that audio track?

Homework due tomorrow:
-If you didn't bring digital images today, please bring them to class tomorrow!

Long term due dates:
5/2--April IR Log due (signed!)
5/4--Narrative Podcasts Due
5/16--Grammar Test

8th Grade--4/27

8th grade students were not in class today, as they spent the day at the holocaust museum (without me!). Hopefully you guys recognized some of the information (town names, etc) from The Book Thief?

Homework due tomorrow:
-Your grammar worksheet on appositives and absolutes

Long term due dates:
4/29--Book Thief essay draft #2 due
4/29--Section #1 reading due from your science fiction book group novel (don't forget to write a discussion question in your packet!)
5/2--April IR Log due (signed!)
5/12--Cumulative Grammar Test (eek!)

7th Grade--4/27

Today we began class by checking in and reviewing the grammar homework from last night. This homework was a review of simple/complete subject and predicate. Next week, we will be moving on to a new grammar concept, which will be direct and indirect object. If you are still confused about subject and predicate, please sign up to see me or post a question below and I'd be happy to help you. Remember, our final grammar test of the year is coming up on May 16th.

Next, we worked together to create a master list of ways to improve our writing. Students supplied suggestions such as varying sentence structure, literary elements, writing using the senses, dialogue, etc. As a class, we wrote all of these strategies on the board.

It's a little blurry, but blame that one on my iPhone.

We then used this list to guide our journal writing. Students were instructed to begin writing in their journal with these aspects of strong writing in mind. I gave kids the option to either start fresh with a new story, or to go back and rewrite one of their stories from the beginning of the year with these new strategies and skills guiding their writing.

At the end of class we did our usual sharing activity, with students bracketing 1-2 sentences they felt were strong. They then shared these sentences with the class.

Homework due tomorrow:
-Bring digital images to school either on a flash drive, CD or through gaggle that will enhance your podcast (which we will begin tomorrow).
-Bring the most recent copy of your narrative.
-Practice reading your narrative aloud, so that you are comfortable enough with it for your podcast.

Long term due dates:
5/2--April IR Log due (signed!)
5/4--Narrative Podcasts Due
5/16--Grammar Test