Seventh Grade Reading
March 5, 2018
7A ELA--Students continued work on modifiers, adjectives and adverbs, and this week, and students started the layout of their article for The Bulldog Bark. On Monday, the first draft of students’ speeches are due. They will take next week to revise, edit and begin practice of the delivery of their speeches; the week of March 19 students will deliver their speeches for final grading.
7B ELA--Students continued work on modifiers, adjectives and adverbs, and this week, and students made revisions of their article for The Bulldog Bark. On Monday, the first draft of students’ speeches are due. They will take next week to revise, edit and begin practice of the delivery of their speeches; the week of March 19 students will deliver their speeches for final grading.
January 26, 2018
7A ELA--Students continued their study of verbs and were introduced to this year’s School Speech contest theme.: “Inventions that have improved the quality of life.” Students were shown a video of an International Toastmasters champion and how his speaking style is something to emulate. Students began researching topics and began thinking how they want to approach this year’s theme. A list of due dates will be handed out next week to give students an idea of how they need to approach this assignment.
7B ELA--Students continued their study of verbs and were introduced to this year’s School Speech contest theme.: “Inventions that have improved the quality of life.” Students were shown a video of an International Toastmasters champion and how his speaking style is something to emulate. Students began researching topics and began thinking how they want to approach this year’s theme. A list of due dates will be handed out next week to give students an idea of how they need to approach this assignment
November 3, 2017
7A English—Students performed several Tennis Debates this week. There are different than the formal debates and not a debate about tennis, but it is a debate where two teams “serve” arguments to a member of the opposing team, and that member must return the serve with a well-worded refutation. Students were given ten minutes to prepare with their team, and formulate arguments and refutations. It was excellent practice for students to devise reasoning supported by evidence; it also gave students practice creating rebuttal arguments with a limited amount of time. Next week we will work on another debate and conclude our review of nouns.
7B English--These students only had class three days because of guidance class on Wednesday and High Interest Day on Friday. Students prepared for their first formal debate this week. They finished watching a video of a sample debate and chose the following topic: “Middle school students at Washington-Caldwell need more time for recess.” They were randomly separated into two teams and had to decide what order each member would speak. Next week, they will conclude their research and begin the actual debate.
October 27, 2017
7B English--Students finished writing tritinas, and will publish them next week. They also reviewed the test from last week, learned about countable nouns, and practiced the difference between less and fewer. Ms. Wesolowski has been teaching guidance during our Wednesday class period and will again next week. Also next week students will begin learning the fundamentals of formal debating with the Middle School Debate Program.
7A English--Students reviewed the test from last week, learned about countable nouns, and the difference between less and fewer. They also started learning the fundamentals of formal debate with the Middle School Debate Program. Students watched a sample debate on YouTube, and discussed the particulars of how to perform a formal debate. Students learned about assertions and refutations and how to phrase them to best argue their points. The class will be debating this resolution: “Students at Washington-Caldwell should be required to wear uniforms at school.” Students were randomly placed on the proposition team or the opposition team and chose the order of their speakers. On Friday, they began to research arguments. They will be given time next week to continue planning, writing, and practicing with their teams and will perform the debate on Thursday or Friday depending on their progress.
October 20,2017
Students began their study of nouns this week along with an emphasis on complex sentences and using semicolons and colons in their writing, Students also journaled extensively and took photos of the new playground construction in anticipation of the next issue of The Bulldog Bark.
October 13, 2017
Students spent the week reviewing for our first test on the sentence, different types of sentences, conjunctions, varying use of sentences, and correctly punctuating the different types of sentences. The test was administered on Friday. Students also wrote tritinas this week. A trtina is a three stanza poem utilizing three words used in different types of end rhyme. The difficulty in writing a tritina is to not just repeat the same information in each of the stanzas. Students also concentrated on using interesting verbs and adjectives in the tritinas. While in the computer lab, students printed display copies of their trinitas and other poems they have written this year to display in the hallway.
September 29, 2017
Students finished editing The Bulldog Bark. It will be delivered to students on Monday afternoon. Students did well with the editing process; it was a lot of work. Students also began writing in a daily journal this week. This journal allows students to practice the punctuation and grammar they learn each day. For example, students have been practicing the use of the semicolon and the correct conventional use of numbers in their entries.
September 22, 2017
Students finished final touches on the body of their news articles for The Bulldog Bark. Teaching students the proper layout of the articles is time consuming for this first issue, but students will now know the requirements. Editing the newspaper is also time consuming, but it is an excellent way for students to help each other and learn from each other. Each day we practice parts of speech with an activity called the sentence game. It’s a fun way to practice parts of speech, and it also improves reading as students must correctly predict the proper sequence of words.
May 8, 2017
This week students read another short story by O. Henry, his most famous, “The Gift of the Magi.” Students also wrote character descriptions of the previous O. Henry short story, “By Courier.” Students also took a test on vocabulary words from “By Courier.” As always, please have your son or daughter find time to read at home.
March 17, 2017
Students read and analyzed another famous American poet, Walt Whitman. They started with the famous allegory “O Captain, My Captain” and then read “A Noiseless Patient Spider.” Students read “A Noiseless Patient Spider” and then read an analysis of the poem on their own answering a set of questions. Students will present their answers to these questions on Monday. As always, please have your son or daughter find time to read at home.
March 3, 2017
This week students read one final short story by Richard Matheson entitled “Little Girl Lost.” Little Girl Lost” was turned into an episode of The Twilight Zone, but we did not have a chance to watch it, and students wrote about theme, mood, tone and the climax relating to the short story. Next week we will begin reading and analyzing poetry by Carl Sandburg and begin literature circles with non-fiction books. I will also continue to work on grading the essays from “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” It would be wonderful if your son or daughter could find some time to read over this short break.
February 3, 2017
Students have received the outline and checklist for the essay on “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” The outline and checklist can also be found on my website. This essay is due on Wednesday, February 15. Students will have some time in class to work on the essay, but most of the work will need to be done at home. I will check in with them on Wednesday, February 8 to assess their progress. The essay will be at least six paragraphs, but can be more if needed. Students have completed the Works Cited page, but may need to add entries if they find further material. We will continue to read more works by Richard Matheson next week. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home.
January 27, 2017
Students watched the section of Twilight Zone The Movie that contained the section with “Nightmare of 20,000 Feet.” Students compared the movie with the short story, the script, and the TV episode. On Friday, students started their Works Cited page for their essay. They included the short story, the original script, the TV episode and the movie. Next week students will begin working on the essay comparing and contrasting all four versions of “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” Students will decide on the organization for their essay and will receive a study guide to begin work. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home
January 20, 2017
Students took a vocabulary test on words chosen from “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” and read the original script for “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” written by Richard Matheson for the original Twilight Zone television series. They also watched the episode, which originally aired in 1963. They will then read a transcript of the episode and view the portion of Twilight Zone the Movie, which was released in 1983. All this will culminate in a formal essay comparing the different versions: the short story, the original script, the transcript of the TV show and the finished TV episode and movie. Students will begin this essay next week. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home.
January 13, 2017
Students received the results of their Hughes-King essay in reading conferences. Students also finished reading “Nightmare at 20,00 Feet.” answered questions about setting and point of view relating to the short story, and began reading the Twilight Zone script of the same title. Additionally, students listened to the novel A Day No Pigs Would Die about a poor Shaker family’s protagonist son and his struggle from childhood to adulthood. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home.
January 6, 2016
Students began their next author study with Richard Matheson. Matheson was a prolific science fiction and horror writer during the last half of the twentieth century. He wrote several of the famous Twilight Zone episodes. We read Matheson’s biography and began reading one of his most famous short stories, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” After the short story we will read Matheson’s actual script for the Twilight Zone. We will then read a transcript of the episode and watch the 1963 episode and a portion of Twilight Zone: The Movie from 1983 that depicts another interpretation of “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” We will then read other works by Matheson before writing an essay based on his works. Students will conference with me about their Hughes-King essays next week. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home.
Seventh Grade Readng
Students began listening to a new novel, A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck. It’s a semiautobiographical novel about a boy growing up in rural Vermont in an impoverished Shaker family. Students are focusing on theme and will be writing about possible themes explored in this novel. Students also had time to read independently and write in their reading journals. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home.
December 2, 2016
Seventh Grade Reading
Students worked on their essays for the majority of the week. They will print their final copies on Monday and submit them for grading. Students also had opportunities this week to read from their novels and began a study of theme. This study of theme will continue for the next several weeks as students read, discuss, and write about theme and main ideas in their independent reading novels and on texts we share in class. We will have a test on the various literary terms we have covered so far this year on Monday, December 12. A study guide will be given to students on Monday, December 5.
November 11, 2016
Students began research for their essay on Langston Hughes and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. From reading King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, students learned that Hughes’s poem “Freedom’s Plow” was reflected in the first half of the speech, and Hughes’s poems about dreams were reflected in the second half of the speech. Students began reading articles online that deal with Hughes’s influence on Dr. King. As always, please help your son or daughter read at least twenty minutes each night at home. Students also worked on the reading blog in Weebly. Have them show you their blog; they are very interesting.
October 28, 2016
Students continued to listen to the novel The Wave by Todd Strasser. Students also continued to read Langston Hughes with his short story “Thank You Ma’am” and answered some in-depth questions about the short story. Students also had time to read independently, and as always please encourage your son or daughter to read at home.
October 21, 2016
Students spent the majority of the week reading independently. They also listened to the novel The Wave by Todd Strasser. The Wave is a true account of how a social experiment may have gone too far in a high school classroom. Students will continue reading Langston Hughes next week, and as always, please continue to help your son or daughter read at home, at least twenty minutes each night.
October 14, 2016
Students concluded the study of the poetry of Langston Hughes and have moved to his short stories. They will then read and analyze Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.” Students will also read the play A Raisin in the Sun, the title of which is derived from a line in Hughes poem “Dreams.” As always, please continue to help your son or daughter read at home, at least twenty minutes each night.
October 7, 2016
Students read and analyzed several poems by Langston Hughes, including “Harlem,” “Mother to Son,” and “Theme for English B.” Students learned about extended metaphor, dialect and rhyme schemes. Students also had time to read independently and write in their Reading Journals. Please continue to help your son or daughter read at home, at least twenty minutes each night.
September 30, 2016
I finished reading Freak the Mighty aloud to the students this week. They truly enjoyed the climax of this interesting novel. We missed a class with MAP testing and another class with the half day on Friday. Students were able to read independently the rest of the week, which they enjoy. It’s refreshing to see students so involved in their novels. As always, students wrote a letter in their reading journals. Next week we will continue our journey into the works of Langston Hughes. Please help your son or daughter read at home, at least twenty minutes each night
September 23, 2016
Students have begun their journey with Langston Hughes with his first poem ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” It was a difficult week because we experienced many difficulties with our Wi-Fi. Students read and analyzed the poem. We discussed how to read poems in general and then analyzed the Hughes poem. Students also wrote what they thought the main idea of the poem was. They supported this assertion with evidence from the poem by way of direct quotes. They then had to explain how the direct quotes supported their argument. Students also spent a good portion of the week reading independently. I had an opportunity to conference with each student about the book they are currently reading and their reading in general. As always, students wrote a letter to me in their reading journals. Next week students will explore more poetry by Langston Hughes and then read some of his short stories.
Students have begun the year with Reader’s Workshop. Students will be given time to read independently quite often. They will record the books they finish or abandon and write a letter each week in their Reading Journals. Students have been given requirements for their reading journals and this will be posted on my website. Students are required to read at least twenty minutes each night for homework. Please encourage your son or daughter to read each night.
March 11, 2016
Students began work on their next essay based on the article “The Overprotected Kid” from The Atlantic. Students have an outline and checklist to work from for this essay, and once again students will be using parenthetical citations. This essay is due Monday March 21. Students also have another affix test on Monday, March 14.
February 26, 2016
Students continue to read “The Overprotected Kid” from The Atlantic online. Along with this article students will read “How to Let Go of Your Fears and Give Your Child More Freedom,” Parents Magazine and “Let Kids Play With Fire, and Other Good Rules for Parenting,” The Atlantic. After we finish these articles, students will make an assertion from the given information and write an argumentative essay. Students will use evidence from the articles to support their assertions.
February 12, 2016
The Ray Bradbury essay is due Monday, February 15. Our next affix test is also Monday. Students have had time in class this past week to work on the essay, and they may be finished. Students have a checklist to help them make sure they have completed the essay to the best of their ability. I have asked students to have an adult look at their essay and offer advice to make improvements. On Monday students will print their essays in the computer lab and turn them in. Once again, students are using parenthetical citation with this essay and are citing works in the MLA style. They will also be a Works Cited page at the end of their essay. Purdue University has a good website to help students with the MLA style. Here’s the URL: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Students will also begin some informational reading about an unusual playground that looks more like a junkyard. Students will read an article in Atlantic Monthly magazine online along with several other pieces to form a claim to write an argumentative essay.
Next week students will begin reading an article on playgrounds that are similar to junk yards where kids learn to take chances. Students will read the article in The Atlantic along with other supportive pieces and take a stand on these unusual playgrounds to write an argumentative essay.
January 28, 2016
Students read another short story by Ray Bradbury this week, “All Summer in a Day.” This will be our last piece by Bradbury, as students are going to write an essay on Bradbury using his short stories as a basis. The essay will include a short biography of Ray Bradbury, how he used figurative language, specifically similes and metaphors to enhance his writing, and his use of the uncertain endings. Students will need to provide evidence from Bradbury’s short stories via direct quotes to show his use of figurative language and how the endings of the short stories affected the plot. This essay will be due Monday, February 8. Our next affix test is Thursday, February 4
Requirements for the Compare and Contrast Essay of Two Jack London Short Stories
1. Entitle your essay and use a byline after the title.
2. Write your essay in Google Drive and share with me---“Can Edit.”
3. The pronouns “you, your, I, me, we, us, our” should never appear in essays.
4. Do not use contractions in essays (cannot not can’t).
5. Your organization should look like this:
I. Introduction
A. Grabber
B. Thesis statement
C. Background information of Jack London
D. Transition to three body paragraphs
II. First Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence
B. Facts and examples that support topic statement
C. At least eight sentences
D. Transition to next paragraph
III. Second Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence
B. Facts and examples that support topic statement
C. At least eight sentences
D. Transition to next paragraph
IV. Third Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence
B. Facts and examples that support topic statement
C. At least eight sentences
D. Transition to next paragraph
V. Conclusion
A. Restate thesis statement
B. Restate organization of essay
C. A final statement(s) to wrap up essay
6. Use 12 to 14 point font
7. Essay Due Wednesday, January 15
September 4, 2013
We won't be practicing Reading Workshop every day, but I expect my students to read independently for a large portion of the school year. Below are the rules we have for Reading Workshop.
Rules for Reading Workshop
1. You must read a book. Magazines, newspapers, and comic books don’t have the chunks of text you need to develop fluency, and they won’t help you discover who you are as a reader of literature.
2. Don’t read a book you don’t like. Don’t waste time with a book you don’t love when there are so many great ones out there waiting for you.
3. If you don’t like your book, find another one. Browse, ask me or a friend for a recommendation.
4. It’s all right to reread a book you love. This is what readers do.
5. It’s okay to skim or skip parts if you get bored or stuck; readers do this too.
6. Record every book you finish or abandon on the form we created on your iPad. Collect data about yourself on this form, look for patterns, and take satisfaction in your accomplishments over time.
7. Understand that reading is thinking. Do nothing to distract me or other readers Don’t put your words into our brains as we’re trying to escape into the worlds created by the authors of our books.
8. When you confer with me, use as soft as a voice as I use when I talk to you: whisper.
9. Read (and write in your literature blog) the whole time.
10. Read as well and as much as you can.
7A ELA--Students continued work on modifiers, adjectives and adverbs, and this week, and students started the layout of their article for The Bulldog Bark. On Monday, the first draft of students’ speeches are due. They will take next week to revise, edit and begin practice of the delivery of their speeches; the week of March 19 students will deliver their speeches for final grading.
7B ELA--Students continued work on modifiers, adjectives and adverbs, and this week, and students made revisions of their article for The Bulldog Bark. On Monday, the first draft of students’ speeches are due. They will take next week to revise, edit and begin practice of the delivery of their speeches; the week of March 19 students will deliver their speeches for final grading.
January 26, 2018
7A ELA--Students continued their study of verbs and were introduced to this year’s School Speech contest theme.: “Inventions that have improved the quality of life.” Students were shown a video of an International Toastmasters champion and how his speaking style is something to emulate. Students began researching topics and began thinking how they want to approach this year’s theme. A list of due dates will be handed out next week to give students an idea of how they need to approach this assignment.
7B ELA--Students continued their study of verbs and were introduced to this year’s School Speech contest theme.: “Inventions that have improved the quality of life.” Students were shown a video of an International Toastmasters champion and how his speaking style is something to emulate. Students began researching topics and began thinking how they want to approach this year’s theme. A list of due dates will be handed out next week to give students an idea of how they need to approach this assignment
November 3, 2017
7A English—Students performed several Tennis Debates this week. There are different than the formal debates and not a debate about tennis, but it is a debate where two teams “serve” arguments to a member of the opposing team, and that member must return the serve with a well-worded refutation. Students were given ten minutes to prepare with their team, and formulate arguments and refutations. It was excellent practice for students to devise reasoning supported by evidence; it also gave students practice creating rebuttal arguments with a limited amount of time. Next week we will work on another debate and conclude our review of nouns.
7B English--These students only had class three days because of guidance class on Wednesday and High Interest Day on Friday. Students prepared for their first formal debate this week. They finished watching a video of a sample debate and chose the following topic: “Middle school students at Washington-Caldwell need more time for recess.” They were randomly separated into two teams and had to decide what order each member would speak. Next week, they will conclude their research and begin the actual debate.
October 27, 2017
7B English--Students finished writing tritinas, and will publish them next week. They also reviewed the test from last week, learned about countable nouns, and practiced the difference between less and fewer. Ms. Wesolowski has been teaching guidance during our Wednesday class period and will again next week. Also next week students will begin learning the fundamentals of formal debating with the Middle School Debate Program.
7A English--Students reviewed the test from last week, learned about countable nouns, and the difference between less and fewer. They also started learning the fundamentals of formal debate with the Middle School Debate Program. Students watched a sample debate on YouTube, and discussed the particulars of how to perform a formal debate. Students learned about assertions and refutations and how to phrase them to best argue their points. The class will be debating this resolution: “Students at Washington-Caldwell should be required to wear uniforms at school.” Students were randomly placed on the proposition team or the opposition team and chose the order of their speakers. On Friday, they began to research arguments. They will be given time next week to continue planning, writing, and practicing with their teams and will perform the debate on Thursday or Friday depending on their progress.
October 20,2017
Students began their study of nouns this week along with an emphasis on complex sentences and using semicolons and colons in their writing, Students also journaled extensively and took photos of the new playground construction in anticipation of the next issue of The Bulldog Bark.
October 13, 2017
Students spent the week reviewing for our first test on the sentence, different types of sentences, conjunctions, varying use of sentences, and correctly punctuating the different types of sentences. The test was administered on Friday. Students also wrote tritinas this week. A trtina is a three stanza poem utilizing three words used in different types of end rhyme. The difficulty in writing a tritina is to not just repeat the same information in each of the stanzas. Students also concentrated on using interesting verbs and adjectives in the tritinas. While in the computer lab, students printed display copies of their trinitas and other poems they have written this year to display in the hallway.
September 29, 2017
Students finished editing The Bulldog Bark. It will be delivered to students on Monday afternoon. Students did well with the editing process; it was a lot of work. Students also began writing in a daily journal this week. This journal allows students to practice the punctuation and grammar they learn each day. For example, students have been practicing the use of the semicolon and the correct conventional use of numbers in their entries.
September 22, 2017
Students finished final touches on the body of their news articles for The Bulldog Bark. Teaching students the proper layout of the articles is time consuming for this first issue, but students will now know the requirements. Editing the newspaper is also time consuming, but it is an excellent way for students to help each other and learn from each other. Each day we practice parts of speech with an activity called the sentence game. It’s a fun way to practice parts of speech, and it also improves reading as students must correctly predict the proper sequence of words.
May 8, 2017
This week students read another short story by O. Henry, his most famous, “The Gift of the Magi.” Students also wrote character descriptions of the previous O. Henry short story, “By Courier.” Students also took a test on vocabulary words from “By Courier.” As always, please have your son or daughter find time to read at home.
March 17, 2017
Students read and analyzed another famous American poet, Walt Whitman. They started with the famous allegory “O Captain, My Captain” and then read “A Noiseless Patient Spider.” Students read “A Noiseless Patient Spider” and then read an analysis of the poem on their own answering a set of questions. Students will present their answers to these questions on Monday. As always, please have your son or daughter find time to read at home.
March 3, 2017
This week students read one final short story by Richard Matheson entitled “Little Girl Lost.” Little Girl Lost” was turned into an episode of The Twilight Zone, but we did not have a chance to watch it, and students wrote about theme, mood, tone and the climax relating to the short story. Next week we will begin reading and analyzing poetry by Carl Sandburg and begin literature circles with non-fiction books. I will also continue to work on grading the essays from “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” It would be wonderful if your son or daughter could find some time to read over this short break.
February 3, 2017
Students have received the outline and checklist for the essay on “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” The outline and checklist can also be found on my website. This essay is due on Wednesday, February 15. Students will have some time in class to work on the essay, but most of the work will need to be done at home. I will check in with them on Wednesday, February 8 to assess their progress. The essay will be at least six paragraphs, but can be more if needed. Students have completed the Works Cited page, but may need to add entries if they find further material. We will continue to read more works by Richard Matheson next week. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home.
January 27, 2017
Students watched the section of Twilight Zone The Movie that contained the section with “Nightmare of 20,000 Feet.” Students compared the movie with the short story, the script, and the TV episode. On Friday, students started their Works Cited page for their essay. They included the short story, the original script, the TV episode and the movie. Next week students will begin working on the essay comparing and contrasting all four versions of “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” Students will decide on the organization for their essay and will receive a study guide to begin work. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home
January 20, 2017
Students took a vocabulary test on words chosen from “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” and read the original script for “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” written by Richard Matheson for the original Twilight Zone television series. They also watched the episode, which originally aired in 1963. They will then read a transcript of the episode and view the portion of Twilight Zone the Movie, which was released in 1983. All this will culminate in a formal essay comparing the different versions: the short story, the original script, the transcript of the TV show and the finished TV episode and movie. Students will begin this essay next week. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home.
January 13, 2017
Students received the results of their Hughes-King essay in reading conferences. Students also finished reading “Nightmare at 20,00 Feet.” answered questions about setting and point of view relating to the short story, and began reading the Twilight Zone script of the same title. Additionally, students listened to the novel A Day No Pigs Would Die about a poor Shaker family’s protagonist son and his struggle from childhood to adulthood. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home.
January 6, 2016
Students began their next author study with Richard Matheson. Matheson was a prolific science fiction and horror writer during the last half of the twentieth century. He wrote several of the famous Twilight Zone episodes. We read Matheson’s biography and began reading one of his most famous short stories, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” After the short story we will read Matheson’s actual script for the Twilight Zone. We will then read a transcript of the episode and watch the 1963 episode and a portion of Twilight Zone: The Movie from 1983 that depicts another interpretation of “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” We will then read other works by Matheson before writing an essay based on his works. Students will conference with me about their Hughes-King essays next week. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home.
Seventh Grade Readng
Students began listening to a new novel, A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck. It’s a semiautobiographical novel about a boy growing up in rural Vermont in an impoverished Shaker family. Students are focusing on theme and will be writing about possible themes explored in this novel. Students also had time to read independently and write in their reading journals. As always, encourage your so or daughter to read at home.
December 2, 2016
Seventh Grade Reading
Students worked on their essays for the majority of the week. They will print their final copies on Monday and submit them for grading. Students also had opportunities this week to read from their novels and began a study of theme. This study of theme will continue for the next several weeks as students read, discuss, and write about theme and main ideas in their independent reading novels and on texts we share in class. We will have a test on the various literary terms we have covered so far this year on Monday, December 12. A study guide will be given to students on Monday, December 5.
November 11, 2016
Students began research for their essay on Langston Hughes and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. From reading King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, students learned that Hughes’s poem “Freedom’s Plow” was reflected in the first half of the speech, and Hughes’s poems about dreams were reflected in the second half of the speech. Students began reading articles online that deal with Hughes’s influence on Dr. King. As always, please help your son or daughter read at least twenty minutes each night at home. Students also worked on the reading blog in Weebly. Have them show you their blog; they are very interesting.
October 28, 2016
Students continued to listen to the novel The Wave by Todd Strasser. Students also continued to read Langston Hughes with his short story “Thank You Ma’am” and answered some in-depth questions about the short story. Students also had time to read independently, and as always please encourage your son or daughter to read at home.
October 21, 2016
Students spent the majority of the week reading independently. They also listened to the novel The Wave by Todd Strasser. The Wave is a true account of how a social experiment may have gone too far in a high school classroom. Students will continue reading Langston Hughes next week, and as always, please continue to help your son or daughter read at home, at least twenty minutes each night.
October 14, 2016
Students concluded the study of the poetry of Langston Hughes and have moved to his short stories. They will then read and analyze Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.” Students will also read the play A Raisin in the Sun, the title of which is derived from a line in Hughes poem “Dreams.” As always, please continue to help your son or daughter read at home, at least twenty minutes each night.
October 7, 2016
Students read and analyzed several poems by Langston Hughes, including “Harlem,” “Mother to Son,” and “Theme for English B.” Students learned about extended metaphor, dialect and rhyme schemes. Students also had time to read independently and write in their Reading Journals. Please continue to help your son or daughter read at home, at least twenty minutes each night.
September 30, 2016
I finished reading Freak the Mighty aloud to the students this week. They truly enjoyed the climax of this interesting novel. We missed a class with MAP testing and another class with the half day on Friday. Students were able to read independently the rest of the week, which they enjoy. It’s refreshing to see students so involved in their novels. As always, students wrote a letter in their reading journals. Next week we will continue our journey into the works of Langston Hughes. Please help your son or daughter read at home, at least twenty minutes each night
September 23, 2016
Students have begun their journey with Langston Hughes with his first poem ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” It was a difficult week because we experienced many difficulties with our Wi-Fi. Students read and analyzed the poem. We discussed how to read poems in general and then analyzed the Hughes poem. Students also wrote what they thought the main idea of the poem was. They supported this assertion with evidence from the poem by way of direct quotes. They then had to explain how the direct quotes supported their argument. Students also spent a good portion of the week reading independently. I had an opportunity to conference with each student about the book they are currently reading and their reading in general. As always, students wrote a letter to me in their reading journals. Next week students will explore more poetry by Langston Hughes and then read some of his short stories.
Students have begun the year with Reader’s Workshop. Students will be given time to read independently quite often. They will record the books they finish or abandon and write a letter each week in their Reading Journals. Students have been given requirements for their reading journals and this will be posted on my website. Students are required to read at least twenty minutes each night for homework. Please encourage your son or daughter to read each night.
March 11, 2016
Students began work on their next essay based on the article “The Overprotected Kid” from The Atlantic. Students have an outline and checklist to work from for this essay, and once again students will be using parenthetical citations. This essay is due Monday March 21. Students also have another affix test on Monday, March 14.
February 26, 2016
Students continue to read “The Overprotected Kid” from The Atlantic online. Along with this article students will read “How to Let Go of Your Fears and Give Your Child More Freedom,” Parents Magazine and “Let Kids Play With Fire, and Other Good Rules for Parenting,” The Atlantic. After we finish these articles, students will make an assertion from the given information and write an argumentative essay. Students will use evidence from the articles to support their assertions.
February 12, 2016
The Ray Bradbury essay is due Monday, February 15. Our next affix test is also Monday. Students have had time in class this past week to work on the essay, and they may be finished. Students have a checklist to help them make sure they have completed the essay to the best of their ability. I have asked students to have an adult look at their essay and offer advice to make improvements. On Monday students will print their essays in the computer lab and turn them in. Once again, students are using parenthetical citation with this essay and are citing works in the MLA style. They will also be a Works Cited page at the end of their essay. Purdue University has a good website to help students with the MLA style. Here’s the URL: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Students will also begin some informational reading about an unusual playground that looks more like a junkyard. Students will read an article in Atlantic Monthly magazine online along with several other pieces to form a claim to write an argumentative essay.
Next week students will begin reading an article on playgrounds that are similar to junk yards where kids learn to take chances. Students will read the article in The Atlantic along with other supportive pieces and take a stand on these unusual playgrounds to write an argumentative essay.
January 28, 2016
Students read another short story by Ray Bradbury this week, “All Summer in a Day.” This will be our last piece by Bradbury, as students are going to write an essay on Bradbury using his short stories as a basis. The essay will include a short biography of Ray Bradbury, how he used figurative language, specifically similes and metaphors to enhance his writing, and his use of the uncertain endings. Students will need to provide evidence from Bradbury’s short stories via direct quotes to show his use of figurative language and how the endings of the short stories affected the plot. This essay will be due Monday, February 8. Our next affix test is Thursday, February 4
Requirements for the Compare and Contrast Essay of Two Jack London Short Stories
1. Entitle your essay and use a byline after the title.
2. Write your essay in Google Drive and share with me---“Can Edit.”
3. The pronouns “you, your, I, me, we, us, our” should never appear in essays.
4. Do not use contractions in essays (cannot not can’t).
5. Your organization should look like this:
I. Introduction
A. Grabber
B. Thesis statement
C. Background information of Jack London
D. Transition to three body paragraphs
II. First Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence
B. Facts and examples that support topic statement
C. At least eight sentences
D. Transition to next paragraph
III. Second Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence
B. Facts and examples that support topic statement
C. At least eight sentences
D. Transition to next paragraph
IV. Third Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence
B. Facts and examples that support topic statement
C. At least eight sentences
D. Transition to next paragraph
V. Conclusion
A. Restate thesis statement
B. Restate organization of essay
C. A final statement(s) to wrap up essay
6. Use 12 to 14 point font
7. Essay Due Wednesday, January 15
September 4, 2013
We won't be practicing Reading Workshop every day, but I expect my students to read independently for a large portion of the school year. Below are the rules we have for Reading Workshop.
Rules for Reading Workshop
1. You must read a book. Magazines, newspapers, and comic books don’t have the chunks of text you need to develop fluency, and they won’t help you discover who you are as a reader of literature.
2. Don’t read a book you don’t like. Don’t waste time with a book you don’t love when there are so many great ones out there waiting for you.
3. If you don’t like your book, find another one. Browse, ask me or a friend for a recommendation.
4. It’s all right to reread a book you love. This is what readers do.
5. It’s okay to skim or skip parts if you get bored or stuck; readers do this too.
6. Record every book you finish or abandon on the form we created on your iPad. Collect data about yourself on this form, look for patterns, and take satisfaction in your accomplishments over time.
7. Understand that reading is thinking. Do nothing to distract me or other readers Don’t put your words into our brains as we’re trying to escape into the worlds created by the authors of our books.
8. When you confer with me, use as soft as a voice as I use when I talk to you: whisper.
9. Read (and write in your literature blog) the whole time.
10. Read as well and as much as you can.
September 3, 2013
General Reading Procedures
I look forward to reading each year with great anticipation. My goal for all my students is for them to become avid readers--people who love to read. I know that some students are avid readers right now and that’s wonderful. They will have a chance to explore many superb books and new genres. On the other hand, some students only read when they have to. I understand this group because when I was in school, I hated to read. One book turned it around for me. It was a book I chose myself. It showed me that reading could be fun. Students can learn skills that they will use the rest of their life if they can become lovers of books. I want to help them.
This is why we will be doing something called reader’s workshop all year. I have students choose the books they read. From these books they will write letters to me about what they are reading, write book reviews and do other activities. We will also read many things as an entire class throughout the year including poems, short stories, plays, TV scripts, and novels.
Students are expected to read thirty minutes each night from a novel. These thirty minutes can be part of a homework time, before bed or whenever they would like to read. If they are traveling somewhere that evening, reading in the car might be an option. I would also like them to find thirty minutes to read on the weekends. These are minimum amounts and they can, of course, read more. They must read novels. Magazines and newspapers don't have the substance they need to become fluent readers. They can choose novels from the library in my room, the school library, public libraries, or from any other source.
Students need to track their reading nightly on a Homework Reading Log. This is where I need your help. They need a parent signature before they turn it in on Monday morning. I need your help to make sure they do this reading nightly. I understand that things occasionally come up, but it is important that they read each night. Please sign and return the second page of this letter. If you have any questions or comments, please leave me feedback.
General Reading Procedures
I look forward to reading each year with great anticipation. My goal for all my students is for them to become avid readers--people who love to read. I know that some students are avid readers right now and that’s wonderful. They will have a chance to explore many superb books and new genres. On the other hand, some students only read when they have to. I understand this group because when I was in school, I hated to read. One book turned it around for me. It was a book I chose myself. It showed me that reading could be fun. Students can learn skills that they will use the rest of their life if they can become lovers of books. I want to help them.
This is why we will be doing something called reader’s workshop all year. I have students choose the books they read. From these books they will write letters to me about what they are reading, write book reviews and do other activities. We will also read many things as an entire class throughout the year including poems, short stories, plays, TV scripts, and novels.
Students are expected to read thirty minutes each night from a novel. These thirty minutes can be part of a homework time, before bed or whenever they would like to read. If they are traveling somewhere that evening, reading in the car might be an option. I would also like them to find thirty minutes to read on the weekends. These are minimum amounts and they can, of course, read more. They must read novels. Magazines and newspapers don't have the substance they need to become fluent readers. They can choose novels from the library in my room, the school library, public libraries, or from any other source.
Students need to track their reading nightly on a Homework Reading Log. This is where I need your help. They need a parent signature before they turn it in on Monday morning. I need your help to make sure they do this reading nightly. I understand that things occasionally come up, but it is important that they read each night. Please sign and return the second page of this letter. If you have any questions or comments, please leave me feedback.