The Outsiders Web Quest!!

Students,

Today we will embark on a Web Quest to learn about the setting, culture, and background info for The Outsiders.  Follow the link below, and you will find step-by-step instructions for your Web Quest.  Your findings will be pasted onto a Word document and printed (NOT SAVED) at the end of the period.

http://www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=51190

Your Web Quest results will be one CLASSWORK grade for Reading.

Lately

Students have been working so hard this month on character analysis essays - I'm so proud of them.  Today is our mock writing assessment - students are writing a timed essay in class to analyze a major character in the book or short story of their choice.  This test is designed to be a 7th grade version of AP tests they will encounter in high school when they take AP courses for Literature and Language.
Their final essay (on Langston Hughes' "Thank You M'am") for this unit is due on Monday, 10-31-2011.  Students may email their essays to me at clairehardin@hotmail.com or bring a hard copy to class on Monday (or both).  If you email, make sure you send it BEFORE class on Monday.  We will not be going to the computer lab and students will not be allowed to email or print their papers during class time.

Next week, we'll begin our fall novel, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.  Most students have this book (and many have started reading already!) but if any have not yet secured their copy, please do so asap.  Students will need their copy in class with them daily starting on Friday, November 4.

Character analysis essays

This week, we have been working on character analysis essays for "Rikki-tikki-tavi" by Rudyard Kipling.

We've worked on writing effective thesis statements and then gathering solid textual evidence to support our thesis.  Students received an essay planning sheet, and we are now drafting a detailed plan for our paper.

This process is entirely modeled writing - I am writing the paper, and students are following along and writing with me (FYI - this is an excellent opportunity to boost grades, as this final draft will count for a test grade in both Reading and Language Arts!).  Students will be responsible for listening, following along, asking questions when they don't understand, and typing the final draft according to MLA format.

Our next character analysis essay, which will be on Langston Hughes' short story "Thank You M'am," will allow students a little more independence and opportunity to show me what they learned.

Then, on Thursday, October 27, we will have our school wide mock writing assessment, where students will read a brief selection and write a timed character analysis essay for a test grade in Language Arts. 

All of this should have us ready to rock and roll on essays for The Outsiders by SE Hinton, which we will begin promptly after the mock writing assessment!  I look forward to teaching this novel so much each year - it is a treat to see students' excitement and creativity on assignments related to this selection.  We always have phenominal and challenging discussions that make us all THINK, and I'm sure this year will be no exception!

Parents AND students - if you have ANY questions or concerns about your child's progress, please don't hesitate to call or email. 

Amnesty Day

Amnesty Day for this nine weeks will be this Friday, 9-30-2011.  It was originally scheduled for Tuesday, 9-27, but I have moved it back due to complications with STI.

Students - during the following times on Friday, you may turn in any work that you previously had a zero for due to failure to submit:

7:15 - 7:45 a.m. or during your PE time.  If you choose to come during PE, you must first ask permission from Coach Nabors.  If he doesn't know where you are during PE, you are skipping class.

Please keep in mind the following:

*Only classwork and project grades are redeemable - missed homework points may not be earned back.

*Assignments submitted on Amnesty Day will receive a maximum grade of 60.

*Should you need copies of a particular assignment, make sure you ask me in advance.

Last call for workbook payments!

Ms. Cosby and I are ordering workbooks tomorrow morning - if you have not paid your $28, we cannot order you copies.  The $28 covers your own Vocabulary for the College Bound booklet ($6) and your copy of Sentence Composing: A Worktext ($22).

If you do not have copies of these texts, you will need to work out a way to A) either get them on your own, or B) find a very nice friend who will make copies of all the pages for you.

Please bring the money (cash or money order only) in a sealed envelope labeled with your name and the amount.

Tomorrow by 10:00 a.m. is the absolute last time you can pay for your workbooks.

How can you improve your grade?

Progress reports went home on Friday, 9-16-2011.  I encourage you and your child to regularly check grades on STI (which is currently down - gotta love technology!). Several students have come to ask how they can improve their grade...

Before you ask, check this list:

1. Are you doing your homework and assignments on time?

2. Do you double-check your work for mistakes?

3. Do those assignments get turned in on time?

4. Do you ask appropriate questions in class?

5. Do you truly listen when instructions are given?

6. Do you study for tests/quizzes (more than one day in advance)?

7. Do you take notes when it's time to take notes?

8. Do you review those notes?

9. Is your binder organized into four main sections (Dailies, Notes/Handouts, Classwork, Homework) so it's easy to find materials?10. Are you keeping materials in their appropriate sections?  Are you bringing what you need to class on a daily basis?

11. Do you truly read the assignment?

12. Do you use a dictionary or thesaurus when you don't understand words?

13. Do you use your class time wisely? If you finish early, do you go back and review?

14. Do you take part in extra credit when it is available? Remember, extra credit is not offered on an individual basis!


TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR RAISING YOUR GRADE!!!

 

A few important dates

A happy weekend to you all!


A few dates to mark down for the upcoming week:


Monday, September 12:  PTA Meeting at 6:00 p.m. in the school's cafeteria


Wednesday, September 14:  7TH GRADE PARENT MEETING at 5:30 p.m. in the school's Media Center on the second floor.  Shortly after, we will have an information session on this year's 7th grade field trip to Washington, DC.


Thursday, September 15:  Language Arts TEST on Unit 8 from the Writer's Choice textbook.  The test will also cover diagramming simple subjects and simple predicates.