Still Arguing......

We are still learning how to write an argumentative essay so we are still arguing, so to speak.  Here are the lesson plan assignments for next week.  Friday we are taking a slight break from writing by doing some worksheets b/c I may not be at school, weather permitting, and worksheets are easier for the sub. 

Monday	Journal—Should the government have a say in our diet? .  Finish up argumentative rough draft essays.  Read and discuss the example essay in the test booklet, paying attention to pre-writing ideas.  Then partner up--Have students use the argumentative rubric to assess a score for their partner’s paper.
Tuesday	Journal—Should 8th graders be allowed to take driver’s ed if they are aged 14?   Continue working on the rubric and assessment of partners essay and finish assessing score.  Due end of hr.
Wednesday	Journal— Should companies market to children?   Begin bottled water vs. tap water argumentative essay.  Rafts and 3 stair step due at end of hr.
Thursday	Journal—Should girls ask out boys?   Continue working on water argumentative essay.  Intro paragraph and 1st Pro paragraph due at end of hr.
Friday	Take Vocab. Quiz #22—pick them up.  I will grade.   Work on the worksheet #20 &#21 Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions.  Due at end of hr.

Argue like a Lawyer!!

Continuing on with teaching the 8th grade how to write an argumentative essay.  Hoping they will have the skills to "argue like a lawyer!" as my grandpa used to say.  Here are the assignments and plans for next week Jan. 27-31:

Monday	Journal—Students will write down their opinion about how to handle the cheating scandal with grading or not, etc.  No names will be signed.  They will turn in to me, I will read them to myself, tear them up, and then make a decision.    Discuss the RAFTS over the Olympic info texts from practice test booklet.  Discuss possible pros & cons.  Then have various students go to the board and show an example of a 3 stair step.
Tuesday	Journal—Is child behavior better or worse than it was years ago?     Work on 3 Stair step--due at end of hr.
Wednesday	Journal—Are test scores a good indication of a school’s competency?   Write a 5 paragraph rough draft over the Olympic info text from practice test booklet.  Write in test booklet.  Due at end of hr.  Must have at least the intro paragraph, as well as pro #1 and pro #2.
Thursday	Journal—Are law enforcement cameras an invasion of privacy?   Finish up argumentative rough draft essays.  Partner up.  Have students then use the argumentative rubric created for kids to assess a score for their partner’s paper.
Friday	Journal—Should companies market to children?   Continue with rubric and assessment.  Due at the end of hr.

January Going by Fast!!

The month is flying by.  Things moving fast in my class anyway.  Still working hard with the 8th graders preparing them for the writing test.  Here is a glimpse of what we are doing this week:

Monday	Journal—Should cigarette smoking be banned?   Assign Vocab. Wb Less. #21—Due Thurs.   Continue working on the argumentative essay from the Buckle Down book p.160 about cell phones. (You Do) Walk them through the pre-writing steps, R.A.F.T.S. and 3 stair-step graphic organizers, which are due at beginning of class tomo.
Tuesday	Journal—Are cell phones dangerous?   Continue working on the argumentative essay from the Buckle Down book p.160 about cell phones. (You Do) Rough Draft copies due at end of hr.
Wednesday	Journal—Are test scores a good indication of a school’s competency?   Continue working on the argumentative essay from the Buckle Down book p.160 about cell phones. (You Do) Teach them revsion and how to “amp-up” their writing with figurative lang. Final Copies due at end of hr. Thurs.
Thursday	Journal—Are law enforcement cameras an invasion of privacy?   Grade Vocab Wb. Less. #21   Finish working on the argumentative essay from the Buckle Down book p.160 about cell phones. (You Do) Final copies due at end of hr.
Friday	No School=PT Conf.

 

Cranking Up with Writing

My goodness how fast the year is flying by!!!!  I cannot hardly believe the school year is half over with.  Christmas has come and gone and the state mandated tests are quickly approaching.  I have cranked it up with the 8th graders and their writing exercises in hopes to improver their skills in the 6 short weeks that we have left.  I am harping on teaching them how to write and argumentative essay b/c I believe that is what their writing test will be over.  Here is what we are doing next week Jan. 13-17:
(Notice all of the journal topics are controversial/argumentative type topics.  Helps us get in the "pick a side and argue" mode.) 

Monday

Journal—Are parents clueless about child predators on the Internet?   Assign Vocab. Wb Less. #20—Due Friday   Work together aloud with students on prom board and draft the intro paragraph with thesis statement for the argumentative essay over artificial sweeteners. (We Do)

Tuesday

Journal—Should animals be used for research?   Work together aloud with students on prom board and draft the conclusion paragraph with a ‘so what and sum up’ for the argumentative essay over artificial sweeteners. (We do) Students must hand in all of their papers from last week and last two days in conjunction with this essay assignment.  3 grades will be assigned from all paperwork.

Wednesday	Journal—Are we too dependent on computers?   Begin working on the argumentative essay from the Buckle Down book p.160 about cell phones. (You Do) Walk them through the pre-writing steps, R.A.F.T.S. and 3 stair-step graphic organizers,  which are due at beginning of class tomo.
Thursday	Journal— Is cheating out of control?   Continue working on the argumentative essay example in the Buckle Down book p.160 about cell phones. R.A.F.T.S. and 3 stair-step graphic organizers (pre-writing) due at beginning of hr.   Rough draft due at end of hr. tomo.
Friday	Grade Vocab wb Less. #20   Argumentative essay rough draft (from  the Buckle Down book p.160 about cell phones) due at end of hr.

And one final note--our community lost a great man yesterday.  Ted Fariss passed away late last night as he lost his battle with cancer.  I am personally very saddened by this shocking news.  My heart goes out to Robetha, Monty, and Val.  Our prayers are with them during this tragic loss.  This truly does make a person realize how fragile life is and to live each day as if it were your last.

The Month of Thanksgiving

November is definitely the month to try and have an attitude of gratitude, and so with my 8th grade Language Arts students, many of our journal topics have been about being thankful.  The "Joy Dare" is a challenge encouraging people to be thankful for 3 things each day of November. Then by the end of the month you will have written down, listed, or talked about 1,000 things that you are thankful for.  I've been doing this with the students with their daily journal entries, giving them the 3 things to be thankful for that comes from the dare.  They seem to enjoy this.  It has sparked some interesting feedback. 
The other thing I've been excited about is some new cool writing "stuff" that I learned at a Common Core workshop I attended a couple of weeks ago.  I've been using some of these models and tactics with the 8th graders, and it has made class fun and engaging.  Our discussions after my lectures have been good.  The kids are seeming to grasp more of these concepts.

Here's this weeks lessons:
Vocab Less. #15--due Friday.
Monday=Discuss PEEC paragraph and use it as we analyze "The Dance" by Garth Brooks.
Tuesday=Discuss the difference between paraphrase and summarize and use the Frayer model graphic organizer to define and chart differences.  Wrap up and summarize all of the different charts and models we've been using for Pre-Writing.  Make sure kids understand how to use them and what to do once they get a writing prompt.
Wednesday & Thursday=Begin the Thanksgiving online activity=compare/contrast the lifestyles of the Wampanoag Indians and the Pilgrims in a 4-5 paragraph essay.  Due next Tuesday before break.
Friday=Grade Vocab Wb Less.#15.  Get with paired reading partners and do the Zimbabwe Article of the Week.

Have a Great Week!!!!

Misty, Foggy, Dreary Monday.......

Boy the weather did a switch on me today--Yesterday was yapsolutely gordacious and today, it's not! lol :)  But that's really ok.  I kind of like this type of weather, especially with Halloween this week! Spooky fog, crescent moon.....all the makings of a scary movie. (insert wicked laugh here)

8th Lang. Arts for the week of Oct. 28-Nov. 1=

Today we did Pre-writing together on the Promethian board about the "the scariest movie monster of all time."  The students had to do this then on their own and turn in at the end of the hour.
Tomorrow they will start writing their rough draft for the 5 paragraph essay.  Wednesday we won't have class b/c the 8th graders go to Taloga for a Life Skills Seminar put on by the Dewey Co. Extension Agency.  Their rough drafts are due on Thursday and we will read some aloud in class.

Spelling Less. #12=Review   Due Thursday along with spelling test.
Vocab Wb. Less. #12             Due Thursday also.



HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

End of First 9 Weeks--Time is Flying!!!

I cannot believe Fall Break has come and gone, and that it is already Oct. 21st!!!  Halloween, my favy fave holiday, is right around the corner!!  Again--hard to believe how quickly the school year is flying by..... 
I must be getting old because I sound like my mom saying that!!  LOL  :)

This week in 8th Language Arts we are unraveling the steps to the Process of Writing.  We are focusing on Pre-Writing--how to do it, what it is, what it means, etc.  Lessons and lectures all this week will focus on the Pre-Writing step.  Ask your child about terms like Freewrite, Brainstorm, Web Cluster, Graphic Organizers, and a good ole' fashioned Outline.  They should be able to explain to you what all of those terms mean by Friday.

Spelling Lesson #11 is due Friday, along with the spelling test.

Vocabulary Workbook Lesson #11 is due Thursday.

We will write in our Journals everyday this week.