Ms. Aller

Agenda, May 12-16

What a great day we all had at Friday’s “Field Day”! It was great for you all to have time to relax with your friends. I also saw some talented runners on that track. Now I know how quickly you really can make it to class!! Hopefully you saw me in my moment of glory as the faculty took down the 8^th graders in tug-of-war. Seventh graders, you had better start eating your Wheaties now to prepare for us next year. When you see your coaches and Mr. Crawford next week, please thank them for making that day happen for us all.

***Keep reading and turning in Book Point Forms***

The final day to turn in book point forms is next Tuesday, May 20.

Remember there are many ways to meet this 13 book requirement.

150 pages = 1 book

10 articles = 1 book

20 poems = 1 book

2 textbook chapters = 1 book

I posted all the forms on my blog last week, so scroll down a bit to download what you need.

Eighth graders – You can still earn double book points for reading any book related to World War II. Complete the form as you would any other book form. I will know from your summary that it is about WWII. If you read more than one, I will double the book with the most pages.

7^th Grade Agenda

Last week we left off reading Something Upstairs wondering how Kenny would handle his dilemma. Would he take the ticket back to his own time and shoot Caleb or remain true to his friend and remain in Caleb’s time? – Or does he have other options? We will finish the book on Monday and find out!

You may not be able to wait until then to read and find out, but please don’t give away the ending for the rest of the class, shhh.

Our agenda for the week is as follows:

Monday – Read Chapter 9. That will finish the book.

Tuesday – Open note quiz on chapters 7, 8 & 9, then review for test over the book.

Wednesday – Test over entire book, Something Upstairs. After completing the test, students may work on their ghost story assignment.

Thursday – Ghost story writing workday.

Friday – Ghost stories due. We will begin reading them aloud today also. I will have goodies for our campfire readings; you are welcome to bring something for the class also.

Ghost story note – This assignment counts as a test/project grade, so do your best. Details for this assignment were given to students in class last week. The assignment and grading requirements are also posted on my blog under last week’s information. Scroll down and print if you need another copy. If you finish a rough draft by Wednesday, I would be happy to look it over and give you feedback and suggestions to improve your grade. In fact, I will give you +5 extra credit on the final grade for this assignment if you give me a rough draft by Wednesday.

8^th Grade Agenda

This week, we will finish reading Act 2 of The Diary of Anne Frank and take a test over Act 2. Our test day will depend on how quickly we complete the reading. If students are absent, they need to check with me to read to section they miss.

Agenda, May 5 - 9

KEEP READING AND TURNING IN BOOK POINT FORMS!!!

Some of you are well on your way to completing the required 13 books for the semester. However, some of you still have quite a bit of reading to do. This counts as a test grade and has the potential to help or hurt your grade by a letter grade. Do the reading and make it a help!

***Book Point Forms are due Tuesday, May 21. ***

If you need the forms, blank copies are in the classroom.

You can also download them here.

Download reading_review_articles.doc

Download reading_review_fiction.doc

Download reading_review_non_fict.doc

Download reading_review_textbook.doc

Download short_story_review_sheet.doc

8^th Grade Agenda

            We will continue reading aloud the play, The Diary of Anne Frank. Based on our reading pace last week, we should finish the first act in another day or two. That means the test over the first act will be on Tuesday or Wednesday. After the test, we will resume reading with Act 2 of the play.

7^th Grade Agenda

            Students wrapped up the technical writing, “Fantasy Getaway”, unit on Friday when they turned in their final letters and reworked budgets. With the exception of students who were absent on Friday, those assignments are all graded and entered in I-Parent. Last week we also began our final unit of the year. We are finishing the year with a novel study, Something Upstairs, by Avi. Most of our reading will be done in class, but there will be some days that students will need to read and complete some homework. On Thursday, students received an outline of all assignments and due dates for this unit. I have attached links for the assignment list and all study guide and grading requirement sheets here. Please note that quizzes are all open note. So students will find it helpful to complete the study guides as they read each chapter.

Students all have copies of the book to take home, so students who are absent can keep up with our class reading. It is important not to fall behind in the reading because you will miss important events that affect what happens later in the story.

Download chapter_2_study_guide_001.jpg

Download chapter_3_study_guide_pg_1_001.jpg

Download chapter_3_study_guide_pg_2_001.jpg

Download chapter_5_study_guide_001.jpg

Download chaptee_6_study_guide_001.jpg

Download chaptee_78_study_guide_001.jpg

Download chaptee9study_guide_001.jpg

Download illustration_detail_description_grading_requirements.doc

Download ghost_story_grading_requirements.doc

Download vocab_worksheets.doc

Download chapter_1_study_guide_001.jpg

Download assignments_for_something_upstairs.doc

Agenda for April 28 - May 2

***Remember to keep reading toward the 13 book points that are required for this semester. If you are behind on this requirement, please talk to me. I’ll bet you are reading more than you realize. The final day to turn in book point forms is Tuesday, May 20. This will count as a test grade.***

8^th Grade Agenda

            We will be reading the play, The Diary of Anne Frank, in class each day this week. If you absent, please see Mrs. Aller about catching up on the pages that you missed.

            

7^th Grade Agenda

            This week, we wrap up the final portion of our Technical Writing Unit. We will have laptops in class on Monday and Tuesday for students to finish writing their complaint and compliment letters. These will be the final days that we work on these letters in class, and, if students have used their time wisely, they should be finished with all unit requirements by then. However, to ensure everyone has ample opportunity to finish assignments, I will accept any assignments for this unit through Friday, May 2.

            Assignment details and grading requirements were posted on my blog during the last few weeks. If you still have questions please see me.

            On Wednesday, we will begin the final unit for our year. Previously students told me that they wanted to do a novel study sometime this year. So, by popular demand, we will be reading the novel, Something Upstairs, by Avi. In this historical fiction/mystery, Avi masterfully uses stylistic techniques to pull the reader into his created world. I think students will enjoy wrapping up the year with this change of pace. As we begin reading later this week, I will post the assignment and related grading requirements for the unit.

Agenda April 21-15

            I hope you all had a chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather we had this weekend. The CRCT’s this week are your opportunity to show your learning and growth throughout this school year. Remember, everything you have done in school throughout the year has been preparing you for the CRCT. So get a good night’s rest, eat a good breakfast, and focus on doing your best this week.

            While you are waiting for testing to finish, take advantage of this excellent opportunity to read toward your book points for this quarter. Remember you need 13 book points for the semester. Those of you who met the goal of 7 books last semester are half way there. If you are having trouble finding something to read, please see me. There are many ways to meet this requirement and earn a 100% on this test grade.

8^th Grade Agenda

            We will begin the week with more review for the CRCT. Our focus will be on style and expression and developing paragraphs. The homework assignments from the workbook reinforce some of the important skills related to our class reviews. During the short classes at the end of the week, we will read and discuss some articles about WW II. This will prepare students for our upcoming reading of “The Diary of Anne Frank”.

***Homework – Monday – WB pg 149, ex 1, 150, ex 2

7^th Grade Agenda

            Students will be working in class each day on the second group of letter assignments for the “Fantasy Getaway” unit. Last week, we discussed in detail the requirements for each letter. Attached here are the original assignment, notes on each type of letter, and grading requirements for this second set of letters.

Download fantasy_getaway_requirements.doc

Download technical_writing.ppt

Download second_letter_group_grading_requirements.doc

All of these letters will be due Monday, April 28 at the beginning of class.

***Important Dates***

Tuesday, April 22 – Technical Writing Test

                                    Technical Writing Booklets Due (all of your notes and example letters are in here)

Monday, April 28 – All Fantasy Getaway Unit letters due

Agenda - April 14-18

8^th Grade Agenda April 14-18

Our focus this week will be on reviewing for the CRCT. Each day in class assignments and homework will focus on a different aspect of language arts that will be covered on the CRCT.

Homework for the week…

Monday – none

Tuesday – Grammar workbook pgs 151-152 – due Friday

Wednesday – Grammar workbook pg 93-ex 1, 94-ex 1, 95-ex1, 96-ex3 - due Friday

Thursday – Grammar workbook pgs 113-ex 1, 115-all – due Friday

DOL – We will have our regular schedule for DOL this week; the quiz will be on Friday.

7^th Grade Agenda April 14-18

We are back to our regular schedule for DOL this week; the quiz will be on Friday.

This week we begin the second part of the “Fantasy Getaway” Unit.

Important Dates to Remember

Friday, April 18 –         DOL Quiz

                                    First “Getaway” assignment resubmit due

Monday, April 21 –      Second “Getaway” assignments due at end of class

                                    Optional Vocab. Quiz retake

Tuesday, April 22 -      Technical Writing Unit Test

                                    “Technical Writing Notes” booklets due (classwork grade)

Monday –

1. DOL, - Sentence Corrections

2. Return the graded Fantasy Getaway assignments that students turned in before the break and review resubmission requirements. See the previous blog entry for more information on this.

3. Take notes on the following types of letters: complaint, compliment, thank you, friendly, postcard, email etiquette. Students should take these notes in the “Technical Writing” booklets they made at the beginning of this unit.

Tuesday

1. DOL – Parts of Speech

2. Finish up any notes not completed on Monday

3. Practice writing complaint and compliment letters in groups.

Wednesday

1. DOL – Parts of Sentence

2. Review requirements for the remaining assignments in the “Fantasy Getaway” Unit.

3. We will spend the remainder of the day in the media center so students can use computers to work individually on assignments. Note, we only need to use Word for these assignments so the internet will not be an issue J.

Thursday – Class will meet in the media center

1. DOL – Phrases / Clauses / Sentence Structure

2. Students will work individually on assignments.

Friday – After the DOL quiz, we will move to the media center

1. DOL Quiz

2. Students will work individually on assignments.

7th Grade Fantasy Getaway Unit Update

The first group of assignments for the “Fantasy Getaway” Unit was due on Friday, April 4. The grades for what was turned in are now in IParent. The slow internet connections we experienced at school last week caused many students to get bogged down in the information gathering stage of this unit. It was a very frustrating experience for all of us, and, as a result, many of you did not complete all requirements for the assignments.

*** I will return the graded assignments to you on Monday, April 14. You may make corrections and finish assignments, and resubmit by Friday, April 18. ***

We are moving on to the next group of assignments for this unit, so all work on resubmissions must be completed outside of class time. If you need help, I am available to help you before school and at lunchtime. Please schedule a time to see me.

7th Grade Fantasy Getaway Project

***No DOL or DOL Quiz this week for 6th and 7th Periods***

Students have been working all week in the media center on their fantasy vacation plans. Internet traffic at school has been very heavy so many students have had difficulty accessing web sites with information they need to complete the project requirements. Students may find it easier to access the web information they need at home and complete the rest of the assignment during classtime. The trackstar listed on the blog has some great websites.

On Tuesday, I gave students a grading requirement sheet for the assignments due this Friday. It is attached here also.

Download fantasy_getaway_grading_requirements.doc

Agenda March 31 - April 4

     Just one more week to go before Spring Break! We have a number of important assignments to complete this week, so please stay focused this week and vacation next week. As you are preparing for some down time next week, please remember to include a good book in your vacation plans. Students in all of Mrs. Aller’s classes are required to read a total of 13 books for the second semester. If you read the required 7 books last quarter, you just need to read 6 more to earn a 100% test grade. If you have not read any books yet, you will need to read 13 books to earn a 100% test grade for this quarter.

5^th Period Agenda

This week we finish up the “Magnetism of Poetry” project. Last week most of you did an excellent job completing your word lists. Our daily plans for the week are as follows.

Monday –

1. DOL – sentence corrections
2. Begin typing magnetic poetry word list.

Tuesday –

1. DOL – parts of speech
2. Finish typing magnetic poetry word list.
3. Complete “Wocky Mad Lib Part I” – If you do not finish this in class, it is homework.

Download wocky_mad_lib_part_1.pdf

Wednesday 

1. Dol – parts of sentence
2. Complete “Wocky Mad Lib Part II” Download wocky_mad_lib_part_2.pdf
3. Cut and assemble magnetic poetry kits

Thursday

1. DOL – phrases/clauses/sentence structure
2. Read Completed “Wocky Mad Libs” aloud to class.

Here is the grading requirement sheet for this project. Download magnetism_of_language_project_grading_requirements.doc

Friday

1. DOL Quiz
2. Games/reading
3. Locker cleanout

6^th Period Agenda

            This week students will complete the first 4 parts of the “Fantasy Getaway” unit. By Friday, April 4, students will turn in the following items:

1. fantasy getaway budget
2. bon voyage party budget
3. invitation with directions
4. inquiry letter (business letter format, including envelope)

Attached are the requirement sheet and budget forms that students received in class on Friday. Details for individual assignments are included on these forms. I have also attached information to access the trackstar that students may use to access websites for their getaway budget and bon voyage party budget.

Download fantasy_getaway_requirements.doc

Download budget_sheet_for_fantasy_getaway.doc (Bon Voyage Party Budget)

Download fantasy_getaway_research.doc (Fantasy Getaway Budget)

Download technical_writing_trackstar_001.jpg

      Monday – Thursday – We will meet in the media center so students can use computers to research their vacation location and type letters. We will not complete a DOL this week Plan on a DOL and quiz the week after spring break.

Friday – We will meet in the classroom. Students will have this last class time to finish up the four items that are due. I will have laptops available for those who need to finish up typing.

Students who are finished with the 4 items may work in pairs on an online mad lib site.

http://www.eduplace.com/tales/index.html

7^th Period Agenda

      There will be no DOL this week.

      Last week, students wrapped up their crime investigation. Thankfully, the team of Delaney, Hawkland, Skriba, and Hogan arrested Mrs. Rusk, and she is now in custody of authorities. Students who love origami can now walk the Awtrey halls without fear of a surprise attack. Thank you to all teams for your diligent work on this project. I hope you enjoyed yourselves while learning a bit about technical writing.

We will finish this unit with the following assignment this week.

Monday – We will walk through the entire crime solving process. Students must take notes on the flowchart we create in class and use it as a reference for the week’s writing assignment.

Tuesday and Wednesday – Students will write an analysis of the crime solving process. They will have a choice of several perspectives to take. I will give specific information in class on Tuesday. This will be students’ 4^th quarter writing assessment that will count as a test/composition grade.

Thursday – Students will take the 4^th quarter pretest.

Friday – Surprise J.

5th Period News

Today we finished our poetry analysis. For homework this evening, students will complete their one to two paragraph summary/analysis of Jabberwocky. It will be due at the beginning of class on Thursday.

Tomorrow, students will begin making their own magnetic poetry kits. As part of this unit they will use their own poetry kits to write their own “Jabberwocky” poem. Here is a copy of the instruction sheet for making the poetry kit and the grading requirements for the project grade. This grade will count as a test/project grade.

Download magnetism_instruction_sheet.pdf

Download magnetism_of_language_project_grading_requirements.doc

Web sites for 5th period students

Today students enjoyed writing their own "mad lib" online stories. If you would like to create more stories at home, here is the link to the site we used.

www.eduplace.com/tales

On Wednesday, students will be writing their own poems using an online magnetic poetry program. Here is the link so you can use it at home too.

http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/word_mover/words.01.html