DOBERT ELA 7

So I decided to switch things up a bit and grade sixth hour’s tests first and work backwards from there.

I have been grading all day and just finished grading sixth hour’s tests!

Unfortunately, I think I will still be grading tests during Thanksgiving Break.

See you tomorrow!  😀

BW:  S.A.R. In your opinion, was yesterday’s test a hard test?

CW: Quietly read “The Stranger” by Sue Baugh.  Please read by yourself.  Then create a plot diagram for the story.  Label each part of the diagram and then include events from the story.  Be prepared to defend your choice for the climax of the story.  You may work with a partner after you have finished reading the story.

HW:  I gave you a sheet of definitions.  Neatly write the word for each definition. (All the words were in “Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto.) Then find all the words in the word search puzzle.  Please highlight or draw a line thru the words as you find them.  Do not circle the words.

Thank you to every student who has been working hard in class and who diligently studied for today’s huge 200 point test.  I could tell that many of you were prepared and did well on the test.

The test was long and included summaries and plot mountains and S.A.R. so it will take me a few days to grade the test.  I will try to have all the tests graded by Monday.  😀

Please study for the test.

Please.

Please.

Please.

Use your study guide to help you study.

WARNING: HUGE TEST SOON!

The test will probably be Thursday, but you SHOULD start studying tonight.

I recommend you study for one hour or so.  You don’t need to study for four ours or anything crazy like that!

Use the study guide to help you study.  DO NOT lose your study guide.

I don’t really want to post the study guide on my blog, because I want to see if you copied it correctly in class today.

HW: Continue to STUDY!

E.L.A. 7 SPORTS TEAM WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Imagine that one day, a few years from now, you become rich and become the owner of a professional sports team. (basketball, football, baseball, or hockey)

Please write a creative, interesting description of your sports team.

Remember to describe

• WHAT SPORT the team will play

• WHERE the team will play (what city? what stadium? indoor? outdoor?)

• WHAT the team jersey will LOOK LIKE

• WHO will play on the team

• and, of course, the team’s NAME

Remember: SHOW not TELL and details, details, details.

1. First, write a rough draft on loose leaf. Please skip lines for the rough draft. Your rough draft should be AT LEAST one page (skipping lines) but more than one page is probably better.

2. Read through your draft. Use colored pencils to REVISE your rough draft. You should make at least three improvements to your rough draft.

3. On a new sheet of loose leaf, write a final copy. You should take your time and use your best handwriting for your final copy. DO NOT SKIP LINES! Please try to fit your final copy on the FRONT only of the loose leaf.

4. Neatly staple your final copy on top of your rough draft.

HINT: Your rough draft and final copy are due IN CLASS! Please get right to work and do not waste time in class. This assignment is worth AT LEAST 10 points, probably more.

HOMEWORK:

For a little bit of extra credit, you may draw a picture of your team jersey. Please take your time and make the picture neat and colorful. You may draw a player wearing your jersey or just the jersey alone. (5 points)

A girl was eating pencils in my fourth hour class!!!

The end of report card #2 is coming soon.  BIG, FAT TEST next week!

Click below to view and print “Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto.  Don’t forget to look at the pages before and after the story … they have information that could help you prepare for the test.

seventh.grade.by.gary.soto

HW:

1. Show your pink progress report to a parent.  Get a parent’s singnature. (sing?!  sing-nature? what? is your mom supposed to sing about birds and trees?)
2. Plot diagram.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE PLOT DIAGRAM:

Neatly draw a mountain or OTHER SIMILAR SHAPE.  The shape should start low and gradually rise to a point or high spot then gradually lower.  The shape shows that the story is getting more and more interesting (RISING ACTION) until it hits the most interesting point (CLIMAX).

Label each part of the diagram – exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution.

Then add events from the story we have been reading – “Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto.  You should have TWO events for the exposition, TWO rising action events and TWO falling action events.  You MUST have only ONE climax event and ONE resolution event.

Yes, spelling counts.  Yes, neatness counts.  Yes, add some color!

Here are the events that might work for your diagram:

EXPOSITION

• It’s the first day of school.  Victor chooses French because he knows his crush, Teresa, will be in that class.
• He meets up with his best friend, Michael.  They raza-shake.

RISING ACTION

• Victor bumps into Teresa after homeroom.  He says something stupid.
• At lunch, Victor slyly scans for Teresa while Michael scowls at all the ladies.

CLIMAX

• Victor is finally in French class with Teresa.  He bluffs that he knows French and completely embarrasses himself.

FALLING ACTION

• The French teacher, Mr. Bueller, doesn’t snitch because he remembers bluffing for his crush.
• Teresa flirts back with Victor and asks him to help her learn French.

RESOLUTION

• Victor thinks Teresa is going to be his girl and 7th grade is going to be a great year.  He sprints to the library right after school to get French tutoring books.

These ideas are just my OPINION.  We can fight about what is the true CLIMAX event in class.

So yeah.  Longest blog ever.  Yes, you should read every word.  I mean, c’mon people, the subject is ELA – reading won’t kill you.

BW: Draw a VENN diagram on loose leaf.  Use the VENN diagram to compare and contrast Victor and his best friend, Michael.  They are both characters in “Seventh Grade” by Gary Soto.

Report card #2 is ending soon!  Sorry but we will need a big fat TEST next week!

Today in class we tried a practice quiz about the “easy” words that aren’t so easy.  I showed the students how to write one word definitions for each of the words.

We also reviewed the plot diagram or “mountain”.  For the classwork, students had to choose:

• work alone with the book closed = A+
• quietly work in a group with the book closed = A
• quietly work in a group with the book open = B

This classwork was kinda/sorta like a quiz so it was worth 15 points instead of 5 points.

We did A LOT of work today!

I collected …

• HW … “LIST IT” on loose leaf (page 34 – see Saturday’s blog post)
• CW … “MY LIFE” connection to the story T-chart on loose leaf (page 35)
• CW/HW … picture of Victor and Michael at lunch (after reading bottom of page 39)
• PORTFOLIO #1 … only if signed by a parent
• EC … see Saturday’s blog post

HW:  Choose ONLY 1 of the 18 “easy” words that are not so easy.  Complete the SKETCH sheet.  You DO NOT have to fill out the dictionary definition part because you were supposed to use context clues in the story to figure out the meaning of the word.