Ms. Dean's Blog

WATCH DOGS NEEDED

Barber would like to invite fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and adult male siblings to join us for our Watch Dog's Kickoff Pizza Party to be held at 6:30 in the school's cafeteria. Please check out the attached link for more information.

http://www.cobbk12.org/Barber/

Finishing Intro Practice

WEDNESDAY: After completing today's DGP, the students broke into small groups and continued completing the "Engaging Leads" practice sheet. Some students transferred additional models of intros into their writer's journals and then moved on to creating their own intros, while others worked independently to create their own intros. I also collected the Current Event Reflection paragraph today. If a student did not have it today, he or she can turn in the assignment tomorrow for half credit.

HOMEWORK: Finish all four intro practice paragraphs on the white Engaging Leads paper.

Download Engaging-leads-notes-2011

QUIZ ON FRIDAY: Be prepared to use this week's spelling words (absence and accessible) in either a compound sentence or a complex sentence. You will be graded on both the spelling of the word AND the punctuation of the sentence.(ELA8C1)

 

Introductory Paragraph Notes

MONDAY: Today the students started their first DGP (Daily Grammar Practice) sheet. Due to copyright regulations, I cannot attach this to my Blog. If a student is absent on Monday's, it is important that he or she gets the DGP from the assignments crate. There is spelling homework on the back of the DGP. This is due Friday. The quiz on Friday will require the students to correctly spell these two words and put them into both a compound and a complex sentence. (ELA8C1)

After the DGP, the students took notes pertaining to introductory paragraphs. Some classes had the opportunity to analyze intro paragraphs. Those who did not will do it tomorrow.(ELA8W2.a)

HOMEWORK: Due Wednesday--write a reflective paragraph on the same sheet as your summary paragraph. If you have not done the summary paragraph, that must be done as well. (ELA8W2.e)

Download Spelling-homework-wk-1

Download The-intro-paragraph-2011

Download Engaging-leads-notes-2011

Download Current Event Reflection Questions

TUESDAY: Today the students will use their Engaging Leads notes from yesterday to help them analyze and write intro paragraphs. They will also complete Tuesday's DGP activity.

HOMEWORK: See assignment listed Monday.

 

Parent Activities and Useful Information

Please see the links below to view Barber's scheduled parent activities.

Download 2011-2012 Parent Activities Plan

Download Guiding good choices flyer

Pre-write

FRIDAY: Today the students will complete a pre-write flow chart to use when they rewrite the benchmark assessment. (ELA8W4.a Plan and draft independently). I am also collecting last night's homework which was to write a summary paragraph for the current event article.

Download Day 16-19 warm-ups

Download Expository-flow-chart

Download Benchmark writing prompt

Pre-writing Strategies

THURSDAY: Today the students will compare and contrast various pre-writing strategies. They will also work together to begin paraphrasing the current event article on which they took notes last night.

HOMEWORK: Tonight the students will write a six to eight sentence summary of the current event article they were given yesterday. This should be done on a piece of notebook paper that includes the proper heading.

Download Day 16-19 warm-ups

Download Current event article girl solves crime

DGP Scavenger Hunt

TUESDAY: Today the students will get their first glimpse at the DGP notes used to guide them through the Daily Grammar Practice (DGP) we will start next week. They will work with a partner completing a DGP Scavenger Hunt to become familiar with the notes. (ELA8C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats.)

We will also review the purpose of pre-writing and compare various types of pre-writing strategies.(ELA8W4.a. Plans and drafts independently and resourcefully.)

HOMEWORK:  I will give the students a new current event article for them to read tonight. They will take notes on the back of the article coming in prepared tomorrow to use those notes to paraphrase and summarize the article. This assignment will eventually be turned in to Mr. Triebsch as a current event grade in addition to a language arts grade. (ELA8W2.e. Records important ideas, concepts, and direct quotations from significant information sources, and paraphrases and summarizes all perspectives on the topic, as appropriate.)

Download Day 16-19 warm-ups

Download DGP_Scavenger_Hunt[1]

Download Current event article girl solves crime

Reading Activity #2

MONDAY: Today the students turned in Reading Activity #1 and were taken to the Media Center to check out books to start Reading Activity #2. This assignment is due Monday, September 26. While reading the new book, students will add three reflective comments to the Reading Journal that is on the back of the Reading Activities sheet. They should also start thinking about which of the sixteen activities they would like to complete for this assignment. It must be different from the one they just turned in. STUDENTS WHO DID NOT TURN IN THEIR ASSIGNMENT TODAY CAN TURN IT IN TOMORROW FOR HALF CREDIT.

(ELA8RC1 The student reads a minimum of 25 grade-level appropriate books or book equivalents (approximately 1,000,000 words) per year from a variety of subject disciplines. The student reads both informational and fictional texts in a variety of genres and modes of discourse, including technical texts related to various subject areas.)

Download Reading activities

Download Reading Journal