"...It requires constant effort, vigilance, and reevaluation."
Wise words from Mark Twain, that I bear in mind this week in particular. Having progressed from a scratchy throat to pneumonia and missing three days last week, I'm afraid I left students without a road map for their reading journey with Tom Sawyer. Thus, on Wednesday (Tuesday being a combined service/field day), I plan to evaluate where things stand with the reading, and make sure that everyone is on the same page, so to speak, before continuing on.
I do hope that students have accessed an audio version to read along to if they enjoy doing so. Once I assess the state of our journey, I will figure out the itinerary for the rest of the week!
Homework:
Wednesday: Catch up night: should be read through ch. 9
Packet: pg. 1 complete; pg. 2 & 3 begun with what we've read so far
Thursday: Finish reading ch. 10; add to packets as needed; everyone at this point should have 5 words completed on their personal dictionary log
Friday: Finish rdg. ch. 11 & 12; add to packets
Monday, May 29, 2017
Monday, May 22, 2017
"Out of the public schools grows the greatness of a nation." --Mark Twain
Noted for his humor and keen insights, the iconic and prolific American author Mark Twain is often quoted. Students will begin to unfurl the layers of personality and thought embodied by this writer, first by watching an A&E Biography and the as they explore themes in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. They will examine the way in which the elements of fiction work together to create this novel: the ways in which the author develops setting and characters; the episodic structure of the novel and intertwining plot lines; and the language choices Twain made, including dialect, to accurately portray the setting and characters.
Students will keep track of the characters and twisting plot events in a packet of organizers. As well, they will record new words they encounter on their Personal Dictionary logs, which will be shared in class and used in a mini-project. The book is available on audio (which, on occasion, we will use in class), and I encourage students for whom listening helps to read along to an audiotape.
While these are our academic goals, my wish is for everyone to enjoy the antics of the mischievous Tom Sawyer and the rollicking tale of his adventures! For, as Twain also stated: "I never let my education interfere with my learning." If students can relate in some ways to this historic peer Tom, they will hopefully come away with an appreciation of a classic author as well as some timeless themes about human nature.
HOMEWORK: (Please note: if Thursday's Service/Field Day activities are cancelled due to weather, the following may change) (YES, service day is rescheduled; please note amended schedule below):
Monday: None.
Tuesday: Finish reading ch. 1, 2, 3
Wednesday: Finish rdg. ch. 4 & 5
Thursday: As needed depending on what was finished in class: Finish rdg. ch. 6; do Ch. 6 activity sheet; find 3 words you don't know (NOT dialect words, but ones you can actually use) and record on personal dictionary log (use example as your model).
Friday: As needed, depending on what was finished in class: Read ch. 7-8-9; do "Murder in the Graveyard" packet page
Students will keep track of the characters and twisting plot events in a packet of organizers. As well, they will record new words they encounter on their Personal Dictionary logs, which will be shared in class and used in a mini-project. The book is available on audio (which, on occasion, we will use in class), and I encourage students for whom listening helps to read along to an audiotape.
While these are our academic goals, my wish is for everyone to enjoy the antics of the mischievous Tom Sawyer and the rollicking tale of his adventures! For, as Twain also stated: "I never let my education interfere with my learning." If students can relate in some ways to this historic peer Tom, they will hopefully come away with an appreciation of a classic author as well as some timeless themes about human nature.
HOMEWORK: (Please note: if Thursday's Service/Field Day activities are cancelled due to weather, the following may change) (YES, service day is rescheduled; please note amended schedule below):
Monday: None.
Tuesday: Finish reading ch. 1, 2, 3
Wednesday: Finish rdg. ch. 4 & 5
Thursday: As needed depending on what was finished in class: Finish rdg. ch. 6; do Ch. 6 activity sheet; find 3 words you don't know (NOT dialect words, but ones you can actually use) and record on personal dictionary log (use example as your model).
Friday: As needed, depending on what was finished in class: Read ch. 7-8-9; do "Murder in the Graveyard" packet page
Monday, May 8, 2017
"Poetry begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, homesickness, a love sickness." --Robert Frost
It is truly awesome to witness students finding their voice through poetry. With inspiration emanating internally and externally, students have written on a variety of topics: from grizzly bears to kittens, from olives to vanilla, from Broadway to the Mojave desert. Our next two poems will be more personal in nature, as students will be asked to explore their thinking as well as their inner landscape.
The inspiration for our first poem this week is Francis Picabia, a French artist and writer who once said, "Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction." Pondering that idea, students will reflect on instances in which their own thoughts on a subject changed. After brainstorming some ideas, they will draft a poem to reflect their transformed viewpoint.
Later this week, students will be asked to explore their "inner landscape" of thoughts and emotions. Again, following some reflection and jotting of ideas, they will craft a poem that depicts their internal world.
On Friday, during my absence (my daughter graduates college this weekend!!), students will take the ELA benchmark test they took in the beginning of the year. In preparation, they will read an excerpt from "Diary of a Part-Time Indian" on Thursday night. On Monday, they will retake a writing mechanics benchmark quiz given earlier in the year. Please note that grades on these tests DO NOT affect students' report card averages, nor will these grades be posted on ASPEN. They are mandated tests for my information only.
Finally, please see the link below for the Poetry Cafe invitation (a copy was given to your student). This will be a fun way to celebrate the writing and reading of poetry that students have accomplished, as well as to bid farewell to our student teacher, Neil Vercellin. No need to RSVP, but students may ask you if they can bring in a snack or drink to share (no nuts or soda, please!).
Homework:
Monday: Finish "Our heads are round..." brainstorming chart
Tuesday: Finish draft of "Our heads are round..." poem
Wednesday: Prepare final draft of poem; turn in tomorrow.
Thursday: Read "Diary of a Part-Time Indian" excerpt; work on inner landscape poem brainstorming
Friday: Inner landscape final poem due Tuesday 5/16.
Our Heads Are Round...poem instructions
Our Heads Are Round... poem brainstorm chart
Inner Landscape brainstorming chart
Poetry Cafe Invitation
The inspiration for our first poem this week is Francis Picabia, a French artist and writer who once said, "Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction." Pondering that idea, students will reflect on instances in which their own thoughts on a subject changed. After brainstorming some ideas, they will draft a poem to reflect their transformed viewpoint.
Later this week, students will be asked to explore their "inner landscape" of thoughts and emotions. Again, following some reflection and jotting of ideas, they will craft a poem that depicts their internal world.
On Friday, during my absence (my daughter graduates college this weekend!!), students will take the ELA benchmark test they took in the beginning of the year. In preparation, they will read an excerpt from "Diary of a Part-Time Indian" on Thursday night. On Monday, they will retake a writing mechanics benchmark quiz given earlier in the year. Please note that grades on these tests DO NOT affect students' report card averages, nor will these grades be posted on ASPEN. They are mandated tests for my information only.
Finally, please see the link below for the Poetry Cafe invitation (a copy was given to your student). This will be a fun way to celebrate the writing and reading of poetry that students have accomplished, as well as to bid farewell to our student teacher, Neil Vercellin. No need to RSVP, but students may ask you if they can bring in a snack or drink to share (no nuts or soda, please!).
Homework:
Monday: Finish "Our heads are round..." brainstorming chart
Tuesday: Finish draft of "Our heads are round..." poem
Wednesday: Prepare final draft of poem; turn in tomorrow.
Thursday: Read "Diary of a Part-Time Indian" excerpt; work on inner landscape poem brainstorming
Friday: Inner landscape final poem due Tuesday 5/16.
Our Heads Are Round...poem instructions
Our Heads Are Round... poem brainstorm chart
Inner Landscape brainstorming chart
Poetry Cafe Invitation
Monday, May 1, 2017
"A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language." --W.H. Auden
In this digital age of speedy, temporal, and inundating communication, it seems important to always bear in mind the power of language. Writing poetry allows us to pause, to reflect on ideas and emotions, and figure out the most effective way to convey their essence. As students grapple with choosing "just the right word, not its second cousin", as Twain once stated, their awareness of language raises to a new height. When they play with literary devices to create fresh new imagery for their reader/listener, they take ownership of language that they can call their own. The distillation of words and imagery in a poem demonstrates the power of language, which is the gist of our poetry unit. If students can feel empowered to convey thoughts, ideas, experiences, emotions, and humor by using language to create unique images, then they are truly poets.
Today we are reading some of Pablo Neruda's odes to foods, and students will write their own. Later in the week we will read odes to various people, and students will try their hand at that type of ode as well.
Homework:
Monday: Complete brainstorming for food ode.
Tuesday: Food ode draft due tomorrow for conferencing.
Wednesday: Final draft food ode due tomorrow.
Thursday: Complete brainstorming for person ode.
Friday: Person ode due Monday.
Neruda's Food Odes
Food Ode Brainstorming Sheet
Today we are reading some of Pablo Neruda's odes to foods, and students will write their own. Later in the week we will read odes to various people, and students will try their hand at that type of ode as well.
Homework:
Monday: Complete brainstorming for food ode.
Tuesday: Food ode draft due tomorrow for conferencing.
Wednesday: Final draft food ode due tomorrow.
Thursday: Complete brainstorming for person ode.
Friday: Person ode due Monday.
Neruda's Food Odes
Food Ode Brainstorming Sheet
Monday, April 24, 2017
"If there was no poetry...there would be an intolerable hunger." --Muriel Rukeyser
So I was pleasantly surprised this year to not get the typical 7th grade response to poetry which involves muffled moans and groans and looks of despair. If anyone was cringing inwardly, they have quickly proved that they are poets, they just didn't know it! Once students' inner poets are set free, they usually find that writing poetry is not so bad or even difficult. As time goes forth and poems unfurl from their pencil points, most even find that they want to write poems--maybe even more than what I ask them to write. They begin to know the hunger of life without poetic language, without the sounds, images, emotions, humor and revelations that can feed their minds and spirits.
This week, students will conference their poems with a partner to gain the benefit of fresh eyes and ears to help them revise. They will also pool their creative genius in small groups by turning "bad poems" into good ones. As they delve deeper into descriptive language, they will use their skills and creativity to write group poems about an unseen object. The goal is to describe the object so well that others in the class can guess what it is by hearing the poem.
Homework:
Monday: Final drafts of mood/memory poem and acrostic poem due tomorrow.
Tuesday: Find a poem (in a book, online) to read aloud to someone at home. After reading it, point out to your listener the descriptive words and devices that help convey imagery and the subject of the poem.
This week, students will conference their poems with a partner to gain the benefit of fresh eyes and ears to help them revise. They will also pool their creative genius in small groups by turning "bad poems" into good ones. As they delve deeper into descriptive language, they will use their skills and creativity to write group poems about an unseen object. The goal is to describe the object so well that others in the class can guess what it is by hearing the poem.
Homework:
Monday: Final drafts of mood/memory poem and acrostic poem due tomorrow.
Tuesday: Find a poem (in a book, online) to read aloud to someone at home. After reading it, point out to your listener the descriptive words and devices that help convey imagery and the subject of the poem.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Happy Spring Break!
After all the teasing winter handed us, spring has finally sprung! I look forward to this break to enjoy the outdoors, clean up our gardens, and refresh my spirit for the sprint to the end of the school year. I wished students a wonderful vacation week with the hope that they, too, will get outdoors--to play, to chill, maybe even to read or write a poem or two!
This past week, students were inspired by a music video and poem, "A Listening Air", to write their own poems. They could choose one of two inspirations, either the mood of "A Listening Air" or a memory of summer. After doing some brainstorming (organizer attached), they began drafting in class today.
Their goal as poets is to turn inward to listen to the music of words in their hearts and minds, and to make the reader/listener see their subject matter in a whole new way. They're being encouraged to take the expected and make it unexpected; to turn an ordinary line on its head to recast its shape and meaning; to distill language to its most essential words that offer the reader/listener sensory images that plunge him/her into experiencing the poem. While it's fun to dispose of the rules of standard written English, they are making deliberate choices about vocabulary, punctuation, and format that help convey the meaning and subject of the poem.
Attached is a copy of "A Listening Air", the brainstorming organizer, and the criteria for every poem written (students have these in their binders).
Happy spring, happy vacation to all!
Homework due Monday 4/24:
Draft (hard copy) of poem for peer/teacher conferencing.
"A Listening Air"
Brainstorming Organizer
Poetry Criteria
This past week, students were inspired by a music video and poem, "A Listening Air", to write their own poems. They could choose one of two inspirations, either the mood of "A Listening Air" or a memory of summer. After doing some brainstorming (organizer attached), they began drafting in class today.
Their goal as poets is to turn inward to listen to the music of words in their hearts and minds, and to make the reader/listener see their subject matter in a whole new way. They're being encouraged to take the expected and make it unexpected; to turn an ordinary line on its head to recast its shape and meaning; to distill language to its most essential words that offer the reader/listener sensory images that plunge him/her into experiencing the poem. While it's fun to dispose of the rules of standard written English, they are making deliberate choices about vocabulary, punctuation, and format that help convey the meaning and subject of the poem.
Attached is a copy of "A Listening Air", the brainstorming organizer, and the criteria for every poem written (students have these in their binders).
Happy spring, happy vacation to all!
Homework due Monday 4/24:
Draft (hard copy) of poem for peer/teacher conferencing.
"A Listening Air"
Brainstorming Organizer
Poetry Criteria
Monday, April 10, 2017
"Poetry is as precise a thing as geometry." --Gustave Flaubert
Wow! Ah-ha! Hmm...interesting… I can relate! I wonder… These were just some of the “nonfiction moments” students experienced while reading and interacting with a nonfiction book of their choice. They wrapped up their reading and analysis with splashy slideshow presentations--what fun to hear about a slew of subjects! Topics included biographies of Hank Aaron and Maya Angelou; compilations by chefs, soldiers, and survivors of wars; pet care and babysitting; the solar system and larger universe; chemistry and writing; and one student even read about her ancestor who was accused of being a witch during the Salem Witch Trials!
Apropos to the month of April, national poetry month, students are diving into poetry writing and reading. They will be inspired by music, video, art, the natural world and their own inner landscape of thoughts and emotions to create poems in different forms. We hope to celebrate in early May with a Poetry Cafe--keep an eye out for an invitation!
Homework:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Nonfiction book cover due by Thursday
Wednesday: Finish Mr. Vercellin's exit ticket for Friday
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