Hot off the Press: Be informed!
piAugust 1, 2019: Students and teacher introductions, classroom expectations, transcript checks
August 2, 2019: Reviewed the rules, pre-writing (narrative letter to the teacher)
August 5, 2019: We reviewed the four quadrants question for understanding of what is expect. The teacher read aloud "The Crystal Egg" narrative fiction story. Students wrote an alternate ending to "The Crystal Egg." We reviewed elements about the story such as setting, characters, conflict, plot. We talked about transitional words when it comes to writing and reviewed similes.
August 6, 2019: We will see a power point on similes and practice with them. Also, students will learn about the elements of a story with guided notes.
August 7, 8, 9, 2019: We practiced with figurative language and students did a writing assignment on what would happened if cell phones, internet, technology, etc. crashed.
August 12-16, 2019: Students and teacher reviewed figurative language, story elements, language exercises. Writing: What is your Greatest Fear. Test is on Friday (figurative language, story elements, language).
August 19-23, 2019: This week we will read "My (short) Life in Show Biz" with a language focus on dialogue and quotation marks. We will also read "Fat Cat" with a language focus on idioms. Students will learn how to construct paragraphs. Also, students can retake their figurative language test on Friday if they made below a 70, but a 70 is the highest grade they can receive on a retest. We will have practices on idioms and quotation marks so students can learn to use them their writing and every day language.
August 26-30, 2019: We will continue with using idioms. Students will learn how to use semicolons as a part of writing. We will read "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost to how the poem uses semicolons with common ideas. The teacher will have one-on-one writing consultations with students to review their writing. Students will have a quiz on Thursday on quotation marks and idioms.
Students will have a writing assignment on Friday to incorporate the elements we have learned (idioms, quotation marks, semicolons, etc.) to end the unit.
September 2-6: This week we start Unit 2: Informative Writing. Students will learn about people who eat insects in other countries and how it might be a global event. The language focus is using more descriptive meanings of words. Students will write informatively about a topic they choose.
September 9-13: We will continue with Informative Writing. This week students will write about "World Problems" of their choice. As guidelines, they can use graphic organizers or story frames. Students will view a video on children in Burkina Faso in West Africa and how their lives are affected by working in the gold mines. The AEIOU strategy will be used with the video. We will also focus on context clues.
September 16-20, 2019: This week we will focus on informational writing about teen TV shows. The language focus is Titles of Works; students need to know whether to underline or use quotation marks for titles of books, magazines, poems, articles, etc. We will also focus on reading comprehension. The informative writing assignment is due Friday, September 20, 2019.
September 23-27, 2019: Fall Break/No school
September 30-October 4, 2019: This week we are working on Expanding, Combining, and Reducing sentences. We also read informational articles about products and where they were made. Students have an informational writing project due on Wednesday, October 9. They have to choose a product such as clothing, Nike, BMW, etc. and research it. They also have to create a brochure as a visual for their writing.
October 7-11, 2019: As their informative assignment, students will create a poem called My Name Piece about the history of their names. We will read "My Name," a chapter from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. They will do a Name Piece chart to help them with their poems. On Wednesday, they will present their information about a product they chose and a brochure or poster as a visual. In relation to learning about names, students will read "My Korean Name" by Leonard Chang. Students will answer comprehension questions, vocabulary practice, and an assignment on plot, character, conflict, theme, and setting.
October 14-18, 2019: This week we will read "My Korean Name" by Leonard Chang. Students will answer comprehension questions, vocabulary practice, and an assignment on plot, character, conflict, theme, and setting.
October 21-25, 2019: This week we will start Unit 3: Argumentative Writing. We will learn about rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, and pathos) and how they can support argumentative writing. Our vocabulary for this type of writing is argument, opinion, claim, evidence, point of view, position statement, and reason. Students will be given a list of these words already defined for them. We will discuss argumentative topics. Students will write 2-3 argumentative essays. Our language focus is conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections.
October 28-November 1, 2019: We will continue with argumentative topics and essays. We will review the rhetorical appeals and the vocabulary for argumentative writing. Students should be using those terms in their writing. Our language focus is run-on sentences. We will continue to warm up with argumentative topics and do class exercises with these topics. There is a test on Friday covering vocabulary, rhetorical appeals, and the language focus from last week and this week.
November 4-8, 2019: We are continuing with argumentative essays because students need further practice with them. The language focus this week will be using commas with yes and no, setting off a tag question, and directly addressing someone.
November 11-15, 2019: We will begin our Unit 4 on Descriptive writing. Students will learn how to write and describe with sensory words/adjectives. We will read two short stories, and students will identify the descriptive writing in each story: "First Love" by Judith Ortiz Cofer and "Like Mexicans" by Gary Soto. Students will be given 100 topics to choose from to write their descriptive essays; they also can choose a topic of their own. This essay is due on Wednesday, November 20, 2019.
November 18-22, 2019: We will continue with descriptive writing. Students will be given several writing prompts for more practice with their writing. We will do a critical thinking skills activity, visual optic, picture writing, and group writing.
August 2, 2019: Reviewed the rules, pre-writing (narrative letter to the teacher)
August 5, 2019: We reviewed the four quadrants question for understanding of what is expect. The teacher read aloud "The Crystal Egg" narrative fiction story. Students wrote an alternate ending to "The Crystal Egg." We reviewed elements about the story such as setting, characters, conflict, plot. We talked about transitional words when it comes to writing and reviewed similes.
August 6, 2019: We will see a power point on similes and practice with them. Also, students will learn about the elements of a story with guided notes.
August 7, 8, 9, 2019: We practiced with figurative language and students did a writing assignment on what would happened if cell phones, internet, technology, etc. crashed.
August 12-16, 2019: Students and teacher reviewed figurative language, story elements, language exercises. Writing: What is your Greatest Fear. Test is on Friday (figurative language, story elements, language).
August 19-23, 2019: This week we will read "My (short) Life in Show Biz" with a language focus on dialogue and quotation marks. We will also read "Fat Cat" with a language focus on idioms. Students will learn how to construct paragraphs. Also, students can retake their figurative language test on Friday if they made below a 70, but a 70 is the highest grade they can receive on a retest. We will have practices on idioms and quotation marks so students can learn to use them their writing and every day language.
August 26-30, 2019: We will continue with using idioms. Students will learn how to use semicolons as a part of writing. We will read "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost to how the poem uses semicolons with common ideas. The teacher will have one-on-one writing consultations with students to review their writing. Students will have a quiz on Thursday on quotation marks and idioms.
Students will have a writing assignment on Friday to incorporate the elements we have learned (idioms, quotation marks, semicolons, etc.) to end the unit.
September 2-6: This week we start Unit 2: Informative Writing. Students will learn about people who eat insects in other countries and how it might be a global event. The language focus is using more descriptive meanings of words. Students will write informatively about a topic they choose.
September 9-13: We will continue with Informative Writing. This week students will write about "World Problems" of their choice. As guidelines, they can use graphic organizers or story frames. Students will view a video on children in Burkina Faso in West Africa and how their lives are affected by working in the gold mines. The AEIOU strategy will be used with the video. We will also focus on context clues.
September 16-20, 2019: This week we will focus on informational writing about teen TV shows. The language focus is Titles of Works; students need to know whether to underline or use quotation marks for titles of books, magazines, poems, articles, etc. We will also focus on reading comprehension. The informative writing assignment is due Friday, September 20, 2019.
September 23-27, 2019: Fall Break/No school
September 30-October 4, 2019: This week we are working on Expanding, Combining, and Reducing sentences. We also read informational articles about products and where they were made. Students have an informational writing project due on Wednesday, October 9. They have to choose a product such as clothing, Nike, BMW, etc. and research it. They also have to create a brochure as a visual for their writing.
October 7-11, 2019: As their informative assignment, students will create a poem called My Name Piece about the history of their names. We will read "My Name," a chapter from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. They will do a Name Piece chart to help them with their poems. On Wednesday, they will present their information about a product they chose and a brochure or poster as a visual. In relation to learning about names, students will read "My Korean Name" by Leonard Chang. Students will answer comprehension questions, vocabulary practice, and an assignment on plot, character, conflict, theme, and setting.
October 14-18, 2019: This week we will read "My Korean Name" by Leonard Chang. Students will answer comprehension questions, vocabulary practice, and an assignment on plot, character, conflict, theme, and setting.
October 21-25, 2019: This week we will start Unit 3: Argumentative Writing. We will learn about rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, and pathos) and how they can support argumentative writing. Our vocabulary for this type of writing is argument, opinion, claim, evidence, point of view, position statement, and reason. Students will be given a list of these words already defined for them. We will discuss argumentative topics. Students will write 2-3 argumentative essays. Our language focus is conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections.
October 28-November 1, 2019: We will continue with argumentative topics and essays. We will review the rhetorical appeals and the vocabulary for argumentative writing. Students should be using those terms in their writing. Our language focus is run-on sentences. We will continue to warm up with argumentative topics and do class exercises with these topics. There is a test on Friday covering vocabulary, rhetorical appeals, and the language focus from last week and this week.
November 4-8, 2019: We are continuing with argumentative essays because students need further practice with them. The language focus this week will be using commas with yes and no, setting off a tag question, and directly addressing someone.
November 11-15, 2019: We will begin our Unit 4 on Descriptive writing. Students will learn how to write and describe with sensory words/adjectives. We will read two short stories, and students will identify the descriptive writing in each story: "First Love" by Judith Ortiz Cofer and "Like Mexicans" by Gary Soto. Students will be given 100 topics to choose from to write their descriptive essays; they also can choose a topic of their own. This essay is due on Wednesday, November 20, 2019.
November 18-22, 2019: We will continue with descriptive writing. Students will be given several writing prompts for more practice with their writing. We will do a critical thinking skills activity, visual optic, picture writing, and group writing.