We are coming to the end of our first unit on the Elements of Fiction. This week kids are preparing for their test which will span Thursday and Friday. Here are some specifics:
SL: Students will be tested on the story "God Sees The Truth But Waits" by Leo Tolstoy.
They will then take a test which will cover all elements of fiction in the story. They have read the story this week and have already had time to practice identifying the elements. Part of their test will be writing a theme paragraph, which we have also practiced this week in class.
HL: Students will be tested on the story "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield.
Students are filling out a literary elements chart in class this week, after they read the story. This will be part of their test, and can be worked on at home. It will be due Thursday. Thursday and Friday during class they will be going to the lab to write an essay for the final portion of their test. This essay will ask that they compare an element in two stories, one of which will be "The Garden Party".
Home Work:
HL: Vocab 19 is due 10/16, quiz on 10/17
Vocab 20 is due 10/ 23, quiz on 10/ 26
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Moving....
SLP now has a Google domain, and I am hoping to streamline some of my life by moving this blog over to that address... you can reach the new blog by clicking here.
I'll see you over there!!
I'll see you over there!!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
First Non-Fiction Assignment
We have begun to work on non-fiction in class. This is one of our most important units, and I look forward to seeing the kids improve as we go through it.
The terms we will begin with are:
Fact
Opinion
Bias
Tone
Inference
Main Idea
Their first assignment involves watching a video and then answering some questions about it. The assignment can be found here.
The terms we will begin with are:
Fact
Opinion
Bias
Tone
Inference
Main Idea
Their first assignment involves watching a video and then answering some questions about it. The assignment can be found here.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Poetry Assignments
This week the kids are working on a few different assignments for their poetry unit:
* Critical Response to either "The Tiger", "The Poison Tree", or "Two Roads Diverged...". This is due Thursday, 2/16.
* Re-write of "Two Roads Diverged in a Wood". This is due Friday, 2/17.
* Poetry Dissection Project. This is due Tuesday, 2/21.
Vocabulary was due Tuesday 2/14, but will be given full credit through Wednesday 2/15.
The vocab quiz is on Friday.
* Critical Response to either "The Tiger", "The Poison Tree", or "Two Roads Diverged...". This is due Thursday, 2/16.
* Re-write of "Two Roads Diverged in a Wood". This is due Friday, 2/17.
* Poetry Dissection Project. This is due Tuesday, 2/21.
Vocabulary was due Tuesday 2/14, but will be given full credit through Wednesday 2/15.
The vocab quiz is on Friday.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Some theater info...
Please check out the theater blog at http://slpjhtheater.blogspot.com/
Attention all Junior Thespians:
Can you act, sing, dance, and dribble a basketball?
If you answered yes to one or all parts of this question, then you should consider trying out for St. Louis Park Junior High’s Spring 2012 performance of High School Musical!
Tryout Information
When: Monday, February 13th or Tuesday, February 14th
From: 2:30 - 4:30
Where: Choir Room
What to do:
1. Sign up in a group of 4-5 on the sheet outside the choir room.
2. Bring a song, any song, to sing.
3. Plan to stay until 4:30
Any questions: Please see Ms. Zumberge in Room 104
Attention all Junior Thespians:
Can you act, sing, dance, and dribble a basketball?
If you answered yes to one or all parts of this question, then you should consider trying out for St. Louis Park Junior High’s Spring 2012 performance of High School Musical!
Tryout Information
When: Monday, February 13th or Tuesday, February 14th
From: 2:30 - 4:30
Where: Choir Room
What to do:
1. Sign up in a group of 4-5 on the sheet outside the choir room.
2. Bring a song, any song, to sing.
3. Plan to stay until 4:30
Any questions: Please see Ms. Zumberge in Room 104
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Poetry!
Check out this website. It's called "The Favorite Poem Project" and it has lots of people (famous and not) reading their favorite poem and talking about why they love it.
http://www.favoritepoem.org/videos.html
Here is the link to the prezi that explains alliteration, metaphors, similes, and personification.
http://prezi.com/iq4a74q8ht73/alliterationsimilemetaphorpersonification/
Here is the link to the prezi on figurative language, imagery, symbols, onomatopeia, and allusion.
http://prezi.com/ktgauc7zeb8z/figurative-language-imagery-allusion-symbols-onomatopoeia/?auth_key=be43c172978f0efe2a6893d507a31ad2b7a034cd
Here is the link to the prezi on theme and mood.
http://prezi.com/gsim4ks0bejm/theme-and-mood/?auth_key=443b106bb97c125ea537e62bbfd05946e6b8bd08
Here is a link to Metered Poetry. It's important you've got a good grasp on this.
http://www.types-of-poetry.org.uk/73-meter-literary-term.htm
Here is a link that explains Free Verse Poems. Although not our focus in 7th grade, it's still worth checking out.
http://www.types-of-poetry.org.uk/24-free-verse.htm
Here is a link to a google presentation on how/why we analyze poetry
https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0Ae3kFfHw6N7DZGY1bXBxOThfNWdocTVwa2Q4
Come tell me what's new on the blog :)
http://www.favoritepoem.org/videos.html
Here is the link to the prezi that explains alliteration, metaphors, similes, and personification.
http://prezi.com/iq4a74q8ht73/alliterationsimilemetaphorpersonification/
Here is the link to the prezi on figurative language, imagery, symbols, onomatopeia, and allusion.
http://prezi.com/ktgauc7zeb8z/figurative-language-imagery-allusion-symbols-onomatopoeia/?auth_key=be43c172978f0efe2a6893d507a31ad2b7a034cd
Here is the link to the prezi on theme and mood.
http://prezi.com/gsim4ks0bejm/theme-and-mood/?auth_key=443b106bb97c125ea537e62bbfd05946e6b8bd08
Here is a link to Metered Poetry. It's important you've got a good grasp on this.
http://www.types-of-poetry.org.uk/73-meter-literary-term.htm
Here is a link that explains Free Verse Poems. Although not our focus in 7th grade, it's still worth checking out.
http://www.types-of-poetry.org.uk/24-free-verse.htm
Here is a link to a google presentation on how/why we analyze poetry
https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0Ae3kFfHw6N7DZGY1bXBxOThfNWdocTVwa2Q4
Come tell me what's new on the blog :)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
End of 2nd Quarter
I always hope that I will be able to keep this more updated... and then actual teaching happens and it slips down the list. Sorry for that!
Here is a brief review of where we are these days:
In quarter 2 we focused on short stories. We read several and took a test on the elements present in short fiction. Next, students worked on writing their own stories. The stories needed to take place in 60 seconds and were based off some pictures I hung in the room. We did planning for these stories and they were checked along the way to be sure they were keeping up with the time-line. For this unit I also implemented some new practices that I learned about during my trip to Indianapolis in November, namely, having students create the criteria on which they would be assessed. Kids determined what should be present in their stories and then used this criteria to reflect on their own writing as well as the writing of a peer. Many kids reported that the peer edit process and criteria setting helped improve their writing, making this new practice worthwhile in my opinion!
Those stories were due on Jan 13th. Only about 10% of kids have not handed them in yet. You can check on your student by looking at powerschool; missing short stories are reflected by an NTI in that column.
This week we are beginning and ending our first grammar unit. We will be working primarily on the 8 parts of speech. There will be a final exam on this either Friday, or Monday, depending on the readiness of the students as determined by some quick assessments.
Here are the important dates for the end of the quarter:
High Level:
Vocab Lesson 7 due 1/19/12 (No quiz on lessons 5-8)
Grammar Test 1/20/12 (If ready)
Vocab Lesson 8 due 1/24/12
Final Vocab Exam 1/26/12
Shelfari report due (Minimum of 1 MHL book reported on this quarter) 1/26/12 by midnight.
Standard Level:
Grammar Test 1/20/12 (If ready)
Final Vocab Exam 1/26/12 (We will do the necessary lessons in class to prepare for this)
Shelfari report due (Minimum of 1 MHL book reported on this quarter) 1/26/12 by midnight.
Here is a brief review of where we are these days:
In quarter 2 we focused on short stories. We read several and took a test on the elements present in short fiction. Next, students worked on writing their own stories. The stories needed to take place in 60 seconds and were based off some pictures I hung in the room. We did planning for these stories and they were checked along the way to be sure they were keeping up with the time-line. For this unit I also implemented some new practices that I learned about during my trip to Indianapolis in November, namely, having students create the criteria on which they would be assessed. Kids determined what should be present in their stories and then used this criteria to reflect on their own writing as well as the writing of a peer. Many kids reported that the peer edit process and criteria setting helped improve their writing, making this new practice worthwhile in my opinion!
Those stories were due on Jan 13th. Only about 10% of kids have not handed them in yet. You can check on your student by looking at powerschool; missing short stories are reflected by an NTI in that column.
This week we are beginning and ending our first grammar unit. We will be working primarily on the 8 parts of speech. There will be a final exam on this either Friday, or Monday, depending on the readiness of the students as determined by some quick assessments.
Here are the important dates for the end of the quarter:
High Level:
Vocab Lesson 7 due 1/19/12 (No quiz on lessons 5-8)
Grammar Test 1/20/12 (If ready)
Vocab Lesson 8 due 1/24/12
Final Vocab Exam 1/26/12
Shelfari report due (Minimum of 1 MHL book reported on this quarter) 1/26/12 by midnight.
Standard Level:
Grammar Test 1/20/12 (If ready)
Final Vocab Exam 1/26/12 (We will do the necessary lessons in class to prepare for this)
Shelfari report due (Minimum of 1 MHL book reported on this quarter) 1/26/12 by midnight.
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