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Email: Lisa.Bijit@cobbk12.org 
           (the fastest and easiest way to contact me)

  Voicemail: 770-591-5020 Extention 503
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The last day of school is May 23rd.
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Writer

Language Arts is a writing class. We cover grammar, but each grammar unit will have a writing assignment to put the grammar concept into practice.

I encourage my students to brainstorm ideas with each other as they write and to let me read over what they write as they complete each paragraph.

I rarely give homework. I have time built into the class period for students to complete their work. If a student does not use class time wisely, they are to complete classwork at home that evening and turn it in at the beginning of class the following day. I will deduct points for every day the work is late.

Points will be taken off the student's behavior card in his/her agenda when the student interrupts instruction. I give several warnings before taking points off.  No No No

















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Digital Story Project

There will be three grades for the digital story project.

Prewriting - needs to include theme (2 to 3 sentences summarizing the story), characterization (an explanation of how the main character(s)' personality contributes to the plot of the story), plot (an explanation of the main events in the story), conflict (an explanation of the main conflict in the story).

Storyboard - an outline of the pictures and text that will be used in the digital story. I will give the students a large white sheet of construction paper for this activity. They will need to have an idea of the pictures to download for the project.

Moviemaker - Students will be graded on how well they told the story, the timing of the slides, and the music used.

Technology Requirement

11_9_10_2 The state has new technology requirements for our students. When they reach 8th grade, they will be taking a test on their knowledge of basic technology applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, and Moviemaker. After CRCT, we will be working on short story narratives. I thought this would be a good time to teach the students Moviemaker. If you have Windows XP or Vista, you should have Moviemaker on your computer. Each student chose a short story to illustrate. In order for them to work on this project at home, they will need access to a flash drive. None of the new computers in Cobb County take diskettes. Your child will need a flash drive through middle school, high school, and college. A few of my students who bought new flash drives paid $15 for 2 gigabytes (Walmart). You can also find them at local drugstores. If you have an extra laying around the house that will be fine.

For the project, your child will need pictures that will illustrate their short story and a school appropriate song for the background. I have one of the computer labs the first full week in May. The project must be completed by May 9th which is the end of our time in the lab. Sixth grade has Field Day on Thursday, May 8th. That only leaves us four days in the lab.

Mystery Clues

Clues

Mr. Roylott - has a reputation for violence, has exotic pets (leopard, baboon), a doctor in India, married into money, keeps $ as long as Helen and/or Julia live with him, doesn't allow visitors to his home, leaves with gypies for days, came out of his own bedroom when Julia died, one marriage would have bankrupted him.

Helen - getting married in 2 weeks, afraid of Julia's room, hears a whistle while in Julia's room (Holmes asked if it was metallic, she said she thought so), locked windows/doors every night because of the animals, bailed Roylott out when he attacked the blacksmith.

Julia - died at 30 just 2 weeks before her marriage, complained of whistling waking her up at 3 am before she died, her last words were, "It was a speckled band." Coroner did not find marks of violence or poison, new rope with no bell, vent went another room, leopard pawprint outside of bedroom.

Gypsies - known for stealing, band of gypsies wore "speckled" handkerchief around their necks.

More clues from Roylott's bedroom - saucer of milk but no cat, leash but no dog (leash had noose tied on one end), Julia's bed bolted to the floor.

Task: using the clues above, predict who or what committed the crime.  Refer to the clues when stating your conclusion. This is informal. I just need one paragraph - 5 lines or so.

CRCT Countdown

Yahomework One day per week we will go over a practice test for the CRCT. I'll have the students take the test (or part of the test) then we'll go over the answers in class. I want the students to take notes on test taking skills as we discuss them in class. Below are the practice tests we've gone over so far. The answer key is included at the end of the document. As the CRCT nears, you might want to go over these questions with your child.

CRCT Cheat Sheet: Download crct_cheat_sheet.doc

The first Language Arts practice test Download test1.doc

The Reading practice test Download test5.doc

Language Arts second practice test Download test2.doc

Language Arts third practice test Download test3.doc

Language Arts fourth practice test Download test4.doc

Response to Literature Writing Assignment

DUE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19

The response to literature should talk about why the author decided on the literary elements he put into the story. It should not be a summary of what happened in the story.

Structure

First paragraph - Introductory (setting and mood of the story)

Second paragraph - characterization (WHY did the author make the eldest brother smart? Why did the author make the second eldest brother strong? What was he trying to say about those characteristics in relation to the theme?) Write about :

  • the king
    the wizard
    the cobbler
    each of the three brothers

Third paragraph - conflict. Tell which type of conflict it is using the literary terms given out in class Download literary_terms.doc . Then discuss how the conflict was resolved. How does this fit into the theme of the story?

Fourth paragraph - theme. What is the moral of the story - what was the author trying to teach the reader?

Fifth - opinion. Did you think this was a good story? What was your favorite part? What questions did you have about the story after you read it? Did you learn anything from the story?

Subordinating Conjunction Song

Expository Essay - Problem/Solution

Due Monday, March 3rd

23_3_77_2 DOWNLOADS

Essay Structure: Download writing_format.doc

Topics: Download topics_for_problem.doc

Gates Foundation Report on High School Drop Outs: Download TheSilentEpidemic3-06FINAL.pdf

MetLife Report on High School Drop Outs: Download highcost1.pdf

Overpopulation Links: http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/kas/kas_01overpopulation.html

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/eye/overpopulation/overpopulation.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/3560433.stm

Download un_population_bomb.doc

Obesity Links:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obesity/DS00314/DSECTION=2

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm

http://www.healthiergeneration.org/default.aspx

Transitions for Compare/Contrast Essay

Transitions for Compare/Contrast Essay

Transitions for Similarity
similarly
likewise
equally
in the same way
in addition
also
too

Transitions for Contrast
but
however
on the contrary
on the other hand
while
whereas
in contrast

Structure for Compare/Contrast Essay

Topic: Compare and contrast Aztec and Mayan cultures

First paragraph - hook and thesis statement (hook and thesis should be more than one sentence)

Second paragraph - Major cities in Aztec/Mayan culture

Third paragraph - Societal similarities and differences

Fourth paragraph - Religious similarities and differences

Fifth paragraph - Concluding

Mayan Notes

Pok-a-Tok is a game similar to soccer that Mayans played to the death.

The Maya deserted their cities because they didn't have enough resources to sustain themselves as a civilization.

A Catholic priest burned the Mayan history and religious text to force them into Christianity.

The Mayans knowledge of astronomy was so accurate that they could predict eclipses and other astronomical events within 33 seconds.

Mayans predicted the end of this world to be December 23, 2012.

They believed that the soul resides in the blood, therefore, if you give some of your blood in sacrifice to a god that is the highest honor. This practice made it easier for them to except Christianity because of the talk of the "Blood of Christ."

Cenotes were wells were the Mayans would throw tributes of gold and jade to the gods. A sacred well in Chichen Itza had skeletons of sacrificial volunteers. They believed that well sacrifice led them directly to heaven.

We're losing the Mayan culture because acid rain is wearing away the building facades (outsides). Also looters are taking pieces of the building to sell to tourists.

Tikal was the largest city in the Mayan empire (200,000 citizens). The Mayans had city-states each with a ruler. They fought with other city-states in their area, but preferred not to war until necessary.

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