Terra Mahre

Week of Jan. 30th

HOMEWORK:PERIOD ONE: Noun practice sheet due 1/31. Study for noun test retake on 2/1. Work on "This I Believe Persuasive speech due 2/3. We will work on the speech in class, but students must be ready to present by 2/6.

PERIODS 2,3,4: All students should complete the "I Have a Dream" analysis sheet and the evaluation paragraphs due 1/31. Noun practice sheet is due 1/31, and Noun Test is 2/1.

CONGRATULATIONS to our student essay winners: Amanda Charleston First Place, and Sierra Prewitt Second Place in the VFW Patriot's Pen essay contest. These two essays earned recognition as well as prize money for these two talented writers. THANK YOU!!!!!!

Please check Pinnacle at least once each week. Students can also practice language arts using the USA Testprep.com. All students are assigned a test/game each week until CRCT testing is finished.

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Period One is focused on persuasive writing this week. All students have two handouts and a speech assignment to complete by 2/6.

Periods 2,3,4 are focused on our theme of "Embracing the Dream." Students are completing analysis of informational primary sources, and this week we will continue to evaluate a hisitorical piece with notes and a shared inquiry discussion during class.

 

USA Test Prep Assignment

USA Test Prep Link

All ELA students are required to complete ONE test, practice, or game per week with a score of 80+. The student must select the teacher as me, Mrs. Mahre, to obtain credit. Each student may complete ANY extra practice as they wish, but I will only give credit for English Language Arts practice.

Students who do not have home access are asked to use the computer in homeroom or ask me to use the computer in class when their assignments are already finished.

Week of Jan 23

HOMEWORK:   USA TestPrep

 Period One- DGP Test on 1/24, and a NOUN retest on 2/1. Please complete your practice handout 2 by 1/30. Syudy Week 18 for the DGP Test.  Reader's Notebooks will be collected 2/8.

Period One is examining informational text with biography example stories and writing persuasively with a THIS I BELIEVE speech.

Period 2,3,4: DGP Test on 1/24. The Noun Test will be on 2/1. Noun Organizer is also due tomorrow, but you can complete it in class after the test. Reader's Notebooks are due on 2/8.

All students are examining and analyzing informational text. We took part in a simulation activity in the computer lab, applying concise writing of a Postcard, and adding three journal entries about the simulation into our Reader's Notebook.

Tuesday students will continue analyzing primary source text with the DREAM examples.Students will have a choice of three different evaluation assignments. Due date to follow.

Simulation links Jan. 23-25

Ellis Island Powerpoint: Read all slides and inspect/ evaluate all visuals as you work through this presentation. Download Ellis ONE

Go to this link and follow all the directions to explore the life of an immigrant to America.

Immigration to America: as you explore and read through this website all students must create their own persona, then add diary journals in first person narrative form.

Add mood and tone to your diary entries. This requires sensory details, era language/word choice, and dialogue.

ALL students: You will add three "hamburger" GO Blue" journal paragraphs to your Reader's Notebook. You may choose three of the five topics: Describe the boat trip, describe Ellis Island, describe your first experiences in New York, describe the job you now have, describe your apartment and living conditions, describe the foods available at this time.

Follow the journals with either a postcard, or a friendly letter. Print to turn in. Use your best word choice and concrete nouns. Use the terminology/ words of the era.

Week of January 17th

HOMEWORK:

Period One: Complete the noun handout/both sides. Study for the DGP Test on 1/24. Study for the noun re-take on 2/1.

Periods 2,3,4: Complete the noun handout/both sides due 1/19.Complete the noun graphic organizer by 1/24. Study for DGP Test on 1/24. Study for the noun test on 2/1.

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Students have begun to use informational text. Students will be completing graphic organizers and completing a discussion about the parts of informational text. All students will be given a list of vocabulary with the I Have A Dream graphic organizer.

The DGP Test is on Week 18. All students have the notes on the sentence from last week.

The noun test is on jobs/cases of nouns, types of nouns, possessive nouns, and plural nouns. Students have their DGP notes and a handout to complete and study. The textbook also has the information online in textbook form. Ask your student to access the textbook online and show you the resource pages for nouns.

January 10th

Welcome back from the break. I hope you had a restful vacation.

HOMEWORK:

 PERIOD ONE: Embracing the Dream interview and three paragraphs due 1/11.DGP test will be on January 24th on Week 18 notes. Study your notes.

PERIODS 2,3,4: Embracing the Dream interview due 1/11. This requirement is three paragraphs. The next DGP Test will be on Jan. 24th on WEEK 18 notes. Study and recopy your notes. 

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This next few days will be focused on preparing the students for the Georgia Middle Grades Writing practice test on Jan 18th. ALL students will review the important elements of the test, including: prompts, prewrite, paragraph form, style, structure of the four/five paragraph essay, elements of the essay.

Students will visit the computer lab on Thursday and Friday to edit and upload their published pieces.

Students will ALL participate in the Georgia Middle Grades Writing Assessment practice tese on 1/18.

 

December 19th

HOMEWORK: Period One: Students need to study their nouns for a noun test on 12/21. All Reader's Notebooks are due on 12/20.

Periods 2,3,4. PLEASE check Pinnacle. All 50's can be turned in late for a 70.

All Reader's notebooks are due 12/20. All Spelling Center assignments are due 12/22. Parody Projects will be presented on 12/22. The work can be done in class for the parody groups.

Spelling Test on 15 of the 30 spelling words will be on 12/22.

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Period One students are beginning persuasive elements with the elements of argument, various sample stories, and a Philosophical Chairs discussion on our topic, " Should Exotic Pets be kept as Pets?"

Textbook pages 900-907.

Download Persuasive Unit 2011

Period 2,3,4 are culminating their "Blast From the Past" unit with a group project writing a parody and focusing on the three types of irony already discussed and noted last week.

Download Parody2011

Download PerspectiveLns6irony[1]

December 12

HOMEWORK

PERIOD One: DGP Test on Week 15 Weds. 12/14. Recopy the DGP notes to practice.

Focus on nouns with the graphic organizer and practice handout due 12/14.

Reader's Notebook due 12/20.

PERIODS 2,3,4.  DGP Test on 12/14. This test focuses on sentence Week 15. Reader's Notebook due 12/20. Reader's Notebook due 12/20. Parody presentation due 12/21.

ALL COMPARE/CONTRAST Essays are due on 12/12.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Period One: Students are beginning to learn the elements of persuasion, and they will also have a focus on nouns and their jobs in grammar. Students will have a homework assignment on persuasion in advertisements on 12/15.

Period 2,3,4: These classes will focus on a spelling unit with anchor/center assignments for spelling practice. These classes will complete their last writing assignment for foklore using parody, irony, and the plot line to write a different perspective of a folklore/fFairytale of their choice. Students can work independently or in a small group to write the plot line, and present the story with a skit( with background), powerpoint or written/ read aloud illustrated  storybook. Due 12/21.

Download Parody2011

Week of December 5th

HOMEWORK

Period One: Students need to work to submit any make up work prior to December 20th. DGP Test on Weds. 12/14. This will be a test on Week 15, [the smiths often hike in yosemite national forest]. Pkease ask your student to recopy their notes and study.

Reader's Notebooks are due again 12/20. This is a writer's toolkit and journals.

Periods 2.3.4:Compare/contrast process essay will be due on Friday, 12/09. Turn in all rubric,  pre-writes, draft with expository elements labeled, and your final copy.

 DGP Test on 12/14. This will be over Week 15,[the smiths often hike in yosemite national park].STUDY by recopying your notes.

Reader's Notebooks due on 12/20. This is an additional toolkit as well as journals.

Spelling Test on 12/22 from the "Three Centers" in class.

Students will be working on three station activities focusing on spelling rules/assignments. We will have a spelling test with 25 words on 12/22.

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Compare/contrast

Week of 11/28

Welcome back from Thanksgiving Break. Progress Reports will go out on Weds. 11/30. Please check the student agenda at least weekly, and parents who sign daily  will earn the student Palmer Dollars.

HOMEWORK: Period One: ALL descriptive expository essays are due on 11/29.

Expository Essay Vocabulary Test on Thursday 12/1. Students have a pre-test study guide for the test.( Students will work on the Greek Roots choice assignment during class. Due 12/2.

HOMEWORK Periods 2,3,4. Turn in all LATE Greek Choice Assignments.

AC students worked on an expository structures group assignment on Monday. Students will take Cornell Notes on Compare/comtrast structure on Tuesday, and follow that with an example prior to writing their own compare/contrast essay on two characters of this theme," Blast From The Past."