Week of January 29, 2007
Greetings all you girls and guys in
634, 734 & 834. This week begins the third marking period for this school year, and we are well into our genre studies.
634, you have begun to think about the issue for your proposal. This week, you will clarify the problem and describe its seriousness in a convincing way.
734, you will continue writing your draft for your nonfiction book, keeping in mind its organization and its clarity.
834, you will continue writing your draft for your journalistic feature article, keeping in mind the '\"It says.../ So I'm thinking..." strategy.
Ms. Ostapak is still out of the building grading ELA tests, and we miss her. However, I do speak with her everyday about how everyone is doing. Homework is as follows:
2/2/07634: On loose leaf, write down who you might interview. List at least 3 questions you might ask.
734: Finish your nonfiction children's book draft in your Writer's Source Book.
834: Complete your first draft of your JFA in your Writer's Source Book.
2/1/07634: In Writer's Source Book make an entry entitled: "Brainstorming for My Audience" for your issue.
734: Draft subtopic # 4 in Writer's Source Book.
834: Revise interview in Writer's Source Book.
1/31/07634: Continue research on your issue.
734: Write draft for subtopic #3 in your Writer's Source Book.
834: Complete Interview draft in your Writer's Source Book.
1/30/07634: Complete "Explaining My Issue" in Writer's Source Book. Begin to research your issue.
734: Finish drafting subtopic #2 in your Writer's Source Book.
834: Complete drafting subtopic # 2 in Writer's Source Book.
1/29/07634: Finish introduction revision in Writer's Source Book. Rewrite your introduction on loose leaf, labeling the paper "Introduction -Draft #2."
734: Finish draft for subtopic #1 (Chapter 1) in your Writer's Source Book.
834: Complete draft for subheading #1 in your Writer's Source Book.
Posted by Mrs. Varga at 7:38 AM
Week of 1/22/07
Greetings all you girls and guys in
634, 734, & 834. With the ELA tests behind us, we are going on with our genre studies.
634, you have begun the Persuasive Writing Genre. This week we will be reading about and exploring local, national, and international issues.
734, you are continuing to organize and research for your Children's Nonfiction Book.
834, you are continuing to do research for your Journalistic Feature Article. Homework is as follows:
1/26/07634: Revise your "Issue" entry in your Writer's Source Book. State the issue clearly while engaging the reader.
734: Continue your research for your children's nonfiction book. Draft your introduction in Writer's Source Book. Begin to draft your book, keeping in mind the organization.
834: Complete the JFA Organizational sheet and the Interview sheet. Continue to research and draft your article.
1/25/07634: In Writer's Source Book, make an entry entitled: "Topics for Debate." Brainstorm for other topics that you would like to debate in class - like the uniform debate we had today. Read in your independent book!
734: Continue research. Complete organization sheet.
834: In Writer's Source Book, add at least 5 details from your research that you plan to use, to your "IT SAYS/SO I'M THINKING" chart, and respond to each detail under the 'I'M THINKING' column.
1/24/07634: Bring in another newspaper article about a local issue. Summarize it on loose leaf.
734: Continue research. Highlight and paraphrase. Complete 'Vocabulary' entry for your children's nonfiction book.
834: Continue to highlight research. Write subheading in margin next to highlighted detail.
1/23/07634: Complete a Persuasive Map on one of the issues discussed in class.
734: Continue your children's nonfiction research. Draft a possible beginning for it in your Writer's Source Book, under the entry "Drafting My Beginning," in the Children's Nonfiction Table of Contents.
834: Continue your research. In your Writer's Source Book, under the entry, "Beginning my JFA Draft" in the Journalist Feature Writing Table of Contents. (To help you get started, fill in the blank first -"Since my angle is ____________, I might begin my JFA like this:...")
1/22/07634: In your Writer's Source Book, do a quickwrite stating the problem and solution for a different issue. Add your new problem and solution to the chart we started in class.
734: Complete paraphrasing in your Writer's Source Book.
834: Continue your research. Also, in your Writer's Source Book, make an entry entitled:
"Interviewing for MY JFA." Brainstorm for who you might be able to interview for your JFA, by making a list of at least 3 different people. Brainstorm for at least 3 different questions you might ask in the interview.
Posted by Mrs. Varga at 10:11 AM
Week of January 16, 2007
Greetings all you girls and guys in
634, 734, & 834. We will be taking the ELA test for most of this week. Remember to use the test strategies we've worked on. If you do your best, feel proud. Come to school well rested and prepared with a Number 2 pencil. If you are used to using a highlighter as you read, you should bring one to school and use it on the test as well. Homework is as follows:
1/19/07634: Read a newspaper article about a local, national, or international issue. Write a short summary of it on loose leaf, and be prepared to share it in class. In your Writer's Source Book, do a quickwrite about an issue in your neighborhood or school. Also, brainstorm for other issues in your community using a web format like we did in class.
734: Complete the book layout of your nonfiction book. Continue to read and collect your research.
834: Final draft of your proposal letter is due. Continue to read and collect information for your Journalistic Feature Article.
1/18/07634: Complete the Persuasion Map on 'Mammal Captivity.'
734: Read over more research. Mark 5 paragraphs with 'X' or '?' depending on whether you understand the paragraph or not. Write what specifically is holding you back from understanding the paragraph(s) in the margin.
834: Revise/edit your proposal letter in your Writer's Source Book.
1/17/07634: ELA Test; no homework. Come to school well rested and prepared for Day 3 of ELA Test.
734: Continue to collect and organize your research. Read over some of your research and mark 5 paragraphs with an 'X' or '?'. On the margin, write what is holding you back from understanding a paragraph with a '?'.
834: Complete JFA graphic organizer. Continue to collect and organize research for your Journalistic Feature Article.
1/16/07634: ELA Test; no homework. Come to school well rested and prepared.
734: ELA Test; no homework. Come to school well rested and prepared
834: ELA Test; no homework. Come to school well rested and prepared.
Posted by Mrs. Varga at 11:08 AM
Week of 1/8/07
Greetings all you girls & guys in
634, 734, and
834. We are "rolling up our sleeves" ( an idiom) and analyzing test questions and responses. We are using the reading strategies for all kinds of reading genre. Remember that the
ELA Test takes place on
Tuesday 1/16/07 - Thursday, 1/18/07. Homework is as follows:
1/12/07634: Correct errors in Book 1; review Book 2 format and tasks. Come to school well rested and prepared with Number 2 pencils for ELA test.
734: Review errors in Grade 7 booklet. Finish editing packet. Come to school well rested and prepared with Number 2 pencils.
834: Review Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3 tasks and format. Correct remaining errors. Come to school well rested and prepared with Number 2 pencils.
1/11/07634:RAI Selections #1,2,3
734:Reading Packet #3; Editing packet and Double Negative sheet
834: Correct Book 1 errors
1/10/07634: Correct Yellow booklet
734: Packet Selections #1 and #2.
834: Finish Book #2 using your "Mona Lisa" notes.
1/9/07634: Correct your errors on "The Little Umbrella" test. Revise fable test on loose leaf or post-its.
734: Complete editing selections 1-3. Finish packet #6-10.
834: Write 3 multiple choice questions for "Avian Flu." Complete or correct the nonfiction packet.
1/8/07634: Correct errors in your green booklet on loose leaf. Write the strategy you used to correct your errors.
734 & 834: Complete packet.
Posted by Mrs. Varga at 3:53 PM
Week of 1/2/07
Greetings, Happy New Year and welcome back to all you girls & guys in 634, 734, and 834. We are working on reading and writing strategies and applying them to all kinds of genre. Your homework is as follows:
1/5/07634: Finish packet by Monday. Continue on the same sheet of loose leaf.
734: Packet selections #8 & 9.
834: Complete nonfiction packet by Monday.
1/4/07634: Packet: Read first two selections and answer Questions 1 -10 ON LOOSE LEAF.
734: Packet -Selection #7
834: Nonfiction packet-next selection. (Finish packet by Monday.)
1/3/07634: Write about lesson from one of today's fables that could be applied to a real life situation today.
734: Homework Packet #6.
834: Homework Packet "Time & Beyond"
1/2/07634, 734 & 834: Use your notes from class to answer the following questions in your Writer's Source Book: 1. Describe Sojourner Truth's good qualities. 2. What obstacles did she have to overcome? (Your entry should be: Responding to "Sojourner Truth.")
834: Read the next selection in your reading packet.
Posted by Mrs. Varga at 11:42 AM
