Mrs. Beals

Summer Fun!

Tue, 29 May 2007 20:53:22 -0500

Enjoy your summer, but don't forget to "Journal" and play around with grammar. Both of the web sites below have great information and suggestions for practice. While you are reading, notice how your favorite authors write. What are they doing to keep you interested? How do they create a "picture" for you to see?
Check out these web sites:

Great web site with examples and guidelines for the different types of essays.

Grammar terms, examples, and practice web site

Write away during the last week of school!

Tue, 22 May 2007 09:11:50 -0500

Students will continue to work on their "Image Grammar" projects and refine their paragraph writing. Ask your daughter/son about the 'magic 3'.

Summer reading list has been handed out to students. All rising 8th graders must read the Pearl this summer, and at least two additional books from the list.

Have a wonderful summer.

HOMEWORK:
Read, read, and read

Fabulous Friday!

Fri, 18 May 2007 13:31:04 -0500

We discovered the Magic 3 in writing today and used it in our own sentence creation.
Students continued to work on their Image Grammar projects.

SKILLS:
Identifying parts of speech in real world writing
Selecting descriptive examples of the eight parts of speech
Developing spatial design to present examples
Expanding descriptive vocabulary

HOMEWORK:
Read

Thursday write away!

Thu, 17 May 2007 16:16:25 -0500

Continued to work on daily paragraph writing and the project will continue to fill our time.

SKILLS:
Identifying parts of speech in real world writing
Selecting descriptive examples of the eight parts of speech
Developing spatial design to present examples
Expanding descriptive vocabulary

HOMEWORK:
Read

Thursday write away!

Thu, 17 May 2007 16:16:25 -0500

Continued to work on daily paragraph writing and the project will continue to fill our time.

SKILLS:
Identifying parts of speech in real world writing
Selecting descriptive examples of the eight parts of speech
Developing spatial design to present examples
Expanding descriptive vocabulary

HOMEWORK:
Read

Write Time Tuesday!

Tue, 15 May 2007 10:54:40 -0500

Field Day tomorrow! Have a great day!

HOMEWORK:
Read

Monday's Write Place

Mon, 14 May 2007 15:09:26 -0500

Since I attended an inservice all day Friday in preparation for next year, our substitute teacher helped students use their Writing & Grammar Workbook to review prepositions for their "Image Grammar" project.
Students are transitioning from the last corrections on their expository process essays to collecting examples for their final project. Daily paragraph writing and the project will continue to fill our time these last two weeks of school.

SKILLS:
Identifying parts of speech in real world writing
Selecting descriptive examples of the eight parts of speech
Developing spatial design to present examples
Expanding descriptive vocabulary

HOMEWORK:
Read

Thursday's Write Connection

Thu, 10 May 2007 17:30:44 -0500

A few students are finishing their last corrections to their essays. Students who have completed their last set of corrections have started working on the "Image Grammar" project. This is a creative opportunity to review the parts of speech, increase descriptive vocabulary and improve written expression. Since we still have a great deal of writing to practice, improve, and explore, we will be very busy (up to the very last minute of school). Write-On!

HOMEWORK:
Read

Write Track Tuesday

Tue, 08 May 2007 15:57:49 -0500

The presentations have helped students notice rough spots in their essays; therefore, students will continue to finish their final revising/editing tomorrow. Today we finished most presentations and enjoyed DEAR time.

HOMEWORK:
Read
Bring in THROW-AWAY gardening, cooking, sport, and outdoor magazines for the project - Thank you!

Monday's Write Place

Mon, 07 May 2007 17:20:32 -0500

Students began presenting their essays. As students read their essays, another student followed the directions to accomplish the task or skill. Most presentations went very well, and third period especially enjoyed the popcorn.
Students marked parts in their essays that needed clarification, and most will continue to revise and edit their essays for another day or two.
We will be starting an "Image Grammar" projects and be working on paragraph organization until the end of the year.

SKILLS:
Researching facts for introductory paragraph
Writing steps to teach a process
Developing graphic organizer - web
Writing thesis statement
Writing middle paragraphs of rough draft
Adding transition words to steps
Writing introductory and concluding paragraphs of rough draft
Adding topic sentences
Adding clincher sentences
Revise/edit/revise/edit

HOMEWORK:
Read
If you did not present today - bring materials needed to teach your lesson tomorrow.
Bring in THROW-AWAY sport and outdoor magazines for the project - Thank you!

Fabulous Friday

Fri, 04 May 2007 16:09:20 -0500

Several students continued writing or revising their rough drafts; some have turned in their copies for editing/grading.

HOMEWORK:
Read
We start presentations on Monday - bring materials needed to teach your lesson. It should be great fun!

Thursday - Write Away!

Thu, 03 May 2007 18:11:07 -0500

Students continued writing or revising their rough drafts, focusing on topic and clincher sentences for each paragraph. Introductory and concluding paragraphs also received extra attention.

HOMEWORK:
Read
Revise rough draft - topic and clincher sentences for each paragraph.

Wednesday's Write Place

Wed, 02 May 2007 13:08:06 -0500

As students finished writing their rough drafts they began to focus on topic and clincher sentences for each paragraph. Introductory and concluding paragraphs also received extra attention.

HOMEWORK:
Read
Finish your rough draft and begin revising.

Tuesday's "Write Stuff Publishing"

Tue, 01 May 2007 12:29:42 -0500

Second period: Students who began their middle paragraphs last night for homework continued to write the middle paragraphs. Those who finished their homework last night began their introductory and concluding paragraphs of their rough drafts.

Third period: Students finished their pre-writing activities, graphic organizer/web and thesis statement. Several students began their middle paragraphs last night for homework and were able to continue writing the middle paragraphs of their rough drafts. Those who did not complete their homework assignment started their middle paragraphs in class and will need to write all of their rough draft tonight.

SKILLS:
Researching facts for introductory paragraph
Writing steps to teach a process
Developing graphic organizer - web
Writing thesis statement
Writing middle paragraphs of rough draft
Writing introductory and concluding paragraphs of rough draft
Adding topic sentences

HOMEWORK:
Read
Finish all paragraphs (4-5) of your rough draft.

Monday's Write Source

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:00:19 -0500

Today some students worked on finishing their pre-writing activities (each student is working at a different point in completing and checking off the pre-writing steps) while others were able to begin the middle paragraphs of their rough drafts.

SKILLS:
Researching facts for introductory paragraph
Writing steps to teach process
Developing graphic organizer - web
Writing thesis statement
Writing middle paragraphs of rough draft

HOMEWORK:
Read
Write "materials and equipment" paragraph and "steps" paragraph(s) DOUBLE SPACE and use your web and sticky notes.