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December 17, 2006
What is up for this week:
This is a 4-day week; winter holidays begin on Friday and you will resume school on January 8, 2007.
Block Parties will be on Thursday. PTSA will have soft drinks and snacks available for those who would like to purchase.
Please be prepared if you are interested in purchasing drinks or snacks.
NOTE:
I will not be giving permission to make phone calls home to have money brought to school for this event; you need to plan ahead and be prepared.
Parent Note:
Recently, there have been a number of classroom interruptions in which students leave the classroom to pick up forgotten items at the office. Please encourage your child to plan ahead and assume responsibility for the items they should have with them; interruptions interfere with classroom instruction. Please join me in encouraging students to think and plan ahead as they assume age- appropriate responsibility.
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For this week, the homework and class work assignments are as follows:
NOTE: You are to carefully fill out your agendas and make notations of any important changes. Keeping a calendar and writing "Things To-Do" is an important life skill. Agenda notes have priority over blog notes which may have been written in advance.
Monday:
Spelling~Plus:
Due on Wednesday and will be your first homework assignment grade for the new nine weeks.
Compose a baker's dozen sentences using the words found in your spelling book from lessons #11 and #12. Each sentence should be a complex sentence or compound-complex sentence; include two or more sentences in each sentence and underline each.
If you do not recall exactly how to write complex sentence or compound-complex sentences from our class discussion then use your research talents and investigate online sources and/or your Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar textbook.
SPECIAL NOTE:
If you have carefully followed directions, you have a grammar text and a spelling workbook at home; these stay at home until the last few weeks of school).
Formatting: MLA heading, neat and legible handwriting, underline each spelling word.
Special Challenge:
Rather than writing JUST sentences, try your hand at writing a story. As long as you have 13 compound~complex sentences with two spelling words in each, you may insert other sentences, dialogue to make your prose flow with ease.
There will be a spelling quiz on Thursday. Reminder: this is the day before the winter holiday and it is a regular day. Attendance is important.
There will be a morning make~up on Tuesday for this quiz. See me on January 8 for a morning pass if you miss the Thursday quiz.
Monday:
Discussion Topic:
Complex sentences and compound~complex sentences.
CRCT Practice Review Sheet & discussion
Writing Assignment:
Complete persuasive essay. You have written your web and first draft.
On Monday you write your final copy using the 8th grade writing test paper.
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
The first day of the winter holidays.
Best Wishes to You and Your Family!
Play safe; make good choices!
Mrs. Worthington
Posted by Worthington at 06:10 AM
December 11, 2006
Thank you for visiting your language arts blog!
This week you will be working on your "Response to Literature Packet" for you Dream Series book. Your packet should be completed by Tuesday.
You should have your "Meaningful Quotes Mini-Posters" completed for class Monday.
Have you given your parents the information about our
"Wednesday Book~Chat?"
Homework Assignments . . .
Monday: Edit your Response to Literature Folder and make sure all questions are answered. Due Tuesday/tomorrow.
Tuesday: Bring your Book~Chat book with you to class. Your Response to Literature Folder will be turned in at the end of class.
Wednesday: Book~Chat is today.
Thursday:
Friday:
Posted by Worthington at 06:24 AM
December 04, 2006
This week we will be using the Write Source book.
Writing: Persuasive writing is the focus for this week and next week. You will consider a topic for writing that has different view points: you will select from a science or social studies topic. We will begin discussing topic considerations in class and you will finalize your choice by Thursday.
Literature: Allegory as a genre will be discussed; the book Terrible Things by Eve Bunting will be read aloud, and you will write a response to literature for your portfolio. Responses to this literature selection will be read aloud during class.
Reading: You are reading your Dream Series book and considering the questions that will be discussed at the book chat on December 13. The Mabry book store has extended its time to 9:30 A.M. for your convenience.
Punctuation: This week the focus for punctuation will be on commas. By the end of the week you should be very knowledgeable about how to use commas to make your writing clear.
Sites to See:
- Comma Rules: A Visit to the OWL Perdue Writing Lab
- OWL at Perdue: A University Writing Lab
Monday:
- Read for 20+ minutes and have a parent sign for verification.
- Create a mini-poster for comma usage and share tomorrow during class.
Tuesday:
- Read for 20-30+ minutes and a parent sign for verification.
- Make arrangements for completing your Dream Series reading.
- Study for your Daily Oral Language Quiz on Friday.
- Spelling Lessons 10 and 11; begin to study for quiz on Monday (Lsn. 10 is even and Lsn. 11 is odd)
Wednesday:
Posted by Worthington at 08:47 AM
