Best of Luck in High School!

I wish all my 8th graders from last year the best of luck in high school. Make me proud! I will not be using this same blog for my next group, but will leave this up for a few more weeks.

What Did we Do in Class? - 2/22/11

Today in class we did the following:

* Read from Warriors Don't Cry
* Took a pretest on Story Elements
* Discussed Mock Trial Rules & Expectations
* Mock Trial
* Mock Trial Wrap Up Assignment
* Independent Reading Time

Bill of Rights Video

Heart Map Suggestions

If you are having trouble deciding how to create your heart map - here are some I found using google images:

What did we do in class today?

* Language Arts:
- Warm Up: Every Day Edit
- Book Talk
- Persuasion Mini Lesson
- Persuasion Group Activity
(We are beginning our work on persuasive writing to help students prepare to write their CBA in February.)

LA Homework:
- Finish Heart Maps - DUE TOMORROW!
- Read!

* Social Studies:
- Notes & Discussion: The Bill of Rights

SS Homework:
None

Tips for Writing Found Poetry

Choose a piece of writing that isn't yours. You may be happiest with your results if you choose something that doesn't seem poetic at all. A very old letter, an obsolete set of instructions for technology that no longer exists, a page of advertising copy, a biographical essay, or a news account can all have interesting words and phrases.

Study the text. Look for words and phrases that catch your eye, or that seem to contradict each other if you take them out of context. Look for repeated words and see what the text is trying to emphasize.

Select words and phrases from the text, and begin to arrange them on your own page. Try to keep them in order, even if you are leaving out phrases or sentences in between.

Look for poetic interest in these words. Look for ways to cut and arrange them to point out contrasting ideas or contradictions. Look for images that they provide. Select phrases that unintentionally rhyme, if you choose.

The resulting arrangement of these words is your "found poem." Ideally, it should convey its own meaning to a reader, a meaning probably not intended by the original writer of the letter, instructions, or article. If you can make an arrangement that has a meaning about life, love, ageing, wisdom, or any of the other eternal themes of poetry, you've made a pretty fine "found poem."

Read more: How to Write a "Found Poem" | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2173270_write-found-poem.html#ixzz1BXD64T00

The Preamble of the US Constitution

What did we do in class on Wed. Jan. 19th?

Language Arts:

- Reviewed finding reference sources
- Mrs. Chapman shared 10 books she read in 2010 that may interest students
- Worked on "I Have a Dream" speech found poetry (Due Monday, January 24th - MUST BE TYPED!)
** If students need help with this assignment - please see me as soon as possible.**

LA Homework:
- READ! Book project requirements will be handed out in class on 1/24. These projects will take the place of reading logs.
- Finish found poem if needed

Social Studies:
- Library Time/Independent Reading
- Reviewed Articles 1-3 of the Constitution

SS Homework:
- None

Created Equal Work

Here are the questions for the Created Equal assignment:

Created Equal Readings and Activities

Part 1: The Declaration: What’s In It For Me? (Pages 2-3)

1. List three important dates from the timeline.
2. What are some of the ways the Declaration of Independence affects you? (list at least 2 ways)
3. Why was the Declaration of Independence written?
4. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
5. How long did it take to write the Declaration of Independence?
6. What are the Dunlap Broadsides?
7. How many copies of the Declaration of Independence exist?
8. What would have happened to the men who signed the Declaration if the colonists lost the war?
9. When was a copy of the Declaration sent to King George III?
10. Why is it important for you to understand the Declaration?

Part 2: Created Equal (Page 4-5)

11. Why is there no mention of slaves in the Declaration?
12. Why do you think women were left out of the document?
13. Why do you think Native Americans were left out of the document?
14. What did Abraham Lincoln use the Declaration to do?
15. Who is Elizabeth Cady Stanton?
16. What do Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X, and Cesar Chavez have in common?
17. What are some ways we should be equal?
18. Describe the US population in 1776.
19. How does the young population in the US today compare to the adult population?
20. List two important historical figures who have referenced the Declaration.
21. List two other nations that have Declarations of Independence.
22. Why do you think Thomas Jefferson had several drafts of the Declaration?

Part 3: A Revolutionary Idea (Page 6-7)

23. What is the difference between alienable and unalienable rights?
24. When should you receive your rights?
25. Do you think all people in the US have rights today? Why or why not?
26. What do you think it means to have the right to life?
27. What do you think it means to have the right to liberty?
28. What do you think it means to have the right to the pursuit of happiness?
29. Where did Jefferson get the idea to include the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
30. Why do you think people use other sources in their writing?
31. Do you think kids should be punished for making political statements with their clothing? In other words, does the school have a right to suspend you for wearing a shirt that is against war? Why or why not?

32. Should freedom of speech ever be restricted OR should Americans always have this right? Explain your thinking.
33. List two things that you would not be willing to tolerate and would fight to change.

Part 4: And Justice For All (Pages 8-9)

34. How many grievances do the colonists list against the King?
35. How do you think the Declaration changed the world?
36. What was the purpose of the Constitution?
37. What was the first televised trial court?
38. Do you think people get a fair trial on tv? Explain your thinking.
39. Why do you think teens don’t always have the same rights as adults?
40. How do youth courts work?
41. Do you think youth courts are a good idea?

Part 5: The Ongoing Struggle for Freedom (Pages 10-11)

42. Would you be willing to risk your life for freedom? Why or why not?
43. Why do you think hate crimes still occur?
44. Why do you think if the Declaration was written in 1776 that in 2010 we haven’t achieved all of the goals listed in the document?
45. Summarize the Michael Fey crime and consequence.
46. Do you think Michael’s punishment was fair? Why or why not?
47. Why would the punishment given to Michael not happen in the United States?
48. How did Craig Kielburger make a difference?
49. What could you do to make a difference in your community?
50. What is one reason immigrants would choose to leave the US and return to their native country?

Part 6: Risking it All (Page 12)

51. How do Benjamin Franklin’s quote and the snake political cartoon go together?
52. What would you be willing to risk your life for? Explain your thinking.

Part 7: Voting FAQ (Page 13)

53. What are the requirements to vote in a US election?
54. Do you think the voting requirements are fair? Why or why not?
55. How often do federal elections take place in the US?
56. Is Election Day always the same day? Why or why not?
57. When is the next presidential election?
58. What can you do until you turn 18 to engage in the political process?

Part 8: It’s Up To You (Page 14)

59. Summarize the main idea of this passage.

Ready to Get Back to Work???

I hope everyone enjoyed their extra long Thanksgiving Break. We have a lot of work to do between now and winter break so come prepared to work hard and learn a lot!


As many of you know this is my first winter in the Pacific Northwest. It has been an interesting introduction. The snow was a huge shock as I have never lived anywhere where it snowed that much or this early! I also got a huge dose of snow due to my commute. I left the middle school at 3 pm on Monday afternoon and did not arrive at my home until 8:15 pm. The driving conditions were quite scary in parts and so many roads were closed! 

Celebrities Read the Declaration of Independence

Language Arts & Social Studies - Tues. Nov. 16

Language Arts:

1. Skill Work - Seed Questions vs. Tree Questions

2. Creation of Reading Groups

3. Revisit the Peer Review Work from Monday

Homework:

- Finish Memoir Draft

- Collect Titles for Reading Group

Social Studies:

1.Review Purpose of the Declaration of Independence

2.Read and Discuss the Declaration

3.Take Notes on the Sections of the Declaration

Homework:

- Collect resources for debate

Language Arts & Social Studies - Mon. Nov. 15

Language Arts:

1. Skill Work - Evaluating Ideas

2. Peer Review Notes and Discussion

Homework:

- Finish Memoir Draft

Social Studies:

1. Review Complaint Lists created on Friday

2. Narrow down your complaint to one that you will focus on in your personal declaration

3. Personal declaration pre-writing

Homework:

- Collect resources for debate

What Not to Do in Peer Review Sessions

We will be working on this in class on Wednesday-Friday. Even though this is elementary students creating this video it still has some valuable information:

Looking for a Good Book?

Declaration of Independence

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

This is the poem you read in class on Monday:

Patrick Henry's Speech - "Give Me Liberty OR Give Me Death"

A teacher's rendition of Patrick Henry's speech - no, I will not be doing this in class:

Student Created Six Word Memoirs

This is not the same assignment we have been working on in class, but I thought it was pretty cool how these kids were able to capture the memoir genre in six words.

Social Studies: Tuesday 11/9

Here is what we did in class today:


- Reviewed major events that caused the American Revolution that we had studied previously
- Notes: American Revolution