Tuesday, October 9, 2007

We really started our Heritage unit today, delving into our new shared reading book, American Mosaic. The book is a collection of transcribed monologues from people who have immigrated to America from all over the world. Most of the pieces are very short and life-like, but their experiences are fascinating. We read about a little girl who grew up in Germany during World War II today, Hilda Gerhart. Her experience in the USA was not as fulfilling as she would have liked. We are hoping to transcribe our own monologues by the end of next week, if possible.

7th / 8th Grade English Language Development
DOL 29
Poetry
Lit. Circles
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 4/5
DOL 29
Poetry
American Mosaic: “Hilda Gerhart,” p. 148
The American Immigrant Experience Chart
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 8/9
DOL 29
Poetry
American Mosaic: “Hilda Gerhart,” p. 148
The American Immigrant Experience Chart
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

Monday, October 8, 2007

It has been a crazy but fun Monday. My ELD class is getting much more used to the routine of switching groups and reading, which is great. My 8th grade classes were rewarded for doing their work with an art project: making little pinwheels, the easiest whirligigs I could find online. They were fun, but a number of people who hadn’t finished their homework were disappointed ….

7th / 8th Grade English Language Development
DOL 28
Poetry
Shining Star Green, TB pp. 12-13; WB pp. 2-3
Shining Star Red, WB pp. 1-11
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 4/5
DOL 28
Poetry
Put The Book Back on the Shelf
Pinwheel Whirligigs
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 8/9
DOL 28
Poetry
Whirligig
Put The Book Back on the Shelf
Pinwheel Whirligigs
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

Friday, October 5, 2007

Today was Fun Friday, though it was also a mad push to finish Whirligig in my 8th grade classes. I think that Whirligig is one of the most difficult books most of the 8th graders have ever read; it is very adult in theme and vocabulary, not to mention the fact that it references all sorts of cultural norms that many of us have never experienced. Nevertheless, we finished the book and have completed our challenge!

7th / 8th Grade English Language Development
DOL 27
Poetry
Independent Reading
Check Reading Logs
Make-Up Work / Games

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 4/5
DOL 27
Poetry
Independent Reading
Check Reading Logs
Whirligig

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner; Family Tree and My Life Story due Monday

8th Grade Literacy 8/9
DOL 27
Poetry
Independent Reading
Check Reading Logs
Whirligig

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner; Family Tree and My Life Story due Monday

Thursday, October 4, 2007

We worked on pro/con lists for graphic organizers in class today. I think that students were really interested in the fact that they didn’t have to use the same graphic organizer all the time, and that different ones might be better for different uses. I like that thought; I find graphic organizers to be cumbersome, but I know that other people need them, especially those who need to organize their writing.

7th / 8th Grade English Language Development
DOL 26
Poetry
Lit. Circle Review
Lit. Circle Sheets
Lit. Circles

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 4/5
DOL 26
Poetry
Graphic Organizers: Telling My Life Story
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner; Family Tree and My Life Story due Monday

8th Grade Literacy 8/9
DOL 26
Poetry
Graphic Organizers: Telling My Life Story
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner; Family Tree and My Life Story due Monday

Thursday, October 4, 2007

We worked on pro/con lists for graphic organizers in class today. I think that students were really interested in the fact that they didn’t have to use the same graphic organizer all the time, and that different ones might be better for different uses. I like that thought; I find graphic organizers to be cumbersome, but I know that other people need them, especially those who need to organize their writing.

7th / 8th Grade English Language Development
DOL 26
Poetry
Lit. Circle Review
Lit. Circle Sheets
Lit. Circles

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 4/5
DOL 26
Poetry
Graphic Organizers: Telling My Life Story
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner; Family Tree and My Life Story due Monday

8th Grade Literacy 8/9
DOL 26
Poetry
Graphic Organizers: Telling My Life Story
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner; Family Tree and My Life Story due Monday

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Today was a pretty good day. We are working on some new curriculum in my ELD class and it might be really useful. In my other 8th grade classes we are working on our Heritage unit. Students should be working on their family tree this weekend. I love this stuff.

7th / 8th Grade English Language Development
DOL 25
Poetry
“The First Americans”
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 4/5
DOL 25
Poetry
Family Trees: Our Own
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner; Family Tree due Monday

8th Grade Literacy 8/9
DOL 25
Poetry
Family Trees: Our Own
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner; Family Tree due Monday

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Well, today was interesting. The news that Horace Mann would be consolidated into an ECE-8 school didn’t really matter that much to my students, since most of them (we hope!) will move on to high school next year. It’s been a rollercoaster for the teachers, though, especially after last year. But I think that it will be an excellent change, one that is good for both students and community.

7th / 8th Grade English Language Development
DOL 24
Poetry
Assembly
Intro to Shining Star

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 4/5
DOL 24
Poetry
Family Trees: George Washington
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 8/9
DOL 24
Poetry
Family Trees: George Washington
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

Monday, October 1, 2007

A new week; we’re starting a new unit as we phase out some of what we’ve done before. I’m excited about this unit; it’s all about telling one’s own story in various ways. Students will have an opportunity to write a monologue from an interview, a poem explaining their heritage, and a research study of their own name. It should be a great unit – I almost worry that we can’t get everything done in just six weeks!

7th / 8th Grade English Language Development
DOL 23
Poetry
Discovery Quick Write
Reading Processes Review
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 4/5
DOL 23
Poetry
Heritage Quick Write
Reading Processes Review
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 8/9
DOL 23
Poetry
Heritage Quick Write
Reading Processes Review
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

Friday, September 28, 2007

Friday can be fun if you’ve turned all of your work into me. I allowed the students who turned in both their writing pieces and their reading logs to play games. I have Scrabble, Bananagrams, Apples to Apples, Chess …. I’m hoping to get more. In the meantime, I hope that this encourages students to turn in all of their homework.

7th / 8th Grade English Language Development
DOL 22
Poetry
CHECK READING LOGS
Independent Reading
Games / Makeup Work

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 4/5
DOL 22
Poetry
CHECK READING LOGS
Independent Reading
Games / Makeup Work

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 8/9
DOL 22
Poetry
CHECK READING LOGS
Independent Reading
Games / Makeup Work

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Today students’ first publishable piece of writing was due. I had about 60% of them turned in on time, which is disappointing. I’m hoping that some of them come in fairly soon.

7th / 8th Grade English Language Development
DOL 21
Poetry
Independent Writing, Due TODAY
Literature Circles
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 4/5
DOL 21
Poetry
Independent Writing, Due TODAY
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner

8th Grade Literacy 8/9
DOL 21
Poetry
Independent Writing, Due TODAY
Whirligig
Independent Reading

HW: Read for 30 minutes; parents sign in planner