The Reader's Journey

Preparing for the Final

5th period = Monday, May 23rd

1st and 4th = Tuesday, May 24th

2nd and 3rd = Wednesday, May 25th

Attached are some study guides from past units to assist you on your final.  Remember, the final is the same assessment we have taken twice in the past.

Download Paragraph unit test,study guide

Download Main Idea-assessment

Download Assessment, Fiction - starting with question # 9.

Wrapping Up the Year

Wednesday, May 11th  = Warm Springs Field Trip

May 12th - May 16th = Work on "The Schwa was Here" Response to Literature paper.  Due on Tuesday, May 17th.  Students will receive directions and a checklist on Thursday, May 12th.

May 19th = Yearbook signing during connection periods.

May 20th= Walk to Hillgrove and 8th grade dance.  No lesson will be planned for this day.

May 24th and 25th = Early Release- students will be released at 12:30.  Final exams on both days. 

Week of May 16th = Students will be working on an "ABC's of Reading" booklet as a culminating year task.  Almost of the work will be done in class and it will be due on Monday, May 23rd.  An instruction will be handed out to all students.

Week of May 2nd

Monday: Opening Question: Who is Gunther ans why is he important to the story?  Read Chapter 17 and answer question in "Schwa" packet.  Reflection Question: How is the kidnapping and helicopter ride 'therapy'?  How might this effect Crawley?

Tuesday: Chapter 18 and packet questions.  Reflect: Describe how the Schwa is feeling in this chapter?  What might have changed to make Antsy call the Schwa, Calvin?

Wednesday: Opening question: Explain why chapter 18 would be considered the the climax of the novel?  Chapter 19 and 20.  Reflect: Give me the ten most important details or facts from this section.

Thursday:  Opening question: What do we learn from the night butcher? How might this affect Schwa?  Finish novel.  Reflect: How did the novel end?  What were you expecting to happen?  What would you have liked to have seen happen in the book?

Friday:  Opening question: Who get Antsy's father fired from his job?  Why?  Lesson: catch up day - students use today to complete any unfinished vocabulary or worksheets in their "Schwa" packet.

Week of April 25th

Monday: Chapters 10 and 11 in "The Schwa was Here."  Answer chapter 10 /11 questions in your packet. Reflect: Define Antsy's role in his family?  what is your role in your family?

Tuesday: Opening discussion question: Why do you think Lexie 'fires' Antsy?  Red chapters 12 and 13.  Complete the story string organizer in your packet.  Reflect: Why do you think antsy broke down and cried in this section of the novel?

Wednesday:  Opening discussion question: What does the 4-S clud stand for? How does Lexie's dog, Moxie, get her name?  Chapters 14 and 15.  Complete section questions in your packet.  Reflect: Explain what the 'basket' and 'eggs' mean in the conversation between Antsy and his mother?

Thursday: Chapter 16. Complete the character trait organizer in your packet.  Reflect: What do we learn about Mr. Crawley's dogs in this section?

Friday:  No lesson is planned for today.  We have several special guests and presentations lined up for Lovinggood's Drug and Alcohol Awareness Program

Week of April 18th

8th grade T-Shirts - One more chance to buy!  Tuesday Only.  Cash Only.  See attached form.

Download 8th%20grade%20t-shirt%20order%20form%202011[1]

We had planned to be finished with chapter six by this point.  However, with CRCT testing it was hard to judge how far we would be able to get in the novel.  We are roughly two chapters behind, but I have made a little wiggle room in my planning of the novel.

Monday: Read chapter 4 and complete corresponding question in packet.  You have to vocabulary words to add to your log from the section of the novel.

Tuesday: Chapter 5 and complete the VISUALIZING organizer in your packet.  Update your vocabulary log with any words from this section.

Wednesday: Chapter 6 and corresponding questions.  Review the first six chapters. (If you were making the quiz, what is a question you would create?)  Make three connections between the novel and your own life.  Study for  quiz.

Thursday: Quiz over chapters 1 - 6.  Read chapter 7 and complete a five senses plus think chart.          (I see ... this is important because..., I hear...this is important because, etc.

"Schwa" packet check. (a grade will be given for items complete thus far)

Friday: Chapters 8 and 9 in novel.  Chapter questions for 8 and complete the Somebody, Wanted, But, So chart for chapter 9.  Analyze: Do you think paper clips have any value? Why? What makes them valuable to Calvin? Update vocabulary log.  Student will have a vocabulary check on Monday.

Week of April 11th

Monday:

-CRCT Review

-Test taking tips

Tuesday: Begin The Schwa was Here

Lesson Agenda - Anticipation Activities

-Schwa Worksheet

-Pro/con – what would be positive and negative aspects for being invisible?

-Chapter 1 in “The Schwa was Here”

Closing- Predict what you think “The Schwa was Here” may be about?

Wednesday:

Lesson Agenda-

-Chapter 2 and 3 – audio version of novel

-Students complete a main idea organizer for chapter 2 and questions for chapter 3

Closing- Share three important things we have learned so far. (focus on the elements of fiction)

Thursday:

Lesson Agenda-

-Chapter 5 and 6 – independent reading

-complete chapter questions in “Schwa Journal”

Closing- Visualizing organizer

Friday:

Lesson Agenda-

-Chapter 6 – audio version

Closing- If you could have a paperclip from anywhere, where would it be from and why?

Reminders: Quiz on Monday over chapters 1 – 6.

Spring Break Reminders

I am hoping y'all have a restful and fun break.  This is a good time to relax and recharge as we finish out the year.

1. Please complete the usatestprep.com assignments we began on Friday.  a. log in  b. click on 8th grade Reading.   c. choose the PRACTICE tab.    d. choose a domain      e. take a ten question test    f. do the same for the other two domains        g. record your score

*Their is the option of reviewing your missed questions.  I highly recommend you do this as well.

2.  Refer to the red parent letter explaining our upcoming novel unit.  I encourage each of you to buy an individula copy of The Schwa was Here over Spring Break.  DO NOT START READING.  We will being the novel on Tuesday, April 12th.

3. Finish any missing questions from our CRCT packet. (Questions 27 - 57)  We will grade on Monday, April 11th.

Week of March 28th

Monday: Review character traits and motivations    -White board review for drama test.   See last week's blog for two review PowerPoints to help you prepare for the test

Tuesday:  Drama Test

Wednesday: Computer Lab - Students use USATESTPREP.com to practice CRCT test questions.

Thursday and Friday: CRCT review - Teacher models a think aloud strategy to help students choose the one best answer for test questions.  Students then have time to practice independently.  Next students participate in a whole class discussion.

Spring Break Review:

1. Remember to log on the USATESTPREP.com and practice or play games under the Reading section of the site.

2. CRCT practice pages in your "READER'S JOURNEY."  Download Reading CRCT Review Packet

3. Review the CRCT Cruisin' websites listed under 'Pages.'

Week of March 21st

Due to a family matter, I will be out of the building on Monday and Tuesday, returning on Wednesday.

Monday:

Lesson Agenda-  Understanding a written play.

-Students choose between “Trouble on the Line” & “Miss Understanding”

-Students complete before, during and after reading activities with a focus on comprehension and understanding elements.

Tuesday:

Lesson Agenda- Application of skills

-Students read a short play entitled “Sharing the Beach”

-Students must correctly label each element of a play as well as answer comprehension questions regarding the content of the play.

Wednesday:

Opening:  What are the 4 characteristics of a monologue?

 

Lesson Agenda-

Reading and Writing Connection: Monologues

-Students read three different monologues and practice writing his or her own. (Read-Write, Read-Write, Read-Write)

Closing: How can you recognize a monologue in a play? A script?

Download MonologuePractice

Thursday:

Lesson Agenda- Reading and Writing Connection: Dialogue

-BrainPop Tutorial on Dialogue

-Students read a guided sheet on the rules of dialogue.

-Students choose from one of four scenarios and write his or her own dialogue.

Download Dialogue practice

Closing: What rules do we need to remember when writing dialogue?

Friday:

Lesson Agenda- Evaluating internal and external traits and motivations.

-Pages 416/417 and 424/425 in Reader’s Journey

-Using a fictional character as their inspiration, students must represent them with internal and external traits.

-Next they must write a paragraph as to what motivates their character.

Week of March 14th

The end of the third quarter is Friday.  Please check Pinnacle for current student averages.

Did you know as of today there are only 16 school days before the Reading portion of the CRCT.  Students must pass with a minimum of 800 on the Reading section.  While our daily instruction helps prepare your child, I wanted to encourage parents and students to take advantage of the following extra resources.

First, on March 11th all students were shown how to navigate a fabulous website that the county has paid for to help prepare our 8th graders.  The site is called USATestPrep.  Each student was given a small sheet to tape into his or her agenda with directions.  In addition, I have created a PDF file of CRCT prep pages from our Reader's Journey. Students may use the PDF file or their at home copy of the text.

Download Reading CRCT Review Packet

Monday:

-CRCT Cruisin”

-Students are each provided with a CRCT review brochure.  As they work through a CRCT blog created by the teachers they complete the brochure.  Topic for exploration include:

Story elements, poetry, vocabulary, main idea, types and organizational patterns of paragraphs and author’s purpose.

Tuesday: Continuation of CRCT Crusin'

Wednesday:       Whole class discussion.

1. What is drama?    2. What are characteristics of a play?

3. What makes a play different from a movie?    4. What do plays have that other genres do not?

All of this is probing to activate prior knowledge.

• Discuss GPS and EQ’s
• Pull out the verbs in the standard

-Understanding the elements of Drama – pages 502 – 511 in Reader’s Handbook.

For each element, students will create an organizer or flip-book with the definition, illustration, and an analogy or tip for remembering the term.

Thursday:  Reader’s Handbook - Reading a Play, pages 472 - 488. Students complete guided notes.

-As a whole class, we will review a premade PowerPoint to make sure all students have the right information.

Friday:  Reader’s Handbook, pages 489 – 501. Guided notes.

Focus on Theme and Focus on Language.

Resources for drama unit:

Download Reading a Play notes

Download Reading20a20play1

Download Elements of Drama