Reminders and Requests - Students should be completing their choice book and the corresponding journal (40 questions, comments, observations) --- also, please spend time perusing the www.poetryoutloud.org website --- look at the tips for reciting, sample recitations, poem collections and the scoring criteria for recitation (in our case; Beatnik Day).  Poems do not need to be chosen, but early selection of a 20ish line poem would allow more time for practice! 

Hello :)  For these final two days before a much anticipated vacation we will focus on our poetry unit.  Our in-class Literature text book is our primary source, but other works are being shared as we continue to work our way through various forms of poetry.  The bulk of our work will focus on analysis of peoms, but the students will be expected to write a few as well.  Today we will write poems that describe someone - our first attempt as a class at writing poetry - I truly look forward to hearing what they have to say! 

Additionally, we will spend some time with a variety of poetry books to help the kids select a poem for recitation.  Other than their choice book/journal for 2nd q. which is due January 10th, this is their only homework for break.  Please look at the Poetry Outloud web site for information on recitation evaluation.  Students should be prepared to share their poem from memory on Beatnik Day - January 15th (tentative date). 

Finally, Thank you all for sharing such amazing students with me - truly a pleasure to teach here in Pullman - I wish you all the best and hope you enjoy a fabulous vacation! :) 

www.poetryoutloud.com

POETRY! We will be using our text book in class for most of this unit - so, other than occasional writing assignments,  students will not likely be working on this at home - EXCEPT for needing to memorize and practice reciting with  feeling the poem they will be sharing with the class after break :) (this sharing day is called, "Beatnik Day" - students may wear black - turtle necks, berets, goatees etc.... we will sip hot chocolate or cider, play bongos, snap our fingers and say things like, "Cool Daddy-O"  all while listening to students share their chosen poems.  Good times :)

Finally - in Civics we will cover ch. 5 (the Legislative branch) and 7 (the Judicial branch) - short quizzes will likely follow each chapter.  Choice book reading and journaling should continue as needed as well. 

P.S. the Choice Book Journal for 2nd quarter (40 questions/comments/observations ---- 10 per 1/4 of the book) is DUE ON JANUARY 10th!

Here's to the whirlwind of learning between Thanksgiving and Winter breaks!  This week we will wrap up Animal Farm - the Cycle of Power and Chapter 6 Civics.  We will finish the AF video, do some group activities on the Cycle of Power while learning more about dictatorships. The reading checks for ch. 6 Civics will be finished by Thursday --- and our final test on the previously mentioned material will be Friday.  Whew.  In between all the Civics, we will work on a small poetry unit in our literature book - this will continue until break (each student will have a poem to memorize over break). Hopefull we are all good at finding all the energy we can muster! Welcome back :)

Happy almost Thanksgiving break :)  Just a quick note to say that I am thankful for the opportunity to work with middle schoolers! They challenge and engage me intellectually, emotionally, socially and athletically (post turkey trot sore) --- thank you for sharing your students with me!

Also....this week we are continuing our reading of Animal Farm and our study of the Cycle of Power (dictatorship vs. democracy)  Students need to be through chapter 6 by today with the chapter questions completed as well.  The rest of the book will be finished by Thursday (time in class to wrap up the last chapter) with all the chapter questions.  The rest of the packet (metaphors, character log and Cycle of Power notes) is due on the Monday following break. 

Chapter 6 CIVICS section 1 will be worked on this week as well - students who are absent or who need more time will need to complete the "Reading Checks" on their own time (due Thursday).

UGH! I wrote a post, but apparently never posted it! So sorry!  Well....this week is always a bit chaotic - but I think we are making good progress with our study of Edgar Allen Poe - the students are being introduced to his plays and stories - I use a variety of approaches to catch their interest - Youtube readings, Hulu clips, videos, reading on their own and www.poemuseum.org.  We cover a few literary terms along the way as well as discuss the art of the short story.  Hopefully those of you that attend conferences tomorrow will not find my Dead Poet look too distracting :)

There is a MUSIC AND ME essay due on Thursday for Blocks 1 and 2 and Friday for Block 3 (because of our half day schedule. 

Reminder - I will not be available for conferences on Thursday evening.  Hope to see you tomorrow instead ! 

Have a wonderful rest of your week - bask in the last gasp of warm temps - I know I am savoring and being thankful for every last drop of sunshine and light breezes! :)

10. Windy Nights - Robert Louis Stevenson


WHENEVER the moon and stars are set,

Whenever the wind is high,

All night long in the dark and wet,

A man goes riding by.

Late in the night when the fires are out, 5

Why does he gallop and gallop about?



Whenever the trees are crying aloud,

And ships are tossed at sea,

By, on the highway, low and loud,

By at the gallop goes he. 10

By at the gallop he goes, and then

By he comes back at the gallop again.

This somehow seemed fitting for a day like today.  The English teacher in me can't help but think in poems :)

FYI - the students are receiving a packet for the last 2 presidential debates today.  They will need to watch at least one of them and to the required worksheet.  There is an extra credit for 2nd quarter option attached as well.  Hope you are engaging in this wonderful right of citizenship alongside your student! 

We also have our Bill of Rights project due on Friday - Quiz Friday as well.  For fun review, encourage your student to check out www.icivics.org  and the "Do I Have a Right? " game :) 

Whew! The last day of the quarter is next Friday 10/19!  This has been a busy week with plenty of class time to read their literature circle books and complete their packets (these are due today).  We also completed the preliminary work for a project on the Bill of Rights (there will be extra credit associated with this project and it will be due next Friday).  Finally, their 1st quarter choice book and the associated 40 point journal is due today (no surprise that so many had procrastinated on this and were probably frantically working on it last night - hopefully next quarter will go more smoothly).  Additionally, I will also be introducing an extra credit opportunity for 2nd quarter on Monday.  It will be related to the final two presidential debates and based on material you can find on  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/socialstudies/debates_short.html There will likely be a required assignment for everyone in addition to an extra credit extension.  Look for a packet and info regarding this activity Monday.  Enjoy what looks to be our last day of "Summer!"  kw

Welcome to October!  This week we will be continuing our literature circle books - in connection to these, we will be looking at the r-word.org campaign (Spread the Word to End the Word) which is sponsored by Special Olympics.  I encourage you and your students to consider taking the pledge online that asks you to make a promise to work towards eliminating the "R" word from your vocabulary.  -  In Civics, we will be delving into chapter 3 in the Civics book (mostly section 2 - critical thinking questions of pg. 104) - the branches of government (we looked at the Senate on Friday) - and hopefully generating some interest in the first presidential debate which will be televised on Wednesday evening. 

Sorry for the late post ---
This week we:

had a test in Civics - it covered the questions and terms from ch. 2
(many students need to make flashcards or use another study method in order to perform better on exams)

finished the first section of our literature circle books.
checked of section 1's journal and job.

*** if your students shows zero points for section 1 in English - please encourage them to take advantage of an offer ---- if they complete all the sections without any late items they will receive credit for their section 1 missing items (provided those are completed as well).  For the students who completed the work on time, if they complete the rest of the packet in a timely fashion as well, they will receive extra credit.  I'm hoping these inscentives will be enough to encourage them to complete work on-time!



Section 2 of the literature circle (the job and journal) is due Tuesday.

DUE DATE NOTICE!!!! the choice book journal for 1st quarter is due on OCTOBER 12th!!!!!

Things are starting to settle into a routine (sort of) --- I say this, but then realize I have students out for the Channel 3 field trip tomorrow (P.S. very few of them let me know they would be gone and needed to check out a Civics book so they could work on ch. 2 Civics reading checks.) We also have all 8th graders doing MAPS reading on Wednesday --- so maybe "routine" is a bit optimistic.

Anyways....

In English -

They should be at least 1/2 way finished with their choice book and journal.  This will be due the week before the end of the quarter.

We did a "read-around" for our literature circle.  Final selection of their books will be tomorrow and Thursday. 

In Civics -

We had our first quiz today.  They took notes last week and were asked to study them.  Some did.....some didn't.  Fortunately they will have many opportunitites to improve their overall grade.

Tomorrow, for the students that are not on the Channel 3 field trip, we will be working on Chapter 2 in the Civics book --- answering the "reading check" questions throughout the chapter. 

Hope the air stays clear and my room stays cool --- neither are likely, but it can't hurt to stay optimistic!  :)

My first thought this morning was, "Wow! We have a full week ahead of us!" --- then I remembered the students have early release on Wednesday.  None the less, we will still be very busy!

1.  In English we are reading a story called "Hamadi" about immigration and conflict resolution.
2.  In Civics we are finishing up ch. 1 and learning about immigration policy and citizenship in the U.S.
3.  We will start our first literature circle this week (reading will be done primarily in class due to the # of books we have)
4.  1st quarter choice reading should be well under way --- ask to see their dialectical journal if you would like to make note of their progress :)
5.  Finally, we will take a bit of time tomorrow to learn about 9/11 -- the history, the resulting wars and the memorial services and monuments that are currently underway. 

We are still waiting for the delivery of the Spokesman Review to start --- hopefully this week!!!

Woo Hoo Week 2!!!

This week we are starting our study of Civics --- the beginning focus is on citizenship.  The students will be using our text books in class (right now I am not checking out individual books for use at home - this may change). 

We are also working on getting down classroom routines such as having journals at our desks every day and remembering due dates in a consistent fashion.  I am trying a new routine for our journals --- each week Mr. Riley and I will select a story from our Literature book that (usually) correlates with other topics we are studying in class.  There will be vocabulary, questions and grammer assigned for each selection.  As students finish the story  - they are to move on to choice reading or other assigned reading/writing.  My goal is to keep students who finish quickly from getting bored while at the same time allowing students who are more methodical to finish without feeling rushed.  I will "tweek" this process as I see fit throughout the year. 

Also --- we will be watching a Teaching Tolerance video on Thursday called, A Place at the Table. Teaching Tolerance is a source approved by OSPI and we will use articles and video resources throughout the year.  A Place at the Table addresses citizenship and family history.  It does have discussions about racism as well as religious and gender bias.  If you have questions regarding the video, please contact me via e-mail. 

Enjoy week 2 :)

And so we begin. :)

Hello all --- I am hoping many of you will find these brief posts helpful.  I will post a general summary of what we are doing in class each week as well as give notice on major due dates/ test/ etc....

This 1st week we will be getting to know each other --- learning the rules and expectations of the school and my classroom.  Our first assignments will start up next week.  LOOK FOR: A field trip permission form, a notice of how to access this blog, and notes on daily journal requirement, outside reading logs, portfolios, and quarterly reflection papers. 

Just an FYI - for those of you who have had other students in my classroom, this year will feel a bit different in that I am teaching Civics 1st semester and WSH 2nd semester.  Mr. Riley and I are working to align our curriculums, so the sequence and assignments may vary a bit from years past. 

Happy first week of school to all --- I am truly looking foward to the year ---- Welcome! 

NIGHT OF THE NOTABLES!!! ARRIVE BETWEEN 6:10 AND 6:15 --- IN COSTUME --- PARENTS/ADULTS REPORT TO THE COMMONS - STUDENTS (NOTABLES) REPORT TO THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM. THERE WILL BE COOKIES AND ORANGE DRINK - EATING DINNER FIRST IS BEST! I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE! WE SHOULD BE FINISHED BY 8:00 (8:15 AT THE LATEST)

Presentations and procession practice and work on stage presence/voice are finishing up this week.

Literature Circles were completed - this week is additional study of the r-word.org campaign --- Spread the word to end the word. We are looking at the history of the Special Olypmics and the American Disabilities Act.

Whew! Finally! I've had password issues :(

1. This week in class we will be busy!

*Quiz on ch. 2 sec.1 ?1a --- definitions of govt.
*Presentations for Night of the Notables start today (all students need to have their visual aid ready - they had the option of a traditional poster, a flyer for under the doc. camera or a power point/prezi) - numbers were drawn for order of presenting.
*Reminder - Night of the Notables is March 29th - students need to arrive no later than 6:15 in their costumes (eating dinner first is preferable). We should be done by 8:00 or so :)
Finally...they are working through a literature circle book that deals with exceptional gifts/disabilities. We will be looking at the American Disability Act along with the Bill of Rights in Civics.
All is busy...All is well (for the moment)...Spring break is on the horizon!!! Email me with any questions ---- oh, and P.S. the slip sent home for N of N should be returned by Friday - along with their PHS registration forms - they will be going to PHS tomorrow and registering here during the block on Friday.

Hello all :) Night of the Notables research should be in full swing at home! We have some classtime for research - but due to the variety of resources being used and variations in pace - much of it will need to be done on the student's own time.

Today: We are writing timed/in-class essays to a common prompt being used in all English classrooms 6 - 12. This essay is part of our collaboration with the high school. We are hoping to increase our knowledge and understanding of skills and weaknesses along the 6 - 12 continuum. We will then be adding that knowledge to our conversations about Common Core Standards. These essays will be read by myself and other district teachers, but they will not be scored (meaning they will not be a part of their grade for English). I did however ask that they take the activity seriously and attempt to do their very best writing. It was an interesting prompt - I encourage you to ask your student what they had to say!

Tomorrow - a check of the Night of the Notables "fill in the blank" worksheet

In Civics - We are continuuing work on understanding the timeline of significant events in American history - there will be a quiz on this next Wed. This in leading us into the Bill of Rights and our next lit. circle (all books will include characters with exceptional needs/talents) We will look at the American Disabilities Act in conjunction with this study.

February is upon us and so is our preparation for Night of the Notables. I know it seems like a lot of time is being allowed for this project - but it's sort of like a wedding....a lot of thought should go into selecting a Notable - initial plans for the future event are put in place - some work takes place along the way - and then the last few weeks are crazy and hectic right up to the big day. Night of the Notables is very much this way. Please look for updates on due dates --- each student has a packet with an check list of sorts. Our first due date is this Friday - I will simply be checking with each student to make sure they have found a variety of resources and that they are documenting their sources and taking notes as they go.

We are in the mix between WSH and Civics right now. The Bill of Rights will be covered as we finish up Japanese American Internment. Ch. 10 and 11 will be fairly quick - and the state govt. info will be covered later on in Civics.

Ch. 10 questions are due this Th. and the quiz will follow on Friday.

Another MLK Jr. day is around the corner - and since we finished To Kill a Mockingbird before break, watched a bit of Eyes on the Prize with the sub and are currently drafting personal essays modeled after the NPR This I Believe series - I think students are well prepared to take part in the assembly and make an effort to embrace the call for A Day On (on Monday). Today we listened to essays read by Jackie Robinson and Harry Truman that were recorded in the 1950s and also heard a modern essay written by a Nobel Peace Prize winner on ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The students have been more than receptive and my hope is that they ponder why they believe what they believe --- this is fantastic preparation for the start of our Night of the Notables project. Students will soon begin the process of selecting a person to research and impersonate - someone who is notable for their strength of character, amazing talents, work efforts, personal sacrifices etc.... As always, I am looking forward to the amazing job the students always do with this thought provoking project.

Other points of interest:
1. By now I'm sure you heard I was absent following break - not perfect, but Jim Johnson held down my fort and we were in close communication throughout the week

2. Grades should be updated by next Tues. (I apologize for the delay in the update - but I did not anticipate being gone for so long)

3. They took a quiz (actually 2) on Tues. - they were given the chance to take 2 quizzes in 2 different formats and select the score they were most pleased with.

4. Ch. 8 WSH Graphic Organizer is due on Tues. after the long weekend for blocks 1 and 3

5. This I Believe essays are due on Wed. 1/18 (can't wait to hear them!)

6. Please remember that while the Skyward shows WSH as the 1st sem. class and Civics as the 2nd sem. class - there is overlap since we have covered pertinent Civics items throughout 1st semester --- your student will know by the end of 3rd q. if they have passed WSH (probably sooner)