December


 * Monday, December 1, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: none - Distribute Subject/Verb agreement worksheet #1 - Look at examples and work through example sentences - Independent practice

HW: Finish Subject-Verb agreement worksheet

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: none

- Discuss importance of evidence-based responses - Work on answering subjective questions based on the last few pages of //Night// - Share responses with the class after independent work

HW: Finish worksheet

Period 6: Bell Ringer: none - Finish Propaganda notes - As a group, look at advertisements and determine which propaganda techniques are being employed



HW: Analyzing Propaganda on your own --worksheet


 * Tuesday, December 2, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: **Rewrite the following sentence using the correct verb tenses:** When Joel saw the lion at the circus //yesterday//, he sits right in front of its cage and will start to tease it.

- Distribute Subject/Verb agreement worksheet #2 - Look at examples and work through example sentences - Independent practice

HW: Finish Subject-Verb agreement worksheet Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: **Rewrite the following sentence using the correct verb tenses:** When Joel saw the lion at the circus //yesterday//, he sits right in front of its cage and will start to tease it.

- Discuss end of book questions - Examine wording and significance of final words of memoir - Read first two pages of Preface and model questions

HW: none

Period 6: Bell Ringer: **Do you think equality for all is a good thing for a society to strive for? Why or why not?**

- Share a few student examples of propaganda - Read the first page of “Harrison Bergeron.” As you read, highlight, underline, and/or take notes (especially to indicate where you have questions or where you believe something is important) - After you finish, on a separate piece of paper, write down the following - Share with another student
 * A list of things you KNOW from reading
 * A list of things you can INFER (about setting, characters, conflict, etc.)
 * 2-3 questions that you have at this point in the story

HW: Finish reading “Harrison Bergeron” and complete five double-entry journals.

[|"Harrison Bergeron" Full Text]


 * Wednesday, December 3, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: Correct the verb tense in the following sentences.
 * 1) It is raining for two days.
 * 2) He has returned from London last week.
 * 3) He will help if you will ask him.

- Finish Subject-verb sheet #2 - Introduce Sheet #3 and discuss compound subjects

HW: Finish Subject-Verb agreement worksheet (3)

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: From Wiesel’s 2006 preface: “While I had many things to say, I did not have the words to say them. Painfully aware of my limitations, I watched helplessly as language became an obstacle.” (xi)
 * What are the “limitations” that Wiesel references here? How can language be an “obstacle”?

- Read final pages of Wiesel’s preface - **Complete the following prompt independently or with a partner:**

“ . . . the public knows that the number of [Holocaust] survivors is shrinking daily, and is fascinated by the idea of sharing memories that will soon be lost. For in the end, it is all about memory, its sources and its magnitude, and, of course, its consequences.

For the survivor who chooses to testify: his duty is to bear witness for the dead //and// for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.” - **What does Wiesel mean when he says “For in the end, it is all about memory”? How does memory play a role in the author’s purpose?**

HW: Finish writing assignment, if not done in class

Period 6: Bell Ringer: none - Share reactions to “Harrison Bergeron” with a partner - Define satire - Work on determining the author’s purpose and writing it in paragraph form with a partner.

Format your response as follows: - Claim (state your position) - Examples from story that support your claim - Analysis that clarifies the significance of these examples - Link back to your claim
 * What is the author’s purpose? Consider: with whom does Vonnegut (the author) empathize? What/who is he criticizing? Support your opinion with evidence from the story.

HW: Finish paragraph if not done in class


 * Thursday, December 4, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: none - Complete Subject-verb worksheet #4 - Take practice quiz on S-V agreement

HW: study for Subject-verb quiz tomorrow

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: none - Students will complete the //Night// study guide in class in preparation for tomorrow’s test

HW: study/review material from //Night// unit



Period 6: Bell Ringer: none - Discuss essential questions from “Harrison Bergeron”

HW: none


 * Friday, December 5, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: none - Subject-Verb Agreement quiz - Poetry Analysis: students are assigned one of two poems and asked to complete an analysis worksheet. Students will be working in pairs to complete this assignment.



HW: none

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: none - Students have the period to complete their //Night// test

HW: none

Period 6: Bell Ringer: none - Students will fill in notes from //Animal Farm// Background Powerpoint -Explain instructions for argumentative paragraph



HW: Write an argumentative paragraph that addresses the prompt provided in class.


 * Monday, December 8, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: none - Introduce first ten words of Unit 4 vocabulary - Share reactions to poetry and begin analyzing imagery

HW: Finish Unit 4 vocabulary exercises due Thursday Unit 4 vocabulary quiz on Friday

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: none - Define and understand context of Unit 5 vocabulary terms - Complete vocabulary chart

HW: Complete Unit 5 chart for tomorrow

Period 6: Bell Ringer: none - Define and understand context of Unit 5 vocabulary terms

HW: Unit 5 exercises due on Thursday Unit 5 quiz on Friday


 * Tuesday, December 9, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: none
 * Choose two vocabulary words for this week’s unit. Look at the definitions and example sentences for those words. Then, create your own original sentences based on the definition and context that have been provided in your book.

- Go over Unit 4 words #11-20 - Analyze connotations of imagery in poems

HW: Finish poetry worksheet for tomorrow Unit 4 exercises due on Thursday

Period 4, 7, 8:
 * Bell Ringer: Choose two vocabulary words for this week’s unit. Look at the definitions and example sentences for those words. Then, create your own original sentences based on the definition and context that have been provided in your book.

- Look at exemplar for theme paragraph - Discuss components of a good writing response - Define parts of speech and identify examples; take notes

HW: Finish Unit 5 vocabulary chart for tomorrow and exercises for Thursday. Quiz is on Friday.

Period 6:
 * Bell Ringer: Choose two vocabulary words for this week’s unit. Look at the definitions and example sentences for those words. Then, create your own original sentences based on the definition and context that have been provided in your book.

- Distribute books - Begin reading Chapter One and completing worksheet for Chapters One through Three

HW: Animal Farm worksheet due Wednesday and Unit 5 exercises due Thursday


 * Wednesday, December 10, 2014 **

8th Grade:
 * Bell Ringer: Take five minutes to __quietly__ study or work on completing your vocabulary exercises for this week’s unit.

- Review poetry questions - Read “I wandered lonely as a cloud” and complete first few activities

HW: Complete Unit 5 vocabulary exercises and finish summary of poem (#1 on worksheet)



Period 4, 7, 8: - Review yesterday’s notes about parts of speech - Identify parts of speech in sample sentences: - 1. Henry bought himself some freshly baked rolls from the bakery. - 2. The captain told his young crew that they needed to think fast and think often. - 3. Lauren smelled the fragrant flowers and sat down in the overgrown grass.
 * Bell Ringer: Take five minutes to __quietly__ study or work on completing your vocabulary exercises for this week’s unit.

- Exit ticket: Create a sentence with two nouns, two adjectives, two verbs, and one adverb.

HW: Complete Unit 5 vocabulary exercises. Unit 5 quiz on Friday.

Period 6:
 * Bell Ringer: Take five minutes to __quietly__ study or work on completing your vocabulary exercises for this week’s unit.

- Check homework assignment - IN groups, students discuss which questions, summaries, and quotations are best to put on their group’s poster

HW: Complete Unit 5 vocabulary exercises. Unit 5 quiz on Friday.


 * Thursday, December 11, 2014 **

8th Grade:
 * Bell Ringer: Identify the Unit 4 vocabulary word that completes the following sentences:
 * 1) Dariah’s idea of an ideal partner was one who was enough to risk his life for her.
 * 2) It was just luck that she was able to find him at the grocery store.
 * 3) And, even though he wasn’t perfect, she considered his mind and personality __ enough that she could turn him into her perfect match.

- Work on completing “I wandered Lonely as a Cloud” questions with a partner

HW: study for Unit 4 vocabulary quiz tomorrow

Period 4, 7, 8:
 * Bell Ringer: Identify the Unit 5 vocabulary word that completes the following sentences:
 * 1) After having what he considered the worst day of his life, Brad felt pretty _.
 * 2) He was in no mood to be _ by his parents for not having taken the trash out or cleaned his room.
 * 3) But, he figured that he might as well ___ to his parents’ will and do what they told him.

- Students take notes on independent and dependent clauses - Identify different types in sample sentences - Create their own sentence and distinguish independent from dependent

HW: study/review Unit 5 vocabulary in preparation for tomorrow’s quiz

Period 6:
 * Bell Ringer:Identify the Unit 5 vocabulary word that completes the following sentences:
 * 1) On the morning commute, the National Public Radio announcer was asking for generous _ who were willing to help keep the programming on the air.
 * 2) He said they were suffering a recent _ of funding and were in dire need of financial assistance.
 * 3) I couldn’t help but donate, mostly because the concern in the man’s voice seemed entirely __.

- Students share their group posters from yesterday - Discuss summaries, questions, and key quotations

HW: study for Unit 5 vocabulary quiz tomorrow


 * Friday, December 12, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: none

- Unit 4 vocabulary quiz

HW: Finish poetry project option

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: none - Unit 5 vocabulary quiz

HW: none

Period 6: Bell Ringer: none - Unit 5 vocabulary quiz

HW: Read Chapters 4-6 of //Animal Farm// for Monday


 * Monday, December 15, 2014 **

8th Grade:
 * Bell Ringer: Write a paragraph that describes an event from your weekend. Make sure that your paragraph includes at least:
 * ONE simple sentence
 * ONE compound sentence
 * ONE complex sentence This does not go on BELL RINGER SHEET**

- Share projects in class - Provide notes on pronoun-antecedent rules

HW: Complete first set of exercises for pronoun-antecedent practice.

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: (half sheet of paper on adjectives)

- Review clause information - Learn about adjective clauses and look at examples - Work on practice grammar sets - Create three sentences that demonstrate understanding

HW: none

Period 6:
 * Bell Ringer: Write a paragraph about an event from your weekend, using at least two vocabulary words that we’ve learned this year.

- Take reading quiz for Ch. 4-6 - Review chapter plots and consider key questions

HW: Read Chapters 7 and 8 of Animal Farm for Wednesday.


 * Tuesday, December 16, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: none - Present model answers for poetry questions - Go over answers from last night’s homework - Work on more pronoun-antecedent exercises

HW: Finish pronoun-antecedent packet for tomorrow

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: none

- Review adjective clauses - Define subject, direct/indirect objects, objects of prepositions, and predicate nominative - Identify noun clauses within sample sentences

HW: none

Period 6:
 * Bell Ringer: List the __three__ most important events from Chapter Six of //Animal Farm//

- Share bell ringers - Hand out allegory matching worksheet - Students will work in partners to match characters from novel to characters of the Russian Revolution - Discuss growing inequalities between the pigs and the other animals

HW: Read Chapter Seven of //Animal Farm// and write a reaction statement for tomorrow.




 * Wednesday, December 17, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: none - Review practice sentences (pronoun-antecedent agreement) - Take pronoun-antecedent agreement quiz

HW: none

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: none - Review noun clause notes - Work together to identify sentences with dependent clauses - Write sentences with noun and adjective clauses

HW: Finish clause worksheet

Period 6: Bell Ringer: Is a government lying to its people ever acceptable? Why or why not? - Students discussed the Bell Ringer in a fishbowl - Share last night’s reaction statement in small groups and then discuss as a whole class - Discuss important aspects of Chapter Seven

HW: Read Chapters 8 and 9 of //Animal Farm// for Friday.


 * Thursday, December 18, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: An **oxymoron** is a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings. - Cruel kindness - Original copy - Deafening silence - Sure guess - Open secret - Passive Aggression Sometimes oxymora (plural!) are formed unintentionally in an effort to express an idea. Other times, authors use them to highlight contradictions. Try to think of (or create!) one or two yourself and write them down.

- Introduce students to QAR

HW: Finish QAR questions

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: An **oxymoron** is a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings. - Cruel kindness - Original copy - Deafening silence - Sure guess - Open secret - Passive Aggression Sometimes oxymora (plural!) are formed unintentionally in an effort to express an idea. Other times, authors use them to highlight contradictions. Try to think of (or create!) one or two yourself and write them down.

- Review homework responses - Introduce students to adverb clauses

HW: Complete #1-20 on Adverb Clauses worksheet (I only have hard copies of this document)

Period 6: Bell Ringer: An **oxymoron** is a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings. - Cruel kindness - Original copy - Deafening silence - Sure guess - Open secret - Passive Aggression Sometimes oxymora (plural!) are formed unintentionally in an effort to express an idea. Other times, authors use them to highlight contradictions. Try to think of (or create!) one or two yourself and write them down.

- Place students in groups and have them complete a paragraph from the following prompt:

Distortion: the action of giving a misleading account or impression; the state of something warped, misshapen, or unnatural from its original identity
 * Identify two to three examples of truth distortion that are evident in Chapter Seven. Write a paragraph that includes quotes (with context) and analysis to explain how this theme is present in the text.

HW: Read Chapter Eight and Nine of Animal Farm for tomorrow.


 * Friday, December 19, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: none

- Review and discuss QAR practice questions - Students will read “What Happened During the Ice Storm” and identify two questions for each of the four categories. (I only have hard copies of this document)

HW: Finish your QAR: Two questions for each category. Also, don’t forget contributions for Tuesday’s party.

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: Create two sentences that contain an adverb clause. Underline the adverb clause and circle the word it modifies.

- Review last night’s homework - Work on Cumulative Review

HW: Study for clause quiz on Monday

Period 6: Bell Ringer: none - Finish writing group paragraphs on truth distortion - Discuss group responses - Distribute Chapter 8 and 9 worksheet and work on completing this

- HW: Complete //Animal Farm// Chapter Seven and Eight worksheet for Monday


 * Monday, December 22, 2014 **

8th Grade: Bell Ringer: 1. After I had used various types of learning logs, I know that I was a visual learner. 2. If you can learn under any conditions, what will your style of learning be?
 * INSTRUCTIONS:** The following sentences contain verb tense errors. Write each sentence, correcting the verb errors in the process.

- Exchange QARs and answer a partner’s questions - Discuss how each question should be categorized and defend your categorization

HW: none (except bringing in party contributions!)

Period 4, 7, 8: Bell Ringer: none - Review correct answers to Cumulative Clause Review - Clause Quiz

Period 6: Bell Ringer: **Rewrite the following sentences, fixing any grammatical errors you encounter. (Commas, sentence structure, etc.)**  ** 1. Although John received a gold medal in the 220-meter run. **  ** 2. John is a great athlete and he is continually improving. **  ** 3. When the bell rings you may go to your next class. **  ** 4. I made a great grade on the Anglo-Saxon test, I studied. **  ** 5. The grammar quiz will not be difficult it will seem easy, if you study. **

- Discuss responses to Ch. 8 and 9 worksheet

HW: none

=Tuesday, December 23=

- Holiday Parties in all classes!

Period 6: Please finish reading //Animal Farm// over the course of the break!