Today at Mass, the Explore Mass planning group and the Holy Cross House Band collaborated on a slide show that reminds us of one way we can prepare for Jesus' coming this advent--helping the poor and homeless. This ties in perfectly with our Advent service project of adopting a family. The HC House Band (choir) sang "Go Light Your World" as these very powerful images were presented to the congregation. This video that I uploaded features the recording of "Go Light Your World" that the HC House Band did last year.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Weekly Update
Can you feel the excitement in their air? We certainly can! Even though they are big kids now, the 8th graders certainly are excited for Christmas vacation!
The students have turned in their mystery stories in English this week. I have read about a third of them and am quite impressed. Mysteries are difficult to write because the plots need to be carefully planned out to make sure the clues lead to suspects, which then lead to a satisfying ending. So far, so good!
We are now moving on to our research unit. As you may know, one of my passions is Great Lakes lighthouses. I am using lighthouses as the basis for the research unit because I like to bring some of my interests into the classroom to expose students to things they may not normally learn about and also to share some maritime history about the region in which we live. Yesterday the students each picked a lighthouse to research, and we created a large bulletin board display that shows where each student's lighthouse is on a map of the Great Lakes region. Next week we will be checking out the valuable Internet resources on these lights as well as be contacting the preservation groups associated with the lighthouses to request information to aid in the research process.
In Literature, the students have begun reading the novel Animal Farm. We are studying this as an allegory to understand how leaders like Hitler can rise to power. This unit is being taught in conjunction with Mrs. V's History unit on WWII.
In Religion we are beginning to learn about the era of persecutions in the Christian church. While this is a long way off, the final assessment for this unit will be to create an infomercial that showcases the great things about Christianity so as to ward off more persecutions! More to come.
May you and your families have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful vacation. As always, thank you for your partnership in your child's education.
The students have turned in their mystery stories in English this week. I have read about a third of them and am quite impressed. Mysteries are difficult to write because the plots need to be carefully planned out to make sure the clues lead to suspects, which then lead to a satisfying ending. So far, so good!
We are now moving on to our research unit. As you may know, one of my passions is Great Lakes lighthouses. I am using lighthouses as the basis for the research unit because I like to bring some of my interests into the classroom to expose students to things they may not normally learn about and also to share some maritime history about the region in which we live. Yesterday the students each picked a lighthouse to research, and we created a large bulletin board display that shows where each student's lighthouse is on a map of the Great Lakes region. Next week we will be checking out the valuable Internet resources on these lights as well as be contacting the preservation groups associated with the lighthouses to request information to aid in the research process.
In Literature, the students have begun reading the novel Animal Farm. We are studying this as an allegory to understand how leaders like Hitler can rise to power. This unit is being taught in conjunction with Mrs. V's History unit on WWII.
In Religion we are beginning to learn about the era of persecutions in the Christian church. While this is a long way off, the final assessment for this unit will be to create an infomercial that showcases the great things about Christianity so as to ward off more persecutions! More to come.
May you and your families have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful vacation. As always, thank you for your partnership in your child's education.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Weekly Update--Museum Displays
The kids did a great job on their museum displays! After they set them up, they went around to each person's board and wrote down one new piece of information that they learned as well as one piece of review information. We also invited the underclassmen to visit the museum. Each student received an admission ticket on which they wrote a prayer of thanks or a petition. They then taped them onto a display board upon entering the museum. I've heard a lot of great feedback from other teachers about how much their students enjoyed the 8th Grade museum. I am so proud of the kids! I've included pictures of each student's display. Enjoy!
The "Welcome Board" with the prayer tickets.
The "Welcome Board" with the prayer tickets.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Weekly Update
Whew! What a week we've had! The kids turned in a lot of projects and assignments that they have been working on for quite some time (if they did it all this week and told you I was a mean teacher, let me tell you that they've had at least a month for each big project).
In Literature they turned in their character webs, case notes, questions, and predictions from reading The Westing Game. The latter three were all done a little at a time as we read the novel. The character webs also were supposed to be done during the reading of the book. Character traits were a big focus of this book, and they are now developing their own characters in the mystery they each are writing.
That mystery is being written in English class. After doing numerous pre-writing activities to develop character, setting, and plot, the students have been working on their rought drafts this week. Next week they will participate in peer revision.
In Religion, we have finally completed the study of Sts. Peter and Paul. The culminating project is the museum display, which is set up in Room 3. I went through and read all of them this afternoon--the students really did a great job! We have invited the younger grades to go through and tour the museum, and we invite you to do the same.
I managed to get all of these projects and assignments graded this week, so I encourage you to check out your child's progress on Infinite Campus. This is pretty much where the grades will be when mid-quarter ends next Friday.
One final note: if you are able to join us for the 11:00 Mass on Sunday at Holy Cross, we would love to see you! It is a Mass that is highlighting our students. In fact, my church choir, The Holy Cross House Band, will be leading the music. They are a great group of musicians. If your child is in that choir, please have them to church by 10:15 for set up and rehearsal.
Have a wonderful weekend!
In Literature they turned in their character webs, case notes, questions, and predictions from reading The Westing Game. The latter three were all done a little at a time as we read the novel. The character webs also were supposed to be done during the reading of the book. Character traits were a big focus of this book, and they are now developing their own characters in the mystery they each are writing.
That mystery is being written in English class. After doing numerous pre-writing activities to develop character, setting, and plot, the students have been working on their rought drafts this week. Next week they will participate in peer revision.
In Religion, we have finally completed the study of Sts. Peter and Paul. The culminating project is the museum display, which is set up in Room 3. I went through and read all of them this afternoon--the students really did a great job! We have invited the younger grades to go through and tour the museum, and we invite you to do the same.
I managed to get all of these projects and assignments graded this week, so I encourage you to check out your child's progress on Infinite Campus. This is pretty much where the grades will be when mid-quarter ends next Friday.
One final note: if you are able to join us for the 11:00 Mass on Sunday at Holy Cross, we would love to see you! It is a Mass that is highlighting our students. In fact, my church choir, The Holy Cross House Band, will be leading the music. They are a great group of musicians. If your child is in that choir, please have them to church by 10:15 for set up and rehearsal.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Weekly Update
It was truly a pleasure to meet with you this week to discuss your children. I am blessed to teach really wonderful kids, and I look forward to meeting with the few remaining families on Thursday. Thank you for your support in your child's education!
In Literature we are reaching the climax of The Westing Game. It has been so much fun to see the excitement in the students as the pieces start to fall into place. The major assignment for this book is to fill in a character web for each character in the book. I have been encouraging the students to work on this a little each day so that it is not an overwhelming assignment that they try to do the night before it is due. As you can imagine, when this happens, the results are not good! Please encourage your child to keep working on this. I plan to finish the book up during the first few days following Thanksgiving.
In English, the students are working on writing their mystery stories. They began by brainstorming all of the different components that they might include in their story. They then bounced these ideas off of a partner. The next step was characterization. We talked about how we must "show" and not just "tell" about a character. For example, instead of saying a character was skinny, I asked students to come up with a creative way of showing this. To practice this skill, I asked the students to write a character sketch about their main character of their story. Now we are working on setting. I took the classes outside and asked them to write vivid descriptions about everything they saw, felt, heard, smelled, and perhaps tasted. From there they will write a potential page from their story that makes the setting of their story come alive to the reader.
In Religion, we are concluding our study of Peter and Paul and reflecting on their impact on our faith and the spread of Christianity. I have posted two questions on the Class Chatter blog that ask students to share their thoughts on this topic. They will need to have this done by next Wednesday. From there we will complete the museum exhibit project. I'll let you know when the "museum" is open, so you can come and see it if you get a chance.
In Literature we are reaching the climax of The Westing Game. It has been so much fun to see the excitement in the students as the pieces start to fall into place. The major assignment for this book is to fill in a character web for each character in the book. I have been encouraging the students to work on this a little each day so that it is not an overwhelming assignment that they try to do the night before it is due. As you can imagine, when this happens, the results are not good! Please encourage your child to keep working on this. I plan to finish the book up during the first few days following Thanksgiving.
In English, the students are working on writing their mystery stories. They began by brainstorming all of the different components that they might include in their story. They then bounced these ideas off of a partner. The next step was characterization. We talked about how we must "show" and not just "tell" about a character. For example, instead of saying a character was skinny, I asked students to come up with a creative way of showing this. To practice this skill, I asked the students to write a character sketch about their main character of their story. Now we are working on setting. I took the classes outside and asked them to write vivid descriptions about everything they saw, felt, heard, smelled, and perhaps tasted. From there they will write a potential page from their story that makes the setting of their story come alive to the reader.
In Religion, we are concluding our study of Peter and Paul and reflecting on their impact on our faith and the spread of Christianity. I have posted two questions on the Class Chatter blog that ask students to share their thoughts on this topic. They will need to have this done by next Wednesday. From there we will complete the museum exhibit project. I'll let you know when the "museum" is open, so you can come and see it if you get a chance.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Weekly Update
Happy Veteran's Day to all our veterans!
One quarter ends and another begins--tomorrow you will see your child's first quarter report card. Hopefully, you've been keeping up with what they have been doing via Infinite Campus. I have been very impressed with the work they have done and look forward to even more growth in the second quarter. Please take time to look over their grades, the teachers' comments, and their papers. When you are done, please return the whole envelope with both the PAPERS and the REPORT CARD in it. I look forward to meeting with you next week at conferences to celebrate your child!
Yesterday, we had our reward for those students who had zero or one debit during the first quarter. The students had a lot of fun playing games (and listening to Christmas music). Congratulations to the students on their good behavior!
English
We finished up the first part of our communication unit that focused on punctuation today. The students took a test on the punctuation rules and did quite well. One point that I emphasized with them throughout the unit and in preparing for the test was that the various exercises and the test were not real-world applications. I kept pointing out all of the different situations in which these skills would be useful because oftentimes it is easy to get bogged down in all the rules. Additionally, I pointed out punctuation rules that I feel are non-negotiable--they really need to know them and use them consistently. On the other hand, there are some rules that are quite difficult for them to remember at this stage of their writing development. I told them that these rules are ones I want them to continue to work on even though they may not remember or use them 100% of the time. The rest of the year will focus quite heavily on writing, giving them the chance to apply what they have learned. As the year progresses, I will teach mini-lessons to reinforce the punctuation rules that we have just studied and add more and more rules to the non-negotiable list as I feel they have mastered them. For the writing project that is coming up, I will expect the students to use great transitions as well as dialogue that is punctuated correctly. More to come on that project!
Literature
The students are continuing to read The Westing Game. They are analyzing clues and motives, as well as determining the character traits that the people in the book possess. They are now going to take these concepts and apply them to developing and writing their own mystery stories. We will begin that project tomorrow!
Religion
Just as the quarter came to a close, so does our study of Saints Peter and Paul. The students have been able to both watch and read about the spread of Christianity. Hopefully, they have a greater appreciation of how much work went into spreading Christianity. As we wrap up the study, they students are beginning to work on their museum displays. Some of you may have seen some large display boards coming home. The students are each responsible for developing a display, including and "artifact" about an important person or place from the time of Sts. Peter and Paul. When they are done, we will set up the museum in Room 3. You are welcome to come and check it out when our curators are ready!
One quarter ends and another begins--tomorrow you will see your child's first quarter report card. Hopefully, you've been keeping up with what they have been doing via Infinite Campus. I have been very impressed with the work they have done and look forward to even more growth in the second quarter. Please take time to look over their grades, the teachers' comments, and their papers. When you are done, please return the whole envelope with both the PAPERS and the REPORT CARD in it. I look forward to meeting with you next week at conferences to celebrate your child!
Yesterday, we had our reward for those students who had zero or one debit during the first quarter. The students had a lot of fun playing games (and listening to Christmas music). Congratulations to the students on their good behavior!
English
We finished up the first part of our communication unit that focused on punctuation today. The students took a test on the punctuation rules and did quite well. One point that I emphasized with them throughout the unit and in preparing for the test was that the various exercises and the test were not real-world applications. I kept pointing out all of the different situations in which these skills would be useful because oftentimes it is easy to get bogged down in all the rules. Additionally, I pointed out punctuation rules that I feel are non-negotiable--they really need to know them and use them consistently. On the other hand, there are some rules that are quite difficult for them to remember at this stage of their writing development. I told them that these rules are ones I want them to continue to work on even though they may not remember or use them 100% of the time. The rest of the year will focus quite heavily on writing, giving them the chance to apply what they have learned. As the year progresses, I will teach mini-lessons to reinforce the punctuation rules that we have just studied and add more and more rules to the non-negotiable list as I feel they have mastered them. For the writing project that is coming up, I will expect the students to use great transitions as well as dialogue that is punctuated correctly. More to come on that project!
Literature
The students are continuing to read The Westing Game. They are analyzing clues and motives, as well as determining the character traits that the people in the book possess. They are now going to take these concepts and apply them to developing and writing their own mystery stories. We will begin that project tomorrow!
Religion
Just as the quarter came to a close, so does our study of Saints Peter and Paul. The students have been able to both watch and read about the spread of Christianity. Hopefully, they have a greater appreciation of how much work went into spreading Christianity. As we wrap up the study, they students are beginning to work on their museum displays. Some of you may have seen some large display boards coming home. The students are each responsible for developing a display, including and "artifact" about an important person or place from the time of Sts. Peter and Paul. When they are done, we will set up the museum in Room 3. You are welcome to come and check it out when our curators are ready!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Weekly Update
This week I'd like to tell you a bit about the writer's workshop program that I have developed for the eighth graders. Becoming effective writers is crucial to functioning in the world. There is a method of looking at and teaching writing that encourages students to become excellent writers, and that is the Six Trait Writing Model. This model of writing looks at six areas: word choice (choosing the best words to create meaning and beautiful language), organization (oraganizing writing so that it makes sense), sentence fluency (writing so that the words flow and are pleasing to read), conventions (spelling, punctuation, grammar), voice (making the writing sound unique to the author), and ideas (developing interesting and cogent ideas).
Throughout each English lesson, the students are learning some aspect of the six traits, but each Friday during English, they have the opportunity to put what they learned into practice in a comfortable way. I begin the class by grading their Word Wall dictionaries. This is a place where they write down the vocabulary words from our stories and come up with a definition, synonym, antonym, and sentence for the word. This activity encourges them to build their vocabulary to make word choice in writing better and easier.
For the remainder of class, the students are asked to write based on a prompt that I give them. They can choose to continue their story from the previous week or start a new one. Sometimes I give them goals such as using dialogue or transitions (it is usually one of the skills we have been working on). I also encourage them to use the Word of the Week (W.O.W.) in their writing.
Not only do the students write, but they also analyze it to set goals. At the end of the first quarter, I asked the students to look at ten sentences from one of their writing samples. They needed to write down the number of words in each sentence, the verb that they used, and the first four words of each sentence. After doing this analysis, I asked them to write down what they learned about their writing and what they intend to do with this information in the future. Many students found that they need to look for more interesting verbs or find different ways to start their sentences.
It has been fun to see the students pulling all of their new skills together to improve their writing. Soon they will get the chance to write a mystery story for English class, and they should see all of the work from writer's workshop paying dividends!
Throughout each English lesson, the students are learning some aspect of the six traits, but each Friday during English, they have the opportunity to put what they learned into practice in a comfortable way. I begin the class by grading their Word Wall dictionaries. This is a place where they write down the vocabulary words from our stories and come up with a definition, synonym, antonym, and sentence for the word. This activity encourges them to build their vocabulary to make word choice in writing better and easier.
For the remainder of class, the students are asked to write based on a prompt that I give them. They can choose to continue their story from the previous week or start a new one. Sometimes I give them goals such as using dialogue or transitions (it is usually one of the skills we have been working on). I also encourage them to use the Word of the Week (W.O.W.) in their writing.
Not only do the students write, but they also analyze it to set goals. At the end of the first quarter, I asked the students to look at ten sentences from one of their writing samples. They needed to write down the number of words in each sentence, the verb that they used, and the first four words of each sentence. After doing this analysis, I asked them to write down what they learned about their writing and what they intend to do with this information in the future. Many students found that they need to look for more interesting verbs or find different ways to start their sentences.
It has been fun to see the students pulling all of their new skills together to improve their writing. Soon they will get the chance to write a mystery story for English class, and they should see all of the work from writer's workshop paying dividends!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Weekly Update
It was a short week, but we've been working hard!
In English the students have been learning how to properly write dialogue--one of the requirements for their stories that they will be writing. They also looked around for titles of things that should be underlined or typed in italics as well as titles of things that would be in quotations.
During Literature, we have been continuing to read The Westing Game. We are focusing pretty heavily on character traits. The major assignment throughout the unit is the character web packet. For each character in the book, the students must find character traits and then give two reasons why they display that trait.
In religion we are continuing to follow St. Paul's journey. He is now beginning his third missionary journey in our studies. Please remember to be on the lookout for large pieces of cardboard for the assessment project!
I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend and a Happy Halloween! After a day of professional development on Thursday, we will be heading up to Peninsula State Park for our last camping trip of the year. It looks like God is coming through for us and taking some of the rain out of the forecast! : )
In English the students have been learning how to properly write dialogue--one of the requirements for their stories that they will be writing. They also looked around for titles of things that should be underlined or typed in italics as well as titles of things that would be in quotations.
During Literature, we have been continuing to read The Westing Game. We are focusing pretty heavily on character traits. The major assignment throughout the unit is the character web packet. For each character in the book, the students must find character traits and then give two reasons why they display that trait.
In religion we are continuing to follow St. Paul's journey. He is now beginning his third missionary journey in our studies. Please remember to be on the lookout for large pieces of cardboard for the assessment project!
I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend and a Happy Halloween! After a day of professional development on Thursday, we will be heading up to Peninsula State Park for our last camping trip of the year. It looks like God is coming through for us and taking some of the rain out of the forecast! : )
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Weekly Update
English
We are continuing to work on punctuation; this week our focus has been semicolons and colons. We are working on creating complex sentences to add variety to writing, which is an aspect of sentence fluency, one of the six traits of good writing.
Literature
We are reading the novel The Westing Game. This is a fun mystery that we are reading together in class. I am asking the kids to focus on the character traits of the many people in the book. They are also supposed to be keeping in mind the elements of stories and more specifically, those of mystery stories. These elements will be used when they write their own mystery stories at the end of the unit.
Religion
The students have learned that one of the major conflicts that St. Paul encountered on his missionary journeys was the issue of whether or not the gentile converts needed to follow the Jewish laws when they converted to Christianity. James and the Jewish-Christian leadership based in Jerusalem felt that since they, themselves, were following the Jewish laws and were now Christian that all people converting to Christianity needed to follow the same laws. St. Paul felt that the gentiles were becoming Christians--not joining another sect of Judaism and should not have to follow the Jewish laws. After consideration, James decided that the gentile converts needed to only follow four of the 613 Jewish laws. One of the laws was to follow the Jewish dietary rules. This seems to be something that many of us Christians don't fully comprehend, so this week we studied the basics of these dietary laws. If you'd like to read the article that we read in class, you can find it at the following address: www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm. I also asked the students to check some of their food packaging for the kosher symbols; if they find any such packaging, they can bring it in for extra credit.
Reminder: the students will be needing large cardboard or display boards for their museum displays at the end of this unit. If you have extra cardboard, please keep it for students who may not have any. Thank you!
We are continuing to work on punctuation; this week our focus has been semicolons and colons. We are working on creating complex sentences to add variety to writing, which is an aspect of sentence fluency, one of the six traits of good writing.
Literature
We are reading the novel The Westing Game. This is a fun mystery that we are reading together in class. I am asking the kids to focus on the character traits of the many people in the book. They are also supposed to be keeping in mind the elements of stories and more specifically, those of mystery stories. These elements will be used when they write their own mystery stories at the end of the unit.
Religion
The students have learned that one of the major conflicts that St. Paul encountered on his missionary journeys was the issue of whether or not the gentile converts needed to follow the Jewish laws when they converted to Christianity. James and the Jewish-Christian leadership based in Jerusalem felt that since they, themselves, were following the Jewish laws and were now Christian that all people converting to Christianity needed to follow the same laws. St. Paul felt that the gentiles were becoming Christians--not joining another sect of Judaism and should not have to follow the Jewish laws. After consideration, James decided that the gentile converts needed to only follow four of the 613 Jewish laws. One of the laws was to follow the Jewish dietary rules. This seems to be something that many of us Christians don't fully comprehend, so this week we studied the basics of these dietary laws. If you'd like to read the article that we read in class, you can find it at the following address: www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm. I also asked the students to check some of their food packaging for the kosher symbols; if they find any such packaging, they can bring it in for extra credit.
Reminder: the students will be needing large cardboard or display boards for their museum displays at the end of this unit. If you have extra cardboard, please keep it for students who may not have any. Thank you!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Rapping with Jesus!
Each Friday, a small group of students presents a Sunday Scriptures lesson to the class. In this lesson, they must read the scriptures for the upcoming Sunday, develop questions for the class to answer to help them figure out the theme of the readings, and then create an activity for the students to do that reinforces the theme. Last week the presenting group in one class asked the students to write and perform a song or rap about the Gospel. It turns out Ben is quite the rapper and not only performed his group's rap, but also another group's. Check it out!
Talk Shows
Here are the long-awaited talk show videos that the kids created to share the plot of the story of "The Osage Orange Tree." They did a really good job of bringing the conflict, rising action, climax, and resolution out in their scripts. The commercials were not required, but they exercised some creative license with those! Be sure to vote on your favorite in the poll In addition to reviewing the element of plot, the students were also able to get some public speaking practice--a skill we will work on all year. I think you'll find some Oscar-worthy performances in here!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Weekly Update
Ahh! Fall is in the air, and the first mid-quarter is upon us. It must be October! Hopefully, you have been keeping up-to-date with your child's performace through Infinite Campus and my weekly blog updates. Don't forget, you can get daily assignments by following the "Assignment" link on my website: http://www.mrsovd.co.nr/. We know many kids have been out sick, and we also realize that they have been quite ill while at home; however, quite a few students have returned to school with nothing done, and then didn't talk to us about it. Some even told us they didn't know what they had missed. Remember, even if the list that comes home is incomplete or inaccurate, we post our daily assignments on our blogs (and those are always right). One student, who was in a similar situation, came to school and immediately told me what she had/had not been able to do, and we then worked out a plan for getting caught up. That is what we're looking for!
Literature
This week in Literature the kids finished writing their scripts and presented their talk shows that demonstrated their understanding of the plot of "The Osage Orange Tree." There is one group that has not presented yet due to illness, so as soon as we get that one done, I'll post the videos. They are now reading "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry and looking at characterization. Their assessment for this aspect of stories will be to answer a question that I post on a classroom-friendly blog at http://www.classchatter.com/. They will also have to comment on others' posts. Be sure to have your child log in and show you the blog discussion. They have a week to do it, and I will be monitoring it to be sure nobody sneaks anything inappropriate, unkind, or not school-related! If they do, I will delete it.
English
We are focusing on commas this week. People tend to either overuse or underuse commas. I am trying to teach the students that unless they know a specific rule for using a comma, they should not use one. Hopefully, they will be able to apply these rules throughout their writing this year and firm up their knowledge of commas usage.
Religion
This week we were lucky to have Deacon Randy Haak come in. In 8th grade, he speaks about comtemporary issues in the Catholic Church. This week he talked about forgiveness (using Brett Favre as an example) as well as respecting all life.
The students also finished studying St. Paul's Second Missionary Journey and took a quiz on the material on Thursday.
For our assessment project at the end of the unit (probably in November), the students are going to need large cardboard boxes or display boards for creating a museum exhibit. If you have large cardboard boxes available for your child or to share, could you please save them? I could also store them here. Thanks!
Literature
This week in Literature the kids finished writing their scripts and presented their talk shows that demonstrated their understanding of the plot of "The Osage Orange Tree." There is one group that has not presented yet due to illness, so as soon as we get that one done, I'll post the videos. They are now reading "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry and looking at characterization. Their assessment for this aspect of stories will be to answer a question that I post on a classroom-friendly blog at http://www.classchatter.com/. They will also have to comment on others' posts. Be sure to have your child log in and show you the blog discussion. They have a week to do it, and I will be monitoring it to be sure nobody sneaks anything inappropriate, unkind, or not school-related! If they do, I will delete it.
English
We are focusing on commas this week. People tend to either overuse or underuse commas. I am trying to teach the students that unless they know a specific rule for using a comma, they should not use one. Hopefully, they will be able to apply these rules throughout their writing this year and firm up their knowledge of commas usage.
Religion
This week we were lucky to have Deacon Randy Haak come in. In 8th grade, he speaks about comtemporary issues in the Catholic Church. This week he talked about forgiveness (using Brett Favre as an example) as well as respecting all life.
The students also finished studying St. Paul's Second Missionary Journey and took a quiz on the material on Thursday.
For our assessment project at the end of the unit (probably in November), the students are going to need large cardboard boxes or display boards for creating a museum exhibit. If you have large cardboard boxes available for your child or to share, could you please save them? I could also store them here. Thanks!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Weekly Update
Literature
Since the last post, the students have read another story entitled "The Osage Orange Tree." In addition to discussing the plot, which was the focus of this story, the students looked at the characterization and setting. To demonstrate their knowledge of the plot, the students are working in groups to create a talk show in which the conflict, events, climax, and resolution of the story are explored. They will be presenting these on Monday, and I'll have video up next week!
English
The students turned in their persuasive papers this week, and so far they look pretty good. Mrs. V. and I are both grading these--I am focusing on the sentence fluency, conventions and organization while she is reading them for the arguments and support. The class has now turned their attention to punctuation. While much of what we are doing is review, I find that they don't apply many of the rules. What they learn in this punctuation unit will be used over and over in their writing throughout the year. When they finish this particular unit, they will have an opportunity to use their punctuation skills in writing a mystery story.
Religion
This week in Religion, the students have seen and read about Paul joining "Team Christianity" and how he and Peter influenced each other. In our studies, Paul is setting out on his First Missionary Journey.
On a side note, the butterfly has emerged! I caught a little bit of it on video last weekend. It's not great quality (I was using my old digital camera while riding in the truck), but here it is. I brought her to school on Tuesday, and I must say, it's kind of cute seeing the 8th grade boys huddled around watching a butterfly! Incidentally, the butterfly doesn't seem to want to go to Mexico like the rest of her generation (the fifth generation of monarchs, usually born in September or October). I keep trying to let her go, but she doesn't leave. Then it gets cold at night, so I bring her in so she doesn't freeze. Last night I put her on my shoulder while I worked in the yard, and tonight I was actually feeding her applesauce while holding her in my hand. One of my friends suggested I take the kids on a field trip to Mexico to bring her there personally! I shall try to send her on her way again tomorrow!
Since the last post, the students have read another story entitled "The Osage Orange Tree." In addition to discussing the plot, which was the focus of this story, the students looked at the characterization and setting. To demonstrate their knowledge of the plot, the students are working in groups to create a talk show in which the conflict, events, climax, and resolution of the story are explored. They will be presenting these on Monday, and I'll have video up next week!
English
The students turned in their persuasive papers this week, and so far they look pretty good. Mrs. V. and I are both grading these--I am focusing on the sentence fluency, conventions and organization while she is reading them for the arguments and support. The class has now turned their attention to punctuation. While much of what we are doing is review, I find that they don't apply many of the rules. What they learn in this punctuation unit will be used over and over in their writing throughout the year. When they finish this particular unit, they will have an opportunity to use their punctuation skills in writing a mystery story.
Religion
This week in Religion, the students have seen and read about Paul joining "Team Christianity" and how he and Peter influenced each other. In our studies, Paul is setting out on his First Missionary Journey.
On a side note, the butterfly has emerged! I caught a little bit of it on video last weekend. It's not great quality (I was using my old digital camera while riding in the truck), but here it is. I brought her to school on Tuesday, and I must say, it's kind of cute seeing the 8th grade boys huddled around watching a butterfly! Incidentally, the butterfly doesn't seem to want to go to Mexico like the rest of her generation (the fifth generation of monarchs, usually born in September or October). I keep trying to let her go, but she doesn't leave. Then it gets cold at night, so I bring her in so she doesn't freeze. Last night I put her on my shoulder while I worked in the yard, and tonight I was actually feeding her applesauce while holding her in my hand. One of my friends suggested I take the kids on a field trip to Mexico to bring her there personally! I shall try to send her on her way again tomorrow!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Weekly Update
English
Over the past week, the eighth graders have been learning to write a persuasive paper in Nestorian form. After either participating in or viewing the debate in History class, they have now formed and researched their opinion on reinstating the death penalty in Wisconsin. I guided them in organizing their information using a fill-in sheet, which then became the basis for their rough draft. I held individual conferences with them at both the fill-in and the rough draft stages. The students also engaged in peer revision to help each other refine their writing. This paper will be due next Tuesday and will be graded by both Mrs. V. and me. I will look for the organizational elements, and she will grade for the arguments and support.
Religion
The students have begun studying Saints Peter and Paul and the spread of Christianity after Pentecost. To aid us in studying the scripture of this time, we are watching the movie Peter and Paul. Additionally this week, the students read articles from The Compass to investigate contemporary Catholic issues.
Literature
For the past several years, my students have read the short story, “The War of the Wall.” The story tells the tale of a community that has a wall that is full of graffiti, gum, etchings, and various marks that hold memories for the youth. One day, an artist comes in and starts painting over the wall. The kids of the community are irate, but after watching and waiting, they are surprised with a beautiful mural that depicts all of the important people, places, and events of their community. As a pre-reading activity, the kids created their own mural that depicts what makes Kaukauna special. Then earlier in the week we walked down to the Catherine Street mural and they compared their murals with the beautifully painted wall. They took note of what the two murals had in common and also observed what special parts of Kaukauna could still be added to the wall. It was a great community tie-in with the literature curriculum. Check out some of the students' drawings as well as our field trip in the picture below.
Over the past week, the eighth graders have been learning to write a persuasive paper in Nestorian form. After either participating in or viewing the debate in History class, they have now formed and researched their opinion on reinstating the death penalty in Wisconsin. I guided them in organizing their information using a fill-in sheet, which then became the basis for their rough draft. I held individual conferences with them at both the fill-in and the rough draft stages. The students also engaged in peer revision to help each other refine their writing. This paper will be due next Tuesday and will be graded by both Mrs. V. and me. I will look for the organizational elements, and she will grade for the arguments and support.
Religion
The students have begun studying Saints Peter and Paul and the spread of Christianity after Pentecost. To aid us in studying the scripture of this time, we are watching the movie Peter and Paul. Additionally this week, the students read articles from The Compass to investigate contemporary Catholic issues.
Literature
For the past several years, my students have read the short story, “The War of the Wall.” The story tells the tale of a community that has a wall that is full of graffiti, gum, etchings, and various marks that hold memories for the youth. One day, an artist comes in and starts painting over the wall. The kids of the community are irate, but after watching and waiting, they are surprised with a beautiful mural that depicts all of the important people, places, and events of their community. As a pre-reading activity, the kids created their own mural that depicts what makes Kaukauna special. Then earlier in the week we walked down to the Catherine Street mural and they compared their murals with the beautifully painted wall. They took note of what the two murals had in common and also observed what special parts of Kaukauna could still be added to the wall. It was a great community tie-in with the literature curriculum. Check out some of the students' drawings as well as our field trip in the picture below.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
8th Grade Newscasts
We are currently reading short stories and reviewing their major elements: setting, plot, characterization, and theme. In our first story, "A Mother in Mannville," we focused on setting. The students picked out descriptive details that helped to make the setting come alive and incorporated them into a newscast. They wrote the script and performed the newscast. Each story or feature had to relate to the literature story in some way. I think the kids did a great job! Check them out!
Monarch Metamorphosis
This has nothing to do with the subjects I teach, but it was an awesome learning experience that I couldn't pass up. My daughter and I caught a monarch caterpillar this weekend (the second one of the season), and I brought it to school today in hopes of catching it go from caterpillar to chrysalis. We were very lucky and caught the incredible event! My class was able to watch it live while I recorded it. Hopefully, we'll be able to catch the monarch emerging in two weeks. I'll share then too!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Weekly Update
Wow! Our year is off to a great start! The kids seem extremely respectful and hard-working.
During the first two weeks of the school in Religion class, the students wrote prayers to use when leading the school body in prayer in the mornings. I asked them to find a Psalm or Proverb that was particularly meaningful to them and then write a prayer to go along with it. Additionally, we have begun looking at the Gospels and have discussed why they are all a bit different.
In Literature class, we have been reviewing the four major elements of short stories: plot, setting, characterization, and theme. The first story that the students read was called "A Mother in Mannville," and focused on descriptive details that made the story come to life. Currently, the students are working in groups to write scripts for newscasts that they will perform in class that use these descriptive details. I plan to video record these and will post them later this week on this blog.
Finally, in English I taught the students how to summarize newspaper articles, which will be a skill they use in their Current Events projects in Mrs. V.'s class. We are now beginning to look at writing persuasive papers. This is a skill that they will also use in History class after they participate or witness a class debate about a current controversial issue.
During the first two weeks of the school in Religion class, the students wrote prayers to use when leading the school body in prayer in the mornings. I asked them to find a Psalm or Proverb that was particularly meaningful to them and then write a prayer to go along with it. Additionally, we have begun looking at the Gospels and have discussed why they are all a bit different.
In Literature class, we have been reviewing the four major elements of short stories: plot, setting, characterization, and theme. The first story that the students read was called "A Mother in Mannville," and focused on descriptive details that made the story come to life. Currently, the students are working in groups to write scripts for newscasts that they will perform in class that use these descriptive details. I plan to video record these and will post them later this week on this blog.
Finally, in English I taught the students how to summarize newspaper articles, which will be a skill they use in their Current Events projects in Mrs. V.'s class. We are now beginning to look at writing persuasive papers. This is a skill that they will also use in History class after they participate or witness a class debate about a current controversial issue.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Welcome to 8th Grade!
Welcome to 8th Grade! I am looking forward to a great year of learning. Please check this blog at the end of each week for news from our classroom. I will send e-mail reminders when I post a new entry. Thank you for sending your child to KCSS!
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