Week of 12/14-12/18

Monday:
"A Time in Your Life that Changed You"
Due: Dec 14

Instructions:
For this assignment, use the draft of your narrative essay that you worked on during Nathan Kotecki's residency last week. On day 1, you started with a 5-sentence narrative describing a time in your life that changed you. Your sentences corresponded to the 5 elements of plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. On day 2, you looked into your "descriptive toolbox" (adjectives, adverbs, specific nouns, phrases, similes, metaphors, and details) to make your writing more engaging to the reader. On day 3, you took a more critical look at your writing to analyze setting ("Show, don't tell") , emotions ("How did you feel about this event?", and resolution ("How did you change as a result of this event?).

Your assignment today is to create your final draft of your narrative and type it in a Google document. The narrative should be in MLA format with the proper heading on the left side of your paper. Your font should be Times New Roman, 12-point, with doubled spaced lines. Each new paragraph should be indented one tab. Do not add extra spacing between paragraphs. Give your narrative a meaningful title and center it on the line following your heading.

Read the attached rubric to see how you will be graded. Use the "Personal Narrative Essay" template in Google Classroom assignment to type and turn in your narrative. Use your class time wisely. Your essay is due by the end of class. 

Narrative Writing Rubric

If you finish your essay before the end of class, you may start working on your reading logs: Reading Log Prompts. You need to complete four reading log responses. They are due at the beginning of class on Friday. You can submit them on paper or virtually through Google Classroom. If you submit them online, make sure you have turned them in before class on Friday.

Homework: Begin reading log.

Tuesday: EOG practice and test-taking skill review
EOG Practice Test
Homework: Reading log

Wednesday: Introduction to grammar unit and grammar group goals.

Homework: Reading log

Thursday: Reflection on academic performance (strengths/struggles) so far this year. SMART Goal setting, binder purge, and portfolio development. 

Homework: Complete reading log.

Friday: Reading log is due at the beginning of class. Mrs. McGee, our 8th grade counselor, will introduce you to Career Cruising, an interactive career guide. You will explore the site and determine optimum career choices to suit your skills and personality. The information you come across will help you with your upcoming career project.

December 7th - 11tth

Warm-ups and Class instructions
Monday:
-Silent reading with response
-Personality test: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp
-Read results and record new vocabulary
-Turn and talk with reflection

Homework: Read for 25 minutes. Reading response on warm-up sheet: Describe the most interesting, controversial, or resonant idea you found in your reading today. Include parenthetical citations and an explanation as to why you chose this passage.

Tuesday:
View your personality type on this website: http://www.16personalities.com/personality-types.
Complete the graphic organizer with specifics about your personality type.

Homework: Choose one of the following assignments:

• Write an ACES paragraph answering the prompt: Do you agree or disagree with your personality characterization?  Why? Use specific evidence from one (or both) of the websites. Give specific examples of your own behavior to prove your point.
• basic template for ACES if you need it: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WH4A5qsshMA2k0G7tBW5UpMj2iDkTti6IsBOA3wvdr4/edit

OR

• Complete the IVFT summary graphic organizer to write an objective summary about one of the personality type articles.

Week of 11/30-12/4

This week, we are writing our Forensic Anthropology essay. Check your Google Classroom for the essay prompt, graphic organizer, and rubric. Type your essay after the graphic organizer on the project sheet.

Make sure your essay is in MLA format: header, double-spaced, Times New Roman 10 or 12 point font, parenthetical citations, Works Cited page.

Here is a document with the ACES format: ACES format -- What goes in each paragraph?
Make sure to use this to help you structure your essay!

You must use parenthetical citations to give credit to your sources in the text of your paper. For the citations, please just put the author's name and the page number you found the evidence on: (Steinberg 7). If you are using either of Angela Libal's works, you will need to include an abbreviated version of the title to differentiate between the two texts: (Libal, "Identifying" 38). If you reference the author in the sentence, you can just use the page number in the parenthetical citation (unless you are using one of Libal's text--then, you must give the abbreviated title before the page number).

Here are the warm-ups in case you weren't here:
Monday: Choose a reading goal for our daily silent reading. Explain why you chose this goal. Examples of possible goals
○  Increase reading grade level.
○  Learn new words
○  Increase reading stamina - read for longer time periods without interruption
○  Improve comprehension of reading○  Improve recognition of figurative
    language 

Tuesday: Write your reaction to what you read today. Did anything exciting occur? Is your story dull? Did a character do something obnoxious or suprising?

Write at least 5 sentences with specific details from the text. Use parenthetical citations when citing evidence. Ex: (Rowling 5).

Wednesday: Briefly (1 sentence) describe something thoughtful you have done for another person. Then, reflect on the protagonist in your book. Would/he or she ever show the same type of kindness to someone? Why or why not? Use textual evidence from the book. Make sure to include parenthetical citations. Ex: (Grinnell 14-15) or Grinnell writes, "Blah, blah, blah, and so on and so forth" (44-45).

Thursday, 11/19

Our Forensic Anthropology unit brought up several interesting points about race. Let's explore that a bit today. We will review the following links and have a class discussion. Go through that following links and jot down some notes that are interesting or important.
http://www.pbs.org/race/001_WhatIsRace/001_00-home.htm

Do this activity: diversity 

Tuesday, 11/17

1. Work on “Playing with Perceptions” assignment in Google Classroom. This is due Friday at 11:59 pm.
2. Periods 1-3: Vocabulary due Wednesday. Periods 6-7: Vocabulary due Thursday.
   
   

*If you haven’t turned in your Central Idea chart for “Identifying the Victim”, please do this ASAP!

*Periods 1 & 2, if you would like to resubmit your Air Conditioning Essay after making revisions, please do. The redo is optional.

*Periods 3, 6, & 7, as you receive your Air Conditioning Essays back, please read my comments and look over the scored rubric. If you want to make revisions and resubmit, you may. This redo is optional.

"Eleven" VoiceThread

7th period, post your VoiceThread link below!

11/9-11/13

Monday

1. Students should read the entire text "Identifying the Victim" through once, circling new words as they are reading.

2. After reading,  students should complete the Line #’s column and the Context Clues column of the vocabulary sheet: "Identifying the Victim" vocabulary chart. Vocabulary chart must be completed by the end of class on Friday.

    3) After they complete the vocabulary sheet, they should read the entire text a second time and annotate as follows:

• Circle names, dates, places, statistics, and new vocabulary words
• Underline anything that can help them figure out central idea (recurring images, supporting details, significant moments, text features, author’s purpose)
• Write in the margins any questions or confusions they may have, clarifications, connections to the other texts, or other responses to what they are reading.

Tuesday

When they are done with annotating, they should draw an annotations chart that looks like this in their Reader/Writer Notebook:

Line #’s	Central Idea	Paraphrase of Supporting ideas	Explanation of how supporting ideas relate to the central idea
1-23
24-81
82-122
123-152
153-170
171-187

Central Idea of entire article:


Students will work with their table partners to complete this chart. The chart is due by Friday at the beginning of class.

Begin homework: 

1. Watch 2 out of the 5 TED talks in the segment "Playing with Perceptions":
http://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/358360814/playing-with-perceptions?showDate=2015-10-30
(#1 and #4 are Ms. Grinnell's favorites, but you should choose the ones that "speak" to you.)

2. Use the knowledge gained from each of the TED talks to complete the assignment on your Google Classroom. Completed assignment is due by Friday 11/20 at 11:59 pm.
"Playing With Perceptions" Google Classroom Assignment: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rvI5AFxCcjidAi4vNzrE_aIoC5fnmcZtbUL-mfpAh7g/edit?usp=sharing

Wednesday
Veteran's Day Holiday
Homework: Work on "Playing With Perceptions" assignment. Work on annotations chart.

Thursday
Field Trip
Homework: Work on "Playing With Perceptions" assignment. Work on annotations chart.

Friday
Complete annotation chart and vocabulary chart. Turn in by the end of class. For those who are finished, we will have a jigsaw activity and class discussion regarding the following questions:
1) Which aspect of identifying a biological profile does Libal see as most exact? How do you know?
2) Which does Libal see as least exact? How do you know?
3) What is a central idea for the entire text and how can you support it?
4) Which writing methods does Libal use in this text to convey complex ideas and information? How do these methods work?
5) Which methods do you find most effective given her purpose and audience?

Week of 11/2 - 11/6

Monday
Essential Question:
How can figurative language contribute to the meaning of a text?
Learning Targets: 

• I will discuss the definitions of various types of figurative language with my group.
• I will construct a chart of examples of figurative language that I am already familiar with.
• I will identify figurative language in "Dead Men Talking" and analyze the impact of its use in the text. 
• I will demonstrate understanding by completing a figurative language graphic organizer and responding to a Quickwrite prompt.

Class materials:

Content powerpoint

Figurative language graphic organizer

Here is the article to use when completing the graphic organizer: "Dead Men Talking: Solving Crime Through Science"

Homework:

Read your independent reading book for 30 minutes. Parents and guardians, please check to make sure your child is reading a piece of classic literature. If they do not have a book, please help them acquire one as soon as possible. Students are still coming to class without their books and I have noticed that many are not consistently reading their books. This is not acceptable. If your child does not have access to the library, please let me know so I can help him/her acquire a book. Thank you!

Week of 10/19 - 10/23

This week we are completing the Write-Like task for "What is Forensic Anthropology." See Google Classroom for the project sheet, rubric, and example task. Remember, there were things about the example that we thought were ineffective, so make sure you don't just copy what is in the example! This task is due Friday during class.
Example: Write-Like Sample

Homework this week is making up any missed assignments and finalizing any essays from this quarter. Extra credit (see in post below) is due during school on Thursday, 10/22. Do a thorough job on the extra credit, or I will not give you any points.

Good job with Accountable Talk!

Students, I just wanted to thank you for how well you did with our Accountable Talk discussion today. Although it evolved from the original topic of forensic anthropology and identity, and then on to racial climate at Culbreth, I thought what you had to say to each other was very important. Let us reflect on what we heard our classmates say and think about some of the experiences they shared. We can use this information to help us remember to be kind to one another, to stand up for one another, and to gain perspective from our peers. Today, one of your peers stated something along the lines of "In order to promote positive change, we have to start listening to each other." This really resonated with me, as well as many other insights from your bright, young minds. Great work, and I hope that we can come up with some good ideas to help everyone feel welcome, accepted, and capable of excellence at Culbreth!

Here is an interesting audio interview from the UNC Southern Oral History Program regarding an African-American woman's experience with the integration of Chapel Hill Schools in the early 1960s: http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/sohp/id/12761/rec/3

Here is an article of another African-American woman's experience with integration in Chapel Hill: http://wunc.org/post/august-1963-carrie-farrington-remembers-racism-chapel-hill-schools#stream/0.



This week, I will sit with you individually to discuss your grade in my class. We will also work on a multi-paragraph writing assignment during the week. We will not have reading logs for homework next week; instead, your homework will be to complete any missing work or improve previously submitted essays.

Due by Thursday: For 1 point extra credit on any grade from Quarter 1, you may submit a poem, song, or short story that has to do with one the following prompts:

1. Who are you? What are the qualities and characteristics you value most about yourself? Do people see these or would you prefer they don't?

2. What are some of your struggles and how will you overcome them? (any sort of struggle: internal (identity, confidence, skills) or external (how other people or situations impact you)).

or

3. Interview someone local about the integration of schools in Chapel Hill and what it was like for members of the community (traditional interview format).

Forensic anthropology fishbowl discussion question ideas

HERE ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS AND THE LINKS TO THE "WRITTEN IN BONE" ASSIGNMENT:

Written in Bone website

Video

Watch the video and navigate through the site to answer the following questions. Use the page names in parentheses and hints as  starting points to help you find the answers. Answer these questions in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

1. What can forensic anthropologists learn by analyzing bones that we cannot learn from other kinds of historical sources?  (Skeleton Keys)

2. Many of the 17th-century graves unearthed in the Chesapeake reveal clues into how and why someone died. If a grave or coffin was clearly too small for the individual who was buried within, what might that reveal about the circumstances under which they had died?

Hint

What differences would you expect to find between the burials and bones of two men of the same age, one the wealthy governor of Jamestown and the other an indentured servant?

3. Forensic anthropologists closely examine the DNA evidence from bones and other artifacts to learn more about how people lived in the 17th century. What are the various methods and tools forensic anthropologists use to examine and collect information from bones?  (Video)

4. What does this exhibition reveal about the lives of Africans in the 17th-century Chesapeake? What are some of the ways forensic anthropologists determine the ancestry of the people whose bones they discover?

Hint

5. Life in the 17th-century Chesapeake was extremely difficult and mortality rates were very high. What are some of the insights we can draw about the challenges they faced from examining their bones?  (Unearthing the 17th Century Chesapeake: The First Colonists, The First Fatalities, Harsh Realities, and Struggling to Survive)

6. How would a forensic anthropologist determine whether a skeleton was buried 400 years ago or four years ago?

Bone Biography: A “bone biography” tells the story of a person from the past by analyzing their bones and burial. It includes information about who they were, how they lived, and possibly reveals how they died.

Create a bone biography of one of the individuals explored in the exhibition (Forensic Case Files). Details to include, if possible are: Identity (Where was he/she from), Age, Gender, Cause of Death, and Occupation. If you can’t find all the details, they can make hypotheses based on the evidence found from the bones, or based on what they have learned through research or prior knowledge.

Yay! Reading Logs!

Hi class! We are still working on identifying the central idea of the article "What is Forensic Anthropology?" After completing your central idea graphic organizer, you will create a central idea statement for the whole article. In an ACES paragraph, please state your central idea article and defend it by using specific evidence from the text. Make sure you use parenthetical citations.

Writing resources to help with your ACES:
 https://www.gallaudet.edu/tip/english-center/writing/quoting-and-praphrases.html
 http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/evidence/
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/using_evidence.pdf
http://www.smart-words.org/linking-words/transition-words.html


Your completed reading logs are due on Monday, 10/12 at the beginning of class. Put your best effort into completing the tasks. Go beyond the obvious. For example, look for indirect characterization rather than direct characterization.

If you are having any issues with the reading logs or with central idea, it is your responsibility to come to me for help. Please do not wait until the last minute to do your work or to voice your concerns.

Week of 9/28-10/2

Update: Essay due in Google Classroom by Friday. 

Videos for forensic pathology unit: TedTalk (8.5)  or What Role do Anthropologist Have in Solving Crime (2.5 minutes)

Simulation -

Your homework for the whole week is to read your classic literature book for at least 20 minutes each night. During warm-ups or at the end of class, you will be required to respond to questions about the content, style, and theme of your book. Please prepare by reading each night.

Monday:
Essential Question: What is Forensic Anthropology and why is the work relevant? (Go beyond the obvious!)

• Launch Forensic Pathology Unit with video/Quickwrite/KWL chart

• Partner work on Forensic Anthropology simulation

Tuesday:

Performance Series period 1-3

Quickwrite Forensic Anthropology and KWL

Wednesday:

Performance Series period 6-7

Quickwrite Forensic Anthropology Quick Write

Thursday:

• Break into pre-assigned reading groups and read the first article "What is Forensic Anthropology?" http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2008-04-04/608464/
• Re-read the article and annotate to find important details, significant events, author's purpose, recurring images, and text features
• Work together in small groups to create central ideas for the article. Copy graphic organizer in notebook and fill in: https://docs.google.com/a/chccs.k12.nc.us/document/d/1cq7Iw53AX6Ii4LlCMy5j-GwuA8ngMd0uHuN4c9dHA5U/edit?usp=sharing
• As an exit ticket, independently write a paragraph to defend your central idea using specific evidence from the text. I will review the exit tickets so that I can determine which kids have mastered finding central idea and which kids need extra support. 

ELA— I’m still making comments on final draft. Sorry to tell you I’m extending final due date to this Friday. Thank you for your hard work on this essay!

*Don’t worry if your essay is showing up as “Late” in Google Classroom. I’m still fiddling with the dates to get the extension updated.

**If you don’t have a literary classic for independent reading, you need to get one. Check one out from the Culbreth library or see me for help finding one. You must bring your classic to class with you every single day! No more excuses!

Most of the vocabulary quiz grades are in PowerSchool. If you scored below an 80, you have an opportunity for a retake on Friday, October 2nd. The average of your two scores will become your test grade. If you scored between 80 and 90, you can do test corrections. See me at lunch asap.

Here's how you do your Works Cited citation. You may need to edit it to adjust the specific title of your version of the article:


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m7k6y66YUzX9jQVYQQ4ELE19c_IM52gn5CvnVxNqqfg/edit?usp=sharing
Final Draft is now due Wednesday, 9/30. I am still adding comments, so it is only fair that I extend the deadline. You will not have any more class time to work on this.

Monday, 9/21 - Friday, 9/25

*Parents/Guardians: I have added a reading list tab to the top of my blog. I would like for the students to begin reading classic books for the rest of the quarter. If your child really wants a challenge, here is the 100 Classic Books Challenge: http://www.listchallenges.com/100-classic-books-challenge. Let's see how many of these they can read and discuss!

I have also added some Writing Contest opportunities. Click on tabs at the top of the page for more information. Remember that I require students to enter at least two writing competitions (outside of Culbreth's audience) each year. Alternatively, the students can write letters to the editor for newspapers or magazines. 

Monday
Class:

• Use class grammar books to help you fill out the grammar study guide. This will help you do well on Wednesday's vocabulary quiz.
• Review grammar packet.
• Class discussion on creating Works Cited page
• Transfer information from your ACES template to your Central Idea Final Essay blank template in Google Classroom. Focus on making your paragraphs flow and connecting them to one another as well as to the writing prompt.
• Small groups will meet with Ms. Grinnell to discuss paragraph structure and sentence structure.

*By the end of class on Monday, you are expected to have transferred your ACES information to your final essay template. You also are expected to have completed your introduction paragraph. Make sure to have a hook, background information about the topic, and your thesis statement.

Homework:

• Continue working on vocabulary word maps. They are due on Wednesday before the quiz. 
• Continue to work on grammar study guide.
• Complete page 1 (both sides) of grammar packet.
• Study your vocabulary words and grammar content.

Tuesday
Class:

• Check answers to page 1 of grammar packet.
• Review all MLA Format requirements and language/tone expectations for the essay
• Short vocabulary review
• Continue meeting in small groups to discuss paragraph structure and sentence structure.

*By the end of class on Tuesday, you are expected to have completed your first and second body paragraphs. You may also want to go ahead and create your Works Cited page at the end of your essay template.

Homework: 

• Complete vocabulary word maps. 
• Complete grammar study guide.
• Study your vocabulary words and grammar content.

Wednesday

Class:

• TURN IN ALL REMAINING WORD MAPS and all grammar work.
• Vocabulary Quiz
• Continue to work on essay. Complete the third body paragraph of essay.

Homework: 

• Review essay and highlight areas that you think need attention during peer review.

Thursday

Class:

• Complete conclusion paragraph and review your essay for errors. Read the essay aloud to try to pick up on any errors in flow or structure.
• Get a peer editing sheet from Ms. Grinnell and begin commenting on a peer's paper. Ms. Grinnell will assign you a peer editing partner.

Homework:

• Make any necessary revisions to your essay based on your peer's feedback.

Friday

Class: 

• Finish peer editing.
• Make final changes and check your work against the appropriate rubric.
• Submit final draft.

Homework: Complete the extra credit ACES assignment or begin the Letters for Literature writing contest.

Grammar study guide

Here is a grammar study guide that you can complete in order to study for the vocabulary test on Wednesday: Grammar study guide

Extra Credit

For an extra point on one of your Quarter 1 major assignments, complete this ACES prompt concisely and thoroughly.

Read the following article from the Daily Tar Heel:

Culture Shock: Surrounded by Norts and Water Bottles

Prompt:

Read this opinion statement from the Daily Tar Heel. How does this article connect to the air-conditioning article? Respond in an ACES paragraph.

A: Answer the prompt

C: Cite evidence and use parenthetical citations. (You can use more than one piece of evidence.)

E: How do these pieces of evidence prove your claim?

S: Summarize and conclude the paragraph

Writing Contest Opportunity

I accidentally gave your parents the wrong writing contest entry form at Open House last night. Here is the link to this year's Letters About Literature writing contest: Letters about Literature

Standard ACES with explicit section instructions.


Click this link and fill out the form below.

ACES assignment questions

Confused by the ACES template? Does this one make it easier to understand? Alternate template
If you would prefer to use this one, go ahead.

Still not sure what we are looking for? Here is an example of an essay that explores Central Idea: "Hi Mom, I'm Home" Central Idea essay

Below are the three options for the ACES assignment. The Essay will be due Friday. I will come around and tell you what level I recommend based on your Getting To Know You Letter.


Grade Level ACES - Central Idea for Newsela Article

Advanced/Challenge ACES

Modified ACES with scaffolding

The ACES will be due by the end of your class period on Thursday, 9/17. The essay will be due next Friday, 9/24. You must get your ACES approved before moving on to the essay.

Complete the vocabulary word maps by this Friday, 9/18. Vocab/grammar quiz will be next Wednesday, 9/23.

Monday, 8/31 - Friday, 9/4

Monday

In class: 

• Read Independent Reading book for 10 minutes. Record unfamiliar words on back page of notebook

OR

• Complete new syllacrostic: 8/31 Syllacrostic

• Discuss vocabulary template and review first two slides: Vocabulary Unit #1 slide show

• Review homework ("Hi Mom, I'm Home" comprehension sheet)

• PMI (Plus, Minus, Intriguing) to analyze and summarize the article. Gallery walk with response.

Homework: Complete graphic organizers for first two vocabulary words.

Tuesday

In class: 

Homework: Complete graphic organizers for second two vocabulary words. Read 20 minutes and complete one section of reading log.

Wednesday

In class:Read this article: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S_TLlgkhrD6M-CQ8I_qYHls3-PRdxGzXdNZU5qI8JTA/edit?usp=sharing

Homework: Answer these questions to prepare for tomorrow's class discussion: Name_________________________________ Date 9-1-15 L.A. Period_________

The Kennewick Man and Naia

Discussion Questions

  

1.What is the central idea of this text?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

2. What textual evidence do you have to support the central idea?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

3. How does the structure of the text contribute to the central idea of the text? (Discuss the text features and organization of ideas in your answer.)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

4. Out of all the sentences that support the central idea, which one clarifies the central idea the most? Why?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________.

5. PLUS/MINUS/INTERESTING

5a. What are the PLUSES of this article? (What information was helpful?)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

5b. What are the MINUSES of this article? (What information was confusing?)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

5c. What is most INTERESTING about this article? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

6. Why are archeological discoveries, such as the Kennewick Man and Naia, important to the growth and development of our modern society?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

7. Are there any downsides to these types of archeological discoveries? Explain.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

8. Why do you think it was important to Native Americans that the Kennewick Man be part of their history? (Use the second paragraph as a reference.)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Homework

Thursday

In class: Fishbowl discussion for "New skeleton study may resolve an ancient puzzle.

Homework: Reflection -- five sentence minimum
Inner Circle: Reflect on your performance in the class discussion in relation to the Accountable Talk goal you set for yourself.
Outer Circle: Based on what you saw in today's class discussion, what do you need to do in order to be a successful part of the conversation tomorrow?

Friday

In class: Continue fishbowl discussion and peer coaching.

Homework: Complete Word Map #5 for derive.

Welcome back, Class of 2016!

Yay! It's finally time for school to begin! I know you all are so excited to be back!

Here is what I have in store for you this week:

Monday
In class:
-Introductions, room orientation, and procedure review
-Read Ms. Grinnell's introduction letter and first assignment instructions. This assignment will serve as a writing diagnostic.
-Begin brainstorming and drafting Getting to Know You Letter (First Assignment)
*Getting To Know You Letter (2 Column View)

Homework:
-Complete your first draft of Getting To Know You letter.
-Get parent/guardian's signature on team letter and bring back to Ms. Grinnell on Tuesday

Tuesday
In class: Edit, type, and submit your Getting To Know You letter in Google Classroom.

Homework: Read for 20 minutes.

Wednesday
In class: Vocabulary pre-assessment

Homework: Read for 20 minutes.

Thursday
In class: Close reading of academic article

Homework: Re-read and annotate article for evidence to answer discussion questions.

Friday
In class: Fishbowl discussion of article

Homework: Read 20 minutes

Summer School iMovie Project

Project guidelines

Useful links:
iMovie on iPad tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzkMWIj7ywc
iMovie support from Apple: https://www.apple.com/support/mac-apps/imovie/
Tutorials: http://www.izzyvideo.com/imovie-tutorial/

released school statistics: https://ncreportcards.ondemand.sas.com/SASVisualAnalyticsViewer/VisualAnalyticsViewer_guest.jsp?reportPath=/ReportCard/NC_SRC&reportName=NC+Report+Cards

School Climate Assessment Survey

Hi all!
In order to help the Culbreth Equity Team figure out how to better meet the needs of all students, we would like for you to complete an anonymous Climate Assessment survey. This survey is optional (meaning you don't have to take it), but the information you provide will be very valuable in helping make Culbreth a better school for all students, teachers, and staff. Your answers will be kept anonymous and your email address and specific identifying information will not be recorded. The anonymity is to make you feel more comfortable giving very honest responses. There will be no implications or repercussions from your responses. We are just trying to collect data for school improvement. Thank you for considering this survey!

Below is some information from the National School Climate Center that might help you decide whether or not you want to take this survey:

What is school climate?
School climate refers to the quality and character of school life as it relates to norms and values, interpersonal relations and social interactions, and organizational processes and structures. School climate sets the tone for all the learning and teaching done in the school environment and, as research proves, it is predictive of students’ ability to learn and develop in healthy ways.

Why is school climate important?
Research proves that a positive school climate directly impacts telling indicators of success such as increased teacher retention, lower dropout rates, decreased incidences of violence, and higher student achievement. 

Why measure school climate?
Measuring your school climate is the first step toward improving your school climate. Schools are using CSCI to measure, evaluate and improve their school climate for a variety of reasons:

• To conduct a school-wide needs assessment. The Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI) evaluates your school's current climate for learning and identifies areas that need improvement. The assessment provides answers to the concerns vital to school success, such as: Is my school safe? Do students and faculty believe they are learning in a safe environment? What areas, if any, could use improvement? Are there subsets of the school community who perceive the school climate more negatively than others? Do we have effective rules and norms? How can this information be used to promote student learning and positive school improvement?

Survey Link: 
https://docs.google.com/a/chccs.k12.nc.us/forms/d/102Ysf3DQsNIoLqfF0p-oKA_w9yxyeFQ4ae_RtjL-m6w/viewform?usp=send_form

Commencement Speech

8th grade Commencement Speech: (+2 points on project/quiz grade)
Prepare a commencement speech in order to share your experience, values, and advice with your graduating class. What life lessons have you learned during your journey at Culbreth? What important, fun, or special memories stand out to you? What will you miss the most? The least?

If you are interested in entering the contest, come to Ms. Grinnell's room at lunch next Wednesday to present. You will present your speech in front of a panel of Culbreth teachers. If you win, you will present the winning speech at the practice graduation ceremony. 

In order to earn the 2 bonus points, you must take this seriously. Speeches that are irrelevant, unstructured, and full of errors will not get points. +1 more point if you are selected to give the speech.

Here is a cool NPR story about successful commencement speeches: Anatomy of a Great Commencement Speech.

Tuesday, 5/26

1. Sit with your peer editing partner. (I assigned you a partner.)

2. Read your partner's paper closely. Fill out the form completely. Do not just put random comments. Random comments will not help your partner.

3. Click this link to go to the released EOG test from last year:
EOG Practice
Start on page 20 with the short story "A Poetic City." (Page numbers are on the bottom of the test page.) Answer questions 32-48 on looseleaf paper. Just write the letter choice.
Do not just guess or write random answers. Use the skills you've learned in class to pick the best answer. See Ms. Grinnell when you are finished so you can review the answers.

EOG Test Taking Tips:
1. Look for what the question is asking you: meaning, tone, explanation, analysis, emphasis, connection, impact, etc.

2. Look for the connotation of the words in the questions (positive/negative). Determine whether your answer will most likely have a positive or negative connotation.

3. Look at the connotation of the words in the answers. If you don't know a word's meaning, remember that words with positive connotations usually have soft sounds, while words with negative connotations have hard sounds. (That's not always 100% true, but if you're in a bind, try it.)
Look at the different parts of the word. What do you know about the word based on its prefix, suffix, or root? Does it sound like other words you know?

4. Eliminate distractor words (words or phrases that are exactly the same at the beginning of your answer choices.)
Ex: If these were your answer choices, you'd cross through "They are" and just look at the main answer word.
A. They are happy.
B. They are sad.
C. They are stinky.
D. They are bad.

5. Look for words that stand out to you in the passage and indicate their connotations.

6. Find evidence from the text that might support your answer.

7. Eliminate answer choices that don't match the connotation of the question.

These tips may help you on the EOG, especially if you have problems with reading stamina and have a hard time with the long passages.

Hey! Do you remember how to write topic sentences? What?! No?! Here is a link to review to ensure you know the purpose of a topic sentence: Awesome Topic Sentences.

Research Paper Rubrics (based on Common Core aligned Smarter Balanced Rubrics)
Yep, this is going to be tough! Awesome, right?!
ELA: ELA Rubric
SS: SS Rubric


Please check out this resource to help build your vocabulary before EOG: Miller Analogies Test Practice

First, complete your Cougar Award nomination.

Let's check your vocabulary skills! Take this practice quiz: https://docs.google.com/a/chccs.k12.nc.us/forms/d/1bItYKt19n4aOi9EOR7yYjwQrQNZdoYx-mTyMRx4t0_U/viewform?usp=send_form

I'll call you back one by one to discuss your research paper and any questions you have about formatting and citations. Work quietly on your rough draft and write down any questions you have for me along the way.

Unit #4 hot words study sheet:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByOeg9CkwuCBNF9Ob0dweHNvME16aUh6Rk9YLU4xQkhSU3Y0/view?usp=sharing

Citation information: http://www.lib.usm.edu/legacy/tutorials/mlatutorial/punctuation.html

Thesis rubric

Monday, 5/11

Hi all. Unfortunately, I will not be with you today, but I should be back tomorrow.

For Monday, 5/11
1. Finish your research digital notecards and submit through Google Classroom by the end of the day. (You must turn in the assignment in Google Classroom or else it will be considered late!)

*Mrs. Anderson's students only: Submit your annotated bibliography if complete.

2. If you finish your digital notecards, review this week's vocabulary powerpoint: Unit #4 Vocabulary and start working on some Own the Word graphic organizers. (AIG, I'll give you your HOT words tomorrow.)
Own the Word template: OTW template (Make sure to add in a section for different forms of the word. List at least three different forms of the word with part of speech.

Digital Notecards

We are going to use digital notecards to record direct quotations, paraphrased information, and secondary quotations that will be useful when writing our research paper.
Source cards vs information cards

Procedure:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SbMsMCy6cU4xZreWAg10GgVCSpliYAOl2qNVPoqDfk4/edit?usp=sharing


Let's take a look at some secondary quotations: http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/26/local/me-38570


Don't like the digital note format? Try this option for your note-taking: https://docs.google.com/a/chccs.k12.nc.us/document/d/1rDMunLwh8IYhE7cIflWFJmsAGktm0Rq2nS3Uw8h2jXc/edit?usp=sharing

Livin' on the Edge!

Research paper

Happy Tuesday! I am at an all-day equity team retreat, so you will not see me today. Please sit where you sat yesterday and work hard on your annotated bibliography. You did one of these for your species project, so this shouldn't be too tough for you.

Check Google Classroom and open the new assignment for the annotated bibliography. Read ALL of the directions on the assignment sheet. Use easybib to create your bibliography. Sign in with your Google account. Once you've found some credible sources (per the instruction sheet), start typing your bibliography in easybib. You will see a button under the citation that says "Add annotation." Make sure to click that so you can add in your annotation.

Here is the instruction sheet I sent you through Google Classroom: Annotated Bibliography READ IT THROUGH COMPLETELY.  You will type your annotated bibliography on the document (after the instruction page).

If you have questions about Research Questions or finding reliable sources, visit this link to Mrs. Motta's page: http://msmottaslanguageartsblog.blogspot.com. She has several great resources to help you out with these things. Remember that you need at least 3 primary sources and 2 secondary sources.

Submit a completed bibliography by the end of school on WEDNESDAY at 3:10 PM. Yep, we extended this deadline one day to give you more time. Use your class time wisely! No excuses! Make sure you check out the resources that Giblin has provided you on your project sheet and on the blog. In my absence, be sure to ask Giblin questions if you do not understand something. As you find your sources, keep in mind your Research Questions and Essential Questions. They will help you focus your research and find the appropriate sources.


Research Questions Information