Spring into Poetry!

I can't believe it's already March! We are starting our poetry unit, and you will have the chance to exercise all of your poetic abilities. Here are this week's poetry topics:

Wednesday: Making Comparisons Using the Five Senses (Similes)
Poem (in class): Write about what's in your backpack, making sure you write five similes, one for each of the five senses!

Thursday: Concrete Imagery
Poem (in class): Write about your bedroom, using language that appeals directly to the five senses.
Friday: Personification
Poem (in class): Write a poem that turns a feeling or an emotion into a person. Your poem should include concrete imagery and at least TWO similes.

Each of these lessons will give you other skills to use when you write poems in the future!

Here comes the end...

Of our "Lessons in True Courage" Unit!

Here's how we'll be wrapping things up this week:

Monday: Essays DUE! Read the Epilogue of Parallel Journeys and discuss the ways Alfons and Helen have both shown courage.

Tuesday: IR TEST #2! Begin working on study guide for unit test.

Wednesday: Library day, check out new book for IR Test #3
Continue working on study guide for unit test.

Thursday: Study Guide/Review Day

Friday: UNIT TEST!!!!

Writing Workshop Week

This week is our writing workshop, where we work together in class to write Persuasive Essays. You have been assigned one of three prompts:

Yellow: "Would you consider it dangerous to read Alfons' point of view? Why might some people consider it dangerous to read about what young Nazis believed?

Green: "When Alfons Heck was a young teenager, he thought that Hitler was a great hero who would save Germany. Much later, he realized the terrible damage that Hitler caused, both to Jewish people and to the young Germans who followed him. Do you think people who are not fully adult should be held responsible for their decisions and actions?

Orange: "During the speaking tours that Helen and Alfons made, audience members were sometimes angry at Helen. They believed she should be less forgiving toward a former member of the Hitler Youth. Why do you think that Helen believes so strongly that we should not hate all the members of any group? Do you agree with her?"

This week we'll be breaking down the process of how to write a persuasive essay. Here's what our week will look like:

Monday: How to write a strong argument
-You'll brainstorm your claim and supporting arguments.

Tuesday: Introduction and Thesis
-You'll write a strong introduction paragraph with a hook and arguable thesis.

Wednesday: Body Paragraphs and OREO
-You'll compose three body paragraphs that support your argument.

Thursday: Conclusion and Peer Review
-Finish up your rough draft and have a friend look it over.

Friday: Writing Day
-Spend the class period working on your final draft of the paper.
-If you finish in class on Friday you may turn it in.

If not, all essays are due on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23 at the beginning of class. No exceptions.

Links for Holocaust Information

Interview with Helen Waterford: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/media_oi.php?MediaId=2300
After watching, click on "View all Oral Histories" to see the whole library.
The Holocaust Explained: http://www.theholocaustexplained.org/

The History Channel: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaust

America and the Holocaust: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/teachers/index.html

February 9, 2015

Here's this week's schedule:

Monday: Finish first six chapters of Parallel Journeys. 
Homework: Venn Diagram and 10 Questions

Tuesday: Begin reading last six chapters of Parallel Journeys.
Yellow groups will read 12, 14, 18.
Red groups will read 15, 17, 21.

Wednesday: LIBRARY DAY!
Character Study #3: Anne Frank
You need to check out a nonfiction book (biography or autobiography is preferred)
Our Next IR Test is on Tuesday, 2/24

Thursday: Continue reading last six chapters

Friday: Continue reading last six chapters
Yellow groups should be FINISHED with 12, 14, 18
Red groups should be FINISHED with 15, 17, 21

Parallel Journeys and a Sentence Quiz!

This week we have been reading excerpts from the book Parallel Journeys by Eleanor Ayer. This book tells two different perspectives of WWII--Alfons Heck's, a young boy growing up in Nazi Germany, and Helen Waterford's, a young Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust.

We have also been discussing finding the subjects and verbs in the following types of sentences:
1. Simple Sentences
2. Sentences with Compound Subjects and Compound Verbs
3. Questions
4. Commands
5. Sentences beginning with "There" or "Here."

Tomorrow we will take a sentence quiz on these five types of sentences. Each sentence will be taken directly from Parallel Journeys.

January 26, 2015

Monday: Character Study #2: The Life of Winston Churchill

Note-taking Skills: Mind Maps and Venn Diagrams

Homework: Finish Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting Martin Luther King, Jr, and Winston Churchill

Tuesday: Read Chapters 12-13 of Number the Stars

Wednesday: Library Day! Please bring books to renew/return and any fines or fees you might owe! 

Read Chapters 14-15 of Number the Stars

Homework: Test Practice Worksheet

Thursday: Read Chapters 16-17 of Number the Stars

Answer comprehension questions based on the novel.

Friday: IR Test #1 over a novel of your choice. 

Bring IR books to class—you can use them on the test!

Make a comic strip based on Number the Stars.

Homework: Finish Comic Strip based on Number the Stars.