I'm out today :o(

Sorry, guys, but dad needs me today. He had a rough weekend, and I need to be with him to make sure he is OK. I will miss you terribly, that's for sure. Below is the work for the day that I want you to complete. Even though I am not there, I want your best! I will see you Tuesday. Until then, hugs and besitos! Love you all!

Period 2 – Turn to page 184 of your textbook, and use these definitions to complete pgs 70 & 71 in your workbook. Do all activities. (20 minutes)

Turn to page 72 in your workbook. Do all activities for pages 72 & 73. (20 minutes) Then turn to page 186 of your textbook. Read pages 186-197 (you can use the CDs that accompany the reading, which is in an Edge CD case next to my computer. (30 minutes)

After reading, the kids will work in groups. There should be 5 groups of 3 or 4, and each group will complete the following pages: Group 1 – Pages188 & 189; Group 2 – Pages 190 & 191; Group 3 – Pages 192-194; Group 4 – Pages 195-197

The task is that each group create a summary for their section. I want a new title for the assigned section, a one-sentence summary for their section, as well as three to five main points. Write it on a nice, white sheet of computer paper, add a graphic, and organize the info in a unique way. All work is due at the end of the period for a grade.

Period 4 – Students will work in groups to create a 4-3-2-1 chart for New Moon. Using the big paper (behind the bookshelf by the counter), create a chart that compares and contrasts the movie with the novel. On the chart paper, they will address the following:
4 aspects of the movie that were not in the novel
3 aspects in the book that should have been included in the movie
2 aspects of the movie you enjoyed
1 aspect of the movie you did not enjoy

Once they are done, they can share with the class, or they can wait until I return. After that, it’s Scrabble time (they MUST ALL play).

Period 6 – Turn in all vocab cards at the beginning of class. Be sure to include your name on the back of at least one of the cards.

In groups of four, the teams will complete the following tasks:
1. If chapters 1-4 were one chapter, what would the chapter’s title be?
2. Create a chart of 6 events from chapters 1-4
3. Write a nice, white sheet of computer paper, add a graphic, and organize the info in a unique way.
4. On another sheet, create a characterization chart for Janie, Nanny, and Logan Killicks. I want the physical description (quoted from the text); their mental, physical and psychological state; and their main motivation (so far). Again, make it unique!

Once you are finished, read QUIETLY! Your homework for chapters 5 & 6 will be on the blog, and you should expect a quiz on chapters 1-6 on Wednesday.

THANKS!!!!

New Moon Field Trip

Click here to see highlights from our New Moon field trip!

Thanks to Ms. Parra for making this Smilebox

and to all of the students and teachers who attended.

I am so proud of your outstanding behavior!

Periods 5 & 6

Here is your Their Eyes Were Watching God "blog task" for the week. For chapters 1-4, find one example from each of the tiers of literary tools:

Tier One - metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, oxymoron
Tier Two - personification, paradox, hyperbole, allusion
Tier Three - apostrophe, metonymy, pun, or irony (verbal, situational or dramatic)

You can use the Style and Rhetorical Appeals handout to the left for a review. This is due by THIS Sunday at 11 p.m. Remember to indicate the page number for each of your examples, and don't use the same one someone else has used. I look forward to your responses!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to wish my sweeties a very Happy Thanksgiving. Let's start an Attitude of Gratitude chain right here on our blog.

Click on "comments" below and state three things for which you are thankful (be different)! I already know you are grateful for your parents and family, your friends, and your AMAZING teachers (try not to laugh), but I want some original things. I will go first so you can see what I mean (mine may be longer since I talk a lot)! Be sure to read the various comments that are posted, and you will see that we have so MUCH to be thankful for, even the small things we take for granted!

I hope your day and weekend is filled with all the love and happiness your heart can handle, and all the food your tummies can take! Remember, a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips! haha!

LOVE YOU ALL! Thanks for being the great kids you are! I am blessed!

New Moon Poem - Periods 3 & 4

I bet you can guess from the title of this post that you are going to write a poem for New Moon. Well, you guessed right...being the amazingly bright students you are. Here are the requirements:

• It must be a minimum of 14 lines.
• You will write your poem from the point of view of one of the characters.
• There must be a rhyme scheme (either ABBA, ABAB, or AABB).
• You must use at least five different literary tools (see our current list on the left).
• You must include the quote you are painting onto your shirt for our field trip.
• Proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization is REQUIRED!
  
• Your rough drafts are due Nov. 12 (period 4); Nov. 13 (period 3).
  
• Final drafts are due on Nov. 16 (period 4); Nov. 17 (period 3).
• Your final draft must include some graphic that relates to your poem

You may type your final draft and glue it on posterboard (or construction paper), or you can write it by hand NICELY and NEATLY on posterboard.

I truly look forward to seeing your work! I know it will be AMAZING!

HOMECOMING 2009

It's Homecoming Time! This year's theme is Mardi Gras, and it promises to be TONS of fun!

Monday - Flashback day (Wear clothes from your favorite decade.)

Tuesday - Cartoon Day (Wear clothing of your favorite cartoon character.) The faculty talent show is after school, and yours truly will be performing!

Wednesday - Pajama Day (There is no school that day, so you can sit at home all day in your jammies. LOL)

Thursday - Gladiator Day (Wear your favorite Gladiator shirt, or your green and black WITH your uniform pants.) The game is on this day at 7:30 at Traz Powell Stadium

Friday - Sports Day (Wear a jersey or tshirt of your favorite sports team. Jason Taylor, here I come!) Our Homecoming Dance is this day. Come out and have some fun!

When you dress up on a dress up day, I will give you Mardi Gras beads.

Periods 3 & 4 Reflections

In your literature circles today, you each had a role and you had meaningful conversations about quotes from New Moon, the characters, how this relates to our own lives and the human experience, among other topics. What I want you to do here is reflect on what you discussed. You can write about your role and how your circle members responded to your question(s), or you can reflect on the questions that were asked of you (or you can do both - LOL).

• Please be sure that your reflections are grammatically correct and that you use ALIVE words!!!!!
  
  
• Period 3's responses are due by Tuesday at 11:00 p.m.; Period 4's is due Wednesday at 11 p.m.

Periods 3 & 4 - This is for you!

Make sure you are caught up with your reading. You should have read up to the end of chapter 17 by next class (Monday for 3rd; Tuesday for 4th). Our activity this week is dependent on you having already read these chapters!!!!

I know you can do it! Nineteen days until we go see New Moon!!!!!