Week of March 10th

Reading:

Independent Reading Novel: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 20-30 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Literature Circle: Students finished their memoir Literature Circle discussions. They will now engage in a deeper look at the culture in which their protagonist lived. They have created a One-Pager and are presenting it to the class.

Writing: Students finished writing their argumentative letter last week. We sent them off and hope for responses!

Speaking: Students will have another four weeks during the month of March to read a novel of their choice. Book Talk presentations will take place in April.

Vocabulary: Challenge and Grade Level students are learning Greek root words this quarter with the hope it will help them decode words unfamiliar to them. They are filling out a graphic organizer and posting a word on a Padlet Wall each week. They began January 14th and take the test March 7th. This week they use the Greek root word "psych".

Grammar: Students are reviewing the grammar concepts they learned during the first semester. Right now they are focused on using the types of sentences they have learned: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of March 3rd

Reading:

Independent Reading Novel: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 20-30 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Literature Circle: Students finished their memoir Literature Circle discussions. They will now engage in a deeper look at the culture in which their protagonist lived. They will create a One-Pager and present it to the class.

Writing: Students finished writing their argumentative letter last week. We will send them off this week and hope for responses!

Speaking: Students will have another four weeks during the month of March to read a novel of their choice. Book Talk presentations will take place in April.

Vocabulary: Challenge and Grade Level students are learning Greek root words this quarter with the hope it will help them decode words unfamiliar to them. They are filling out a graphic organizer and posting a word on a Padlet Wall each week. They began January 14th and take the test March 7th. This week they use the Greek root word "psych".

Grammar: Students are reviewing the grammar concepts they learned during the first semester. Right now they are focused on using the types of sentences they have learned: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of February 24th

Reading:

Independent Reading Novel: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Literature Circles: Your child needs to be prepared for a literature circle conversation in February on Friday the 7th, Thursday the 13th, Friday the 21st, and Friday the 28th.

Writing: Students will continue writing their argumentative letter this week. They will apply the elements of an argument (claim, concrete details, commentary, counterargument, rebuttal) to craft a letter on a pro/con issue they care about. They will send the letter to someone who has the power to make changes regarding the issue. Several students per class usually receive an answer, and that is a highlight of the unit.

Speaking: Students had the month of January to read a novel of their choice. Book Talk presentations take place the month of February.

Vocabulary: Challenge and Grade Level students are learning Greek root words this quarter with the hope it will help them decode words unfamiliar to them. They are filling out a graphic organizer and posting a word on a Padlet Wall each week. They began January 14th and take the test March 7th. This week they use the Greek root word "nym".

Grammar: Students are reviewing the grammar concepts they learned during the first semester. Right now they are focused on using the types of sentences they have learned: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of February 17th

Reading:

Independent Reading Novel: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Literature Circles: Your child needs to be prepared for a literature circle conversation in February on Friday the 7th, Thursday the 13th, Friday the 21st, and Friday the 28th.

Writing: Students will continue writing their argumentative letter this week. They will apply the elements of an argument (claim, concrete details, commentary, counterargument, rebuttal) to craft a letter on a pro/con issue they care about. They will send the letter to someone who has the power to make changes regarding the issue. Several students per class usually receive an answer, and that is a highlight of the unit.

Speaking: Students had the month of January to read a novel of their choice. Book Talk presentations take place the month of February.

Vocabulary: Challenge and Grade Level students are learning Greek root words this quarter with the hope it will help them decode words unfamiliar to them. They are filling out a graphic organizer and posting a word on a Padlet Wall each week. They began January 14th and take the test March 10th. This week they use the Greek root word "morph".

Grammar: Students are reviewing the grammar concepts they learned during the first semester. Right now they are focused on using the types of sentences they have learned: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of February 10th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Literature Circles: Your child needs to be prepared for a literature circle conversation in February on Friday the 7th, Thursday the 13th, Friday the 21st, and Friday the 28th.

Writing: Students will continue writing their argumentative letter this week. They will apply the elements of an argument (claim, concrete details, commentary, counterargument, rebuttal) to craft a letter on a pro/con issue they care about. They will send the letter to someone who has the power to make changes regarding the issue. Several students per class usually receive an answer, and that is a highlight of the unit.

Speaking: Students had the month of January to read a novel of their choice. Book Talk presentations take place the month of February.

Vocabulary: Challenge and Grade Level students are learning Greek root words this quarter with the hope it will help them decode words unfamiliar to them. They are filling out a graphic organizer and posting a word on a Padlet Wall each week. They began January 14th and take the test March 7th. This week they use the Greek root words "hyper" and "hypo".

Grammar: Students are reviewing the grammar concepts they learned during the first semester. Right now they are focused on using the types of sentences they have learned: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of February 3rd

Reading:

Independent Reading Novel: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Literature Circles: Your child needs to be prepared for a literature circle conversation in February on Friday the 7th, Thursday the 13th, Friday the 21st, and Friday the 28th.

Writing: Students will begin their argumentative letter this week. They will apply the elements of an argument (claim, concrete details, commentary, counterargument, rebuttal) to craft a letter on a pro/con issue they care about. They will send the letter to someone who has the power to make changes regarding the issue. Several students per class usually receive an answer, and that is a highlight of the unit.

Speaking: Students had the month of January to read a novel of their choice. Book Talk presentations will begin this week.

Vocabulary: Challenge and Grade Level students are learning Greek root words this quarter with the hope it will help them decode words unfamiliar to them. They are filling out a graphic organizer and posting a word on a Padlet Wall each week. They began January 14th and take the test March 7th. This week they use the Greek root word "hydr".

Grammar: Students are reviewing the grammar concepts they learned during the first semester. Right now they are focused on using the types of sentences they have learned: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of January 28th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Writing: Students will be writing an argumentative letter this quarter. They will learn the elements of an argument (claim, concrete details, commentary, counterargument, rebuttal), and they will use those elements to craft a letter on a pro/con issue they care about. They will send the letter to someone who has the power to make changes regarding the issue. Several students per class usually receive an answer, and that is a highlight of the unit.

This week students are analyzing the topic: Should Students Attend School Year-Round?

Speaking: Students have the month of January to read a novel of their choice. Book Talk presentations will begin the week of February 4th.

Vocabulary: Challenge and Grade Level students are learning Greek root words this quarter with the hope it will help them decode words unfamiliar to them. They are filling out a graphic organizer and posting a word on a Padlet Wall each week. They began January 14th and take the test March 7th. This week they use the Greek root word "dyna".

Grammar: Students are reviewing the grammar concepts they learned during the first semester. Right now they are focused on types of sentences: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of January 21st

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Writing: Students will be writing an argumentative letter this quarter. They will learn the elements of an argument (claim, concrete details, commentary, counterargument, rebuttal), and they will use those elements to craft a letter on a pro/con issue they care about. They will send the letter to someone who has the power to make changes regarding the issue. Several students per class usually receive an answer, and that is a highlight of the unit.

This week students are analyzing the topic: Should Parents Monitor Their Children's Technology?

Speaking: Students have the month of January to read a novel of their choice. Book Talk presentations will begin the week of February 4th.

Vocabulary: Challenge and Grade Level students are learning Greek root words this quarter with the hope it will help them decode words unfamiliar to them. They are filling out a graphic organizer and posting a word on a Padlet Wall each week. They began January 14th and take the test March 7th. This week they use the Greek root word "chron".

Grammar: Students are reviewing the grammar concepts they learned during the first semester. Right now they are focused on types of sentences: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of January 14th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Writing: Students will be writing an argumentative letter this quarter. They will learn the elements of an argument (claim, concrete details, commentary, counterargument, rebuttal), and they will use those elements to craft a letter on a pro/con issue they care about. They will send the letter to someone who has the power to make changes regarding the issue. Several students per class usually receive an answer, and that is a highlight of the unit.

This week students are analyzing the topic: Are Professional Athletes Overpaid?

Speaking: Students have the month of January to read a novel of their choice. Book Talk presentations will begin the week of February 4th.

Vocabulary: Challenge and Grade Level students are learning Greek root words this quarter with the hope it will help them decode words unfamiliar to them. They are filling out a graphic organizer and posting a word on a Padlet Wall each week. They begin January 14th and take the test March 7th. This week they use the Greek root word "auto".

Grammar: Students are reviewing the grammar concepts they learned during the first semester. Right now they are focused on types of sentences: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of January 6th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Writing: Students will be writing an argumentative letter this quarter. They will learn the elements of an argument (claim, concrete details, commentary, counterargument, rebuttal), and they will use those elements to craft a letter on a pro/con issue they care about. They will send the letter to someone who has the power to make changes regarding the issue. Several students per class usually receive an answer, and that is a highlight of the unit.

Speaking: Students have the month of January to read a novel of their choice. Book Talk presentations will begin the week of February 3rd.

Vocabulary: Students in third and fourth block are learning Greek root words this quarter with the hope it will help them decode words unfamiliar to them. They fill out a graphic organizer each week, post a word on a Padlet Wall each week, and take a test at the end of the unit. They begin January 14th and take the test March 12th.

Grammar: We will review the grammar concepts students learned during the first semester. Right now we are focused on types of sentences: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of December 16th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Students will make their Literature Circle novel presentations this week. They will demonstrate understanding of the elements of a story in a novel. I am looking forward to hearing them!

Writing: Students have finished their original realistic fiction short story. I enjoyed reading what they created. Please ask your child to share his/her story with you.

I will finish handing them back this week during a one on one conference so I can talk to each student about what they did well and where they need to improve. They will use that information to improve their writing second semester.

Speaking: Students have finished giving their second quarter Books Talks. Most students are demonstrating significant improvement and are encouraged by the progress they are making speaking.

Vocabulary: This semester students in third and fourth block learned how to use prefixes and suffixes to decode unknown words.

Grammar: We are currently taking a break from grammar. All of our grammar lessons are meant to improve student writing.

Week of December 9th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Students will make their Literature Circle novel presentations next week. They will demonstrate understanding of the elements of a story in a novel.

Writing: Students have finished their original realistic fiction short story. I enjoyed reading what they created. Please ask your child to share his/her story with you.

I am handing them back this week during a one on one conference so I can talk to each student about what they did well and where they need to improve. They will use that information to improve their writing second semester.

Speaking: Students will finish giving their second quarter Books Talks this week. Most students are demonstrating significant improvement. They are encouraged by the progress they are making speaking.

Vocabulary: Students have learned how to use suffixes to decode unknown words. They will take their summative assessment on Friday.

Grammar: We are currently taking a break from grammar. All of our grammar lessons are meant to improve student writing.

Week of December 2nd

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. They need to go to the library during homeroom to renew their book. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading this novel for their Book Talk.

Literature Circles: Your child needs to be prepared for a literature circle conversation in November & December on

Writing: Students have finished their original realistic fiction short story. I enjoyed reading what they created. Please ask your child to share his/her story with you.

I am handing them back this week during a one on one conference so I can talk to each student about what they did well and where they need to improve. They will use that information to improve their writing second semester.

Speaking: Students will finish giving their second quarter Books Talks this week. Most students are demonstrating significant improvement. They are encouraged by the progress they are making speaking.

Vocabulary: Students have learned how to use suffixes to decode unknown words. They will take their summative assessment on Friday.

Grammar: We are currently taking a break from grammar. All of our grammar lessons are meant to improve student writing.

Weeks of November 19th & November 26th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily. They are reading a novel that they will be doing a Book Talk on the fifth week of the new quarter.

Literature Circles: Your child needs to be prepared for a literature circle conversation in November & December on

Writing: Students are spending the second quarter walking through the steps of the writing process to create an original realistic fiction short story. This week they will finish writing the rough draft of the story and do revision work. I look forward to reading what they create.

Speaking: Students have begun giving their Books Talks once again. All of Blocks 3 & 4 are scheduled; some of Block 1 is scheduled. I look forward to hearing what the students are reading. They are encouraged by the progress they make speaking.

Vocabulary: Students in third and fourth block are learning how to use suffixes to decode unknown words. This week they will work on "less". Students will fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom and place a post on the class Padlet Wall.

Grammar: We are currently reviewing: compound sentences. It is an important concept because students will be using three kinds of sentences to improve their writing: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of November 11th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily.

Literature Circles: Your child needs to be prepared for a literature circle conversation in November & December on

Writing: Students will spend the second quarter walking through the steps of the writing process to create an original realistic fiction short story. They finished analyzing examples of well-written short stories, focusing on the internal and external conflict in each one. This week they are going to continue writing the plot diagram for their story. I look forward to reading what they create.

Speaking: Students will begin giving Book Talks this Monday, November 11th.

Vocabulary: Students in third and fourth block are learning how to use suffixes to decode unknown words. This week they will work on "ion/tion". Students will fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom and place a post on the class Padlet Wall.

Grammar: We are currently reviewing: compound sentences. It is an important concept because students will be using three kinds of sentences to improve their writing: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of November 4th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily.

Literature Circles: Your child needs to be prepared for a literature circle conversation in November & December on

Writing: Students will spend the second quarter walking through the steps of the writing process to create an original realistic fiction short story. They finished analyzing examples of well-written short stories, focusing on the internal and external conflict in each one. This week they are going to begin writing the plot diagram for their story. I look forward to reading what they create.

Speaking: Students finished giving their first quarter Book Talk recommending a novel to their peers. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing what my students are reading. Students will now spend four more weeks reading their next novel. They will begin giving Book Talks on Monday, November 11th.

Vocabulary: Students in third and fourth block will now learn how to use suffixes to decode unknown words. This week they will work on "age". Students will fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom and place a post on the class Padlet Wall.

Grammar: We are currently reviewing: compound sentences. It is an important concept because students will be using three kinds of sentences to improve their writing: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of October 28th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily.

Literature Circles: Your child needs to be prepared for a literature circle conversation in November & December on

Writing: Students have completed writing their analytical essays. They did a nice job analyzing a theme in The Outsiders. Now that they have analyzed another author's story, they will be writing their own short story. Students will spend the second quarter walking through the steps of the writing process to create an original realistic fiction short story. This week they will start writing their short stories. I look forward to reading what they create.

Speaking: Students finished giving their first quarter Book Talk recommending a novel to their peers. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing what my students are reading. Students will now spend four more weeks reading their next novel. They will begin giving Book Talks on Monday, November 11th.

Vocabulary: Students in third and fourth block will now learn how to use suffixes to decode unknown words. This week they will work on "able/ible". Students will fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom and place a post on the class Padlet Wall.

Grammar: We begin class each day with a warm-up related to grammar. We are currently reviewing: complex sentences. It is an important concept because students will be using three kinds of sentences to improve their writing: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of October 21st

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily.

Writing: Students have completed writing their analytical essays. They did a nice job analyzing a theme in The Outsiders. Now that they have analyzed another author's story, they will be writing their own short story. Students will spend the second quarter walking through the steps of the writing process to create an original realistic fiction short story. We are currently analyzing examples of well written short stories, focusing on the internal and external conflict in each one. I look forward to reading what they create.

Speaking: Students finished giving their first quarter Book Talk recommending a novel to their peers. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing what my students are reading. Students will now spend four more weeks reading their next novel.

Vocabulary: Next week students in third and fourth block will begin the process of learning how to use five common suffixes to decode unknown words. Students will fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom and place a post on the class Padlet Wall.

Grammar: We begin class each day with a warm-up related to grammar. We are currently reviewing: complex sentences. It is an important concept because students will be using three kinds of sentences to improve their writing: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of October 14th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily.

Writing: Students are completing their final analysis of The Outsiders this week. I am looking forward to reading their essays. We will watch the movie version of the story on Wednesday and Thursday.

Speaking: Students will complete first quarter Book Talks recommending a novel to their peers. I love hearing students talk about books they are reading. I am excited to hear what they have to share.

Vocabulary: Students finished learning how to use prefixes to decode unknown words. We will take a break from vocabulary this week.

Grammar: We begin class each day with a warm-up related to grammar. This week students are working on simple sentences.

Week of October 7th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily.

Writing: Students are completing their analytical essays this week! I am looking forward to reading them. They may revise their essays if they are not happy with their grade.

Speaking: Students will continue to give their Book Talks recommending a novel to their peers. I love hearing students talk about books they are reading. I am excited to hear what they have to share.

Vocabulary: Students finished learning how to use prefixes to decode unknown words. I will collect their organizers and they will take the summative assessment next Friday.

Grammar: We begin class each day with a warm-up related to grammar. This week we will take a break so students can focus on their essays.

Week of September 30th

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their books and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily.

Although they have finished reading The Outsiders, students still need to bring it to class every day to reference it in their essay. They may also leave it in their folder in the classroom.

Writing: This is the second week students are working on writing an analytical essay on a theme from the novel The Outsiders. By Wednesday morning, they need to have their theme statement and topic sentences revised and edited in a graphic organizer in Google Classroom under a title called "1st Quarter FINAL Analytical Essay."

Speaking: Students will continue to give their Book Talk recommending a novel to their peers. I love hearing students talk about books they are reading. I am excited to hear what they have to share.

Vocabulary: Students in Third and Fourth Block are learning how to use prefixes to decode unknown words. This week they will work on "under". Students fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom, and place a post on the class Padlet Wall. I will collect their organizers and they will take the summative assessment a week from Friday.

Grammar: We begin class each day with a warm-up related to grammar. We are currently in our second week reviewing: phrases and clauses. It is an important concept because students it relates to the three kinds of sentences to improve their writing: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of September 23rd

Reading: Students need to have their Independent reading novel in class every day. This is a novel of their choice. They earn points for having their book and staying focused on reading for 15- 20 minutes daily.

Although they have finished reading The Outsiders, students still need to leave it in their class folder to reference it in their essay.

Writing: This week students are beginning to write an analytical essay on a theme from the novel The Outsiders. By the end of the week, they need to have their thesis statement and topic sentences completed in a graphic organizer in Google Classroom called "The Outsiders Graphic Organizer".

Speaking: Students in Blocks three and four will continue to give their Book Talk recommending a novel to their peers. Students in first block are volunteering. I love hearing students talk about books they are reading. I am excited to hear what they have to share.

Vocabulary: Students in Third and Fourth Block are learning how to use prefixes to decode unknown words. This week they will work on "un". Students fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom, and place a post on the class Padlet Wall. I will collect their organizers to grade them on October 11th. The summative quiz will be the same day.

Grammar: We begin class each day with a warm-up related to grammar. We are currently reviewing: phrases and clauses. It is an important concept because students it relates to the three kinds of sentences to improve their writing: simple, complex, and compound.

Week of September 16th

Reading: This week students will be reading chapters 10-12 in The Outsiders. They need to have read through chapter 12 before class begins on Thursday, but we read each chapter one day at a time. Students need to stay on pace with the class, not behind and not ahead, in order to participate in class discussions and activities. This week we will continue to focus on analyzing theme. Students are using cognitive reading strategies as tools to help them analyze the text. They fill out a graphic organizer that reflects their cognitive thinking every two chapters.

Although they will spend most of their time reading The Outsiders in class, students need to bring their independent reading novel to class every day just in case they have time to read it.

Writing: Students will be responding to prompts about themes in The Outsiders in their Notebook and in graphic organizers on Google Classroom. They will finish the quarter writing an analytical essay on a theme in the novel; it is their largest point assignment for the quarter.

Speaking: Students in Third and Fourth Block are preparing to give their first Book Talk recommending a novel to their peers. They are currently reading their novel; presentations will begin this week on Monday, September 16th.

Vocabulary: Students in Third and Fourth Block are learning how to use prefixes to decode unknown words. This week they will work on "super". Students fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom, and place a post on the class Padlet Wall. I will collect their organizers to grade them on October 11th. The summative quiz will be the same day.

Grammar: We begin class each day with a warm-up related to grammar. We are currently reviewing parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, articles, prepositions and conjunctions. These are important because we need a common language as I discuss students' work with them and teach them new concepts (such as complex and compound sentences).

Week of September 9th

Reading: This week students will be reading chapters 6-9 in The Outsiders. They need to have read through chapter 9 by the end of the week, but we read each chapter one day at a time. Students need to stay on pace with the class, not behind and not ahead, in order to participate in class discussions and activities. Last week we looked at analyzing these elements of a story as we read through the novel: setting, characters, and conflict/resolution. This week we will focus on analyzing theme. Students are using cognitive reading strategies as tools to help them analyze the text. They fill out a graphic organizer that reflects their cognitive thinking every two chapters.

Although they will spend most of their time reading The Outsiders in class, students need to bring their independent reading novel to class every day just in case they have time to read it.

Writing: Students will be responding to prompts about themes in The Outsiders in their Notebook and in graphic organizers on Google Classroom. They will finish the quarter writing an analytical essay on a theme in the novel; it is their largest point assignment for the quarter.

Speaking: Students in Third and Fourth Block are preparing to give their first Book Talk recommending a novel to their peers. They are currently reading their novel; presentations will begin on Monday, September 17th.

Vocabulary: Students in Third and Fourth Block are learning how to use prefixes to decode unknown words. This week they will work on "sub". All students fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom, and Blocks 1 & 3 place a post on the class Padlet Wall.

Grammar: We begin class each day with a warm-up related to grammar. We are currently reviewing parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, articles, prepositions and conjunctions. These are important because we need a common language as I discuss students' work with them and teach them new concepts (such as complex and compound sentences).

Week of September 3rd

Reading: This week students will be reading chapters 4-8 in The Outsiders. They need to have read through chapter 8 by the end of the week, but we read each chapter one day at a time. Students need to stay on pace with the class, not behind and not ahead, in order to participate in class discussions and activities. Last week we looked at analyzing these elements of a story as we read through the novel: setting, characters, and conflict. This week we start analyzing theme.

Although they will spend most of their time reading The Outsiders in class, students need to bring their independent reading novel to class every day just in case they have time to read it.

Writing: Students will be responding to prompts about The Outsiders in their Notebook. They will finish the quarter writing an analytical essay on a theme in the novel. It is worth 100 points and is their largest point assessment for the quarter.

Speaking: Students are preparing to give their first Book Talk recommending a novel to their peers. They are currently reading their novel; presentations will begin on Monday, September 16th.

Vocabulary: Students in Third and Fourth Block will learn how to use the prefix "semi" to decode unknown words. They will fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom, and they will place a post on the class Padlet Wall.

Grammar: None

Week of August 26th

Reading: This week students will begin reading The Outsiders. They need to have the first four chapters read by the end of the week. We read one per day. Students need to stay on pace with the class, not behind and not ahead, in order to participate in class discussions and activities. They will be working on analyzing the elements of a story (setting, characters, conflict/resolution, and theme) as they read the novel.

Students need to bring their novel to class every day for Independent Reading time.

Writing: Students will be responding to prompts about The Outsiders in their Notebook. Their will start with analyzing the setting and characters this week. They will finish the quarter writing an analytical essay on a theme in the novel. It is worth 100 points and is their largest point assessment for the quarter.

Speaking: Students are preparing to give their first Book Talk recommending a novel to their peers. They are currently reading their novel; presentations will begin on Monday, September 17th.

Vocabulary: Students in Challenge and Grade Level classes will learn how to use the prefix "fore" to decode unknown words. They will fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom, and they will place a post on the class Padlet Wall.

Grammar: Students in Challenge and Grade Level classes may review Parts of Speech and retake the quiz on Friday if they would like. They have a worksheet to use to study.

Week of August 19th

Reading: Students will practice using reading strategies They will be using these strategies throughout the school year to develop their reading skills. This week students will practice using them on short stories. This is in preparation for using them next week on The Outsiders.

Students need to bring their novel to class every day for Independent Reading time.

Writing: Students will be responding to prompts about short stories in their Notebook.

Speaking: Students are preparing to give their first Book Talk recommending a novel to their peers. They are currently reading their novel; presentations will begin on Monday, September 16th.

Vocabulary: Students in Challenge and Grade Level classes will learn how to use the prefix "dis" to decode unknown words. They will fill out a graphic organizer that is in their green folder in the classroom, and they will place a post on the class Padlet Wall.

Grammar: Students in Challenge and Grade Level classes will review Parts of Speech and take a quiz on Thursday. They have a worksheet to use to study.

Week of August 12th

Our first week is finished. I was so happy to meet your child and get started on the school year. The first two days we spent time getting to know each other with games such as Fan-N-Pick and Stand Up/Sit Down. In addition, the entire building participated in Falcon Creed lessons. Those lessons covered expectations regarding students being safe, respectful, and responsible. Finally your child wrote a friendly letter that will help me get to know him or her better.

In addition to relational activities, we began exploring how to make our classroom run effectively. We came up with expectations and norms together, and I will be posting those on the wall. Students chose leadership jobs that will help our classroom run smoothly, such as passing out materials or running errands.

Finally, students chose a target area to focus on this quarter in the areas of writing and reading. Next week they will move on to vocabulary, grammar, and speaking. I explained what they will be learning and how we will do that in my class. The following week we will begin practicing those skills by reading The Outsiders as a class.

I hope you can attend Curriculum Night at our school on Wednesday, August 26th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. I consider myself a partner with you as we work together for the success of your child, and I would love to meet you. I will give you a brief summary of how he or she will develop reading, writing, and speaking skills in my classroom. You will have a chance to see the room your child spends time in every day. I hope to see you there!

Diane Hughes