The Definition EssayMonday- Overview of Definition Essay Rubric Tuesday-Wednesday - Complete Graphic Organizer provided by the teacher. Wednesday– Begin your first draft Thursday- Learning Commons Visit, First Draft Proofread and Peer Edit Friday– Final Essay Due & Unit 1 Vocabulary Test
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Historical Heroes Examples (Definition Strategies)8th Grade ELA continues to read and examine how authors use the example definition strategy, as they analyze poetry and a narrative excerpt about the life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave. Students will compare the texts and analyze how structure contributes to meaning. They will also use context clues to determine meaning of unknown words, as they read. This week students will begin working on their graphic organizer to develop ideas for their Definition Essay. We will review appropriate applying transitions and embedded quotations to create coherence in writing. These skills will also be part of their essay. Wednesday, we will be taking a Touchstone assessment for Unit 1.
Learning Targets for this week: Students will overview the requirements for their next embedded assessment, a definition essay. They will:
Additionally, students will read and analyze "A Man," poem by Nina Cassian. As they read, students will focus on:
Additional Resources: The following link can assist with the analysis of the poem: A Man PSAT Testing - Friday October 11, 2019 morning A Wrinkle in TimeThis week, 8th grade students will be reading two excerpts from "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L' Engle, to analyze a narrative for archetype and narrative techniques. The first excerpt is a narrative version and the second is a graphic version of the novel. Students will determine the theme, central idea and mood in their reading selections. As they read they will identify the stages of the hero's journey in the reading selection. Additionally, students will analyze lyrics from "Mood and Tone" from Flocabulary and answering comprehension questions about it. Students can visit Flocabulary and enter the class code NY22J4 to join the class and complete activities to practice. This assignment is available on 9/21. Friday, students will read and analyze lyrics from "The Odyssey, " then they will take a comprehension quiz. Students can visit Flocabulary to complete activities to practice and get ready. This assignment will be available on 9/29. IXL Skills for this week: Login to IXL and complete the following practice skill (you must score 80 or above to get credit for the assignment). For your convenience, IXL can be downloaded to your phone or device. IXL username: studentID@ecms (for some students it is their first initial +lastname @ecms) password is : student ID
Definition StrategiesConference Week - This week, classes are shorter due to schedule changes to accommodate Conference Week.
Assignments this week: Our 8th ELA class will focus on learning to identify and apply definition strategies of function, example and negation. Students will be read and discuss two paired texts: White House Funeral Sermon for Abraham Lincoln (p 77) and the poem Oh Captain! My Captain (p.78). Students will compare and contrast how the author portrays heroic attributes of an important historic character. Information and skills learned will assist and prepare students as they prepare to write a Definition Essay, later on in the unit. The Odyssey and the Hero's JourneyThis week students will finish reading The Odyssey. They will be analyzing the epic poem for archetype of the hero's journey, as well as using textual evidence to support their analysis of the story as they answer text dependent questions. Students will also explain the difference between character traits and characterization using examples from the story. Additionally, students will begin writing an illustrated narrative about an original hero. Students will complete an analysis of the hero journey archetype using a movie or story of their choice. The Hero's Journey Project: Due Friday September 20, 2018 (This assignment will count as a test grade)
Friday, there will be a comprehension quiz about The Odyssey, which will includes vocabulary, analyzing quotes from the story and using evidence from text to support answers to questions. IXL Skills due this week: Login to IXL and complete the following practice skill (you must score 80 or above to get credit for the assignment). For your convenience, IXL can be downloaded to your phone or device. IXL username: studentID@ecms (for some students it is their first initial +lastname @ecms) password is : student ID
Fall Break: No School Monday September 23th thru Friday September 27th Writing a Hero's Journey NarrativeThis week our class will be writing an illustrated narrative about an original hero. They will use the Hero’s Journey archetype to develop and structure their ideas. The teacher will provide students with copy of The Hero's Journey Archetype which they can use a a reference. Students will watch Piper, a short video clip and work together to complete a chart identifying the stages of the Hero's Journey Archetype within the short film. Students will plan and create a draft for an individual illustrated story that includes the elements of an effective narrative, following the Hero's Journey archetype. Once they complete the story, they will work with a partner or in small group to revise and edit their piece of writing. This writing assignment is due Wednesday September 18 and will be evaluated using the scoring criteria from their Springboard text, Page 59. The Drummer Boy of ShilohThis week, our class will be reading and discussing a short story, The Drummer Boy of Shiloh, by Ray Bradbury. Students will be able to determine meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative language used by the author to create impact in the meaning and tone of the story. Students will also practice their writing skills, using textual evidence to support their analysis of the story. Vocabulary to focus:
The Drummer Boy of Shiloh (Part 1) The Drummer Boy of Shiloh (Part 2) Identifying the Stages of the Hero's JourneyThis week, our students will be using the knowledge gained to identify the stages of the Hero's Journey in the movie Big Hero Six. After students watch and discuss the movie, they will complete a chart to provide examples from the movie, identifying each stage of the Hero's Journey within the movie. Students may choose to work independently, in pairs or in small groups to complete the chart on pages 8-9 in their Springboard book. You must write the examples using complete sentences, correct capitalization and punctuation. The due date for this assignment is Wednesday, August 28 2018. Thursday, we will visit the Learning Commons to check out books for independent reading. On Friday, student will take a quiz on the Hero's Journey Archetype. Students will need to identify the stages by their description or examples from literature. Important Note:
Wednesday August 28 is Early Release Day. Students will be dismissed as follows: 11:30 a.m. - High School 12:30 p.m. - Elementary School 1:30 p.m. - Middle School If you have any questions, please contact your local school for more information. The Hero's Journey Archetype ExplainedMany of the most popular stories, even over thousands of years and across cultures, share a specific formula. That formula is now commonly referred to as mythic structure, or the Hero's Journey This week our class is learning about the steps in the Hero's Journey Archetype, as presented in our Springboard ELA text. We will discuss the characteristics specific to each stage of the journey and take notes. Students will be watching the film version of Big Hero 6 in class to identify each stage of the Hero's Journey. Warm ups are completed and discussed in class daily to review or highlight important skills that will prepare them for end of grade assessments. Students are responsible to check for accuracy and turn them in every Friday. Students need to label and date each warm up, before they turn them in for a grade. Additional Resources: |
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May 2020
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