ELA 8 Literature and Writing Assignments

This week we are wrapping up the unit on nonfiction and argument writing with an argument essay. Instructions are on Google Classroom and the essay is due on Friday.

Monday - Choose a topic and pre-write using a graphic organizer.

Tuesday - Test on elements of argument using 1 article. Continue pre-writing and begin writing rough draft.

Wednesday - Vocab quiz for nonfiction and argument terminology (Doc on Google Classroom to study) - Write rough draft of the argument essay

Thursday and Friday - Edit and final draft of the argument essay.

 

Celene Pallesen, ELA 8

Patton Jr High

8th Graders are busy working on articles using argument elements. As next week draws to the end of 3rd Quarter, there will be a test coming up. Here are the assignments this week:

 

Monday-PSA Poster and Commercial Ad chart worksheet

Tuesday & Wednesday - 2 selections on Teens Need Jobs & Teens at Work - p. 419-424 with a chart worksheet to complete.

Thursday - Story quiz on the Teens Working articles. Read 3 Poems and answer guided reading questions.

Friday - Complete 3 poems assignment in class.

 

Next Tuesday - Argument selection test.

 

In Writing, we are reviewing the sentence types that focus on the mood of the verbs with mini benchmark quizzes. Students are also spending time this week writing their math geometry project. 

8th Graders are reading informational and argument texts from Unit 4 in Collections. Here are the assignments this week:

Monday - Read one article on when teens become adults and fill in an inquiry chart with a reflection. Make a quizlet for nonfiction/argument vocab for a quiz in several weeks.

Tuesday - Work with groups in class to complete the inquiry charts.  Choose an FYI article in Collections online to complete a nonfictional text chart. - Due Friday

Wednesday - Read 2 articles on teens and driving to complete a nonfictional text chart with vocabulary: pg. 247-257 - Due Friday

Thursday - library lesson - Bring back books to renew or check in.

Friday - Discussion of the FYI article and the 2 articles on teenage driving. Hand in all assigned charts completed. 

 

In writing class we are learning persuasive techniques of ethos, pathos, and logos. We will be writing one short editorial or commentary on a topic of choice using one or more of these techniques to persuade. 

 

Celene Pallesen, ELA 8

Patton Jr High

8th Graders are starting Unit 4 and 6 which has poetry, informational stories, and persuasive/argument selecitons.

Tuesday - All students are taking the ELA Interim #3

Wednesday - 2 poems in Collections - p. 229-232 with a sheet of questions.

Thursday - 2 poems in the Close Reader workbook - p. 79-82

Friday - Poetry Vocab quiz from the document I posted last week. Finish incomplete poems.

 

In writing, we are finalizing the Civil War Informational Essays. We'll move into persuasive techniques after that.

 

8th Graders in ELA have finished the unit on Civil War literature. In writing class students are working on an informational essay using an online source. We will work on it all next week.

In Block 1, we will have a test on Tuesday using one more Civil War article and a poem. 

The 3rd Interim for ELA is scheduled for Thursday and a field trip to Topeka on Friday. 

 

Have a terrific weekend,

Celene Pallesen

Patton Jr High

As we are wrapping up this week in ELA 8, I wanted to add a couple of things to Block 1 & 2 assignments:

Today we are reading "The Drummer Boy of Shilo" and answering questions 1-6 (pg 174) (due Monday).

Tomorrow is a library day and "The Gettysburg Address" is due on Google Classroom.

We will finish the unit next week with a poem and the unit test. More details on that Monday.

 

In writing there is a quiz tomorrow for gold day students and on Monday for blue day students on verbals: gerunds, participles, and infinitives.

 

Have a great weekend and GO CHIEFS!

Ms Pallesen

8th Graders are still working on Civil War literature this week.

Monday - "Bloody Times..." story about Lincoln and Jefferson Davis vocab and central ideas ws.

Tuesday - Story Quiz, "Gettysburg Address" 5 questions.

Wednesday -  Read "The Drummer Boy of Shilo" with questions.

Thursday - Library lesson and check-out (rescheduled due to snow day).

Friday - 7:30-11:30 AM Parent/Teacher Conferences

 

In writing, we're wrapping of verbals: participles, gerunds, and infinitives.

Quiz on Wed/Thurs.

 

Sincerely,

Celene Pallesen, ELA 8

Patton Jr High

 

Students in ELA 8 are reading a nonfiction story called "Bloody Times: The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the Manhunt for Jefferson Davis". It's a long story that we are reading over 3 days in class. 

 

Tuesday-Wednesday: 1st read and worksheet with character chart/nonfiction signposts.

Wednesday-Thursday: 2nd read and worksheet of comprehension questions focusing on comparing on contrasting the two men. 

Friday: Library lesson and check-out books.

 

Next Tuesday - Quiz over the story "Bloody Times..."

 

In writing class, we are doing in-class work learning verbals: participles, gerunds and their phrases, along with infinitives.

Our IXL focus lessons are B.1-themes & C-author's purpose and tone.

 

Respectfully,

Ms Pallesen, ELA 8

Patton Jr High

This week in ELA, we are reading "Frederick Douglass" selections.  

Monday - Read p. 143-147 "Frederick Douglass" & Close Read wksht with cause/effect chart.

Tuesday - Grade the Close Read wksht. Answer the guided questions for the story and fill in the character traits chart wksht

Wed &Read "Frederick Douglass my Friend" story in the Close Reader workbook.

Friday - Quiz on the "Frederick Douglass" story and vocab from it.

Read a quote by Douglass "No Struggle, No Progress"

 

In writing, we are working on syntax and the correct construction of sentences to be coherent.

Mon/Tues - Grammar Notes Les 11: Dangling Modifiers wksht

Wed/Thur- Grammar Notes Les 11: Correcting Misplaced Modifiers wksht

Friday - Grammar Notes Les 21: Writing With Detail - prepositional phrases

 

Sincerely,

Celene Pallesen

 

How exciting to be back up and running with the new year!

8th graders are starting the quarter with Unit 3 "The Move Toward Freedom" Civil War unit.

Monday - Built background by creating 1 slide to explain one aspect of the underground railroad. 

Tuesday - Presented and began the Harriet Tubman selection - p. 151-162

Character Trait worksheet handed out.

Wednesday - Continue reading and Guided Questions handout.

Thursday - Character Trait worksheet due/ p. 165 vocabulary to do. Continue reading and answering questions.

Friday - Discussion groups and guided questions due.  10 pt quiz on story & vocab

 

In writing, we are working with 3 lessons of sentence types that reflect the "mood of the verb".

Mon/Tues - p. 30/120

Wed/Thur - p. 166/176

Friday (gold and blue classes) - 246/404

 

V/R

Ms Pallesen

Patton Jr High

Book Reports are due on Monday! Please let me know if your child will be missing school on Wednesday as they are taking the mid-year Collections test in ELA.

 

In writing class we will be taking the Clause Quiz...no, not Santa Clause, but sentences clauses! That will be on either Tuesday or Wednesday depending on the day your child has writing.

 

Have a wonderful holiday break!

Celene Pallesen

ELA 8

Patton Jr High

We are wrapping up our Holocaust Unit. It has been very powerful for the students to read extended articles pertaining to Anne Frank's life as well to view videos and read articles of how the war ended. Angela Merkel's visit to Auschwitz just last week was very timely to add to the discussion.

Here's what we're doing in the coming days:

Monday - summaries two extended reading articles or videos

Tuesday - read a critique of the diary: "Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife" p. 269-273 & guided reading questions and vocab.

Wednesday - Library lesson on plagiarism

Thursday - Winter Interim test for ELA 

Friday - Wrap up all homework and final day in class to finish the book report which is due Monday 12/16.

 

In writing class we're working on complex sentences made of independent and subordinate clauses. 

Mon/Tues - ws 510 - adjective clauses - Go over graded Anne Frank writing projects.

Wed/Thur - ws 514 - adverb clauses

 

Respectfully,

Celene Pallesen

ELA 8

In ELA 8 this week, we are reading beyond the Anne Frank diary by choosing additional articles to read and summarize, find central ideas and supporting details, and to analyze a theme. 

Tues - Vocab quiz on Anne Frank vocab

Thursday - Central idea/theme worksheet is due

Friday - Test on Anne Frank drama

We will also watch the Anne Frank movie during the week.

 

In writing, we are editing and evaluating the Anne Frank writing project and revising it to a final draft. We will finish the month of December working on grammar: verbs and clauses.

 

Celene Pallesen

ELA 8

Patton Jr High

In 8th Grade ELA, we are researching background information for our Holocaust unit. Each student has a different topic on which he/she is creating a slides presentation with at least 10 facts. 

In writing class we're finishing a short writing assignment entitled "6 Things You Should Know About".  Students all chose their own topics to explain as if they're the expert. These should be completed by Friday.

 

Celene Pallesen

ELA 8

Patton Jr High School

In 8th ELA literature, we began reading The Diary of Anne Frank drama with guided reading questions which are due on the following:

Wednesday - Act 1: Part 1 

Friday - Act 1: Part 2

Next Tuesday - Act II

 

I've extended the due date for the book report to December 16. Students have a choice of writing an essay or making a slides presentation. 

 

In Writing we are taking the STAR this week.

 

Sincerely,

Celene Pallesen

Patton Jr High

 

8th ELA is prepared for a reading test on Tuesday to finish our Collections Unit.  They will read a short story and answer 12 questions pertaining to it.  I have posted a nonfiction or historical fiction book report for 2nd Q on Google Classroom. We will not get to the Patton library until Wednesday for check-out, so they are welcome to visit the Post Library or select a book from home if they have one they've been wanting to read that fits the requirements. 

 

In writing class, we've spent two weeks taking notes on informational text and there is a quiz on Tuesday (gold day) and Wednesday (blue day) to assess.

 

Our next unit beginning mid-week is the Holocaust based on the Anne Frank selection.

8th Graders are working through the last half of the Collections Horror Unit by reading "The Monkey's Paw".

Monday - Read the story and fill out the foreshadowing chart.

Tuesday - Reread the story and answer the guided reading questions and vocabulary wksht.

Wednesday - Watch film clip and compare and contrast the selections.

Thursday - Quiz on the story.  Go to library to check out the 2nd Q nonfiction/historical fiction book for a report due December 1.

Friday - Close Reader workbook to read "The Outsider".

 

In Block 2 Writing we are taking notes on informational text in order to write an informational essay.

In ELA 8 this week, we are using the Close Reader workbook in class to annotate, highlight, summarize, define words, and discuss two stories: "Golden Glass" and "What to Bring". 

As we end the quarter, I'll be grading the writing journals this week, and each topic is 2 points. There were 13 topics upon which to write. 

 

Thursday will be the fall interim for reading which is the first of three that students will take this year. It will assess about 25 standards at random.

 

In writing class, we are working with the following parts of speech in class:  prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.  IXL practice is PP: dashes, hyphens, and ellipses.

In ELA the story quiz for "The Latehomecomer" was delayed until Monday so students could work on vocabulary.  The assignment is in Collections p. 69 (1-8 at top of page) and p. 70 (1-4).

 

Unit 1 Collections for this week:

Monday - Character web and story summary

Tuesday - story vocab and comprehension quiz (10pts); Read and annotate "Golden Glass" in the Close Reader workbook.

Wednesday - finish the Close Reader; Read "The Late Homecomer" p. 53-66, with figurative language chart.

Thursday & Friday- Continue reading story and answer guided reading questions.

 

8th Graders began the Collections textbook this week with the first unit on immigration. We are spending all week on the first text entitled "My Favorite Chaperone". Here's the line-up for the week:

 

Monday and Tuesday - Read story and complete the Camaraderie and Cultures chart.

Wednesday and Thursday - Reread with guided questions.

Thursday - Add p. 29 & 30 from the book: Vocab and Imperative Mood of the Verb exercises

Friday - Characterization Web

Update for ELA 8: Mrs Funk has our classes scheduled for a library lesson tomorrow (Thursday), so bring back any books that need to be returned or renewed. The guided reading questions for "My Favorite Chaperone" will be extended to Friday in class.

8th Graders have finished the book of Johnny Tremain and have some wrap-up activities and a test this week.

Monday - Corresponding poem by Longfellow: "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" with analysis chart.

Tuesday - Library lesson: return and renew library books

Wednesday - Continue the "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" analysis chart. Test review in class.

Thursday - Johnny Tremain test of skills.

Friday - Introduce the first Collections in literature book.

 

Writing Class:

Last Friday/Monday - Theme essay assigned with graphic organizer. Much of this is based on the Unit 12 reading guide for the book. Begin typing rough draft.

Tuesday/Wednesday - Complete the rough draft and edit/revise with a partner.

Thursday/Friday - Complete final draft in MLA format and proofread. 

This week in ELA 8 Literature we are going to finish reading Johnny Tremain!

 

Monday - Unit 9 and worksheet of questions/similes/metaphors

Tuesday - Unit 10 with worksheet questions

Wednesday - Unit 11 with worksheet on textual citations and analysis/cause & effect

Thursday - Unit 12 with worksheet on plot diagram/theme topic

Friday - Unit 9-12 vocab quiz

 

Writing class will have a quiz on Wednesday/Thursday over the Process of Writing.

8th Graders in ELA took a vocab quiz today and there will be a retake for those scoring under 80%. 

Here's what we have planned for this week with Johnny Tremain:

Tuesday - Read Unit 6 with "Historical Fiction" organizer.

Wednesday - Read Unit 7 with questions on worksheet.

Thursday - Read Unit 8 with central idea/citing plot events worksheet.

Friday - Finish up on these three units of work.

 

Next Monday - Quiz on Units 5-8 vocab

 

In Writing class we are working on sentence structure with mentor sentences and also The Writing Process from the Collections online student interactive resources. So far all work in Writing class has been done in class only.

 

We are beginning the book Johnny Tremain which is set in Boston during the years leading up to the Revolution. We follow a fictional character Johnny who is an apprentice that gets involved with the movement to rebellion against England. He encounters many of our Founders and comes to grow in maturity and desire to fight for a free country.

 

Read Unit 1, pg 1-27 by Monday and do questions and map worksheet.