Monday, January 26, 2009

Spelling Bee



This week classes will be competing for the 2009 Spelling Bee.


The extensive list of words can be found at:




Winners and runners-up from each class will participate in the overall 8th grade spelling bee on:


Thursday, January 29th.


Good Luck!


Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Advanced LA - Poetry - I am poems

I Am...Poems

I Am...(Version 1)
Line
1. I am

2. Three nouns about which you have strong feelings. Begin each with a capital letter

3. A complete sentence about two things that you like.

4. Three nouns that describe what you like to see in other people; end with “are important to me.” Capitalize each noun.

5. A sentence containing a positive thought or feeling. It can tell what you find acceptable in yourself.

6. & 7. Sentence in which you show something negative in yourself or others, however the sentence must end by showing that out of something BAD can come GOOD. Use the word “but” to link the bad and good.

7. See above #6

8. 9. and 10. Each line is a short sentence relating something about which you have strong feelings – likes or dislikes. They don not have to relate to each other or to the previous lines you have written.

9. See 8

10. see 8

11. End with “This is me” or “I am.”

I Am...(Version 2)

1st Stanza
I am (two special characteristics you have)
I wonder (something you are actually curious about)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I want (an actual desire)
I am (the first line of the poem is repeated)

2nd Stanza

I pretend (something you really pretend to do)
I feel ( a feeling about something imaginary)
I touch (something you imagine you touch)
I worry (a worry that is real to you)
I cry (something that makes you very sad)
I am (the first line of the poem is repeated)

3rd Stanza

I understand (something you know is true)
I say (something you believe in)
I dream (a dream you actually have)
I try (something you make an effort to do)
I hop (something you really hope for)
I am (the first line of the poem is repeated)

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Theme Plays

Today in Language Arts classes were given information about their next in-class project. Students will be selecting their own groups and creating an One Act - 3 scene play. I look forward to seeing some great work. Below are the requirements that were handed out in class today.


Theme Plays

Your ONE ACT script must include:

1. A list of characters including a description of each of them
2. A plot which includes a moral (lesson)
3. Detailed scene descriptions (at least three scenes)
4. Dialogue including stage directions
5. Final draft form (typed or written neatly in black or blue ink)
6. Acted out, 5-10 minutes long

Your presentation must include:

1. A narrator introducing each scene (must be someone not in your group)
2. Characters saying memorized lines (everyone in the play must be a character, and the amount of lines per character should be roughly even)
3. A story line which includes a moral (lesson)
4. Appropriate costumes
5. Props
6. Acted out, 5-10 minutes long

**** Plays will be performed in front of class, and will be worth 100pts.
****Each student will be graded individually.

THEME PLAYS TIME LINE

WEDNESDAY, January 20th =
Decide upon story line, theme, characters, and who can make or bring in what. If you finish the above requirements, begin with THURSDAY'S assignment.

THURSDAY, January 21st =
Begin writing the rough draft script of the play. Divide the work so everyone is working on something. ***For example: Two people work on character descriptions, one person works on scene descriptions, and two people work on the dialogue and stage directions.

FRIDAY, January 22nd =
Continue working on script. Rough draft is due on MONDAY, January 26th, at the beginning of L.A. class.
==============================================================
MONDAY, January 26th = (reading class)
Look at rough draft corrections and suggestions. Decide AS A GROUP what needs to be done as far as improvements go. Also decide who will be responsible for writing or typing the final draft and making copies for all members of the group. The FINAL DRAFTS need to be brought to class TOMORROW, Tuesday, January 27th.

TUESDAY, January 27th=
Practice day. Pass out scripts and run through script several times, practicing voices, emotions, and movements.
**********Memorize lines individually at home.

WEDNESDAY, January 28th =
Practice day. Pass out scripts and run through script several times, practicing voices, emotions, and movements. Get input from group members concerning any last minute improvements.
**********Memorize lines individually at home.

THURSDAY, January 29th =
Practice day. Pass out scripts and run through script several times, practicing voices, emotions, and movements. Get input from group members concerning any last minute improvements.
**********Memorize lines individually at home.

FRIDAY, January 30th = Performance of plays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Name :____________________
group names:____________________
____________________
____________________
____________________

Theme Play Grading Sheet

Title of Play:__________________________________

1. SCRIPT ( character list, dialogue with detail, story line with moral, scene descriptions)
30PTS._______

2. COSTUMES AND PROPS (appropriate, interesting, neat)
20PTS._______

3. PERFORMANCE ( voice level, enthusiasm, accuracy)
30PTS._______

4. OVERALL STORY APPEAL AND IMPACT
20PTS.______

TOTAL SCORE AND GRADE
100PTS._______

Monday, January 12, 2009

Advanced Language Arts Update - Poetry

The advanced LA class is beginning a poetry unit. We will be writing poems in LA and then selecting poems to create a poetry book. I'm looking forward to the creativity of these poems.

Today we discussed concrete poems and below are a few examples:



Tuesday, January 6, 2009

More Subject Verb Agreement

Title or names take a SINGULAR verb - EVEN if it looks plural!!!

Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare.

The United States is more than 200 years old.

Macys sells quality clothing.

Collective Nouns - a group acting as a single unit

team, herd, collection, band, group, jury, senate, congress, flock, family

Monday, January 5, 2009

Subject Verb Agreement

Subject Verb Agreement

The verb must agree with its subject in number

Singular - The kitten purrs.

Plural - The kittens purr.

Compound Subjects

Compound subject can have a singular or plural verb, depending on the conjunction used.

If you use and to join the parts of a compound subject use a plural verb.

Shrews, moles, and toads eat insects.

If you use:

or, nor, either...or, neither...nor to join parts with a compound subject, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.

Neither pandas nor koalas are in the zoo.
Either a panda or koalas live in that zoo.
Two koalas or a panda is coming later.