DC Info. For Parents/Guardians

Parents and Guardians of 8th graders headed to Washington DC in 13 DAYS (not like we're excited and counting or anything!), mark your calendars! We are hosting a "Last Minute Info. and Q&A" night on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at 6:30pm in the TMS Auditorium for the families of our DC travelers. This is a night where we can share all of the information that we will be bestowing upon the kids this week and next week for you and answer any of your last minute questions about the trip and anything related to our traveling. All questions are welcomed and will be answered by chaperones that will be going this year and that have made this trip in the past. The only questions that we will not be at liberty to answer are specific rooming questions. Other than that, anything goes! We're very much looking forward to seeing you all and sharing our excitement with you as this wonderful experience nears!!!!

HUMANITIES - Day Two - 03/31/15

I am proctoring the Math PARCC test today, so if you are absent, you need to check in with Mrs. Myers regarding today's activities/agenda

HOMEWORK:

1.) All Literature Circles will meet tomorrow, so please make sure that you have your group's assigned reading and your job complete so that you can participate in the discussions tomorrow.  I can't wait!!!

HUMANITIES - Day One - 03/30/15

AGENDA

1.) Thank you for your feedback (review your Humanities surveys)
2.) Break out groups (ELA and SS)
3.) Do activity with that group
4.) Switch at the halfway point
5.) Agenda Books

ELA AGENDA
1.) Literature circle information (what it is and what the roles are)
2.) Assigning of books
3.) First group meeting

SOCIAL STUDIES
1.) What is a puritan?  Let's take a webquest!
2.) Discussion/presentation of information

HOMEWORK
1.) Whatever your lit circle assigns you, please make sure it's done.

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/27/15

AGENDA

1.) Write the best 8th grade open response you have in you to write for your Trimester 3 Writing Check.  If you are absent, I'm still expecting it done for Monday (see prompt below)
2.) Agenda Books

HOMEWORK
1.) Finish writing check if you did not finish it in class
2.) Find your motto/slogan and bring it with you to school on Monday (write it down)

TRIMESTER THREE WRITING CHECK PROMPT:

Essential to any story, conflict drives literature.  Authors deliberately build conflict in their works to captivate the audience.  Choose one character from The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett and one character of your choosing from your outside Holocaust reading book.  For each character, detail one external and one internal conflict.  Remember, you must use specific examples from both texts to support your argument.

EXTRA INFORMATION
Next week is a short week of school (no school on Good Friday) and it's your math PARCC, so we are changing the schedule around again.  You will be back with your groups (1A, 1PA, 2A, 2PA) and rotating through the schedule.  We listened to your feedback from last time and did make some changes.  Ms. Eringis is handing out schedules for you today in math class.  If you were absent, make sure that you see her first thing Monday morning so that you know where to go.

GENERAL PARCC SCHEDULE
No testing times indicated on here; you'll need your schedule from Ms. Eringis to see that

7:30 - 8:30:  1PA and A - Humanities; 2A - Algebra; 2PA - Science

8:30 - 9:30:  SPECIALISTS

9:30 - 10:30: 1PA and A - Humanities; 2A - Science; 2PA - Math

10:30 - 11:00: Spanish (stay in rooms you are in)

11:00 - 11:25: LUNCH

11:25 - 12:00: Back to Spanish

12:00 - 1:00:  2PA and A - Humanities; 1A - Algebra; 1PA - Science

1:00 - 1:57:  2PA and A - Humanities; 1A - Science; 1PA - Math

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/26/15

AGENDA
1.) Finish up presentations
2.) Which one do you choose?

HOMEWORK
Prepare for writing check tomorrow

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/25/15

AGENDA
1.) Open response collection
2.) Presentations

HOMEWORK
1.) If you're doing a redo on your research papers, they are due by tomorrow

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/24/15

AGENDA
1.) Warm-Up:  15 minutes of practice time with a partner.  Get ready for tomorrow!!!
2.) Fake it Til You Make It (Presentation game)
3.) Agenda books

HOMEWORK
1.) Presentations start TOMORROW!
2.) Humanities open responses final TYPED copies are due to me or Mrs. Myers by tomorrow, Wednesday 3/25/15

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/23/15

AGENDA
Objective:  Students will work independently to plan a 1-3 minute presentation for their Advocate Research Project.

1.) Warm-Up:  Get a survey on the podium and complete it silently.  As you do this, I will be collecting your PSAs that are due today.
2.) Presentation rubric and discussion
3.) Start planning (because presentations start WEDNESDAY!!!)
4.) Agenda Books

HOMEWORK
1.) Practice, practice, practice, because presentations start WEDNESDAY
2.) TYPED Humanities open responses are due to me or Mrs. Myers by Wednesday, 3/25/15

HUMANITIES DAY FIVE - 03/20/15

AGENDA

1.) Practice time
2.) Culminating presentations
3.) Revisit the iceberg
4.) Final discussions
5.) Open response
6.) Agenda Books

HOMEWORK
1.) PSA due on Monday, 3/23
2.) Humanities culminating open response (TYPED) due by Wednesday, 3/25/15 to either me or Mrs. Mrs. Myers

RESOURCES TO USE FOR OPEN RESPONSE:
1.) Northeastern Righting a Wrong Video
2.) The Scottsboro Boys
3.) Plessy and the Era of Jim Crow (video from the first day)
4.) General Info. on the Scottsboro Affair (a reading from the first day)
5.) The Walking Boy (the second reading from the first day)
6.) Ewell vs. Robinson Case Notes
7.) The Scottsboro Affair (info. on each boy)

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD VIDEO CLIP:
We watched an actual movie version of the video, but clips of the court scene can be found on YouTube.  Follow these directions from Mrs. Myers if you want to rewatch it!

1.) Go to YouTube
2.) Search "To Kill A Mockingbird Movie Full"
3.) Around the 4th video down you will see "To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) Move (10 videos)
4.) The trial scene begins in clip 4 and ends in clip 7

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/27/15

AGENDA

1.) Grade reports - Where you at?!?
2.) Prep for next week (Math PARCC schedule)
3.) Lit Circles - What are they?  Book choices...
4.) Agenda books

HOMEWORK
ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

HUMANITIES DAY FOUR - 03/19/15

AGENDA

1.) Quick discussion about yesterday's findings
2.) It's time to right the historical wrongs (Northeastern video)
3.) Changing history acting activity
4.) Agenda Books

HOMEWORK
1.) Journal entry - Based on what you know of the time period we're looking at and of human nature in general, write a FULL PAGE journal entry explaining why you think Mayella (from To Kill a Mockingbird), Victoria Price and Ruby Baxter (from the Scotsboro Trial) lied about being assaulted.

2.) Your PSA is due on Monday in class - I'm after school today and tomorrow if you need help

HUMANITIES DAYS TWO AND THREE - 03/17/15 and 03/18/15

Tuesday, 3/17/15 was spent diving deeper into the Scotsboro Trial.  We discussed what goes in to finding someone guilty or innocent in a court of law and filled out a graphic organizer.  New vocabulary terms and words were introduced and we watched a short film on the Scotsboro Boys that really brought the boys to life and made them human.  Homework was to choose one of the boys, take on their persona, and write a "I Am" poem from their perspective.  Poems needed to be detailed and illustrated to show both the student's understanding of the boy and of the tension of the time period.  Poems also needed to include at least one of the four Words to Know (convicted, segregation, morality or injustice).

Wednesday, 3/18/15 is where the literature component was introduced.  One of the themes of the year in ELA class has been centered on authors' lives being present in their work (we started this with Edgar Allan Poe and continued it with The Outsiders).  Students were introduced to To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, who used the Scotsboro Trial as inspiration for the court case of Tom Robinson in the novel.  Each class was split into two groups and given case notes from the fictional court case.  Each group was given a role to play and needed to take on that perspective - one group was made up of lawyers today who needed to decide, based on the evidence, if they would prosecute Tom Robinson today.  The other group was to take on the perspective of the all white, all male jury in the case and had to decide, if based on the same evidence, they would find him guilty or not.  The kids got a lot out of this activity and really brought the unit objective to life for them.  After discussing this activity, the kids watched a clip in this scene from the movie version of the book.  We will pick up here tomorrow.

HOMEWORK FOR 3/18/15:

I moved your PSA assignment due date back to Monday, 3/23, but you still should be working on it!

HUMANITIES DAY ONE - Homework 03/16/15

Your homework for tonight is to make sure that you have the Scottsboro Reading and questions from today's stations completed for class tomorrow.  If you need a copy of the reading, click here!

Remember, your PSA assignment is due IN CLASS on Friday, 3/20.  Please continue to work on your PSA.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

I am after school this week on Tuesday and Thursday if you need any help or want my assistance on this assignment.

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/13/15

AGENDA
I am out today, so please use this blog post as your bible!  

1.) Independently read for the first 20 minutes of class
2.) Research paper work

**If you need/want to have someone continue to edit and revise your research paper, please do so and  then jump on a laptop and create a final draft of your paper (rubrics are on the back table)

**If/Once your paper is done and completed to your liking, then you need to use easybib.com to make your works cited page.  This should be the last page of your research paper.  Remember, you need to list the citations in alphabetical order and do not number them.

**If/Once both your paper and works cited page are complete, you can turn it in to the substitute and then move on to number 3 in the agenda

3.) Decide on the Public Service Announcement (PSA) part of your research project - are you going to do a video, a poster or start a letter writing campaign.  Once you decide that, grab the appropriate rubric off of the back table.

4.) Google "Public Service Announcement Commercial" if you're doing the video, "Public Service Announcement Poster" if you're doing a poser, or "How to Start a Letter Writing Campaign for a Cause" if you're doing the letter writing.  Look at lots of different examples of your type of chosen project and take notes on what you see and why the PSA is effective.  Start thinking about how you will design yours.  PSAs will be due in class on Friday, so you need to be working on them throughout the week.  This will be your ELA homework each night next week.  You'll be able to ask me questions throughout the week next week.

5.) Agenda books

HOMEWORK
1.) All research papers must be completed by Monday, 3/16/15.  They MUST be typed and double spaced.  You will be handing them in to Mrs. Myers on Monday during your Humanities block of the PARCC schedule.

2.) Public Service Announcements must be completed for class on Friday, 3/20/15.  You need to be working on them next week for homework.

Parents and Guardians of ELA All-Stars, This One's For You! 03/14/15

Or if you were absent today in school, this one's for you too!

Today in class, I handed out a ELA PARCC Test Info Sheet for the kids.  It is basically meant to allay any fear of the unknown for the kids, since this is their first time taking this test.  We did look through the practice PARCC for 8th grade so they could become familiar with the layout and using the tools, however, Monday will be their first time taking it as it will be replacing the ELA MCAS test this year.  This handout can be found at the link below.

If you would like to look at the practice PARCC that the kids viewed on Friday, please feel to!  Click the link below, select Grade 8, and then "PBA Practice Test Computer Based Test" and look around.

Mrs. Leahy's PARCC Handout

Practice PARCC

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/12/15

AGENDA
Objective:  To use the techniques taught yesterday for identifying parts of opening and closing paragraphs in order to edit and revise their own work.

1.) Warm-Up:  Acquire a red, green and purple colored pencil.
2.) Past and present
3.) Revisions galore!
4.) Agenda books

HOMEWORK
1.) Voice recording revisions

TONIGHT IS THE TMS FUNDRAISER AT UNOS!  MAKE SURE YOU PRESENT THE PAPER WHEN THE CHECK COMES!

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/11/15

AGENDA
Objective:  Students will work together in groups to analyze an exemplar opening and closing paragraph.  They will identify the pieces of each and discuss what makes them great.  Using the exemplars as models, students will revise their opening and closing paragraphs for own research papers.

1.) Homework check - collect homework from Monday night and check graphic organizers
2.) Exemplar Activity
3.) Independent work
4.) Agenda books

HOMEWORK
1.) Add opening and closing paragraphs to your body paragraphs to produce a final rough draft of your research paper

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/10/15

Today is an Early Release Day!

We will be in small groups doing assignments for each class.

HOMEWORK:  You need to finish ALL of your work for ALL of your classes

ELA:  

Graphic organizers for your opening and closing paragraphs (you can do this on your outline instead if you prefer!)

Social Studies: 

1.) Read pages 133-135 in the book

2.) Complete the handout

3.) Make sure your "I Have Rights" packet is completed

Algebra:

1.) Page 473 #16-46 even

2.) Extra practice worksheet due on Thursday

3.) Test/quiz corrections due Friday

4.) Test chapter 8 Thursday

Pre-Algebra:

Square root word problems

Science:

Worksheet of questions (you must use both your textbook and the green book)

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/09/15

AGENDA:
Objective:  To continue to practice giving presentations in front of the class and receive feedback.  

1.) Quick!  Last time to practice!  (5 minutes)
2.) Let's go!!!
3.) Agenda books

HOMEWORK
1.) Make sure that your body paragraphs are complete for tomorrow
2.) Watch the video of you presenting and write a 1 page reflection about how you feel you did.  Would you want to be an audience member for your presentation?  What did you notice that you did well (you must notice something)?  What are some things you need to work on?  What's your plan for working on them?  This MUST be one FULL page in length!

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/06/15

AGENDA
Objective:  Students will familiarize themselves with the setup of the PARCC test.  They will experience how to use the text box to answer open responses, how to answer questions that require them to drag and drop information, how to go back and forth between the multiple texts they will be using and how to use the tools the PARCC provides (changing the background color, the size of the text, the highlighter, the crossout option, etc.) to better manipulate the texts.

1.) Practice PARCC

HOMEWORK
1.) Presentations Monday!  Make sure you bring some sort of recording device!
2.) All body paragraphs must be completed to the best of your ability

REWRITES
Today in class, everyone was given their Anne Frank open response and some people were given older writing assignments back with grades on them.  Any/all of these assignments can be rewritten to improve your overall Trimester Two average in ELA class.  Rewrites are due NO LATER than the end of the day on Tuesday.  After that, I cannot guarantee I will have time to grade them and get them in the grade book in time for report cards.  I will also be after school on Monday if anyone needs assistance with fixing these assignments.

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/05/15

AGENDA
Objective:  Students will partner up and work on revising their body paragraphs together using a checklist.

1.) Quick chat - Reminders About Revision
2.) Partner up and revise
3.) Independent reading
4.) Agenda books

HOMEWORK
1.) Continue working on your second practice presentation for Monday (see post from this past Tuesday for directions)
2.) Make corrections for your body paragraphs for Monday
3.) Bring headphones for tomorrow

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/04/15

AGENDA
Objective:  Using both their completed folding in quotes graphic organizers and the subtopic sections of their outlines, students will piece together the body portion of their research papers.

1.) Homework check
2.) Work on rough draft of the body of your paper
3.) Agenda Books

HOMEWORK
1.) Finish the rough draft of the body of your paper for class tomorrow
2.) Work on presentation for Monday (see yesterday's post)

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/03/15

AGENDA
Objective:  Students will listen to directions on how to fill in their outlines for the body section of their papers and then they will use their notes to complete this task.  After that, students will work in small groups on the "folding in quotes" technique before trying it on their own.

1.) Finish up practice presentations
2.) Turn and Talk about subtopics
3.) Let's go over how to fill in an outline (see quick notes below)
4.) Get cracking!
5.) Folding in quotes - you need three of these papers, one for each of the quotes you need to use (please see below for a picture of a sample page)
6.) Agenda Books

HOMEWORK
1.)  Finish outline (II-IV ONLY)
2.)  Your three folded in quotes need to be completed
2.)  Second practice presentations on Monday, 3/9 (see below for more details)

BODY PARAGRAPH OUTLINE REMINDERS
1.) Use your notes and add specific information from them to the appropriate subtopic
2.) These should consist of mostly of bullets (Remember, you want skeletal information!  Save the detail and the juicy stuff for when you write your paper!)
3.) Everyone must have ONE (1) direct quote per subtopic (please copy this down with the correct citation.  Questions about citations?!?  Use this website!

SECOND PRACTICE PRESENTATION INFORMATION
Please bring a recording device (your phone or iPod or something like a gopro).  I will be recording you so that you can watch yourself present in order to help you in the future.

Choose a place, real or fictional, that you think is a perfect place that all people should visit.  You need to give the audience your best "sales pitch" as to why that is the ideal place.  This pitch must last at least 45 seconds, no more than 1 minute.  You also must be prepared to answer 1 question about your pitch that a classmate will ask you.

FOLDED IN QUOTE EXAMPLE:
The picture below is a sample folded in quote.  The words written in purple is the work of Reina, Sam and Patrick from period three (yay!!!).  They did an excellent job!  The words written in pencil are the notes that we took and talked about in class on how to use this graphic organizer.

Today's Class and Tonight's Homework - 03/02/15

AGENDA
Objective:  To continue to practice presenting and to understand what is expected of you in your research paper.

1.) 30 second presentations of your famous person
2.) Let's review your rubric
3.) Get cracking - make your outlines
4.) Agenda books

HOMEWORK
1.) Outline HW:  Fill in the three topic lines for your body paragraphs

2.) Read something (a poem, a story, etc.) by Dr. Seuss tonight because today is Dr. Seuss's birthday!