Friday, August 28, 2009

I-Can/Target List -- My Bad!


I'm sorry for the confusion about the "I-Can" List that was with the disclosure document. I sent that home so you would know what we are learning first term, but I neglected to include an explanation of that. My bad!
Students should keep their "I-Can" lists in their binders. We'll check items off as the students pass them off.
Please notice that I don't expect the students to master all of the items this term, but we want to at least introduce and have a general understanding for such concepts as topic and theme and plot structure. We'll continue to work on them during the other terms.

Commonly Confused Words
By the end of the term, the students definitely should be able to recognize and spell the commonly confused words on the list.
After that five points will be lost from any student writing that has those words misspelled. We want to make sure these words are truly learned and mastered before the students go on to the next grade and are tested on the eighth grade core commonly confused words.

Spelling!



Are you practicing for your spelling test? The test will be given next Wednesday and Thursday (September 2/3) . Know how to correctly spell, capitalize, and punctuate the name of your first semester teachers, counselor, and administration (principal and assistant principals).

Seventh Grade Counselor: Cody Thompson
Administration: Mr. Farnsworth, Mr. Dalley, Mr. Young

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Scholastic Book Clubs


Catalogs for Scholastic Book Clubs are available in the classroom. I'll place an order at least once a month, or as often as I receive $20 worth of orders.

Please turn in September catalog online book orders by September 11. If you need more time, let me know.

You may use the catalogs, returning the order form and a check to me, or you may go online to order. If you use our class user name and password, our classroom will get credit (free books)!

Go online at
http://scholastic.com/bookclubs

Our user name is MsDorseysClasses
Our password is cavemen

August 27/28, 2009

Don't forget to study for your spelling test on teachers' names, your counselor's name, and the administrators' names.

August 27/28, 2009

Vocabulary: Our vocabulary words are

protagonist: The main character in a story, often a good or heroic type

and


antagonist: The person or force that works against the hero of the story; the “bad guy.”





I. Today we watched a small segment of the video Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid because
1. It's from the 60's, and we're building schema (background knowledge) before we read The Outsiders.
2. We talked about the protagonists and antagonists in the clip.

II. We looked at two poems, looking for protagonist and antagonist. See nearby post.

III. For "Everyday Editing," we read a short passage that began with "Let me tell you something about . .." Then the students imitated by using that first sentence starter and writing about things they could tell us about. Here are the passage and the assignment:

From Sing a Song of Tuna Fish: Hard-to-Swallow Stories from the Fifth Grade (2006) by Esme Raji Codell— (This passage reminds me of at least one special reason why we write.)

"Let me tell you something.

When you are a kid, you think you are going to remember everything. You think you are going to remember everyone who sits next to you in class and all the things that crack you up. You think you are going to remember the place where you live and all the things that made your family yours, and not the family down the hall or across the street. You think you are going to remember every punishment and big test and rainy day. You think you will remember how you feel being a kid. You think you will remember so well that you will be the best grown-up who ever lived.

And you might.

Or you might be. . . old enough to get a kind of amnesia. Memories are like days and bones and paper: they can turn to dust, and they change if not preserved.

. . . Who knows? Maybe you can use my stories. Maybe they will help you unpack your own more carefully, just in case the strange and improbable day should arrive that you forget what it was like to be a child.

Though I hope it never does."

Students, write a
"Let me tell you something about. . .”
[This can be a person, a place, or something else.]
Use at least one serial comma set in your first draft, or in a quick revision.

Revise: Place an asterisk by a place that could use more detail. Close eyes, picture, three specific, sensory details.

__________

IV. Two students from each class volunteered to be class librarians. We discussed how to check out books, and then we went on a "field trip" to the school media center where Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Byrd taught us about using the media center.

Our class library rules:
Pick a book and take it to one of our class librarians or Ms. Dorsey.
You'll need the pink sign-out list. Fill out the required information, making sure you write legibly.
You may check out 1 book at a time.
You do not have a due date for returning the book, but keep it only while you're reading it.
Make sure that when you bring it back it is signed back in. See one of our class librarians or Ms. Dorsey.
There are books in the room you aren't allowed to check out -- especially the kind of books that are meant to be browsed through instead of read. Ask if you're unsure.


Reminders: Continue to study your spelling words/names.
If you didn't bring your disclosure signature sheet back today, bring it soon!





Poems for Protagonist/Antagonist


JABBERWOCKY
Lewis Carroll
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.


"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.


`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Hunter

The hunter crouches in his blind
‘Neath camouflage of every kind,
And conjures up a quacking noise
To lend allure to his decoys.
This grown-up man, with pluck and luck,
Is hoping to outwit a duck.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hmmmmmm?

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Poem -- Nancy Hanks



Nancy Hanks
by Rosemary Benét

If Nancy Hanks
Came back as a ghost
Seeking news
Of what she loved most,
She’d ask first
“Where’s my son?
What’s happened to Abe?
What’s he done?

“Poor little Abe,
Left all alone
Except for Tom,
Who’s a rolling stone:
He was only nine
The year I died.
I remember still
How hard he cried.

“Scraping along
In a little shack,
With hardly a shirt
To cover his back,
And a prairie wind
To blow him down
Or pinching times
If he went to town.

“You wouldn’t know
About my son?
Did he grow tall?
Did he have fun?
Did he learn to read?
Did he get to town?
Do you know his name?
Did he get on?”

August 25/26, 2009



Self-Starter: Students finished filling in their interview papers by talking with classmates they hadn't "interviewed" last time.

1. Students set up their composition books. Any students who don't have their composition books should get them as soon as possible. If your family can't get one, please talk with Ms. Dorsey.

2. Today's vocabulary word: "background knowledge," also called "schema" = what you already know. Both this and yesterday's word will go in the composition book under vocabulary.

3. Poem -- as another exposure to poetry, and to show the importance of background knowledge to understanding. See nearby post for "Nancy Hanks" by Rosemary Benet.

4. Everyday Editing -- Share and Celebrate.

"Serial commas help combine sentences and expand ideas by using sensory detail -- specific nouns and verbs." p. 50 of Everyday Editing by Jeff Anderson

"Lists can be a way to add specifics to our writing.'" p. 51 (sensory details)

Model sentence:
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
-- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)

An IMITATION of the model sentence:
Hector's room smelled of gym socks, Hot Cheetos, and lies. -- Jeff Anderson

Ms. Dorsey's IMITATION of the model sentence:
My car smells of Armour-All vinyl cleaner, banana peels, and teenagers.

Students worked together to create an imitation, describing the interior of a car.

Then each student used this framework to create their own sentence in their composition book (first entry under "writing"):

[Place] smells of ____________, ____________, and ______________.

Students were given time to write independently, creating more description based on that sentence, or creating other "smell of. . . " sentences.

We listened to a song titled "That Smell," and smelled some room deodorizer.

Students shared and celebrated sentences.

5. Celebrating
In some of the classes, Ms. Dorsey read the book I'm in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor to the class. This book encourages celebrating, observing, and making connections.

6. Spelling -- Students should have their lists of names to spell and should be PRACTICING. It's a good idea to come up with memory helps for the more difficult names. For instance:
"If you're going to throw something in tech. ed., you'd better not aim at that man -- not at Mr. Aiman."

or, picture Mr. Thornton, dressed as a knight in armor, wielding his sword to try to cut through a ton of thorns, or just picture his classroom filled with thorns so you remember how to spell his name.
What ideas do you have to help yourself and others remember how to spell the teachers' names? Extra Credit Opportunity for those who bring original ideas to me!

7. Disclosure Document -- Students received the disclosure document. Remember to return the signatures and VIP form by September 1.

Supplies for Seventh Grade


Remember that in junior high the school and teachers
do not provide your school supplies.

If your family cannot afford school supplies, please speak with a teacher or administrator.

When the school supply sales come on, you would be wise to purchase these items:
4Plenty of lined paper (Get enough to last for the school year, since it costs so much more when it's not on sale.)
4Plenty of pencils (Teachers usually keep some on hand for students to borrow in an emergency, but students should supply their own, and should not break or throw pencils.) If you like to use mechanical pencils, have extra lead on hand. Teachers won't have it.
4 Pens with black or dark blue (indigo) ink
A
red pen might be used sometimes, but do not do your homework and in-class writing with it or with other odd colors of ink.
Parents, please
don't send sharpies or other permanent ink pens to school with your students. They can quickly become a nuisance item. If they need to use them to mark binders, notebooks, P.E. clothes, etc., please do that at home.
4A couple of three ring binders. Some students do better with everything kept in one binder, and others prefer to have one binder for A-Day classes and another for B-Day classes.
4 Binder dividers -- You can buy these or make your own with index or construction paper.
4Spiral notebooks -- Watch for those that go on sale for ten or fifteen cents each.
4Composition books -- Ms. Dorsey asks her students to bring a composition book to use for readers' and writers' workshop. You might want to buy a couple when they are on sale.
4Optional:
A thumb drive comes in very handy. In the past, students have done a PowerPoint presentation for science class, and may want to use it to save or hand work for other classes.
Colored pencils may be needed for history class, and come in handy at times in other classes.
A three-ring hole-punch that fits in your binder is very helpful if you receive handouts that haven't been punched.
A small manual pencil sharpener
A small pack of Kleenex -- We usually have facial tissues/Kleenex available in our classrooms, but they are not soft on a tender nose.
Hand sanitizer
If you find a good deal, you might want to have on hand some poster board. Sometimes teachers will assign students to create posters, and it's nice not to have to run out to the store at 10 pm when the student remembers he or she has a poster due the next day.

Note to Parents: If you have a computer and printer, you might want to check to see that you have enough printer ink on hand so your student can print off homework when needed. Please encourage your student to finish and hand-in assignments before the deadline, so any computer or printer problems don't make them late.

More about computers and Internet: It is very helpful to have the Internet available at home. Our English classes use a writing program called MYAccess for several assignments during the year. We access it at school, and students can write and revise their work from home or anywhere else they can use the Internet. That also allows parents to read their student's writing and watch their progress.
Students may also need to do research on the Internet for various classes.
If you do not have access at home, the student could use computers in our school media center, sometimes (such as during CaveTime) our computer labs are open to students who need extra time, and the Internet is available at the public library.
Parents will need to sign a release for the student to use the Internet at school, and the student will need to have his or her Internet card in hand to use the Internet on the media center computers and in the other computer labs.

Teacher Web Sites: Many of our teachers have web sites, blogs, and wikis where you can find much information about classes, requirements, etc. Take advantage of this resource.
If you're absent or looking for more information or maybe some extra credit, check this blog.

This was originally posted in July.







Friday, August 21, 2009

August 21/24, 2009


August 21/24, 2009

Today's Self Starter: Pretest on editing sentences.
1. Students took the test
2. and corrected their own -- honestly because this is being used to see where students are in their understanding of certain aspects of proofreading.
3. Today's vocabulary word: Setting. When we talk about setting, it means more than just the place something happened or where a story took place. We must also talk about the time something takes place. Is it in the present day, Medieval or Civil War times, in the future?
Is something happening during the day or at night? Is it winter or summer?

4. Everyday Editing: During Everyday Editing, we are looking at sentences that can teach us something. Normally students will do some writing in response to the sentences. (Don't forget to bring a composition book if you haven't yet.) Today we just discussed them.
During today's Everyday Editing, we made inferences and predictions, and noticed how the author used words and punctuation:

1) Miss Karpou was young, she was pretty, and she had been nice to
me. I didn’t want her to be sad.

2) Orville smiled a big, nasty, gap-toothed smile, and said, “I’m gonna
turn you into dog meat.”

3) I could see only one place where no one would look for me.
The dumpster.
The Mancatcher would be coming through the door soon. No time to think – only to do. I ran across the loading dock, grabbed the lip of the dumpster, and swung my leg over the edge.
When I looked down inside I almost changed my mind. Four feet below me waited a smelly mass of banana peels, bread crusts, half-eaten hamburgers, and things too gross to mention. I considered turning back. Then I heard the door start to swing open.

5. The teacher read an excerpt from My Teacher Fried My Brains. We discussed the setting and discussed what qualifies a book to be considered science fiction (genre).

6. We also read a poem -- "Southbound on the Freeway" -- see nearby post, which is also "science fiction," and discussed the setting of the poem.

7. Students interviewed each other as they rotated around the room.

8. Students received a spelling homework assignment.

Homework
First Spelling Assignment

Prepare to be tested on correctly spelling (with correct capitalization and punctuation)
the names of your teachers, counselor, and administrators.

Be ready to take the test on these names on September 2 (B-Day) or September 3 (B-Day).


The names of your teachers for this term:
(Include the title each prefers: Mr., Ms., etc.)
1. ________________________________
2. ________________________________
3. ________________________________
4. ________________________________
5. ________________________________
6. ________________________________
7. ________________________________
8. ________________________________

Your seventh grade counselor:
9. Mr. Thompson
The names of our administrators
10. Principal: Mr. Farnsworth
11. Vice-Principal: Mr. Young
12. Vice-Principal: Mr. Dalley

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Extra Credit -- Poet

This extra credit is available only through August 24.

Extra Credit: For 5 points extra credit, tell me where the poet May Swenson was born, and where she is buried. She wrote the poem "Southbound on the Freeway," which we are reading in class on August 21 and August 24.

You can find the answers in this blog -- just a couple of posts away from this one. Points are available only to those who have come to this blog.

Southbound on the Freeway - Poem

Southbound on the Freeway
by May Swenson

A tourist came in from Orbitville, 
parked in the air, and said:

The creatures of this star
are made of metal and glass.

Through the transparent parts
you can see their guts.

Their feet are round and roll
on diagrams or long

measuring tapes, dark
with white lines.

They have four eyes.
The two in the back are red.

Sometimes you can see a five-eyed
one, with a red eye turning

on the top of his head.
He must be special—

the others respect him,
and go slow

when he passes, winding
among them from behind.

They all hiss as they glide,
like inches, down the marked

tapes. Those soft shapes,
shadowy inside

the hard bodies—are they
their guts or their brains?

Poet May Swenson


The following information is from Poets.org. Italicized text is paraphrased.

May Swenson was born Anna Thilda May Swenson on May 28, 1913 in Logan, Utah. Her parents were Swedish immigrants, and her father was a professor of mechanical engineering at Utah State University. English was her second language, her family having spoken mostly Swedish in their home. Influenced early on by Edgar Allan Poe, she kept journals as a young girl, in which she wrote in multiple genres.

She attended Utah State University, Logan, and received a bachelor's degree in 1934. She spent another year in Utah working as a reporter, but in 1935 relocated to New York, where she remained for most of her adult life.

She became a world-famous, award-winning poet during her lifetime.

Four months before her death, Swenson wrote: "The best poetry has its roots in the subconscious to a great degree. Youth, naivety, reliance on instinct more than learning and method, a sense of freedom and play, even trust in randomness, is necessary to the making of a poem."

She died in 1989 and is buried in Logan.

--Source: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/168

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Spelling Challenge Words

For an A in spelling for term 1, master our commonly confused words, correctly spell the names of your teachers, administrators, and counselor (with titles), and select and learn 15 additional words from this list that you have not already mastered at the beginning of the term. For the A-Grade challenge, do not use any words that are already on our commonly confused words list.


a lot
ad
about
abrupt
absence
accommodate
accumulate
accurate
ache
acquire
across
address
adequate
adjourn
advice
again
all right
almost
also
always
amateur
among
analysis
angle
another
answer
any anyone
apologize
apparently
appearance
appreciate
arctic
are
argument
arrangement
athletic
audience
_____________
beautiful
because
been
before
beginning
believe
benefited
bicycle
blue
break
breathe
brilliant
built
bulletin
business
buy
by
_____________
calendar
campaign
can't (cannot)
canceled
career
cemetery
certain
chief
choir
choose
close
clothes
colonel
color
column
come
coming
committee
conscience
continuous
correspondence
cough
could
country
courteous
criticism
curiosity
cylinder
_____________
dear
decision
definitely
didn't
difference
different
difficulty
dining
disappear
disappoint
discipline
disease
dissatisfied
division
doctor
does
doesn't
don't
done
_____________
early
easy
eighth
embarrass
enough
environment
equipped
especially
every
everybody
everyone
exaggerate
excellent
except
excited
existence
experience
extremely
_____________
familiar
fascinate
favorite
February
field
finally
first
foreign
formally
formerly
forty
friend
fulfill
fundamental
getting
glimpse
gorgeous
government
governor
grammar
groceries
guarantee
guard
guess
guidance
_____________
half
handsome
happily
have
having
he's
hear
heard
height
here
heroes
hoarse
hole
hoping
hour
humorous
hurriedly
____________
I'd
illegible
illustrate
I'm
imaginary
immediately
incidentally
independence
indispensable
instead
intelligence
interesting
interpreted
interrupt
into
irrelevant
it's (it is)
its
____________
jealous
jewelry
journey
judgment
just
____________
khaki
kindergarten
knead
knew
know
knowledge
____________
laboratory
laid
language
laugh
leisure
let's
library
license
licorice
lightning
likely
listen
livelihood
loneliness
loose
lose
____________
maintenance
making
maneuver
manufacture
many
marriage
mathematics
meant
medicine
might
mileage
miniature
minute
miscellaneous
misspell
mortgage
much
muscle
myself
____________
naturally
necessary
new
nickel
niece
ninety
ninth
no
none
noticeable
nuisance
_____________
occasion
occur
occurred
o'clock
off
often
omission
omitted
once
one
opinion
opportunity
opposite
original
our
_____________
pamphlet
parallel
particular
pastime
peaceable
people
performance
permanent
personal
personnel
persuade
piece
pleasant
possession
precede
privilege
probably
procedure
proceed
professor
pronunciation
psychology
pumpkin
pursue
_____________
quantity
quarrel
quite
_____________
raise
read
ready
realize
really
receive
recognize
recommend
rehearse
relevant
relief
relieve
religious
repetition
restaurant
rheumatism
rhubarb
rhythm
ridiculous
right
____________
safety
said
says
schedule
school
scissors
seems
seize
separate
sergeant
severely
shoes
similar
since
sizable
some
something
sometimes
souvenir
straight
strength
studying
succeed
sufficient
sugar
sure
surprise
____________
tear
temperature
temporary
tendency
terrible
that's
their (belongs to)
then
there
therefore
they
they're (they are)
thorough
though
thought
threw
through
tired
to
together
tomorrow
tongue
tonight
too
transferred
trouble
Tuesday
two
typical
_____________
unanimous
undoubtedly
unique
unnecessary
until
upon
used
usually
utensil
____________
vacancy
vacuum
vegetable
very
vinegar
visible
volume
____________
want
was
wear
weather
Wednesday
week
went
we're
were
what
when
where
whether
which
who
whole
wholly
who's
whose
with
women
won
won't
would
wouldn't
write
writing
wrote
____________
yacht
yield
yolk
your
you're
youth
____________
zealous
_____________
Automobiles:
Audi
Buick
Chevrolet
Chrysler
Dodge
Ford
Honda
Hyundai
Isuzu
Jeep
Lexus
Mazda
Mercedes-Benz
Mitsubishi
Pontiac
Porsche
Suzuki
Toyota

Demon Days and Months
Tuesday
Wednesday
Saturday
February
April
August

Demon Pets!
(just for spelling their names!)
Siamese
Shih Tzu
Pekingese
cockatiel
parakeet
hamster
Labrador
cocker spaniel
Chihuahua


Saturday, August 8, 2009

Core Curriculum

A quick way to look over the 7th Grade Core is to go to this page
http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/lang_art/sec/core.htm
and look down the left hand column for either of these:
Core-at-a-Glance or
Brochure

These are downloadable files.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Book Recommendation


My sixteen year old daughter and I just finished reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. We both highly recommend it. Scroll down to see some reviews here.