7th Grade Language Arts

Highlights for the week of 5/5-5/9

2008-05-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

Reading: We will be finishing Freak the Mighty, the classroom novel this week. Snapshots for chapters 17-25 will be due this Friday. We will be taking the AR test this Friday, also!

There will be no more chances to take AR tests after this Friday!!!

English: We are working on the rough drafts of our memoirs this week in class. The rough draft is due on Friday.
We are also reworking our 4th quarter poem.

Quiz tomorrow in reading!

2008-05-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

Homework for 5/1/08
Reading: Large quiz tomorrow over chapters 1-16 in the book Freak the Mighty.
"Snapshots due for the week from pages 54-107.

English: We handed back papers, and organized writing portfolios. We have a poem due tomorrow.

Homework for 4/22

2008-04-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

Reading: Read through page 25 in the Freak the Mighty book. Snapshots should be completed for chapters 3 and 4

English: Scent induced memories one page essay due Wed.
Poem contest revision due typed on Wed.

Items to note for the week of 4/21/08

2008-04-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

Reading: We are starting a new novel in class called Freak the Mighty. Today the assignment was to read from page 1-10 and complete two "snapshots." A snapshot is a drawing on a sticky note that depicts a scene from a chapter. There is one snapshot due per chapter.

English: Poem revision for the contest is due on Fri.--TYPED

Homework 4/16

2008-04-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Reading: Read 20 minutes
We will finish analyzing the top 10 songs of all time. The memo writing assignment will be due on Friday.

English: The scent induced memories sheet will be due tomorrow in class. Tomorrow we will be picking one of the scents to write about.

Heads Up: Quarter 4 Poem #3 due Thursday, May 1st

New Poem Contest

2008-04-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

There is a new poem contest that we are going to be entering sponsored by the American Library of Poetry. Poems must be typed, less than 20 lines long, and can be about any subject.
The deadline is April 30th, 2008 so get your final poems typed!! Each student will be submitting one poem for competition.

Homework 4/10

2008-04-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

Reading: 20 minutes of reading for tonight.

English: Poem due Monday. The choices for topics are:
1. Tritina
2. Sestina
3. Pantoum
4. Poem from the heart map
5. Multiple stanza haiku
6. Your own pattern creation
7. 13 Ways to look at an object
8. An ode about a common object

For class tomorrow:
There is a one page paper due about one of the objects on the story maps.

Things to Note for the Week of 4/7-4/11

2008-04-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

Reading: Everyone will have to come up with three book titles, with their authors, by Wednesday that they can recommend to the 6th graders for summer reading. We will be creating a video with short skits giving summaries of those books.
There is also 20 minutes of reading out of an AR book to do for homework tongight.

English: The story map for memoir practice is due on Wed.
Poem #2 for Quarter #4 is due on Friday, April 11th
Options for this Poem
1. Tritina
2. Pantoum
3. Multiple Stanza Haiku
4. Poem from your heart map
5. Your own poem pattern creation

Homework 4/2

2008-04-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

Reading: Read 20 minutes for homework

English: Haiku due Friday

Last night to finish group novels!!!

2008-03-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Reading: Three things must be turned in tomorrow:
1. The group bookmark
2. The print out of the AR test for the group book
3. The plot diagram worksheet for the whole book

English: We worked on writing memoirs. The first step today was writing about our names. This writing was completed in class.

Homework for 3/17

2008-03-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

Reading: Finish reading your reading club book.
English: We are working on memoirs. Today we read the memoir, Warriors Don't Cry, and started the book, How to Write Your Life Story

Homework 3/10

2008-03-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Reading: Start reading this week's page goal for the lit. groups. The theme sheet is due on Monday.

English: Final draft of poem due tomorrow.

Homework 2/27/08

2008-02-27T12:44:00.000-08:00

Reading: We worked on our book groups in class today. Their group's worksheets are due on Friday.

English: The extended response for the ISAT practice packet over the story "The Bet"
Poem due on Friday.

Homework for 2/26

2008-02-26T12:41:00.000-08:00

Reading: Read 20 minutese out of an AR book. In class we worked on our novel groups.

English: Poem duen on Friday. New topic added: friendship

Homework for 2/25

2008-02-25T12:08:00.000-08:00

Reading: We just started our novel groups, so each group has a page goal set for the week. We also have 20 minutes of reading out of an AR book for homework tonight. I have been very happy with the amount of reading my students have been doing.

English: We are still practicing for the upcoming ISAT tests. The multiple choice is due on a packet that we have for tomorrow. The extended response will be due on Wed. The biggest assignment for the week is a poem due on Friday about one of the following topics:
A. Growing up
B. Getting older
C. Being in junior high
D. Collections
E. Parental Miscommunication

Homework for 2/21

2008-02-21T12:53:00.001-08:00

Reading: Read 20 minutes at home

English: Spelling Test
Be able to recite "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost
Spelling Packet Due
Scope 100/No Sweat Test Prep. Worksheet due

Homework 2/20

2008-02-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

Reading: Read at home 20 minutes

English: Pre-spelling test on Thurs.
Extended Response ISAT practice essay due on Thurs. Remember they need to include:

A. Restatement of the question
B. Text References
C. Connectons-Text/World, Text/Self, Text/Text
D. Add a conclusion and balance out the information

Poem Due Date Changed!!

2008-02-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

Please note: The due date for Quarter 3 Poem 3 has been changed from March 6th, 2008 to February 29th, 2008 due to the end of the quarter.

Homework for 2/19
Reading: Read 20 minutes at home

English: We worked on ISAT practice today. The multiple choice of the ISAT packet is due on Wed. The extended response will be due on Thurs.

Homework 2/18

2008-02-18T08:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't been updating this for awhile! I didn't think many people were using the site so when I got busy with coaching I just kind of let it go. I am really happy to hear that some of you have been using it, so I will continue to update from here on out.

Reading: We worked on finding facts for an extra credit game in class about the Titanic. There is 20 minutes of reading assigned for homework tonight.

English: Spelling unit 18 was assigned today for Friday. There was a worksheet packet, and the test will be Friday. The next poem will be due on March 6th, 2008. We went over the ISAT practice packet and extended response today in class. We will start another practice tomorrow.

New Due Dates

2007-12-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

Every night for the next two weeks: Read AR book 20 minutes-fill out reading log
Tues. Dec. 11th-Book Talk Due
Wed. Dec. 12th-Dear Mrs. Ibarra letter due (140 pts.)
Mon. Dec. 17th Pre-K alphabet book completed
Wed. Dec. 19th-trip down to the Pre-K room to present their books

Upcoming Project Due Dates

2007-12-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 7th
Last Group Meeting Worksheets Due (116 points)

Monday, December 10th @ 3:15
All tracings due for the Pre-K alphabet books (100 pts.)

Wednesday, December 12th
Dear Mrs. Ibarra Letter Due in Reading Class (140 pts.)

Monday, December 17th
ABC book finished and turned in (250 points)

Wednesday, December 19th
Going to visit the Pre-K

Please Note: We will need donations of Christmas Candy to make treat bags to take into the Pre-K room when we go visit. Please make sure the donated candy is individually wrapped. Thank you very much for helping make our visit a fun one!!

Homework for 12/4

2007-12-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

Reading: This is the last week for groups to finish their books. They must have their worksheets finished and ready to turn in on Friday. They have a Dear Mrs. Ibarra letter to turn in on Monday.

English: Sentences for the Pre-K books must be typed for tomorrow. There will be no spelling homework from now until Christmas due to the length of the Christmas ABC books.

Homework for 10/29

2007-11-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

Reading: All group reading assignments are due on Friday! Each person must reach their individual reading goal and complete the worksheets that go along with their group job.

English: Spelling test and spelling worksheets are both on Friday. Each group must have its 26 sentences done using correct spelling and grammar for homework tonight.
Keep in mind when you are writing the sentences
1. Keep it positive and cheerful.
2. Use adverbs and prepositional phrases
3. Vary your types of sentences
4. Describe, describe, describe
5. Use compound sentences
6. Spelling and grammar count!!

Homework for 11/27

2007-11-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

Reading: Continue reading in literature groups. Group meeting day is Friday so all reading and written work must be done by the beginning of class on Fri.

English: Each student must have between 5-7 words per letter of the alphabet for brainstorming in their Christmas alphabet books. (50 points) Christmas alphabet books will be due on Dec. 14th.

Homework 11/20/07

2007-11-20T11:27:00.000-08:00

Reading: Each student needs to make sure that they have completed the required reading for this week in their literature circle and completed the worksheets that go with their job in the group. This work is due Monday, but I hope they get it finished so that they do not have to complete any homework over break.

English: The class has a list of questions for memoirists that is due on Wednesday. (50 points)
They also have thier third poem due on Dec. 3rd.

Keep an Eye Out for Christmas Coloring Books

2007-11-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

Homework for 11/19
Reading: Work on reading groups' novel. There are worksheets due for each group on the Monday 11/26.

English: Complete the sheet with questions for memoirists for Wednesday. They have a poem to be written as a gift due on Dec. 3rd.

Please note: We will be starting a project to make ABC books for the Pre-K and we will need donations of Christmas coloring books. It is a fun project that book the 7th graders and the Pre-Kindergarteners love. We need as many coloring books as we can find in different styles.

Homework for Thursday 11/15

2007-11-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

Reading: There is a lot to do in reading tonight! Each student must have reached their page goal for the week. Then they must complete the written work that goes with their job assignment.
English: We successfully taped the My Three Words Assignment from yesterday, and tonight they have a spelling worksheet and test tomorrow. They also have to memorize the words to the William Carlos Williams poem, "The Red Wheelbarrow." They will be reciting it in class tomorrow.

Homework for Monday 11/12/07

2007-11-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

Reading: Read 40 minutes
Bring all props and posters in for My 3 words

English: Poem due Tuesday!!!

Homework for 11/7/07

2007-11-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

Reading: Read for 20 minutes tonight!

English: Spelling Pre-test
Your 3 words due written on lined paper with the way you are going to act it out on film
Spelling worksheets due on Friday
There are only 18 words on the alpahbetical words page

Next Poem Due on Nov. 13th

2007-11-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

Reading: Read 20 minutes tonight

English: Spelling worksheet due Friday
Spelling test due Friday
Your 3 words due on Thursday

Big Assignment Due Monday!!

2007-11-02T18:49:00.001-07:00

Reading: The entire Dear Mrs. Ibarra literacy response letter is due on Monday and it is worth 150 points. If you are having a hard time understanding what to write about here is the short version...
Paragraph #1: Explain whether you liked the story "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street". Choose 2 of the 3 following, quote a part that confused you, your favorite part, or a part that surprised you. Explain why you felt that way about them. (this should be a pretty long paragraph)

Paragraph #2: Explain a way that you have experienced prejudice. Give examples, and explain how it felt to be labeled as "different".

Paragraph #3: Analyze why you think there is so much prejudice at the junior high level, and whether you think that could ever change and why.

Paragraph #4: Explain whether you think the people's reactions in the story were realistic or not. Why?
If you have any more questions this is explained further on the paper I handed out in class on Wed.
Read your AR book for 40 minutes this weekend! Hopefully you will get caught up in it and read much longer!!
English: No homework-concentrate on getting your Dear Mrs. Ibarra letter done

Homework 10/31

2007-10-31T13:18:00.000-07:00

Reading: 100 point quiz over "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" tomorrow. Work on Dear Mrs. Ibarra letter. It is due on Monday.

English: There is no homework due to my wanting the kids to study for their reading quiz.

Quiz on Thursday!

2007-10-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

Reading: Quiz over the play "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" on Thursday. (100 points)
Part #1 of the Dear Mrs. Ibarra letter due on Wednesday. Don't foget to find quotes for 2 of the 3 options under part one.

English: Fix or add to the 10 observations from the list from yesterday.
Do Pg. 7 Practice and Apply 1-10. Make sure every word in the sentence is underlined or double underlined.

Homework 10/29

2007-10-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Reading: 20 minutes of reading from their AR book
Fill out the Someone/Wanted/But/So chart

English: Finish lists in poem book-
10 things I hate
10 things that freak me out
10 things that I wish I knew how to do
10 things that I noticed on my way to/from school that I never noticed before

New poem due in two weeks
Choose one of the following topics:
1. Something off your heart map
2. A What's in my Journal poem
3. 13 ways to look at a...
4. The observation poem

Read An Hour This Weekend!!

2007-10-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

Reading: Read 20 minutes for tonight's reading log and 40 minutes for this weekend's reading log. Don't foget to have a parent sign the reading log!!

English: No homework

Spelling Test Tomorrow

2007-10-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

Reading: Read 20 minutes tonight!

English: Spelling worksheets due on Thursday. Note: This is a change due to the early release schedule on Friday! Spelling test Thursday!

Homework for 10/23

2007-10-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

Reading: 20 minutes of reading tonight

English: Scope 100 worksheet due on Wednesday

Poem Due Tuesday!!

2007-10-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Reading: Read 20 minutes tonight! This is the start of a new reading log.

English:
***Where I'm From Poem due Tues.!!
Spelling test on Friday
Spelling worksheets due on Friday

We had MAP testing today. Most of the students' scores went up! Make sure you ask your child what their score was.

Homework 10/18/07

2007-10-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Reading: 20 minutes of reading their AR book for their reading log
Read the play The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street-highlight their parts

English: Spelling test on Friday
Spelling worksheet due on Friday (front and back)
Poem book covered and decorated by Friday at the end of class

Homework 10/17/07

2007-10-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

Reading: I am very happy with the way the students have been handling the new reading logs. They should be reading AT LEAST 20 minutes a night for their reading log, and they are going to need a parent signature when it gets to the weekend.
They also have a poster project due tomorrow at the beginning of class. Most of them have these finished, because they have been working in study hall.

English: They have a What would it be like? essay rough draft due tomorrow. I have given them an example to look at, in case they are confused as to how to write the essay.
There is a spelling worksheet due Friday, it is two sided. They also have a spelling test.
On Tuesday of next week they have a Where I'm From poem due.

Homework for 10/16/07

2007-10-16T13:29:00.001-07:00

Reading: Read an AR book for at least 20 minutes tonight!
Their group poster for the plot diagram of Rikki Tikki Tavi is due Thurs. at the beginning of class.
English: The rough draft of their What It Would It Be Like? essay is due on Thurs. Each student needs an introduction, a paragraph for each side of their issue, a connection to their life, and a conclusion.
Their Where I'm From poem is due this Tuesday, Oct. 23rd.
They have spelling worksheets due on Friday.
There is a spelling test on Friday.

New Way To Complete Reading Logs!!

2007-10-15T12:40:00.001-07:00

This quarter the 7th grade students AR grades were horrible. I know they have very busy schedules, but for a lot of them their AR grades brought down their grade for reading class to a much lower level. Out of 63 students 21 did not have any AR points. AR is worth 100 points, so it ended up really affecting some of their grades as the total classroom points was only at about 700.
So....in order to try to fix this situation, I have created a new reading log that works a little differently than the other one. Students must read 20 minutes per night, and record the page they are on. This includes Sat. and Sun. Parents will still have to sign the reading logs, but the students no longer have to write three sentences. As soon as students receive 20 AR points they will no longer have to complete the reading logs. They will receive the weekly points for reading in class. The reading logs will increase from being worth 25 points to 70 points per week. Ask you child to see their new reading workshop form.

Reading: 20 minutes of reading a book tonight.

English: Spelling worksheets due Friday.
Spelling test on Fri.
Where I'm From poem due Tues. October 23rd
What would it be like? essay rough draft due this Thurs.

Homework for 10/10/07

2007-10-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Items to note:
They may bring in magazines for extra credit by Friday (limit 10)
Poem final draft due Thurs. by 3:15 PM
Last day for AR for the quarter is Friday.

Reading:
We have a quiz over Rikki Tikki Tavi in class tomorrow. We are also working on a plot diagram project due Monday. They will be working on that in class.

English: The students will be starting a new poem using their cross-generational survey titled, Where I'm From.
This poem is due next Friday. They have for homework, a one page paper answering the What It Would Be Like question from class. They have a spelling test over their 10 group vocabulary words from Rikki Tikki tomorrow, also.

Homework for 10/9/07

2007-10-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

A few items to keep in mind:
-The students can bring in magazines for extra credit by Friday. 1 point/magazine, up to 10 points.
-The final draft of their poem is due in English by 3:15 p.m. on Thursday.
-The last day to take AR tests for this quarter is Friday.
-There is a reading log due on Monday of next week.

Reading:
On Thursday there is a quiz over "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi"
The vocabulary sheets for the story are due on Wed. There should be 10 vocab. words.

English:
The vocab. words from reading are the students' spelling words this week. We will have a spelling test on Thurs.
We have been typing our poems in class.

Homework 10/4

2007-10-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry that there haven't been any posts lately! I have been having computer trouble at school so the assignments haven't been able to be listed.

One concern I have is that students are not doing a very good job at getting their reading logs turned in. They are worth 25 points and they add up quickly. There is a reading log due this Tuesday. Please double check to make sure it gets turned in.

Reading: Reading log due Tues. Students with AR points have a reading goal of a minimum of 50 pages, and students without AR have a reading goal to take a test or read a 100 pages, whichever comes first. The students are also supposed to finish reading the story from their text "Rikki Tikki Tavi" and find 3 vocab. words, mark the part they think would best be in a movie, and sticky note one question they have about the story.

English: This is an exciting time in my room, because we are working on the final drafts of our poems for the quarter. I am constantly amazed at what some of the kids have come up with. We worked on line and stanza breaks today, and we are typing our drafts in the lab. Their final draft poem is due next Friday. I will be posting some of those poems here on this website.

Homework 9/26

2007-09-26T16:24:00.001-07:00

I was out of the building yesterday, so I was unable to post the homework last night.

Reading: The students need to take an AR test by Monday, so their goal is to finish their book this week. If they already have AR points they could set their own goal, with a minimum of 50 pages. Tonight they need to correct their worksheet that I left them yesterday when I was gone. Most students did not get it finished, so I am giving them an extra night to do a better job on it.

English: They have a comma test tomorrow. The test will be divided into three parts: One part where they need to create their own sentences using the comma rules, one part where they need to put missing commas in sentences, and another part where they need to list what rule is being used in each sentence. The test will be worth 75 points.

Homework 9/20/07

2007-09-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

Reading-The students are to list the 10 places that poetry hides for them in their poem notebooks. They also have a prediction sheet and a vocabulary sheet due for the story Seventh Grade, that we were working on in class. They still have a reading log due this coming Monday.
English-There is a spelling test tomorrow, and they have two spelling worksheets due. They have had the worksheets since Monday. Something that is coming up this Tuesday, is a test over the comma rules, and how to use commas in a sentence.

Homework 9/19

2007-09-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

Today the students' third poem was due. I was amazed at some of the great stuff I had turned in. If you haven't asked to see your child's poetry notebook, you definately should check it out!
Reading: They have been reading a story by Gary Soto, called Seventh Grade. They should finish the story, and have their predictions sheet filled out. The answers should be in sentences, not phrases. They do have a reading log (75 pages for Monday)
English: We did not have any homework in here tonight. We were working on creating better titles for our essays and poems.
Remember-the halfway point for the quarter has passed. Every student should have AR points by now. I will be sending an update with their AR points home next week. Keep an eye out for it.

Homework 9/17

2007-09-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that midterm was last Friday! It's time to check to see if you have any AR points! Each student must have 20 pts. by the end of the quarter for an A in AR. The reading log turnout was so/so for the first week. Lots of students forgot to have their parents sign their slip. A new reading log was assigned for this week (75 pages).

Reading-In their poetry notebooks they must have 5 examples of what a good poem can do. They also have a poem due Wed. on a topic from their heart map.

English-New spelling list. Test Friday. Spelling worksheet pages 18 and 19 due Friday. Comma worksheet 193 and 194 due Tuesday.

Homework 9/14

2007-09-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Reading-25 point reading log. The worksheet must be filled out and signed by a parent. This reading log is due on Monday.

English-Caught'ya quiz on Monday. The Caught'ya assignment from this week (100 points) is due on Monday also. The quiz is over the 4 vocabulary words.

Homework 9/13/07

2007-09-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

Today your child was tested in reading fluency. Every student had to read three different passages for one minute each, while I checked their speed and accuracy of reading. It was very interesting to see how many words these kids could read per minute.

Reading-There is a Scope 100 worksheet. This is a continuing worksheet, that teaches the students the top 100 words that they might find on the ACT test. This worksheet is worth 20 pts. and is due on Friday. The reading log is due on Monday, signed by parents that shows that each student read 75 pages on their own this week.

English-Page 13 and 14 for spelling are due on Friday. There is also a spelling test tomorrow in class.

9/12 Homework Addition

2007-09-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry! We didn't get to the poems in English class like I wanted. They do have homework out of their textbook though, Pg. 255-Practice and Apply (there are 10 errors) Pg. 618-Part three (there are 8 errors)

Homework 9/12/07

2007-09-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

Reading-Today we took a fiction terms test. The kids should know how many they missed by the end of the day. The only homework for tonight is to work on their reading log. They have 75 pages that must be read on their own time by Monday.

English-The students are going to have a spelling pre-test tomorrow. Remember, that if they receive a 20 out of 20 they do not have to take the test on Friday. The will also be starting their next poem in their poem book. This one is going to be about something on their heart map. It will be due next Tues. Reminder, they have 2 spelling worksheets for Friday.

Homework 9/10/07

2007-09-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Reading: Fiction terms quiz on Wed. This quiz is worth 100 points, so it is very important that you study for it. The fiction terms have been handed out in the form of a reference sheet.
Reading Log-This assignment will be every week. This is the first log we will have this year. It is worth 25 points. The students have a sheet to fill out and have their parents sign to show that they have read 75 pages of their reading workshop (library) book on their own. It is very important that the students be reading on their own at home.

English: There is an important parts of speech quiz tomorrow (75 points). The students will have to be able to define each of the parts of speech (noun, verb, etc) and give a sentence with some examples for each. We have been working on parts of speech for the last two weeks in class, so they have a reference sheet and all of the information is in their language network book. They also have a language toolbox that they can be using to study.
Spelling-The students received their spelling list and two worksheets to be turned in on Friday. They are page 13 and 14. They are each worth 20 points.

Welcome

2007-09-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my language arts blog! I am using this space to show student work, post nightly homework assignments, and future projects. I will be listing the Putnam County grade scale and AR requirements. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to e-mail me.

I am very excited to have your child in my language arts classes twice a day this year, and you can expect information from not only their reading class, but their English class as well. I was looking for a way that I could better communicate with you about homework and my expectations, and I hope that this blog helps. Nothing is better than speaking in person, though, so if you need it, please don't hesitate to call or schedule a conference.