7th grade: Technical Writing/Careers

December 6, 2011

Standard: ELA7W2: Technical Writing; ELA7RC1 (Across Curriculum)

EQ: How does researching my career help me make the “real world” connection?

Warm up: Log in to Cheetah Chat and follow the lesson plan.

Lesson:

1. Type your letter to someone who does the job you are interested in. Use business letter format with salutation and closing.

2. Type a 1st person narrative from your point of view about what your life will be like in 10-15 years. Write PRESENT tense as if you are doing the job in the future. What is it like? Are there pros and cons?

3. We are creating a class book of recipes to correlate to the Amy Tan story, “Fishcheeks” from last week. Find a recipe that represents your family or how you celebrate the holidays. (Across Curriculum: SS)

Summary: Peer share/author chair

Finished? Do Odyssey folders please

Homework: CDA/Final next Thursday and Friday

(multiple choice and essay)

7th grade- CDA is WEDNESDAY this week!

7th grade- If you want some extra practice with adjective, adverb, or noun clauses you may want to check out these games:
Adverb clauses-
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/advcls1.htm

Adjective clauses-
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/adj1.htm

Noun clauses:
http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/nounclausequiz.html

Good luck!
-Ms. M.

7th grade: Comparison/Contrast- Salem Witch trials vs. McCarthyism

7^th grade 11/11/11

Directions: You will be reading and comparing/contrasting the Salem Witch Trials with the McCarthy hearings. Follow the directions below culminating in the writing assignment at the end. Type the paragraph, save, and print.

1.       Salem Witch trials:

Read excerpts from the following websites to gain a basic understanding of the Salem Witch trials:

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/salemwitchtrials/

http://www.salemwitchtrials.com/transcripts.html

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/salemwitchtrials/tips.html

2.       Go to the following website, scroll down towards the bottom, and click: “You’re Accused!” Play the game to see what your options are as an accused witch.

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm

3.       Now, go to the following website and read about the McCarthy hearings:

McCarthy hearings-

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/arthur-miller/mccarthyism/484/

4.       Finally! Now that you’ve read a little about both topics, write a comparison/contrast  paragraph about the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy hearings. Are there similarities between the two events? Why did people refer to the McCarthy hearings as “witch hunts?”

Clauses- 7th grade only

4th period: We will begin studying clauses this week (adjective/adverb clauses). Monday you will copy a chart to help you remember words that begin subordinate clauses and we will also review relative pronouns (might want to break out those pronoun notes from a month ago). I am looking for some online resources, games etc. to help, but in the meantime...these are resources from your book. If you want to review/pre-view this week's grammar lesson you need to login to my.hrw.com and use the username/password from class:


We will also be using the following worksheets to help prepare you for your CDA 11/16:
http://my.hrw.com/la3/la09/student/menus_hrw/eolang09_07/content/06_la1cna_gum_lsp_6.pdf
http://my.hrw.com/la3/la09/student/menus_hrw/eolang09_07/content/06_la1cna_gum_lsp_14.pdf
http://my.hrw.com/la3/la09/student/menus_hrw/eolang09_07/content/06_la1cna_gum_lsp_15.pdf
http://my.hrw.com/la3/la09/student/menus_hrw/eolang09_07/content/06_la1cna_gum_lsp_16.pdf

Extra practice:  http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/relativeclause.htm

Your online textbook chapter on clauses begins in chapter 6, page 156 if you are searching for extra help.
You can also post questions on Cheetah if you are having trouble. I opened a discussion thread as well on Moodle if you have time.

Enjoy your Tuesday off this week and the extra hour from daylight savings time!

-Ms. M.

7th grade only! Please read...

Monday we will also be in the computer lab. You will have the following homework assignment for Monday night. If you would like to complete it early you may do so.
Directions- Read one of the sample persuasive essays from the link below:
http://www.eslbee.com/persuasion_essays_models.htm

Then, answer the following discussion questions: "Analyzing a Persuasive Essay"
1. Title of essay
2.Publication or website in which it appeared. Volume/Date
3. What is the main idea (thesis) or position statement of the author?
4. What is the author's "hook?"
5. What facts, examples, or statistics does the author use to support his or her main idea?
6. How does the author conclude his or her essay?
7. Do you underline essay titles or put them in quotation marks?

*We will continue presentations until Thursday. You will have some grammar assignments for homework this week as we "juggle" your class time presentations and our grammar lessons*
I also put a link to 7th grade CRCT Review if you want to take a look at it...
Debates will be part of this persuasive unit...can't wait to see what you have to say...

TUESDAY HOMEWORK: Complete student persuasive topic survey

WEDNESDAY NIGHT HOMEWORK:
Watch one of the persuasive speeches on the blog. Be able to discuss the strengths/weaknesses of the speech: Sample speeches- Atticus' speech in To Kill a Mockingbird, MLK "I have a dream," JFK speech, Obama speech

-Ms. M.

Important message: CDA will be Thursday

6th grade: 3rd/5th periods only: You will only take the multiple choice test this week- Thursday 10/20/11. The other performance task will be at a later date. As far as your 9 week project- just hang tight. With our testing and library days I am waiting until the following week to introduce it- it will be a short poetry project using Voicethread.com- if you want to get a "head start" on this project, ask your parents to help you set up an account- it's free and only requires an email address to set it up.

4th period: Your CDA will also be on Thursday this week: 10/20/11. You need to pay close attention to types of sentence structures- notes and review will be given on Monday and Tuesday. This may mean postponing your presentations- they are still due, but may be presented next week. We will lose 2 days of instruction due to testing and our library day on Thursday (research with Mrs. Bowlick's center activities). If we need to extend the digital storytelling project we can discuss it Monday. Our next unit will be Persuasive writing- so much fun!

REMINDER: ONLINE textbook login information:

Doe, Jane       jdoep138   r9m9f  

  Doe, John       jdoen125   t5b8z

DOCUMENTARIES/ BIOGRAPHIES

A good link for documentaries:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/267929/50-documentaries-to-see-before-you-die-when-we-were-kings-celebrates-the-greatest-boxing-match-ever

Another resource for documentaries:
http://www.pbs.org/search/?q=documentaries

National Geographic:
http://movies.nationalgeographic.com/movies/

I also love food channel and a show called "Foodography": watch full episodes...
http://www.yidio.com/show/foodography?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Search&utm_campaign=foodography&utm_term=foodography&gclid=CJuxt7-W56sCFQ1U7Aod9HlUKw

*If you have Netflix you might try "No Impact Man"- great documentary on conservation, recycling etc. or March of the Penguins.

Snagfilms is also a good source, but caution when using- not all are "school friendly." The one on McNeill's Masterminds towards the bottom of the blog is great- The Human Footprint- also on conservation and how we misuse/waste as consumers.

A good link for biographies:

http://www.biography.com/ 

DETAILS ON YOUR DIGITAL STORYTELLING- POWERPOINT:

Go to Moodle...it is a link on there...

Moodle reminder: username- your firstlast name- no spaces, no caps; password: your lunch #