Ms. T Alford

Week of 2/25 - 2/29

1st Period
Monday - today we began class with a "how to" reading exercise with a cell phone owner's manual.  Then, students selected "how to" topics from a range of categories before beginning to type.  We have the laptops in class today and tomorrow. The essay will be completed, revised, and printed tomorrow in class. 
Tuesday - Revision/final drafts of how-to essays
Wednesday- Read "No Gumption" in class.  Answer questions at the end of story.
Thursday - Sentence practice, discussion of compare/contrast essay.  Topic generation for essay.  Notes on the four principal parts of verbs.  Homework...wkbk pp. 111-112.
Friday - Compare/Contrast Timed Writing and print final draft of How To essay

2nd/4th Period
Monday - Students presented their projects in class today.  Nice job...no homework.
Tuesday - Misplaced Modifier Activity
Wednesday/Thursday - Tom Sawyer movie in prep for compare/contrast essay. Compare/Contrast lesson.
Friday - Compare/Contrast timed writing on Tom Sawyer. 

Week of Wed., 2/20 - Fri., 2/22

1st Period
Wednesday - Today we reviewed in class for tomorrow's quiz. 
It will cover - (1) misplaced modifiers (2) usage of modifiers (good vs. well/bad vs. badly) and comparative/superlative modifiers (3) double comparisons and double negatives (4) Complements (DO/IO/PA/PN).

In class, we did some review and I gave extra practice for review tonight.  I have scanned in the answers so that you can check your work.  Download review_1.jpg , Download review_2.jpg  , Download review_3.jpg , Download review_4.jpg

Thursday  - We took the quiz (now in I-Parent) and went to the media center for book checkout.

Friday - We did a DGP warmup and then had some fun with our "how-to" paper! 

2nd/4th Period
Wednesday - After a DGP warmup, we discussed an interesting article that I came across, and I sent each student home with a copy for his or her parents.  The article is all about our mindset about about how we learn and how we can build on intelligence to become even stronger students.  I found it insightful as a teacher and a parent and thought you might find it interesting as well. 

We then went to the lab so that students could complete their corrected bibliographies and work on their research projects.  The finished product and presentations are due MONDAY!!

Thursday & Friday - students worked on the laptops in class to complete the research project.  Presentations will be done in class on Monday.  We also reviewed the rubric again and all students have a copy. 

Have a great weekend!!

Week of 2/11 - 2/15/08

PROGRESS REPORTS GO HOME ON WEDNESDAY, 2/13!! Please bring them back signed!

1st Period
This week we are working on using modifiers and also on understanding complements (DO/IO/PA/PN).  We are working toward a quiz and eventual test on modifiers (misplaced, comparative/superlative, and misused - good/well, etc...)
Monday - no homework
Tuesday - wkbk pp. 137 - 142 (not writing applications or p. 140)
Wednesday - progress report must be signed
Thursday - no homework/Summer of the Swans work is due tomorrow!!
Friday - none (unless you need to complete the novel activities...)

2nd/4th Periods (ALP)
This week we will be in the lab doing research for the group research projects.  Topics have already been narrowed and research questions have been created.  Each group has shared with me/modified the research questions as needed, and each group now has a working research question.  The bibliography rough draft is due Wednesday, 2/20 (although we originally said Monday 2/18 - we won't be in school on that date).  The presentations will be given on Monday, 2/25!  Students have freedom of creativity in the product that they present - movies, powerpoints, skits, etc.  Make sure you prepare notes and rehearse!!  Each student in the group must participate and contribute equally!  Some time will be devoted in class next week to revising the bibliography and planning the presentations. 

Don't forget the Wednesday 8:15 help sessions for students still struggling with grammar and DGP's.  This will continue for the next few weeks. 

Week of 2/4/08 - 2/8/08

1st Period
MONDAY - Students completed the persuasive essay today in the lab. I also returned and reviewed the test on sentence types and clauses.  Any student interested in a re-test is encouraged to come on Thursday, 2/7 at 8:00AM.  I will take the higher of the two test grades (the original test grade is currently in I-Parent).  There will be a DGP quiz on Wednesday!
Homework:  workbook page 89-94

TUESDAY - Students learned about misplaced modifiers and how they contribute to unclear or even unitentionally humorous sentences.  After a powerpoint presentation, students took their own MM and created a drawing to represent it, then corrected the sentence. 

WEDNESDAY - Early release day - Students took a DGP quiz and then worked a bit more on misplaced modifiers.  HW:  wkbk pp. 103-106.

THURSDAY - Many students came in at 8AM to take the re-test for sentence types and clauses.  DGP quizzes were returned and we reviewed the misplaced modifiers information.  Then, we reviewed double negatives.  The last section of Summer of the Swans was distributed today, and students were given some time in class to read.

FRIDAY - after some practice with combining sentences, students had the extra time to read and work on Summer of the Swans.  The book should be finished by next Friday (2/15).

2nd/4th Periods
MONDAY - Students worked today to determine the research questions/topics that they will be working to answer through a research project.  We established timelines and are in the middle of creating the rubric by which the assignments will be graded.
There will be a DGP quiz on Wednesday!

Any student needing additional help with phrases, clauses, and sentence types (i.e. any student on ALP probation or struggling with a low B) is invited to attend the review/question/help sessions on Wednesday mornings this week, 2/6 and  next week 2/13.   (This is a change!)

TUESDAY - We created the rubric for the research project and then students had the remaining time to work on the scrapbook page (due Friday.)

WEDNESDAY - Early release day - DGP quiz

THURSDAY - The test on Tom Sawyer and project is due tomorrow.  After a couple of minutes discussing misplaced modifiers in class, students had time to finish up reading or working on the project.

FRIDAY - Test on Tom Sawyer.

Week of 1/28- 2/1

Due to so many of my students participating in our school play, Honk!, this week there will be no homework in language arts class.  Use the time to work on Honoring our Heroes essays (due Tues. 2/12) or to catch up on some reading or other skills.