Theme: Finding Courage and Being Brave
Rationale: You are now in 8th grade. Last year, we learned all about overcoming struggles, so piggybacking off that, this year we will learn exactly HOW to overcome those struggles by finding courage and being brave. This is the time in your life to be brave and have courage so our texts will all center around that theme.
Unit 5: Exploring Courage through a Realistic Fiction Novel
Essential Questions:
1. How do filmed renditions of novels accurately (or falsely) portray the story? 2. How do aspects of the story reveal characteristic traits? 3. How do I deeply analyze a character and make arguments about the character's personality? |
Essential Skills:
1. I can determine the similarities and differences between the filmed rendition and the novel. I can make an argument about which one was better. 2. I can read a story and fully focus on one character to learn everything possible about that character. 3. I can make arguments about the character and his/her personality traits. |
Essential Texts/Resources:
1. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton 2. The Outsiders Audio 3. Outsiders MixTape Assignment |
May 13-17
This Week:Important Dates:
May 15: Bell Ringer Exam May 21: Children's books due May 22: Mixtape due |
May 13:
May 14: May 15: May 16: May 17: |
May 6-10
This Week:Important Dates:
May 15: Bell Ringer Exam May 21: Children's books due May 22: Mixtape due |
May 6: Chapter 8 Plickers; Work on Children's books
May 7: Read Chapter 9 May 8: Plickers Chapter 9; Work on Children's books May 9: Petting Zoo/Work on Children's books May 10: Half Day; Identity activity |
April 29-May 3
This Week:Important Dates:
May 15: Bell Ringer Exam May 21: Children's books due May 22: Mixtape due |
Apr 29: Plickers Chapter 5; Outsiders Chapter 6
Apr 30: Plickers Chapter 6; Outsiders Chapter 7 May 1: Plickers Chapter 7; Work on Children's books May 2: Advisory/Work on Children's books May 3: Outsiders Chapter 8; Work on Children's books |
April 22-26
This Week:Important Dates
|
Apr 22: Characterization of characters
Apr 23: Apr 24: Outsiders Chapter 3 Apr 25: Plickers Chapter 3; Outsiders Chapter 4 Apr 26: Plickers Chapter 4; Outsiders Chapter 5 |
April 15-19
This Week:Important Dates
|
Apr 15: Outsiders Prezi
Apr 16: Outsiders Chapter 1 Apr 17: Plickers Chapter 1 Apr 18: Discuss Mix Tape Apr 19: Outsiders Chapter 2 |
Unit 4: Exploring Courage through a Nonfiction Novel
Essential Questions:
1. How do I draw inferences (and determine what the text says explicitly and implicitly) from nonfiction texts? 2. How can I determine the central idea of a nonfiction text and write summaries about it? 3. How do nonfiction texts make connections to the world around us? 4. How do I determine the meanings of words (both figurative and connotative) of nonfiction texts? |
Essential Skills:
1. I can draw inferences from nonfiction texts. 2. I can determine a central idea, follow it throughout the course of the text, and write summaries about nonfiction texts. 3. I can understand the worldly connections made in nonfiction texts. 4. I can determine meanings of words in nonfiction texts. |
April 8-12
This Week:Important Dates:
|
Apr 8: Winterdance Exam
Apr 9: Winterdance Exam Apr 10: Free Day Apr 11: No school (Cancelled-Winter Storm) Apr 12: No school (Cancelled-Winter Storm) |
April 1-5
This Week:Important Dates:
April 3: Book Project Due |
Apr 1:
Apr 2: Apr 3: Apr 4: Apr 5: |
March 25-29
This Week:Important Dates:
March 27: Bell Ringer Exam April 3: Book Project Due |
Mar 25: McGrath and The Interior; Lesson 17
Mar 26: McGrath and The Interior; Lesson 18 Mar 27: Bell Ringer Exam Mar 28: Don's Cabin, Shageluk; Lesson 19/20 Mar 29: |
March 18-22
This Week:Important Dates:
March 27: Bell Ringer Exam April 3: Book Project Due |
Mar 18: Skwentna and Finger Lake; Lesson 12
Mar 19: Skwentna and Finger Lake; Lesson 13 Mar 20: Rainy Pass; Lesson 14 Mar 21: Dalzell Gorger and The Burn; Lesson 15 Mar 22: Dalzell Gorger and The Burn; Lesson 16 |
March 11-15
This Week:Important Dates:
March 27: Bell Ringer Exam April 3: Book Project Due |
Mar 11: Alaska; Lesson 9
Mar 12: Pre-Race and Eagle River; lesson 10 Mar 13: Pre-Race and Eagle River; lesson 10 Mar 14: Pre-Race and Eagle River; lesson 11 Mar 15: Pre-Race and Eagle River; lesson 11 |
March 4-8
This Week:Important Dates:
|
Mar 4: Lesson 2; finish "Beginnings"
Mar 5: Lesson 3 Mar 6: Lesson 4 Mar 7: Lesson 5/6 Mar 8: Lesson 7/8 |
February 25-March 1
This Week:Important Dates:
Feb 28: Bell Ringer Exam |
Feb 25: Work on Musher poster
Feb 26: Musher Poster presentations; Start Winterdance Feb 27: Finish Prelude, Lesson 1 Feb 28: Bell Ringer Exam Mar 1: Read "The Beginnings" until page 37 |
February 19-22
This Week:Important Dates/Resources:
|
Feb 19: Introduce Winterdance; Digital Breakout
Feb 20: Digital Breakout Feb 21: Digital Breakout Feb 22: Sign up for Mushers |
Unit 3: Exploring Courage and Bravery through Poetry
Essential Questions:
1. How do authors use figurative language to help paint a picture in their writing? 2. How is poetry constructed? 3. What is poetry analysis? |
Essential Skills:
1.I can understand and write using figurative language. 2. I can write and understand the construction of poetry. 3. I can read, understand, and analyze poetry. |
Essential Texts:
1. |
February 11-14
This Week:Important Dates/Resources:
|
Feb 11: Work on Poetry Project
Feb 12: Finish Poetry Project Feb 13: Book Project Introduction Feb 14: Finish watching Book Project trailers |
February 4-8
This Week: |
Feb 4: FlipGrids; work on final project
Feb 5: work on final project Feb 6: work on final project Feb 7: Afternoon classes cancelled Feb 8: Classes cancelled |
January 28-February 1
This Week: |
Jan 28: Sidewalk Ends Poem
Jan 29: School Cancelled Jan 30: School Cancelled Jan 31: School Cancelled Feb 1: Introduce final Poetry Project |
January 22-25
This Week: |
Jan 22: Paint Sample Poems
Jan 23: Spelling Bee Jan 24: Finish Paint Sample Poems Jan 25: No Class: Basketball Game |
January 14-18
This Week: |
Jan 14: Haiku
Jan 15: Cinquain Jan 16: Limerick Jan 17: Bell Ringer Test Jan 18: Finish up all poems from the last two weeks |
January 7-11
This Week: |
Jan 7: Finish Sisters
Jan 8: Sonic Boom, Onomatopoeia Poem Jan 9: Read Onomatopoeia Poem out loud Jan 10: Imagery Poems: John Haines Wolves Jan 11: Finish Imagery Poems |
January 2-4
This Week: |
Jan 2: Introduce Book Project;
Jan 3: Poetry introduction Prezi Jan 4: Lucille Clifton "Sisters" and writing a similar poem |
Unit 2: Finding Courage by Reading Mysterious Fiction
Essential Questions:
1. How do authors use characters, setting, plot, etc. to develop theme? 2. How does word choice affect the meaning and tone of a text? 3. How do authors use structure to better tell the story? |
Essential Skills:
1. I can analyze the development of the theme by using characters, setting, etc. 2. I can analyze how word choice affects meaning and tone of a text. 3. I can compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts. |
Essential Texts:
1. The Murders in the Rue Morgue - Edgar Allan Poe 2. "The Black Cat" - Edgar Allan Poe 3. "The Raven" - Edgar Allan Poe 4. Poe Prezi 5. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Prezi 6. The Speckled Band 7. Silver Blaze |
December 17-21
This Week:Important Dates/Resources:
Dec 19: Mystery Stories due/Show videos in class |
Dec 17: Mystery Story Work Time
Dec 18: Mystery Story Work Time Dec 19: Mystery Stories shown/presented in class Dec 20: Mystery Stories shown/presented in class Dec 21: No Class |
December 10-14
This Week: |
Dec 10: Clue Story work time
Dec 11: Modern Day Mysteries: Jacob Wetterling; Jon Benet Ramsey; Reker Girls; Dec 12: Finish Modern Day Mysteries Dec 13: Mystery Story Work Time Dec 14: Mystery Story Work Time |
December 3-7
This Week: |
Dec 3: Clue Movie
Dec 4: Clue Movie Dec 5: Author Visit: Andrew DeYoung Dec 6: Finish Clue Movie Dec 7: Play Upsala Clue; Clue Story |
November 26-30
This Week: |
Nov 26: Start Reading "Silver Blaze"
Nov 27: Introduce Final Mysterious Fiction Project; Finish "Silver Blaze" Nov 28: Mystery in Pop Culture (Michael Jackson: "Thriller," "Smooth Criminal," and "Beat It") Nov 29: Mystery in Pop Culture (Michael Jackson: "Thriller," "Smooth Criminal," and "Beat It") Nov 30: Bell Ringer Exam |
November 19-21
This Week: |
Nov 19: Finish Speckled Band
Nov 20: Speckled Band Comprehension questions Nov 21: |
November 12-16
This Week:Important Dates/Resources:
Nov 30: Bell Ringer Exam Dec 7: Book Project Due Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Prezi The Speckled Band Silver Blaze |
Nov 12: Finish Compare/Contrast; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Introduction
Nov 13: Watch Sir Arthur Conan Doyle documentary; discussion Nov 14: Read "The Speckled Band"; clues Nov 15: Read "The Speckled Band"; clues Nov 16: Finish "The Speckled Band"; clues; Google Form (comprehension check) |
November 6-9
This Week: |
Nov 6: Introduce book project; "The Raven"
FlipGrid link to Book Project Nov 7: Finish "The Raven"; Simpsons; Final reflection Nov 8: Edgar Allan Poe Final project (compare/contrast); (K-12 Conferences) Nov 9: Finish compare/contrast and FlipGrid |
October 29-November 2
This Week:Important Dates/Resources:
Dec 7: Book Project Due |
Oct 29: Read "The Black Cat"
Oct 30: "The Black Cat", fear factors, and final reflection. Oct 31: "The Black Cat" Nov 1: Mystery Story Pass Around/Advisory Nov 2: Author Visit |
October 22-26
This Week:Important Dates/Resources:
Oct 24: Book Project Due Oct 26: Bell Ringer Exam |
Oct 22: Mysterious Fiction Intro; Poe Intro
Oct 23: Read: "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" Oct 24: Read "The Black Cat" (Fear Factors) Oct 25: Bell Ringer Exam (know the following word parts) Oct 26: 6th hour: Exam; 7th hour story pass around |
Unit 1: Finding Courage in Short Stories
Essential Questions:
1. How do different elements of English work together to create a good short story? 2. How can I use elements of a story (context clues, theme, mood, characters, setting, etc) and predictions to create an ending for one story? 3. How do I use the 6+1 Traits of Writing to write an ending for a story? |
Essential Skills:
1. I can read and understand short stories by applying short story terms to reading the stories. 2. I can predict major events using context clues, theme, mood, and other story elements. 3. I can use the 6+1 Traits of Writing to write an ending of a story while practicing good writing strategies. |
Essential Texts/Resources:
1. Novel Paragraph Assignment 2. The Monkey's Paw - W.W. Jacobs 3. The Landlady - Roald Dahl 4. The Believing Child - Zenna Henderson 5. "Button, Button" Story |
October 15-17
This Week:Important Dates/Resources:
Oct 15: Rough Draft Due Oct 17: Final Draft Due Oct 24: Book Project Due |
Oct 15: Peer/Self Edit Rough Draft
Oct 16: Make corrections; turn in final draft Oct 17: Finishing touches on final draft; turn in final draft (Free day if everyone is finished) |
October 8-12
This Week:Important Dates/Resources:
Oct 15: Rough Draft Due Oct 17: Final Draft Due Oct 24: Book Project Due "Button, Button" Story |
Oct 8: Start "Button, Button"
Oct 9: Watch "Button, Button" Oct 10: Introduce Story Ending Assignment Oct 11: Work on Short Story Ending Oct 12: Work on Short Story Ending |
October 1-5
This Week:Important Dates/Resources:
|
Oct 1: Watch "The Landlady" Video; compare/contrast discussion
Oct 2: Finish "The Landlady" compare and contrast; Start reading "The Believing Child" Oct 3: Finish "The Believing Child" Oct 4: 6th hr: Silent Reading; 7th hr: speaker Oct 5: Homecoming Pep Fest |
September 24-28
This Week:Important Dates/Resources:
|
Sept 24: Finish "Monkey's Paw"; watch Simpson's rendition
Sept 25: Watch "Monkey's Paw" Sept 26: Compare/contrast activity; Start The Landlady Sept 27: Sept 28: |
September 17-21
This Week:Important Dates/Resources:
|
Sept 17: Finish Story Term Flipgrids; silently read
Sept 18: Watch Story Term Flipgrids; take notes Sept 19: Finish flipgrids Sept 20: Plot diagram activity Sept 21: Read Monkey's Paw, Plot Diagram |
September 10-14
This Week:Important Due Dates:
|
Sept 10: Finish draft/last sentence. Turn in draft to Google Classroom. Make copy of draft and have someone edit it. Print final drafts.
Sept 11: Finish printing final drafts; learn FlipGrid. Record and submit FlipGrid. Sept 12: Finish submitting FlipGrid. Discuss short story elements/terms. Sept 13: Finish short story term poster; record FlipGrid. Silently read. Sept 14: Watch FlipGrids! Take notes on Google Doc. |
September 4-7
This Week:
|
Sept 4: Welcome back! License Plate
Sept 5: Classroom Expectations; Novel Paragraph introduction. If someone were to write a novel about your life, what would it be titled and why? Sept 6: Thesis Statements; Write Novel Paragraph Sept 7: Book Project Assignment; to library to check out novels; read novel |