MARCH
3/2 – 3/11
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” — unknown
Here’s what you need to know —
> Vocabulary Unit 5 test on Tuesday, March 10th
study using memrise: click here and here: voc. unit 5
> RCP #2 (remember 1 per trimester) due Wednesday, March 11th – review my course syllabus or the multiple handouts in class if you are still unclear about what an RCP is
> Trimester 2 reflection with selfies will be done on Monday, March 9th — it will be included in your trimester grade
> Flash Fictions 1-3 will be included in your trimester grade
> Our last set of warm-ups (classwork) will be turned in on Wednesday, March 11th
(#1- Elements of Fiction #2- Valentine’s Day poetry analysis #3- pre/post voc. unit reflection and info-doodles #4 X-word puzzle for voc. unit 5)
> be sure to keep up in your reading journal as we read through The Adoration of Jenna Fox
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FEBRUARY 2020
2/24 – 2/28
> New vocabulary unit. This will be our last one of the trimester.
MEMRISE: click here
> We started our class novel, The Adoration of Jenna Fox. Audio of the novel can be found on Google Classroom.
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2/3 – 2/7
WOW! How did it get to be Wednesday already? I apologize to anyone who looked for an update on Monday, although, I’m pretty sure I’m talking to an empty room. HA!
CLASSWORK: Completely focused on Vocabulary Unit 4 – moved test to Thursday
HOMEWORK: study vocabulary words and BE PREPARED!
We are starting a novel on Monday!! WOOHOO. I’ve been deliberating over the novel choice since this summer and ultimately I decided that my 7th graders are a sophisticated audience to story and have the necessary maturity to grapple with themes like: Identity, Ethical use of technology, and Choice vs. Freedom. AND!! A movie hasn’t been made of it (yet) so nothing has been spoiled. 🙂
Also, next week is SPIRIT WEEK:
Monday – Rare-Hair Day
Tuesday – Twin/Multiple Day
Wednesday – Pink Day
Thursday – Throwback Thursday (Friendship Fest on Thursday)
Friday – Kelly Spirit
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JANUARY 2020
1/27 – 1/30
CLASSWORK: This week’s main focus is Vocabulary Unit 4.
HOMEWORK: Please make-up any missing work and turn in before Friday, 1/31/20.
VOCABULARY UNIT 4 —
> QUIZLET: click here
> MEMRISE: click here
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1/21 – 1/24
“Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
CLASSWORK: We are finishing up our unit on summarizing non-fiction. Be prepared to turn in warm-up set #3 by the end of the week. We will also start vocabulary unit 4.
HOMEWORK: none — except to finish classwork (warm-ups) due at the end of the week.
MEMRISE: Vocab. Unit 4 – CLICK HERE
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
— How does a reader determine the important information and main message of a text?
— What’s the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing?
Unit of study: summarizing non-fiction.
All of our texts have focused on globalization and globalized products: vanilla, chocolate, coca-cola and the Columbian Exchange.
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1/13 – 1/17
CLASSWORK: This week is all about summarizing non-fiction. The goal is to finish our third set of warm-ups. We also need to take the district required easyCBM tests.
HOMEWORK: none
LOOKING AHEAD: Starting Unit 4 vocabulary next week
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1/7 – 1/10
“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.” – Rilke
CLASSWORK: This week we will turn in our second set of warm-ups (classwork from December), finish our 6-word memoir and continue to practice summarizing non-fiction texts.
HOMEWORK: 2019 in Review with A-Z (due Monday):2019 in Review A-Z Some class time will be provided this week. Make use of links on the homepage of this blog to help find significant events in 2019. The homework assignment involves reflection, a little research, and summarizing events with concise and detailed statements.
LOOKING AHEAD — CREATIVE HAT DAY IS NEXT WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15th!!!
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DECEMBER
12/16 – 12/20
“The limits of my language means the limits of my world.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein
Lots to accomplish this last week before break! Here’s the plan:
Monday — review answers in vocabulary book, X-word puzzle, 6-word memoirs (art)
Tuesday — Review game for vocabulary, 6-word memoirs (art)
Wednesday — Review game for vocabulary, summarizing information (warm-up #3)
Thursday — Vocabulary Test (and WinterFest)
Friday — finish vocabulary test, summarizing (shortened classes due to assembly in the morning)
We will also get some independent reading time depending on how well we’re getting through our work and review.
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12/9 — 12/13
“The one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live only as you can.”
This week we are working on our 6-word memoir, starting vocabulary unit 3 and practicing summarizing texts.
VOCABULARY UNIT 3: voc-unit-3-words
MEMRISE: click here
LOOKING AHEAD:
> Vocabulary Unit 3 Test on Thursday and Friday (altered schedule and I want to make sure you have enough time) 12/19, 12/20
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12/3 – 12/6
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” — Albert Camus
Welcome to the 2nd Trimester of your 7th grade career. This week we will be turning in the set of warm-ups we began in late November. We will also transition to a new independent reading novel AAAANNNDD do something a little creative just as a little bit of an energizer.
LOOKING AHEAD:
> Starting Vocabulary Unit 3 on Monday, 12/9 — end of unit Test on Friday, 12/20
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NOVEMBER
11/25 – 11/27
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” – M. Beattie
This is a short week, but we have lots to do.
MONDAY – Vocabulary Test
TUESDAY – SELFIE Trimester Grid with Reflection
WEDNESDAY – Book Talk
HOMEWORK: none
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11/12 – 11/22
VOCABULARY UNIT 2: Voc. Unit 2 Words
MEMRISE: click here
QUIZLET: click here
> FIELD TRIP ON THURSDAY MORNING, 11/21: field trip 11:21
> RCP DUE ON FRIDAY, 11/22: Reading Choice Product Options
> VOCABULARY UNIT 2 TEST ON MONDAY, 11/25
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11/4 – 11/6
“This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until its done. It’s that easy, and that hard.” — Neil Gaiman
CLASSWORK: We have an important due date — our essay is due on Tuesday, November 5th! All of the writing steps we’ve been working on for the last 2 weeks will be due on Wednesday, Nov. 6th.
writing steps 1-4
example essays
Here is a reminder of the prompt and the process:
THE PROMPT: Tell a story from your own life when a personal belief was formed or tested or changed. What do you live by and what happened to you in your life to bring you to that personal core truth or value? Keep it real, natural and honest. Also keep your statement/belief in the positive. Avoid writing about what you don’t believe or writing a directive.
THE PROCESS: Use all of the writings and development of ideas from steps 1-4 to keep you on track and constantly refer to your outline as you type your final draft. If details are added and you rearrange some pieces of your writing that’s OKAY!! In fact, plan on continuing to revise and develop your essay as you go.
HOMEWORK: Work on whatever you can for the essay if time in class isn’t enough to finish the assignment with quality.
LOOKING AHEAD:
> Conferences on Thursday
> Starting VOC UNIT 2 next week (test on 11/25)
> morning field trip to Hult Center on 11/21 field trip 11:21
> RCP due 11/22 Reading Choice Product Options
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OCTOBER – NOVEMBER
10/28 – 11/1
“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly — they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.” – Aldous Huxley
CLASSWORK: PERSONAL NARRATIVE
HOMEWORK: none
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
> Student-led conferences are next Thursday, 11/7
> Voc. Unit 2 study begins on Tuesday, 11/12 (test on 11/22)
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OCTOBER
10/21 – 10/25
CLASSWORK: After turning in our second set of warm-ups, we will be developing a central idea for a personal essay. The Narrative will highlight a personal belief/core value you formed based on a life experience. The focus of this writing comes from NPR’s This I Believe series. Click here to connect to the site and read some of the essays or learn more about the history of this community project: NPR: This I Believe
HOMEWORK: none
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10/14 – 10/18
“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” – S. Horowitz
CLASSWORK: This week we will continue to work on warm-ups and vocabulary
HOMEWORK: study vocabulary words!
> VOCABULARY TEST ON FRIDAY — 50 points!
> Warm-up set #2 due on Friday
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10/7 – 10/9
“A ship is always safe at shore, but that is not what it is built for.” – Einstein
CLASSWORK: WE will focus on our vocabulary unit, learn about context clues and look at the benefit of perseverance and struggle.
HOMEWORK: study the vocabulary words. Use memrise if you’d like: MEMRISE: VOC UNIT 1
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SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER
9/30 -10/4
“The Limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” — Ludwig Wittgenstein
CLASSWORK: This week we will continue with our independent reading, have mini-lesson about empathy, risk-taking and persistence in learning as we continue to identify the characteristics of an ideal middle school experience AND begin Unit 1 of our vocabulary study.
HOMEWORK: This is a busy week with Open House on Wednesday evening and then River Walk on Friday so — no homework! 🙂
MEMRISE: VOC UNIT 1
Sadlier Workshop – Unit 1 Voc.
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SEPTEMBER
9/23 – 9/27
CLASSWORK: This week we will be identifying some necessary elements for an ideal learning community like:
> Civility
> Flexibility in Thinking
> Attentive Listening with Empathy
We will also be getting into a groove with Independent Reading for the first 10 minutes of class. If you think you don’t like reading, have hope because I’m confident WE WILL FIND A BOOK that will latch onto you and take you in. 🙂
HOMEWORK: none, except to maybe explore novel options. If you don’t have access to novels at home, don’t worry! Mora’s class library continues to grow and we will find a novel worthy of your time!
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9/16 – 9/20
CLASSWORK: This week we will continue with our Kandinsky inspired collaborative art pieces that represent the middle school experience. When complete, students will then work on an Artist Statement to accompany the art piece.
HOMEWORK:
> I purposely delayed the distribution of the course syllabus so that it wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle of your other class syllabi.Please take your time to read through the information and then complete and turn in the signature sheet (with a survey on the back) by Friday. Here is a PDF of the syllabus: syllabus 2019-20
> Be looking for a novel that is challenging, interesting and worthy of class time. Next week we will start using the first 10 minutes of class for reading.
