Myths and Legends
Last week we began our study of Greek mythology in preparation for an upcoming writing assignment. In lieu of the flu we were closed for a couple of days, which means we will be looking at reading some myths and beginning to learn about legends through this week and the beginning of next. By the […]
Business Letters
Our eighth grade classes have been learning about business letters and formal communication. Here is a recent revision of the sample we created in class. We have drafted and peer-edited letters requesting donations to be raffled away at our bowling night during our Mackinac Island field trip. Drafts of our letters were turned in today […]
6 + 1 Traits – Conventions
Students have spent the past week reviewing the 6+1 Traits of Writing. Today we are taking a peek at conventions through the use of a student exercises and text examples. Eats, Shoots and Leaves The Girl’s Like Spaghetti
6+1 Traits – Sentence Fluency
Today we learned a bit about sentence fluency. This is a little harder concept to grasp, but one that takes writing to the next level. Students listened to an audio recording of Whirligig Beetles by Paul Fleischman. There are several other poems he has written that do a great job of emphasizing sentence fluency! Just a […]
Why Do We Write?
I recently saw this video on a fellow teacher’s site and it got me thinking what our students would say? I wonder if we can’t use this question and perhaps even format as a mentor text for a possible National Day of Writing publication here? If you’re willing to share, please leave a comment and […]
Learning Styles Survey
We’ve spent the past few weeks establishing our class community and getting reacquainted with one another, or learning about the hidden talents and shared experiences of familiar-faced classmates. Today, you have the opportunity to learn a little more about yourself. In the survey below, please read the choices below and consider each statement carefully. If […]
Writing Cause and Effect Essays
We recently discussed the difference between affect and effect, which puts us in the perfect position to really put that new-found knowledge into practice. Today, students will be writing their own cause-effect essays. This information writing experience will help refresh them of the skills essential to performing their best on the statewide assessment in October. […]
Discovering the Difference ~ Effect v. Affect
While searching for additional information to prepare our 7th grade students for the upcoming writing portion of our MEAP test in October, I found the following article that does an adequate job of making the distinction between two words that, to be honest, still confound me from time to time. The article is posted here […]
Finding Balance
Last week I asked my 8th grade students to do a quick write. Their topic was their attitude about reading and writing. I asked them to be completely honest and tell me their thoughts on the subjects as well as how they think any negative feelings could be improved throughout the year. Upon reading their quick […]
Class Creeds
Similarly to Mrs. Cornwell’s classes, my 4th and 6th hour also created class creeds. It is my philosophy as a teacher that students should take ownership of the class rules and guidelines and take part in creating them. It is just as much their classroom as it is mine! With that being said, I was […]
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