Personal Narrative

Students are writing personal narratives about their first day as a seventh grader at ICMS. We read "Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto, and the main character Victor has some entertaining experiences. Before reading, we discussed as a class several categories most of us can relate to the first day of school. After reading, students use either a web, list, or chart to organize their stories. Include details about setting, characters, and lots of action in your plan.

Subordinate Conjunction Chart

Subordinate Conjunctions
after	because	except	so that	though	when
although	before	if	than	unless	where
as; as soon as	even though	since	that	until	while

Complex Sentences

We graded our Compound Sentence Quiz today, and I introduced the Complex Sentence. Below are today's notes.

Sentence Structure Part 2

Sentences are words put together to communicate ideas. You know that a simple sentence is ONE independent clause, and you know that a compound sentence is TWO independent clauses combined with a coordinating conjunction (AND, OR, BUT).

Introducing: the COMPLEX sentence!

First, you need two CLAUSES.

I will clean your car. You will clean the kitchen.

Second, you need a SUBORDINATE conjunction.

if

You may attach the subordinate conjunction to either clause and connect the ideas.

Example 1: If I will clean your car, you will clean the kitchen.

Example 2: I will clean your car if you will clean the kitchen.

Common Subordinate Conjunctions:

if

when

because

although

Speech #1

I instructed students to choose 5-10 lines of a published writer. Published works include songs, poems, books, movies and video games. The speech must be rated G, and students will present memorized lines on Tuesday August 23.

Speeches

In language arts, students will develop writing, reading and speaking skills. My goal for each speech assignment is to increase a student's public speaking confidence. By the end of the year, students will be able to...
1. Speak in a loud, clear voice.
2. Use eye contact comfortably between the speaker and audience.
3. Speak with purpose. Even when the words belong to someone else, you speak as if these words are your own.
4. Speak formally in a natural rhythm.

The following is the rubric. Notice the minimum grade for trying is a C.

A	B	C
Speaks with purpose as if this is your story.	Speaks with purpose but mixes some phrases or experiences some mental pauses.	Speaks at a slow halting rate or rapid rate. Minimal expression.
Uses a loud clear voice and can be heard in all corners of the room.	Uses a loud clear voice and can be heard in all corners of the room.	Quiet voice
Makes eye contact in 3 or more places of the classroom.	Makes eye contact in 2 places of the classroom.	Does not make eye contact, looking at the ceiling or floor most of the time. Or make eye contact briefly as an afterthought.
100% memorized with few phrase adjustments	80-90% memorized; asks for help remember 1-2 sentences	60-70% memorized.

Typing Skills

We are practicing our typing skills in the computer lab today and tomorrow. Students will receive their username and password for school computers. When using a school computer, students may store documents on a flash drive, the user network H-drive, and the public network H-drive. The user network H-drive is an electronic locker, and students may want to store their work in progress. I can access the public drive, and I will grade saved final drafts.

Continue practicing your typing skills at home.
http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/typing/
http://www.typeonline.co.uk/ Click "typing lessons."

Are you a confident typist, average typist, or slow typist? We want all students to be confident typists!

Expectations with a Substitute Teacher

Today we went over expectation when I am absent. I expect students to respect all adults in the building, including the substitute teacher. Students read the discipline procedures that are included in my plans for any substitute teacher.

DISCIPLINE Procedures: I have clipped Minor Incident Reports to the folder. Paperclip all signed MIRs to the substitute folder.

Students earn an MIR for violating an Irvington Way expectation: safe, responsible, respect, involved, and focus. For example, if a student has his or her head on a desk, issue an MIR for not being involved. If a student speaks rudely to you or his or her peer, issue an MIR for respect. Issue an MIR for horseplay (safe). Issue an MIR for chewing gum or tardies (responsible). These are the typical reasons students earn an MIR. Please make a note if any students have made severe infractions (insubordination or cursing, etc.), and I will write a referral when I return. Please leave me all signed MIRs. I want to have a conversation with each student who earns an MIR before I distribute these to their homeroom teachers.

Writing No. 2

Students have chosen ONE prompt from this list.

A.      Describe a favorite activity. B.      Who is the most interesting/ridiculous person I know? C.      I admire ______________. (This person can be a peer or adult.) D.      When I grow up…

A first draft was due today. In class, students traded essays with a partner and marked spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors.

We have also been learning about the compound sentence in our notes: Sentence Structure Part 1. Students will be able to identify the subject and predicate of each of their sentences in the first draft. They will also include three compound sentences in the essay.

Sentence Structure Part 1 Notes

Sentences are words put together to communicate ideas. Clear communication begins with a subject and predicate.

The subject is the WHAT or WHO, usually a noun or pronoun.

The predicate is the ACTION, usually a verb.

He smiles. WHO: He and ACTION: smiles

Teresa laughs. WHO: Teresa and ACTION: laughs

The combination of subject plus its predicate is called a clause. Sometimes you may have two clauses in one sentence. Ex: He smiles, and Teresa laughs.

Join clauses using conjunctions, like and, but, or etc.

This is called a compound sentence. The ideas are connected, but each subject/predicate combination could be its own sentence. Each clause in a compound sentence is independent.

BEWARE! Do not use more than two independent clauses in a sentence.

Group Work Courtesy Policy

Students received a copy of these policies in class, and they must keep these policies in their composition notebook.

1. I will manage my time and follow directions to complete the group activity.

2. I will contribute and participate. If I do not understand the activity, I will ask my group to explain. I will also check that my whole group understands the lesson. If we still do not understand the lesson, I will ask Ms. Avery.

3. I understand off-topic conversation distracts my group, and I will get an M.I.R. for Respect and Focus.

4. I am aware of other groups and individuals working in the classroom. If my group is finished with the assignment early, I should read at my desk so that I am not distracting other groups.

5. I control my actions. If someone in my group is not working, I will encourage them to stay involved. I understand Ms. Avery may issue an M.I.R. for Respect if I mock a classmate’s effort.

The Last 5 Minutes

Our orientation continues...At the end of every class students should:
1. Fill out their agenda with a summary word of today's lesson and any homework. Remember you always have reading homework.
2. Collect all your supplies and place them on your desk.
3. You may check out a book.

The First 5 Minutes

The first week of school we had an orientation to class procedures. It is important for middle school students to learn self-directed procedures. When students enter the class, they have three tasks to accomplish before we begin the lesson.
1. Update your reading log. I expect students to read an average 30 minutes each night, or an average 150 minutes per week.
2. If you have pencils, sharpen them now. You may also use the tissues and hand sanitizer. I do not want students walking around the room during instruction.
3. Finally, if you have an extra minute, you may check out a book or read at your desk.