Month: May 2020

Good morning 7th graders,

Welcome to Wacky Wednesday – the day where you let your flair flag fly high! We have definitely entered my wheelhouse. Hats! Glasses! Hair! Accessories! Methods of walking! Even your lunch can be wacky! Have fun with it and remember to share your spirit with Mrs. Skokan.

Today you have four to five items for your Literature / LA To Do List:

• Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
• Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
• Read Chapter 6 of The Outsiders (10 – 20 minutes)
• Sunglasses check in (3 – 5 minutes)
• Message for Mr. Tice (up to you!)

Let’s get started!

1. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • You know the expectations:
     • Read for 15 to 30 minutes
     • Complete your reading log entry
     • Vary your type of evidence
     • Contact me with questions!
2. Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
   • Write on your own prompt or use the one below:
     • Prompt: Tell me a story, real or fantastical, that includes at least one of the following elements: a jigsaw puzzle, a baking competition, “I wonder what would happen if I just…”
3. Read Chapter 6 of The Outsiders (10 – 20 minutes)
   • Chapter 6 is due on Friday, 5/22
   • You will have Chapter 5 questions to work on tomorrow (today I’m giving you time for other things)
4. Sunglasses check in (3 – 5 minutes)
   • Send me a picture or call me on Teams to show me the current state of your sunglasses
   • Whether you have started, finished, or not even touched your sunglasses – YOU MUST CHECK IN WITH ME TODAY (WEDNESDAY, 5/20/2020)!
     • I was internet shouting, so you know I’m serious.
5. Message for Mr. Tice (up to you!)
   • Check your email for a message from the school
   • If you want to make a card, video, digital message of support for Mr. Tice, contact me and we can come up with some ideas.
   • I will have a Teams chat open today during class time, in case you want to drop in with any questions, concerns, or suggestions!

Have a wacky day and reach out if you need help or want to share!

Good morning 8th graders,

Welcome to Wacky Wednesday – the day where you let your flair flag fly high! Hats! Glasses! Hair! Accessories! Method of walking! Even your lunch can be wacky! Have fun with it and remember to share your spirit with Mrs. Skokan.

For your Literature work, you are looking at a new poem today – “To This Day” by Shane Koyzcan.

WARNING: Be aware that this presentation does contain explicit language before the poem begins. In class, I would mute the screen and sound at that point, but that’s not possible right now. I tried to find a clean version of the TEDTalk, but it was not available. I apologize for the inconvenience and can offer two options for you:

1. Watch the video and mute the sound and screen with 7:08 minutes left (4:40 in)
   • It’s tricky, but you get the whole introduction which provides some background for the poem
2. Watch the last 7 minutes and 3 seconds of the video
   • Much easier option, but you miss some of the background for the poem. It’s not necessary, but it can make the poetry more compelling.

So, you have have two tasks for your Literature To Do List today:

• “To This Day” assignment on Teams (20 – 30 minutes)
• Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)

Let’s go for it!

1. “To This Day” assignment on Teams (20 – 30 minutes)
   • Carefully review and follow the directions on the assignment
   • You will be watching a performance, reading a poem, and answering four questions
   • Contact me with questions!
2. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • You have less than two weeks left of your reading log, so make it count!
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes and then complete your reading log entry
   • As we discussed before, make sure you vary the type of evidence you use every day.

That’s all for today. Stay wacky and remember to reach out with questions or concerns!

Good morning 7th graders,

I am so proud of you and the service projects you have created to support members of our communities – here and abroad. Today, Tuesday of Spirit Week, kicks off the Feed Your Spirit Food Drive! Have fun and give what you can (no pun intended).

After you’ve shown your spirit and helped with the Food Drive, you have three (possibly four) items for your Literature / LA To Do List:

• Answer questions for Chapter 4 of The Outsiders (8 – 10 minutes)
• Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
• Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
• Finish Chapter 5 of The Outsiders (0 – 30 minutes, depending on how much you have already done)

Let’s jump right in!

1. Answer questions for Chapter 4 of The Outsiders (8 – 10 minutes)
   • Complete the assignment “Chapter 4 Questions for The Outsiders” on Teams
     • Choose TWO of the seven questions
     • Answer them thoughtfully using complete sentences and text evidence (quotes).
     • Include the original question in your response
   • Make sure to attach your work before hitting the submit button on Teams
   • Remember to hit the submit button!
   • Contact me if you have any questions!
2. Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
   • Write on your own prompt or use the one below:
   • Prompt: What new skills have you gained during this time of distance learning and quarantine? Which skills will be most useful in the future? Why?
3. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes
   • Complete your reading log entry with particular attention to the Evidence column
4. Finish Chapter 5 of The Outsiders (0 – 30 minutes, depending on how much you have already done)
   • Chapter 5 is due tomorrow, 5/20
   • Contact me with any questions

And that is everything for today! Have fun, share your spirit, and reach out if you need help or want to check in!

Good morning 8th graders,

I hope you enjoyed your weekend and are ready for Spirit Week 2: The Spiriting Continues! Today is Feed Your Spirit Food Drive Tuesday, so check out the school website for more details. Remember to share your spirit (and pictures) with Mrs. Skokan!

Okay, now for your Literature work – you have two tasks to complete today:

• What Teachers Make – Text vs. Performance Assignment (20 minutes)
• Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)

And away we go!

1. What Teachers Make – Text vs. Performance Assignment (20 minutes)
   • Go to the assignment on Teams
   • Read the text of “What Teachers Make” by Taylor Mali
   • Listen to Taylor Mali’s performance of the same poem
   • Answer the questions in the assignment
   • Submit your responses on Teams by the end of the day today
2. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes
   • Complete your entry in your reading log and put extra thought and effort into the Evidence column
   • Contact me with any questions

Have a great day and remember to reach out if you need help. I look forward to seeing your spiritedness (if that’s a word) online!

Good morning 8th graders,

I hope you enjoyed your weekend and are ready for Spirit Week 2: The Spiriting Continues! Today is Monday Mask-a-thon, so check out the school website for more details. Remember to share your spirit (and pictures) with Mrs. Skokan!

Okay, now for your Literature work – you have two tasks to complete today:

• What Teachers Make – Text vs. Performance Assignment (20 minutes)
• Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)

And away we go!

1. What Teachers Make – Text vs. Performance Assignment (20 minutes)
   • Go to the assignment on Teams
   • Read the text of “What Teachers Make” by Taylor Mali
   • Listen to Taylor Mali’s performance of the same poem
   • Answer the questions in the assignment
   • Submit your responses on Teams by the end of the day today (the posted due date is for the Mansfield homeroom).
2. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes
   • Complete your entry in your reading log and put extra thought and effort into the Evidence column
   • Contact me with any questions

Have a great day and remember to reach out if you need help. I look forward to seeing your spiritedness (if that’s a word) online!

Good morning 7th graders,

I hope you had a wonderful weekend full of fun and new knowledge. I, myself, learned an important lesson about paying attention to detail while working in the garden. Late Saturday afternoon, I went out to plant what I thought were nine dahlia bulbs, only to realize there were multiple bulbs in many of the bags. Several hours and 21 bulbs later, all of the dahlias were in the ground. Who knows what will happen, but I definitely learned that reading the contents of a bag is as important as looking at the pretty picture.

Anyway, let’s move on to more exciting things. Today is the first day of our second spirit week – Monday Mask-a-thon! Check out more information on the school page and make sure to share your spirit (and pictures) with Mrs. Skokan!

Aside from celebrating Spirit Week – Part 2, you have three tasks for your Literature / LA To Do List today:

• Favorite Journal Entry of Week 8 (3 – 5 minutes)
• Quotes and Explanations from Chapters 1 – 3 of The Outsiders (5 minutes)
• Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)

Let’s get started!

1. Favorite Journal Entry of Week 8 (3 – 5 minutes)
   • Choose your favorite entry from Week 8 (May 11th – 17th), explain why it’s your favorite, and share both items on Teams.
   • Make sure you take time to explain your choice.
   • If you need help submitting on Teams, please contact me before emailing your entry!
2. Quotes and Explanations from Chapters 1 – 3 of The Outsiders (5 minutes)
   • As explained on your reading bookmark, every time you finish a chapter, you need to record a quote you think is important and then explain why.
   • Today you are submitting your quotes and explanations from last week (Chapters 1 – 3) on one Teams assignment.
   • Please read the instructions carefully and contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
3. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes
   • Complete your reading log entry, paying special attention to the Evidence column
   • Contact me with any questions!

That’s everything for today. Have a great day and remember to reach out with questions or concerns!

Hi 8th graders,

You made it to the end of the week…

Today is your catch-up day, so there are no new assignments. If you have questions about something you’re working on, or if you have anything you’d like to share, please reach out and say “Hi!”…or “HELP!” Either one will work😁.

Otherwise have a frabjous Friday and a wizard weekend!

Hi 7th graders,

You did it! You made it to the end of the week – huzzah!

Today is Catch Up day, so you have no new assignments. You have a couple of assignments on Monday I want to remind you of:

• Favorite Journal Entry of Week 8
• Chapter quotes from Chapters 1 – 3 of The Outsiders

You have been doing daily work on these assignments, so there’s nothing extra – I just wanted to give you a friendly reminder so your Monday morning is smooth and easy 😎.

Please reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or anything you’d like to share. Otherwise, have a splendiferous day!

Good morning 7th graders,

It’s Thursday – you’re in the back half of the week and just inches from the weekend. Let’s finish out strong! Today you have four items for your Literature / LA To Do List:

• Answer questions for Chapter 2 of The Outsiders (12 minutes)
• Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
• Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
• Read Chapter 3 of The Outsiders (20 – 30 minutes)

Thumbs up, let’s do this!

1. Answer questions for Chapter 2 of The Outsiders (12 minutes)
   • Complete the assignment “Chapter 2 Questions for The Outsiders” on Teams
     • Choose THREE of the ten questions (this is one more question than yesterday, but seven less than doing all of them – so, still a pretty good deal 😁)
     • Answer them thoughtfully using complete sentences and text evidence (quotes).
     • Include the original question in your response
   • Make sure to attach your work before hitting the submit button on Teams
   • Remember to hit the submit button!
   • Contact me if you have any questions!
2. Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
   • Write on your own prompt or use the one below:
   • Prompt: If you could go back in time to the beginning of Distance Learning (March 16th), what piece of advice would you give yourself? Why?
3. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 to 30 minutes
   • Record your reflection in your reading log
   • Some of you are having trouble remembering to complete your log – here are a few suggestions to help you stay on track:
     • Set an alarm for your reading log –  label it “Reading Log” or “Evidence Time” or “📖🌲”…because there is no ‘log’ emoji. You can set it for the same time every day, or you for 15 to 30 minutes after you start reading.
     • Make an appointment with a friend to read and complete your reading log over video chat – it might sound strange, but if you make it fun, you’re more likely to complete your log.
     • Make a bookmark that reminds you about your reading log – maybe it’s funny, maybe it’s direct, but it is definitely going to help you finish your work.
4. Read Chapter 3 of The Outsiders (20 – 30 minutes)
   • Follow the reading schedule on your bookmark
   • Chapter 3 is due tomorrow, 5/15
   • Contact me with any questions – about the story, vocabulary, assignments, or anything else!

That concludes this Literature/LA broadcast – have a thoughtful Thursday!