7th Grade work for Monday, March 16th, 2020

Hi 7th graders,

Welcome to day one of our great distance learning adventure! Thank you for being here – I’m proud of all of you for your willingness to learn and adapt in these new circumstances.

While I already miss seeing you in the classroom, I look forward to the creativity, persistence, positivity, and growth I know you will demonstrate throughout this process. And, when things get tough, remember, I might not be with you physically, but I’m still your teacher! If you ever have questions, suggestions, ideas, or just a really good book recommendation, I am always available via email (grzegocki@st-johnschool.org) and will be most responsive Monday – Friday from 9am to 3pm.

You have three areas to work on for Literature and Language Arts today – daily reading, daily journal, and your Tangerine research one-pager. Check out the bullet points below for details, and remember that you have a roots quiz this Wednesday:

  • Tangerine research one pager
    1. Follow the directions on your assignment sheet. If you have lost the assignment sheet or never received it, you can review the directions here.
    2. When you have finished, scan or take a picture of your one pager and email it to me (grzegocki@st-johnschool.org). Make sure your picture is clear – you writing must be legible and your illustrations easy to see.
    3. As it states in the directions, your one pager is due Tuesday, March 17th, 2020 (tomorrow).
  • Daily reading (includes weekends)
    1. Purpose: The benefits of reading are many and wonderful. Sometimes we forget all the amazing things we gain from reading. Luckily, we have a lot of time on our hands right now, time that can be well spent with books!
    2. Instructions:
      1. Make a copy of the “ReadingLog 2020 Template” I shared with you on Office,  rename it with the first letter of your first name and your entire last name, then share the new document with me. For example, my reading log would be saved as “GRzegocki ReadingLog 2020”. If all goes according to plan, I will end up with 109 reading logs, one for each 7th and 8th grader I teach, by the end of the day.
      2. Read at least 30 minutes from any book you choose. This could be your book talk book or any other book you want to read. It should be appropriately interesting and challenging for you. Let me know if you need some help finding a book!
      3. Fill out the reading log you created, renamed, and shared with me in Step 1.
      4. The “Evidence” section of the reading log is flexible and I’ve listed some options below. Let me know if you have other ideas!
        1. Record a quote that you liked or stuck with you, and explain why you liked it or how it connects to the story.
        2. Write a one- to two-sentence summary of what you read.
        3. Describe an important character that showed up in your reading.
        4. Draw a picture/comic relating to what you read, anything you consider to be important, for example a scene, the setting, a character, or an object that impacts the plot.
        5. Insert a picture of you reading (this can be as simple or creative as you like – see my sample entry 😁)
      5. Have fun!
  • Daily journal (includes weekends)
    1. Purpose: Sometimes it’s easy to be overwhelmed by a situation, or to block it out entirely, because it is too strange, daunting, or disruptive. Some of you might even be struggling with feelings of frustration, boredom, or anxiety regarding our current situation. One practical way to address and get control of those feelings is to confront them in small manageable ways every day. To that end, you are going to keep a journal while away from school. By reflecting on and writing about your experiences, you can put a name to your feelings, learn new things about yourself and your surroundings, and create an important record of day-to-day life during a rare time in history!
      • L.O. I can think about my life and surroundings using different perspectives and record my reflections.
      • S.L.E. Think critically and solve problems AND articulate ideas clearly, creatively, and effectively
    2. Instructions:
      • Write and/or draw for 5 to 15 minutes every day on the writing prompt I give you or on your personal experiences that day. The time is a general guideline and you are always welcome to write for longer, if the mood strikes you.
      • Record your entries in your Literature notebook (or an extra journal or notebook, if you choose). Whichever form you choose, all journal entries MUST be in the same central location and bound together. In other words, random loose leaf pages will NOT work for this assignment, but a physical journal or well organized Word document will.
      • For every entry, record the date and the writing prompt at the beginning. If you want to go for extra accuracy, you can also include the time of day.
      • Think about the given writing prompt for a bit (some prompts will require more time than others), then thoughtfully and thoroughly respond to it in writing. You can respond with words, pictures, poems, stories, and more. You will share your favorite entry with me once a week.
    3. Today’s writing prompt:
      • Describe your at home work/learning space. Where is it? What does it look like? What can you see from your workspace? Does it share any similarities with your learning spaces at school? Why have you set it up like this? Is there anything you would change about this space? If so, what and why? (You can answer any, all, or none of these questions. Use them if you have need, otherwise, happy writing!)

That’s it for today. Remember to embrace the exciting opportunities this learning experience has to offer…and to contact me with any questions.

Have fun!

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