7th Grade LA & Literature/8th Grade Literature

Good morning 7th graders,

In case you didn’t know, the 4th of May is a very big day for fans of Star Wars, mostly because the date – May the 4th – sounds a lot like a common saying in that universe – “May the force be with you”. Whether you like Star Wars or not, word play is always fun.

I hope you all had a fun weekend and the plants around you are bursting with life after all the rain and wind. Today you have five items for your Literature / LA To Do List:

• Favorite Journal Entry of Week 6 (2 – 5 minutes)
• Daily journal entry (5 – 15 minutes)
• Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)
• Tangerine reading and discussion questions (15 – 20 minutes)
• Study for HYPNOS quiz on Wednesday (3 – 5 minutes)

And, we’re off!

1. Favorite Journal Entry of Week 6 (2 – 5 minutes)
   • Choose your favorite entry from the previous week and make sure to include a short explanation of why you chose it
   • Submit your work on the Teams assignment
2. Daily journal entry (5 – 15 minutes)
   • Choose your own prompt or use the one below:
   • Prompt: In honor of Star Wars day, take a moment to think about science fiction and fantasy stories you have read. If you could travel there right now, which sci-fi / fantasy world would you want to live in and why? Remember, you’re not just visiting, you would live there from now on.
3. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Read for 15 – 30 minutes from your free reading book, article, magazine, newspaper, etc.
   • Reflect on your reading and complete your daily entry in your reading log
   • Pay particular attention to the Evidence column – change the type of evidence you use every day and no evidence repeats in a week
   • Contact me with any questions!
4. Tangerine reading and discussion questions (15 – 20 minutes)
   • Your Part 3 Discussion questions are due on Thursday, May 7th.
   • Contact me with any questions.
5. Study for HYPNOS quiz on Wednesday (3 – 5 minutes)
   • Use your favorite study method
   • Fight off the lure of Hynos (or Somnus, if you’re feeling Roman) and stay awake!

That’s all for today, except to say…

Good morning Thomas Homeroom,

I hope you had a great weekend! Almost all of you have performed your monologues and I am working through your written analysis, which can only mean one thing (to me😁) – it’s time for our Power Through Poetry unit!

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

• Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes, depending on how many days you are reading this week)
• Personal definition of poetry (2 – 3 minutes)
• Notes on “What makes a poem…a poem?” video (7 – 10 minutes)

And so we begin…

1. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes, depending on how many days you are reading this week)
   • Remember, you are reading 75 – 90 minutes a week, but you choose how to spread that out
     • Monday, Wednesday, Friday ➡️ 30 minutes each day = 90 minutes a week
     • Monday – Friday ➡️ 15 minutes each day = 75 minutes a week
   • No matter what you choose, any day you read, you must fill out your reading log, paying special attention to the Evidence column
   • Contact me with questions, concerns, reading suggestions, or if you’re looking for a new book!
2. Personal definition of poetry (2 – 3 minutes)
   • Complete the “Personal Definition of Poetry Assignment” on Teams
     • Before watching the video, write your definition of poetry in one to two sentences.
     • What make poetry different from other forms of writing and expression?
     • Avoid using forms of the poetry (poetic, poet, poem, etc.) in your definition. Imagine you are defining the word for someone who has no clue what it means – like if I were defining the word “sclarftoobentork” for you.
3. Notes on “What makes a poem…a poem?” video (10 – 15 minutes)
   • In your Literature notebook, write down today’s date (May 4th) and the title of this video
     • The title “What makes a poem…a poem?” is the question you are trying to answer in your notes
   • As you watch the video, make a bullet point list of the qualities of a poem
   • After you have finished the video and your notes, revisit your personal definition of poetry and answer the following questions in your notebook
     • Would you change anything in your definition? If so, what would you add or take away?
       • Why would you change your definition in that way?
       • Why keep your definition the same?
   • 🌟BONUS CHALLENGE🌟: List all of the poetic devices you can remember without looking at your notes. Try to give examples of each device.

That’s everything for today, except to say…

💐Happy May Day, 7th and 8th graders!💐

It’s Book/Movie Talk presentations day for some of you, and Catch-up day for all of you – hooray!

We also have an all school mass at 3pm – you can join in on the parish Facebook page.

Whatever you catch up on today – homework, friendships, baking, dancing, robot building, balloon art – have fun and reach out if you have questions!

Good morning 7th graders,

Welcome to Thursday! The sun is coming out and the weekend approaches – that’s some excellent news to start the day. If that’s not enough, perhaps you’d enjoy learning about Clara Rockmore and how to play the theremin?

But, before you run off to start practicing “Good Vibrations” or the theme from “Star Trek” (both of which famously feature theremins), you’ve got four items for your Literature / LA To Do list:

• • • • Study 💤 HYPNOS (3 – 5 minutes)
      • Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)
      • Daily journal (5 – 15 minutes)
      • Tangerine reading and discussion questions (20 – 30 minutes)

Let’s do this!

1. Study 💤 HYPNOS (3 – 5 minutes)
   • Use your favorite (and most effective) study method
   • …and make sure to stay awake!
2. Daily reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Free read for 15 – 30 minutes and then complete your daily reading entry
   • Pay attention to any comments I have made on your work
   • Vary the type of evidence you use every day – if you use a summary on Monday, you can’t use a summary again until the next week.
3. Daily journal (5 – 15 minutes)
   • Write on your own prompt, or use the one below.
   • Prompt: If you had to be an animal, other human, what would you be and why?
4. Tangerine reading and discussion questions (20 – 30 minutes)
   • Follow the reading schedule
   • Your Part 3 questions are due a week from today (May 7th)
   • Contact me if you have questions

That’s everything for today! I highly encourage you to take a walk, look at nature around you, roll down a grassy hill, or maybe try a cartwheel or two. I’m here if you need me, so please reach out and ask for help!

Good morning 8th graders,

We are finishing up monologue performances and it has been wonderful to see your work! You have two items (and one explanation) for your Literature To Do list:

• Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
• Monologue performance (according to schedule)

Let’s jump in!

1. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Now that we have moved to the block schedule, you have two options for how you want to read and record your entries
     • Option 1: Read every other day for 30 minutes and record entries on those days (3 days)
     • Option 2: Read every day for 15 minutes and record entries for those days (5 days)
   • The choice is up to you and you can choose different options on different weeks!
   • I reviewed reading logs for 8th grade Tuesday, 4/28, and entered the points you earned in PowerSchool
   • Contact me with questions!
2. Monologue performance (according to schedule)
   • Wednesday is Thomas and Thursday is Mansfield – you will receive a scheduled meeting reminder on the day of your performance
   • REMINDER: Wait until I invite you into video chat.
     • We fell way behind schedule on Tuesday because students jumped into the chat and interrupted classmates performances.
     • If you have questions, please email me, or type your question in the chat section of the video.

That’s everything for today. As always, contact me with questions, concerns, or awesome game ideas!

Sunny morning 7th graders,

It’s Wednesday – the middle of the week, roots day, and, according to some speedy research, Odin’s day (Wodinsday…Wednesday – it makes some sense)!

You have four items for your Literature To Do list today:

• 🌊AQUA Quiz 🌊 (5 – 10 minutes)
• Notes on new 🥱😴💤 (and last) root (10 – 15 minutes)
• Tangerine /Reading log (20 – 35 minutes)
• Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)

And so we begin…

1. 🌊AQUA Quiz 🌊 (5 – 10 minutes)
   • The quiz is posted on Teams
   • Follow the directions and, if you want to draw, send me a picture of your answer for the challenge question!
2. Notes on new 🥱😴💤 (and last) root (10 – 15 minutes)
   • Your new root is…(did anyone get it from the emoji clues?)… Hypnos!
   • The PowerPoint is in the Files section of our Team and you can download another copy here
   • I will do an online presentation shortly and the video will post on our Team
   • Next week we will start prepping for our end of year roots assessment!
3. Tangerine /Reading log (20 – 35 minutes)
   • Follow your posted reading schedule and contact me if you have questions
   • Your Part 3 Questions are due on May 7th
4. Daily Journal (5 – 15 minutes)
   • Choose your own prompt or use the one below
   • Prompt: If you could talk to an essential worker (this is a very long list which goes well beyond the medical field) right now, what would you say to them? Do you have questions? Is there something you want to express? Take a moment to think about it and record your thoughts.

That’s it for today. As always, contact me if you need any help! If you’re like Thor and you’re without a phone, you could always send a raven…

Good morning 7th graders,

How are you this fine Tuesday? Maybe you feel a little like the weather – bits of sunshine working to peek through the clouds. Or maybe you feel more like this episode of Some Good News – full of flavors, feelings, and, at times, tears. Perhaps you feel most like one of these puppies (it’s a live stream, so I have no idea what they will be doing when you view this…much like I have no idea what each day will bring when you enter the classroom🤪🥳🤔).

Or, you might just feel like yourself, which is pretty great, if you ask me, your teacher who loves you and, as a result, might be considered slightly biased but whose opinion is no less valuable. However you feel, you’re here and I’m happy to (virtually) see you!

Today you have four items for your Literature / ELA To Do list:

• • • Daily journal entry (5 – 15 minutes)
    • Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
    • Tangerine reading and discussion questions (15 – 20 minutes)
    • Study for AQUA quiz on Wednesday AKA tomorrow (3 – 5 minutes)

1. Daily Journal entry (5 -15 minutes)
   • Write on your own prompt or use the one below!
   • Prompt: Think about the last line of our mission statement “courage to act for the common good” – what are you doing at home to contribute to the common good?
     • This could be the common good of your home – washing dishes, playing with siblings, weeding in the garden, caring for a pet, making meals, writing/drawing thank you cards for family members, doing what you’re asked to do the first time
     • Could be the common good of the wider community – making masks, running a food drive, making inspirational posters, creating a fun display in your window, having a outdoor concert to cheer up neighbors, sitting on your lawn and greeting people from afar, drawing chalk art, and so much more
     • What are you doing? How do you feel when you do it? What else could you do to positively impact the common good?
2. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • I reviewed your reading logs yesterday and have entered the points you earned in PowerSchool. If you update your reading logs to receive additional credit, you need to email me to let me know you’ve made changes.
   • Read for 15 – 30 minutes from your free reading material, reflect for five minutes, then fill out your reading log, paying special attention to the evidence column.
   • Contact me if you have questions!
3. Tangerine reading and discussion questions (15 – 20 minutes)
   • According to the schedule you are reading the entries from Nov. 20 – Nov. 30 right now
   • Your Part 3 questions are due Thursday, May 7th (nine days from now)
   • Please contact me with any questions about the text or your assignments
4. Study for AQUA quiz on Wednesday (3-5 minutes)
   • Pop quiz!
   • What are these?
     • • 
   • What word is this picture? (Bonus points for identifying where it is in the diagram)
     • • 
   • Can you come up with your own picture quiz?

And, that’s everything for today! Contact me with questions – or strong Connect 4 strategies. Or, if you just want to say “Hi!”

Good morning 8th graders,

Happy Monday/Tuesday! We are near the end of our Drama unit and many of you will be presenting in the coming days. Have fun and break a leg!

You have one, possibly two, item(s) for your Literature To Do list:

• • • Daily reading and update of reading log (25 – 35 minutes)
    • Monologue performance (according to schedule)

Let’s get started!

1. Daily reading and update of reading log (25 – 35 minutes)
   • Update your reading log so it has rows and dates from now until May 29th (34 rows, including weekends)
   • After updating your log, read for 15 – 30 minutes from your free reading material, reflect for five minutes, then fill out your reading log, paying special attention to the evidence column
2. Monologue performance (according to schedule)
   • Please be online, ready to present, at your scheduled slot
   • I will invite you into the meeting when the person before you finishes, so please wait to be invited in
   • Make sure you and your camera are set up however you want to perform (standing, sitting, close-up, far away, showing a particular perspective of you, whatever you choose)

I will send out a reminder email/invitation for monologue performances each day this week. The grading expectations and schedule will be included in the message as a reminder.

Contact me with any questions and have a great day!

Good morning 7th graders,

Happy Monday!

We are continuing to read Tangerine and work on our roots. You have four items for your Literature / ELA To Do list today:

• • • Favorite journal entry from week 5 (5 minutes)
    • Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
    • Tangerine reading and discussion questions (15 – 20 minutes)
    • Study for AQUA quiz on Wednesday (3-5 minutes)

1. Favorite journal entry from week 5 (5 minutes)
   • Choose your favorite (the one you most want to share) journal entry and submit it to the Teams assignment “Favorite Journal Entry of Week 5”
   • Make sure to include the original entry (the words you wrote, in response to the prompt or otherwise) AND the reason why it’s your favorite / you want to share it
2. Daily Reading (20 – 35 minutes)
   • If you have not already, update your reading log so it has rows and dates from now until June 5th (40 rows, including weekends)
   • After updating your log, read for 15 – 30 minutes from your free reading material, reflect for five minutes, then fill out your reading log, paying special attention to the evidence column
3. Tangerine reading and discussion questions (15 – 20 minutes)
   • According to the schedule you are reading the entries from Nov. 20 – Nov. 30 right now
   • Your Part 3 questions are due Thursday, May 7th (a week from this Thursday)
   • Please contact me with any questions about the text or your assignments
4. Study for AQUA quiz on Wednesday (3-5 minutes)
   • Remember to review your words for this week – try creating your own quiz, practicing with a friend, or inventing a new roots study game.
   • Whatever you do, have fun and help each other out!

And, that’s everything for today!