Hey there, chickadees!
Below is the link to the end-of-year survey that I'd like you to fill out about your time in this class. The survey will help me to improve my classes for next year and to better understand your learning over the past nine months. Please fill it out thoughtfully and honestly. You do not have to give your name.
Thank you!
Miss Whitman
http://goo.gl/forms/7t7NR3xo94
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Sample Final "Exam"
Hi there, students! If you're unsure of what your final exam should look like, I've created a sample for you using my favorite book, Anne of Green Gables. Click the link below to view!
Have a beautiful day!
Miss Whitman
http://prezi.com/tqtqckxvj1p9/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
Have a beautiful day!
Miss Whitman
http://prezi.com/tqtqckxvj1p9/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
E-Mail Etiquette - Information and Homework
Hey there, beautiful young people!
Just wanted to share the slides that I used in class today to teach a lesson on e-mail etiquette. Please don't forget to do your homework, due the day after your long language arts period (so due tomorrow for Period A and Thursday for Periods B and D).
The homework: Write me a grammatically correct, proper e-mail of 5-8 sentences. This e-mail should follow all of the rules that we discussed during our lesson in class. The e-mail should be about the book you're reading for your final exam. You can tell me a little about the plot, or tell me about the author's writing style, or tell me what's happening where you are in the book right now. Failure to send this e-mail will result in a zero.
Here are the slides, in case you need to review.
Have a great day! Thanks for being awesome!
Miss Whitman
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
FINAL EXAM IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!
Greetings, lovely young people!
I wanted to share the link with you for your final exam assignment, which must be COMPLETED AND READY TO PRESENT on your scheduled exam date. You will NOT be taking an exam during the final exam period. Instead, you'll be sharing your presentations with your peers. Book choices must be approved by me, and should be determined by the end of this week.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
DUE DATES
Period A/E students: PERIOD A SCHEDULED EXAM TIME (June 11th)
Period B/F students: PERIOD B SCHEDULED EXAM TIME (June 12th)
Period D/G students: PERIOD G SCHEDULED EXAM TIME (June 15th)
I wanted to share the link with you for your final exam assignment, which must be COMPLETED AND READY TO PRESENT on your scheduled exam date. You will NOT be taking an exam during the final exam period. Instead, you'll be sharing your presentations with your peers. Book choices must be approved by me, and should be determined by the end of this week.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
DUE DATES
Period A/E students: PERIOD A SCHEDULED EXAM TIME (June 11th)
Period B/F students: PERIOD B SCHEDULED EXAM TIME (June 12th)
Period D/G students: PERIOD G SCHEDULED EXAM TIME (June 15th)
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Wonder-full student nomination
Hi students!
Just wanted to provide another means of accessing the "Wonder-full student" nomination form. Here's the link: http://goo.gl/forms/UxbFQIQRWQ
Have a great day!
Miss Whitman
P.S. Don't forget, anyone participating in the cyberactivism extra credit, it's due tomorrow!
Just wanted to provide another means of accessing the "Wonder-full student" nomination form. Here's the link: http://goo.gl/forms/UxbFQIQRWQ
Have a great day!
Miss Whitman
P.S. Don't forget, anyone participating in the cyberactivism extra credit, it's due tomorrow!
Monday, May 18, 2015
Extra Credit Opportunity
Hi all!
As mentioned in class today, I'd like to extend to you an extra credit opportunity. If you're so inclined, you can receive extra points by completing a "Cyberactivism Action Plan" based on the topic on which you wrote your argumentative essays. To receive the points, you must fill out the plan thoughtfully and in COMPLETE sentences. Then, you must show me proof that you put the plan into action (a link to the video you made, a copy of the petition you had signed, a copy of the letter you sent, etc.). If you want to, you can complete and submit the plan online via Google Docs. Here is the link to view it, but to edit it, you'll have to go to "file" and "make a copy," then save it, including YOUR LAST NAME in the document title. This must be submitted by FRIDAY.
Hope that many of you take advantage of this!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
P.S. Don't forget--starting tomorrow, you need to have your book in both Writing Workshop AND Language Arts. For language arts, you should have the book you're reading for your fourth SRC. For Writing Workshop, you can either bring that same book or you can bring another book that you've already read and loved. It's up to you, but don't come empty-handed!
As mentioned in class today, I'd like to extend to you an extra credit opportunity. If you're so inclined, you can receive extra points by completing a "Cyberactivism Action Plan" based on the topic on which you wrote your argumentative essays. To receive the points, you must fill out the plan thoughtfully and in COMPLETE sentences. Then, you must show me proof that you put the plan into action (a link to the video you made, a copy of the petition you had signed, a copy of the letter you sent, etc.). If you want to, you can complete and submit the plan online via Google Docs. Here is the link to view it, but to edit it, you'll have to go to "file" and "make a copy," then save it, including YOUR LAST NAME in the document title. This must be submitted by FRIDAY.
Hope that many of you take advantage of this!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
P.S. Don't forget--starting tomorrow, you need to have your book in both Writing Workshop AND Language Arts. For language arts, you should have the book you're reading for your fourth SRC. For Writing Workshop, you can either bring that same book or you can bring another book that you've already read and loved. It's up to you, but don't come empty-handed!
Friday, May 15, 2015
TGIF, y'all!
Just a reminder for the weekend to be working on your theater lesson plans, which you and your group members will be teaching starting on TUESDAY! Be sure that you have a plan and a set of goals regarding what you want your classmates to learn during your 20 minute lesson.
Have a beautiful weekend!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Just a reminder for the weekend to be working on your theater lesson plans, which you and your group members will be teaching starting on TUESDAY! Be sure that you have a plan and a set of goals regarding what you want your classmates to learn during your 20 minute lesson.
Have a beautiful weekend!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Big Updates for the Week
Hello beautiful young people!
A glorious Tuesday to you! I'm so excited to embark on our theatre and drama unit this year, and I know that many of you students are going to really love it!
THEATRE PROJECTS
I wanted to provide you with online links to the group-taught lesson assignment that you recently learned about in class. A list of the group assignments is available here, and the assignment sheet is available here. Remember to read the assignment sheet very carefully to be sure that you're including all of the requirements in your lesson. Also in the assignment document is a lesson planning template that you and your group members can use to break down your 20 minutes into smaller sections to manage your time.
You'll have a sizable chunk of time to work on your lessons during class--Days 3, 4, 5, and 6 of this week--but you should also utilize opportunities to connect outside of class to make your lesson extra creative and interesting!. You'll have one more preparation day on Monday or next week and then we'll start actually doing the presentations/lessons on Tuesday. Here are some topic-specific research links that I recommend.
Can't wait to see the finished products!
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS
Your argumentative essays should be submitted in final draft form via Google docs by tomorrow (Wednesday) night. You do NOT need to print a hard copy for me at this time. PLEASE check for MUG issues before submitting. It's not worth losing points because you didn't proofread. If you want me to look over your paper BEFORE the official due date, please let me know by the end of the day TODAY and I'll happily do so.
SRC 3
The third SRC of the marking period is due on FRIDAY, May 15th. Early submissions will receive extra credit points, and late submissions will lose ten points per day of lateness.
That's all for now, folks!
Much love and wishes for a splendiferous Tuesday!
Miss Whitman
A glorious Tuesday to you! I'm so excited to embark on our theatre and drama unit this year, and I know that many of you students are going to really love it!
THEATRE PROJECTS
I wanted to provide you with online links to the group-taught lesson assignment that you recently learned about in class. A list of the group assignments is available here, and the assignment sheet is available here. Remember to read the assignment sheet very carefully to be sure that you're including all of the requirements in your lesson. Also in the assignment document is a lesson planning template that you and your group members can use to break down your 20 minutes into smaller sections to manage your time.
You'll have a sizable chunk of time to work on your lessons during class--Days 3, 4, 5, and 6 of this week--but you should also utilize opportunities to connect outside of class to make your lesson extra creative and interesting!. You'll have one more preparation day on Monday or next week and then we'll start actually doing the presentations/lessons on Tuesday. Here are some topic-specific research links that I recommend.
Can't wait to see the finished products!
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS
Your argumentative essays should be submitted in final draft form via Google docs by tomorrow (Wednesday) night. You do NOT need to print a hard copy for me at this time. PLEASE check for MUG issues before submitting. It's not worth losing points because you didn't proofread. If you want me to look over your paper BEFORE the official due date, please let me know by the end of the day TODAY and I'll happily do so.
SRC 3
The third SRC of the marking period is due on FRIDAY, May 15th. Early submissions will receive extra credit points, and late submissions will lose ten points per day of lateness.
That's all for now, folks!
Much love and wishes for a splendiferous Tuesday!
Miss Whitman
Monday, May 4, 2015
Screencast Watching Homework
Hello there, lovelies!
Firstly, I want to remind you that your five paragraph essay drafts should be COMPLETED and SHARED with me on Google Docs at this time. This morning, I was very concerned to see that some students have written only ONE paragraph in spite of multiple class periods spent working on these papers. As I told you this morning in class, there is nothing more disappointing for me as a teacher than having the feeling that I care about your success more than you do. While I cannot force you to care, I implore you to put forth your best effort. You have too much potential to settle for less!
For tonight's homework, you are to watch the screencast below, and then, after watching, fill out the Google Form, also linked below. Since the recording cut out on me before I could show you the last two slides of the presentation, I've also included a link to the presentation slides themselves. That way, you can go back and rewatch any useful clips and also see the final slides.
Let me know if you have any questions, and be prepared for a quiz on this tomorrow!
Lots of love,
Miss Whitman
The Screencast
The Google Form
The Presentation Slides
Firstly, I want to remind you that your five paragraph essay drafts should be COMPLETED and SHARED with me on Google Docs at this time. This morning, I was very concerned to see that some students have written only ONE paragraph in spite of multiple class periods spent working on these papers. As I told you this morning in class, there is nothing more disappointing for me as a teacher than having the feeling that I care about your success more than you do. While I cannot force you to care, I implore you to put forth your best effort. You have too much potential to settle for less!
For tonight's homework, you are to watch the screencast below, and then, after watching, fill out the Google Form, also linked below. Since the recording cut out on me before I could show you the last two slides of the presentation, I've also included a link to the presentation slides themselves. That way, you can go back and rewatch any useful clips and also see the final slides.
Let me know if you have any questions, and be prepared for a quiz on this tomorrow!
Lots of love,
Miss Whitman
The Screencast
The Google Form
The Presentation Slides
Friday, May 1, 2015
Homework for the Weekend
Happy Weekend, Y'all!
Please make sure to complete all assignments...
1. Work on your poem memorization!!!
2. Finish your first draft of your argumentative essays on Google Docs.
See you Monday!
xoxo
Miss Whitman
Please make sure to complete all assignments...
1. Work on your poem memorization!!!
2. Finish your first draft of your argumentative essays on Google Docs.
See you Monday!
xoxo
Miss Whitman
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Summer Opportunity!
Hey there, students and parents!
I wanted to make y'all aware of a summer learning opportunity available through Collingswood School District. Here are the details, and here's a link to the program brochure.
I'd love to see some of my students participate this summer!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Bringing Science Fiction to Life Using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Dates: June 29 & 30. July 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Location: Collingswood Middle School
Instructors: Mrs. Stellar (Language Arts teacher at Oaklyn School) and Miss Whitman (me!)
Grades: 6-8
Description: In this program, students will explore tech-savvy methods of storytelling, as well as explore the genre of the science fiction short story. We will be reading two short stories, and students will be challenged to creatively communicate the plot and deeper meaning of each story using a combination of music, video, and sound.
Program Fee: $75
I wanted to make y'all aware of a summer learning opportunity available through Collingswood School District. Here are the details, and here's a link to the program brochure.
I'd love to see some of my students participate this summer!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Bringing Science Fiction to Life Using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Dates: June 29 & 30. July 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Location: Collingswood Middle School
Instructors: Mrs. Stellar (Language Arts teacher at Oaklyn School) and Miss Whitman (me!)
Grades: 6-8
Description: In this program, students will explore tech-savvy methods of storytelling, as well as explore the genre of the science fiction short story. We will be reading two short stories, and students will be challenged to creatively communicate the plot and deeper meaning of each story using a combination of music, video, and sound.
Program Fee: $75
Homework
Hey y'all!
Tonight's homework is to finish your argument essays up to paragraph THREE (that means your opening and two of your body paragraphs). In order to receive credit for this homework, you MUST share your work with me on Google Docs. To share your work, you must click the "Share" button on the top right corner of your Google Docs screen, and then enter my e-mail address, swhitman@collsk12.org. Please be sure to give me the right to COMMENT (not just view).
Thank you for caring about your academic success and doing your best work!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Tonight's homework is to finish your argument essays up to paragraph THREE (that means your opening and two of your body paragraphs). In order to receive credit for this homework, you MUST share your work with me on Google Docs. To share your work, you must click the "Share" button on the top right corner of your Google Docs screen, and then enter my e-mail address, swhitman@collsk12.org. Please be sure to give me the right to COMMENT (not just view).
Thank you for caring about your academic success and doing your best work!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Poem Recordings
Hi there, lovely students! Below, I've provided some links to recordings of the poems you're memorizing. There is a recording of me reciting each poem, and then recordings by other readers for "Invictus" and "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time." Unfortunately, I couldn't locate a link to someone reading "The Ballad of the Oyster."
Try using these to aid in your memorization process!
Also, if you need it, here is a link to the poetry memorization assignment.
Have a great day!
Miss Whitman
"Invictus"
Read by Miss Whitman here
Read by someone else here
"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time"
Read by Miss Whitman here
Read by someone else here
"The Ballad of the Oyster"
Read by Miss Whitman here
Try using these to aid in your memorization process!
Also, if you need it, here is a link to the poetry memorization assignment.
Have a great day!
Miss Whitman
"Invictus"
Read by Miss Whitman here
Read by someone else here
"To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time"
Read by Miss Whitman here
Read by someone else here
"The Ballad of the Oyster"
Read by Miss Whitman here
Monday, April 20, 2015
Late SRCs - BE AWARE
Hi students and parents,
Just a reminder that late SRCs will lose 10 points per day of lateness. All SRCs that I've received have now been entered in Genesis. Please make a point of checking your/your child's grade to make sure that he/she has turned in this assignment. Missing SRCs can quickly lower a class grade, so please stay on top of them!
Please be in touch if you have questions!
Miss Whitman
Just a reminder that late SRCs will lose 10 points per day of lateness. All SRCs that I've received have now been entered in Genesis. Please make a point of checking your/your child's grade to make sure that he/she has turned in this assignment. Missing SRCs can quickly lower a class grade, so please stay on top of them!
Please be in touch if you have questions!
Miss Whitman
Sunday, April 19, 2015
HOMEWORK FOR 4/20/15
Greetings, beautiful students!
Below is the link to the 13-minute video that you are to watch for homework. Once you've watched the video, please return to this page and complete the Google form (also linked below) to show me that you watched and paid attention.
The video - https://youtu.be/pa5tJvjQ49A
The Google Form - to submit AFTER you've watched the video! http://goo.gl/forms/xay2kB8GTC
Looking forward to seeing your perfectly-formatted Works Cited pages on WEDNESDAY!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Below is the link to the 13-minute video that you are to watch for homework. Once you've watched the video, please return to this page and complete the Google form (also linked below) to show me that you watched and paid attention.
The video - https://youtu.be/pa5tJvjQ49A
The Google Form - to submit AFTER you've watched the video! http://goo.gl/forms/xay2kB8GTC
Looking forward to seeing your perfectly-formatted Works Cited pages on WEDNESDAY!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
If you lost your argumentative issue packet...
...here's the link to all of them. You can print it out as many times as you lose it. I am not willing to print additional packets because it is YOUR responsibility to take care of your school materials. Also, the Lorax will be angry if I kill any more trees. Thank you for taking responsibility for your academic success!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Argumentative Issue Packets
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Argumentative Issue Packets
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Spring Break - Things to Be Doing
Hey there, wonderful students and parents!
Happy Easter, Happy Spring Break, Happy Passover, and Happy Sunshine--spring finally seems to have arrived! I spent most of today shoveling mulch into my garden, and I hope that you've all been able to get outside and enjoy the warmth as well! I know that many of you have been receiving my Remind texts over the break, and hopefully you students have been working on the items that will be due soon after you return from the break. In case you're missing any of the information you need to get this work done, here are the items of importance..
1. READING!!! Spring break is a GREAT time to catch up on reading so that you're not stressed about SRCs for the fourth marking period. Remember, this marking period there will be no online quizzes accepted, so you must submit an alternate assessment from the list you have in your language arts binder. That list is also available here.
2. Your Civil Rights Movement (CRM) papers. I've taken far too long to comment on these for you, but I will comment on all of the papers that have been submitted to me on Google docs by tomorrow (Friday) so that you have the weekend to review my comments and begin making changes. Those papers will have a final due date of late next week or early the following week. Remember to use the rubric I gave you, as it's the SAME RUBRIC I'LL BE USING TO GRADE YOU! I cannot emphasize this enough!!!
3. Be thinking about, and hopefully starting to work on, your final projects for The Watsons Go To Birmingham (which I'll call "The Byron Project" for short). The requirements for that project, as well as the assessment rubric, are here. I realize that you don't have your own copies of the book to find the page numbers for your chosen quotes, but you can use the free ebook (available here) and then use the "find in page" tool to find the quotes you picked.
Enjoy the remaining days off, and I'll see you all on Monday, bright eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready to learn!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Happy Easter, Happy Spring Break, Happy Passover, and Happy Sunshine--spring finally seems to have arrived! I spent most of today shoveling mulch into my garden, and I hope that you've all been able to get outside and enjoy the warmth as well! I know that many of you have been receiving my Remind texts over the break, and hopefully you students have been working on the items that will be due soon after you return from the break. In case you're missing any of the information you need to get this work done, here are the items of importance..
1. READING!!! Spring break is a GREAT time to catch up on reading so that you're not stressed about SRCs for the fourth marking period. Remember, this marking period there will be no online quizzes accepted, so you must submit an alternate assessment from the list you have in your language arts binder. That list is also available here.
2. Your Civil Rights Movement (CRM) papers. I've taken far too long to comment on these for you, but I will comment on all of the papers that have been submitted to me on Google docs by tomorrow (Friday) so that you have the weekend to review my comments and begin making changes. Those papers will have a final due date of late next week or early the following week. Remember to use the rubric I gave you, as it's the SAME RUBRIC I'LL BE USING TO GRADE YOU! I cannot emphasize this enough!!!
3. Be thinking about, and hopefully starting to work on, your final projects for The Watsons Go To Birmingham (which I'll call "The Byron Project" for short). The requirements for that project, as well as the assessment rubric, are here. I realize that you don't have your own copies of the book to find the page numbers for your chosen quotes, but you can use the free ebook (available here) and then use the "find in page" tool to find the quotes you picked.
Enjoy the remaining days off, and I'll see you all on Monday, bright eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready to learn!
Much love,
Miss Whitman
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Homework 3/26/15
Hello, beautiful students, and Happy Thursday! We're almost to the weekend, and to Camp Mason!
The homework assignment you're completing for Monday is a bibliography for your argumentative essays (the ones for which you just received your topics and information packets). The bibliography must be in MLA format.
For some assistance with the process of creating a bibliography in Google Docs using the EasyBib add-on, here is a helpful video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1bROq7UKL4
And here is a sample bibliography in MLA format, with the important features labeled.
Have an awesome weekend! Do great things!
Miss Whitman
The homework assignment you're completing for Monday is a bibliography for your argumentative essays (the ones for which you just received your topics and information packets). The bibliography must be in MLA format.
For some assistance with the process of creating a bibliography in Google Docs using the EasyBib add-on, here is a helpful video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1bROq7UKL4
And here is a sample bibliography in MLA format, with the important features labeled.
Have an awesome weekend! Do great things!
Miss Whitman
Monday, March 23, 2015
HOMEWORK UPDATE!
It has come to my attention that the website assigned for homework tonight is not accurate. The correct website can be found HERE. Once you get to the website, please go to the menu on the righthand side of the screen titled "Sites to Use for Demonstrating Critical Evaluation," and choose a link from that list to evaluate. If you need another evaluation sheet, here it is, with the updated website.
Please complete the assignment and spread the word to your classmates that they can find the correct link here on the class website. I'll send out a Remind message as well.
Sorry for the inconvenience!
Have a great Monday!
Miss Whitman
Please complete the assignment and spread the word to your classmates that they can find the correct link here on the class website. I'll send out a Remind message as well.
Sorry for the inconvenience!
Have a great Monday!
Miss Whitman
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Competitive Sports Essays - Rules for Revision
If you're going to be submitting a revision for your competitive sports essay, here are the rules for the process. Have a great day!!! Love, Miss Whitman
Whitman - Writing Workshop
Revising your essays...the lowdown
- If you received a grade of less than 65%, you MUST revise. If you received any other grade, you MAY (and many of you probably SHOULD) revise, but you do not HAVE to.
- In order for your paper to receive an improved grade for your revisions, you MUST have a one-on-one conference with Miss Whitman about your paper and your plan for improving it. This can happen after school or on an organizational day (if you have Advisory B), or in the morning if scheduled in advance.
- You must also submit your ORIGINAL, GRADED ASSIGNMENT with your revised version so that I can see the changes that you’ve made.
- Revisions must be submitted in HARD COPY (printed out--NOT shared with me on Google)--on or before Wednesday, March 25th.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Carefully Taught - Links and HW
Hi there!
What a great lesson and great conversation we had about prejudice and racism today. I'm so proud to teach such an insightful and honest group of young people.
Today, we watched a clip from the musical "South Pacific." We watched as an American soldier sang angrily about prejudice and where it comes from. The song is full of IRONY, which--not so ironically--was our Word of the Day yesterday! Here is the link to the clip.
We also watched a more modern interpretation of the same song, but we only watched the first half of that clip. Here's the whole thing--definitely worth watching!
For homework tonight, you are to rewrite the missing lyrics to the song so that it's no longer ironic, but inspirational. What do we really, truly, actually need to be "taught" about prejudice? If you've lost or forgotten the assignment paper, here it is.
I'm looking forward to receiving your responses tomorrow!
Much love and wishes for a great week of PARCC testing!
Miss Whitman
What a great lesson and great conversation we had about prejudice and racism today. I'm so proud to teach such an insightful and honest group of young people.
Today, we watched a clip from the musical "South Pacific." We watched as an American soldier sang angrily about prejudice and where it comes from. The song is full of IRONY, which--not so ironically--was our Word of the Day yesterday! Here is the link to the clip.
We also watched a more modern interpretation of the same song, but we only watched the first half of that clip. Here's the whole thing--definitely worth watching!
For homework tonight, you are to rewrite the missing lyrics to the song so that it's no longer ironic, but inspirational. What do we really, truly, actually need to be "taught" about prejudice? If you've lost or forgotten the assignment paper, here it is.
I'm looking forward to receiving your responses tomorrow!
Much love and wishes for a great week of PARCC testing!
Miss Whitman
Friday, March 6, 2015
Etymology Extra Credit!
Students,
I've set up a document where you can see who has signed up for an Etymology Extra Credit project and when each person signed up. Remember, you have 24 hours from when you sign up to submit your assignment (or you get the whole weekend if you sign up on a Friday).
If you are missing a large number of regular credit assignments, you will not be permitted to complete any extra credit work. There's no sense in doing extra if you haven't done what's required. Also, if you don't abide by the 24-hour-submission rule, you'll have to wait a little while before I'll allow you to sign up for a new word.
Here's the link to the sheet. Let me know if you have questions!
Miss Whitman
I've set up a document where you can see who has signed up for an Etymology Extra Credit project and when each person signed up. Remember, you have 24 hours from when you sign up to submit your assignment (or you get the whole weekend if you sign up on a Friday).
If you are missing a large number of regular credit assignments, you will not be permitted to complete any extra credit work. There's no sense in doing extra if you haven't done what's required. Also, if you don't abide by the 24-hour-submission rule, you'll have to wait a little while before I'll allow you to sign up for a new word.
Here's the link to the sheet. Let me know if you have questions!
Miss Whitman
Monday, March 2, 2015
Upcoming Due Dates
Hi all! Happy Monday!
A couple of important announcements relating to current assignments...
1. The third SRC of the marking period is due THIS FRIDAY, 3/6/15. Please be sure to turn it in on or before that date to be eligible for full credit. Remember, early submissions receive extra points!
2. Your competitive sports argumentative essays are due THIS FRIDAY, 3/6/15. They should be typed and will be graded using the argumentative writing checklist here, which students have had ample time to review and utilize. If you can truly answer YES to all of the questions on the checklist, there's no reason you shouldn't get an excellent score on your essay. At this point, students should have five paragraphs composed, and they should be ready to type them up in the library on Wednesday of this week.
3. We'll be beginning to type your Civil Rights Movement essays this week, but a due date for them is still to be determined. I expect that they will be due AFTER the PARCC testing is complete, but stay tuned for further updates.
4. For anyone who is behind on their chapter reflections for our class read, they can be found below through Chapter Nine. Please submit them ASAP if you have not already.
A couple of important announcements relating to current assignments...
1. The third SRC of the marking period is due THIS FRIDAY, 3/6/15. Please be sure to turn it in on or before that date to be eligible for full credit. Remember, early submissions receive extra points!
2. Your competitive sports argumentative essays are due THIS FRIDAY, 3/6/15. They should be typed and will be graded using the argumentative writing checklist here, which students have had ample time to review and utilize. If you can truly answer YES to all of the questions on the checklist, there's no reason you shouldn't get an excellent score on your essay. At this point, students should have five paragraphs composed, and they should be ready to type them up in the library on Wednesday of this week.
3. We'll be beginning to type your Civil Rights Movement essays this week, but a due date for them is still to be determined. I expect that they will be due AFTER the PARCC testing is complete, but stay tuned for further updates.
4. For anyone who is behind on their chapter reflections for our class read, they can be found below through Chapter Nine. Please submit them ASAP if you have not already.
Have a wonderful Monday, and see you all tomorrow!
Miss Whitman
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Watsons Chapter Reflections Due Tomorrow
Hey y'all--Happy Wednesday! Don't forget to have your Watsons Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6 reflections ready for me to check tomorrow.
See you then!
Miss Whitman
See you then!
Miss Whitman
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Works Cited HW
Hi all,
Based on the confusion some of you had about how to do your Works Cited page, I've made it homework again for tonight, to be turned in tomorrow during language arts class. To help you out if you're still confused, here is a sample version (you should also have the sample version that you received in class with my notes on it).
Also, www.easybib.com is a great resource for citing articles that don't already provide you with the MLA citation at the bottom.
If you're still confused, check out this BrainPop video. It's a winner!
Much love and wishes for a beautiful Tuesday!
Miss Whitman
Based on the confusion some of you had about how to do your Works Cited page, I've made it homework again for tonight, to be turned in tomorrow during language arts class. To help you out if you're still confused, here is a sample version (you should also have the sample version that you received in class with my notes on it).
Also, www.easybib.com is a great resource for citing articles that don't already provide you with the MLA citation at the bottom.
If you're still confused, check out this BrainPop video. It's a winner!
Much love and wishes for a beautiful Tuesday!
Miss Whitman
Monday, February 23, 2015
Homework and Upcoming Items
Hi there, lovely students, and Happy Monday!
What a whirlwind day it's been with our new testing schedule. Parents, I'm sure you already know this, but during PARCC testing time, all students at CMS and CHS will be following an eight-class-per-day schedule, which means that classes are shorter (41 minutes each) but take place EVERY day. I told the students that this would help them to get into the habit of doing their homework as soon as it's assigned, but they weren't as excited about this as I'd hoped. :-)
A few items I wanted to mention...
1. SRC 2 was due on Wednesday, February 18th, and some students have still not turned it in. Please do so for late credit ASAP.
2. SRC 3 is due on Friday, March 6th. Now is a GREAT time to start planning out how much you need to read each day to be able to finish your book in time.
3. Many students, as well as some parents, have been asking about due dates for the two writing assignments we're currently working on in class--one on a Civil Rights event/figure and one arguing for or against competitive sports. Unfortunately, I still can't say exactly when these items will be due because access to the library and computer lab are very limited during testing time. My intention is to allow students as much time in class as possible to get their papers finished, but students who are wasting time in class will have to do some work at home.
4. Bibliographies for your Civil Rights Movement papers are due TOMORROW. This is an easy homework grade if you simply follow the instructions on the sample bibliography that you received in class today.
Have an AWESOME day!
Miss Whitman
What a whirlwind day it's been with our new testing schedule. Parents, I'm sure you already know this, but during PARCC testing time, all students at CMS and CHS will be following an eight-class-per-day schedule, which means that classes are shorter (41 minutes each) but take place EVERY day. I told the students that this would help them to get into the habit of doing their homework as soon as it's assigned, but they weren't as excited about this as I'd hoped. :-)
A few items I wanted to mention...
1. SRC 2 was due on Wednesday, February 18th, and some students have still not turned it in. Please do so for late credit ASAP.
2. SRC 3 is due on Friday, March 6th. Now is a GREAT time to start planning out how much you need to read each day to be able to finish your book in time.
3. Many students, as well as some parents, have been asking about due dates for the two writing assignments we're currently working on in class--one on a Civil Rights event/figure and one arguing for or against competitive sports. Unfortunately, I still can't say exactly when these items will be due because access to the library and computer lab are very limited during testing time. My intention is to allow students as much time in class as possible to get their papers finished, but students who are wasting time in class will have to do some work at home.
4. Bibliographies for your Civil Rights Movement papers are due TOMORROW. This is an easy homework grade if you simply follow the instructions on the sample bibliography that you received in class today.
Have an AWESOME day!
Miss Whitman
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Just in case you want to practice...
Hi there, students and parents!
Just thought I'd make a few resources available to you if you'd like to practice any of the usage rules that we cover in your weekly grammar quizzes...happy learning!
Love, Miss Whitman
Whose/Who's
Affect/Effect and Accept/Except
Then/Than
To/Too/Two
Were/We're/Where
More Were/We're/Where
Their/They're/There
More Their/They're/There
Even MORE Their/They're/There
Your/You're
More Your/You're
Its/It's
More Its/It's
Parts of Speech Identification
More Parts of Speech practice
Just thought I'd make a few resources available to you if you'd like to practice any of the usage rules that we cover in your weekly grammar quizzes...happy learning!
Love, Miss Whitman
Whose/Who's
Affect/Effect and Accept/Except
Then/Than
To/Too/Two
Were/We're/Where
More Were/We're/Where
Their/They're/There
More Their/They're/There
Even MORE Their/They're/There
Your/You're
More Your/You're
Its/It's
More Its/It's
Parts of Speech Identification
More Parts of Speech practice
Monday, February 2, 2015
Monday 2/2/15
Happy Monday, everyone!
I hope that y'all had a restful and enjoyable Super Bowl weekend! A couple of announcements and reminders...
CIVIL RIGHTS RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS
Students have received the initial assignment sheets for their mini-research papers relating to various figures and events from the Civil Rights Movement. This research fits very nicely with our current class read (The Watsons Go To Birmingham), the arrival of Black History Month, and the content students are learning in Seventh Grade Social Studies. I wanted to make available the list of student research topics as well as the assignment sheet. The due date will be determined once I've arranged our library research time.
WATSONS REFLECTIONS
I want to make available all of the chapter reflections that students are assigned as we read our class novel. These reflections are to be completed as we finish reading each chapter of the book. Here are the reflections for Chapters 1-2 and Chapters 3-4. I'll aim to upload all of the reflection sheets at some point in the quasi-near future.
BENCHMARK CORRECTIONS
I have given students the option to come after school any day this week except Wednesday (due to a staff meeting) to correct the errors in their benchmark exams. By doing these corrections, they receive back 75% of the points they lost. This can have a dramatically positive effect on their grades. Students, please take advantage of this opportunity!
FIRST SRC OF MARKING PERIOD 3
The first SRC of the marking period is due THIS FRIDAY, February 6th. Please turn it in on or before that date (before = extra credit points!)
SRC SUBSTITUTION OPTION
I gave students the option of entering this contest and sharing their entries with me in place of one of their four required SRCs for the marking period. The contest entry deadline is February 20th, and I will not accept the assignment unless students have actually entered it in the official contest.
Have an AWESOME evening, and do great things this week!
Love,
Miss Whitman
I hope that y'all had a restful and enjoyable Super Bowl weekend! A couple of announcements and reminders...
CIVIL RIGHTS RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS
Students have received the initial assignment sheets for their mini-research papers relating to various figures and events from the Civil Rights Movement. This research fits very nicely with our current class read (The Watsons Go To Birmingham), the arrival of Black History Month, and the content students are learning in Seventh Grade Social Studies. I wanted to make available the list of student research topics as well as the assignment sheet. The due date will be determined once I've arranged our library research time.
WATSONS REFLECTIONS
I want to make available all of the chapter reflections that students are assigned as we read our class novel. These reflections are to be completed as we finish reading each chapter of the book. Here are the reflections for Chapters 1-2 and Chapters 3-4. I'll aim to upload all of the reflection sheets at some point in the quasi-near future.
BENCHMARK CORRECTIONS
I have given students the option to come after school any day this week except Wednesday (due to a staff meeting) to correct the errors in their benchmark exams. By doing these corrections, they receive back 75% of the points they lost. This can have a dramatically positive effect on their grades. Students, please take advantage of this opportunity!
FIRST SRC OF MARKING PERIOD 3
The first SRC of the marking period is due THIS FRIDAY, February 6th. Please turn it in on or before that date (before = extra credit points!)
SRC SUBSTITUTION OPTION
I gave students the option of entering this contest and sharing their entries with me in place of one of their four required SRCs for the marking period. The contest entry deadline is February 20th, and I will not accept the assignment unless students have actually entered it in the official contest.
Have an AWESOME evening, and do great things this week!
Love,
Miss Whitman
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Homework 1/28/15
Hi there, lovely students and parents! Just a homework update...
Students in Periods A and E
Writing Workshop Homework - Compose an OPENING PARAGRAPH to an essay arguing for or against competitive sports for kids. Make sure that you follow the formula that we talked about in class.
Language Arts Homework - Complete the reflection sheet for Chapter One of The Watsons Go To Birmingham
Mid-Year Survey - Please complete the brief survey about your experiences thus far in Language Arts and Writing Workshop 7. You can find the survey here
SSR - Your first SSR of Marking Period Three is due on February 6th. That means you have a little over a week, so get reading! Early submissions get extra credit!
Students in Periods B and F
Writing Workshop Homework - Compose an OPENING PARAGRAPH to an essay arguing for or against competitive sports for kids. Make sure that you follow the formula that we talked about in class.
Language Arts Homework - Complete the reflection sheet for Chapter One of The Watsons Go To Birmingham
Mid-Year Survey - Please complete the brief survey about your experiences thus far in Language Arts and Writing Workshop 7. You can find the survey here
SSR - Your first SSR of Marking Period Three is due on February 6th. That means you have a little over a week, so get reading! Early submissions get extra credit!
Students in Periods D and G
Mid-Year Survey - Please complete the brief survey about your experiences thus far in Language Arts and Writing Workshop 7. You can find the survey here
SSR - Your first SSR of Marking Period Three is due on February 6th. That means you have a little over a week, so get reading! Early submissions get extra credit!
Students in Periods A and E
Writing Workshop Homework - Compose an OPENING PARAGRAPH to an essay arguing for or against competitive sports for kids. Make sure that you follow the formula that we talked about in class.
Language Arts Homework - Complete the reflection sheet for Chapter One of The Watsons Go To Birmingham
Mid-Year Survey - Please complete the brief survey about your experiences thus far in Language Arts and Writing Workshop 7. You can find the survey here
SSR - Your first SSR of Marking Period Three is due on February 6th. That means you have a little over a week, so get reading! Early submissions get extra credit!
Students in Periods B and F
Writing Workshop Homework - Compose an OPENING PARAGRAPH to an essay arguing for or against competitive sports for kids. Make sure that you follow the formula that we talked about in class.
Language Arts Homework - Complete the reflection sheet for Chapter One of The Watsons Go To Birmingham
Mid-Year Survey - Please complete the brief survey about your experiences thus far in Language Arts and Writing Workshop 7. You can find the survey here
SSR - Your first SSR of Marking Period Three is due on February 6th. That means you have a little over a week, so get reading! Early submissions get extra credit!
Students in Periods D and G
Mid-Year Survey - Please complete the brief survey about your experiences thus far in Language Arts and Writing Workshop 7. You can find the survey here
SSR - Your first SSR of Marking Period Three is due on February 6th. That means you have a little over a week, so get reading! Early submissions get extra credit!
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Potential Snow, Benchmarks, MLK, and Mid-Year Surveys
Hi there, all! This is going to be a rather random assortment of announcements, so please bear with me! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! A few items of note...
1. As I'm sure you've all seen, the weather forecast looks ominous, and it's likely that we'll have a snow day this week (though I make no promises!). If that is the case, you should still be prepared for your benchmark, which you WILL take whenever school is next in session. Which leads us to...
2. Benchmarks! The benchmark exam for marking period two takes place tomorrow and Tuesday (depending on whether you have Language Arts on Day Five or Day Six). Remember, it will be on theme, tone and mood, conflict, and facts and opinion. The test has been designed (by myself) to resemble the PARCC exam, so be prepared for multiple choice questions that build upon each other (i.e. the answer to question two will depend upon your answer to question one) as we discussed in class.
3. As you learned last week, I'm providing an opportunity for any interested students to replace one of their four required SRCs for the third marking period with a contest entry that relates to our recent lesson on Martin Luther King, Jr. The contest information is available here: http://www.eduguide.org/challenge/, and entries are due by February 20th.
4. For homework at some point soon, you will be asked to complete a mid-year survey about your experiences in Language Arts and Writing Workshop 7. The link to the survey is available here.
Don't forget to put your pajamas on inside out and do a snow dance!
Lots of love,
Miss Whitman
1. As I'm sure you've all seen, the weather forecast looks ominous, and it's likely that we'll have a snow day this week (though I make no promises!). If that is the case, you should still be prepared for your benchmark, which you WILL take whenever school is next in session. Which leads us to...
2. Benchmarks! The benchmark exam for marking period two takes place tomorrow and Tuesday (depending on whether you have Language Arts on Day Five or Day Six). Remember, it will be on theme, tone and mood, conflict, and facts and opinion. The test has been designed (by myself) to resemble the PARCC exam, so be prepared for multiple choice questions that build upon each other (i.e. the answer to question two will depend upon your answer to question one) as we discussed in class.
3. As you learned last week, I'm providing an opportunity for any interested students to replace one of their four required SRCs for the third marking period with a contest entry that relates to our recent lesson on Martin Luther King, Jr. The contest information is available here: http://www.eduguide.org/challenge/, and entries are due by February 20th.
4. For homework at some point soon, you will be asked to complete a mid-year survey about your experiences in Language Arts and Writing Workshop 7. The link to the survey is available here.
Don't forget to put your pajamas on inside out and do a snow dance!
Lots of love,
Miss Whitman
Monday, January 19, 2015
Dr. King's Legacy
Hi there students and parents!
Today I am so very proud to be an American as I reflect on the great strides that we've made as a nation. I know that we have a long way to go before we achieve liberty across all boundaries. As I contemplate our country's history, and the difficulties once faced by African-Americans, women, minority groups, and immigrants, I see great growth, but also great opportunity to do even more. I am so thankful and happy to call the USA my home because I know that we won't give up until we have achieved the ideals of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" upon which our country was founded.
Today, we celebrate one of my personal heroes, and one of the greatest American voices to have walked this earth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King inspires me by his eloquence, humility, and nonviolent commitment to social justice.
Tomorrow (Wednesday for my Period D students) we'll be dedicating a class period to studying and reflecting on one of Dr. King's especially powerful speeches, entitled "The Drum Major Instinct." We'll be watching the final 13 minutes of it together in class, but if you'd like to watch the whole speech, you can do so here.
A site called EduGuide is sponsoring a student video contest for students in grades 6-12 related to Dr. King's "Drum Major Instinct" speech and how we can apply it to our lives. The grand prize winner will receive a $1000 scholarship, and runners-up will receive $100 gift cards to Amazon.com. Please check it out here. Students who enter and provide me with their entry links may choose between receiving extra credit points or counting their entry as one of their four required SRC submissions for MP3.
I hope that you take a few moments today to be thankful for Martin Luther King, Jr., and others like him who fought for civil liberty in the fact of angry, violent opposition. We must all take a page from Dr. King's book and seek to better our country even when it's scary and difficult.
Looking forward to engaging in insightful discussion on this topic with my wonderful students tomorrow!
Have a great week!
Miss Whitman
Today I am so very proud to be an American as I reflect on the great strides that we've made as a nation. I know that we have a long way to go before we achieve liberty across all boundaries. As I contemplate our country's history, and the difficulties once faced by African-Americans, women, minority groups, and immigrants, I see great growth, but also great opportunity to do even more. I am so thankful and happy to call the USA my home because I know that we won't give up until we have achieved the ideals of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" upon which our country was founded.
Today, we celebrate one of my personal heroes, and one of the greatest American voices to have walked this earth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King inspires me by his eloquence, humility, and nonviolent commitment to social justice.
Tomorrow (Wednesday for my Period D students) we'll be dedicating a class period to studying and reflecting on one of Dr. King's especially powerful speeches, entitled "The Drum Major Instinct." We'll be watching the final 13 minutes of it together in class, but if you'd like to watch the whole speech, you can do so here.
A site called EduGuide is sponsoring a student video contest for students in grades 6-12 related to Dr. King's "Drum Major Instinct" speech and how we can apply it to our lives. The grand prize winner will receive a $1000 scholarship, and runners-up will receive $100 gift cards to Amazon.com. Please check it out here. Students who enter and provide me with their entry links may choose between receiving extra credit points or counting their entry as one of their four required SRC submissions for MP3.
I hope that you take a few moments today to be thankful for Martin Luther King, Jr., and others like him who fought for civil liberty in the fact of angry, violent opposition. We must all take a page from Dr. King's book and seek to better our country even when it's scary and difficult.
Looking forward to engaging in insightful discussion on this topic with my wonderful students tomorrow!
Have a great week!
Miss Whitman
Monday, January 12, 2015
Homework for 1/12, Resources, and the Next SRC
Greetings, students and parents!
Happy Monday! A couple of important items...
Homework for tonight and the next several nights...all students have received (or in the case of Period D, will receive tomorrow) a packet of articles relating to the pros and cons of competitive sports for kids. We will be spending the next few days fleshing out these articles and finding evidence for both sides of the competitive sports argument. Students began this process in class today, and have been instructed to continue working on it at home. I would suggest that they spend about 20-30 minutes on it each night for the next several nights.
In addition to the articles I provided in the packet, there are some video resources that I invite and encourage students to check out. It would be a good idea to write down some key points as they watch. The links to the videos are below.
One final item. The fourth SRC of the marking period is due THIS FRIDAY, 1/16, and any story rewrites/resubmissions are ALSO due FRIDAY.
Have a wonderful day!
Miss Whitman
Katie Couric’s Notebook: Kids and Sports
http://readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/assessments/performance/2012-2013/Fall%202012%20Performance%20Assessment%20Information/8th%20Grade%20Performance%20Assessments//8th%20Grade%20Assessment%20Video%201.mp4
Competitive Sports—News Segment by Adrienne Bankert KCRW.com
http://readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/assessments/performance/2012-2013/Fall%202012%20Performance%20Assessment%20Information/8th%20Grade%20Performance%20Assessments//8th%20Grade%20Assessment%20Video%202.mp4
Happy Monday! A couple of important items...
Homework for tonight and the next several nights...all students have received (or in the case of Period D, will receive tomorrow) a packet of articles relating to the pros and cons of competitive sports for kids. We will be spending the next few days fleshing out these articles and finding evidence for both sides of the competitive sports argument. Students began this process in class today, and have been instructed to continue working on it at home. I would suggest that they spend about 20-30 minutes on it each night for the next several nights.
In addition to the articles I provided in the packet, there are some video resources that I invite and encourage students to check out. It would be a good idea to write down some key points as they watch. The links to the videos are below.
One final item. The fourth SRC of the marking period is due THIS FRIDAY, 1/16, and any story rewrites/resubmissions are ALSO due FRIDAY.
Have a wonderful day!
Miss Whitman
Katie Couric’s Notebook: Kids and Sports
http://readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/assessments/performance/2012-2013/Fall%202012%20Performance%20Assessment%20Information/8th%20Grade%20Performance%20Assessments//8th%20Grade%20Assessment%20Video%201.mp4
Competitive Sports—News Segment by Adrienne Bankert KCRW.com
http://readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/assessments/performance/2012-2013/Fall%202012%20Performance%20Assessment%20Information/8th%20Grade%20Performance%20Assessments//8th%20Grade%20Assessment%20Video%202.mp4
Monday, January 5, 2015
Happy 2015!
Happy 2015, Chickadees!
It was great to be back at school today with all of you! I hope that everyone is at least a little bit well rested after the busy holiday season. I saw a lot of energy in the classroom today, and I'm hoping that we can channel it in a way that gets us off and running toward an awesome second half of the school year!
A couple of important items...
1. TOMORROW is the SRC DUE DATE for ALL language arts classes. The SRC is due regardless of whether you see me for class tomorrow or not. If you don't have my class tomorrow, you must find me and submit your SRC assignment to me (or if you're taking the online quiz, you must take it before the end of the day tomorrow).
2. Students in Language Arts Period E - Your homework (a double-sided worksheet on themes) is due at your next language arts class. Make sure to complete it so that your grade doesn't suffer unnecessarily!
See y'all tomorrow!
Miss Whitman
It was great to be back at school today with all of you! I hope that everyone is at least a little bit well rested after the busy holiday season. I saw a lot of energy in the classroom today, and I'm hoping that we can channel it in a way that gets us off and running toward an awesome second half of the school year!
A couple of important items...
1. TOMORROW is the SRC DUE DATE for ALL language arts classes. The SRC is due regardless of whether you see me for class tomorrow or not. If you don't have my class tomorrow, you must find me and submit your SRC assignment to me (or if you're taking the online quiz, you must take it before the end of the day tomorrow).
2. Students in Language Arts Period E - Your homework (a double-sided worksheet on themes) is due at your next language arts class. Make sure to complete it so that your grade doesn't suffer unnecessarily!
See y'all tomorrow!
Miss Whitman
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