Holiday Break Assignment

The goal of this assignment is to keep you reading during our two-week break without ruining your break by making you work the whole time.  Follow the steps below.  Either email me or bring in your work on paper when we come back to school on JANUARY 2.  Be safe.  Have fun.  Happy Reading!

Assignment:

1. Choose ANYTHING you want to read.  It can be the book you're reading during SSR or literally anything else that interests you.  Whatever you choose should take at least an hour to read.
2. Identify the structure of what you read.
1. If you read a fiction or literary text, identify the plot elements.  (Use about as much detail as you did for the film study in class.)
2. If you read a nonfiction or informational text (try How Stuff Works for some great articles), identify the structure type and provide text evidence to explain how you know it's that type.
3. For nonfiction, use the resource below to help you identify the text type.
3. Write your answers on paper or email them to me.  Make sure to include the title and author of what you read.

Film Plot Structure 12/19

Hello 8th Grade Scholars.  I'm home sick today, but your hard work in Reading class continues!  Today you will watch the movie Cinderella Man and keep track of its plot structure.  The film takes place during the Great Depression so you should watch for some of the historic events that you've been learning about in Social Studies class.

Today's Task:
As you watch the movie... 

• Use details from the movie to describe what happens in each part of the plot.
• You should be able to complete the Introduction and Rising Action sections today.
• I would also like you to make a prediction about the Climax--how do you think the main conflict will be resolved?
• Look at the "Plot Elements" presentation from Tuesday to review what each section of the plot includes.

Example: (for the movie Annie)
Introduction--This film takes place in New York City in the 1930s.  In the introduction we meet the characters Annie, the Orphans, and Miss Hannigan.  Annie is a precocious orphan who lives in the orphanage that Miss Hannigan runs.  Miss Hannigan is a drunk who doesn't take good care of the girls and makes them work for her.  The main conflict seems to be that Annie is looking for her family, who she thinks will rescue her from the orphanage any day.

Turn It In:

• You may use Evernote to complete this assignment--email it to me at the end of class.
• You can also write your answers on paper and turn them in to Mr. James before you leave.

Illustrated Plot Maps (RL 5)

Today you are going to create an illustrated plot map of a children's story.  The purpose of this activity is to review plot elements and get us ready to compare plot structures later this domain.

Directions:
1) Read a children's story here or here.  Make sure you read the whole story.
2) Create an illustrated plot map of your story.  Your illustrated plot map must include:

• The 5 plot elements (introduction/exposition; rising action; climax/turning point; falling action; resolution/denouement): See the post "What are the plot elements?" for help.
• A short written description of what happens in each part of the story.
• Illustrations that go along with the story.

3) Look at my example illustrated plot map to see what I am expecting.

What are the plot elements? (RL 5)

Use the presentation below to review the basic plot structure for fiction or literary texts.

Holiday Break Preparation

Hi All!  I'm in the process of creating your holiday break assignments.  Please answer the questions below so that I can make sure that everyone has the tools necessary to finish their work over the break.

Quiz Review (RL & RI 4)

On Tuesday, Dec. 17 we will have our Mid-Domain quiz.  For more practice with the skills we've been working on, follow the links below.
Figurative Language
Identifying Tone
Word Connotations

Hello, Parents!

It was wonderful meeting with all of the parents who came out for conferences on Friday!  Thank you for visiting my blog.  Check back here regularly to see what we're working on in class and to find our occasional homework assignments (like the one students will have over the holiday break).

Exit Slip 12/11 (Tone in Poetry)

Use the follow excerpt from a poem by Muriel Stuart to answer your Exit Slip question for today.

The Seed Shop

Here in a quiet and dusty room they lie,
Faded as crumbled stone or shifting sand,
Forlorn as ashes, shriveled, scentless, dry--
Meadows and gardens running through my hand.

Words to Describe Tone

These are some words that can be used to describe the tone of a piece of writing.  These are by no means the only words that you can use to talk about tone.

Exit Slip 12/9--Tone

The following sentences describe an apartment with a different tone. Use them to answer the questions in the form below.

1)This is the apartment we live in.  It provides shelter.
2)When we move away, we’re planning to release three hundred cockroaches and tow mice, so we can leave the place exactly as we found it.
3) This place does need some repairs, but I’m sure the landlord will be making improvements sometime soon.
4)If only there were some decent jobs out there, I wouldn’t be reduced to living in this miserable dump.
5)This isn’t the greatest apartment in the world, but it’s not really that bad.
6)This place may be shabby, but since both of my children were born while we lived here, it has a special place in my heart.

Identifying Tone (RL & RI 4)

Use this resource if you need to review the definition of tone or how to identify it.

Connotations in Opinion Writing (RI 4)

Today you are going to examine the connotations of words in an opinion article to help you understand an author's perspective on an issue.

First, watch this video tutorial about analyzing word connotations in informational text.  Click on the link here.

Second, choose an article to read from this New York Times opinion series.

Third, answer the questions on the "Word Connotations in Nonfiction Text" worksheet.

Finally, answer the "Exit Question" (the post below this one) before you leave class today.

Exit Question 12/6/13

Read this short passage and answer the following multiple choice question.

"The Mollusk Family" by Deshawn Miller

Did you ever imagine that a tiny snail and a giant octopus might be part of the same family tree? Most people don't realize that snails, mussels, squid, and even octopods belong to the same category of creatures known as mollusks.

Because many mollusks creep along slowly, they need defense mechanisms.  Mollusks with shells simply retreat into their body armor to protect themselves from predators. But the Blue-Ringed Octopus, a mollusk found in the South Pacific, defends itself with a bit so fierce it is almost always fatal to humans.

Technical Terms--example (RI 4)

Technical Terms are words associated with a specific field of study or topic.  While these words will often be unfamiliar to you, when you are reading informational text, there will often be clues within the text to help you make an educated guess about their meanings.  These hints or clues are called context clues. 

Below is an example of what I'm looking for in your class work today (Thursday, Dec. 5).

Technical Term: Surrealist
Context Clues: "paintings," "elements," "European Realist, Symbolist," "movements," "art"
Definition*: Surrealist is the name of an art movement

*I came up with this definition because the word Surrealist was included in a list in this article and all of the words in the list were referred to as movements.  I know it was an art movement because the sentence was describing Frida's painting.  I also know Surrealist is a name because it is capitalized in the article.

Word Choice (RL 4)

Happy Wednesday, 8th Graders!  Today you will read the final selection from The Grapes of Wrath (day 3) and answer the questions in the form below.  Once you submit your work, begin reading your independent reading book.  You may also finish yesterday's assignment if you did not submit it yesterday.

What Are Connotations? (RL 4)

Review this presentation for a quick refresher about word connotations and how to use them as you're reading.

Connotations (RL 4)

As you read the excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath today, consider the connotations of Steinbeck's word choice.  Use the form below to answer the questions about the text and to submit your class work.

Identifying Figurative Language (RL 4)

Hello, Readers!  Here is a resource to help you identify five types of figurative language.  Use this as a reference while we continue to talk about word choice and creative ways to use language.