WEEKS 3 & 4/ 8-25 -- 9-5

 

1.     HERE IS BLOG FOR THE NEXT 2 WEEKS; LOOK AND PLAN AHEAD…

2.      

3.      

4.     WEEK 3:  Remember: You always need to look a week and half to two weeks ahead in this packet; you must always know what lies ahead and be prepared. You should be working on Unit 1 in vocabulary book; do each unit over a span of days; in 8^th grade I do not check to see that you have done vocabulary work – you should do it because doing so will help you.  On each vocabulary test, you must spell the words, use them correctly in sentences with contextual clues, know synonyms and antonyms. I recommend that you use flash cards for your study. You should also at this time -- and throughout every week -- prepare for your roots tests.  The first test will be over page 1, second test over pages 1 & 2, etc.  You should know each root, its meaning, two words from right column – and their definitions that reflect the root’s influence.  Every roots test is COMPREHENSIVE.  LOOK AHEAD on your due dates; be sure you are aware of deadlines in the imminent future.   Also, anytime you have an outside novel or a class-assigned novel, you should be reading that as well.

HW:

 

 

M. 8-25—ALL BLKS – Ms. Fields contact M.Mead  re: Wed.; extemporaneous responses to analogues selected by teacher: this is a great exercise that requires one to “think on his feet” and articulate/explain an idea related to ASP. FUN! BLK 5 written analogues due; I will hand out first book-of-choice assignment on auto/biography. You will get rubric and writing assignment for this assignment as well. This is due on 9-9 or 9-10, whichever date reflects the earlier time your block meets. I will give you a “heads-up” note for parents, as one may have to drive you to book store or library.  As always, if you bring the signed notification back, you get a 100 as quiz grade.  If you do not, you receive “x”, which carries no weight.

HW: Parent notification signed;

T. 8-26—BLKS 1,5,3 –MS. Fields: contact M.Mead re: tomorrow;  continue extemporaneous responses; turn in parent notification.

HW: Parent notification signed; pack for a fun 2 days at 8^th grade retreat at Coleman!

 

W. 8-27 --No classes/retreat

HW:

 

Th. 8-28—No classes/retreat

HW:

 

F. 8-29—ALL BLKS –last day to turn in parent signatures; on-level Personal Museum papers or page from Gene’s autobiography due (whichever one I finally assigned); finish extemporaneous responses to analogues; Ms. Fields be sure every block is “on same page” due to irregular week.

HW:

*****************************************************************

 

WEEK 4:  From this point on, I will not remind you that you should be looking ahead on due dates to see imminent due dates; nor will I remind you to be working on vocabulary and roots and reading all along.  If you do a little each night, you will be able to “keep your head above water” and swim – not drown.  I am training you for high school when you will be entirely accountable for yourselves.  I love you J

 

M. 9-1 – Holiday/Labor Day – Rest for the Weary!:)

 

HW:

 

T. 9-2—BLKS 1,5,3—Winding up discussion of ASP; what is a “sp”, talk about bullying/ants/character analysis, Genesis story, archetype, ascension, literary trends, names, fake personae (Leper and Gene vs. Finny), motivations, reality; hand out “Story of an Hour”; this should be read at home tonight.  Watch for ascension, natural senses awakening, epiphany, determine time/date of story by making inferences, etc.  Read this carefully; find the climax/turning point.

HW: Read the story; type 3 questions gleaned from reading; type 3 quotations you are puzzled by or think are important.

 

HW:

 

W. 9-3—BLKS 1,6,3—Finish ASP discussion/loose ends; discuss “Story of an Hour”; ascension, natural senses awakening, epiphany, determine time/date of story by making inferences; climax/turning point.

HW:

 

Th. 9-4—BLKS 5,6—Finish ASP discussion/loose ends; discuss (BLK 5) “Story of an Hour”; ascension, natural senses awakening, epiphany, determine time/date of story by making inferences, climax/turning point.

HW:

 

F. 9-5—All BLKS – 25 minute vocab test 1; tie up any loose ends from week.

HW:

 

 

 

Susan C. Fields 8th grade Language Arts Davis Leadership Team The Davis Academy 7901 Roberts Drive Atlanta, GA 30350 770-671-0085     Main Line Ext. 144

Catch our Ruach!  The Davis Academy is Atlanta’s Reform Jewish Day
School and a proud affiliate of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

 

FW: BLOG/8-11--8_22/FIRST 2 WEEKS

 

 

From: Susan Fields
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2014 1:05 PM
To: Susan Fields; Rebecca Cater; Lauren Ward
Subject: BLOG/8-11--8_22/FIRST 2 WEEKS

 

BLOG: 8-11-8-22/First 2 weeks 2014

                                                                DUE DATES—FIRST TRIMESTER/FIELDS

STUDENTS: Any one of these dates/expectations could change due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. SNOWmageddon J!, my absence, our coverage speed… The best way to use my blog (see syllabus) and this due dates packet is to ALWAYS LOOK AHEAD; see what assignments are in the imminent future.  If you do not look/plan ahead, you may come to class unprepared.  You have much more responsibility this year re: keeping up with assignments.  I will not remind you day to day.  Put these due dates on your agenda; check you agenda every night by looking ahead at least a week or two…

 

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: The first time you see your block will be the date of the assignment, paper, quiz, test, etc.

 

In the first week, we will need to do a little bit of “housekeeping” re: my blog, teacher’s policies, Davis policies (dress and academic) teacher’s expectations, intruder drills, fire drills, tornado drills, location of AEDs in case of emergency, etc.  As far as academics go, you will have a quiz on A Separate Peace. We will also begin discussion of this classic and do so through various approaches, some teacher-led and some student-led.  I think that you will discover some interesting ways to approach and to study/unlock literature this year.

WEEK 1: Remember: You always need to look a week and half to two weeks ahead in this packet; you must always know what lies ahead and be prepared.

M. 8-11 A Day: all blocks –WELCOME!  Chat about summer reading assignments due from ALL students (DO NOT PANIC – YOU HAVE A WEEK!) ;handouts; book distribution; talk about how to best use due dates packet/ agenda;  for HW get your syllabus signed for a quiz grade; you need to give me that signed syllabus no later than Friday for credit.  You do not receive a 0 for not returning any parent-teacher communication; you will receive an “X” instead of 100 quiz grade.  Just remember, good quiz grades can help an end-of-quarter average.

HW:

T. 8-12 BLKS. 1, 5,3 – Quiz over A Separate Peace ; signed syllabus due; I will make first writing assignment – As is often the case, the honors assignment will differ from the on-level assignment. On-level classes will write either a Personal Museum paper or page of your (Gene’s autobiography)/TBA.  Honors will write responses to teacher-generated analogues in some way related to the novel.  Honors paper due 8-25; on-level paper due 8-29. Today I will introduce and apply some literary trends.

HW: due dates on agenda if you did not do so in class today; signed syllabus; work on summer written work for ASP. Tomorrow –or next time your block meets – have prepared  5 questions  about ASP; also, have prepared 3 of the most important and/or puzzling quotations that you found in ASP. This is a good way to start discussion of the novel.  These should be prepared in New Times Roman/12 font.  Use quotation marks and documentation correctly according to MLA that you were taught in the last 2 years at DAMS. If you have forgotten, GOOGLE  MLA documentation and find correct example. Note that the 5 quotations do not have to necessarily be actual dialogue.  You should be working on Unit 1 in vocabulary book; do each unit over a span of days; in 8^th grade I do not check to see that you have done vocabulary work – you should do it because doing so will help you.  On each vocabulary test, you must spell the words, use them correctly in sentences with contextual clues, know synonyms and antonyms. I recommend that you use flash cards for your study. You should also at this time -- and throughout every week -- prepare for your roots tests.  The first test will be over page 1.  You should know each root, its meaning, two words from the right column – and their definitions that reflect the root’s influence.  Every roots test is COMPREHENSIVE. Also, any time you have an outside novel or class-assigned novel, you should be working on that as well.

 

W. 8-13 BLKS 1,6,3 – turn in signed syllabus;  Block 6 quiz over ASP; MS. Fields, make Personal Museum paper assignment or analogues/page in Gene’s autobiography assignment; give rubrics; BLOCK 6 read all of above and follow instructions I gave to classes yesterday re: questions and quotations on ASP due tomorrow. Introduction to some important literary trends; see literary trends sheet.

HW:

 

Th. 8-14 BLKS 5,6 –Turn in signed syllabus; questions and quotes should be available in case I take them up; we will discuss several important ideas about how to read literature, what to look for, literary trends (see sheet), inverted symbols (shirt), small example to represent big example (story vs. novel/string), elements of story and elements of novel (diagram), archetype characters/literature, title of the novel, ascension in literature, 3 things that typically happen in a story or novel: someone comes to visit, something hidden is revealed, someone takes a trip (journey); personal museum; Freitag’s/Freytag’s pyramid.

HW:

 

F. 8-15 ALL BLKS – last day to turn in syllabus; questions and quotes should be available in case I take them up; we will discuss several important ideas about how to read literature, what to look for, literary trends (see sheet), inverted symbols (shirt), small example to represent big example (story vs. novel/string), elements of story and elements of novel (diagram), archetype characters/literature, title of the novel, ascension in literature, 3 things that typically happen in a story or novel: someone comes to visit, something hidden is revealed, someone takes a trip (journey); personal museum; Freitag’s/Freytag’s pyramid.

HW:

 

WEEK 2 : Remember: You always need to look a week and half to two weeks ahead in this packet; you must always know what lies ahead and be prepared. You should be working on Unit 1 in vocabulary book; do each unit over a span of days; in 8^th grade I do not check to see that you have done vocabulary work – you should do it because doing so will help you.  On each vocabulary test, you must spell the words, use them correctly in sentences with contextual clues, know synonyms and antonyms. I recommend that you use flash cards for your study. You should also at this time -- and throughout every week -- prepare for your roots tests.  The first test will be over page 1.  You should know each root, its meaning, two words from right column – and their definitions that reflect the root’s influence.  Every roots test is COMPREHENSIVE.  LOOK AHEAD on your due dates; be sure you are aware of deadlines in the imminent future. Also, anytime you have an outside novel or class-assigned novel, you should be reading.

M. 8-18 –ALL BLKS – Bring in all summer written work; this work was assigned to ALL students, and you were reminded on day 1.  Be ready to present your illustrations.  Ms. Fields will check to see what was left over from Thursday and Friday of last week and be sure we are all on the same page.  As you will see today, student illustrations will be one way that we will bring meaning to summer reading.  Some of our discussion will be generated by your work, ideas, questions, etc.  There are many approaches we will take to our exploration of literature this year.

HW:

 

T. 8-19 –BLKS 1,5,3 –Finish explanation of  illustrations; discussing your gleaned quotations and generated questions;

HW:

 

W. 8-20 – BLKS 1,6,3—Ms. Fields has Back to School Night: urge your parents to come! Finish explanation of illustrations. We continue to go over quotations/questions in our discussion.

HW:

 

Th. 8-21 – BLKS 5,6--  Finish illustrations; continue quotations/questions in our discussion of ASP.

HW:

 

F. 8-22 –ALL BLKS – Ms. Fields will double check to see that all drill procedures have by now been discussed: fire, tornado, intruder, etc.  ASP discussion; quotations and questions; related Newsweek article: “Letter from a Son”/ and other newspaper articles applied to ASP.

HW:

 

 

 

Susan C. Fields 8th grade Language Arts Davis Leadership Team The Davis Academy 7901 Roberts Drive Atlanta, GA 30350 770-671-0085     Main Line Ext. 144

Catch our Ruach!  The Davis Academy is Atlanta’s Reform Jewish Day
School and a proud affiliate of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.