Google Guide!

We all use Google! But do you use it as effectively as you could? Check out the Google Guide Cheat Sheet and try out each tip listed.

Then, complete the practice exercises listed here.  Enter your responses here.

Subject/Verb Quiz and Teen Ink

Seventh-graders, click here to check your understanding of subject-verb agreement.

Then, visit the website TeenInk and click here to answer questions about it.

Homework for the Week of 5-16-11

This week will bring the premiere of Freedom Riders, a fantastic new documentary about the fight to desegregate buses in the south during the Civil Rights Movement. Check it out at 9 p.m. on Monday, May 16, or 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17. You can learn a lot more at the website, too.

Literacy:
Monday: Research assignment: watch Freedom Riders or read excerpts from companion book and respond to questions. (Due Wednesday.) 
Tuesday: Freedom Riders research assignment due tomorrow.

Wednesday: Context collage for a vocabulary word of your choice.

Thursday: You Be the Teacher proposal due.

Friday: Read The Media and the Freedom Rides and create a Media Metaphors collage (collecting and compiling media reports on an issue, analyzing images and language used to report).

Language Arts:
Monday:

219: Active/passive voice practice.
213: Parts of speech practice.

Tuesday:
219: Direct/indirect object practice.
213: Homophone practice.
225: GUM pages 55 and 56.

Wednesday:
219: Parts of speech review.
213: Confused/misused words review.
225: Parts of speech review.

Thursday:
219: Week’s review: direct/indirect objects, parts of speech, active/passive voice.
213: Subject-verb agreement practice.
225: Watch Freedom Riders clip and write one-page reflection.

Friday:
219: Finding and annotating an example of the chosen genre.
213: Usage review (exempt if quiz was passed).

Homework for the Week of 4-25-11

I hope you had a safe and restful Spring Break!  Seventh grade: you have a proofreading quiz to complete by the end of the night on Sunday, May 1. Click here to complete it.

Literacy:
Monday: Read Act IV, Scene 2 and answer comprehension questions.
Tuesday: Read through script and have assigned work (varies depending on role) completed by Thursday.
Wednesday: Read Act IV, Scene 5 lines 1-99 and complete Speech Bubbles worksheet. (Extra credit for reading and summarizing the remainder of the scene).
Thursday: Read and annotate Socratic Seminar text (“Harrison Bergeron”).
Friday: Read and outline "How Earth Day Came About."

Language Arts:
Monday:

219: Active and passive voice practice.
213: List of all narrator panels.

Tuesday:
219: Appositive practice.
213: “I Dare You” paragraph: 7 sentences on goals for 8th grade. Must correctly use compound personal pronouns at least once.
225: Article due electronically.

Wednesday:
219: Completed storyboard.
213: Online proofreading quiz due Sunday evening.
225: Ideas for interview subjects OR formal letter requesting that an interview subject be arranged.

Thursday:
219: Quiz on appositives and active/passive voice.
213: Online proofreading quiz due Sunday evening.
225: Completed appointment card demonstrating a scheduled time for an interview (students who wrote a letter requesting an interview subject are exempt).

Friday:
219: Free write.
213: Online proofreading quiz due Sunday evening.





Homework for the Week of 4-11-11


Literacy
Monday: Read Act III, Scene 2 and answer reflection questions in play journal.

Tuesday: Identifying couplets in Romeo and Juliet.
Wednesday: Read Act III, Scene 4 and complete iambic pentameter worksheet.
Thursday: Study for Romeo and Juliet test. Read Act III, Scene 5 and complete texting language worksheet.
Friday: Write a passage using all lesson 27 words. Choose one play journal reflection question from list of options.


Language Arts
Monday:

219: Charting the narrative arc of the memoir.
213: Complete storyboard.

Tuesday:
219: Free write.
213: GUM practice: predicate nouns, predicate adjectives, appositives.
225: Bring a colored pen to class.

Wednesday:
213: Lesson 26 part 3, page 80.
225: Finish high school brochure.

Thursday:
219: Listening to and responding to audio memoir from This I Believe or StoryCorps series. Bring a colored pen.

Friday:
219: Active voice and passive voice sentence practice.
213: Identifying types of sentences.


Homework for the Week of 4-4-11

Wow, it's April!

Literacy:
Monday: Writing your personal pledge of allegiance. Work on portfolios for report-card pickup.

Tuesday: Read Junior Scholastic “Disaster in Japan” or “G.I. Janes” and complete article summary. Portfolios completed for third-quarter report card pickup.
Thursday: Quiz on word study lessons 25 and 26
Friday: Adaptation Ideas worksheet

Language Arts
Monday:

219: Choose one memory to expand and use it to complete a free write.
213: Revising based on a comment made in class.

Tuesday:
219: Think of a time in your life that you might want to write more about. Who is another person who was there or who knew you during that time period? Ask them a few questions and jot down their responses.
213: Clean, complete, updated draft of memoir.
225: GUM lesson 5 part 3, page 16.

Thursday:
219: “I Dare You” paragraph.
213: Peer conference preparation (draft with guiding questions).
225: Free write.

Friday:
219: Completed first draft of memoir.
213: Bring materials for your final memoir project, as outlined on the project sheet.



Audio Memoirs

Your memoir doesn't just have to live on the page. Audio memoirs bring personal stories to life, with the help of a powerful tool called the human voice.

Choose one of the resources below and find an audio memoir to listen to. Write a one-paragraph response to the memoir-- what did you think of it? What was the main idea, lesson, or purpose of this person's story? Be sure to include the title of the audio memoir you chose.

Resources for Audio Memoirs:

  • This I Believe: People share essays telling the stories of their most important beliefs.
  • StoryCorps: This organization travels around the country to record the stories of average people. (We listened to two StoryCorps stories in class during our narrative unit). 

Homework for the Week of 3-28-11

Can you believe that third quarter is coming to an end?! If you'd like to make up an assignment, I will gladly accept one re-do of your choice by 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 31. (Eighth graders, for you this offer extends to one assignment per class, i.e. you can do one for language arts, one for literacy, et cetera).

Literacy

Monday: In play journal: Open Mind for Romeo at the end of Act I, Scene 1.


Tuesday: Read Act I, Scene 3 and complete Speech Bubbles dialogue summary.

Wednesday: Play journal entry on Romeo’s words from Act I, Scene 4 (p. 58): “You have dancing shoes with nimble souls, I have a soul of lead so stakes me to the ground I cannot move” and “Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like a thorn.”
Thursday: Read Wiegle adaptation of Act I (optional). Write a passage in any genre using lesson 25 vocabulary.

Language Arts

Monday:

219: Complete draft of essay.
213: Defining the lesson/purpose/significance/so what of the memoir draft.

Tuesday:
219: Blue sheets for 3rd quarter portfolio due Thursday.
213: Finished first draft of memoir.
225: Read journalism vocabulary sheet and prepare for quiz on terms.

Wednesday:
213: Bring in an image or image concept to complement your memoir.
225: GUM lesson 5 part 3, page 16.

Thursday:
219: Autobiographical timeline.
213: Listening and responding to audio memoirs from “This I Believe” or StoryCorps.
225: News article analysis

All About Elizabethan England

Greetings, eighth-graders! As we begin our study of Romeo and Juliet, we first need to learn a little about William Shakespeare and the time he lived in. As we read the play, we can try to visualize how audiences of that time may have reacted, as well as thinking about our own critical responses.

1. Check out the websites listed below to learn more about Shakespeare and the era in which he lived.
2. Take this online quiz to show your knowledge. First do Part 1... then, do Part 2.

Resources:

Homework for the Week of 3-21-11

Literacy:
Monday: Vocabulary skill practice.
Tuesday: Share Romeo and Juliet note home.
Wednesday: Shakespeare and Elizabethan England take-home quiz.
Thursday: Questions about the prologue of Romeo and Juliet.
Friday: Read Act 1, Scene 2 and list major plot events in play journal.

Language Arts:
Monday:

219: Haiku festival entries (extra credit).
213: Autobiographical timeline.

Tuesday:
219: Completed/revised persuasive speech planner.
213: “I Dare You” paragraph.
225: Quiz on diagramming direct and indirect objects.

Wednesday:
219: “I Dare You” paragraphs.
213: Haiku festival entries (extra credit).
225: Haiku festival entries (extra credit).

Thursday:
219: Hyphens and parentheses quiz.
213: Listening and responding to audio memoirs from “This I Believe” or StoryCorps (due Monday).
225: Free write.

Friday:
219: Evaluating student persuasive essay samples using rubric.
213: Listening and responding to audio memoirs from “This I Believe” or StoryCorps (due Monday).




Vocabulary Lesson 23 Resources

Study your lesson 23 vocabulary words using Quizlet or Spelling City.

Freedom Fighters

Although the Civil Rights Movement may be the most well-known American freedom movement, African-Americans have not been the only group in our history to fight for equal rights and equal protection under the law.

Just as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was inspired by the tactics Mahatma Gandhi's used in his fight for freedom, many of the individuals and groups who have fought for their rights were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement and tried to learn from the experienced and tactics African-Americans used to win their rights.

For this assignment, you will:

1. Choose one of these freedom movements to research:
  • Feminist Movement
  • Chicano Movement
  • Gay Liberation movement
  • American Indian movement
  • Disability Rights movement
  • Open the document and click File >> Save As. Save the document with the name "Freedom Fighters - [Your Name]." For example: Freedom Fighters - Deja and Marcus
  • Now you can write your answers directly into the document and save them as you go along. Make sure to save frequently! You can save quickly by pressing CTRL + S on the keyboard.
3. Use the links in the document to find information about the freedom movement you choose. When your assignment is complete, please email the attachment to elewing@cps.edu. If you don't have an email address, let me know.

Little Rock Ten Assignment

Click here to view and/or download the Little Rock Ten writing assignment that will be our culminating project for Warriors Don't Cry!

Homework for the Week of 3-14-11


Literacy

Monday: Stem List 6 (stems and meanings are provided; students generate examples).

Tuesday: Finish Warriors Don’t Cry. Quiz on chapters 15-18.
Wednesday: “Little Rock 10” draft, with explanation of theme and chapter(s) being represented. (Final version due Monday.)
Thursday: For Socratic Seminar, complete gender roles survey.
Friday: Final “Little Rock 10” narrative (as text, audio, or video).


Language Arts

Monday:

219: Write 5 sentences correctly using hyphens and parentheses (your choice of combinations).
213: Youth violence essay typed for tomorrow.

Tuesday:
219: Completed draft of “my gift to the world” essay. Quiz on hyphens/parentheses/dashes.
213: Final version of anti-violence essay.
225: Extra credit: interview notes (observing an interviewer on television or radio and their habits in asking questions).

Wednesday:
219: Freshman English standards survey.
213: Final draft of “my gift to the world” essays due Friday.
225: GUM p. 16, part 3.

Thursday:
219: Prepare for expository presentations.
213: Final draft of “my gift to the world” essays.
225: “I Dare You” paragraph.

Friday:
219: Sort papers for portfolio.
13: “I Dare You” paragraph.

Homework for the Week of 3-8-11

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend, and you're back and ready to rock the ISAT!

Literacy

Tuesday: Vocabulary skill builder on pages 139 and 140. Complete examples for Stem List 5.
Wednesday: Read Warriors Don’t Cry chapters 13 and 14 and complete take-home quiz on chapters 12-14.
Thursday: Read Warriors Don’t Cry chapters 15 and 16. Word study quiz tomorrow.
Friday: Questions on irony from “Cartoon Corner” section of Junior Scholastic.

Language Arts

Tuesday:

219:  For Friday, have informational material about the college of your choice.
213: GUM lesson 68 part 3.
225: Free write.

Wednesday:
219: Proofread your classroom newsletter article. For Friday, have informational material about the college of your choice.
213: Free write.
225: Final expository essay due Tuesday 3-15.

Thursday:
219: Free write. Bring informational material about the college of your choice.
213: Lesson 68 on page 284.
225: Final expository essay due Tuesday 3-15.

Friday:
219: Lesson 67 practice, p. 284.
213: Essay typed by Tuesday.




Homework for the Week of 2-28-11

Wow, can you believe February is over? We're gearing up for ISAT!

Literacy

Monday: Read chapters 11 and 12 of Warriors Don’t Cry. Complete examples for stem list 4. Poems memorized for recitation by Friday.


Tuesday: Quiz on chapters 8-12 of Warriors Don’t Cry. Poems memorized for recitation by Friday.

Wednesday: Word study lesson 21 practice pages. Poems memorized for recitation by Friday.

Thursday: Quiz on literary techniques. Poems memorized for recitation.

Friday: Extended response practice with explicit goal: “What values have shaped Chicago?”


Language Arts:
Monday:

219: Grammar review for quiz Thursday.
213: Review rubric for final expository draft due Wednesday. Quiz on pronouns in pairs and negatives.

Tuesday:
213: Final expository essay.
225: Quiz on who vs. whom, forms of to be, tense, and pronouns.

Wednesday:
219: Quiz on negatives and expressions to avoid in academic writing. (GUM lessons 45 and 46)
213: Complete “My gift to the world” essay organizer.
225: Respond to Author Impact questions (a book that was meaningful to you, and why).

Thursday:
219: Final expository essay.
213: Completed first draft of “my gift to the world” essay.
225: Completed first draft of expository essay.

Friday:
219: Complete “My gift to the world” organizer.
213: GUM p 277

Homework for the Week of 2-14-11

Happy Valentine's Day! And happy 3-weeks-until-ISAT!

Literacy:
Monday: Read chapters 4 and 5 of Warriors Don’t Cry.

Tuesday: Memorize lines for assembly. Make personal connotation notes in your vocabulary book for lesson 19.
Wednesday: Complete stem list 3 with examples.
Thursday: Read Warriors Don’t Cry chapter 6. Quiz on Warriors Don’t Cry chapters 4-6.
Friday: Extended response practice with expressly-stated personal goal/focus for improvement – “Learn About Physical Therapists.”

Language Arts

Monday:

Finish contest entry (due Wednesday).

Tuesday:
219: Sentence structure practice (writing examples).
213: Bring in a piece of expository text.
225: Diagramming compound subjects and compound predicates.

Wednesday:
219: Complex phrase practice sheet.
213: Write various theses on a topic, reflecting different organizational structures.
225: Preposition illustrations.

Thursday:
219: Study for sentence structure quiz.
213/225: Complete a second expository graphic organizer. (It can be on the same topic, or a different one.)

Friday: Writing “ledes and kickers” with New York Times examples.




Word Study Flashcards

Homework for the Week of 2-7-11

Literacy:
Monday: Read introduction to Warriors Don’t Cry and complete Skill Inventory sheet.
Tuesday: Read chapters 2 and 3 of Warriors Don’t Cry.
Wednesday: Write a passage in any genre that uses all 10 lesson 18 words correctly. (Underline each word.)
Thursday: Word study quiz (with stem practice) tomorrow. Prepare for assembly practice—know lines and cues for speaking grade.
Friday: Extended response practice with “George Washington Carver.”

Language Arts:
Monday:

219: Study Island proofreading assignment- due 2-13-11.
213: Sentence structure practice.

Tuesday:
219: Differentiated skills practice (based on “I Dare You” assessments).
213: Differentiated skills practice (based on “I Dare You” assessments).
225: Diagramming practice.

Wednesday:
219: Author biography analysis questions.
213: Finding Compound Subjects and Compound Predicates (p. 286 of Reading Proficiency Lessons).
225: Diagramming quiz tomorrow; final narrative essay due.

Thursday:
219: Final narrative essay due tomorrow.
213: Final narrative essay due tomorrow.
225: Differentiated skills practice (based on “I Dare You” assessments).

Friday:
Outline idea for Gershanov Memorial Contest: which human rights issue to address, what format to use, and what images and language to use.




Homework for the Week of 1-31-11

Literacy:
Monday: Greek/Latin stems practice #2, identity chart

Tuesday: Jesus Colon extended response.
Wednesday: Write a passage in any genre that uses all 10 lesson 17 words correctly. (Underline each word.)
Thursday: Read Chapters 2 and 3 of Warriors Don’t Cry (quiz tomorrow).
Friday: Extended response practice.

Language Arts:
Monday:
Complete narrative planning organizer based on your interview.
Tuesday:
213/219:
Make a plan for any follow-up questions you need to ask your interview subject in order to create a strong narrative.
225:
 Complete narrative planning organizer based on your interview. Make a plan for any follow-up questions you need to ask your interview subject in order to create a strong narrative.

Wednesday:
219/ 213:
Author biography analysis questions.
225:
Diagramming quiz tomorrow.

Thursday:
219/213:
Skills practice worksheets/
225:
Final narrative essay.

Friday:
Final narrative essay.






Homework for the Week of 1-24-11

Literacy

Monday: Examples for common roots (Stem Practice #1). Poem memorized for Wednesday/Thursday. “It’s Greek to Me” game (extra credit-- print out your "medal" at the end as proof that you did it, or send me a screenshot).
Tuesday: Word study pages 103-105.
Wednesday: Word study quiz on lessons 15 and 16 and common Greek roots.
Thursday: Extended response practice with “My Sister, the Soldier.”

Language Arts
Monday:

Free write.

Tuesday:
219: Peer feedback evaluation.
213: Revising to find and replace clichés.
225: Free write.

Wednesday:
219: Finalize interview questions and make arrangements to conduct your interview by Monday 1-31-11.
213: Finalize interview questions and make arrangements to conduct your interview by Monday 1-31-11.
225: “I Dare You” paragraph.

Thursday:
Narrative interview completed by Monday 1-31.





Homework for the Week of 1-18-11

Be sure to check out the extra credit opportunity I'm offering this week!

Literacy:
Tuesday: Word Study pp. 95-96. Quiz tomorrow on lessons 13 & 14 and prefixes/suffixes.
Wednesday: Scantron score reflection.
Thursday: Read Walking with the Wind and prepare 3 questions (inferential, evaluative, or analytic).
Friday: Fact vs. opinion practice passage and questions.


Language Arts:

Tuesday:
Free write.

Wednesday:
219: Avoiding Misplaced Modifiers worksheet.
213: Read GUM pages 39 and 41 and write 1 sentence of each type described (6 total).
225: Read GUM page 111 and write 2 sentences of each type described (8 total).
Thursday:
219: Diagramming practice.
213: Diagramming practice.
225: Interview assignment preliminary work (brainstorming subjects and questions).

Friday:
Interview assignment preliminary work (brainstorming subjects and questions).

Language Arts Extra Credit!

I just got news of a great contest, and I will offer extra credit to anyone who prepares an entry! The contest is sponsored by Scholastic. The instructions are below. Due date: Monday, January 24. Must be typed.

Write an essay about a barrier that you have faced. Explain how you faced this barrier by using one or more of Jackie Robinson’s nine values:

* courage
* persistence
* justice
* determination
* integrity
* commitment
* teamwork
* excellence
* citizenship
Essays should be between 500 and 700 words. All essays must be factual and based on the student’s real-life experience.

More information can be found on Scholastic's website. However, please submit your entry to me-- do not submit it directly on the website!

Research Assignment: Notable Black Chicagoans

For this assignment, you will complete a first-person questionnaire about an African-American individual from Chicago who did something remarkable in his or her lifetime. You will be presenting your research results briefly for the rest of the class. If you have other ideas please suggest them, but the idea of this assignment is to learn more about people whose accomplishments you are unfamiliar with.

Cite your sources in MLA format: 
Author name (if available). Name of Site. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access.


Try using the EasyBib tool!

Possible subjects:

  • Carol Moseley Braun
  • Gwendolyn Brooks
  • Margaret Burroughs
  • Sam Cooke
  • Shani Davis
  • Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable
  • Fred Hampton
  • Lorraine Hansberry
  • Jesse Jackson
  • Mae Jemison
  • Herb Kent
  • Mavis Staples
  • Michelle Obama
  • Harold Washington
  • Muddy Waters
  • Ida B. Wells
  • Howlin' Wolf
  • Richard Wright

"I Have a Dream" Found Poem

This week, eighth-graders are creating found poems based on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. There is a cool online tool available for you to do this-- check it out!

Homework for the Week of 1-10-11

Literacy:
Monday: _____’s Big Words; “I Have a Dream” found poem
Tuesday: Word study pages 89-90.
Wednesday: Study prefixes and suffixes. Word study pages 91-92.
Thursday: Study for word study test (Lesson 14 and roots/affixes).
Friday: Extended response practice: “Letter from Birmingham Jail” excerpt.


Language Arts:
Monday:
Narrative essay second draft.

Tuesday:
219: Evaluating peer review comments.
213: Evaluating peer review comments.
225: Dialogue practice sheet.

Wednesday:
Study for technique quiz.

Thursday:
219: Complete planning sheet for narrative essay.
213: Complete planning sheet for narrative essay.
225: GUM pages 44 and 46.

Friday: Narrative project draft.

Webquest: Uncovering Cerebral Palsy

In this assignment, you will do research to learn more about cerebral palsy. This is the disease which causes Melody's disabilities in Out of My Mind.

You and your partner will explore the websites below for information about cerebral palsy. You will use this information to answer several questions. The questions are contained within a Microsoft Word document, and you will answer them in the document, save it, and turn it in electronically.

1. Click here to download the assignment. (Click File >> Download original.)
2. Open the document and click File >> Save As. Save the document with the name "Cerebral Palsy Research - [Your Names]." For example:  Cerebral Palsy Research - Deja and Marcus
3. Now you can write your answers directly into the document and save them as you go along. Make sure to save frequently! You can save quickly by pressing CTRL + S on the keyboard.
4. When you are done, email the document as an attachment to elewing@cps.edu. Use the title as your subject line (e.g. Cerebral Palsy Research - Deja and Marcus) so that it can be quickly identified as yours. If neither you nor your partner has an email address, let me know.

Research resources:

Homework for the Week of 1-3-11

Happy New Year!

Literacy:
Monday: Inference practice worksheet.
Tuesday: Study for Out of My Mind test.
Wednesday: Drawing conclusions practice worksheet.
Thursday: Story structure practice worksheet.
Friday: Out of My Mind extended response practice.

Language Arts:
Monday: Free write.
Tuesday:
219: Point-of-view worksheet.
213: Point-of-view worksheet.
225: Free write.
Wednesday:
Audience worksheet.
Thursday:
Paragraphing worksheet.
Friday:
Completed second draft of narrative essay.
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