Ms. Tilley's English/Language Arts Class
The North Star Team

Labor Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL

Brief Description:   Media Center.                                                                                

Journal Topic:    What did you do over the three day weekend?                                                          

Activities:  How will the Media Center resources help you in 8th grade?   Students will be introduced to Accelerated Reader expectations, and be allowed to check out a fiction book.   Students will also be introduced to the Reading Homework Helper.                                              

Homework:    Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.                                                             

Brief Description:   Completion of Color Sense Poems.                                                                      

Journal Topic:  What is the anthrosphere impact of Gustav on the Gulf Coast?                                                         

Activities:  How can poetry be used to communicate ideas?  Complete Color Sense Poems that were started August 29th.  Share and display in class.  Have students complete Hidden Meanings Puzzle.         

Homework:   Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.               

Brief Description:   Introduction of Literature Circles.                                                                                

Journal Topic:    Your Choice.

Activities:  How do Literature Circles enhance your comprehension?  Review 5 roles in Literature Circles.  Explain how the Vocabulary Viewer role will be different from last year. 

Homework:   Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.                       

Brief Description:    Begin class novel,   Gentle's Holler.                                                                                                                                                             

Journal Topic:   How does modeling and mapping help us prepare for hurricanes?                                         

Activities:   What are your predictions for Gentle's Holler?   Begin the novel in Literature Circles by reading Chapter 1.                                                  

Homework:   Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.               

Brief Description:     Read Chapter 2 in Gentle's Holler.                                                                              

Journal Topic:   What is your role on the North Star Team?                                                                                                                 

Activities:     How can you evaluate what the setting is in Gentle's Holler?  Read Chapter 2 in Gentle's Holler in Literature Circles.                                                                                                                              

Homework:   Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.               

Brief Description:     Media Center/Study Island                                                                              

Journal Topic:     What do you know about Literature Circles?                                                            

Activities:    What comprehension skills will you need to focus on this year?  Students will take the Reading Study Island pre-test that will diagnosis goals and objectives that each student will need  to focus on this year.  Students will be given a post-test in the Spring of 2009.                                             

Homework:   Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.               

Brief Description:   Read Chapter 3 in Gentle's Holler.                                                                                 

Journal Topic:   Describe Livy two.                                                           

Activities:   How can you evaluate what you are reading in Gentle's Holler?  Read Chapter 3 in Gentle's Holler in Literature Circles.                                                    

Homework:   Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.               

Brief Description:   Read Chapter 4 in Gentle's Holler.                                                                                 

Journal Topic:    Your Choice.                                                          

Activities:    How can you evaluate what you are reading in Gentle's Holler?  Read Chapter 4 in Gentle's Holler in Literature Circles.                                                   

Homework:   Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.               

Brief Description:   Determine character traits using attribute webs.                                                                                

Journal Topic:    Thank goodness it's Friday because...                                                          

Activities:    How can you evaluate character traits in Gentle's Holler?  Have students complete attribute webs for each character in Gentle's Holler and discuss.  Also, have students find evidence of Figurative Language.

Homework:   Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.               

Brief Description:  Seminar:  "maggie and millie and mollie and may" by e.e.cummings.                                                                                             

Journal Topic:   What do you know about seminars?                                                        

Activities:  How can seminars increase intellectual and social skills?    Seminar:  "maggie and millie and mollie and may" by e.e.cummings.                                                                                                          

Homework:  Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.               

Brief Description:   Media Center for AR and Check out.                                                                      

Journal Topic:     Write "maggie and millie and mollie and may".                                                           

Activities:  What should you include in a summary of the book you are reading for AR?    Media Center for AR and Check out.        

Homework:   Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.               

Brief Description:  Read Chapter 5 in Gentle's Holler.                                                                                                      

Journal Topic: Describe the biggest meal you have ever eaten.                                                            

Activities:  How can you evaluate what you are reading in Gentle's Holler? Read Chapter 5 in Gentle's Holler in Literature Circles.                                                             

Homework:  Read 15 minutes nightly.  Poem of the Month DUE to recite by memory on September 18th.               

Brief Description:  Recite "maggie and millie and mollie and may" from memory.                                                                                 

Journal Topic:  Your Choice.                                                         

Activities:  What one stanza means the most to you?  Why?   Recite "maggie and millie and mollie and may" from memory.                                                                    

Homework:   Read 15 minutes nightly.

Brief Description:  Read Chapter 6 in Gentle's Holler.                                                                                                       

Journal Topic: Do you plan to go to the dance?  Why or Why not?                                                            

Activities:  How can you evaluate what you are reading in Gentle's Holler? Read Chapter 6 in Gentle's Holler in Literature Circles.                                                            

Homework:  Read 15 minutes nightly.

Brief Description:  Prepare for the Field Trip Sept. 30th by beginning to read and discuss the short stories that will be acted out at the Chamber Theatre.                                                                            

Journal Topic:   Tell what you think is the worst kind of pollution.                                                     

Activities:   What are characteristics of mystery short stories and how do they impact the story? Read and discuss "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe.                                                  

Homework:  Complete comprehension activities for "Tell-Tale Heart".  Read 15 minutes nightly.

Brief Description:    Shop at Book Fair. Assign Literature Report.                                                                               

Journal Topic:    Summarize Gentle's Holler.

Activities:  What are the characteristics of fiction stories and how do they impact the story?                                                    

Homework:  Literature Report DUE October 7th.  Read 15 minutes nightly.

Brief Description:  Read and discuss the short stories that will be acted out at the Chamber Theatre.                                                                                                                

Journal Topic:  Tell about your secret hiding place.  (Like Livy Two has one.)                                                          

Activities:  What are characteristics of mystery short stories and how do they impact the story?  Read and discuss "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant.                                                    

Homework:  Complete comprehension activities for "The Necklace".  Literature Report DUE October 7th.  Read 15 minutes nightly.

Brief Description:  Read and discuss the short stories that will be acted out at the Chamber Theatre.                                                                                                   

Journal Topic:  Your Choice.

Activities:   What are characteristics of mystery short stories and how do they impact the story? Read and discuss "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs                                                   

Homework:  Complete comprehension activities for "The Monkey's Paw".  Literature Report DUE October 7th.  Read 15 minutes nightly.

Brief Description:   Read and discuss the short stories that will be acted out at the Chamber Theatre.                                                                                                  

Journal Topic:  Write about the song you most enjoy and why?                                                        

Activities:    What are characteristics of mystery short stories and how do they impact the story?  Read and discuss "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving.                                                  

Homework:  Complete comprehension activities for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".  Literature Report DUE October 7th.  Read 15 minutes nightly.

Brief Description:  Read and discuss the short stories that will be acted out at the Chamber Theatre.                                                                                                    

Journal Topic:    Proper Behavior for a Field Trip.                                                          

Activities:  What are characteristics of mystery short stories and how do they impact the story? Read and discuss "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County".                                                    

Homework:  Complete comprehension activities for "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County". Literature Report DUE October 7th.  Read 15 minutes nightly.

Brief Description:  Field Trip                                                                                 

Journal Topic:  none                                                            

Activities: Field Trip                                                    

Homework:  Literature Report DUE October 7th.  Read 15 minutes nightly.