Class and Homework Assignments

for Meganne Lott
8th Grade ELA

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost                                                  

'

Weekly Lessons

December 15-December 19:

Reading:  "T'was the Night Before Christmas" and other poems (quatrains, triolets, odes, riddles, and more!).

Vocabulary:  Prefix, suffix, and root work.

Independent Reading:  Reading log due Wednesday.

Writing: Begin learning "Helping Verbs" song (to the tune of "Jingle Bells"), and begin writing parodies of "T'was the Night before Christmas" or other style of poetry according to student's choice.

January 5-January 9:  *Test on Poetry on Thursday January 9*

Reading:  "The Road Not Taken," "O Captain! My Captain!", and an article from Scholastic magazine on Obama's inauguration and inaugural poetry.

Vocabulary:  Poetry terms:  metaphor, simile, personification, symbol, repetition, alliteration, rhyme.

Independent Reading:  Last week to work on completing two AR reading tests (totaling at least five points), one AR vocabulary test, list of ten words gathered from AR reading.  Continuing with the weekly reading log. 

Writing:  Paragraph about the message, or theme, of the poems above.

Week of January 12-January 16:

Reading:  Short story Flowers for Algernon.  Reading skills:  making predictions, making inferences, plot, characterization, symbols, point of view, theme.

Vocabulary:  Words from the story; prefix, suffix, and root work on words from the story.

Writing:  Review of favorite AR book.

Independent Reading:  The AR goals begin anew for the new nine-weeks.  Reading logs will continue to be due every Wednesday.  This week, pick one of the following journal prompts:

1.  This reminds me of . . .

2.  If I were this character, I would have . . .

3.  The author is trying to make us see that . . .

4.  This is different from my culture/time because . . .

5.  I do not like . . . because . . .

6.  If I were to rewrite this part, I would . . .

Week of January 19-January 23:  No School for students Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday!

Reading:  Continuing with Flowers for Algernon.

Vocabulary:  Continuing with words and word parts from the story above.

Independent Reading:  Reading log due Thursday this week. 

Writing:  Reading the review of the student's favorite AR book.