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2/16/14 wednesday

Today we:

  • practiced writing the alphabet in cursive (bell ringer)
  • reviewed procedures and policies: bookshelf, coming in to class, and what to bring/not to bring to class
  • did a close reading assignment individually

Homework:

  • read for 20 minutes
  • finish close reading (for those who did not finish it during class)
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2/13/14

Today we finished rough-drafting our “Yes to College” essay. It needed to be at least 5 paragraphs in length, follow the outline we made together as a class, and be handwritten in cursive. We worked in partnerships.

Homework today was to finish drafting the essay if it was not finished during class, read for 20 minutes (reading will be logged tomorrow!), and bring any library books to class tomorrow because we will be going to the library!

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Friday 18 Jan

Today we:

  • Refreshed our memories of a couple of miscellaneous policies
  • Typed essays onto utahwrite.com

Homework:

  • read for 20 minutes
  • finish typing essay by Monday (I know it’s not a school day, and I would say to please type it up by the end of today seeing as it is technically “due” today, but I’m not grading them until Monday morning, so I would like to be nice and give you a little extra time over the weekend. Aren’t I so nice?)

Here is the letter I read to you during class about policies:

 

Friday, 17 January 2014

Dear students and parents:

We’ve made it halfway through 7th grade! It’s been a while since the original disclosure document for this class went home, so this is a friendly reminder of some important English 7 policies:

  • If a student needs extra help, I am available before school from 8 to 8:15 and after school from 3:30 to 4:00.
  • Students who have excused absences are given 1 day extra to make up missing assignments for each day absent. For example, if Suzy is absent for 3 days, she has 3 additional school days to make up the missing work. Because changes in grades sometimes take up to 1 week to be reflected in SIS, it is the student’s responsibility to keep track of what he or she has missed and how long they have to make up the work.
  • Additionally, absent students should look at the class blog for missing assignments before asking the teacher (me) “what did I miss?” or even worse, “did I miss anything?” (No, we missed you so much that we sat on our hands and cried the whole time you were absent! Of course you missed something!).
  • Students who turn work in late or have unexcused absences receive 50% credit.
  • Late work may only be turned in for up to 7 calendar days after the due date.
  • Extra credit is only applied at the end of the term, and only if all assignments are turned in.
  • There is a class blog. It is located at:

I think we are having a great year, and I look forward to the second half! There are a few changes to our class that I would like to make you aware of:

  • There will be no more journal assignments, though the reading log assignment will continue as usual.
  • We will be writing several essays in the upcoming weeks. Keep up!
  • Students are no longer allowed to sharpen pencils during class time. Pencils must be sharpened in between the bells only.

Thank you for your time!

Your teacher,

Heidi Barnhart, B. A.

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Tues. 14 Jan

Please make sure you have turned in:

1. The “Beowulf: Hero or Villain?” essay

2. Close reading on Jane Austen

3. Close reading on “Break, Break, Break” by Tennyson

Because FRIDAY is the beginning of the new term!

But we’re not waiting to get started! Yesterday we picked a topic to write a research report/informative essay about. The rules about picking a topic are as follows:

1. No people (we will be writing biographies later)

2. No TV, movie, or video game related topics

3. It must be specific. IE, don’t pick “whales” pick “beluga whales!”

4. If you are unsure about a topic, ask me and I will let you know!

 

Today we began the research of the topic. There is a graphic organizer attached that should help you. You must have 3 different sources each with 5 unique facts about your topic. The sources need to be “reputable.” We had a discussion about what this means in class. Because wikipedia.org is 4% more accurate than the Encyclopedia Britannica and has a vast array of article topics, it may be used as one of your sources. You may use the “References” and “External links” part of the wikipedia page to find the other 2 sources.

The link to the graphic organizer is below:

research notes

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Wed 12/18

Today we:

  • Journal: the best present you ever got for Christmas
  • Type and formatted essay (MLA format)

Homework:

  • Finish journal
  • Read for 20 minutes
  • Catch up on essay assignments
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Tues 12/17

What we did:

  • Journal: being good/being bad
  • Write introduction and conclusion paragraphs for “Hero/Villain” essay

Homework:

  • Read for 20 minutes
  • Write in journal
  • Finish intro paragraph
  • finish conclusion paragraph