Poetry

We have started our poetry unit!

1.  Our introduction to poetry included the poem Introduction to Poetry  by Billy Collins.  We talked about enjoying poetry and not taking it all too seriously.  Some of us love poetry, and some of us just need to work through the process of reading and writing poetry.  Both are okay, just like some people love non fiction texts, and others do not.

2.  Diamante Poems - this is a flash website, so many not work with Apple products.

3.  Acrostic Poems - we have upped the content by creating a list of 15 nouns and 15 verbs to make acrostic poems with rich, detailed sentences that match the topic.  Gone are the days of just adjective based acrostic poems.  Students know that we need more meaningful sentences.

Novel Study Returned

Being a fly on the wall during your novel study discussions was a treat.  You all have such amazing insights into your stories and many of you are making rich, deep connections, and you all continue to learn from each other about characters, setting and structure.  I am happy to return your check list from this unit. 

I also have all the bonus marks complete.  Students that chose to take part in the bonus continue to blow me away with their insights and creativity. 

Thanks again everyone for a great unit!

Returning Letters/Journal Class

Your letters are done,  your letters are done,  your letters are done!!!

I am always amazed by the quality and passion students at John McCrae display.  Social justice is happening right here.  I encourage all of you to formally edit your letters and send them on to your respective audidence.  I would be happy to help with this.

Your letters will be returned to you this week during your journal class.  This class, the 50 mins is yours to complete your journal (Question 4 of the Novel Study unit).  If you have finished your journal, you are free to use this time for your bonus or if you're choosing not to complete the bonus, then it is an open work period (any class work).

Also during this period you will be completing your listening/speaking comments for the Novel Study unit.  Reminder, this is a reflection:  What do you do well as a speaker/listener and what do you need to work on. 

Bonus for the Novel Study

The bonus part of the novel study assignment will be presented in class.  The reason being that there is not enough out of class time for me to view all the presentations in a small audience.

Reminder that your bonus needs to include media and writing.  You will not be formally assessed on your oral presentation skills. Here is the check list for the bonus.

You will need to sign up for your presentations no later than one week before.  This will let me know how many people are presenting, so I can set a time limit on the presentations accordingly. If you are using technology, set up time will be included in your presentation time limit. 

Again, with the craziness of the end of the year, I had to go ahead and set the due date for the presentations. 

8A - Wednesday, June 12
8B - Wednesday, June 12
8C - Monday, June 10
8D - Wednesday, June 12
8E - Thursday, June 6

7C - Wednesday, June 12
7D - Monday, June 10
7E - Wednesday, June 12

Journals

Very soon, or your class may have had the lesson already, you will be learning about the amazing free style of journal writing.

Here is the link to the lesson.  It includes more description of what I am looking for in your free write, as well as an example from my personal experience with the novel, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. 

As discussed in class, it is a free write.  You do not have to go through the writing process.  The only people who need to read your journal is you and myself.  500 words maximum please. (My example is approx. 400 words).  With the average font, that works outs to be about a page typed, or front and back of hand writing. 

You will be given one full class to work on it, and it will be due at the end of class.  It is your exit ticket out of class that day. You are welcome to work on it at home as well.

With the craziness of the end of the year, I had to go ahead and set due date for the assignment. 

8A - Tuesday, June 4  (***** change due to special activity on June 5 ******)
8B - Wednesday, June 5
8C - Monday, June 3
8D - Thursday, June 6
8E - Thursday, June 6

7C - Wendnesday, June 5
7D - Monday, June 10
7E - Tuesday, June4

Characters and Setting Anchor Charts

Here are the anchor charts for this weeks discussions, as well as last weeks for setting.  For your review!

Setting Anchor Chart

What is setting

• time and location of a story
• Sights, sounds, colours, and textures are all vividly painted in words as an artist paints images on canvas.
• Setting can add an important dimension of meaning, reflecting character and embodying theme.
• The prevailing atmosphere or mood of the novel
• Internal and external conflictsPotential contrasts between characters or ideas
  
  • The physical details of the setting are linked with the values, ideals, and attitudes of a place in different times.
  
  
  • what the narrator tells the reader 
  • what we can infer from the author's writing
  
  

Character Anchor Chart

What can we learn about the character?

• personality traits
• background
• relationships
• flaws
• actions
• change and growth over time
• physical description
• behaviour
• insight into the character's thought processes

We know this because?

• what the character does
• what the character says
• what others say about a character

Returning Your Letters

Thank you everyone for your care and concern during my extended absence last week.  Everything is back on track, and I am very happy to be back at school!  I can't believe how much I missed my students!

While I was away, I did not get the level of marking done I had hoped if I had been at school.  Please be patient while I work through your letters, and I will return them as quickly as possible.  I will be marking them in the order they were handed in by class.  8E, 8A, 8B, 8D, 7C, 7D, 7E, and 8C.

Check In for Novel Study

You should be half way through your novel study reading by May 20.

We have worked in class this week about setting.  If you missed your class this week, because of a trip, assemblies, etc., we have moved on.  You are still encouraged to review the setting questions to ensure understanding of your novel.

Next week, you should be prepared to talk about characters.  The questions, as outlined in our novel study unit are

• Who is the main character?  Why is this character important to the story?
• Are there words a character spoke and/or actions a character took that helped you learn what kind of person he or she was?  Find and discuss two important sections.
• Did any of the characters change?  Pick one and discuss how an event, person, and decision change that character.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Finding the Genre of Your Novel

You will need to know the genre of your book after you pick it.

Here are two websites that might help you find your book's genre quickly.  All else fails, just google it :)

Book Wizard - Type in the title of the book.  A list of books should come up.  Click on your book, and record the genre description.

Book Browse - In the upper left hand corner, type in the title of your book.  Click on your book.  After this, click on the publication info, the genre is in this list.

Novel Study

We finally pick up our novel study, and I think it will be an amazing way to bring our time together to an end (our final days together we will focus on poetry!)

Selection dates for your novel are on the class calendar.  Please have your novel selected and your plan to have it read by June 2 ready by your classes date.

Reminder, you will need six weeks access to this book.  Mme. McEwen is aware of our novel study, and we will be allowed an extension for the books for this project only.  Mme. McEwen is well aware of our novel study, so please check in with her for novel ideas that would be suit your interests as a reader. 

Please see the link for the unit outline

Goals for our unit:

Reading

• demonstrate understanding of your novel
• provide information about your novel (setting, characters, structure, connections)
• discover similarities and differences between novels in your group

 

Writing

• create a journal response
• successfully document group discussions

 

Oral

• reflect on and identify your strengths as listeners and speakers
• participate actively in group discussion

Our discussion roles note

Handing in Your Letter

All of the Grade 7 and 8 classes are in different stages of their letter writing.  Please check the English calendar and the tracking binder person from your class to find out your due date.  

When it is your turn to hand in your finished letter, reminder that you need to hand in the following things in order, 1 on top:

1. Rubric with your name, grade and number (the photocopier has cut it off on this copy).

In pencil (or in a coloured pen that is not blue/black), complete the rubric and self assess your final piece of work.  Please be mindful that Mrs. Barbier will be commenting on the same piece of paper.

2.  Plan/Graphic Organizer

3.  Rough Copy

4.  Peer Edited or Computer Edited Copy

5. Final Copy.

Format of your letter

The format of your letter influences your reader's reaction to it.  Neat and organized, your reader is more likely to pay attention.  All over the place, your reader is more likely to dismiss your claims.

Format for your letter.  Please review this file as discussed in class how to format your letter.

Not sure the proper way to address a letter in Canada (the rules have changed, city, province short form and postal code are now on the same line).  Please review this link from Canada Post about addressing a letter. 

Finding the proper address -  you will need to ensure you have the correct mailing address for your letter.  I have provided you with some information here to help you navigate to the provincial and federal governments' websites.

Provincial
Contact information - I have found this link works well.  There is a list of ministries, click on the ministry that you are looking for to find the mailing address.  You will still need to research the name of the current minister for your ministry.  Government of Ontario website is www.ontario.ca

The Honourable First and Last Name, M.P.P.

Minister of _________

Ministry of _________

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

Dear Mr./Ms Last Name,
Federal
This link will give you a list of all the ministries in the federal government.  After selecting your minister, click on the department website link, which will take you to the ministry's website.  On the ministry's website, select the "contact us" page.  Scroll through this page to find the mailing address.  Government of Canada website is www.canada.gc.ca

The Honourable First and Last Name, M.P.

Minister of _________

Ministry of _________

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

Dear Mr./Ms Last Name,

Persuasive Writing Rubric

Persuasive Writing Rubric

There is one rubric for Grade 7 and 8 Persuasive Letter writing assignment.  This is because the curriculum expectations are the same for both grades.  I will use my professional judgement to assess the Grade 7s and 8s accordining.

Expectations being covered in this assignment

Writing 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.6, 3.7

Ontario Language Curriculum Document
Grade 7 - pp. 130-132
Grade 8 - pp. 144-146

Bring Reading Material To Class!!!

Continued homework:  research information, including name of contact and physical mailing address, for your letter

Bring reading material to class! Reading is not something you do to fill time in English, it is a vital part of the English curriculum. It is the first Language expectation! 7.1.1 and 8.1.1 is "read a wide variety of increasingly complex or difficult texts from diverse cultures, including literary texts, graphic texts, and informational texts."
Bring any type of reading material (novel, graphic novel, non fiction text, magazine, newspaper for example) that you enjoy to class!

If you are not bringing material to class, you are considered not prepared. This will most likely be reflected in the English incomplete assignment/homework stamp in your agenda, as well as your Learning Skills marks for responsibility and organization.

Persuasive Letter Plan

Thank you to the students who pointed out that the PDF of this was not on the blog.  Here it is!

A reminder, if this graphic organizer doesn't sing to you, you do not have to use it.  You do need to demonstrate the five elements plus topic in your plan.  The five elements again are

• position (what is your stance on the subject)
• attention to audience (what does you audience already know or what will you be sharing that is new for your audience)
• factual support (what information will you be using to persuade your audience)
• word choice (most likely not demonstrated on your plan, but in your rough copy)
• strategies (please see the previous blog posting about the 3 strategies, pathos, ethos, and kairos).

Most classes this is due one week after receiving it. 

Persuasive Letter Writing

We have begun lessons around persuasive writing.  Every student will be writing an individual letter on a social justice issue that is important to him/her.  Students may choose to do the same topic as their PSA presentation, however, are encouraged to try something different. 

Homework - pick a topic, choose an audience (who you will be writing to) and find his/her/their mailing address, and begin gathering research for factual support.

In class we have discuss Elements of Effective Persuasive Writing.  In this attachement you will find three letters (one we may have discussed as a class, Essence Candles, and one you worked on in a small group).  The last element is Strategies.  Please review these strategies. 

Students will be journeying throught the writing process.  We will begin with a graphic organizer, rough copy, self/peer edit and final copy through the month of April. 

This will be the major component of the students' writing mark this term. 

PSA Presentations

Thank you to all the students who have presented their PSA media and oral presentations.  Thank you especially to the groups who presented while I was away.  The details from the supply teacher on your assessments demonstrates the quality I have come to expect from John McCrae students.  Overall, every student should be proud of the work they did, and the awareness to important topics that was raised.  

Your marks are calculated, however, I am waiting on a few last minute presentations due to holidays/illness.  Once all the presentations are complete, I will scan your feedback from my report card notes before handing back to you.  Thank you for your understanding as I wait on those last few pieces of feedback.      

Guide for Marking a Peer's Read to Self

In class, we have reviewed how to mark a peer's read to self assignment.  Remember to check the class calendar to review your class' due date.

Keys to Success
1.  Before Reading

• asks meaningful questions
• takes advantage of all the text features
• Level 4 - questions are insightful

2.  Main Idea and Supporting Detail

• states the main ideas
• includes just the important details
• Level 2 - too much detail (retell, not a summary).
• Level 4 - synthesized

3.  Connection Question

• makes use of the information provided in the text
• makes connections (text to self, text to text and text to the world).
• offers reasonable judgement based on the text
• Level 4 - highly insightful, makes use of all text connections.

4.  Reading Strategies

• Lists appropriate reading strategies
• Describes how those reading strategies helped him/her while reading
• Level 4 - very detail, very accurate, insightful about own reading process.  

Read to Self Assignment

The Read to Self assignment is ready to go.  You will be working on this during the coming days of school and after the Read to Someone - PSA presentations.  Record your responses here.

Reminder, you do not read the article, as you have to answer a BEFORE reading question.  Please select an article based on your own interest in these social justice issues.

Here are the articles.

Animal Rights -the need for animal rights

Animal Testing - the use of animal testing and does this violate animal rights

Declaring Human Rights - history of human rights development

Environmental Justice - does the environment need justice?

Environmental Rights - development of environmental rights

Farming - use of large scale farming and practises

History of Environmental Rights - the history of environmental rights

Pollution - impact of pollution on the environmental

Right to be Free - the need for human rights

Women and Children's Rights - history of women and children's rights

Zoos and The Circus - are animal rights violated by zoos and the circus?

Read to Someone - PSA Assignment

Due to no bus days and snow days, some classes are deep into the new unit around Social Justice issues, and others have not even started!  This is okay, and we'll set due dates accordingly.

For classes who are ready for the Public Service Announcements for the Read to Someone assignment, the success criteria for the assignment and a brief description are now available.  Looking forward to hearing what everyone is so passionate about to help make our world a better place.  Be the change!

Please remember to check the English Calendar in class for due dates. 

Word Work for February

Most classes have finished their lessons around the word work assignments.

Please see below links to the assignments if you have lost yours or were not here when they were given out in class.

Grade 7 Word Work

Grade 8 Word Work

Social Justice Unit

I am very excited to use Social Justice issues as our focus for our unit on non-fiction texts.

In a Daily 5 format, centred around student choice and voice, students will have the opportunity to work with and learn about issues that are important to them!

Our Learning Goals for this Unit

Reading	• demonstrate understanding of non fiction text and their elements by reading articles and other non fiction texts about social justice issues • communicate comprehension of texts • reading with fluency (guided reading activities)
Writing	• use the elements of a persuasive writing • communicate purpose and appropriate audience • grammar work • sentence fluency
Communication	• communicate clear, coherent manner when presenting media • reflect on listening and speaking skills
Media	• evaluate media • create media

How?

Read to Self	• read articles and non fiction texts about social justice issues (Student Monitored) • guided reading groups to discussion issues (Teacher assessed) • complete reading question and answer about one social justice article (self and teacher assessed)
Read to Someone	• read article or text (different than Read to Self q&a) about social justice issue (student monitored) • create media (poster, movie, slide show) to raise awareness of issue (self and peer assessed, teacher confirmed)
Word Work	• complete worksheet package on writing and grammar concepts (self assessed, teacher confirmed)
Work on Writing	• write a letter to an organization or member of government regarding a social justice issue (self assess and teacher confirmed) through the writing process

Homework

• begin researching and gathering articles and non fiction texts about a Social Justice issue you are interested in learning more about to impact change
• bring a novel, magazine, etc. for free choice reading.  Our love of reading is further developed when we can simply read (not always doing reflection work on what we've read)

Short Stories Returned

Many students today were able to receive their short stories back.  I am very proud of the work that the students did.  Many of you effectively demonstrated your understanding of the elements of a short story.

Some students were concerned about my marking system. Please see below an except from the Growing Success, the Ministry of Education document that guides teachers assessing and evaluating student work.  Please see below p. 18 of the document regarding the levels of achievement.

"Level 2 represents achievement that approaches the provincial standard. The student demonstrates

the specified knowledge and skills with some effectiveness. Students performing at this level need

to work on identified learning gaps to ensure future success.

Level 3 represents the provincial standard for achievement. The student demonstrates the specified

knowledge and skills with considerable effectiveness. Parents of students achieving at level 3 can

be confident that their children will be prepared for work in subsequent grades/courses.

Level 4 identifies achievement that surpasses the provincial standard. The student demonstrates 

the specified knowledge and skills with a high degree of effectiveness."

Part of growing as a learner is self assessing.  If you feel that you have not been given the mark your work deserves, we can definitely have a conversation about this.

Please fill out your own rubric, including your evidence for the mark and feedback for next steps.  I look forward to reading your comments.

Returning Short Stories

Your short stories have all been 100% handed in and are now 100% marked.  (218 stories! We have some very creative students at John McCrae!)

I am using your feedback from your stories for your writing mark.  I hoped I would be able to return your stories this week, however, it is not going to happen as I am simply not there with the report card comments.   I look forward to returning them next week.  Thanks for your understanding.

Video Converters Update

Windows users

You will need to convert Youtube videos with a program called Real Player.  It is free.  Videos are downloaded as .flv files.  You will need to convert them to convert them to .wmv files.  Right click in your Real Player library on the file you downloaded, select convert to.  Change the format of the file to video, and then select WMV.  A link to the Real Player website.

Mac and iPad Users

I am still learning about these programs.  For Mac users, you need a program called MacTube available here


iPad users, there is an app called I cab mobile.  It costs $1.99.  There are many free video converters which use adds as their revenue.

The more we learn together, the more success we will have this project.

Movie Trailer Rubric and Presenation Dates

I am SO excited that you are SO excited for this Movie Trailer Project!!!

Thank you to all students who had "double" lessons on Thursday to ensure that you are ready to start the project on Monday.  A copy of the rubric and student created success criteria  can be found here.

Presentation Dates - we will have a movie trailer class were we will vote on the best trailer for each class.   This is your due date for your assignment.  Your trailer must be saved on a flash drive in .m4v or .wmv format on a USB flash drive to be played on my computer in class.

8A - Wednesday, January 30
8B - Tuesday, January 29
8C - Friday, February 1
8D - Thursday, January 31
8E - Wednesday, January 30

7C - Tuesday, January 29
7D - Wednesday, January 30
7E - Friday, February 1

Thank you and a reminder...

Thank you to the students have volunteered to share their technology at school and/or at home to ensure the success of our movie trailer project.  Please remember to bring everything you need to work on your projects at school during your scheduled class times.

A reminder that you will have the next two weeks to work on this assignment in class, and I look forward to have a movie trailer day in class were we select the best trailer from each class.

8A
Week of January 14 -Monday, Tuesday, Friday
Week of January 21 - Tuesday, Wednesday, Monday (following)

8B
Week of January 14 - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Week of January 21 - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

8C -

Week of January 14 - Thursday, Friday
Week of January 21 - Friday, Monday (following)

8D

Week of January 14 - Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Week of January 21 - Tuesday, Thursday, Monday (following)

8E

Week of January 14 - Tuesday, Wednesday
Week of January 21 - Wednesday, Thursday

7C

Week of January 14 - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
Week of January 21 - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

7D

Week of January 14 - Tuesday, Thursday
Week of January 21 - Wednesday, Friday

7E

Week of January 14 - Monday, Thursday, Friday
Week of January 21 - Tuesday, Friday, Monady (following)

Trailer Short Story Plot Diagram

In your small group, you need to complete a plot diagram for your story to demonstrate you understand what main idea and plot of your story are before beginning your movie trailer.

You will have time in class to work on it, but if you run out of time, and need another copy, here it is.   Plot Diagram

Video Converster for Movie Trailers

Students who have generously shared their technology for the movie trailer projects are asked to download Real Player on to their laptops. A link to the Real Player website.

I am still learning how to keep videos for iPad users for iMovie.  If you know of a way, an app, program, website etc, please let me know.

*** update  a student shared the website www.keepvid.com as a way to convert Youtube clips for iMovie.

next update for Mac Users - Real Player SP for Mac OS X for free  Mac users, can you please let me know if this link works.  It should allow you to download videos from YouTube.

**** another update.  Check out this website to learn about how to convert Youtube videos for iPads

Short Stories for Movie Trailers

To help ensure you are making meaningful connections, I have selected the following short stories for the movie trailers project.  You will be put into groups based on availability of technology and story preferences.

Here is a list of stories that are available.  You are required to choose from this list. I have included some of my selections from the presentations.  You are welcome to choose one of those stories, as long as it was not what you presented on.  

Comedy
The Star - very selfish actor who is faced the actual end of the world
Hermann the Irascible - the King of England makes a law that women MUST vote, and what women do to stop this.
Uncomfortable Bed - friends who play practical jokes and the results

Mystery
The Cobweb - a family inherits an old farm, with a crazy old woman.
A Diagnosis of Death  - a man learns he can predict his own death
The Boarded Window - a man dealing with the death of his wife

Fairy Tales
The Frog Prince -  a young princess who befriends a frog
Rumpelstiltskin - a young princess who can spin gold and the curse that comes from that

Sci-Fi
A Most Ambitious Experiment -  scientist learns how to time travel and hopes to make money by learning from the future.

Drama
The Lottery - a game everyone wants to play, but no one wants to win
The Most Dangerous Game - when man becomes the hunted.
Lamb to the Slaughter - how a wife gets away with murder

Children's Story
The Hockey Sweater - young boy's drama of wearing the wrong hockey sweater
The Paper Bag Princess - classic Robert Munch!

Making Movies!

If you missed your last class before the holiday break, you missed hearing about our movie trailer work that will will be focusing on to finish up our Short Story unit.

In groups, you will read a short story that I've selected (this helps to ensure that the connections you are making are meaningful and relevent) and create a movie trailer for it.

We will be going over the elements of a trailers and creating success criteria together (and then merged for all 8 classes) during the first week of class, and then off to the library to use the iPads.

We will be using the iPads to search for movie clips and graphics as well as creating your own videos and graphics.  The mobile computer lab is booked solid, so we don't have access to it.

Students who are comfortable bringing in their iPads or laptops to schools with iMovie or Movie Maker on it to actually create the trailers.  The iPads at our school do not have iMovie on them currently (it is on our school wish list).  Our success with this project will be dependent on availablity of student technology.  In class, approximately 4-5 students confirmed that they could bring in their own technology.

iMovie is available for download for $4.99

Windows Movie Marker is available for free