Welcome!!!

Welcome to Ms. Samuels's 8th grade Language Arts class. Here you will find information for students and parents. Please continue to revisit this site for updates on various things occuring in class.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Week of November 26-30

Book report projects due:  NEXT MONDAY.
Monday
We read the captivating non-fiction story or Shyima in "A Child Slave in California," and began answering questions. If you were absent, read the article and be prepared to answer questions tomorrow.

Tuesday
We will finish discussing the article, "A Child Slave in California," and begin our BAV words, (ethos, pathos, logos)

Wednesday
In preparation for our persuasive passage, "The Trouble with TV," we will define our literary vocabulary words.


Thursday
Students received their grammar test back, and used their notes to identify the correct answers and fix their errors for grading.

Friday
Students worked on their book report projects that are due Monday, December 3rd.

Academic Assistance is available from now to December 18th, 4-5pm, in the major subject areas.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Week of November 19-25

Monday
Today we continued to practice adjective and adverb clauses in preparation for our test tomorrow. Homework for tonight are the following pages in your GRAMMAR textbooks

Pg. 512 –Essential & Nonessential Clauses
Exercise 5, numbers 1, 5, & 9
Exercise 6, numbers 2, 6, & 10
Pg. 516 Noun Clauses
Exercise 9, numbers 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10

If you were absent today, or you would like some additional practice, please practice the following additional assignments in your textbook.
Pg. 510-Adjective Clauses
            Exercise 4, numbers 17-20
Pg. 514- Adverb Clauses
            Exercise 7, numbers 9-14

Tuesday-Test! 
Students completed a test on the type of sentences, and sentence clauses. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Week of November 12-16

Monday
Advanced: Students identified figurative language in the story "All the Places to Love," and demonstrated their knowledge of Words in text through a test.
Homework: Answer the question: What is the author's tone in "All the Places to Love?"

Standard: Students read the story "All the Places to Love," and used reciprocal teaching strategies to better understand the passage.
Homework: Test tomorrow on Words in text, BAV Words (tone & imagery) and Activities 5 & 6 due.

Tuesday
Advanced: Analyze the various tones an author can use while writing a passage and brainstorm ideas for writing about a place you love/loathe. Brainstorming will take place on the back of the following FLEE Map.


 Standard: Demonstrated their knowledge of Words in text through a test, and analyzed various tones an author can use while writing a passage. Students also picked a place they loved/strongly disliked.

Wednesday
Advanced: Finish Flee Map and continue draft writing essay. Final Essay Due FRIDAY!
Standard: Students brainstormed about a place they love and began working on a brochure to persuade others to attend.
Outside of the brochure
Inside of the brochure


Thursday
Grammar day!!!! and Book Fair the second half of the class period.
Quiz on sentence types tomorrow, practice:Simple, Compound, Complex Sentences as well as Subordinate Clauses.

Friday: Essays Due!!!
Grammar day continued

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Week of November 5-9

Monday: 
Discovery Ed Testing, Computer Lab 3

Tuesday: Election Day
Discovery Ed Testing, Computer Lab 3

Wednesday: BAV
Objective: Students will be able to received their results from Discovery Ed, set goals, and learn two new academic vocabulary words, (Tone and Imagery).

Thursday: Activity #5
Objective: Students will be able to determine the meaning of literary vocabulary words for our next story, All the Places to Love by Patricia Maclachlan.  Students will also be able to make predictions and ask questions about the passage, prior to reading. Our new words are: Rafter, Meadows, Scattered, Sly, Raucous, Swaggered, Marsh, Barren, and Skimmed.


Friday:  Activity #6
Objective: Students will be able to determine the main idea of the passage, All the Places to Love, and identify figurative language in the passage.

Test on Monday: Analyzing Words and Text
Assignments Due Monday-BAV and Activities 5 & 6