Updates for week of October 26-30

BOOK REPORT DUE OCTOBER 29TH. NO LATE PROJECTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Please scroll down for directions in last post. If you would like to do a power point and do not have the program you can download it for free for 60 days at the following address: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/default.aspx

All writing classes have finished the rough drafts of their short stories. Peer-Editing will begin this week. The final copy will be due the first week of November.

All writing classes will be having their first major grammar test on Friday, October 30th. Please begin reviewing with your son/daughter asap. There are links to the left of this page for activities in the Language Network Book. Just click on 8th grade grammar and then click on Chapter One: The Sentence and its parts. We will play Grammar Jeopardy the day before the test to review.

Reading 8A will have a quiz this Wednesday on No-Guitar Blues. Please don't forget to study the vocabulary words, both definitions and spelling. List: mission, conjunto, distracted, perpetual clock, turnover, empanada, deceitful, zombie, secondhand, papas

Reading 8B and 8C will have a quiz this Wednesday on Stop the Sun. Please don't forget to study the vocabulary word, both definitions and spelling. List: chant, dry, founder, inert, persist, taunted, ailment, clamor, consequence, impartial

Directions for Power Point Book Report due 10/29

Mandatory criteria for poster/slide show:
1. Title, Author, and Your NAME
3 points

2. Characters and their motives (5 characters or 1 character with 5 motives)
5 points

3. Setting with description using senses (5 sentences)
5 points

4. Plot (3 sentences each) (Can be on multiple slides)
· Exposition
· Rising Action
· Climax
· Falling Action
12 points (3 points per component)

5. Conflict (write a paragraph to explain)
5 points

6. Theme (message, moral, meaning)
5 points

Pictures/Background/Design that depict the theme, characters, or setting of the story.
5 points

Pick 2 additional slides from the back of this paper.
(2 mandatory additional criteria)
10 points

Total Possible (excluding extra credit)
50 points



Mandatory Additional Criteria (Pick 2)

*Pick at least two of the following criteria to add to your poster or power point. Any additional criteria chosen may earn extra credit.

1. Rating of the book/Book review (paragraph form)
2. Author’s biography (paragraph form)
3. Least favorite part of the book and explanation (paragraph form)
4. Connection to a character (paragraph form)
5. 5 questions you had while reading the book and their answers if you figured that out
6. Visualize a scene in your head and write it in paragraph form.
7. Write a new ending to this story (paragraph form)

Update...

This past week directions were sent home for the book report. All class are completing a book report on Power Point that is due NO LATER THAN October 29Th. If students do not have access to Power Point they can work on this report during recess time, beginning as soon as possible. Please remind your son/daughter to continue reading their book so that project completion does not happen the night before it is due. Next week students will be given a story board to work on where they will draft out their project.

All students will be having a grammar quiz on Wednesday, October 14th on Chapter 1 Lessons 5-8. Please review with them kinds of sentences, subjects in unusual order, and subject complements.

Reading 8A will be having a quiz on Cinder Edna on Thursday, October 15th. Please remind students to review thier vocabulary words, both spelling and definitions.

Reading 8B students will be having a quiz on Raymond's Run on Thursday, October 15th. Please remind students to review thier vocabulary word, both spelling and definitions.