Team Pink Rocks!!!!

As you can see, Mr. Poole and I are proud to be pink…our Blogs will now reflect the fact that we are Team Pink…the best Mustang Day Team around. 

Those members of Team Pink should know that there will be a poster making/t-shirt making party (provided the shirts are in) will be held on May 20th from 3:45 until 5:00.  As we move towards the date of our “party”, Mr. Poole and I will send home a permission form that must be signed by your  parents.  Watch for details about our Team Pink Party!

Remember…TEAM PINK ROCKS!!!!!  WE ARE PROUD TO BE PINK

I am really no good at this blog thing…

2nd and 3rd period Language Arts:

I will not be in class tomorrow.  It will be a “catch-up” day.  Here is what you should have in your portfolio tomorrow:

1. Cover Page
2. Anticipation Guide
3. Vocabulary Ch. 1 - 5
4. Character Chart
5. Timeline for Part One
6. Harper Lee Background (You do not have this…you will automatically get the points though)
7. Study Guide Ch. 1 - 3
8. GrammarDog Exercise 1
9. Responding Ch. 1 - 11
10. Questions Ch. 7, 8, 10, 11
11. Quiz Ch. 1 - 5
12. Pop Quiz Ch. 6 & 7
13. Reflection Questions
14. Partner Quiz
15. Vocabulary 12 - 21
16. Timeline for Part Two

You will also be required to read Chapter 12 and begin your timeline.  I will leave the timeline with the substitute tomorrow.  Use your time tomorrow VERY WISELY.  I am giving you this day to work…so please do so.

7th Period Language Arts:

You took your partner quiz today and you will have tomorrow as a workday as well to “catch up”.  Just like 2nd and 3rd periods, you will have to read Chapter 12 and you will start on your timeline…I will; however, be in your class tomorrow.  Here is what your Portfolio Cover Sheet should look like:

Cover Page
1. Anticipation Guide
2. Vocabulary Ch. 1 - 5
3. Character Chart
4. Timeline for Part One
5. Harper Lee Background Notes (you have a few notes)
6. Study Guide Ch. 1 - 3 (optional)
7. GrammarDog Exercise 1
8. Responding Ch. 1 - 11
9. Questions Ch. 7, 8, 10, 11
10. Vocabulary Quiz Ch. 1 - 5
11. Pop Quiz Ch. 6 & 7 (You do not have this…points will automatically be given to you for this item)
12. Reflection Questions
13. Partner Quiz
14. Vocabulary 12 - 16
15. Timeline for Part Two

8th Period Language Arts:

I will be in your class tomorrow as well.  Your homework tonight is to read chapters 10 and 11 in TKAM.  We will also have a “catch up” day in class tomorrow as we prepare to take our partner quiz on Thursday.  Also on Thursday, you will have a portfolio check.  You will be graded on the completion of all of the items listed below:

Cover Page
1. Anticipation Guide
2. Vocabulary Ch. 1 - 11
3. Character Chart
4. Timeline for Part One
5. Harper Lee Background Information Sheet
6. Study Guide Ch. 1 - 3
7. GrammarDog Exercise 1
8. Responding Ch. 1 - 11 (You do not have this…you will automatically get the points when I check your portfolio)
9. Questions Ch. 7, 8, 10, 11 (You do not have this…you will automatically get the points when I check your portfolio)
10. Quiz Ch. 1 - 5
11. Pop Quiz Ch. 6 & 7
12. Reflection Questions
13. Partner Quiz
14. Vocabulary 12 - 21
15. Timeline for Part Two

Social Studies 6th Period

Today we began Chapter 10…The Progressive Movement.  We discussed what the word “progressive” means and we started our vocabulary sheet for Chapter 10 terms.  You will have a quiz over these words on Tuesday, March 18th. 

I’m no good at this Blog business…

OK, kiddies…I know…I know…I stink at keeping this thing updated…Thanks to both Lauren and Matt in Social Studies, I’m updating it now!!!

 Here’s the scoop for Language Arts:  Your research papers are due on Wednesday, February 20th…here is exactly what was on the board today…

If your essay will be…

Typed

• 12 pt. font
• Times New Roman or Arial
• Double Spaced
• 3 - 5 pages…front side only
• Must have a Works Cited page (does not count towards your number of pages)

Handwritten

• Blue or Black Ink
• 3 - 5 pages FRONT & BACK
• Double Spaced
• Must have a Works Cited page (does not count towards your number of pages)

We all have to have a Works Cited page…how do I do that???

Good question!  The works cited page is an alphabetical listing of all of the sources you used in your paper…

Here’s how you create one…

1. Take all of the bibliography cards that you created during the research portion of the paper. 
2. Remove any of the cards that you did not cite in your paper anywhere. 
3. Put the remaining cards in alphabetical order.
4. Write each one on a sheet of paper remembering to use hanging indentation and skipping lines (your works cited page should be double spaced just like the rest of your paper.  Do not skip any extra lines in between citations…). 
5. You have created your works cited page!!!!!

Your papers must be stapled when you walk into my classroom on Wednesday!!!!!  Here is the order from top to bottom:

• Final Draft
• Works Cited
• Rubric
• 2nd Draft
• Rough Draft of Works Cited page
• 1st Draft (Rough Draft of paper)

Good luck!!!!!!  Questions???  Email me!!! Crocco@fultonschools.org

Here is the Social Studies scoop:  You have your student choice project due on Friday, February 22…that is next Friday.  You will be presenting your projects on this day in class!  We are going to continue with Chapter 8, but you will not have a test…your project in in lieu of a test. 

Georgia Trip Update…today was the LAST day for payment and medical forms…we will follow up with you on Tuesday to see who is still missing items.  No $$$ and no medical forms…NO TRIP!!!!!  It is very important that we have everything from you before we leave!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the reminder, Lauren!

Here are the answers for the Social Studies review sheet!!! 

chapter-7-review-sheet-answers.doc

Thank you, Chris!

Thanks to Chris in 2nd period, I came to the realization that I had not updated my blog in awhile…

 Language Arts: You all have been doing a fabulous job keeping up with your research in class and you should be fully prepared to turn in your bib cards and note cards on Friday.  Remember…at least four sources (one MUST be a book or other print source) and at least 10 note cards per source.  I am having a bit of trouble posting the calendar and rubric to my blog so as soon as I am able to, I will.

Social Studies: You have a chapter 7 test tomorrow.  I passed the review sheet out today…stay tuned for the answers…

January 17, 2008

Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted, so I figured it was time!

I first want to congratulate you ALL on a job WELL DONE on yesterday’s Middle Grades Writing Assessment.  I was so proud of all of you for writing your little hearts out for 100 solid minutes.  Regardless of the outcome, you all have been working so hard to improve your writing and as your Language Arts teacher, I am so proud of all of you!

Language Arts: We are starting research tomorrow.  Your topics were due today; however, there were several of you who were not prepared with your topics.  You cannot start the research process with us unless you know who you are going to research. 

Tomorrow in class, I will give you the general outline for our project.  After class, I will post all of the information on my Blog so that you and your parents will have all of the information you need to be successful.

Today in class, you practiced your DGP…that will come in very handy in the future…

 Social Studies: Today, we took a vocabulary quiz.  You will get those back tomorrow.  The grades were pretty good…you had a lot of words to study!!!

 We then reviewed the information for 7.1.  Just in case you were unable to get all of the information, here are the answers that I typed up while creating the worksheet.  71-answers.doc

You can expect a test over Chapter 7 on January 29th.

Research Papaer Announced!!!!!

Well guys and gals, the time has come for us to begin the research process.  On Thursday, the day after the GWA we will begin to dissect this month-long endeavor.  I will provide you will due dates for EVERYTHING as well as an explaination sheet on that day; however, the process is going to begin now.

We discussed the selection of research topics at the beginning of class today.  Your topic must be selected by Thursday, January 17th.  That gives you 6 days to choose your topic.  So where are these topics located?  Well, you can select a person to reserach from one of the following two websites:

http://www.historycentral.com/bio/people/index.html

This website has the 500 most influential people from the 20th Century listed alphabetically by last name.  It’s a lot to muddle through, but there is a person for everyone to get intersted in!!!

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100

This website has Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people.  They are listed in categories based on that person’s occupation so it might be a little bit easier to find someone.  The problem with this website is you have to look through everyone in that category…you cannot just search for a specific person.

I will ask you to share the person you have chosen to research on Thursday in class…you MUST have your topic selected by then…it will be your first “check-off” grade for this process.

 Please also keep in mind that you must have at least one print source for this project.  A print source would be a book, magazine, encyclopedia etc.  In other words…one source has to  come somewhere other than the Internet.  If our Media Center does not have sufficient resources, check the Alpharetta Public Library…they can point you in the right direction!!! 

 Happy researching!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

My how this week is flying by!  We are only 6 days away from the 8th Grade Georgia Writing Assessment!  I can’t wait to see how well you all do!

 Language Arts: We are continuing our timed writing today.  Because we are focusing so much on the timed writing and the GWA, you will not be getting an abundance of homework in Language Arts; however, that will all change when we begin our research unit.  I will begin posting information about the research project tomorrow when I post the websites that you will use to select your research topic.  We will discuss this in class tomorrow before you continue on your writing self-evaluations.

Social Studies: We are going to begin our study of the Antebellum Period in Georgia.  This will begin with vocabulary flip books.  If you did not finish your flip book in class today, you must finish it for homework tonight.  Click on the link to access the Chapter 7 Vocabulary Terms and People. chapter-7-terms-people-and-places.doc You will have a vocabulary quiz in Social Studies next Thursday.

Welcome Back Everyone!!!!! :)

A big welcome back to all of my wonderful 8th graders!  I was so excited to get back to school yesterday and jump in right where we left off in December.  I hope all of you had a fantastic break and you are looking forward to all of the great things that are in our near future!!!

 All Language Arts Classes: The Georgia writing Assessment is quickly approaching!!!  Next Wednesday, January 16th, all of your hard work will pay off when you spend 100 minutes of your morning composing an essay.  As I said in class today, your homework tonight is to think of some type of reward that you would like to see tied to the GWA if you surpass your practice writing test score.  We are spending the next week and a half practicing with timed writings and completing self-evaluations of our writing.

Last nights’ homework was to choose five academic goals that you would like to acheive this semester at HMS.  Just as you have written your 5 goals, I have written mine and I have shared those with you in class.  One of the most important goals that I have this semester is to update my blog every two or three days.  You can keep me on top of my game by checking back often and letting me know that you’re checking. 

Social Studies: We began the geography bee yesterday and that continued today.  We will jump in to Chapter 7: The Antebellum Period when we have finished the geo. bee.

Here is the DGP Quiz…

Hey folks! 

Here is the DGP Quiz that I will give you in Language Arts tomorrow.  I suggest you practice it and use your notes to help you tonight since you cannot use your notes tomorrow.  I will be available beginning at 7:45 Friday morning to help you with any questions that you may need answered.  Here is the file: dgp-quiz-5.doc

For 5 extra points extra credit on your DGP Quiz, write “I practiced my DGP last night” on the top of your quiz.  Happy practicing!