Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Learning Target

UPDATE - Check Planbook.com

Due to the religious holidays there will no homework nor quizzes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Meta-Cognition

Meta-Cognition Visual


Monday, September 21, 2015

Occam's Razor

Occam's razor (or Ockham's razor) is a principle from philosophy. Suppose there exist two explanations for an occurrence. In this case the simpler one is usually better. Another way of saying it is that the more assumptionsyou have to make, the more unlikely an explanation is. Occam's razor applies especially in the philosophy of science, but also more generally.

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor

Speaking of Truth Tables:





BOARD NOTES:  Reading Comprehension Strategies


Thursday, September 17, 2015


"Generation Selfie"

We work hard.  We play hard.

1st Hour

3rd Hour







4th Hour

5th Hour

6th Hour




Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Reading Comprehension Goals - 1st Quarter

1st Hour
Baseline Score:  75.3 %
Goal: 80%

3rd Hour
Baseline Score:  83.2 %
Goal: 85%

4th Hour
Baseline Score:  68.8 %
Goal: 75%

5th Hour
Baseline Score:  76.2 %
Goal: 80%

6th Hour
Baseline Score:  76.8 %
Goal: 80%

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Sentence Composing 1, 2, 3, and 4





Thursday, September 10, 2015

Daily Reading Journal Worksheet

At the request of students, here is a copy of the daily reading journal in a worksheet format:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_i4DDlfmOFialhrRkltZm1QbTg/view?usp=sharing

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Planbook.com Link:

https://www.planbook.com/
Daily Reading Journals

LINK:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_i4DDlfmOFiN0tlN2hvYjVselU/view?usp=sharing


8th Grade Reading Journals
with Authentic Sentence Study
 

 All students are required by BPS to read 30 minutes for 5 days a week

  • Reading should be done in one continuous block every day that we have school.
  • If you already read during the school day in dribs and drabs, you're still are expected to read in one continuous block for thirty minutes after school.
  • Your choice novel should be appropriate to your reading level, interests, and acceptable to your parents.   It should be a text-heavy chapter book like a novel.  Non-fiction is acceptable.
  • You shouldn't skip days and then try to combine them into a longer block later on.  Reading on a daily basis is what your brain needs to grow to its full potential.
  • You may flex your reading schedule around important religious holidays, snow days, athletic events, or other scheduling challenges by swapping and moving around days.  Just make sure the total days matches the school week.
  • Bring your choice novel to your core academic courses (language arts, math, social studies, and science) every day.

Some suggested reasons the sentence is cool may include one of the following examples:

·       -  I appreciate the use of figurative language.  Name which kind:  metaphors, onomatopoeia, alliteration, etc.

·         - I dig the cool sensory details other than sight and sound.  Name the particular smell, touch, or taste.

·         - The atmosphere, mood, or tone totally sucked me in.

·         - I discovered a very unusual word choice that rocked my world.  The word is _________.

·         - This particular sentence construction is awesome because I’ve never seen that pattern before.

·         - This sentence contains a clever play on words or a unique turn of phrase.

·         - There is a clever plot twist in this line, a shocking surprise, or revelation.

·         - This is a fantastic character description, line of dialogue, or emotional moment.  I totally feel like I know this person.

·         - I noticed that the author took a creative risk here that really worked.

·         - Other:  (Explain in your own words)


There should be entries for the following dates during the first quarter of the 2015-16 school year:

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
9/8/2015
9/14/2015
9/21/2015
9/28/2015
9/9/2015
9/15/2015
9/22/2015
9/29/2015
9/10/2015
9/16/2015
9/23/2015
9/30/2015
9/11/2015
9/17/2015
9/24/2015
10/1/2015
9/18/2015
9/25/2015
10/2/2015
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
10/5/2015
10/12/2015
10/19/2015
10/26/2015
10/6/2015
10/13/2015
10/20/2015
10/27/2015
10/7/2015
10/14/2015
10/21/2015
10/28/2015
10/8/2015
10/15/2015
10/22/2015
10/29/2015
10/9/1015
10/16/1015
10/23/1015
10/30/1015
End 1st Quarter
NATIONAL COMMON CORE STANDARDS ADDRESSED IN THIS ASSIGNMENT:
8.RL.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCRA.R.4
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
CCRA.R.5
Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
CCRA.R.10
Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

8.L.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
8.L.5a
Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.
8.L.5b
Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.
8.L.5c
Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).
8.L.6
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.