Ms. Boyce’s Blog

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7^th Grade: Seventh graders are going to be very busy toward the end of this week and the start of next week editing and formatting their research papers to MLA style. Additionally, they will be organizing an MLA works cited page and separate bibliography. Specific notes along with formatting directions will be given each day; every student’s paper should be submitted following these given instructions. Finally, the seventh graders are nearing the end of the vocabulary unit, and their culminating assessment will not be a test but a more in-depth demonstration of their understanding.

8^th Grade: The time has arrived! Eighth graders are starting their final papers of the year, and it’s a self-designed paper. First, they’ll submit a proposal form describing the type of paper and created prompt. Along with these choices, they will describe how they’ll organize body paragraphs and main details. Once the topic is approved by me, we’ll move full speed ahead with this project. I’m excited because it’s the very first paper that is basically 100% independent on their parts, which should demonstrate their independent writing proficiency. In addition, we’ll begin two minor projects that will elicit their creativity and thoughtfulness. Finally, we’ll continue on with vocabulary unit #7.

8^th Grade: With only ten days until spring break, eighth graders will be busy finishing their short editorial papers (due Thursday) and practicing how to organize for a debate. We’ll also finish vocabulary unit #6 with a test on Tuesday.

7^th Grade: After starting the research project, students have conducted research on a vice president or first lady, analyzing their impact on that time period. We’ll finish a rough draft prior to spring break, and when we return, they’ll perfect their research papers for as final drafts. We’ll also finish vocabulary unit #6 with a test on Tuesday.

8th Grade: As we move full speed ahead, eighth graders are continuing our dual unit of composing editorials and participating in debates. While writing editorials should be fairly simple, debating is a trickier concept since students have to speak publicly but listen attentively in order to prepare themselves for thoughtful rebuttals. Last week, they researched various topics and participated in a series of practice debates, which we will continue until they hopefully master the process. Additionally, students have been busy with vocabulary and are almost finished with the next unit. My plan is for them to prepare for the test on Friday, March 23rd. 7th Grade: After researching, outlining, and practicing, the seventh graders have begun their first speeches of the year. Students are assessed in five categories, which include: clarity, volume, enthusiasm/tone, spontaneity, and content. My goal is for students to be able to familiarize themselves with a topic so they can speak almost extemporaneously without reliance on notes, while also being spontaneous through audience questions and teachable moments. Of the twenty-one seventh graders who spoke on Thursday, I think at least half of them were toastmasters in the making! You would be thoroughly impressed! Finally, they are working diligently with vocabulary, so the next test is tentatively scheduled for next Friday.

8^th Grade: This week, the eighth graders will be reviewing and completing a study guide of the concepts we’ve learned for the last two weeks: direct objects, transitive and intransitive verbs, infinitives, noun clauses, adverb clauses, adjective clauses, essential and nonessential clauses, participles and participial phrases, gerunds, and comma use among these parts of a sentence. The test is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, and students will be allowed to use their study guides for this test. Normally, I would not allow any type of ‘open note’ test; however, I, myself, often reference various texts to confirm or define different rules. Therefore, I feel it is important to show students how to create a study guide that can be used directly for reference work. Finally, students will continue with Section 6 in the vocabulary book. Later in the week, they’ll be introduced to our next writing/speaking unit!

7^th Grade: During Terra Nova Testing week, seventh graders will peer edit and revise their outlines, learn how to speak semi-extemporaneously, create or choose an engaging visual aid, and practice giving their speeches from their Roman-numeral outlines. Students should not memorize speeches, and they must remember to keep their audience engaged – that should be their main focus! Also, seventh graders will be continuing in Section 6 of the vocab books with parts two and three.

8th Grade Parents: A note will be going home with the eighth grade girls this week regarding important information about Confirmation and May Crowning attire. With picture day, I did my best to inform the girls two weeks in advance about specific dress expectations without sending a note, but that did not seem to be 100% effective. Therefore, the note needs to be signed and returned by Friday, February 17th. Thanks in advance for helping me teach our young women the importance of presenting themselves in a respectful and properly dressed manner.

8^th Grade: This week, the eighth graders are wrapping up their mini-literary analysis papers. I’ve labeled the project as mini because we do not read novels in English, so we used children’s books instead. Like I relayed to my students, these papers are obviously easier than a regular literary analysis, but the concept remains the same. The main theme or point must be proven using the citations from the text, which is excellent preparation for the literary analysis paper that will be completed in Mrs. Garrity’s class. On Tuesday, we’re starting a new unit in grammar called verbals. Students will learn sentences and clauses including: complex sentences with subordinating conjunctions, adjective clauses (which, whose, that), essential and nonessential clauses, adverb clauses, noun clauses, participial phrases, gerunds, infinitives, and using commas with clauses. This difficult unit should be mastered in preparation for high school English. Finally, vocabulary unit five will be completed and corrected by Friday, February 17^th; the test is scheduled for the following Wednesday, February 22^nd.

7^th Grade: Starting this week, the seventh graders will learn how to format and structure a Roman-numeral outline, which will be used as material for a speech in the following weeks. Creating outlines demonstrates paper organization and relative material for the main topics of a paper, so this outline will be great for a speech, but even better for a paper. Step-by-step instructions will be given throughout the week along with active practice. A speech topic needs to be chosen by Friday because students will be going to the computer lab on Tuesday, February 21st for research. Finally, vocabulary unit five will be completed and corrected by Friday, February 17^th; the test is scheduled for the following Wednesday, February 22^nd.

8th Grade: This week, eighth graders are finishing the drafts of their mini-literary analysis papers. It is an extremely important skill for students to move past summarizing what they’ve read to actually analyzing an author or character’s words or message. Typed rough drafts are due Wednesday, peer edits will take place Wednesday, and the paper will be due the following week. A more independent approach to vocabulary will be started this week with sections 5.1-5.3. Hopefully, given this extra time without the vocabulary in class, we’ll be able to include high school lessons from my grammar book. 7th Grade: During the week, seventh graders will be working on their character comparison papers. Three important skills within this project include incorporating a variety of transition words and phrases to compare, following the accurate structure of body paragraphs, and sticking with a theme throughout a paper. The typed rough draft is due on Monday for the peer edit, and the final copy’s due date will be announced in class. In vocabulary, we’re moving along, already on 5.2, so the section should be close to completion by Friday.

8^th Grade: This week, eighth graders will continue our mini-literary analysis project to prepare them for high school English papers. Like I said last week, I have collaborated with my sister, who teaches English at Marist. The overall idea is to show students that summarizing is NOT analyzing, which is why proof and evidence from the book (citations) are needed in a literary analysis paper. We’ll also finish unit four in vocabulary, with a test on Friday.

7^th Grade: Slowly, we are perfecting each sentence in the character comparison papers. The seventh graders have had fun choosing which animated movie characters represent some of their family members – a good dinner table conversation! Like the eighth graders above, this comparison paper shows students the importance of analyzing and not just summarizing.. We’ll also finish unit four in vocabulary, with a test on Friday.

HSPT Entrance Exam (given by most area high schools):

According to the practice book I have, the test includes five sections:

            -Verbal Skills (6o questions in 16 minutes)

            – Quantitative Skills (52 questions in 30 minutes)

            -Reading (62 questions in 25 minutes)

            -Math (64 questions in 45 minutes)

            -Language Skills (60 questions in 25 minutes)

I have shown the students examples for each section so they are familiar with the format. On Thursday and Friday, they completed two comprehensive practice tests; one was verbal skills and the other was language skills. I’m confident the students will score very well in all areas. Please encourage strong time management skills!

8^th Grade: This week, we’ll continue unit four in vocabulary, which we’ll likely finish the following week, with a test later that week. I’m also teaching students the difference between summarizing and analyzing – a skill that troubles many high school students. My older sister teaches English at Marist High School, and we have collaborated so I could design a unit that best teaches that skill without using a lengthy novel. With MLK day and the ski trip, it should be a short yet busy week!

7^th Grade: Seventh graders are nearing the end of unit four in vocab, so we’ll likely finish that up the following week with a test. Seventh graders will be busy turning their character comparison charts into formal Roman numeral outlines, which will be typed. Toward the end of the week and the beginning of the next, we’ll expand the outline into a comparison paper.

8^th Grade: During the course of the week, students will be drafting and editing the American Legion essays from their original outlines. Students will have a classmate peer edit the essay, but prior to the due date, which is Friday, January 13^th, a parent or older sibling must re-edit the draft. These essays will be turned in to the Evergreen Park American Legion post for their annual essay contest. Secondly, eighth graders will spend time reviewing grammar and punctuation lessons to prepare for Saturday’s entrance exam. In addition, depending on the timetable of the previous concepts, eighth graders will work on Unit Four in the vocabulary series as well as begin a literary analysis unit to prepare for the English papers that high school will soon bring.

7^th Grade: Seventh graders have begun Unit Four in the vocabulary series, paying particular attention to biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, and commentaries – it was a fun connection to make with English class. While the unit study will continue throughout this week, seventh graders will also focus on complex punctuation usages (hyphens, dashes, ellipses, commas, and semicolons) within diverse sentence structures. Finally, we’ll begin a comparing paper, which is a really fun topic for them to write and for me to grade!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

7^th Grade: The toy papers are nearly graded, so the students might be receiving those on Tuesday. In addition, they’ve recreated songs using vocabulary words and reworded famous Christmas poems. There will not be any homework over the break – enjoy!

8^th Grade: The research papers were graded, returned, signed, and now are displayed in the hallway accompanied by professionally designed posters. Students were also assigned to dutifully outline their American Legion essay contest piece by typing it and handing it in today, December 19^th. I’ll be assessing these over break, and the students will be expanding them into essays to turn into the American Legion. There will not be any homework over the break – enjoy!