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International Team - Language Arts - Mrs. Kiesman
"You are your own best teacher" ~ Jimmy Buffett
Check here often to find out what is happening in our classroom, things we are studying, projects we are working on, and upcoming events.
***Helpful classroom items needed: tissues and chlorox disinfectant wipes***
***Weekly Classroom & Homework Assignments***
PLEASE CHECK YOUR STUDENT'S PLANNER NIGHTLY AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE KEEPING UP WITH DAILY ASSIGNMENTS
NECAP testing: May 14-18
May 14 - 18, 2012
SPELLING: Students are responsible for practicing and studying a weekly list of words for their particular class which they will be given on Mondays. The words are from the Scripps National Spelling Bee materials. These lists can also be found in the Class Downloads section or Class Homework/News section of this web site. Students will be given class time to work on these words also through "The Ball Game", my portaportal (www.portaportal.com guest access = cakiesman), and center time. A weekly spelling bee will be conducted when time allows. A weekly spelling test will be given, usually on Fridays. ***No new words this week
due to NWEA testing***
VOCAB: Students are responsible for practicing and studying two or three new vocabulary words every week. These words will be written on the class Word Wall and students should also write them on their own "mini word wall" kept in their language arts 2-pocket folder. These words can also be found in the Class Downloads section or Class Homework/News section of this web site. These words will be practiced during class time as well, as they relate to the weekly reading and writing assignments. Students can also practice them on my portaportal (www.portaportal.com guest access = cakiesman). Any new words that are added to
the students' mini word wall and the class word wall can be found in the downloads section of this web site. ***This week's vocab words will be based on the students' Lit Circle novels.***
READING: Students will have reading assignments from their Literature Circle Groups for their particular class. This will include reading chapters from their group book and completing their Lit Circle job role in their LA notebook. Some class time will be allotted for completing these assignments, but not always, so students will need to complete reading assignments for homework also. Instructions for these roles can be found in the Class Downloads section and Class Homework/News section of this web site. Students will be responding to their independent reading books on a weekly basis in their LA notebook in a section called "Response to Literature". These responses will be checked on a weekly basis. Students should spend a minimum of 30 minutes per night reading at home also to help meet
their 40 book goal. Any books students complete should be recorded in their LA notebook on their reading list chart and tallied under the appropriate genre. These charts will be checked on a weekly basis. ***REMEMBER: All students have a minimum 40 book goal for the school year.***
For the week of - May 14 - 18, 2012:
All of the class novels we are doing will correspond with units being covered in the students' social studies classes.
Block 1 = "A Heart for Any Fate" - read through chapter 8
Block 2 = "Chains" - read through chapter 10
Blocks 3, 5, 7 = Small group Lit Circles (Civil War novels): "Caleb's Choice", "Behind Rebel Lines", "Shades of Gray", "The Letter Writer", "Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule", "The River Between Us".
Students will have various Lit Circle roles to complete for discussion.
***All students have a READING GOAL of 40 Books. These are books they are reading independently from the various genres and keeping track of in their LA Notebook. This notebook will be checked on a weekly basis.***
WRITING: Students have created a list of topics they are interested in writing about in their LA Notebook. All students should be writing a story from a self-selected topic on their laptops. They will continue to work on these topics on a daily basis. ***Students will make revisions and self edit as well as peer edit. Once the stories are final, students will copy and paste their stories onto their blog (http://landmark-project.com). Students will also conference with me on these stories.*** The students' stories should incorporate skills they are learning from the "6 + 1 Traits of Writing" and be following the steps of the "Writing Process". ***Students will be working on a children's book writing piece, in conjunction with a unit being studied in the students' science class, FINAL PRODUCT DUE - THURSDAY, MAY 17***
**** POETRY project: we will be working on various forms of poetry over the next couple of weeks and putting together a Poetry Book. ****
My language arts classes will involve A LOT of reading. We will use many, many fiction & non-fiction books as well as historical fiction books to study different areas in our curriculum. Students are strongly encouraged to immerse themselves in good literature, especially non-fiction and historical fiction. Other generes will include: poetry, realistic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, informational, biography/autobiography, and traditional/classical literature. Each student's goal for the year is to read a minimum of 40 books at their individual ability level. Please
check your student's reading log, located in their LA notebook, frequently to ensure they are working toward this goal. The typical daily class schedule involves 20 minutes of independent reading, 20 minutes of direct instruction, and 20 minutes of independent skills practice.
Technology will be used on a daily basis. Laptops are a must for this class - they are considered an important tool and should always be brought to class as should the student planner.
Are you Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? Can you solve Mad Gabs? Do you have a steady hand, a great deal of concentration and stamina, and the ability to be quick and accurate - let's find out by playing Minute To Win It.
Check out Language Arts on the International Team!!!
Mrs. Carol Kiesman
Troy Howard Middle School
Grades 7 & 8 English Language Arts
173 Lincolnville Ave.
Belfast, ME 04915
207.338.3320 (school)
207.338.5588 (fax)
"You are your own best teacher" ~ Jimmy Buffett
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