Monday, October 27, 2014

Update: 10/27


Last week we concluded our thematic unit "Sports Report" by reading the play "How She Played the Game" by Cynthia Cooper.
Students also wrote argumentative essays on a sports related topic (these were submitted via Google Doc, graded and returned electronically).
This week we'll take a break from our thematic units and participate in what's become a tradition in ELA 7, author Bruce Coville's Halloween Story Contest.
We'll focus on correct punctuation of dialogue while writing the ending of Coville's Halloween story.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Update: 10/11/14

A look back and a look forward...

In ELA class we are working through a thematic unit called "Sports Report."
So far, the students have studied Ernest L. Thayer's classic narrative poem "Casey at the Bat."
Next, the class turned to an examination of examples of argumentative writing. They first explored the issue of whether or not fans take sports too seriously. Then the students examined an issue a bit closer to home: should schools scale back on sports?

During the week of 10/12, the students will choose one of the previously mentioned issues and develop an argument based on articles that we've read and their own personal experiences.

Also, the students continue to read independently (from books of their choice) in class. I've supported the students' efforts by keeping track of their progress and by suggesting titles that might interest them. For example, recently I shared books by author Michael Northrup (Trapped and Gentlemen) and Jay Asher (Thirteen Reasons Why and The Future of Us)