Announcement: Youth Writing Academy
KMWP is pleased to announce the Youth Writing Academy Summer Sessions for 2013:
June 3 - 7: Write from the Beginning for rising 9th and 10th grade students
June 24 - 28: Creative Writing (High School)
July 8 - 12: Creative Writing (Middle School) - I am teaching this one
July 8 - 12: Teen Writer's Studio
For descriptions, download the flyer (http://www.kmwp.org/Portals/0/docs/YWAFlyer2013.pdf) or visit the link to the YWA page on the KMWP website
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email Jennifer Knowles @ kmwp@kennesaw.edu or Mary Stillerman @ mary.stillerman@gmail.com ; and feel free to pass along information to parents or students interested in the YWA.
Thank you for your continued support!
Mary Ann and the YWA Team
BOOK FAIR BEGINS AT 8:00 MONDAY, 4/29. MY CLASSES WILL ATTEND ON TUESDAY, 4/30. COME BROWSE AND BRING YOU MONEY! THE BOOK FAIR WILL BE OPEN IN THE EVENINGS BEFORE THE BAND AND ORCHESTRA CONCERTS. IT IS IN THE MEDIA CENTER
Students may not take any books out from the media center after Friday. All books are due back to the media center by next Wednesday, 5/8. If books are outstanding, students will not receive their grades or CRCT results.
LA/Reading final exam is Wednesday, 5/14. There will be language arts and reading questions; grades will be divided between the two grade sheets.
This week we are mostly back to our regular schedule. Wednesday, we have Career Day for 7th grade. Students will have a chance to hear three different speakers with different occupations talk. Each homeroom will go to different speakers. It will be interesting to hear what the kids have to say about it.
Friday, 5/3 - AC - Students met in literary circles to discuss their science fiction novels and share them with their peers. They all needed to write down 4 facts that they shared with their group on their rubric. It is worth 20 points. Then read "How Terraforming Mars Will Work." Students are to complete all of the close read strategies in the side bars and then answer the 8 questions on page 104. Please remember to bring this book to class on Monday. HW: Finish up anything you did not complete in class today. Work on your paper relating your science fiction novel with your article - Due Thursday, 5/9. OL: Students read an excerpt from The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, answered questions and began writing a short essay (a paragraph) answering the question, "What is the author's (Conan Doyle) attitude toward the character Watson? The answer must include at least one example form the excerpt to support the answer. I am attaching the assignment and a copy of the excerpt: Download The Hound of the Baskervilles writing and Download The Hound of the Baskervilles excerpt For this paragraph, they must follow the writing process which includes pre-writing, rough draft, revise, edit and then final copy (in pen). This will be due on Monday, 5/6. HW: Finish your paragraph following the writing process. Make sure you follolw directions.
Thursday, 5/2 - AC: Quiz today on Elements of Science Fiction. Students also had to show me their article for their essay next week. They also had time to work on their essay, do additonal research, or read after the quiz. HW: Continue working on essay due 5/9. Tomorrow they need to be prepared to discuss their science fiction book with other classmates in literary circles. OL: Students had quiz on the elements of mystery and suspense. We then did some "stories with holes to see if they could figure them out" and then met in groups to discuss their 5 minute mystery they read on Monday. HW: Finish any work owed and turn in, including journal due today and the sheet you needed to complete for your 5 minute mystery. If you are finished, READ!
Wednesday, 5/1 - Career Day- From 9:30-11:00, students traveled to see three speakers on different occupations. Classes were shortened today due to career day. All students need to write on a separate sheet of paper the following journal. It has 4 questions associated with the journal, but should not be answered in questions form but in a paragraph: "How does learning about different occupations help you better understand the importance of education?" "What did you like best about the presentations you attended?" "What do you thnk you want to be and why?" and "How could we improve career day?" AC: Went over elements of science fiction chart to help prepare them for quiz tomorrow. If time, did research for articles due tomorrow. HW: Finish journal, study for quiz and bring in printed copy of article for your paper.Download Elementsofsciencefictionpowerpoint Attached is the example for the paper that you are writing. This is not perfect, but it shows a good thesis and support. Download Science Fiction Novel ProjectEXAMPLE OL: Students worked on journal on a separate sheet of paper and we did some mystery stories. HW: Study for quiz tomorrow on the elements of mystery and suspense. It will have matching and fill in the blank with a word bank. To help you study: Download Important facts to rememberMystery
Tuesday, 4/30-Last day in April. All classes went to the book fair during class and received a copy of their summer reading assignment. AC: Finished reading the teleplay "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" aloud and then watched the Twilight Zone episode. HW: Quiz on Thursday on the three stories/plays we have read for science fiction. Remember to complete your chart for each story. If you need copies of the first two stories, look on last weeks blog. They are attached. OL: Today we had a warm-up with stories with holes where the students had to figure out the missing information to make the story make sense. Then each student was given a 5-minute mystery (5 different ones were dispersed throughout the classroom) and they had to complete a sheet pertaining to mystery and suspense about their story. They were also supposed to figure out the mystery. We will work in groups on Thursday to discuss the mysteries and see if we are right. HW: READ. Quiz on Thursday on the elements of mystery and suspense. Information from the power point given last week. You should all have notes from class.
Monday, 4/29: AC: Students went on the computers to find a science article that pertains to their science fiction novel that they have been reading. They also received the rubric and assignment for their "essay" they need to write. Download Science Fiction Novel Project Rubric. The article is due on Thursday, 5/2 with the paper completion for Thursday, 5/9. We will have time to work on the paper in class, but it will require work at home. HW: READ and look for article. OL: Watched the video of the Twilight Zone episode, "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" and discussed the suspense within the show and how the author uses specific characteristics. We then went over the power point given last week, and picked out the important information for the quiz on Thursday. HW: READ and begin to study for quiz.