Happy Independence Day!

Next year we'll be reading a lot of nonfiction.  I'm actually considering analyzing this as a class...and it is really nice to hear it read out loud.  There is a lot of antiquated and difficult vocabulary, but you still get the gist, and it sounds quite beautiful and poetic when you hear it.  So, pour a cup of coffee, plug in your earbuds, and give it a listen!

A little video for the incoming 8th-graders!

Hello firs off to my students this year...I made a little welcome video for the next year's 8th-graders, but you can feel free to check it out as well!  Have a great rest of the year...I'll see you around!

-Mr. Stowell

AND HERE IT IS...

THE LAST ASSIGNMENT OF THE YEAR!!!!!

SCENES ARE TO BE PERFORMANCE READY BY JUNE 5, 2014 

COMPARE/CONTRAST ORIGINAL VS. REMAKE RUBRIC

GROUP MEMBERS
ORIGINAL SCENE
NEW TIME PERIOD (different from original) 25 pts
APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE (changes for time period) 25 pts
CONSISTENCY OF STORY (some change acceptable, but could I tell which scene you chose if I didn’t already know) 25 pts
DELIVERY (character, volume, any additional props, costumes, theatrics) 25 pts

TOTAL POINTS _____________________

REMINDER

MULTIGENRE PROJECTS DUE 5/16

 MULTIGENRE GRADING RUBRIC

Points Possible	Content 90-100	Content 80-89	Content 70-79	Content 60-69	Content 0	Presentation 20 pts possible
MG #1	Hero’s Journey element(s) are clearly expressed in a creative and original genre	Hero’s Journey element(s) are identifiable with some help	Hero’s Journey element(s) are vague and require explaining	Hero’s Journey element(s) are missing	Genre is not turned in	Work is presented neatly and shows effort
MG #2	Hero’s Journey element(s) are clearly expressed in a creative and original genre	Hero’s Journey element(s) are identifiable with some help	Hero’s Journey element(s) are vague and require explaining	Hero’s Journey element(s) are missing	Genre is not turned in	Work is presented neatly and shows effort
MG #3	Hero’s Journey element(s) are clearly expressed in a creative and original genre	Hero’s Journey element(s) are identifiable with some help	Hero’s Journey element(s) are vague and require explaining	Hero’s Journey element(s) are missing	Genre is not turned in	Work is presented neatly and shows effort

Content Points (Up to 100) + Presentation Points (Up to 25)/ 125 possible points = Grade

Three grades - one for each project

MG #1

MG #2

MG #3

BTW.....

Final Free Rice Project Totals:

Total grains of rice donated - 695,780.

It takes 5600 grains of rice to make one serving.

That means we fed 124.25 people, or one for each member of our team.

This translates into 579 hours of community service for Team 11.

 

In 5th place Pd 1 - 79,470

In 4th place Pd 2 - 102, 260

In 3rd place Pd 6 - 136,965

In 2nd place Pd 5 - 162,005

And in 1st place, Pd 7 with 215, 080

Individual class leaders for each period

Pd 1 Natalie Zucco 25,100

Pd 2 Thomas Polhemus 60,000

Pd 5 Joe Antonelli 60,000

Pd 6 Tyler Cote 28, 790

Pd 7 Lucas Blood 44,620

Color me proud. Thanks for all the support.

Just in case you were looking for ideas...

Multigenre projects (3 expressions) are due 5/16/14

Multigenre  is an alternative to the traditional five paragraph essay. It emphasizes the use of multiple genres to represent a given topic. A genre is a specific type of art including literature, speech, drawings, music, etc. With this type of project, students are expected to research their given topic and then present the information they gathered using a variety of genres.

A Brief (and by no means complete) List of Genres

• Journal Entries
• Personal Letter
• Greeting Card
• Schedule/Things to Do List
• Inner Monologue Representing Internal Conflicts
• Classified or Personal Ads
• Top Ten List/Glossary or Dictionary
• Poetry
• Song Lyrics
• Autobiographical Essay
• Contest Entry Application
• Business or Correspondence Letter
• Biography
• Speech or Debate
• Textbook Article
• Lesson Plan
• Encyclopedia Article
• Short Scene from a Play
• Dialogue among Two or More People
• Short Story
• Adventure Magazine Story
• Ghost Story
• Myth, Tall Tale, or Fairy Tale
• Talk Show Interview
• Recipe or Holiday Event
• Character Analysis
• Comedy Routine or Parody
• Liner Notes
• Picture Book
• Chart or Diagram
• Brochure or Newsletter
• Map
• Magazine or TV Advertisement
• Restaurant Menu
• Travel Brochure
• Wedding, Graduation, or Special Event Invitation
• Birth Certificate
• Local News Report
• Pop-Up Book
• Review and Poster for a Movie, Book, or TV Program
• Board Game
• Comic Strip or Graphic Novel Excerpt
• Web SIte
• Letter to the Editor
• Obituary, Eulogy, or Tribute

Upcoming Quizzes, Tests, Assessments:
4/15 Chapters 4-6 Quiz
4/17 Multiple Choice Test Chapters 1-6
5/2 Final Assessment -  3-5 Paragraph Critical Essay

THE PEARL by John Steinbeck

VOCABULARY                   

Chapter 1                           

pulque: traditional Mexican alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant.

bougainvillea:     a flowering plant

alms: charity, donations

indigene:native person; indigenous person

suppliant: full of prayer; begging, pleading

avarice: excessive greed

indigent: poor, needy

Chapter 2

estuary: inlet, mouth of the river where it meets the ocean

mirage: illusion, false image

bulwark: embankment

poultice: compress for medical purposes

hummock: mound, hill

bow: front of a boat

stern: rear of a boat

mangroves: trees or shrubs that grow in coastal/tropical areas

Chapter 3

distillate: condensation, concentrated

subjugation: suppression

Chapter 4                                               

countenanced: allowed, tolerated

graft: implant

dignity: self-respect

rampart: fortification; protection

stalwart: strong

collusion: secret agreement; conspiracy

lethargy:weariness; fatigue   

Chapter 5

leprosy: a disease that causes skin lesions; it can cause damage to skin, nerves and eyes; leprosy has long held a strong social stigma.

Chapter 6

cleft: indent

escarpment: cliff

freshets: freshwater stream

petulant:  grumpy

threshed: flailed; thrashed

VOCAB QUIZ ON FRIDAY 3/28/14

REV IT UP VOCAB Lesson 3

mainstay - A mainstay is the most important part of something, the part that supports everything else.

odyssey - An odyssey is a long, eventful journey.

grueling - A grueling experience is so difficult it exhausts you.

scour - When you scour something, you scrub it in order to clean it.

hierarchy - A hierarchy is a way of ranking group members based on their importance.

integral - Something that is an integral part of something else is absolutely necessary for it to work.

regale - If you regale someone, you entertain him or her with stories.

pan - If you pan an area, you look slowly across it from side to side.

deference - When you show deference, you act in a way that shows a deep respect for someone or something.

epitome - The epitome of something is the best example or model of it.

BE READY TO GIVE YOUR SPEECH ON MONDAY (3/17/14). 

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR VISUAL AID. 

PRACTICE THIS WEEKEND :-)

Speeches will be presented starting Monday 3/17/14

Visual Aids need to be approved by Wednesday 3/12/14

PERSUASIVE SPEECH RUBRIC

	4	3	2	1
INTRODUCTION	The first few lines of the speech really got my attention and made me want to listen.	The first few lines of the speech got my attention and I was curious to hear the rest.	The first few lines didn't really get my attention and I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear more.	The first few lines of the speech did not get my attention and I did not want to hear more.
CONTENT	The speech focused on one or two major issues and described those issues thoroughly.	The speech focused on one or two major issues, but did not fully explain them.	The speech focused on more than two issues and did not fully explain them.	The speech was unclear and did not explain any of the issues thoroughly.
DELIVERY	The speaker spoke in a loud, clear voice and was expressive.	The speaker was loud and clear, but not very expressive.	The speaker was hard to hear at times and not expressive.	I could not hear or understand the speaker.
ATTENTION TO AUDIENCE	Argument demonstrates a clear understanding of the potential audience and anticipates counterargument	Argument demonstrates a clear understanding of the potential audience.	Argument demonstrates some understanding of the potential audience.	Argument does not seem to target any particular audience.
VISUAL	Visuals are appealing, highly relevant, and add support to the argument.	Visuals are appealing and add support to the argument.	Visuals are related to the topic.	Visuals are not directly related to the topic.
CONCLUSION	The end of the speech was exciting and lively.	The end of the speech was somewhat exciting and lively.	The end of the speech was not very exciting or lively.	The end of the speech was not exciting or lively at all.
OVERALL	The speech was exciting and informative and really made me want to support this position	The speech was informative and somewhat exciting and I might support this position	The speech was not very informative or exciting and I probably wouldn't support this position	The speech made me not want to support this position

COMMENTS

               

NAME____________________________________PD__________

TOTAL SCORE _____________/28___