CURIOUS INCIDENT... Blog Post 2

In Chapter 107, we learn that Christopher's favorite book is The Hound of the Baskervilles. Why is he so drawn to this book? What does his love of it say about his personality and about the way his mind works?

Homework for Week of 2/1

Triplets

Monday, 2/1

- Curious Incident, pages 43-74 and Blog Post

Tuesday, 2/2

- Bring Independent Reading Books to Class

- "Curiosity Essay" Brainstorm

Thursday, 2/4

- Curious Incident, pages 74-99

8th Grade Writing

Monday, 2/1

- Read "Araby" and answer the following questions

1. Choose one symbol in the story. Explain why you've chosen it and what you think it symbolizes.

2. Find one passage where the author creates mood through setting. How does he do this?

Wednesday, 2/3

- Wordly Wise 7 Exercises Due

7th Grade Writing

Wednesday, 2/3

- Wordly Wise 7 Exercises Due

Friday, 2/5

- Autobiography Proposal for Chapter 3 (First Free Choice)

CURIOUS INCIDENT... Blog Post 1

On pages 12, Christopher writes: "I think prime numbers are a lot like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them." What does this metaphor mean? What moments and scenes in the first 23 pages of the book might relate to this insight?

Homework for Week of 1/25

Triplets

Monday, 1/25

- Book Group Final Presentations

Tuesday, 1/26

- Curious Incident... pp 1-23 and Blog Post

Thursday, 1/28

- Curious Incident...pp 24-43

7th Grade Writing

Wednesday, 1/27

- Wordly Wise 6 Quiz

Friday, 1/29

- Hobbies and Passions Chapter

8th Grade Writing

Monday, 1/25

- Wordly Wise 6 Exercises

Wednesday, 1/27

- Wordly Wise 6 Quiz

- "The Landlady" Questions (3, 4 & 5 in Questions in Comments; 1 on Word Study; 1-3 in Composition)

7th Grade - Autobiography First Draft Tips

Autobiography Tips—Creating First Drafts

The process of starting an autobiography chapter can be an overwhelming one. Where do you begin? What do you focus on? How do you organize the information? Remember that each of you tells stories everyday—about a funny thing that happened on the way to school, a confusing conversation you had, etc. You are all expert storytellers already. The following list of tips is designed to help you begin the process of writing these stories down.

• Focus on what you remember in detail. When you remember a particular time in your life in detail, when an event from a few months or a few years before stays with you, this usually signifies that it was important to you in some way. If there is a moment you keep coming back to, jot down as many details as you can come up with. Reread what you’ve written. After you’ve done that, ask yourself why this moment or even has stayed with you? Why was it significant to you?
• Focus on a specific moment in time. Even if you are writing a chapter about a large topic (a favorite hobby, a family member, etc), try to focus on a few key moments that stand out to you. If, for example, you’re writing about a friendship, think about a few moments that give a reader a window into that relationship. It’s generally more exciting to show how a person might be funny rather than simply telling the reader.
• Balance scene and summary. The most important moments in memoirs are usually told in scene. Using sensory detail, try to help the reader to feel like he or she is there with you. What details, big and small, do you remember? How did you feel in that particular moment? What important bits of dialogue can you recall? Why was this moment so significant to you? At other times, you need to share background information so that the reader knows what’s going on. This information is necessary, but not the focus of the piece. This information is best told in summary.
• Don’t be afraid to take risks. First drafts are a great place for experimentation. Many writers believe that it is through writing a first draft that you figure out what you want to write about. So, if you keep thinking about a particular moment but don’t know why it was important to you, write about it in detail. This will help you to figure out its significance.

7th Grade - Autobiography Schedule

Autobiography Timeline 2010

Each chapter should be at least 3 pages long, but can be longer. All blank spaces denote free choice chapters. Please keep up with deadlines!!

January 22^nd (Friday) Revised Personal Action Poem

1^st Chapter: Family

January 29^th (Friday) 2^nd Chapter: Hobbies and Passions

February 10^th (Wednesday) 3^rd Chapter: ______________

February 24^th (Wednesday) REWRITE: Family

March 10^th (Wednesday) 4^th Chapter: A Day in My Life

March 22^nd (Monday) REWRITE: Hobbies and Passions

March 24^th (Wednesday) 5^th Chapter: Lesson Learned

March 26^th (Friday) 6^th Chapter: ______________

April 7^th (Wednesday) 7^th Chapter: ______________

April 14^th (Wednesday) 8^th Chapter: Who Am I?

April 21^st (Wednesday) REWRITES: Chapter 3, A Day in the Life

April 28^th (Wednesday) REWRITES: Lesson Learned, Chapter 6

May 5^th (Wednesday) Six-Word Memoir

REWRITES: Chapter 7, Who Am I?

May 7^th (Friday) 9^th Chapter: 20 Years From Now

REWRITE: Six-Word Memoir

Week of May 10^th Final Spanish Autobiography Poems

Beginning layout (Bring book, chapters, photos)

May 12^th (Wednesday) Final Autobiographies Due (Reading Practice)

May 17^th (Monday) Autobiography Share!!!!!

Homework for Week of 1/19

TRIPLETS:

Your final Book Group Presentations are due on Monday, 1/25. Be sure that you're working with your group all week so that you are completely prepared!

8th Grade

- Wordly Wise 6 Exercises Due Thursday, 1/22

- Wordly Wise 6 Quiz, Monday, 1/25

7th Grade

- "Family" Chapter Draft 1 Due Friday, 1/23

- Personal Action Poem Revision Due Friday, 1/23

- Wordly Wise 6 Exercises

Book Group Final Presentations

Book Group Final Presentations

The final component of your book group project will be a presentation. This presentation, which will be about 10 minutes long, should be designed to help the rest of your triplet get a basic sense of the book you’ve been reading for the past six weeks. Your presentation needs to include the following:

• Overview of the book—sharing the basic premise without giving away too much of the plot; giving background about where and when it takes place
• Information about the author—basic biography, inspiration for writing the book, info about other works he or she has written, reviews and scholarship about the book and/or author
• Excerpt from the book, including your analysis
• Group’s favorite aspects of the book, including example
• Major themes, including examples and analysis
• A visual aid, such as a handout, slide show, PowerPoint presentation or self- created video
• An answer and explanation of the following question: What does it mean to grow up in this book?

**All group members must contribute equally in preparing and presenting**

For the Final Project Grades you will receive both a group and an individual grade. Grades will be based on the following criteria:

Group Grade	Individual Grade
Final Presentations and Responsibilities Breakdown Quality and Depth of Group Meetings Cooperation and Respect During Meetings Group Self Assessments Group Quiz	Individual Self Assessments Context Sheets Completion and Quality of Journal Entries Teacher Observations Behavior, Participation and Communication

Presentation Date: Monday, January 25^th

Homework for Tuesday, 1/5 - CENTER

7th Grade:

Finish "Lunch at the Biltmore" and answer the following questions:

1. Describe the relationship between Oscar and his father.

2. What different things does food represent in this memoir?

3. Pick one quote in the memoir that stood out to you. Why did it stand out to you?

8th Grade:

MLK Speech Revision #1