Thursday, November 30, 2017

11.30- Bell-ringer, Additional Campaign Task

Bell-ringer: Directions- write the quote and then answer the questions that follow.

“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.”   Mark Twain

1) What does Mark Twain mean?
2) Do you agree with him? Why?

3) What is something you can do to keep yourself from saying foolish things?

Additional Campaign Task
On Tuesday, each group will give a speech announcing your candidate’s decision to run for president. One person in your group will assume the role of the candidate to give this speech (using I, me, we, and us). This speech needs to announce to the country why your candidate is running for president, why s/he would be the best choice, and what makes him/her qualified. Use all three types of arguments that were discussed in class (logos, pathos, and ethos). Research other presidential announcement speeches to help give you an idea where to start. This speech needs to be at least one minute and thirty seconds. 

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

11.29- Bell-ringer, Campaign Tasks

Bell-ringer: In a paragraph (or two) write about one of your favorite stories from your childhood. You could write about your first trip to the beach, a funny accident that ended with someone in the hospital, an incident with a slightly crazy aunt, or any other story that is told when your family spends time together. Do not give me the excuse that you cannot think of one; I will not accept that.

Campaign Tasks:
1.      Take your time and read over the profile of your candidate again. Write down at least three questions you have about your candidate. These could be about his/her personal life, views on other topics, and/or opinions.

2.      Discuss why you believe that candidate is running for president—what does s/he offer that no other candidate offers? What would compel them to run for president? If there is one thing that s/he would change about the nation, what would it be? Remember, your whole campaign will be based off of this discussion. This should be a discussion among the whole group. If I ask any person in the group any of these questions later, s/he should be able to answer it. Take notes on this conversation and put it in the folder by the end of class.

3.      Craft a slogan that will define your campaign. The slogan should be connected to your overall message, be clear, and be catchy- due tomorrow.

4.      Create a campaign logo. This logo should be neat, on computer paper) and colored. You will be required to show Mr. Spivy a rough draft before he will give you computer paper-due tomorrow.

5.      Create a press release (short newspaper article) announcing your candidate’s decision to run for president. This press release should include who your candidate is, why s/he is running for president, and why s/he would be the best person to be elected president. This press release should be written in the first-person point-of-view as if the candidate is writing it him/herself. This article should be at least three paragraphs long—due tomorrow at the end of class. 

11.28- Bell-ringer, Presidential Campaign Project

Bell-ringer: Using the words from yesterday, write an original sentence for each of the words. These sentences should be at least ten words long.
                                                                                        
1.  eccentric- adj. odd; out of the ordinary

2.  edible- adj. able to be eaten

3. effeminate- adj. having female qualities

4. egress- n. an exit


5. emit- v. to send out; to release

Presidential Campaign
Directions: Congratulations! Your team has been selected to operate and manage the presidential campaign for a fictitious candidate. As the campaign team, you will be responsible for crafting the overarching message, a slogan, a logo, press releases, speeches, a commercial, and a debate. Along the way, you may be faced with a crisis or two. No one in the group is running for president, but for some tasks (such as speeches, the debate, and a commercial), someone will have to portray the candidate.
Each day, new tasks will be put either on the blog (accessed through the iPads) or in your group folder. All work for the day needs to be put in the group folder and placed in the tray. This is how the candidate will communicate with you, and how you will receive your grades.
The ultimate goal is for your candidate to win the presidency. To do that, you will have to gain more points on each task than the other campaign teams.

The purpose of this project is to become proficient persuasive writers and speakers. The challenge is that you will have to persuade your audience using the candidate’s beliefs, not your own. 

Monday, November 27, 2017

11.27- Bell-ringer, Essay Reflection, Team Contract

Bell-ringer: Directions- write the following sentences. Then, define the underlined words using context clues and prior knowledge.

1.  My eccentric aunt likes to wear colorful fake fur, big jewelry, and enjoys swing dancing in public.

2.  Her cooking is not totally edible; it is rumored she accidently poisoned her husband.

3. Though a male, the bird has some effeminate features.

4. There is an “Exit” sign over all egresses in the building.

5. That piece of cheese emits a foul odor.


Essay Reflection
Directions: Read over your essay again. Read through the changes and notes that Mr. Spivy made.
1.       Did you receive the grade you expected to receive? Explain.
2.       How could you have improved your essay?

3.       What are you going to do next time to write a better essay? 

Team Contract
Contact Information

1.      Write down the name of each person in your group. Then write down a way they can be contacted (e.g. Facebook, texting, Instagram, etc…)
2.      Write down the name of the leader and back-up leader. These people will be the students who are ultimately responsible for the decisions made for the group as well as for the final products.

Create the rules of your contract:
Each rule should have two parts- the expectation and the consequence. So each rule should have an “if” statement and a “then” statement. (Example: If a student does not turn in his or her work, then that student will be required to make up additional work.)
1.  Create a rule/expectation for what you expect if someone knows they are going to be absent ahead of time and write it here.
2.  Create a rule if someone is unexpectedly absent.
3.  Create a rule for when someone does not do the work that was assigned to him/her.
4.  Create a rule for how work will be divided (so that each person is doing an equal amount of work).
5.  Create a rule for getting distracted (try to think of the things that might distract you and be as specific as possible) and what happens when you do.
6.  Create a rule for how you are going to handle disagreements or conflict.
Discipline Process:
Now detail your process for discipline (what steps do you have to go through to keep each other accountable and eventually fire someone if necessary). You must have four, enforceable steps. Steps cannot include physical violence or require Mr. Spivy to stay during lunch or after school (no detention). The last two steps will always be a meeting with the team and teacher and the team member being fired. Mr. Spivy will not fire a team member until he has been shown proof that the team has followed this discipline process.
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3: Meeting with team and teacher
Step 4: Team Member Fired

Understanding and Signatures
1. Each team member must write the statement below.
I understand that the above contract and all of the rules and consequences listed therein apply to me. I also understand that it is my responsibility to check anything that the team turns in for accuracy, plagiarism, creativity, and overall completeness. I understand that any team assignments will be team grades.

2. Each team member must sign each copy of the team contract. 

Thursday, November 16, 2017

11-16- Bell-ringer, Activity

Bell-ringer: Write the quote. Then, answers the questions that follow.
“I encourage people to find and use the power of their voices just as much when I do not agree with those voices as when I do agree with them.”—Nikki Haley, current US Ambassador to the UN
1.    Why would a person want to vocalize their thoughts and opinions even if they disagreed with them?
How can we avoid automatically disliking someone just because we disagree with his/her opinions?

Directions: On your own sheet of paper, answer the following questions.
1.       This word comes from the Latin word that means “to cry aloud.”
2.       When referring to a law, this word means “involving the personal enjoyment of proceeds.”
3.       This word is derived from the Latin word meaning “flesh.”
4.       This word has a prefix meaning “together.”
5.       This word derives from and Anglo-French word and contains a suffix that changes a verb to a noun.
6.       A Germanic tribe in the 5th Century that was known for committing gruesome and destructive acts helped form this word.
7.       This word derives from the Latin word that means “to trade.”
8.       This word is a combination of “differential” and another English word.
9.       “Affluent” is a synonym for this word.
10.   The term comes from the Latin word “gignere.”
11.   One definition of this word is “to steer in various directions as required.”
12.   An antonym of this word is “flatter.”
13.   This word is used in laws and has a suffix that means “action or process.”
14.   The name of a certain prayer in a Catholic Mass (church service).

15.   The root word of this term means “to exact satisfaction.” 
1.    sustenance
2.    condemnation
3.    belittle
4.    beneficial
5.    coexist
6.    fortunate
7.    negotiate
8.    memento
9.    proclaim
10.  vengeance
11.  vandalism
12.  preferential
13.  maneuver
14.  ingenious
15.  carnivorous

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

11.15- Bell-ringer and Activity

Bell-ringer:

Create a new national holiday. Describe what this holiday is and what is being celebrated. Describe how the holiday is celebrated. Write at least one paragraph (5-7) sentences.


When you are finished with your essay, complete the activity below:


Etymology Activity:
Directions: Etymology is the study of words and their origins. Choose five spelling words from this week's list and answer the following questions about each of them.

1. What is the definition(s) of the word? If this word has multiple definitions, write at least two of them.

2. From what country or language did this word originate?

3. When was this word first used?

4. Has the meaning of the word changed over time?

5. What is the root word of this term?

6. Does it have any prefixes or suffixes? What do they mean?

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

11.14- Bell-ringer

Bell-ringer: Create an original sentence for each of the words below. Your sentences should be creative, completely original, and at least ten words long.


1. Detest- v. to hate
2. Detrimental- adj. causing destruction
3. Devilry- noun hate mischief (trouble making) 
4. Diaphanous- adj. translucent (see-through)
5. Dissever- verb to cut into pieces

Instructions:
1. After finishing the bell-ringer, continue (or begin) typing your essay. Before asking Mr. Spivy for help, try to solve your own problems. 
2. When/if you finish typing, let Mr. Spivy know, so he can instruct you on printing it. 
3. Once your essay is printed, you may visit one of the following websites for the remainder of class. 
---http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1463
---https://www.typingclub.com/

Monday, November 13, 2017

11.13- Bell-ringer, Spelling Words, Banned Word List

Bell-ringer: Write the sentences and then define the underlined words using context clues and prior knowledge.

1. Though my sister loves rutabagas, I detest them.
2. The detrimental storm destroyed houses and tore down power lines.
3. The devilry (hateful mischief) was done by the students.
4. We could almost see straight through the diaphanous fish.
5.  Mom dissevered the cake into six pieces.


1.    sustenance
2.    condemnation
3.    belittle
4.    beneficial
5.    coexist
6.    fortunate
7.    negotiate
8.    memento
9.    proclaim
10.  vengeance
11.  vandalism
12.  preferential
13.  maneuver
14.  ingenious
15.  carnivorous

Banned Word List:
good, bad, pretty, beautiful,ugly, very, really, sad, happy, excited/ing, thing, stuff, great, slow, fast, nice, amazing, awesome, got, cool, big, small, littler, wonderful

Thursday, November 9, 2017

11.9- Bell-ringer, Peer Edit Guide, Rubric

Bell-ringer: 
Write one paragraph (five sentences would be good) about an elderly person who has had an impact on your life. This could be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, former teacher, family friend, etc. Describe who this person is and how they had an impact on your life. 


1.      Read your partner’s essay aloud to your partner. Read it exactly as it is written. If there are no pause marks (commas, semicolons) or end marks, then read the essay accordingly.
2.      Is there an effective hook? Does it grab your attention? Write if it is good or not. If the hook is not effective, then give a suggestion.
3.      Do the paragraphs flow from one to the next? Are there effective transitions? If not, mark where you become confused by the progression ideas.
4.      Are the characters and setting described with vivid details?
5.      Did the author create a word picture? Did s/he use strong verbs and vivid descriptions?
6.      Check the mechanics of the essay (capitalization, punctuation, and spelling). Correct homophone issues (there, their, and they’re; your and you’re; its and it’s; to, two, and too).
7.      Finally, look at the rubric on the blog. Decide what grade this person should receive.

Only write with pencil on your partner’s essay.  

Narrative Essay


Teacher Name: 8th Grade Reading Language Arts


Student Name:     ________________________________________


CATEGORY
10
9-7
6-4
3-1
Introduction
First paragraph has a "hook" or interesting beginning.
First paragraph has a weak "hook".
An interesting beginning was attempted but was confusing rather than catchy.
No attempt was made to catch the reader\'s attention in the first paragraph.
Organization
The story is very well organized. One idea or scene follows another in a logical sequence with clear transitions. Obvious plot structure.
The story is pretty well organized. One idea or scene may seem out of place. Clear transitions are used. Plot was not well developed.
The story is a little hard to follow. The transitions are sometimes not clear. There was minimal plot development.
Ideas and scenes seem to be randomly arranged.
Setting/Characters
Many vivid, descriptive words are used to tell when and where the story took place.
Some vivid, descriptive words are used to tell the audience when and where the story took place.
The reader can figure out when and where the story took place, but the author didn't supply much detail.
The reader has trouble figuring out when and where the story took place.
Format
All formatting requirements (double-space, font size, dialogue, technical aspects) are met.
Most formatting requirements are met.  
Half of the formatting requirements are met.  
Little to no formatting requirements are met.
Creativity
The story contains many creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader\'s enjoyment. The author has really used his imagination.
The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader\'s enjoyment. The   author has used his imagination.
The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions, but they distract from the story. The author has tried to use his imagination.
There is little evidence of creativity in the story. The author does not seem to have used much imagination.
Grammar/
mechanics
There are no grammatical or mechanical errors in the story.
There are one to three grammatical/mechanical errors.
There are more than three grammatical/mechanical errors.
Grammatical and mechanical errors are innumerably, making the story difficult to read.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

11.8- Bell-ringer and Grammar Exercise

November 8, 2017                                                                        Mr. Spivy

Bell-ringer: Rewrite the following sentences, adding the necessary punctuation and using proper capitalization.

1. my sister and her friends monica and jimmy went to canada
2. because of his lack of knowledge george was fired from petes pizza place
3. when no one knows where todds grandma is its a problem
4. sit down and be quiet, its time to start

5. shes sick, she ate grandma lindas two week old meatloaf
When you are finished with the bell-ringer, complete the grammar exercise below. 
Run-ons--click here 

When you are finished with that, work on your rough draft.

IF you finish your rough draft, find something else to work on, which could include reading. 

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

11.7- Bell-ringer and Exercises

Bell-ringer: Write an original sentence that is highly descriptive and entertaining sentences that are at least ten words long. If you were not here yesterday, ask your neighbor for the definitions.

1. delectable- adj. delicious
2. demagogue- n. a politician who has no regard for what is right
3. demented- adj. insane
4. demise- n. death

5. denizen- n. one who lives in a certain place; citizen

Fragment- click here 
Run-on sentences- click here 

Monday, November 6, 2017

11.6- Bell-ringer, Rubric, and Dialogue Notes

Bell-ringer: Write the sentences and then define the underlined words using context clues and prior knowledge.

1. I craved a piece of that delectable chocolate cake all day.

2. The demagogue, an unprincipled politician, won the election again.

3. Unlike her completely sane sister, Deidra is somewhat demented.

4. His demise was a shock; hearing about the death caused great sorrow.


5. The denizens of Michigan are called Michiganders.

Narrative Essay

Teacher Name: 8th Grade Reading Language Arts


Student Name:     ________________________________________
CATEGORY
10
9-7
6-4
3-1
Introduction
First paragraph has a "hook" or interesting beginning.
First paragraph has a weak "hook".
An interesting beginning was attempted but was confusing rather than catchy.
No attempt was made to catch the reader\'s attention in the first paragraph.
Organization
The story is very well organized. One idea or scene follows another in a logical sequence with clear transitions. Obvious plot structure.
The story is pretty well organized. One idea or scene may seem out of place. Clear transitions are used. Plot was not well developed.
The story is a little hard to follow. The transitions are sometimes not clear. There was minimal plot development.
Ideas and scenes seem to be randomly arranged.
Setting/Characters
Many vivid, descriptive words are used to tell when and where the story took place.
Some vivid, descriptive words are used to tell the audience when and where the story took place.
The reader can figure out when and where the story took place, but the author didn't supply much detail.
The reader has trouble figuring out when and where the story took place.
Format
All formatting requirements (double-space, font size, dialogue, technical aspects) are met.
Most formatting requirements are met.  
Half of the formatting requirements are met.  
Little to no formatting requirements are met.
Creativity
The story contains many creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader\'s enjoyment. The author has really used his imagination.
The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader\'s enjoyment. The author has used his imagination.
The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions, but they distract from the story. The author has tried to use his imagination.
There is little evidence of creativity in the story. The author does not seem to have used much imagination.
Grammar/
mechanics
There are no grammatical or mechanical errors in the story.
There are one to three grammatical/mechanical errors.
There are more than three grammatical/mechanical errors.
Grammatical and mechanical errors are innumerably, making the story difficult to read.

 Dialogue Notes
#1 Use quotation marks to enclose a direct quotation 
n#2 A directly quoted sentence begins with a capital letter.
n#3 When a speaker tag interrupts a quote, the second part begins with a lowercase letter.
n#4 If a quoted sentence is divided, a comma follows the first part and comes before the second part.
n#5 A quote at the beginning of a sentence uses a comma, question mark, or exclamation point at the end.
n#6 If a quotation comes at the end of a sentence, a comma comes before it.

n#7 A period or a comma should always be placed inside the quotation marks.
#8 Every time a new person speaks, another paragraph must be started. 
n#9-Don’t overuse dialogue
#10-Give the dialogue purpose

Thursday, November 2, 2017

11.2- Bell-ringer and Organizer

Bell-ringer: Directions—write the quote and then answer the questions that follow.
The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.”  Albert Einstein

1. Do you agree that the world is dangerous because of the people who do nothing about evil? Why/why not?


2. Einstein left Germany because of Hitler and the Nazi party; what do you think he was referring to in this quote?


Short Story Organizer

Directions: On your own sheet of paper, fill in the necessary information. To keep your paper organized and sequential, write down the underlined words on your own paper.


Basic plot: Summarize what your story will be about in a sentence or two

Setting: Where will it take place? 

Time: In what time period will this be happening? Is it current time? The Victorian Era? In the distant future? 

Dynamic character(s): Dynamic characters will be the main actors in your story. They will have varying emotions and actions. Write down the dynamic characters and a description of who they are and what they will be doing in your story. 

Conflict: What type of conflict will this story have (man v. self/man/society/nature/ supernatural)? Describe in detail what this conflict will be. 

Intro: How will your story begin? This section should be at least a sentence (though the more you write, the better you will be.) 

Rising action: What will happen between the intro and the climax? This section should be at least two sentences (though the more you write, the better you will be.) 

Climax: What event will be what all of the action is leading to? This section should be at least two sentences (though the more you write, the better you will be.) 

Falling action: What events will take place after the climax? This section should be at least two sentences (though the more you write, the better you will be.) 

Conclusion/resolution: How will your story end? This section should be at least a sentence (though the more you write, the better you will be.)