Book vs Film Project

Now that we are finished with the book, Flowers for Algernon, we are going to view the year 2000, made for tv, version. There are certain aspects of the film that I would like for you to pay close attention to, because you will be writing a four paragraph essay about what you see versus what we read.
Here is a list of what you will compare in the book and the movie. A more detailed outline of the project is included in the link.
1. Setting
2. Conflict
3. Climax
4. Character:
  • Ms. Kinnian
  • Dr. Strauss
  • Burt
  • Charlie
  • Joe
  • Frank

5. Literary Elements

  • irony
  • flashback
  • foreshadowing

6. Resolution

Download file "Algernon.doc"

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Persuasive Technique Projects

This project on persuasion includes examples using repetition, slogan, jingle, product comparison, celebrity endorsement, humor, and many more. Check back each week to see new commercials and see if you can pick out which examples are being used. Would you buy this product? I bet you won't get this next commercial's jingle out of your head for a while. Check out the Smoothenator!





Try the Smoothenator!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so blessed to have so many things to be thankful for. Sometimes we take things for granted but it's good to remember that some of the smallest things in our life could be a really big thing to someone else. Take the time to think about all the things you do have in your life.
I also want to challenge you to accept Rachel's Challenge and start a chain reaction. Tell me what you are thankful for in your life, and what ideas you have to start a chain reaction in our community.

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2nd Six Weeks- Earn one AR point here!

Tell me one thing that you have learned in this class so far. It can be anything from reading strategies, to social behavior. (positive comments only please!)

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2nd Six Weeks Alt. AR Assignments

Alternative Assignment Activities are due Monday November 2. Click on the link for this Six weeks assignment activities. You can earn up to 5 AR points a six weeks.

Download file "2ndaltassign.doc"

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Yes, we have no bananas today!

So I bet you are wondering if we are having tutorials today. I will be back after lunch and yes we will have tutorials. We will meet in the compter lab today, so bring your thinking caps. In class today you have a test over "The Monkey's Paw". It is open book and you may use your interactive reader. When you finish, you need to read "The King of Maizy May" in your interactive reader. You will have a quiz and also I will award AR points for your quiz grade! See ya soon!

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Update Your Journal!

Coming soon! If you are absent and miss the daily journal, I will have every journal posted here so that you will have a place to go to get what you miss!

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Weekly Homework Assignments

You will need your big Literature book for this assignment: DUE FRIDAY!
Read page 17-20 about the characteristics of fiction. Define the following terms using page 18 as a guide:
Plot
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
You should also have your final draft of your narrative paper turned in or emailed to me by Friday. If you were absent, you have until Tuesday. I've already spoken to the students who have this extention and they know who they are.
Today you will get homework over Plot, spelling, and vocabulary. This is also due on FRIDAY!

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Narrative Writing

This week we are writing a narrative story. Writing about something you know is easier than writing about something you don't know much about, and who else is an expert on you than, well, you? We are doing pre-writing exercises in class today to come up with a topic and hopefully start on rough drafts. If you are having a hard time coming up with a topic, think about the journal entries you have written about memories. The field trip to the State Fair is a good one to write about because there is so much sensory detail to choose from. I have a rubric to give you so that you will know exactly how your paper will be graded and what I expect you to have in the story. Check back for a link of that rubric and added information.

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Congratulations Chucky "Anfernee" Ross


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Cool Newspaper Tool

Check this out! Here is a new tool you can use for AR alterntative projects! Use this link to generate newspaper clippings of your book, a character, an event from the story, an epilogue that tells what happened after the story ended.......the possiblities are endless! Thanks Mrs. Rousseau! This is so neat!

http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

Here is an example using the book we are reading in Reading class. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton


Download file "newspaper.jpg"

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Alternative AR Projects

We are down to the wire (idiom, haha) for getting our AR Points. The Deadline is Friday at 3:30pm. Due to lack of clarification on when the alternative projects were due, I will allow you to turn those in on Friday. Normally I would want to get those from you at least a week before points are due so that I would have time to grade them. I will remind you next six weeks. Each six weeks, I will assign short stories from your literature book along with an assignment. You will have several to choose from and you can earn up to 5 AR points depending on the quality of your work. Next 6 weeks you will be able to get points from your Science class.(Thanks Mrs. Jarvie! more info soon) Remember, reading does not just mean library books. Although I would like for each of you to acquire a love of reading, there are other purposes for reading besides entertainment. Newspapers, magazine articles, textbook chapters, instruction manuals, applications, schedules, contracts, facebook, myspace, web sites, email, this blog....... you name it! No matter how you feel about reading, you are going to have to read at some point. I will never give up trying to convince you of how fun it is to read, and I will convert some of you before the year is over, but in the mean time, I just want you to READ!!!!!! The links added will show the short stories and assignments for this six weeks. (nothing like waiting until the last minute) and alternative activities you can do instead of tests over books that are not AR.

Download file "1sixwkALTAR.doc"

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Earn an AR Point Here!

Earn one AR Point here! Give an example of figurative language and tell me what kind it is. If you do this correctly you will get one AR point! Don't forget AR points are due Friday. If you are doing an alternative project, they are due Friday as well.

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cool resources

This link will take you to a practice on analogies!

http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/analogies/analogiesx.htm

This link is a one or two person game on analogies in the Jeopardy Format:

http://www.quia.com/cb/7146.html

Here is a neat spelling resource. (This example is not on the list, but here is my spelling tip of the day. Please note the difference between the words loose and lose. I don't like to correct people, as I make mistakes too, but this one drives me crazy!

If you lose weight, your pants might be loose.

You might lose your car keys if they come loose from your key chain.

Check out this list of commonly misspelled words:

http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/misspelled.html

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Benchmark Test Thursday!

Don't forget that your Benchmark Test is this Thursday. We will review in class.
Need a brush up over similes and metaphors? Here is the powerpoint lesson we did in class. I will also add links to online practice over other figurative language and complex sentences.
Download file "Similes and Metaphors.ppt"

Here is a lesson on an author's use of figurative language using Edgar Allan Poe's poem, The Bells
Download file "onopatopoeiaPoe.doc"

More information on subordinating conjunctions, (subordinating or dependent and independent clauses)
Download file "Subordinating Conjunction.doc"

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Poetry Contest

Creative Communication
A Celebration of Today's Writers
Become Published, Win Cash Prizes!
Poem and essay entries must be original and in English.
Poems must be no longer than 21 lines.
Please submit each poem with a title, the writer's name (clearly printed), current grade, home address (optional), school name, school address, and teacher's name.
Example:
Title of Poem: Going Home
John Smith
8th grade
Arp Junior High
101 School Street Arp, Tx 75750
Mrs. Ellis
poetry deadlines
Fall Contest- postmarked by December 10, 2009
Spring Contest- postmarked by april 13, 2010
Summer Contest- postmarked by August 18, 2010
(Students can submit one entry for each contest deadline.)
http://www.poeticpower.com

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Subordinating Clause Poetry (Your Poems Published!)

Welcome to 8th grade Language Arts!
I will post a detailed overview of each six weeks, but because the first six weeks is nearly over, I wanted to share some of the products that have been turned in. The first week we reviewed complex sentences. To remember the difference between a subordinate (dependent) clause, and an independent clause, we created poetry. Following a formula, the students created great poetry that helped teach them the difference.

Check out their work here!


Download file "Subordinating Clause Poetry.ppt"

This is a link to the lesson plan I found online.

The students really enjoyed the lesson and had a better understanding of complex sentences.

TEKS/SE:8.19(B) Write complex sentences and differentiate between main versus subordinate clauses.

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LAPoetry9.htm

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