Grade 7 Daily Log
March 9-13
Monday
Hour 1 - Students completed a background search related to our story topic.
Hour 2 - Student read "The Brave Boys" and completed an impromptu written response in class today.
Tuesday
No School
Wednesday
Students submitted their final vocabulary slides today. Then they began reviewing each others slides and copying definitions on their definitions list. Here is the cumulative file for HOUR 1 (Updated) , and here is the cumulative file or HOUR 2 (Updated).
Thursday
Today we examined a page of a screen play and identified its elements. We used THIS PAGE of the script and completed THESE TASKS.
In Hour 2 only, students are to complete this background search related to our story topic.
March 2-6
Monday
Students completed an impromptu writing piece in class today. In this piece, they demonstrated all they've learned about sentence structure so far this year. They also completed a short comprehension piece related to this weekend's readings.
Tuesday
Today we worked on creating context for this quarter's anchor text which is set in 1966. To help paint the picture, students completed readings earlier this week about Jim Crow laws and the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education. In groups today, students reviewed those readings and discussed a series of prompts about each. Following each set of prompts, students wrote summarizing paragraphs about the topics. Their focus was to write the summaries with varying sentence structures. At the end of class, I asked students what they think the response might have been in the south to the decision in Brown v. Board. For homework tonight, students are to academic read and complete responses to this article "The Little Rock Nine."
Wednesday
We discussed last night's homework article together in class and I showed the class a short, 3-minute video related to the reading. Students created written summaries of that article demonstrating varying sentence structures. Finally, they were on the computers gathering drama/screenplay notes for our upcoming anchor text.
Thursday
Students briefly had time to begin their vocabulary tasks before going to Mrs. Bohm's presentation about 8th grade scheduling. Students' scheduling forms are to be submitted with parent signatures by next Thursday, March 12th.
Friday
We read for a portion of the hour for March's Reading Month. Then students continued their vocabulary assignments.
February 24-28
Monday
After a short review and refresher of our sentence structure work, students began working on "The Variety Project." We're practicing varying sentence structures in class. Avoiding repetitive wording helps writers create flow. For this project, students selected two images (provided in the assignment description file). Their task is to incorporate those two images in 5 simple sentences, 5 compound sentences, and 5 complex sentences. The challenge is to avoid repeating any subjects, predicates, or conjunctions. The (attached) file contains an example. For tomorrow's class, students are to have their sentences ready for typing.
Tuesday
Students typed their sentences for the Variety Project today.
Wednesday/Thursday - Snow Days
Friday
Students glued their sentences to their posters today. They highlighted the subjects and predicates in each sentences and identified the conjunctions for their compound and complex sentences. At the end of class, I passed out this weekend's readings: Brown v. Board of Education and Jim Crow Laws. I posted this Assignment Description in class as well.
February 10-14
Monday
We continued our practice with sentence types today. Students created compound sentences and corrected run-ons. Then they began practicing compound sentences.
Tuesday
After practicing creation of complex sentences, students began work on a team project called "101 Clauses." They will continue this work tomorrow in class.
Wednesday
Students finished their compound/complex sentence group projects today in class.
Thursday
Groups met up today to make final touches to their group project. They had the opportunity to make corrections and additions before turning those in for grading. Then students took INVENTORY of what they could recall about our sentence structure instruction this year. They met again with their groups and discussed those answers together before taking a short quiz to end class.
Friday
We had a shortened class today. We reviewed the results from yesterday's sentence structure quiz. Then we took another quiz!
February 3-7
Monday
Groups began assembling their final posters in class today. We will finish this work tomorrow.
Tuesday
Groups finished their posters today in class.
Wednesday
We conducted our class spelling bee today. Winners from each class were submitted for the second round against other class winners in the school. After that, students only had a brief time to begin this Grammar Review Page.
Thursday
We conducted a series of grammar review exercises today as we prepare to explore sentence structure and sentence styles.
Friday
I introduced three different sentence styles today: simple, compound, and complex. Students used the grammar books to practice identifying and joining independent clauses.
January 27-31
Monday
Wrapping up our work from Friday with "The Sneetches" and "Southpaw" students completed a short effective summarizing activity in groups today. Then they completed an impromptu writing activity asking them to state and support a claim across both texts. Both of those short stories contained the topics inclusion and exclusion. We discussed reasons for characters being excluded. In groups, they completed a compare/contrast activity examining the terms culture and race. The "Cultural Identity" activity on the back is to be ready for tomorrow's class.
Tuesday
We used our cultural identity activities from last night to create an "I Am" poem. Students created a rough draft and then got mostly finished with the final typed copy in class.
Wednesday
Students finished their "I Am" poems today in class. Then we began a deeper dive into the use of stereotypes by exploring modern challenges. Students visited our Online Teaming Page. Each member of the group chose one article and became the "expert" for his or her group. Directions for summarizing the articles is provided on the Teaming Page. We will continue these summaries tomorrow in class.
'
Thursday
Students visited our Online Teaming Page again today to finish their summaries. They then worked on a short spotlight activity related to their topic before meeting with other members of the class who read the same article. Tomorrow, each article "expert" will present his or her findings to the group. All spiral notebook activities from the Online Teaming Page are to be completed for tomorrow's class.
Friday
Students finished their Article Spotlights responses in class today. (If you were absent and want to complete this over the weekend, open the file and complete the one that matches your article.) Once completed, students participated in a series of discussion prompts where they were able to share findings from their readings. On Monday, groups will assemble their posters.
January 21-24
Tuesday
Students read "The Treasure of Lemon Brown" in class today and completed the (attached) responses.
Wednesday
Today we explored how imagery can support an author's creation of mood. We began by looking at the imagery describing Lemon Brown, from yesterday's story. Students drew a picture of Lemon Brown and labeled the parts of their picture with chunks of imagery from the story. Then they used the computers to respond to three responses about the story. They submitted these responses at school.
Thursday
We began a discussion today about popularity, inclusion, and how people treat others. Students responded to prompts, and we generated ideas together as a class. We read "The Sneetches" by Dr. Seuss. Students completed a guided reading with me. 2nd hour students are to have the (attached) response questions prepared for tomorrow's class.
Friday
We had great group discussions today about yesterday's reading, "The Sneetches." We identified elements of conflict, learned how to identify a theme, and supported our findings about characterization. Then students read "Southpaw" in their groups and completed the (attached) responses. Again, we conducted group discussion about the two characters in this short story.
Monday
Hour 1 - Students completed a background search related to our story topic.
Hour 2 - Student read "The Brave Boys" and completed an impromptu written response in class today.
Tuesday
No School
Wednesday
Students submitted their final vocabulary slides today. Then they began reviewing each others slides and copying definitions on their definitions list. Here is the cumulative file for HOUR 1 (Updated) , and here is the cumulative file or HOUR 2 (Updated).
Thursday
Today we examined a page of a screen play and identified its elements. We used THIS PAGE of the script and completed THESE TASKS.
In Hour 2 only, students are to complete this background search related to our story topic.
March 2-6
Monday
Students completed an impromptu writing piece in class today. In this piece, they demonstrated all they've learned about sentence structure so far this year. They also completed a short comprehension piece related to this weekend's readings.
Tuesday
Today we worked on creating context for this quarter's anchor text which is set in 1966. To help paint the picture, students completed readings earlier this week about Jim Crow laws and the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education. In groups today, students reviewed those readings and discussed a series of prompts about each. Following each set of prompts, students wrote summarizing paragraphs about the topics. Their focus was to write the summaries with varying sentence structures. At the end of class, I asked students what they think the response might have been in the south to the decision in Brown v. Board. For homework tonight, students are to academic read and complete responses to this article "The Little Rock Nine."
Wednesday
We discussed last night's homework article together in class and I showed the class a short, 3-minute video related to the reading. Students created written summaries of that article demonstrating varying sentence structures. Finally, they were on the computers gathering drama/screenplay notes for our upcoming anchor text.
Thursday
Students briefly had time to begin their vocabulary tasks before going to Mrs. Bohm's presentation about 8th grade scheduling. Students' scheduling forms are to be submitted with parent signatures by next Thursday, March 12th.
Friday
We read for a portion of the hour for March's Reading Month. Then students continued their vocabulary assignments.
February 24-28
Monday
After a short review and refresher of our sentence structure work, students began working on "The Variety Project." We're practicing varying sentence structures in class. Avoiding repetitive wording helps writers create flow. For this project, students selected two images (provided in the assignment description file). Their task is to incorporate those two images in 5 simple sentences, 5 compound sentences, and 5 complex sentences. The challenge is to avoid repeating any subjects, predicates, or conjunctions. The (attached) file contains an example. For tomorrow's class, students are to have their sentences ready for typing.
Tuesday
Students typed their sentences for the Variety Project today.
Wednesday/Thursday - Snow Days
Friday
Students glued their sentences to their posters today. They highlighted the subjects and predicates in each sentences and identified the conjunctions for their compound and complex sentences. At the end of class, I passed out this weekend's readings: Brown v. Board of Education and Jim Crow Laws. I posted this Assignment Description in class as well.
February 10-14
Monday
We continued our practice with sentence types today. Students created compound sentences and corrected run-ons. Then they began practicing compound sentences.
Tuesday
After practicing creation of complex sentences, students began work on a team project called "101 Clauses." They will continue this work tomorrow in class.
Wednesday
Students finished their compound/complex sentence group projects today in class.
Thursday
Groups met up today to make final touches to their group project. They had the opportunity to make corrections and additions before turning those in for grading. Then students took INVENTORY of what they could recall about our sentence structure instruction this year. They met again with their groups and discussed those answers together before taking a short quiz to end class.
Friday
We had a shortened class today. We reviewed the results from yesterday's sentence structure quiz. Then we took another quiz!
February 3-7
Monday
Groups began assembling their final posters in class today. We will finish this work tomorrow.
Tuesday
Groups finished their posters today in class.
Wednesday
We conducted our class spelling bee today. Winners from each class were submitted for the second round against other class winners in the school. After that, students only had a brief time to begin this Grammar Review Page.
Thursday
We conducted a series of grammar review exercises today as we prepare to explore sentence structure and sentence styles.
Friday
I introduced three different sentence styles today: simple, compound, and complex. Students used the grammar books to practice identifying and joining independent clauses.
January 27-31
Monday
Wrapping up our work from Friday with "The Sneetches" and "Southpaw" students completed a short effective summarizing activity in groups today. Then they completed an impromptu writing activity asking them to state and support a claim across both texts. Both of those short stories contained the topics inclusion and exclusion. We discussed reasons for characters being excluded. In groups, they completed a compare/contrast activity examining the terms culture and race. The "Cultural Identity" activity on the back is to be ready for tomorrow's class.
Tuesday
We used our cultural identity activities from last night to create an "I Am" poem. Students created a rough draft and then got mostly finished with the final typed copy in class.
Wednesday
Students finished their "I Am" poems today in class. Then we began a deeper dive into the use of stereotypes by exploring modern challenges. Students visited our Online Teaming Page. Each member of the group chose one article and became the "expert" for his or her group. Directions for summarizing the articles is provided on the Teaming Page. We will continue these summaries tomorrow in class.
'
Thursday
Students visited our Online Teaming Page again today to finish their summaries. They then worked on a short spotlight activity related to their topic before meeting with other members of the class who read the same article. Tomorrow, each article "expert" will present his or her findings to the group. All spiral notebook activities from the Online Teaming Page are to be completed for tomorrow's class.
Friday
Students finished their Article Spotlights responses in class today. (If you were absent and want to complete this over the weekend, open the file and complete the one that matches your article.) Once completed, students participated in a series of discussion prompts where they were able to share findings from their readings. On Monday, groups will assemble their posters.
January 21-24
Tuesday
Students read "The Treasure of Lemon Brown" in class today and completed the (attached) responses.
Wednesday
Today we explored how imagery can support an author's creation of mood. We began by looking at the imagery describing Lemon Brown, from yesterday's story. Students drew a picture of Lemon Brown and labeled the parts of their picture with chunks of imagery from the story. Then they used the computers to respond to three responses about the story. They submitted these responses at school.
Thursday
We began a discussion today about popularity, inclusion, and how people treat others. Students responded to prompts, and we generated ideas together as a class. We read "The Sneetches" by Dr. Seuss. Students completed a guided reading with me. 2nd hour students are to have the (attached) response questions prepared for tomorrow's class.
Friday
We had great group discussions today about yesterday's reading, "The Sneetches." We identified elements of conflict, learned how to identify a theme, and supported our findings about characterization. Then students read "Southpaw" in their groups and completed the (attached) responses. Again, we conducted group discussion about the two characters in this short story.
