Hello, Spiegel Core Families!
We started the new quarter with an introduction to our two major quarter-long projects, in addition to Word Within the Word. All students will be responsible for a creative Independent Book Project (IBP) (see attached), in which they will need to read a novel and choose one of the projects from a list of options (or create their own). They will track their reading in a Reading Log that requires a brief summary and response each time they read their novel. They will also include 5 quotes to represent categories from the "Quotable Categories Checklist," included below, and explain how each quote represents the category they chose. Once they have chosen a category, it is checked off, and cannot be used again.
The other long term project is Current Events! Attached, you will find the Current Events assignment sheet. Each student is responsible for reading and responding to a total of 3 current events news articles during third quarter. For one article, they will do a brief presentation and a class discussion wherein students engage with the news article they selected. Two students will present every Wednesday and Friday, starting next week!
In addition to these new projects, students started another vocabulary list. Eighth graders and some seventh graders started The Word Within the Word (see previous post). We started talking about the different types of analogies to support our vocabulary work and our understanding of how things do and not relate to one another.
Every Wednesday this quarter, students will read "The Article of the Week." We are practicing our close reading skills, and students are learning to "Mark their confusion" and "show evidence of close reading." These are skills that will be invaluable throughout middle and high school, college, and beyond. It encourages critical thinking, inferring from information provided, taking information and synthesizing it into deeper, more significant connections, etc. etc. etc. So, while students may not absolutely love reading an article and writing a page-long response every week, it will hone their skills so fast! It also gives them a chance to learn and think about interesting things in the world around them.
Students have been working on their Egyptian God and Goddess Campaign Posters! They are due this coming Monday, February 9th, though I will admit I could have been better about reminding them today! If I get some of them on Tuesday, I won't be surprised, and students won't lose any points. My bad! Next week, we'll vote on which posters sell their gods the best.
Expect one more post this week with more information! In the meantime, see Current Events, IBP information, and Vocabulary attached to this post.
Thanks, and have a great weekend!!
:)
We started the new quarter with an introduction to our two major quarter-long projects, in addition to Word Within the Word. All students will be responsible for a creative Independent Book Project (IBP) (see attached), in which they will need to read a novel and choose one of the projects from a list of options (or create their own). They will track their reading in a Reading Log that requires a brief summary and response each time they read their novel. They will also include 5 quotes to represent categories from the "Quotable Categories Checklist," included below, and explain how each quote represents the category they chose. Once they have chosen a category, it is checked off, and cannot be used again.
The other long term project is Current Events! Attached, you will find the Current Events assignment sheet. Each student is responsible for reading and responding to a total of 3 current events news articles during third quarter. For one article, they will do a brief presentation and a class discussion wherein students engage with the news article they selected. Two students will present every Wednesday and Friday, starting next week!
In addition to these new projects, students started another vocabulary list. Eighth graders and some seventh graders started The Word Within the Word (see previous post). We started talking about the different types of analogies to support our vocabulary work and our understanding of how things do and not relate to one another.
Every Wednesday this quarter, students will read "The Article of the Week." We are practicing our close reading skills, and students are learning to "Mark their confusion" and "show evidence of close reading." These are skills that will be invaluable throughout middle and high school, college, and beyond. It encourages critical thinking, inferring from information provided, taking information and synthesizing it into deeper, more significant connections, etc. etc. etc. So, while students may not absolutely love reading an article and writing a page-long response every week, it will hone their skills so fast! It also gives them a chance to learn and think about interesting things in the world around them.
Students have been working on their Egyptian God and Goddess Campaign Posters! They are due this coming Monday, February 9th, though I will admit I could have been better about reminding them today! If I get some of them on Tuesday, I won't be surprised, and students won't lose any points. My bad! Next week, we'll vote on which posters sell their gods the best.
Expect one more post this week with more information! In the meantime, see Current Events, IBP information, and Vocabulary attached to this post.
Thanks, and have a great weekend!!
:)
current_events.docx |
vocab7.docx |
independent_book_project.docx |