SS8

Welcome to Social Studies 8! I'm very excited to be teaching this course!

We started off the class by going over the Course Outline and classroom expectations. Please bring home the Course Outline for your parents to sign. Then students completed a questionnaire for me to get to know them, and we played a game of "2 truths, 1 lie". After that, I introduced the concept of 'historical significance'. I introduced myself in the form of a timeline, and explained all the events that shaped who I am today.

Students then started working on a plan for their own personal timeline assignment, which we'll continue next class.

Reminders:

• Have your course outlines signed!
• Talk to your parents about events for the timeline assignment

English 10: Blocks 1-2 and 5-6

Welcome to English 10!!!

It's nice to see familiar faces again!

Today we went through our Course Outline, which you can bring home for your parents to look over. As an introduction, we discussed the importance of studying literature and the meaning of 'themes'. I related themes to the modern idea of hashtags (we watched a Jimmy Fallon clip as an example). As an activity, students circulated around the classroom to write examples on chart paper of some common themes we look at in English 10: oppression, conformity, power conflict, and justice.

Also, we started a writing assignment; I'll allot more time for this tomorrow.

Planning 10

This week, we've been discussing Choice & Accountability and Decision Making. Mr. Colvin also stopped in today to talk about career programs at RSS.

We've also looked at addictions and drug use, which, we'll continue discussing tomorrow.

English 9: Blocks 5/6

This week, we've almost finished reading  The Crazy Man, and students hvae been working on thier journal response booklets for the novel.

Reminders:

• Final Exam: Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017

English 9: Blocks 1/2

This week, students are working on their Independent Novel Study Projects, and finishing up the found poem assignment for The Crazy Man.

Reminders:

• Novel Study Projects: due Monday, Jan. 23, 2017
• Final Exam: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017

English 8

Great work this week on your projects!!!

This week, students have been working on a Mythology poster project. We have one more class tomorrow, and then it will be due next week.

Students were also given a review booklet, in case they want to start studying for the exam.

Reminders:

• Mythology Poster Project: due Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017
• Final Exam: Thursday, January 26, 2017

English 9: Blocks 5/6

This week, we've been continuing work on the Independent Novel Studies. You should be finished your novels by the end of next week.

We read the section "Meeka" in The Crazy Man today and students wrote a quiz on the first three sections of the novel. Students also started a 'found poem' assignment today.

Reminders:

• "Dad" worksheet should be handed in!

English 8

This week, students did some review for The Giver and wrote a test on the novel.

We also started looking at poetry terms and mythology traits (there were notes for this). For poetry, we looked the poem, "My Guilt"; students also wrote acrostic, limerick, and haiku poems. For mythology, we read "The Flood".

Reminders:

• Giver Projects: due Friday, Jan.13, 2107

English 9: Blocks 5/6

This week, we've finished reading My Name is Seepeetza and worked on some other activities. All Reflective questions should be turned in. We analyzed the song "In the Walls of His Mind and" compared it to the events in the novel. Students also completed a journal response pertaining to methods of punishment in the book, and they started working on a 'One-Pager' activity.

Reminders:

• My Name is Seepeetza questions should be turned in!!!!
• Seepeetza Test: Thursday, January 12, 2017

Planning 10

Today we continued working through the 2nd Healthy Relationships booklet. We focused on effective ways of communicating. Students paired up, they were given different scenarios and had to act out and demonstrate unhealthy ways of communicating, and effective ways of communicating, using "I Statements"; We also touched on conflict resolution.

English 9: Blocks 1/2

Over the past few days, I've given students a lot of time to work on their independent novel studies. They were given a portfolio assignment to complete as they read their novel.

Yesterday, we read the section "Emaline" in The Crazy Man, discussed stereotypes of 'crazy', and worked on a poetic devices chart.

Today, we read the section "Angus" and students filled out an 'Active Listening' worksheet for the chapter.

Reminders:

• "Angus" Active Listening sheet- due Monday, Jan. 9, 2017  if it wasn't completed in class

English 8

Today I handed back all the questions for The Giver to use as study notes. We then spent the rest of the period in the library working on projects. I'll give the class another 20 minutes on Monday to tie up loose ends.

Reminders:

• Conflict foldables: due Monday, Jan. 9, 2017
• Giver Test: Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017

English 9: Blocks 5/6

Today we finished the last few minutes of The Hunt for the Wilderpeople and students were given time to finished the chart. The chart had to be submitted in class.

After that, we read up to page 103 in My Name is Seepeetza and worked on reflective questions.

Reminders:

• Seepeetza reflective questions (p.85-105): due Monday!!!

English 9: Blocks 5/6

Welcome back!!!

On Tuesday's class, we reviewed Poetry Terms; don't loose the notes - they are good for final exam review. Students also completed questions for the novel My Name is Seepeetza.

Today, students completed a grammar quiz and we read up to p.84 in Seepeetza. We also watched Hunt for the Wilderpeople; there is a viewing activity associated with the movie, which we'll continue next class.

Reminders:

• Seepeetza questions!!!
• Marks are updated- make sure to catch up on missing assignments

Planning 10

Three more weeks to go!!!

This week, we have been continuing our unit on Healthy Relationships. During Tuesday and Wednesday's class we worked through a package of notes and activities. We discussed Maslow's hierarchy of needs, self-esteem, types of relationships, families, and parenting styles.  We also finished the movie Juno, which we started before the break.

In addition, we looked at relationship dynamics in media, including Family Guy, Friends, and 1950's propaganda.

Later in the class, students worked in groups and discussed responsibilities and consequences of technology in relation to our friends, partners, school, and workplace.

Reminders:

• Juno worksheet: due
• Healthy Relationship Booklet #1: due

English 9: Blocks 1/2

Welcome back!

On Tuesday, students were given time to read their independent novel studies. We also got copies of The Crazy Man from the library, and reviewed poetry terms. Don't loose these notes! They are good review for the final exam.

Reminders:

• Open-book grammar quiz: Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017

English 8

Welcome back English 8!

On Tuesday, students started a creative assignment for The Giver unit. We will continue working on this this week.

Reminders:

• Open-book grammar quiz: Thursday, January 5, 2017