Ms. Levine's English Classes 6,7 & 8

Using the “Writer’s Notebook” in the English Classroom

2010-08-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

“writing taps the virtually unceasing stream of our inner speech” James Moffett

The marble journal or as we call it, the “Writer’s Notebook”, is used in the classroom for the purpose of developing fluency in the act of writing and for providing a forum for students to share their ideas without fear of judgment or negative criticism. Writing is a painstaking process for many young people; essays, writing assignments, and formal compositions are written in several stages during which the student’s work is critiqued, judged and reviewed by the teacher.

On the other hand, the “Writer’s Notebook” is a place to share one’s ideas substantively, free from the fear of being “corrected”, and to explore one’s identity in connection to the world. Occasionally, questions posted as bellwork when students come into class are intended to encourage students to respond personally to the topics/characters/issues raised in the literary works. Utilizing Bloom’s taxonomy, students are encouraged to “assess, decide, analyze, separate, order, explain, connect, classify, arrange, compare, select, explain, infer, recommend, convince, select, judge, explain, discriminate, support, conclude, compare, and summarize”.

The “Writer’s Notebook” also provides the opportunity to engage the student in a brief “dialogue” with a peer reader. Students “swap” notebooks quarterly, and peers respond to one another’s work. They should encourage one another and provide meaningful feedback to the peer writer through this process.

A portfolio is also kept in the classroom in which every student’s formal writing and tests are kept.

You're Invited!!

2009-09-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

This message board has been designed to familiarize you with current projects and writing assignments in your child's English class. My hope is that you will support our projects by maintaining high expectations, offering praise and..... most importantly, helping your child to keep up with deadlines. Long terms projects will be posted here as well as the standard weekly homework expectations for journal writing, vocabulary enrichment and self-selected reading.

Self-Selected Reading for 6,7,& 8

2009-09-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

Students should read daily in their self-selected books - both in and out of school-for at least 90 minutes each week. Students will be asked to write about one of their independent reading books at the end of each quarter. They can choose from a list of projects and writing tasks. Students must read a minimum of one self-selected book per quarter. I keep a record of the book titles in a log in our classroom. All self-selected books will evaluated by the teacher for reading level appropriateness. I encourage students to challenge themselves with book selections and to read often in their free time. (no books made into films, sorry!)

My Writer's Notebook 6, 7, & 8

2009-09-16T18:11:00.000-07:00

Students will be asked to write in their writer's notebook in order to create finished pieces of writing at the end of each quarter. Every Tuesday and Thursday, class begins with "time to write". Entries should be dated, written legibly and should meet the minimum length requirement-- every student should try to write at least one page during our "Writer's Notebook" time. The Writer's Notebook is designed to encourage students to begin to see themselves as professional writers do, as keen observers of the world around them. Experiences can begin to be viewed as potential "stories" for writer's notebook. Writing regularly promotes fluency and encourages students to discover themselves through the act of writing, without fear of formal correction. A grade will be given at the end of the quarter for the writer's notebook based on the rubric that has been distributed to the students. I encourage students to develop many different types of writing pieces.

Quarter One: Summary

2008-10-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

By the end of the quarter, every student in grades 6, 7 & 8 must complete one SSR and will be asked to complete a writing task on the selected book. In addition, students will submit their "Writer's Notebook" for assessment. Students are provided with class time twice a week to write on a topic of their choice. They must demonstrate that they have used this time productively. They should write neatly and vigorously during "writer's notebook" free time, date their entries and show 8-10 pages of writing by the end of the quarter. Homework averages will also be computed. Every missed homework constitutes a 5 point deduction from the quarter homework average.

Weekly Vocabulary Enrichment for 6,7 & 8

2008-09-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

We are utilizing a new vocabulary series this year: Vocabulary Achievement. Students will be expected to complete one vocabulary lesson per week. Lessons are checked in class on Tuesdays; credit will be given. Students will be tested bi-weekly on two lessons. Lessons are formatted thematically - each lesson focuses on a theme or group of words related to a specific topic. There are flashcards in the back of the workbook. I encourage students to cut out the flashcards and utilize them as a study aid. Vocabulary enrichment is an important component of the development of strong reading and writing skills.

Grade 8: Writing

2008-09-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

After completing a literary analysis on the adaptation of the novel by Daniel Keyes entitled "Flowers for Algernon", students will soon begin writing their own Gothic Tale as a compliment to their study of the works of Edgar Allen Poe. General narrative elements will be reviewed, as well as those unique to the gothic genre. Cobwebs, crypts, hidden passageways, trapdoors, lonely castles, and bats certainly evoke the season of Halloween, but I will also ask that students enhance their own personal horror stories with these elements ! In addition, this story will require the use of dialogue, correct format will be reviewed. Students will write several drafts, be involved in the peer revision process, and contribute their stories to a class anthology of gothic tales at the completion of this literary unit.

Grade 6: Writing

2008-09-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

During the first major composition unit, students will learn narrative elements and storybuilding techniques in their class teams. Students will also be asked to demonstrate an understanding of how to correctly include dialogue in their story. Elements of setting, characterization, conflict, theme and resolution will be reviewed. The assignment will begin with a rough copy, involve a peer editing session, and will result in a final typed copy of approximately 2-4 pages. Students must show all work during the revision and final editing process.