Updated 11.06.09: We have a final exam in class on Fahrenheit 451. We'll also do some film editing, and 7th graders have some more grammar in class.
And here's the big order of business...our upcoming Independent Study papers/scripts/bibliography and all that...
Research/Bibliographic Information
Here's that one-stop stop for plenty of research, courtesy Highland HS
How to properly fill out "Fact Cards"
And here's the new (for us) place to get your source citation act together (courtesy Calvin College)
7th Graders: Are you doing a script instead of a paper? Here's an example play script, and here's a radio script (from the really cool old "Thin Man" series).
Looking on how to write an "abstract"? Here's a good example we'll use in class.
Upcoming Due Dates: These will always be in red, as will the due dates in the schedule below)
7th Graders: Finish these sentences done in-class for notebook possible notebook pick-up on Friday 11/6.
Thursday, November 12: Rough Drafts (BIBLIOGRAPHY & Abstract (if necessary) INCLUDED) due (remember, November 11 is "Veterans' Day", hence no school)
Friday, November 20: Final Papers/Scripts Due
The Weekly Schedule: Week Eleven, November 2 - 6
Monday, November 2:
7th Graders: We read The Outsiders. Alot.
8th Graders: We try our hand at film-making, trying to make a better version of Fahrenheit 451 than the rather lame Francois Truffaut 1966 version.
Tuesday, November 3:
7th Graders: The Outsiders rather extensively, along with a grammar lesson on run-on sentences, comma splices and stuff.
8th Graders: Day two of our filming for "Fahrenheit 451: The Room 114 Version".
Wednesday, November 4:
All Students : Data check #3 due (15 fact cards for 7th graders and 20 for 8th graders) Remember: Rough Drafts due November 12!
Thursday, November 5:
7th Graders: Independent Reading and some grammar sentences to correct.
8th Graders: Day Three of taping, filming and becoming Fahrenheit 451: The Musical .
Friday, November 6:
7th Graders: The Outsiders and we go over the grammar from yesterday.
8th Graders: We edit our fine, fine films and those not editing take an essay final exam on Fahrenheit 451.
Important Documents
Weekly Focus Information
What those scribbles on your graded WF paper mean
Book Report Stuff
Book Project/Review Information (includes 7th/8th Grade examples of quality Book Reviews)
Independent Study Project Descriptions
7th Grade Independent Study Issue Research Paper
7th Grade Independent Study Creative Person
8th Grade Independent Study Position Paper
8th Grade "Famous Dead People" Paper
Evaluation Forms
7th Grade Issue Paper/Presentation
7th Grade Creative Script/Presentation
8th Grade Position Paper/Presentation
8th Grade "Famous Dead People" Evaluation Forms
Research/Bibliographic Information
Here's that one-stop stop for plenty of research, courtesy Highland HS
How to properly fill out "Fact Cards"
And here's the new (for us) place to get your source citation act together (courtesy Calvin College)
Previously on Judd/Key/Riley...
The Weekly Schedule: Week Ten, October 26 - 29
Monday, October 26:
7th Graders: We return our grammar quizzes from last week, finish up some essays on a dog, and get back to The Outsiders.
8th Graders: We return our grammar quizzes from last week, talk about essays we wrote in class, and watch the film version of Fahrenheit 451 as we prepare to make our own film versions.
Tuesday, October 27:
7th Graders: The Outsiders rather extensively, along with a vocabulary lesson.
8th Graders: A vocabulary lesson on Fahrenheit 451 and then we brainstorm together for a movie assignment.
Wednesday, October 28:
All Students : Data check #2 due (15 fact cards for 7th graders and 20 for 8th graders)
Thursday, October 29:
We switch gears for our first day (that would be Day One, if you want capitalization) of our Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences
Friday, October 30:
Day Two of our Fall Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences.
Week Nine: October 19 - 23
Monday, October 19:
7th Graders: The Outsiders, and then we have a grammar review for our quiz tomorrow. Here are our previous "DBAM" lessons: #1, #3 and #4.
8th Graders: Fahrenheit 451, and then we have a grammar review for our quiz tomorrow. Here are our previous "DBAM" lessons: #1, #3 and #4.
Tuesday, October 20:
7th Graders: The Outsiders and a formal grammar quiz in class.
8th Graders: Fahrenheit 451 and a formal grammar quiz in class.
Wednesday, October 21:
All Students : Data check #1 due (15 fact cards for 7th graders and 20 for 8th graders)
Thursday, October 22:
7th Graders: Reading and independent reading (remember your book).
8th Graders: Reading of Fahrenheit 451.
Friday, October 23:
7th Graders: Independent Reading after we write an essay in class about a dog and a guy.
8th Graders: We think back to Fahrenheit 451 and envision a film version, after we write an essay in class about a dog and a guy.
Week Eight: October 12 - 16
Monday, October 12:
7th Graders: A bit of grammar, a bit of reading on our new book, The Outsiders.
8th Graders: A bit of grammar, and a bit of reading on our book, Fahrenheit 451.
Tuesday, October 13:
7th Graders: Some significant reading of our new book, The Outsiders as well as a listen to part of an interview with author S.E. Hinton
8th Graders: A grammar review and some reading.
Wednesday, October 14:
All Students : Independent Study Project Proposal letters due.
Thursday, October 15:
All Students: Book Reports (Projects and Reviews) Due.
Friday, October 16:
All Students: More Book Reports in class.
Week Seven: October 5 - 9
Monday, October 5: All Students: We watch a bunch of fairy tale re-enactments, and have a debate or two.
Tuesday, October 6:All Students: More debates, and for those doing "fairy tales" the due date for our "ticket", a "Letter to the Editor" about wolf-reintroduction (interestingly, the Journal had an article on just that subject yesterday).
Wednesday, October 7:
7th Graders: Introduction to the 7th Grade Independent Study projects for this year, both an "issue" paper (classic research paper) and a "creative person" biographical script.
8th Graders: Introduction to our first Independent Study, a position paper.
Thursday, October 8:
7th Graders: A bit of grammar and a bit of independent reading.
8th Graders: A bit of grammar and a bit of independent reading.
Friday, October 9:
All Students: A "Fall Break" of sorts. I think we all need a break about right now.
Here are some pictures from our "Fairy Tale" presentations...
And here are the debate resolutions (determined solely by the students themselves) for this week's in-class debates.
Resolved: Suicide will be legalized in the United States.
Resolved: Lawn gnomes are better than yard flamingos.
Resolved: The United States Government will be authorized to censor the Internet.
Resolved: Foreign-made products will not be sold in the United States.
Resolved: Cats are better than dogs.
Resolved: Glasses are better than contact lenses.
Resolved: Citizens should be allowed to euthanize healthy, but unwanted animals.
Resolved: The United States will lower the legal drinking age to 16.
Week Six: September 28 - October 2
Monday, September 28:
All Students: Day One of Seminars for School Year 2009-2010 with a pair of introductions. We'll be doing Fairy Tales with all 6th Graders and some 7th Graders, while some 7th Graders and all 8th Graders conduct debates on various topics. Here's the introduction to the debate portion. And here's the debate judging "ballot" we will be using later this week. Here's the "ticket" for our Fairy Tales Seminar.
Tuesday, September 29:
All Students: Our first full day of debate and Fairy Tale Presentation preparation.
Wednesday, September 30:
All Students: Today we take a break from Seminar to take a silly little test in class.
Thursday, October 1:
All Students: And today we complete our silly little test and do some independent reading. We'll also get the formal introduction to our quarterly Book Report Assignment due October 15.
Friday, October 2:
All Students: We get back to planning both our debates and fairy tale presentations. Amateur Shakespeare meets amateur "Inherit the Wind"...well, sorta.
Week Five: September 21 - 25
Monday, September 21:
7th Graders: More Thief of Always, and we return your Weekly Focus #2 papers and read a few of the best ones.
8th Graders: More Fahrenheit 451 and an Introduction to Weekly Focus #3: Ten Dollar Words. We'll also get back to improving a very poor graph we were working on last week.
Tuesday, September 22:
7th Graders: Mask presentations as our masks are due. Which means they are due and we will all look at the masks...which are due today.
8th Graders: More Fahrenheit 451 and we'll also look to improve our research abilities in preparation of our debates next week.
Wednesday, September 23:
7th Graders: More Thief of Always and then we'll check to see that our public library cards are in good working order, and then write on a New York Times article on either carbon dioxide sequestration and Cairo's pigs (or lack of them).
8th Graders: More Fahrenheit 451, a look at our library cards and we'll check to see that our public library cards are in good working order, and then write on a New York Times article on either carbon dioxide sequestration and Cairo's pigs (or lack of them).
Thursday, September 24:
7th Graders: Independent Reading (bring your book) and then some more reading.
8th Graders: Weekly Focus #3 Drafts are due and that can only mean it's.......Editing Day!!!!!
Friday, September 25:
7th Graders: Weekly Focus #3 Drafts are due and that can only mean it's.....Editing Day!!!!!
8th Graders: Independent Reading and then we return Weekly Focus #2 (the one we turned in Monday) and read the best ones.
Week Four: September 14 - 18
Monday, September 14:
7th Graders: More Thief of Always, and an Introduction to Weekly Focus #2: Room 114 room started to glow a very hot-red, and that's when things got strange. We also look at George Orwell's Rules for Writers and our reaction to those rules.
8th Graders: More Fahrenheit 451 and an Introduction to Weekly Focus #2: Your Roving Reporter, in which students snoop around the campus uncovering stories using "who, what, where, when and why", then a discussion of what our Seminars should be about this year.
Tuesday, September 15:
7th Graders: Our first day of Figurative Language Presentations. Obviously this means the Figurative Language assignment is due today.
8th Graders: Orwell's Rules for Writers and our reaction to those rules. We also explore the reporter's job as we continue work on Weekly Focus #2.
Wednesday, September 16:
7th Graders: More Figurative Language Presentations, and a bit of catching up on some other things.
8th Graders: More Fahrenheit 451 and we'll also finish up some grammar regarding direct objects and participles.
Thursday, September 17:
7th Graders: Independent Reading (bring your book) and then a short lesson about a really cool research database site and a graph.
8th Graders: Weekly Focus #2 Drafts are due and that can only mean it's.......Editing Day!!!!!
Friday, September 18:
7th Graders: Weekly Focus #2 Drafts are due and that can only mean it's.....Editing Day!!!!!
8th Graders: Independent Reading and then we figure out how to improve this very, very poor chart on Carbon Dioxide emissions.
Week Three: September 7 - 11
Monday, September 7:
Labor Day
Tuesday, September 8:
7th Graders: We finish turning in our Weekly Focus #1, in a ceremony that began last Friday. No reduction in credit for turning them in today (this time). More Thief of Always and then a fascinating investigation into lie, lay, lain and all that in DBAM #3.
8th Graders: We further explore Ray Bradbury and then return our graded Weekly Focus #1 on censorship. Generally good work on this everyone!
Wednesday, September 9:
7th Graders: More Thief of Always and then we go back over this perplexing grammar lesson entitled DBAM #3. And we get punched. And laugh.
8th Graders: More Fahrenheit 451 and then we take a quiz and cruise through the hot lava of text at the New York Times.
Thursday, September 10:
7th Graders: Independent Reading (bring your book) and then we get to make some graphs. Yeah! Graphs!!
8th Graders: We read more of Fahrenheit 451 and then we, too, get to make some graphs in Excel. Yeah! Excel!!
Friday, September 11:
7th Graders: We return those pesky Weekly Focus #1 papers, with a note or two about editing and such.
8th Graders: Independent Reading and then some good old fashioned grammar in DBAM #3. Yeah! Grammar!!
Monday, August 31:
7th Graders: More Thief of Always before we get into an introduction to our ongoing writing for this class. It goes by the name of "Weekly Focus", and here is the grading information. And here is the 7th Grade assignment for this week. And have fun! Since we're doing "Op/Eds" this week, we're looking at two examples having to do with health care from NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof and former NYC mayor Rudolph Guiliani.
8th Graders: We continue Fahrenheit 451 via a listen to a strange-sounding Ray Bradbury. Then we get an introduction to the "Weekly Focus" and the grading information for that. And here is the 8th Grade assignment for this week.
Week Two: August 31 - September 4
Tuesday, September 1:
7th Graders: More Thief of Always and a continuing explanation of our writing process and grading procedures. We also cover a bit of topical vocabulary.
8th Graders: We further explore Ray Bradbury and share some thoughts on writers and the writer's responsibilities. We'll also do a wee bit of vocabulary pertaining to this week's Weekly Focus.
Wednesday, September 2:
7th Graders: More Thief of Always via a little vocabulary assignment. Then we hit the New York Times for an in-class story assignment.
8th Graders: We get back into Fahrenheit 451 via some vocabulary, then cruise the New York Time for this and that.
Thursday, September 3:
7th Graders: Independent Reading (bring your book).
8th Graders: It's our first "Editing Day" of the Year!!!! Bring in your electronic and hard copy drafts ready to be edited and revised in class.
Friday, September 4:
7th Graders: It's our first "Editing Day" of the Year!!!! Bring in your electronic and hard copy drafts ready to be edited and revised in class.
8th Graders: Independent Reading.
Week One (The Real Week One): August 24 - 28
Monday, August 24:
7th Graders: We start Thief of Always and get into the whole grammar thing in "Don't Be a Moran, Volume 1"
8th Graders: We start Fahrenheit 451 and listen to a strange-sounding Ray Bradbury. We're also going to attempt writing the most obscene things we possibly can.
Tuesday, August 25:
7th Graders: More Thief of Always and then we get into writing for audience.
8th Graders: We have a guest speaker who will talk on the subject of censorship.
Wednesday, August 26:
7th Graders: More Thief of Always and then we delve into the New York Times in a guided lesson.
8th Graders: We get back into Fahrenheit 451 and explore the New York Times.
Thursday, August 27:
7th Graders: Independent Reading (bring your book) and then we talk about graphs and vocabulary.
8th Graders: More Fahrenheit 451 and then we get to our grammar in "Don't Be a Moran, Volume 1".
Friday, August 28:
7th Graders: More Thief of Always and then we explore "Chart Day". Click here to see the NYT interactive coolo chart on what we spend time doing.
8th Graders: Independent Reading (bring your book) and then explore "Chart Day". Click here to see the NYT interactive coolo chart on what we spend time doing.
Week One (The Fake One): August 20 - 21
Thursday, August 20:
7th Graders: Getting to know our very special friend, the Agenda and a "dossier" to help find out more about you, dear student.
8th Graders: Getting to know our very special friend, the Agenda and a "dossier" to help find out more about you, dear student.
Friday, August 21:
7th Graders: In-class reading, and a review of our "Class Commandments"
8th Graders: In-class reading, and a review of our "Class Commandments"
8th Grader Note: What about this "A-List Book" Thing? In case you're wondering, here are two links to list o' great books, each of which is (almost) automatically considered an "A-List Book":
At the same time, the pesky tendency of writers to write new books makes lists such as those above inherently incomplete. So we add books to the "List" as we hear about them and their "A List" qualities. Lastly, there is a bit of wiggle room when it comes to an "A-List" designation. We individualize based on the past reading history of a student. For instance, a student who has been reading R.L. Stine since the 2nd grade might have their newfangled choice of Stephen King's The Stand counted as "A-List". An 8th grader who read Homer's The Odyssey over the summer in Ancient Greek probably isn't going to have Stephen King count as "A-List". And, of course, there are exceptions to all rules and exceptions to those exceptions. Students/parents are highly encouraged to email Mr. Scot with questions on this subject.
Miscellany....
Yes, we "took down" last year's (2008-2009) webpage, but you know you can find it right here.
Link to our webpage for school year 2007-2008
And finally, School Year 2004-2005
and here is this weird HTML that just won't go away (the link goes to a page about the author of "Flowers For Algernon"...
creepy...it just won't delete for anything...