7th Grade
Mythology- Mythology is a collection of stories of people from long ago. These stories were developed to explain certain aspects of nature and to teach lessons to younger generations. As part of this unit, students will learn the different parts of a narrative and to use this knowledge to understand how people use to see the world. As part of the unit the students will be expected to read a variety of myths and answer comprehension questions, write their own myth, and work in groups to develop a presentation of a mythological hero.
Terms the students will learn- parts of the plot of a story, theme
Mythology test on 9/20
Greek Hero project due 9/26.
8th Grade
Informational Writing- Informational writing is the type of writing that presents information. Informational writing includes researching information about a topic, taking notes on important information, and the organization of this information into an essay. The students will learn the step by step process needed to write an information essay. This knowledge will be important to learn as many jobs will require individuals to gather information and to present it in a coherent manner.
This will also aid them in their ongoing 8th grade research project.
Research paper on diseases is due on 9/21.
7th and 8th Grade
Novel Project:The students will work in groups of 3 or 4. As a group they will select a novel and read it. As they are reading they are to take notes and create questions about the novel. They will then complete the following assignments. You can work on each part together or split the assignments amongst the members of the group.
The students will be given one class period every two weeks to read and discuss their novel. Their work during these periods will be a part of their grade, so the students must be working on their projects, reading, and/or discussing (all of these require their books to be present).
Projects:
1) Test: They will create a test for their novel. The test will consist of ten open-eneded questions. (No multiple choice, fill in the blank, etc. Each question should need a paragraph to answer it.) Included with their questions, the students will include the answers as part of an answer key.
2) Trailer: Each group will create a “movie trailer” that will give the viewer an idea of what will happen in the story without giving away the ending of the book. Include important quotes in your trailer as well as appropriate pictures. We will work in class on developing them. For an example, click on the following link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_RIHI-fhts