Vocabulary Helpers

We started working in our vocabulary books this week. This year, students can use the Loyola Press website to supplement their vocab books! If you click on the above tab labeled "Vocab," you will see links to find word lists, games, and online practice quizzes. Check it out!  Students do not need a username or password to log in.

Hopefully these will be study tools to help you prepare for your vocab quizzes. Good luck!

Blogs

Students are getting ready to blog! The main purpose of our blogs: to create a conversation about our writing. One of the best ways to do this is to use excellent comments.

To practice, students created paper blogs about a topic they know a great deal about, like one eighth grader who loves crayons. The next day in class, they practiced writing comments that went beyond "Awesome!" or "Nice job!" They stated something they could relate to or learn from a blog post and asked a question. As you can see, another student did a great job sharing what she learned about crayons and asking for more information.

Students will use the same types of comments on their actual blogs. Because they did such good work, their blogs are hanging on the walls of my classroom and in the middle school hall!

What do you think? Don't they look good? 

Why Write?

Because we all want to know why we are actually doing something, writing class has started out with figuring out some reasons we should be motivated to write. To get us started, students generated their own reasons and shared skits with the class. Enjoy some of the pics from the day!

Sixth graders share a song and some laughs about writing.

Eighth graders created a fake job interview scenario.

Eighth graders use a rap to argue the need for writing.

Eighth-grade poets share snaps with the class.

One angry employer for a job interview.

Seventh graders explain their poem to the class.

Some students chose to create some fake facial hair ...

A budding seventh-grade rap duo.

Ta-da!

The "creativity queens"

Another job interview.

Sixth graders sharing a beat.



All the students' created a theme for their skit, which we compiled on our classroom bulletin board. Now we have lots of reasons to remember to write.

Parents, why do you write in your lives, whether for your jobs or for other purposes?