7B Poetry Assignment - Weeks of October 27 and November 3

English Poetry Assignment          Grade 7            Due Date: TO BE DETERMINED 

The purpose of this assignment is to write 5 Haiku Poems, incorporating JUICY vocabulary and the use of Similes and Metaphors.

Co-Created Success Criteria:

I CAN….

- write 4 original Haiku poems about each of the 4 Seasons

- include 1 Simile or Metaphor in each poem

- write 1 original “General” poem, tying each of my other 4 poems together (think THEME)

- include 1 simile or Metaphor in my General poem

- create an organized poster NO SMALLER THAN 17x24 (this can be found in Room 210…just ask if you need it!)

- illustrate each of my poems using related images

- make my poster colourful and eye-catching

Haiku Poems Rubric

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Poems are not structured properly	Most poems are not structured properly	Most poems are structured properly	All 5 poems have the proper structure
Uses similes or metaphors in 1 or none of the poems	Uses simile or metaphor in some (2-4) of the poems	Uses only similes OR only metaphors in all 5 poems	Uses a combination of simile AND metaphor in all 5 poems
Visuals are missing from some poems or are not appropriate to the subject of the poem	Some poems have weak visuals or have visuals that are not appropriate to the subject of the poem	Good visuals are included for all 5 poems and appropriate for the subject of the poems	Strong visuals are included for all 5 poems and appropriate for the subject of the poems

Feedback:

·        Make sure all your poems have the structure 5syllables-7syllables-5syllables

·        Try to include more similes or metaphors in your poems

·        Try to use both similes and metaphors

·        Include more visuals/ coloured visuals/ appropriate visuals

HSP 6/7/8 - Week of October 14, 2014

We hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving weekend! Here is this week-at-a-glance:

ENGLISH - Students are working on:

Writing: Thankful Poems; Publishing Terry Fox Poems for our classroom walls

Reading: Students are working in Guided Reading Groups. We have started the following stories: 

The Sign of Four (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The Ghost in My Mirror (Marie Francine Hebert)

The Magic Finger (Roald Dahl)

Students will be answering questions, building vocabulary and discussing the literature in small groups.

Homework: Continue Reading each night. Continue Writing in the at-home Writer's Notebook.

MATH - Continuing with Patterning. 

Homework: The students are experiencing challenges with remembering Math Facts. ALL students would benefit from the following practice:

Inverse Relationship Adding/Subtracting 1.

Inverse Relationship Adding/Subtracting 2.

Inverse Relationship Multiplying/Dividing 1.

Inverse Relationship Multiplying/Dividing 2.

HISTORY / GEOGRAPHY

Gr. 6 -  What In the World - students will be starting a new selection this week.

Gr. 7`s - Reading about the first Explorers to Canada - looking at Champlain and Cartier and their contributions to exploring the NEW LAND.

Gr. 8`s - Reading about life in the 1850`s - discussing political and physical features of British North America

Homework: Please continue to watch the news / read the newspaper and discuss current events.

7B English - Wednesday, October 1, 2014

1. Poetry - Students wrote Limericks this week. Next week, we will focus on evaluating the lyrics that were brought in to class for poetic devices / figurative language. In two weeks, students will focus on writing Similes and Metaphors and incorporating them into Haiku poems for a Media / Writing project.

2. Media Posters - Students will finish presenting this week. Final evaluations will be given to students on Monday in class. 

HSP 6/7/8 Wednesday, October 1, 2014

English -

Writing / Reading: Continuing with POETRY....

Students are refining Terry Fox Poems to publish and display in our classroom. They wrote a Free Verse and a rhyming poem and will choose which poem they would like to Peer and Self edit prior to publishing.

Media: Students are busy creating a collage of how Media represents themselves. Students are using a variety of print resources to search, cut and paste their individual images.

Homework: Students are encouraged to use their at-home Writer`s Notebook to jot down ideas and practice writing about things that have meaning to them. They may choose to write it as Poetry or story. Students are also encouraged to continue reading on a daily basis.

Math: Students are working at varied levels.


HOMEWORK has been sent home today to be completed for tomorrow for: Grade 7`s and 8`s.

Formula: 1st Term + ((Term Number of the Term you are looking for - 1) x Common Difference))


History:

Gr. 7`s - Reading about the first Explorers to Canada - looking at Champlain and Cartier and their contributions to exploring the NEW LAND.

Gr. 8`s - Reading about life in the 1850`s - based on the text, describing A Day in the Life of 1850.


Homework: Please continue to watch the news / read the newspaper and discuss current events.

6/7/8 HSP - Thursday, September 18, 2014

Just a reminder that tonight is Willowdale`s Curriculum Night! Hoping to see many of you at 7:00 pm tonight!

Here is our week at a glance:

ENGLISH - Poetry

Here is a list of the poems the students have written so far in their Writer`s Notebook:

1. I remember, I forget (tapping into memories)

2. Biography Poem (tapping into juicy descriptive language and explaining thoughts and ideas)

3. Someday Poem (tapping into hopes and dreams)

4. Free Verse (using their heart map, write thoughts, ideas and emotions about something meaningful)

HOMEWORK: Each student was given their own At-Home Writer`s Notebook today. Please keep this at home for your child to write in.

Reading - students should be reading for approximately half and hour each day.


MATH - Students have started working on Patterning. We are beginning with a review (what we know) and will be building on knowledge and skills to push our Mathematical Thinking. Students are grouped for Math.

HOMEWORK: It is extremely important for our students to develop proficiency in basic Mathematical computations. Please continue to memorize multiplication facts (to 12x12)....and division (144/12).

SOCIAL STUDIES (Grade 6) - Using the Canadian Reader program, we will be exploring Current Canadian events and issues. This links very well to our Guided Reading program, and we will be learning and strengthening Reading Strategies to help improve understanding and build vocabulary.

The first focus is using Text Features to get a better understanding of what the text is about so Students learn to focus on important information when reading. The first article is CHAT to the Future.

HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY (Grades 7 and 8) - Using the  What in the World program, we will be exploring current events and issues around the world. While the content will be similar, the Grade 7's and 8's will focus on different text features and complete similar, but grade and IEP appropriate work. This links very well to our Guided Reading program, and we will be learning and strengthening Reading Strategies to help improve understanding and build vocabulary.

The first focus is using information from the article, The Northern Gateway Pipeline - One Step Closer, to identify reasons for and against this important debate. The students used information from the text and their own ideas to complete a t-chart for and against the pipeline. Then, they picked which side they agreed with most and wrote a COMPLETE 5-sentence paragraph to express their thoughts and ideas in a clear and organized way.

We have also taken a few moments to investigate the current Referendum in Scotland. We have related this event to discussion in Canada over several years of those in Quebec who want Sovereignty. The students demonstrated some knowledge and were able to make some connections between these events.

HOMEWORK: Every post for Social Studies / History and Geography Homework will be the same: please sit down and watch the news with your child.

*Discuss current events so that students become more aware of what his happening around the world - both good and bad.

*Use an Atlas (either hardcopy or online) to locate "Where in the World" the news is happening.

*Have a thoughful discussion so that students begin to understand the perspectives of all involved. We become more accepting and tolerant of others when we understand both sides. We don't have to agree, but they need to learn to see things with their "PERSPECTACLES".

7B Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - HOMEWORK

Students who did not finish their BIOGRAPHY Poem are asked to finish this for homework. It is due next class: Wednesday, September 17, 2014.

Students are also asked to bring in a copy of the lyrics of their favourite song. They can be printed by computer or handwritten. Both are acceptable. This is due Thursday, September 18, 2014.

7B ENGLISH - Friday, September 12, 2014

ENGLISH - Students are almost finished their CASI Assessments. This includes reading passages and comprehension questions to identify areas of strength and need.

We also started our Poetry Unit on Friday. Using the ideas of Georgia Heard, we are looking at digging deeper, beyond the average "Soccer is my favourite sport" or "My dog" poems. We are looking at identifying the things that matter.

7B - Where Does Poetry Hide?

-lyrics of songs  -imagination  -emotions  -literature  -heart  -dark  -dreams  -thoughts  -mind  -future
-soul  -past

Students then "mapped their heart" to identify people/things/experiences that truly matter to them.

Lastly, students listened to a poem called Heartsong by Mattie Stepanek. This poem reiterates that ideas and meaning are found in so many places - from the beauty in nature to the love of a family member.

Heartsong by Mattie Stepanek

I have a song, deep in my heart,
and only I can hear it.
If I close my eyes and sit very still
it is so easy to listen to my song
When my eyes are open
and I am so busy and moving and busy,
if I take time and listen very hard,
I can still hear my heartsong.
It makes me feel happy.
Happier than ever.
Happier than everywhere,
and everything and everyone in the world.
Happy like thinking about
Going to Heaven when I die.
My heartsong goes like this-
I love you! I love you!
How happy can you be!
How happy can you make this whole world be!
And sometimes it's other
Tunes and words, too.
But it always sings the same special song.
But do you know what?
All people have a special song
Inside their hearts!
Everyone in the whole world has a special heartsong.
If you believe in magical, musical hearts.
And if you believe you can be happy
Then you, too, will hear your song.

HOMEWORK - Find lyrics to your favourite song. Either print them from the computer or write them out (either is fine) and be prepared to share them with the class on Monday. REMEMBER...your lyrics must be appropriate for school (no bad language, no suggestive comments and no weapons-talk). This is due Monday, September 15, 2014.

Reading - 30 minutes each day.