Flowers for Algernon Webquest Challenge

If you are trying to get to the webquest...try this link...

HMS Flowers for Algernon Webquest

Writing the Personal Essay

Great video to remind you of all the critical components of an excellent narrative.  Enjoy!
Remember your (not so rough) rough draft is due next class.



Here is a link to MLA formatting, just in case you plan to type your rough draft.  It can TOTALLY be hand-written, but sometimes people work best writing at a computer.  Might as well format the essay correctly...follow the directions to make a copy of this page and it will set it up for you to type into.  Pretty sweet deal! :)

https://docs.google.com/a/nvusd.org/document/d/1ibB1CS5CcAtX8PYQQ_Huoy8wwvAj48XvxKv59zcsKSs/edit

"Flowers for Algernon"

After break, we're jumping into the next story of our Risk-taker Unit--"Flowers for Algnernon" by Daniel Keyes.  We will be completing a web quest to go along with the pre-/during/post- reading of the novella.  At the top of this page you can access the web quest site.  There is a packet of reflective work that needs to be completed.  This can be done online or on paper.  Up to the student.  I've attached the packet link below.

Flowers for Algernon Packet

Language Arts Updates

Most students are working on their Risk-taker Narrative "not-so-rough" rough draft which is due at the end of the week.  When we return from break, students will be ready to move on to the final MLA format draft of their essays.  Make sure you are staying on track to turn in your Writing Project in a timely fashion.  Thanks!

Characterization...

Can you explain the difference between direct and indirect characterization?  What are the 5 ways that writers show indirect characterization? How can readers infer based on direct characterization or other details/descriptions in a text? Why do authors even use indirect characterization?  These are all questions that we've been discussing in class over the last two weeks.  We'll be finishing up the model story in Chapter 2 and moving on to the story "A Shot at It" where we'll be using all the skills we've been trained in since the beginning of the year to analyze the story.  We'll be figuring out the plot line and subplots, tone/mood, characterization and start comparing this text to others we've read.  Soon we'll be moving on to the next major unit of study that involves theme using the novella "Flowers for Algernon."  Can't wait!

Tri 1 ends this week...be sure you're up to speed with all requirements on Parent Portal and AR.  We'll be making new behavior/organization goals and AR goals next week.

Always busy in Bantaland. :) 

Eyes of the Hawk Takes Flight!!

Congrats to Mr. Paniagua's Journalism class for bringing back the HMS newspaper!  There are so many wonderful things happening at HMS--keep up!

http://hmsnews.org/

In Language Arts news, students are getting ready to dive into Chapter 2 of our textbook.  We've done a lot of prep work with our vocabulary and next week we'll be moving into the stories.  We also have a trimester writing workshop on the horizon...be ready!

Just a heads up, the trimester is nearing a close...students, be sure to check in with your teachers about your trimester grades.  AR points are due November 1st, so keep up with reading outside of school to meet your Tri 1 goals.

Keep up the good work, Hawks!

IB Learner Profile Actions Review

Here are some amazing 8th graders reviewing the IB Learner Profile traits.  Remember that everyone has these traits within themselves, and at HMS we are working everyday to enhance and improve upon those characteristics of a life-long learner!  Thanks 5th period for being risk-takers when filming this video!

Student-Led Conferences

It's 1st Trimester Progress Report time which means we're getting ready for Student-Led Conferences at HMS.  A few notes about Language Arts grades:

• If students have not taken an AR quiz yet, they should still take one as soon as they finish a book.  I will make sure that they get credit for it which will improve their grades for the end of the trimester. Check Parent Portal for updates.
• I accept any missing work or any improved upon work for credit.  Students are also always allowed to retake quizzes/tests for improved credit.
• I don't offer extra credit...just do the work assigned or improve upon any work that you aren't happy with the final grade.
• What's more important:  grades or learning?  Answer=LEARNING.  

More Votes = More $$$

Vote for Harvest Middle School on http://givewith.target.com/ ... every vote gets us $1!  Thanks for your support!

Silhouette Project Updates

Just a few reminders:

• The IB Learner Profile Silhouette Project is due at the end of this week.  Remember you are aiming for "awesome-ness" when it comes to organization and knowledge of vocabulary.  Check the yellow rubric for more details regarding assignment requirements. (Thanks, Ileana, for letting me use yours as an example!)

• Students will be giving a short (less than a minute) presentation which will involve introducing themselves, sharing their strongest trait/explaining the image/giving an example of why its their strongest, sharing what they most need to improve and how they might do that this year, and ending with "Thank you!"  Be sure to practice at least 10 times in front of a mirror, peer or family member.
• Accelerated Reader point goals will be shared this week...be sure you are reading at least 20 minutes daily and taking quizzes upon completion of books.  Please see me if you run into any trouble finding books or meeting your goals.  Read to succeed!  Practice makes perfect!
• Back-to-School Night is coming up next week...be sure to share with your folks how important it is that they come and meet your teachers!  We appreciate your family's support at HMS!

Go Hawks!

We will, we will HAWK you!

What a great week last week!  We ended the week with a back-to-school assembly that had students chanting along to the famous song "We Will Rock You"--but we sang the HMS version at the chorus!  Our administrators reviewed school-wide behavior policies, which we have also been doing in all of our classes.  Here is a photo of the brainstorming that we've been doing in our class.  Students were very clear about what expectations they valued in our classroom. They wrote their ideas on post-it notes, and by the end of the day we had categorized them as being SAFE, being RESPECTFUL or being RESPONSIBLE.

Last week, students took the STAR reading test online to assess their reading comfort levels for our Accelerated Reader program.  They each received a range of scores (ex. 3.2-5.9).  This range corresponds to books that will be easiest and most difficult to read successfully.  Most books will have an AR reading level that can be found on-line.  Students should try to read books within their comfort levels and students should practice reading everyday for at least 20 minutes to start.

This week we'll begin working on our first project:  Learner Profile Silhouette Project.  Students will start to consider their learning strengths and weaknesses.  They will be thinking about the questions WHO AM I?  and WHO CAN I BECOME?  Can't wait to see the results!

Have a great week!  HAWK ON!

8th Graders = On Top of the World!

We had some amazing insight and discussions today in class regarding the question, "What does it mean to be an 8th grader at Harvest this year?"  Students are excited, nervous, proud...so many mixed emotions for a middle schooler!  The link below is to the song we listened to part of in class to remind students they really are on top of the world this year!

Remember, students, to complete your graduation reflection sheet fully--I can't wait to read what you envision for yourself as an 8th grader this year.

Who can you become this year??

What a great first day back at school!  I'm honored and excited to be teaching 8th grade Language Arts again this year.  I saw so many smiling (though still a bit sleepy) faces today--and I can tell that everyone is eager to have an amazing final school year at Harvest Middle School.

This week students will be introduced to the idea of "What does it mean to be an 8th Grader at HMS?" and we'll be discussing / making goals for this year leading into high school.  We listened to and analyzed the lyrics to "Graduation Song" by Vitamin C to jump start our reflection.  Students were asked to complete a short answer assignment regarding the song and their plans for the 2013-14 school year.  The possibilities are endless!

Here is a link to the worksheet we used to analyze and reflect upon the song.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxfH6yRi4pG6U1ZrckNCaDhQSE0/edit?usp=sharing

See link the original MTV music video below.

We'll also be building our classroom expectations for this year.  Start thinking of what it means to be SAFE, RESPECTFUL, and RESPONSIBLE in our classroom...

Lastly, this week we will start contemplating what it means for Harvest Middle School to be an International Baccalaureate school and what it takes for all of us to strive to fit the IB Learner Profile.  See a quick intro video below to preview the Learner Profile traits.

Start thinking about your strengths and limitations related to the Learner Profile traits and the following questions: Who are you now?  and Who can you become this year?

Happy Summer!

I hope everyone is relaxing and enjoying the much needed break!  Remember to accept the reading Harvest Middle School Summer Reading Challenge!  See the HMS library home page or school webpage to print out additional log sheets or read up on the details.  Let me know if you have any questions, or better yet, comment below about what books you've been reading this summer.  I just finished The Phantom Tollbooth, a boy's fantastic journey through a world of wordplay and brain-teases! Keep those pages turning, and have a fun (and safe) rest of your summer. 

Love you guys!

-Mrs. Banta 

The Outsiders!

The end of the year in 7th grade Language Arts = time for The Outsiders novel!  We've been reading all about Ponyboy and his experiences as a Greaser.  We are also introduced to the opposing gang--the sophisticated, high-class Socs.  For our end of the year project, students will get an opportunity to dress like a Greaser or a Soc at school on Wednesday, May 22, or students can memorize and recite the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" on page 77 in the book.  Students can choose to do both requirements for extra credit!

Here are some sample photos of Greasers and Socs.  See the project sheet that will be coming home with students this week for more details.

Lots Going On...

We are finishing up the Chapter 6/7 Orange Packet relating to Non-Fiction Materials.  We recently read two interesting articles: one about baseball in America versus baseball in Cuba and the second about cyber-bullying.   Here are links to the introduction videos we watched in class.

http://youtu.be/FjHKV2x6Nh8  (Link to Baseball in Cuba video)

Cyberbullying...a New Virus:

Also, students turned in their Non-Fiction Projects today--which means now it's time to prepare for class presentations.  Students will need to:

• Introduce self & the project type
• Share the book title, author, and sub-genre
• Read the main idea sentence
• Share the 5 interesting facts
• Conclude with a final thought and say "Thank you!"

Practice, practice, practice!

Lastly, CST's start next week.  Be sure to get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, breathe, take your time, and think your way through the test...YOU'LL BE FINE!  You're ready for this Hawks!

Sample Non-Fiction Projects

Here are some sample power point projects below that were turned in for the bonus points.  Great work, Katie & Ileana!  There will be sample poster projects in our classroom available for viewing this week if you aren't quite sure what to do on your project.  Thanks to Sienna, Jennifer, Sebastian, Andrew, and AJ!  We've also had one video project turned in by Caitlin & Charlotte.  Nice work everyone!  Keep it up!

Mrs. Banta's Project

Katie O'Donnell's Project

Ileana Puente's Project

Mid-Trimester Updates

Lots of stuff happening in Bantaland!  Here's the latest:

Non-Fiction Project

Make sure you've read over the project requirements sheet, selected a non-fiction book to read cover to cover, and decided on what type of creative project you will complete.  The project sheet link is posted below.

https://docs.google.com/a/nvusd.org/document/d/1Ps4-sa4hJ9towxbGttJl3TzZDF5YMrQXlj2DemZ-wfQ/edit

Orange Chapter 6/7 Packet

We've been working our way through Chapters 6 & 7 which are related to reading Informational Materials and analyzing Non-Fiction texts.  As of this week, students needed to complete pages 1-10.  The binder paper pages in the packet are for the Cornell Notes for pages 648-651 and 700-703 in the textbook.  Make sure you've read and taken the notes!  We will have a Chapter 6 Mastery Test next class.

Trimester 3 Progress Reports

Remember grades are due for Trimester 3 Progress Reports...so check in with all of your teachers about what your grade is in the class.  Make sure you've completed any missing assignments!  End the year strong!

Hawks in the Valley

Did you see today's newspaper?  7th grade is in the news!  We had a great, educational day and made a difference in our environment.  Check out the link below:

http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/students-tour-remnant-of-napa-valley-wilderness/article_dd4854ec-8b42-11e2-8a2e-0019bb2963f4.html

Students should be finishing up their red Ch. 3/4 packets--they are due next week on Wednesday, March 20th.  We will be starting our next packet for Ch. 6/7 next week.  Keep an eye out! 

Read to Succeed!

Congratulations to students for surviving the two writing tests we have worked hard to prepare for all year! I was so proud of students as they took the tests.  They really wrote their hearts out and rose to the occasion!  The District Writing Assessment results take about a month and a half to get back to students and the State Writing Test will factor into students' CST Language Arts scores for this year.  

Next up is World Read Aloud Day...March 6th!  There will be 20 minutes of reading aloud during 4th period tomorrow and in our Language Arts classes.  The Year of the Reader at HMS continues!!

Finally, Accelerated Reader Trimester 3 goals are being made this week. Please leave a comment below with the book you are currently reading and what you like about it in 2-3 sentences. Be sure to leave your last name so that you'll get credit for the assignment.  

DWA is on its WAY!

Time to get mentally prepared for the District Writing Assessment.  You are going to take the knowledge you have about persuasive essay writing from 6th grade and move it up a notch to 7th grade level expectations.  We are working to write strong position and thesis statements, elaborate on your arguments, include a meaningful counterargument and end with a passionate call to action. Please watch the following video to review the organization of persuasive essays.  Leave an appropriate comment or question below regarding what you learned or what you still may have questions about.

Perfect Timing...

Well, many of us wanted the 49-er's to win this past weekend, but life must go on...except this week we are starting to look at themes in poetry--starting with Baltimore's most famous poet, Edgar Allan Poe!  There were many groans when I told students that the Ravens were named after Poe's most famous poem--and that the three bird mascots for the team are actually named Edgar, Allan, and Poe.  Once we started reading information about his biography and his poem "Annabel Lee" students were intrigued.  Here is a great website with more information regarding the author and links to his other stories/poems if interested.

 http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/default_flash.asp

We also took SOAPS notes this week to help us analyze and better understand difficult poetry.  Here is a link to a webpage in case students missed the notes.

http://parkrose.orvsd.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=1142

EXTRA CREDIT / EXTENSION ACTIVITY:  Memorize and recite the poem "Annabel Lee" or "The Highwayman".  If you'd rather make a video version of the poem that would be awesome.  Be creative.

We've hit the halfway point in the year, so I'd like to announce students who have read 20 or more books--40 is the challenge!

Rory O'Toole, Charlotte Cosca, Katie O'Donnell, Dulce Chocooj, Jason Pridy, Ivan De Haro, Cierra Pena, Ruben Topete, and Logan Zampa.

Also, Charlotte Cosca hit the 2-million word mark this week!  Amazing!    

Theme & Point of View

Hi there!  We've moved on to Chapter 3/4 in our textbook and red packet.  Students should have Cornell Notes on pages 2-3 of their packet covering the power point below.  Please also reference pages 242-245 and pages 373-375 in the textbook for additional information.  These pages are very helpful and clearly written.

https://docs.google.com/a/nvusd.org/file/d/0BxfH6yRi4pG6X2VxZ2g3c2FBeG8/edit

There will be a quiz next class on the notes and pages discussed above...study! 

In other Bantaland News, we have a new Million Word Reader:  Emily Martinez!  Congrats and keep up the hard work!

It's Grammar Time

Here are links to sites HMS students recommended for grammar fun and review:

Peyton Mott and Maeher Bawa suggested: http://sheppardsoftware.com/grammar/grammar_tutorial.htm

Alexis Troche, Charlotte Cosca and Ileana Puente suggested: http://www.funbrain.com/grammar/index.html

Olivia Valenzuela, Sean Madigan, Caitlin Aaron-Vadnais, Diego Prado, Briana Valdez and Anna Sax suggested: http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/6_8/grammar/

Juan Retana suggested: http://www.funenglishgames.com/grammargames.html

Gisselle Gonzalez suggested: http://quizlet.com/

Ruben Topete, Cesar Castro, and Daniel Candelario suggested: http://freerice.com/#/english-grammar/1936251

Katie O'Donnell suggests: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cuddlydragon.android.spelling

Try them out and see what you think.  :)

Grammar Mania

We've been trying to have some fun with grammar this week in 7th grade Language Arts.  We've been singing songs, using hand motions, watching silly videos, and searching for fun grammar sites.  With a strong understanding of the basic mechanics of the English language, you're capability as a writer will improve.  We're starting with reviewing the 8 Parts of Speech and then we'll be tackling proofreading skills and writing complex sentences.

Be sure to sing the Grammar Song to someone in your family! :)

Parts of Speech

(Sung to On Top of Spaghetti)

A NOUN is a person, idea, thing or place

Like doctor or Steven, joy, Napa or face

A VERB is an action you think or you do

Like dream, sigh or sleeping, plan, talk, drink, or flew

An ADJECTIVE tells us, more about nouns

Like tall, smart, or purple, sad, scrawny, or brown

A PRONOUN replaces some nouns you will see

He, she, we, I, you, them, they, us, it, her, me

An ADVERB tells adjectives and verbs how to act

Mostly end in –LY as a matter of fact

PREPOSITIONS link nouns to other words

Above, under, during, are some that I’ve heard

CONJUNCTIONS join phrases and sentences galore

And, but, when, until, since, because, for, or, nor

INTERJECTIONS show emotions that are strongly expressed

Like: Wow!  Ouch! or Awesome! or You are the best!

Remember the Chapter 2 packets are due Thursday/Friday next week!  Be sure everything is complete (including parent signature and reflection paragraphs).

Next week I'll post the top 5 fun grammar sites that students have been researching and recommending to their peers.

Happy 2013!

We're back and, believe it or not, we're at the half way point of the year!  We're starting off 2013 finishing up our Chapter 2 stories involving characterization and moving on to a brush up on grammar/parts of speech.  This week students were asked to do some research online to find the best grammar information and game sites for middle school students.  They need to check out the site and what it has to offer, then they must write up a review describing whether the site is useful or not and email/bring the write up to class.  The hope is to create a list of great resources for students to check out to brush up on grammar skills as needed.  One way that we will be memorizing the 8 parts of speech is through a mnemonic device that we will practice next week.  Check out the video below for a preview:

We'll also sing some silly, but educational grammar songs and then move on to the remaining grammar pages in our packet.  Next up is Response to Literature Writing and a Chapter 3/4 in our textbook. 

The latest AR news on the street is that Harvest Middle School currently has the most million word readers in the entire district!  I'm very proud of all our students who are pushing themselves to read more than they ever have before!  You will see it pay off in your school work and life...promise! :)

Also, if you haven't already "liked" the new Harvest Middle School facebook page, please do so.  You'll receive information updates and information regarding future school events.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harvest-Middle-School/132582596897255

One last reminder, 2nd Trimester Progress Report grades are due next week.  If you haven't logged on to parent portal, please do so and see me as soon as possible if there are any discrepencies with your grade. 

Thanks for checking in.  Let's resolve to make 2013 at HMS memorable and meaningful!