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!