See you after the break! Make sure to get some reading done!

This (short) week in ELA...

Tomorrow morning, the entire middle level grades are going to be treated to a production of William Shakespeare. We have a group of performers coming to the building around 9:30 to act out scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Wednesday will be a special Holiday edition of Silent Sustained Reading!

Don't forget, Romeo and Juliet Projects are due Wednesday!!!

Shakespearen Piece!

Over the last few weeks, we have been reading and discussing the Shakespearean classic, Romeo and Juliet. We have spent many minutes of class using reading guides to discuss the connection between the themes and actions of the play and their relationship to our modern life. Now, we’ll take it a step farther.

I am confident that you have heard of or use the following social interaction websites:

Ø MySpace

Ø Facebook

Ø Twitter

Your assignment will be to use one of these sites as a guide to create a project for one of the characters in Romeo and Juliet. For example, you might use construction paper to make up a Myspace page for Romeo, where you list his friends, some of the conversations he has with other characters, and some pictures. Or, you might tell the entire play’s plot through the Twitter posts of Juliet!

The point is, I want you to use a modern style to tell a classic story. This assignment will be due in class Wednesday, December 23^rd. The grade breakdown is as follows:

Grade Points

Shakespearean Content/References 60 points

Structure/Design/Execution 40 points

Friday Half-Day

There will be a half day of school on Friday for all students. Dismissal will be at 11:30.

Welcome Back! Up next in ELA...

ROMEO & JULIET!

We are going to spend the next three weeks reading the William Shakespeare classic, Romeo and Juliet in class. Due to its difficulty, students will be provided with daily study guides, as well as response questions to do for homework that will help them understand the reading. The unit will culminate with a production of Shakespeare here at Ed Smith by the Syracuse Shakespeare Festival!

Happy Thanksgiving Break!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving! Be sure to get some reading done over the 5 day vacation!

Wemoir Reminder!!!

Don't forget that the first major writing piece of the 2nd marking period, the Wemoir, is due tomorrow!!! In order to receive full credit, you need to include your rough draft, peer edit, picture/drawing related to theme, and your final copy!

Reminder- Half Day on Monday

We will have a half day of school on Monday, November 16th for Middle Level Parent/Teacher Conferences. Stop by and talk about your son or daughter's progress so far this year!

Veteran's Day Tomorrow

In honor of those that have served for our country, we have tomorrow off for Veteran's Day! See you back in school on Thursday!

Half-Day Thursday!

We will have a half day on Thursday, November 5th, as a result of elementary parent-teacher conferences.

This Week - MEMOIR!

To continue our short story unit, we are going to look at the memoir and its elements this week in class. We will be reading a short story, "An American Childhood," in class on Tuesday and Wednesday, and we will start crafting our own personal stories next week!

Poe-mework!

In class, we've been discussing the work of Edgar Allen Poe, "The Pit and the Pendulum," and "The Tell-Tale Heart." Over these few days, we will examine how these stories can help contribute to the writing pieces Ed Smithers have to do for homework tonight. We're writing scary stories! DUE TOMORROW! BOO!

In class- Plot Elements & Spooky Stories

Over the next two weeks, we will examine the elements of plot as they relate to scary stories. We have started by looking at the plot line, (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) and next week we will begin interpreting plot through reading classic Halloween stories. To culminate, students will write their own scary stories and we will share out in class. It will be a scary-good time!

Just a reminder...

There is no school for students on Monday, October 19th, and Tuesday, October 20th for Superintendent's Conference days. Enjoy the four day weekend, and we will see you back here on Wednesday!

Reminder - ESSAY DUE FRIDAY

Be sure to work on your five-paragraph essay for Friday. It is due at the beginning of the period and will be made up of 5 components that contribute to your grade. They are:

Notes
Pre-Write
Rough Draft
Peer-Edit Sheet
Final Draft


If there are any questions, email me at jsmith49@scsd.us

Picture Day Tomorrow!

Ed Smith Community-

School pictures for 7th graders will take place on Wednesday, October 14th in the morning. Be sure to comb your hair and wear your favorite polka-dot bow tie!

Major Writing Piece due October 16th

This is just a note to remind students about the 5 paragraph essay due Friday, October 16th. It is the first major grade of the marking period, and I want students to work hard on it. The assignment sheet is posted to the left. If there are any questions, email me at jsmith49@scsd.us


Don't forget. Friday is Silent Sustained Reading! Bring in your favorite book!

Welcome Parents!

If this is your first time visiting, I highly suggest you take a second to bookmark the following link:

http://www.blogger.com/profile/13558430102131813122

This will take you to the main 7th Grade team page, where you will be able to access all of the specific blogs for each content area. Enjoy, and I hope you stop back often!

Acuity continues, Amigo Brothers later this week...

We are taking part in Acuity testing here in ELA on Monday and Tuesday, and when we finish, we will wrap up reading the story "Amigo Brothers." Students are expected to take Cornell notes while they read.

Before the three day weekend, we will again be taking part in Silent Sustained Reading on Friday!

Our ELA blog has gone Super-Duper High tech! I am now able to post 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from my phone!

Interims out soon!

Hello-

Just checking in. In class, we have been working on our TTR's, some booktalks, and other good stuff. It will reflect in student grades. Hope your son/daughter does well!

Welcome to 7th Grade ELA!

Hello--


My name is Mr. Smith, and I am the 7th grade English Language Arts teacher at Ed Smith School in Syracuse, New York. I have created this blog to keep parents informed as to what is going on in my classroom this year. Feel free to check back here every few days to keep informed with what is happening. Also, your welcome to come up with any suggestions or questions for me, and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks for stopping by!