A Long Walk to Water Theme Collage

Analyzing Mood and Tone in "Nothing Gold Can Stay"-The Outsiders

We will be analyzing both the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost  and the scene in The Outsiders where the Ponyboy recites the poem.  Now we will watch the video clip from the movie to analyze the mood and tone.  How are they the same?  How do they differ? How does the camera angle contribute to the mood in the film?  How does the author's style contribute to the mood?  What are the emotions the director wanted the audience to feel?  What emotions did the author want to evoke in the reader?

Nothing Gold Can Stay

By Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold, 

Her hardest hue to hold. 

Her early leaf's a flower; 

But only so an hour. 

Then leaf subsides to leaf. 

So Eden sank to grief, 

So dawn goes down to day. 

Nothing gold can stay. 

 

CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR "NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY"  IMAGE TO THE CLASS PRESENTATION

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The Outsiders

Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke

 

 

Red Covair

 

 

 

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton- We will be reading some of the book as a class and some independently.  You may listen to the audio version of the novel but please also follow along with your book--eyes on the page! 

CHAPTER 1

Step 1: Read Chapter 1 of The Outsiders

You may read this chapter silently to yourself or follow along in your book while you listen to the audio. Either way, eyes must be on print.

Chapter 1 Audio

Step 2: Choose a character to track their character traits as you read.  Mark places in Chapter 1 that you see specific character traits. 

Step 3: In your Reader's Notebook-in the Writing about Reading Section, begin a T-chart comparing the greasers and socs.   Be sure to include page numbers and specific examples from the text.  

CHAPTER 2

Step 1: Read Chapter 2 of The Outsiders

Now that you have finished chapter 1, go ahead and read chapter 2. 

Chapter 2 Audio

Step 2: Continue tracking your character.  Create a page in your Reader's Notebook that shows your thinking about this character.  Include character traits, specific examples and page #s where possible. (this is like the work we did with Will in the story"Popularity")

Step 3: In your Reader's Notebook-in the Writing about Reading Section, continue to fill in the T-chart comparing the greasers and socs.   Be sure to include page numbers and specific examples from the text.  

 60s Throwbacks

Music-The Beach Boys, The Beatles

Interested in learning more about S.E. Hinton?  Check out the link below.

Author Bio

WELCOME BACK!!

Welcome Back!

via GIPHY

Final Project on Holocaust Unit- Raising Awareness of Modern Day Genocide

After the Holocaust, the United Nations created laws to prevent such an atrocity from ever happening again.  The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was held in 1948 and declared that genocide was a crime under international law and would be condemned by the civilized world.  Since that time, however, there have been other acts of genocide.  For your final project, you will familiarize yourself with other modern day acts of genocide.  

Assignment:
You will create a brief video educating people about the dangers of
genocide, informing them about modern day examples of genocide and
calling them to action.  

Possible Genocide to research:
Armenian Genocide
Rwanda Genocide
Darfur
Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina 
The Killing Fields: The Cambodian Genocide

Consider these questions:
What can we do to prevent further acts of hatred and violence towards a race of people?  Why do these acts continue to happen despite our knowledge and education?  How can you make a difference?  

Use the resources below to learn about the modern day examples of genocide.

Confront Genocide
Survivors Stories from genocide in Darfur, Bosnia and Rwanda
The Rwanda Genocide
PBS Resources on Genocide
Amnesty International
Facing History, Facing Ourselves:  Be the Change -Upstanders for Human Rights
Prevent Genocide International 

Videos on topics:
Cambodia
Bosnia
Darfur
View the you tube videos for an example of what you can do with our final project.
Watch this You tube video that raises awareness and tries to get people to stop genocide.
A more general You Tube video about the Holocaust and acts of genocide

View former 8th graders' final projects:
Caleb
Cloud 
Class of 2015 Projects

Grade 7 Mythology

Mythology Resources

We are going to begin a unit on Greek and Roman Mythology.  Before we start consider the question of what is a myth?  Why do people and cultures tell stories?  How do the gods a culture worship tell us what that culture values and thinks is important?  Finally, where do we see these ancient myths and gods in our world today?  Ever heard of a brand called Nike?  Hermes? Atlas?  To start, let's watch this brief overview.

Myths are a way of understanding the world. This lesson has been about Greek mythology, but every culture has myths. Myths define social customs and beliefs, explain natural and psychological phenomena, and provide a way for people to discuss things that cause anxiety. Mythology is all around us.

 Click here to watch an overview of Greek Gods in Brain Pop


Tasks:
Create a Greek Trading Card 
Learning About Greek Myth Project

What is Mythology? Powerpoint 
Famous Greek Myths Class Presentation

Here's another brief video overview

Web references:

•  Greek Mythology
• Some Great Greek Myths
• Mythweb
• MythMan
• Mythography
• Mensa for Kids Greek Mythology Resources
• Encyclopedia Mythica

Here are just a few examples of places we find myths today.

• Days of the week Wednesday (Woden or Odin – Norse god); Thursday (Thor – Norse god); Friday (Freya Norse goddess); Saturday (Saturn – Roman god who ruled before Jove)
• Shoes Nike

• Cars-Toyota Avalon and Cressida, Cadillac El Dorado, Honda Odyssey, Mercury 
• Tires Midas  
• Astronomy  Constellations like Orion, the Argo, all of the planets and the Pleiades. The Milky Way itself was supposedly the road over which the stars traveled to Jupiter’s palace.
• NASA  The first part of U.S. space program was Project Mercury, named after the messenger of the gods because the project’s purpose was to send a message to the Soviets that America was in the space race. The Gemini Project was next; Gemini is Latin for “twins,” and the project was called this because the capsule held two astronauts. Apollo astronauts rode on Saturn rockets.

 Myths also make great stories. They come up in literature all over the place, from really serious stuff like Dante to comic strips. Myths inspire music; actually the word music comes from the mythological muses who inspired art of all kinds. Painters such as Michelangelo and Botticelli were inspired by myths. Even children’s movies are a good place to look for myths; you will find them everywhere, including Snow White, Star Wars  and The Lord of the Rings.



(Taken from http://www.mensaforkids.org/MFK2/assets/File/Teach/LessonPlans/Lesson_GreekMythology.pdf)

Persuasive Letter

 
Click here to read the entire letter

"Sell Your Book" Favorite Book Poster

Day of Tears Book Poster By Ms. Casassa by scasassa
Click here to make your own Book Poster-include Title and author and a "teaser"

Civil Rights-"A Time For Justice"

"THERE LIVED … A PEOPLE WHO HAD THE MORAL COURAGE TO STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS AND THEREBY THEY INJECTED A NEW MEANING INTO THE VEINS OF HISTORY AND OF CIVILIZATION."

—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

As we begin our unit on Civil Rights, you will identify some major events on a timeline.  As we watch the documentary "A Time for Justice" you will learn about these events in more detail.  Please prepare for our discussion of the video by answering the questions in this link.

We will watch the documentary "A Time for Justice" as a class.  Then watch the video on your own to take notes on the important events discussed.  (You may use your notebook or type them on Google Classroom)

Argument Topic

Think about an issue you feel strongly about or want to learn more about. You may look at Pro/Con site to get ideas.  Begin learning about the topic and decide where you stand.
Pro/Con.org
Argument Writing Text Sets
50 Argument Writing Topics
401 Argument Writing Topics 

Some tips for Formulating and Writing an Argument
Argument Writing Online Template 

Links to Resources

Gun Control
Gun Control 
Pro/Con Gun Control 
The Pros and Cons of Gun Control-Odyssey

Death Penalty Resources
Death Penalty Facts 
CNN Fast Facts
Amnesty International Gun Control 

Video Games and Youth Violence
Pro/Con on Video Game Use 
What Research Says about Children and Video games NPR Interview
Can Video Games Cause Violence? 
Do Video games Lead to mass Shooting? NYT article
How Playing Violent Video Games May Change the brain TIME
Video Games make Us More Violent

Cell Phones
Cell Phones and Radiation

Ted Talk Tuesday: Everyday Leadership

The Cay-6th Grade Novel Study

The Cay, by Theodore Taylor, takes place during World War II on the island of Curacao.  When Phillip is stranded on an cay with only Timothy, his way of seeing his world is challenged.

Click here to read The Cay online
Click here to listen to The Cay

Online resources for The Cay Packet
Reader's Factsheet

Primary and Secondary Sources

Click here to access the primary source

In honor of the Martin Luther King holiday

Always to Remember: The Vision of Maya Ying Lin

We have finished reading Always to Remember:  The Vision of Maya Ying Lin now we are going to learn a little about the Vietnam Memorial and Maya Ying Lin. 

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

Always to Remember: The Vision of Maya Ying Lin

You have finished reading Always to Remember:  The Vision of Maya Ying Lin. View this Mentor Mob below to learn even more  about the Vietnam Memorial and Maya Ying Lin.   As you look at the images of the Memorial, listen to the videos complete the third column, what you have learned in your KWL chart in your Reading Notebook.

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

Grade 1 Tech: Learning about Martin Luther King Jr.

On Monday we remember Martin Luther King Jr, today we are going to watch a Brain Pop Junior biography to learn more about this important American hero. Click here to watch the Brain Pop video.  Log in using barnard1/brainpop

In Plain English US History

January is for grammar!

It's time to begin the new year and what better way than to review essential grammar skills!  Quick reviews, Grammar Flip, songs, Kahoot and teaching the class will all combine to help you turn January into the best grammar month of the year!



First--join our Flocabulary class

 

 

Grades 7 & 8-Class Code: PF5SBR
Grade 6-Class Code: PFTKDK 

Grammar Skills- 

Homonyms- link to table to put your Kahoot Questions

Watch Flocabulary's short video on Homonyms 
Complete activity and quiz on Flocabulary (go to your class)
Example of Homonyms
Allan Cooper's Homonym List

An Ode to the Spelling Chequer

Prays the Lord for the spelling chequer
That came with our pea sea!
Mecca mistake and it puts you rite
Its so easy to ewes, you sea.

I never used to no, was it e before eye?
(Four sometimes its eye before e.)
But now I've discovered the quay to success
It's as simple as won, too, free!

Sew watt if you lose a letter or two,
The whirled won't come two an end!
Can't you sea? It's as plane as the knows on yore face
S. Chequer's my very best friend

I've always had trubble with letters that double
"Is it one or to S's?" I'd wine
But now, as I've tolled you this chequer is grate
And its hi thyme you got won, like mine.

—Janet E. Byford

Monsters are Due on Maple Street

7th graders--
Today we begin a new play, The Monsters are Due on Maple Street.  This is a screenplay, a play that was written for television.  It was written as an episode for a show called The Twilight Zone.  Ask your parents about it--many of them will remember watching it.  We will watch a clip today of the opening scene of every Twilight Zone show.  Rod Sterling, the writer and narrator of The Twilight Zone began every show the same way.  His opening introductions are a good example of a lead that really pulls you in and makes you want to know more!
Click here to watch the epilogue
Click here to watch the entire episode
watch Rod Sterling interview with Mike Wallace

Rod Sterling and The Twilight Zone

We are going to read a screen play that was part of the long running Twilight Zone series created by Rod Sterling.  Choose one of the websites below to learn more about Sterling.  Using the guidelines from the Summarizing worksheet you just completed, write a half to full page summary on Sterling.  Be sure to put the information in your own words--no plagiarizing! You may use direct quotes if there is something you really want to use verbatim.  Be sure to credit the website you used in your summary.  You may read all three articles if you wish.  DO NOT USE ANY OTHER SOURCES! This is homework for Thursday, January 4th if you do not finish in class.
Twilight Zone Day: The Strange World of Rod Sterling
Rod Sterling-Wikipedia entry
15 Fascinating Facts About Rod Sterling

Watch Flowers for Algernon

Begin watching at 37:47.