Ray Bradbury Biographical Sketch

Today you are going to write one paragraph of our Ray Bradbury essay in your groups. Think about the Mosquitoes and Abe Lincoln essay examples and write an interesting and well organized paragraph. Use this Google Doc link (you will need to sign into your Barnard School Google docs account to access it!) to write your paragraph on Ray Bradbury. When each group is done we should have a first draft of the body of our biographical sketch. Then we'll have to figure out how to make them all fit together. Think about ways to connect these three topics and transition words or sentences that we could use. Let's see which groups' paragraph is the best! Good luck and happy writing!

Ray Bradbury Livebinder

Learning about Types of Nonfiction

8th graders--You started researching an author and thinking about writing a biographical sketch last week. This week we are going to look at the different elements of nonfiction and how nonfiction writing can be organized. To start off, we will learn about different types of nonfiction (p. 424-425 in textbook). Click on quizlet icon below to use the flashcards to review the terms we learned in class today.

Link to Quizlet Flashcards on Nonfiction

Create a go animate video

Today you are going to use the storyboard you created last night to make a video.  Click the title above to go to the Go Animate web site.  You can view my first attempt at a video about Scrooge in A Christmas Carol below.  When your video is done, remember to embed it on your blog page in a new post so we can all view it.  Have fun!
GoAnimate.com: A Christmas Carol by scasassa

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Comment on a friend's Reader Response Blog

This week you will read and respond to a classmate’s blog post.  You will be graded on the quality of your response.  In your response, do the following

1.     Comment on at least one interesting thing you learned about their book through reading their letter.

2.     Make a connection—it can be text to self, text to text or text to world—about their book or letter.

3.     Ask them a question about their book.  Maybe something you want to know more about after reading their letter.

4.     Compliment them on something they did really well in their post—(explained their book choice, gave specific details to describe the conflict, made the book sound so interesting that you want to read it, etc.)

5.    Sign your name at the end of you comment.

To complete this assignment, you need to:

1.     Sign into your blog—you cannot post a comment without signing in!

2.     Find their Reader Response Letter blog

3.     Go to the end of their post and click word “0 comments”

4.     A box will appear on the screen that says “Post a Comment”

5.     Write your comment—it should be a long paragraph with at least two sentences on each required topic.

6.     Click your name on the comment as button

7.     Preview your comment—checking for G.U.M.S. and appropriate language and content

8.     Click “Publish”

Example of a comment:

POST A COMMENT

Dear Ms. Casassa,      I enjoyed reading your blog post on The Blackhope Enigma.  I thought it was really interesting that the story takes place inside a painting.  I have never read a book like that.  The Balckhope Enigma doesn’t really remind me of any chapter book I’ve read, but when my daughter was little we used to read a series called Katie and the Impressionist.  When Katie visited the museum with her grandmother she would step into the painting and have all sorts of adventures.  She would play in Monet’s fields and gardens.  So I guess I have a text-to-text connection with your book.  How did the kids finally get out of the painting?  What happened to the bad guy, Angus?  Did he get what he wanted from the kids?  I really enjoyed reading your letter.  You made the book sound very exciting.  Although I don’t usually read books like that I’d like to try it.  Happy Reading! Ms. Casassa

"The Most Dangerous Game"

We will begin reading Richard Connell's famous short story "The Most Dangerous Game" today.  Before we begin you will be familiarizing yourself with the vocabulary in the story.  Complete the vocabulary worksheet by going to "The Most Dangerous Game" vocabulary link.  After you have completed the worksheet, play some of the games on Quizlet.  Click on the Blog title to go to Quizlet to practice vocabulary.  You will have a quiz on these vocabulary words on Thursday.

"A Christmas Carol"

“No space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused”

“Bah," said Scrooge, "Humbug.” 

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!”

― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

 

Click here to watch a biography on Charles Dickens.
Biography of Charles Dickens
View a copy of the first edition of A Christmas Carol
Learn about A Christmas Carol

Create a magazine cover featuring your hobby

 

Click Magazine Cover to go to Big Huge Labs

to create your own magazine cover. 

Click here to get a copy of the instructions.

Blogging about your Independent Reading Book

Blogging your Reader Response Letter
For this next book you are going to try something new. You are going to blog about your book instead of writing a traditional Reader Response Letter. What does it mean to “blog about your book”? Well, you will be given a writing topic and you will post your response online on your student blog. Each week you will add more to the post. You will have a chance to read other students’ blogs and respond to their book and writing as well. This assignment will require access to a computer with Internet. You have a week to complete it so if using the computer at home is tricky, make time during flex, recess or after school to complete this assignment. You can not use the excuse that you don’t have internet at home. You have more than enough time to complete this assignment at school if you need to.
Remember when you blog you have broader audience than me. Be sure to reread your writing, correct spelling mistakes and typos. Think deeply and critically about your book. Impress your friends and teachers with your insight and observations. Most of all-- have fun!
How to write a post on your blog
1. Sign in to your blog
2. Click on “New Post.” You can find this on your dashboard or the right side of your blog.
3. Create a title for your post. Your title can be the title of the book you are reading, or Reader Response letter.
4. Write your post (comments) in the text box below the title. You can make text bigger or bolder with the controls above the box.
5. When you finish writing your post preview it, checking for spelling and typos, and appropriate content. You are being graded for this!
6. Once you’ve determined that it is wonderful, click “publish post.”
7. Congratulations! You have written a blog post.

Voice Thread on the ipad

Click on the title above to see the original Voice Thread. Enjoy!Today we tried something new on the ipad--Voice Thread.  On Voice Thread, students can type, record or video tape their ideas for the class to listen to.  On this Voice Thread, students explored their views on some of the major themes in "The Lottery" which they are about to read.  This was our first try with Voice Thread and as the class can attest to, our first tries are often messy!  After we read "The Lottery" we'll post another Voice Thread revisiting these themes and our view of them.

Add your Shelfari Bookshelf to your blog

Today in tech class you are going to add your Shelfari Bookshelf to your blog page.  I've included step by step instructions below.  Follow them carefully and you should not have any trouble.  To see what the final product looks like, check out my page on your student blog page.  Have fun!

How to add your Shelfari Bookshelf to your blog

1.     Sign in to your blog on our classroom page.  The sign in button is on the top right hand side of the screen.

2.     Go to Shelfari—click the Shelfari icon on the blog page

3.     On the Shelfari page, sign in if you are not already.

4.     On the right side of the screen, under “Your Content” click Widgets .

5.     You will be at a “create a widget” page. 

6.     Select “all books” and click continue

7.     Choose the style of your shelf, etc., click continue

8.     Copy the widget code (highlight and command C),

9.    Click the Blogger icon.  It should take you to your blog page

10. From your blog's design page, select "Add a Gadget". Select "basiscs" and then select "HTML/JavaScript". Paste the widget code in the "Configure HTML/JavaScript" content section.   Click save.

11. View Blog to be sure the shelf is on the page and you like the way it looks.  You can check out my shelf on my blog page to see how to do it!