Wrapping up the year and looking ahead (including summer work)

Wow, what a whirlwind it has been over the last few weeks! The 7th graders have so much to be proud of as they wrapped up Romeo and Juliet, wrote beautifully executed persuasive essays for or against teaching the play to middle schoolers, and, of course, presented their terrific soundtrack projects. If you're on campus this summer, stop by Robinson to see their album covers displayed outside my classroom - they're awesome!

Looking ahead, while everyone has earned a vacation, we expect that students will continue to read and write over the summer. Below are the directions for middle school summer work (rising 6th - 8th). These assignments have been given to the students in hard copy form and discussed at length. Please email me if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing about everyone's summer reading in their thoughtful letter-essays, and I am especially excited about the book poster project, which will be a way for all intermediate and middle school students to share their terrific book recommendations and grow our "to-read someday" lists when we meet again in the fall!

Happy reading!

Cheers,
Mrs. Liu

TCS Middle School Summer Reading 2017

Incoming grade 6

• Read the required novel Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. (Do not do any of the following projects on Stargirl, however; just be ready for discussion and deep thinking when you get back to school!)

• Read an Intermediate or Teen Nutmeg book from the list of 2018 nominees: Intermediate Nutmeg Nominees for 2018  OR Teen Nutmeg Nominees for 2018.

• Read a biography of a current or historical leader (remember, “leader” is a broad term).
• Write two letter-essays (one will respond to your Nutmeg and the other to your biography choice) based on the following prompts:
• How does the main character change throughout the novel? Give examples of growth throughout the book.
• Why do you think the author chose this title? What connections do you see with the title throughout the work?
• Each entry must be AT LEAST ONE PAGE in length, typed, double spaced.
• Remember that a letter-essay combines solid analysis of your reading with personal reflection in a casual, conversational tone.
• You can choose one prompt per essay or try to tackle both prompts in separate paragraphs in responding to each book - your choice.
• Complete the book poster assignment (listed below) for either of your CHOICE books (not Stargirl).
• All work is due on the first day of school.

Incoming grade 7

• Read the required novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. (Do not do any of the following projects on The Outsiders, however; just be ready for discussion and deep thinking when you get back to school!)
• Read a Teen 2018 Nutmeg Nominee. Teen Nutmeg Nominees for 2018
• Read a Newbery Winner (any year). Newberry Winners from 1922 - Present
• Write two letter-essays (one will respond to your Nutmeg and the other to your Newbery) based on the following prompts:
• How does the main character change throughout the novel? Give examples of growth throughout the book.
• Why do you think the author chose this title? What connections do you see with the title throughout the work?
• Each entry must be AT LEAST ONE PAGE in length, typed, double spaced.
• Remember that a letter-essay combines solid analysis of your reading with personal reflection in a casual, conversational tone.
• You can choose one prompt per essay or try to tackle both prompts in separate paragraphs in responding to each book - your choice.
• Complete the book poster assignment (listed below) for either of your CHOICE books (not The Outsiders).
• All work is due on the first day of school.

Incoming grade 8

• Read the required short story collection, Flying Lessons and Other Stories. (READ ALL OF THE STORIES! Do not do any of the following projects on Flying Lessons and Other Stories, however; just be ready for discussion and deep thinking when you get back to school!)
• Read a Teen 2018 Nutmeg Nominee. Teen Nutmeg Nominees for 2018
• Read March, Book One by John Lewis.
• Write two letter-essays (one will respond to your Nutmeg and the other to March) based on the following prompts:
• How does the main character change throughout the novel? Give examples of growth throughout the book.
• Why do you think the author chose this title for the novel? What connections do you see with the title throughout the work?
• Each entry must be AT LEAST ONE PAGE in length, typed, double spaced.
• Remember that a letter-essay combines solid analysis of your reading with personal reflection in a casual, conversational tone.
• You can choose one prompt per essay or try to tackle both prompts in separate paragraphs in responding to each book - your choice.
• Complete the book poster assignment (listed below) for either of your CHOICE books (not Flying Lessons and Other Stories).
• All work is due on the first day of school.

Book Poster Assignment

Sales are down in the young adult literature section of your local bookstore.  You have been hired to help boost revenue by promoting the best book you read this summer.  The manager of the bookstore has even promised to display your persuasive poster in the front window!

Be sure to do the following when creating your poster:

• “Hook” your audience with a quote or two from the novel.
• Make your poster eye-catching and colorful - earn that spot in the window!
• Use vivid language to sell the story.
• Prominently include the title, author, and genre.
• Target your audience - who would want to read the book and why?  

Be creative, but remember that the substance of your poster is the novel itself.  Don’t get so caught up in your artistry that you forget the purpose of the assignment - to help boost sales at the bookstore!

Rubric

_____/20 “Hook” your audience with a quote or two from the novel.

_____/30 Make your poster eye-catching and colorful - earn that spot in the window!

_____/20 Use vivid language to sell the story.

_____/10 Prominently include the title, author, and genre (and of course, your name)

_____/20 Target your audience - who would want to read the book and why?  

_____/100 TOTAL

Romeo and Juliet - Soundtrack Project Details

Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack Project

Assignment: Create a soundtrack consisting of 10 songs that represent specific moments (scenes) from Romeo and Juliet.

• Written component: Liner notes explaining each song choice based on a theme, character, or tone of Romeo and Juliet
• Visual component: An album cover design that sets the tone for your soundtrack and reflects the greater mood and themes of the play

Timeline: Due in time for in-class presentations on Wednesday, May 31st. You will present 3 of your best songs and liner notes (along with your album cover).

You will be evaluated on the thoughtfulness of your song choices, your ability to explain your thinking with specific citations from the play, the effort demonstrated in your album design, and your presentation to the class.  This assignment will be worth 150 points.

Sample Liner Notes:

"I Gotta Feeling", by The Black Eyed Peas

This song connects with the Capulet's party in Act I. The mood at this point in the play is excited and anticipatory, and so is this song. Benvolio, trying to cheer Romeo up, encourages him to go to the party by saying, "But in that crystal scales let there be weighed/Your lady's love against some other maid/ That I will show you shining at this feast,/And she shall scant show well that now seems best" (I.ii.98-101). Benvolio hopes the party will show Romeo that Rosaline isn't worth all his pathetic moping, and life should be fun. 

A few reminders:

• No songs with explicit lyrics
• No songs from West Side Story or other Romeo and Juliet soundtracks

I am so excited to see your creative thinking (and your knowledge of Shakespeare) at work in this project!

Romeo & Juliet

Over the past few weeks, we have begun our study of Shakespeare and our in-class reading of Romeo and Juliet, which has been a true delight. We kicked things off with a viewing of West Side Story to frontload the basic plot and characters before tackling Shakespearean language. This Oscar winning musical won the hearts of many students, and I've even caught a few dancing in the halls or breaking into one of the many memorable songs from the show. 

Most 7th grade English classes these days take the shape of a theatrical reading, with students choosing parts as we move through the play and discuss characterization and larger themes.  Soon they will begin wrestling with the topics and tones of the play in both persuasive writing and a creative assignment that will ask them to create a soundtrack of ten songs (complete with album cover and liner notes) to reflect ten scenes they want to highlight in Romeo and Juliet. 

I've found two local opportunities for families to appreciate the language and story of this beautiful tragedy outside of class - one this month and one later in the summer - that you should know about. I hope some of you will take advantage of these amazing local resources!

May 20th:
Join Opera Theater of Connecticut on Saturday, May 20, 2017 at 7:00pm as we present the geniuses of Charles Gounod and William Shakespeare in this insightful and innovative blending of the music and verse inspired by the story of two star-crossed lovers “In fair Verona where we lay our scene” with singers and actors. Performed with professional singers and actors at The Andrews Memorial Theater, this exciting presentation is a “must see”!  http://www.operatheaterofct.org/shows/season2017/rnj17/

July 2017:

West Side Story
July 5th – July 30th, 2017
Based on a Conception of Jerome Robbins
With book by Arthur Laurents, Music by Leonard Bernstein, and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, this classic musical about teen romance from the opposite side of town in 1950’s New York will make you cheer and make you cry. The Sharks and the Jets reunite for this powerful and gripping ode to Romeo and Juliet. Tonight, Tonight won’t be just any night!

http://www.ivorytonplayhouse.org/our-season/our-2017-season

Determining Author's Purpose

As we discussed in class today, authors have many purposes when they write with an audience in mind. For any particular passage or piece of writing, you can generally classify an author's purpose into one of the following four categories:

1. Description - if a reading passage contains many details about a person, place, or thing, the author's purpose is to describe.
2. Entertainment - if a reading passage is enjoyable to read, tells a personal story, or uses a story to teach a lesson, the author's purpose is to entertain.
3. Persuasion - if a reading passage contains many opinions or tries to get readers to do something, buy something, or believe something, the author's purpose is to persuade.
4. Explanation/information - if a reading passage provides facts about a particular subject or tells readers how to do something, the author's purpose is to explain or inform.

Throughout a longer work (like the novel or memoir you might be reading for reader's workshop), you might see evidence of all four purposes in various passages.

Your task for your upcoming letter-essay is to find passages within your book and determine if the author's purpose in writing those passages was to describe, entertain, persuade, or explain/inform. Each of your three body paragraphs should have a quote/passage that you introduce and explain with your own interpretation. 

As with previous letter essays, you should also do the following:

*Write a clear introduction that includes the book's title, author, and genre.  Try to include an overarching thesis or argument you’re trying to make about your book that will link the paragraphs that follow.
*Write (at least) three body paragraphs (this time with the focus of author's purpose). Each body paragraph should include a quote that is properly cited with page numbers.
*Write an engaging conclusion that ties up your thinking, makes connections, and includes a rating of the book.
*Double space, 12 point font (ideally Times New Roman, but please just make it readable)

This assignment is due TUESDAY, April 11th. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Online resources to help you find your next great read!

As promised, here are the links for reading resources we checked out today. Remember to talk to your parents before creating any online accounts. 

http://www.goodreads.com -  a social media site for readers! This is a great place to keep track of your reading life by creating "to-read" lists, setting challenges, marking progress, and rating and reviewing books. Even if you don't set up an account, you can go here to check out community reviews of books you might be interested in reading. 

http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/ - a quick, bare-boned way to get a few suggested titles based on books you've enjoyed before.

https://www.overdrive.com/ - this is an app/resource provided by the excellent Connecticut library system. Anyone with a CT library card can set up an account (select "all LION libraries" when given an option to choose your library); you can then check out up to 10 ebooks at a time, all for free. The ebooks can either be downloaded directly to the Overdrive app or sync with a Kindle/Kindle app.

http://www.amazon.com - even if you're not buying here, it's a great place to "window-shop", read reviews, and see what books might be suggested based on your interests and search history. 

I hope these resources will go a long way in helping you meet your reading goals for the rest of the year!

Writing compound sentences that include a prepositional phrase - a quick tutorial!

Hi, 7th graders.

I'm seeing that there's some confusion with the Word Voyage sentence requirements for Lesson 6. Here are the instructions broken down for you:

1. Write a compound sentence.

2. Properly punctuate that compound sentence using a comma+conjunction or a semicolon.

3. Somewhere within that compound sentence, use a prepositional phrase.

4. Underline at least one prepositional phrase (you'll sometimes have more than one without even trying). 

****************

Here is an example of the right way to do this:

We hiked all day, and then we set up camp at the base of the mountain.

(This sentence has two independent clauses joined by a comma and a conjunction. There are also two prepositional phrases.)

*****************

Here as an example of the wrong way to do this:

At the base of the mountain, we set up camp. 

(Even though this sentence has two prepositional phrases, it does not have two independent clauses, so it is not a compound sentence.)

*****************

Here is a list of common prepositions, should you need it:   http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/preposition_list.htm

If you're feeling confused, remember you can always come see me BEFORE submitting your sentences - I recommend it!

​Happy Word Voyaging! :)

-Mrs. Liu​

Congratulations! (And looking ahead . . . )

Congratulations, 7th graders, on meeting the challenge of the MacLane Recitation with such success. You all have so much to be proud of as we go into the weekend. 

A few reminders as we look ahead to next week:

1. Letter-essay (focused on imagery in your novel) due Monday. You should all have what you need to complete this assignment, including an example paragraph and checklist in your reader's notebook (from class discussion on Wednesday). 

2. The re-take for your first poetry terms quiz will be Tuesday. Keep reviewing the terms.

3. We will continue working on the revision of your winter prompts ("describe your ideal school") on both Tuesday and Thursday in class. The revisions will be due by the end of class on Thursday. If at all possible, bring a device to class on these writing days. 

Get some rest, enjoy the snow, and I'll look forward to reading about the beautiful imagery you've noticed on Monday!

Cheers,

Mrs. Liu

Recitation versus Dramatic Interpretation

Here's the link to the Poetry Out Loud recitation we looked at in class earlier this week. As you'll see, there are several other videos with powerful recitations you can watch and learn from. Remember that you're aiming to be engaging - but not distracting - with your physical presence, letting the poem - and your understanding of it - do most of the work.

http://www.poetryoutloud.org/poems-and-performance/video-recitation-series

I look forward to seeing how you're thinking about your physical presence (eye contact, body language, small gestures, etc) in the recitation as we practice and present in class in the coming days.

Class Notes for the Fall Trimester, 2016

Middle School English has taken on a different look this year. Class is based on a Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop model. During Reader’s Workshop this trimester, students have been selecting their own titles, allowing them to follow their own interests and read at an individualized level and pace. Through one-on-one work with us, class mini-lessons, and partner shares, students have been developing the stamina and skills to understand and enjoy longer, more complex titles. We encourage our students to read a variety of genres; they have set personal reading goals and tracked their progress throughout the trimester in their Reader’s Notebooks.  To showcase their understanding of their independent titles, students write letter essays about their reading. Topics covered include understanding character, making inferences, and supporting ideas using textual details. Students have also presented book commercials to each other, persuading their peers read similar titles. The excitement in the room was palpable as they discussed why their books were worth selecting.

Since September in addition to their letter essays, students have been writing

expository, narrative, and descriptive pieces. Using their Writer’s Notebooks as a seed bed for ideas, students have been practicing different types of writing skills from how to hook a reader and write a thesis statement to varying sentence structure by playing with adjectives. They even spent a class observing the outdoors and then turned those observations into a poem that focused on sensory details and rich vocabulary. They practiced telling a story with very few words.

Students are able to additionally practice their grammar (compound sentences, compound-complex sentences, complex sentences beginning with subordinate clauses, opening adjectives and delayed adjectives) when they craft their original sentences for their weekly Word Voyage lessons based on  classic Latin and Greek roots.

This has been a busy trimester, and we continue to develop the skills that make our students lifelong readers and writers. We are looking forward to building on the foundation we’ve laid in the first trimester as we head into the winter term. Second trimester highlights will include book clubs - again self-selected but with more than one student reading the same book at the same time to allow for rich discussion - and a study of poetry culminating in The Country School’s longest and most celebrated tradition, The MacLane Poetry Recitation.

Letter-essay reminders

This letter-essay should focus on the major themes you have noticed in your book club books. You can center your essay on one theme (three body paragraphs demonstrating that theme) or choose a variety of themes to illustrate (a different theme discussed in each paragraph).

It is essential that you use evidence from your book to add to your argument. Each body paragraph should have a quote to back up the topic. Don't just drop the quotes in, however: remember to introduce and unpack them. Here is the example we looked at in class from a letter-essay about the themes in The Outsiders :

I believe The Outsiders is, first and foremost, a book about friends. Some of the friends are leaders and some are followers. I see evidence of this when Ponyboy says, “But I realized that these three appealed to me because they were like the heroes in the novels I read” (p. 76). This quote shows how much the younger guys looked up to the older ones.

Notice how the theme is first stated, then the quote is introduced. After the quote, the writer takes a moment to explain her point once more to really hammer home the argument. If you need a sentence starter to help you with this, look to the document in your reader's notebook called "Writing about Reading: Some Openers".  Number 23 on that list gives you an excellent framework for working textual evidence into your own writing.

Remember all the general requirements of a letter-essay (look back in your reader's notebook if you're unsure):

• Include the title, author, and genre of the book
• Attempt to rate the book (recognizing that rating might change once you reach the ending)
• 2 pages double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font

Please email me if you have any questions. I'll look forward to seeing your letter-essays (printed and attached to your reader's notebooks) on Monday!

Happy writing!

Assignments for 12/5 - 12/9

Monday, 12/5
English 7 - Read 30 (book club book takes priority)
Word Voyage Lesson 3 (delayed adjective structure)


Tuesday, 12/6
English 7 - Read 30 (book club book takes priority); 3 post-its for Wednesday
Word Voyage Lesson 3 (delayed adjective structure)


Wednesday. 12/7
English 7 - Read 30 (book club book takes priority)
Word Voyage Lesson 3 (delayed adjective structure)


Thursday, 12/8
English 7 - Read 30 (book club book takes priority); letter-essay due Monday
Word Voyage Lesson 3 (delayed adjective structure)


Friday, 12/9
English 7 - Read 30 (book club book takes priority - catch up if you need to!)
Letter-essay due Monday (demonstrate themes using at least 3 quotes/passages from the book as evidence)

Assignments for 11/28 - 12/2

Reminder: you should be keeping up with your book club book as well as an independent reading book. For some of you, your book club book might take up most or all of your required reading time. For others, you may finish your required book club pages and then move on to your independent choice. (Do not stop reading early just because you finished the necessary pages or chapters for your book club - everyone should still be reading 30 minutes every day *outside of class*.)

Monday, 11/28
Read 30 (book club book takes priority)
Word Voyage Lesson 2 (adjective or adjective phrase openers)

Tuesday, 11/29
Read 30 (book club book takes priority)
Word Voyage Lesson 2 (adjective or adjective phrase openers)

Wednesday, 11/30
Read 30 (book club book takes priority)
Word Voyage Lesson 2 (adjective or adjective phrase openers)

Thursday, 12/1
Read 30 (book club book takes priority)
Word Voyage Lesson 2 (adjective or adjective phrase openers)

Friday, 12/2
Read 30 (book club book takes priority)

Assignments for 11/7 - 11/11

Monday, 11/7:
Read 30
Study for Word Voyage unit test (Wednesday)

Tuesday, 11/8:
Read 30
Study for Word Voyage uni test (Wednesday)

Wednesday, 11/9
Read 30

Thursday, 11/10
Read 30
Electronic draft of expository essay due by class on Monday

Friday, 11/11
Read 30
Electronic draft of expository essay due by class on Monday

Exposing Hot Topics in Middle School English

As we wrap up the fall term, we're turning our attention from seasonal, sensory-based poetry to expository writing. Everyone will have the chance to choose a topic that piques their interest, find at least one article with which to engage in a dialogue, and then share their work in a well-planned expository essay. So far, topics are ranging from the heated presidential election to the scary clown craze and everything in between!

A useful resource (for this assignment and beyond) is the Online Writing Lab through Purdue University. Students, keep these links handy as you hone your thesis and plan your paragraphs:

Expository writing overview: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/

Thesis writing: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/01/

We will spend much of next week planning and drafting in class. If possible, bring a computer or iPad to use for this purpose Monday through Friday.

And just because we've moved on from poetry (for now), don't stop noticing those small moments of beauty all around you; keep those seed ideas handy for when poetry comes back to campus full force in January and February!

Enjoy your No Homework Weekend, 7th Graders!

While I take issue with the common stance that education's end goal is employment, it never hurts to hear English majors (and others in the humanities) are in demand. Communication skills never go out of style! (From this week's Wall Street Journal . . .)

Hunting for Soft Skills, Companies Scoop Up English Majors

By NIKKI WALLER
Oct. 25, 2016 10:01 a.m. ET

Heads up, business majors: Employers are newly hot on the trail of hires with liberal arts and humanities degrees.

Class of 2015 graduates from those disciplines are employed at higher rates than their cohorts in the class of 2014, and starting salaries rose significantly, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ annual first-destination survey of recent graduates in the workforce.

Degree holders in area studies—majors like Latin American Studies and Gender Studies—logged the largest gains in full-time employment and pay, with average starting salaries rising 26% to $43,524 for the class of 2015, compared with the previous year’s graduates. Language studies posted the second-highest salary gains.

Though area studies majors comprise less than 1% of all graduates in the survey, the pay numbers show employers are seeking hires with communication skills and comfort in multicultural environments, said Edwin Koc, NACE’s director of research, public policy and legislative affairs.

Overall, pay for liberal arts graduates rose sharply for the class of 2015, moving closer to business graduates’ starting pay, according to Mr. Koc.

“I’ll be interested to see if it’s a one-year quirk or whether it continues to boom in that direction,” he said.

Those with degrees in English and in foreign languages also brought home bigger paychecks, with starting salaries rising 14.3% and 13.6%, respectively.

Behind the numbers is a growing desire among employers for hires with strong communication skills, said Mr. Koc. After complaining that new hires’ soft skills are not up to par, “employers may be reconsidering how they’re approaching recruiting college graduates, and may not be so focused on hiring a particular major,” he said.

Computer-science graduates posted the highest starting salaries in the survey, reporting an average of $69,214. They unseated petroleum engineering majors, who usually top starting-salary rankings but have dipped amid the energy-industry crisis.

Not all liberal arts majors are enjoying boom times. History majors’ starting pay rose 3.7% year-over-year, and visual and performing arts majors were the sole group of humanities students for whom employment declined, with 2.3% fewer graduates employed six months after graduation.

NACE collected employment and salary information from 279 U.S. colleges and universities and 244,000 bachelor’s degree graduates. Overall, more than 80% of 2015 bachelor’s degree holders were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation, according to NACE.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/hunting-for-soft-skills-companies-scoop-up-english-majors-1477404061

Assignments for 10/24 - 10/28

Monday, 10/24:
Read 30
Word Voyage Lesson 6 (compound sentences with semicolons)

Tuesday, 10/25:
Read 30
Word Voyage Lesson 6 (compound sentences with semicolons)

Wednesday, 10/26:
Read 30
Prepare fall poem 1st draft for class tomorrow
Word Voyage Lesson 6 (compound sentences with semicolons)

Thursday, 10/27:
Read 30
Word Voyage Lesson 6 (compound sentences with semicolons) due FRIDAY
Fall poem final revision due FRIDAY

Friday, 10/28:
Read 30
Letter-essay due MONDAY; focus on characterization

Boost your vocabulary AND save the world!

Here’s an opportunity to directly boost a low Word Voyage score:

• Visit the website www.freerice.com. This site combines a vocabulary quiz game with charitable giving; for each correct answer, you donate 10 grains of rice to the World Food Programme.
• Play to donate between 100 - 1000 grains of rice, with each 100 grains earning you one point on your lowest Word Voyage lesson score. You can earn as many as 10 extra points, improve your vocabulary, AND help feed hungry people around the world!  
• To earn extra credit, take a screenshot (or clear picture of your computer screen showing your rice tally) and email it to me.
• You can play as much as you’d like (it’s a good vocabulary-building tool and a great cause), but you cannot earn more than 10 extra credit points.

Assignments for 10/17 - 10/21

Monday, 10/17
Read 30; Word Voyage Lesson 5 (write compound sentences with commas and FANBOYS)

Tuesday, 10/18
Read 30; Word Voyage Lesson 5 (write compound sentences with commas and FANBOYS)

Wednesday, 10/19
Read 30; Word Voyage Lesson 5 (write compound sentences with commas and FANBOYS)

Thursday, 10/20
Read 30; Word Voyage Lesson 5 due Friday (write compound sentences with commas and FANBOYS)

Friday, 10/21 (no school)
Read 30 (yes, on the weekend, too!)

Assignments for 10/10 - 10/14

Monday, 10/10
Read 30
Word Voyage Lesson 4 (writing compound sentences using comma + conjunction format)

Tuesday, 10/11
Read 30
Word Voyage Lesson 4 (writing compound sentences using comma + conjunction format)

Wednesday, 10/12
No school, but  keep reading!

Thursday, 10/13
Read 30
Word Voyage Lesson 4 (writing compound sentences using comma + conjunction format)
Writing prompt revision due Friday

Friday, 10/14
Read 30 (every day, folks!)