This Week: January 20-23

Parents,
We are currently working on a Composition Unit. I have attended several workshops this year to help myself become a better writing teacher. Ability and experience in the area of writing is something that I feel will very strongly impact my students' lives as they move to eighth grade, high school, college, and/or work. I am working hard to help them become better writers, and they are working hard also. We will not have quite as much homework as we begin the writing unit, though there will be some. We are also preparing to take the Alabama Direct Assessment of Writing test (which is at the end of February).

A new grading period has begun. I have helped each student start a grade sheet, so he/she can keep up with his/her own grades this nine-weeks. Your student should be able to give you an estimate of his or her average so far. You can also check STI and look for progress reports every three weeks! Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything from me!
-Mrs. Skelton

Below is this week's schedule:
Monday, January 20: (no school- Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

Tuesday, January 21:
Kick-off- review simile, personification, and hyperbole
Hand out ADAW chart
discuss modes of writing (narrative, expository, persuasive, descriptive)
Pass out Friday's Quiz
No homework

Wednesday, January 22:
Kick-off- practice using quotations and commas
Practice reading essay prompts and determining mode, audience, and topic
Practice using your opinion and the topic to create a thesis for essay prompts
No homework

Thursday, January 23:
Kick-offs: distinguishing between direct and indirect quotes
Work in groups to determine mode, audience, and topic
Creating a thesis for essay prompts
Creating an outline for a specific essay prompt

Friday, January 24:
Turning an outline into an essay.