Week 5 in Review and Forecast of Week 6

Students,

Here is a brief recap of our learning and activities completed during the fifth week of school and a preview of what’s to come next week.

 Week 5 Review

Benchmark testing resumed and completed  Monday and Tuesday w/ make-ups on Wednesday.

Class schedules were modified to 38 minutes on these two days. During whole class we took notes on symbolism; learned colors and seasons have symbolic meanings; learned of  strategies to unlock the overall message in a poem; and looked for symbolism in the poem "Dust of Snow."  Some classes began our next Reading skill focus: Understanding Theme in fiction and poetry.

*Strategies practiced: understanding symbolism in poetry

Benchmarks taught, practiced and assessed:

                                              

*RL.8.1 cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text;

*LA.8.1.7.3 determine main idea or essential message in grade-level or higher texts through inferring, paraphrasing, summarizing, and identifying relevant details

*RL.8.2 analyze symbols across genres and  determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

Texts:

 Referenced "Gil's Furniture Gift Bought and Sold" and "Dust of Snow"

Week  6 Preview

  

Understanding Symbols and Theme in "Pandora's Box," "The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson,"

 and in a series of poems

 

Culminating Project:

Write an essay comparing and contrasting the use of symbols in the short stories

"Pandora’s Box" and "Gil’s Furniture Bought and Sold.”  How did the authors use symbolism to develop the themes of their stories? Support your analysis with evidence from the text.

Benchmarks to practice and master:

  

Writing

*LA.8.3.2.2 the student will draft writing by establishing a logical organization pattern with supporting details that are substantial, specific, and relevant;

*LA.8.4.2.3 write informational/expository essays

Reading Comprehension

*RL.8.1 cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text

*LA.8.2.1.2 locate and analyze elements of characterization, setting, and plot, including rising action, conflict, resolution, theme and other literary elements as appropriate in a variety of fiction.

*RL.8.2 determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text;

*LA.8.2.1.4 identify and analyze universal themes and symbols across genres and historical periods, and explain their significance

Texts: "Pandora's Box", “Kindness to Strangers”, "The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandson",  and a series of short poems

Note:

*Unit 1 post-assessment will be administered in week 7
*Students will bring Journal Entries for teacher review