Lesson and Homework Calendar
2/25/13 – 3/1/13
Day / Pre-IB Language Arts
Monday / Students will learn about patterns of organization (text structures) and practice identifying them.
Homework: AHR due on March 4.
Tuesday / Students will work with their teams to create a brief skit that illustrates one of the patterns of organization.
FCAT Writes for 8th grade today.
Wednesday or Thursday
(Block Day) / Students will read and analyze the arguments and support from “Riding the Waves with Whales” by Michael Karis.
Friday / Students will read and analyze the arguments and support from “Getups” by Maya Angelou.
- The 8th graders will be taking the FCAT Writing assessment on Tuesday morning. As the entire school will be in a testing mode, we are taking this opportunity to have all students write a timed essay. The essays written by my students will be used to assess their progress in writing this year. The essays will be graded based on organization and conventions.
Mr. Bruen’s
Lesson and Homework Calendar
2/19/13 – 2/22/13
Day / Pre-IB Language Arts
Monday / No School.
Tuesday / Students will create a new draft of their essay based on feedback.
Homework: AHR due on February 19.
Wednesday or Thursday
(Block Day) / Students will discuss the reading passages and questions from the 3rd round of DE testing.
Friday / Students will complete their drafts and share them with their peers. Students will offer feedback to their peers.
Mr. Bruen’s
Lesson and Homework Calendar
2/11/13 – 2/15/13
Day / Pre-IB Language Arts
Monday / Students will develop an outline for an essay based on the three accounts of the S.S. Titanic’s sinking.
Homework: AHR due on February 19.
Tuesday / Students will begin to draft an essay based on the three accounts of the loss of the S.S. Titanic.
Wednesday or Thursday
(Block Day) / Students will complete the third round of Discovery Education Reading Assessment.
Friday / Students will complete their drafts and share them with their peers.
Mr. Bruen’s
Lesson and Homework Calendar
2/4/13 – 2/8/13
Day / Pre-IB Language Arts
Monday / Students will read and discuss the reliability of a first person account of the sinking of the Titanic.
Homework: AHR due on February 11.
Tuesday / Students will continue to discuss the first person account and will create a three column notes page to track the various versions of the accident.
Wednesday or Thursday
(Block Day) / Students will complete a close reading of an article from the April 16th, 1912 edition of the New York Tribune describing the sinking of the Titanic.
Friday / Students will complete their three column notes by updating it with information from the NY Tribune.
Mr. Bruen’s
Lesson and Homework Calendar
1/28/13 – 2/1/13
Day / Pre-IB Language Arts
Monday / Students will read and analyze for cause and effect relationships an article about the Costa Concordia. Students will complete an AHR in class based on the article.
Tuesday / Students will complete a practice activity focused on Cause and Effect in preparation for an assessment.
Homework: AHR due on Monday February 4.
Wednesday or Thursday
(Block Day) / Students will complete an assessment on Cause and Effect. Students will work on a self-assessment of Main Idea and Supporting Details or Character Development.
Friday / Students will continue to work on the self-assessments.
AHRs begin again on Monday February 4.
Lesson and Homework Calendar
1/21/13 – 1/25/13
Day / Pre-IB Language Arts
Monday / No School.
Tuesday / Students will complete the text feature scavenger hunt and the self-assessment for the elements of plot. Students who do not finish will complete the assignments for homework. These will be due by Friday.
Wednesday or Thursday
(Block Day) / Students will organize information from a non-fiction source (“Exploring the Titanic”) to demonstrate understanding of the material.
Friday / Students will trace Cause and Effect relationships in the text.
- At Home Readings have taken a decided turn for the worse since our return from the Winter Break. This week’s AHR will be completed in class based on Exploring the Titanic. The next AHR will be due on Monday January 28, 2013.
Mr. Bruen’s
Lesson and Homework Calendar
1/14/13 – 1/18/13
Day / Pre-IB Language Arts
Monday / Students will complete a Text Feature Scavenger Hunt.
Tuesday / Students will compete in the first round of the Milwee Spelling Bee.
Wednesday or Thursday
(Block Day) / Students will work together to complete a self-assessment on the elements of plot.
Friday / Students will finish the Text Feature Scavenger Hunt.
Mr. Bruen’s
Lesson and Homework Calendar
1/7/13 – 1/11/13
Day / Pre-IB Language Arts
Monday / No School.
Tuesday / No School.
Wednesday or Thursday
(Block Day) / Students will understand the difference between a rubric and a scale.
Homework: At-Home Reading Due Tuesday January 15, 2013. Study for the first round of the Milwee Spelling Bee on January 15, 2013. (Study list will be provided in class on Block Day.)
Friday / Students will study the scale for Text Features and review the concepts associated with the skill.