Quickwrite 8/31

If you knew you were going to be banished to an igloo for the rest of your life, what five items would you take along? (Assume you would get all the food, water, heaters, and warm clothes you needed.) Write a paragraph about what you'd take, and why.

8/30 Quickwrite

Before you start today's quickwrite, please set up a new piece of paper in MLA format. Title it "Quickwrites 8/30 to 9/2."

Thanks!

Similes and metaphors are two ways of making comparisons. Similes compare things using the words like or as (Angela is as sly as a fox). Metaphors do not use like or as; they imply that one thing "is" another (All the world's a stage). Write a paragraph that contains three similes and two metaphors.

Fill out your binder reminder or calendar for this week. Remember, I'll be giving you extra credit NEXT WEEK if you have everything filled out for August (and the first two days of September).

When you're done with your calendar, check out the book order catalog. Please don't write on it.

8/29 to 9/2

Monday 8/29:
1. Binder Reminders/Calendars
2. Book Orders
3. Start Elements of Fiction
HW: Write a very short story about the funniest moment of your life. (1-2 paragraphs).

Tuesday 8/30:
1. Quickwrites/Grammar
2. Review DMH Letters
3. Create Writing Folders
4. Continue Elements of Fiction
HW: NO HW!

Wednesday 8/31:
1. Quickwrites/Grammar
2. Continue Elements of Fiction
HW: NO HW!

Thursday 9/1:
1. Quickwrites/Grammar
2. Start Calvin and Hobbes Project
HW: Calvin and Hobbes DUE Wednesday, 9/7

Friday 9/2:
1. Quickwrites/Grammar
2. Continue Calvin and Hobbes
HW: Calvin and Hobbes DUE Wednesday, 9/7

STAR Mirror Assessment Day 3

Hello! Please get out a pencil and put everything else away, unless you have your Dear Mrs. H. final draft to give me. If you still need to turn it in, please leave it on the corner of your desk.

If you are completely done with the test, I have a word game worksheet for you to work on. Once you're finished with the word game, you may either do SSR or HW.

Also, I have cancelled your quiz tomorrow! Hooray! NO HW TONIGHT!

STAR Mirror Assessment Day 2

Hello! Please get out a pencil and put everything else away, unless you have your Dear Mrs. H. final draft to give me. If you still need to turn it in, please leave it on the corner of your desk.

Thank you!

STAR Mirror Assessment

Hello! Please get out a pencil and put everything else away, unless you have your Dear Mrs. H. final draft to give me. If you still need to turn it in, please leave it on the corner of your desk.

Thank you!

Don't forget to tell your parents about Back to School Night tonight. I would love to meet them.

1. Please get out your Dear Mrs. Hislop rough draft, final draft, and rubric.

2. Put them in this order on the side of your desk: Rubric on top, rough draft in the middle, final draft on the bottom.

3. Write down your HW for this week in your binder reminder or calendar.

8/22 to 8/26

Monday 8/22:
1. Journals
2. Collect/Share DMH Final Drafts
3. Start Elements of Fiction: April in Paris
HW: STAR Mirror Test tomorrow. Get plenty of sleep, and eat a great breakfast.

Tuesday 8/23:
1. STAR Mirror Test
HW: Tell your parents to come to Back to School Night tonight at 6:30.

Wednesday 8/24:
1. Journals
2. Finish STAR Mirror
3. Elements of Fiction
NO HW!

Thursday 8/25:
1. Journals
2. Continue Elements of Fiction
HW: Study for your QUIZ tomorrow!

Friday 8/26:
1. Journals
2. Elements of Fiction QUIZ
3. Continue Elements of Fiction
HW: NO HW!

8/19 Quickwrite

Write two paragraphs contrasting your favorite band or musician with your least favorite band or musician. Remember, when you contrast two things, you point out differences between the two.

8/18 Quickwrite

When we're talking, we say suppose to, instead of the grammatically correct supposed to. But suppose to is a made-up phrase. To burn this rule into your brain, write 7 sentences that use supposed to.

Here are some topics for each sentence:
1. Justin Bieber
2. Bees
3. Hawaii
4. Halloween
5. Moustaches
6. Facebook
7. Walnuts

Quickwrite 8/17

Even the best writers rely on obvious words. Practice mental flexibility by writing a paragraph describing a typical August afternoon without using the words hot, humid, heat, or sun.

Set up a piece of paper in MLA format. Title it "Quickwrites 8/16-8/19."

Today's:
Most formal paragraphs consist of at least four or five good sentences. Usually, the first sentence of such a paragraph is the topic sentence, which contains the paragraph's main idea. The rest of the sentences in the paragraph support the main idea. Practice writing a solid formal paragraph with a topic sentence and several supporting sentences. Write your paragraph on the topic "My Most Embarrassing Moment Ever."

Fill out your Binder Reminder or calendar for this week with all your homework.

Get out any parent signature forms or computer use forms you have for me.

8/15 to 8/19

Monday 8/15:
1. Collect Forms
2. Reading Assessment
3. Personal Crests

Tuesday 8/16:
1. Finish Reading Assessment
2. Personal Crests
HW: Have your computer use form signed. Due tomorrow.

Wednesday 8/17:
1. Journals
2. Collect Forms
3. DMH Brainstorming and Rough Draft
4. Personal Crests
HW: Crests due tomorrow.

Thursday 8/18:
1. Journals
2. DMH Rough Drafts
3. Editing and Revising
4. Final Draft Requirements
HW: Final Draft Due TOMORROW.

Friday 8/19:
1. Journals
2. DMH Final Draft Read-Around
3. Start Elements of Fiction
HW: NO HW!

Please get out the two handouts I gave to you yesterday. Look them over with your partner. We are going to have a quiz on that information in just a few minutes. Happy Friday!

8/10 to 8/12

Wednesday 8/10:
1. Welcome to CJHS!
2. Meet Mrs. Hislop
3. Cougar Orientation: Getting Organized
HW: Bring an SSR book, pencils, and your binder tomorrow.

Thursday 8/11:
1. Partner Work
1. Roll and Website
2. Class Information, Rules, and Procedures
HW: Parent signature on all forms by MONDAY 8/15

Friday 8/12:
1. Procedures TEST
2. Getting to Know Mrs. H.
HW: All forms due MONDAY 8/15

Calendars and Binder Reminders

Please get out your binder reminder or calendar. If you need a calendar, I have one for you. Please use it to write down your homework for English for this week. Remember, homework is on the board to your right.

Interesting Questions

6th Period had some interesting questions for me today.

1. How much money do you make? Let's just say it's nowhere close to six digits.

2. Will we change seats any time in the year? Yes. The more you ask me about it, the less often it will happen.

3. Do you give out a lot of homework? Expect homework 3-4 times a week.

4. How long have you been teaching? I have been teaching for eight years.

5. Are we going to have homework every day? No.

6. Do you teach 7th grade as well? This is the first year I haven't had seventh graders!

7. Why do you teach English? I love reading, writing, talking . . .

8. If I need extra help, how can I get it? Ask me for it!

9. What did you do this summer? How was your summer? I did all my favorite things: traveled, read, took naps, played with Lily, stayed up late, and cooked great food. I also went camping with my friends, and I kayaked on Lake Tahoe!

10. Do you like The Beatles? No, I do not like them. I love them.

11. Are you really happy that you are going to have a baby? Yes!

12. What are the medals above your desk for? They are the special medals they give you to wear at your college graduation to show that you worked hard. One is for graduating summa cum laude (which means I was at the top of my class). One is for an honor society called Phi Kappa Phi, and the other is for another honor society, called Golden Key.

13. What will your baby's name be if it's a boy? Probably Michael.

Big Bad Eighth Grader

Here is a short list of some things that happened when I was a big, bad eighth grader:

1. My best friend from sixth and seventh grade, Amy H., suddenly didn't want to be friends anymore, so I had to find a new best friend! Don't worry, it all worked out in the end, but it was DRAMA at the time!

2. I started dating my first boyfriend. (Then we broke up. Then we started going back out again when we were sophomores. Then we broke up. Then we started going back out when we were in college. Then we broke up. Then I met my husband and married him instead. So watch out . . . you could end up dating that eighth grade boyfriend or girlfriend for longer than you'll imagine.)

3. I became friends with some people I still talk to today, like my buddies Tyler, Jessie, and Amy B.! Jessie was a student teacher here at CJHS. Amy B. has a little daughter now, too, so our daughters are now friends!

4. I was a teacher's aide for my favorite history teacher, Mrs. Bishop. That's where I learned how to grade papers and help students.