ELA+In-Class+Work

=Welcome!= //Here you will find a summary of various in-class assignments that were completed by 8th grade ELA students at Glenbrook Middle School. Where possible, links to relevant files and other reference materials have been included. Please email Mrs. Bandeian with any questions, concerns, or problems. dbandeian@longmeadow.k12.ma.us//

Students created a rough draft of a piece of writing modeled after an excerpt from Sandra Cisneros's novel __//The House on Mango Street//__. Students used the "Name Associations" worksheet to develop a list of people, places, and things that they associate with their name. This reference material will then be used to expand their usage of metaphors, similies, personification, and imagery in their writing. The activity builds on 1) the "About My Name" worksheet that was completed for homework on September 19, 2013, and 2) various in-class discussions and analyses of Cisneros's writing style. Name Associations Worksheet - About My Name Worksheet - "My Name" from __//House on Mango Street//__ by Sandra Cisneros -
 * Tuesday, October 1, 2013 -** Discussion and extension of "My Name" writing exercise.

Students re-read a section from chapter twenty of __//Chains//__, by Laurie Halse Anderson, (p. 124 - 126) and made notes in the margins regarding connections to important historical events and literary tools/techniques. The Downfall of King George III (excerpt from //__Chains__// p. 124 - 126) -
 * Monday, September 30, 2013 -** First in-class annotation exercise.

Students discussed the topic in small groups (2-5 people) and completed the associated Discussion Summary sheet. __//Discussion Topic://__ Do you think that Mrs. Lockton feels trapped or enslaved by her husband, even as she abuses and enslaves Isabel and Ruth? Why or why not? __//Background://__ In chapter thirteen of __//Chains//__, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. Lockton have a violent disagreement about whether or not they should stay in New York City during the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. We witness this fight through the eyes of Mrs. Lockton's slave, Isabel. This prompted a discussion about different levels of "enslavement" or oppression in eighteenth-century America. Discussion Summary Sheet -
 * Thursday, September 26, 2013 -** Second in-class discussion.

Students discussed the topic in small groups (2-5 people) and completed the associated Discussion Summary sheet. __//Discussion Topic://__ Would your life have been any different if you had been given a different name? Why or why not? How might it have been different? __//Background://__ In chapter nine of __//Chains//__, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Mrs. Lockton tries to change Isabel's name to Sal Lockton. This prompted a discussion about how much our names matter, if they do at all, and how they might (or might not) influence who we are and who we become. Discussion Summary Sheet -
 * Friday, September 20, 2013 -** First in-class discussion.

Students used laptops, and the resources on the webpage linked below, in order to create a "dashboard" of information about their personalities, preferences, and interests. Students who also have computer class with Ms. Salvon this quarter were able to convert their paper dashboards into digital, Microsoft Word documents. Dashboard Documents Page
 * Friday, September 13, 2013 -** ELA Dashboards