Scholastic Book Orders

Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub
One-Time Class Activation Code: NTC3J

Dear Families,

Encouraging reading is one of the most important things we can do to help your child succeed. It can be tough finding the right books to keep them interested, which is why I am so excited that our class will be participating in Scholastic Reading Club this school year.

With Scholastic Reading Club:

• Every book you buy earns FREE Books for our classroom library
• You can choose from handpicked, grade- and reading-level-specific books for your child
• You'll find the best values on a variety of formats, including eBooks

Each month, your child will bring home Reading Club flyers. Together you can choose from books hand-selected by teachers and experts, and then order online or by returning your order form and payment to me.

I'd also love some help growing our classroom Reading Club. If you'd like to help out, please let me know! I'm excited to get our class reading!

Thank you for your support,

•  VISIT scholastic.com/readingclub
•  ENTER the one-time Class Activation Code (top of this letter)
•  SHOP from a carefully curated selection of the best books, value packs, and Storia eBooks
•  SUBMIT your order and earn FREE Books for our classroom
•  All book orders will be shipped to our classroom so we can celebrate the joy of reading together!

If you prefer to place your order with the teacher, you may send cash (exact amount, please) or a check made out to Scholastic Inc. Please let me know if you have any questions at russell.suzanne.b@muscogee.k12.ga.us. 

Thanks!
Mrs. Russell

Silly Story Time

Creative writing - Use all of the following words in a short story (underline them please). It can be funny, so use your imagination and creativity!

Cheerios          chair                 Scott         
tuba player       2-liter of Sprite     book
math class        skateboard            building

There will be are reward for participating. 
On your mark. Get set. GO! :) 

 

7th Graders - Vocabulary Quiz

Lesson 12 Vocabulary sheets were given to some of the students today from Ms. Saxon. Others received it last week from Ms. Russell. They are due for homework Friday, and the quiz will be Friday, 2/27/15. Study study study! :) 

7th Grade

Since the students have been working hard on completing a CISM lesson on the article "Driven to Distraction" this week, we've decided to take a break on vocabulary homework. Therefore, we will not have a vocabulary quiz this Friday, but we will pick up next week with Lesson 11.

6th Grade Number the Stars

We have read through Chapter 2 and completed comprehension questions to help us understand the story. Use these to study for a Chapter 1 & 2 quiz tomorrow, 1/15/15.

Also, the students had a vocabulary assignment due Tuesday (front page of blue packet). There are several that have not been turned in yet. Is it yours?

 

7th Grade

Vocabulary Lesson 9 handouts were given to students yesterday. They are to complete this for homework that is due Friday. There will be a vocabulary quiz Friday. Study!! :)

6th Graders

The 6th graders are beginning the novel Number the Stars which is a work of historical fiction by American author Lois Lowry. It is about the escape of a Jewish family from Copenhagen during World War II. Today, the students kicked off this novel study by choosing subtopics that will be included in this story to research. They gathered their notes and will use them to write a three-paragraph essay tomorrow which will be collected for a grade.  

7th Grade

7th graders will not have vocabulary homework or a Friday quiz this week. We will pick back up with lesson 9 next week. :)

 

7th Graders - Letters from Rifka

The 7th grade classes are beginning the novel Letters from Rifka written by Karen Hesse. It is a historical novel published in 1992 which features a Jewish family's emigration from Russia in 1919, to Belgium and ultimately to the U.S., from the perspective of daughter Rifka. The story is based on the personal account by the author's great-aunt.

 

Students were given blue vocabulary packets that they must keep up with throughout this novel study. Today, they completed page 1 in class (finish for homework if more time is needed). Students, we encourage you to check this book out in the media center or a public library to have your own copy at home. Let us know what your thoughts are of the story in the comment section! 

7th grade - Quiz Tomorrow

This is just a reminder that the 7th graders have 

Lesson 8 Vocabulary homework due tomorrow. Make sure you study the definitions for the quiz. 

We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday break!

6th Grade ELA

We are reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.  

The vocabulary words for this book are: ardent, superfluous, trivial, obstinate, gaudy, rations, ludicrous, and melancholy. 
Monday, the students made a graphic organizer that included each word, its definition, a sentence using the word, and an illustration depicting the word's meaning. Students need to finish it for homework if necessary. 

This week in 6th Grade ELA Classes....

We've been reading "Storm" (pg. 97 in our literature book), an excerpt from Woodsong written by Gary Paulsen. This is a story about the Iditarod (click to watch a Discovery video on the Iditarod).  The vocabulary words we're studying are: ladle, disengage, regain, and emit. We've also discussed character traits of Storm, such as his physical traits, personality, and dog sled skills. 

This Week in 7th Grade ELA ...

We've been reading Tales of O.Henry: Retold Timeless Classics. The vocabulary words that we've studied are: ransom, stake, shiver, rustle, & scalp. The literary device that we've studied is characterization, which includes static vs. dynamic characters, round vs. flat characters, and protagonists vs. antagonists. 

Lesson 3 vocabulary worksheets were handed out Monday. We discussed the meaning and examples of the 15 vocabulary words. The sheet should be completed as homework and is due Thursday. Students will take a vocabulary test on the definitions Friday. 

7th Grade Mystery Choice Board

We have been reading "The Speckled Band" out of Tales of Sherlock Holmes: Retold Timeless Classics. You choose one  out of nine activities from the Mystery Choice Board handout to complete for a project grade. You worked on this in class today, but if you did not finish in class you are to complete for homework. Projects are due at the beginning of class tomorrow, Wednesday, 10/7/14.

"Ta-Na-E-Ka" by Mary Whitebird (6th graders)

Our text that we are reading this week is "Ta-Na-E-Ka" (pg. 16-23 of blue literature book). 

Vocabulary words: 
loftiest, shrewdest, grimaced, gorging, and audacity

The vocabulary Choice Board is due Friday. Monday's homework - Write the definition of each of the vocabulary words and use each one in a sentence. Choose one activity to complete for homework Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. You will turn in the four completed activities Friday. 

Tuesday is Assignment Make-up Day!

If you have an assignment that you did not turn in, you may stay after school Tuesday, 9/23/14, to complete it and turn it in. Meet Mrs. Saxon in her room when you are dismissed. Please have your parent pick you in the front of the school BY 4:45P.M. 

Tell about a time that you failed at something, but didn't give up and eventually became successful at it. 

7th Graders - Quiz Tomorrow

Tomorrow you will take a quiz on "Three Skeleton Key" and the vocabulary words (hordes, suffice, receding, edible, and derisive). Use your vocabulary notes, illustrations, and book to study, as well as the post which contains some helpful links.  

6th graders - Quiz Tomorrow

Friday, 9/19/14, the 6th grade classes will take a quiz on Personification, Similes, and Metaphors. Use the study guide (worksheet we completed in class today) and the links in the post below to prepare for the quiz and to check your understanding. 

Due Today, Thursday, 9/18/14 - The graphic organizer we started Tuesday which contains an example and illustration of each type of figurative language listed above. If you did not turn it in today, finish it for homework and turn it in Friday for a late grade. 

Next Week - Monday, 9/22/14, we will take a quiz on "Field Work" (short story in your literature book that we have been working on this week). 

Practicing Figurative Language

Personification is when you assign the qualities of a person to something that isn't human or, in some cases, to something that isn't even alive. There are many reasons for using personification. It can be used as a method of describing something so that others can understand. It can be used to emphasize a point. It is a commonly favored literary tool, and you may in fact use personification without even knowing it. Example: The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky.

A simile compares two things by using the words like or as. Example: I was so embarrassed; my face was as red as a beet! How can the author compare a person's face to a vegetable? They're so different! True, but they are alike in one way: Both are red. Picturing this can help you visualize the character and understand his or her motives in a story.

A metaphor compares two things without using like or as. The text states that one thing is, or has the characteristics of, another. Example: The dog's eyes were searchlights, looking for any sign of kindness. Is the author tying to get you to picture a dog with huge searchlights for eyes? No, the author wants you to visualize a poor dog staring intently, looking for kindness from a stranger.

Click on the words below to play games as practice on these elements of figurative language.

Personification        Personification - Bouncing Balls      Personification - Wild Wild Taxi

Similes - Matching Games       Similes - Simile Frame

Metaphors       Simile or Metaphor Jeopardy         Simile or Metaphor Battleship

Here is a quiz to test your knowledge of similies and metaphors.

To do: Leave us a comment of a sentence using an example of personification, a simile, or a metaphor. Wampum maybe in your future!