Monday October 31st

Sorry due to the wi-fi network being down there is no calendar today.  Student will get a hard copy tomorrow in class. Here are the docs: Calendar Week of October 31st

Tonight's HW: Supreme Court (There were 3 choices.  Students could pick one at their level and do the others for extra credit.  Due Wednesday)

                   Supreme Court Debate

                   The US Government Supreme Court

                   Readworks: The Highest Court in the Land

Tomorrow student will be working on the Election packet Election Packet

Making Changes: Creating Final Copies

Do Now:

Get out your draft with edits & revisions & start making changes!

Directions:

2. Together as a class we will use to Add-ons to help with revision and editing

        Add-ons:  Proofread Bot (Don't just take the suggestions with out reading them it will mess up                                                       your essay!!!

                        SAS Writing Adviser

3. Make changes to your essay using Proofread Bot and SAS Writing Adviser  In SAS Writing Adviser I recommend focusing on: passive voice, relative clause, repeated words, all verbs, vague words

Check out this helpful article!!!5 Words to Avoid and What to Use Instead
Struggling with your conclusion? Try describing your president's character traits.  Here is a link to a list: List of Traits

If you finish you have a few choices:
-Practice Vocab & 3 Branches on Quizlet here are the links:3 Branches Quizlet, All Government Vocab, Modified Vocabulary, ELL Government Vocabulary
-Practice Government using Sheppard Software U.S. Government Sheppard Software Games
-Practice the 50 States
-Practice the Presidents Sheppard Software Presidents
-President Quizzes President Trivia Quizzes
-Online President Activities President Activities
-State Activities Mr. Nussbaum State Activities

Final Copy due Monday.  Must be printed and stapled in  the following order:

1. Final Copy

2. Bibliography

3. Draft

4. Edit/Revision Peer checklist

If you have it please include you paragraph organizer and research organizer

             

Editing & Revising

Yesterday we worked on peer editing drafts. We used this to guide our editing:Editing & Revising Google Slides  Today we will work on revising using the same guidelines.

Tomorrow we will use the Chromebooks to make our final changes to our drafts so they are ready to hand in on Monday.

Here is the rubric that will be used to evaluate the essay 8th Grade Cross-Curricular Writing Rubric-President Essay

Writing your Draft

Do-Now Directions:

1. Please have tabs open for the following

      -New Blank Google Doc titled: President Essay

      - Your Paragraph Organizer

      -Easy Bib
     -http://www.thesaurus.com/

      -This Blog

Draft Writing Directions:

1. Please open: 8th Grade Writing Expectations

2. Review & create together

3. Copy & paste your sentences from the Paragraph Organizer into paragraphs in your essay doc. This is your 1st Draft

4. Review Draft and make sure it meets the 8th Grade Writing Expectations and then PRINT

5. Finish your Bibliography in EasyBib and  PRINT

Things to Remember about setting up your doc:

1. Make sure your new google doc is titled "President Essay" and that it is saved in your history folder

2. Insert header that includes Full Name, Date, Period, Assignment 

3. Include a centered title size 12 

4. Double space the body of your essay

5. Use Arial, Times New Roman, or Cambria size 12

Perfecting our Paragraph Organizers

For this week's calendar click HERE!

Directions:

1. Give feedback on organizers

2. Make changes to your organizer and/or complete your organizer

Come to class tomorrow with your organizer revised.  Every word should be the strongest word possible and every sentence should be engaging! 

We are typing our drafts tomorrow in lab 111 so BE PREPARED!

I will be after school Wednesday for extra help!

Friday's Goal: Complete the Paragraph Organizer

Today's Directions:

1. Open your Research Organizer (I will be coming around to check it)

2. Open your Paragraph Organizer 

3. Examine the Sample Sentence Organizers:

           Sample Sentences 3 Paragraph

           Sample Sentence 5 Paragraph

4. Turn your research into sentences in the Paragraph Organizer

Monday we will scrutinize our sentences within the organizer and make sure each word is the best word possible and each sentence is the best sentence possible. If you haven't finished your organizer by the end of class today it is homework and it must be finished when you come to class Monday!

I will be after school Wednesday until 3:30 for extra help! Please stay and revise!

Thursday, October 20th 

Change in the President Essay:

-All research due Friday (Research & Directions DOC)

-In class Friday we will work on completing the Paragraph Organizer (3 Paragraph Organizer or 5 Paragraph Organizer)

Today in  class we will be looking at the issues Trump and Clinton are representing

Where do you stand?

Organizing Your Research

Directions:

1. Open your research doc from yesterday

2. Decide if you are going to do a 3 or 5 paragraph essay

3. Open the correct organizer based on your choice

3 Paragraph Organizer

5 Paragraph Organizer

4. Start turning your research into sentences in your organizer!

I WILL BE AFTER SCHOOL THURSDAY FOR EXTRA HELP!!!

President Cheat Sheet

Day 2 President Persuasive Writing

Directions:

1. Check your email (I've sent modified directions and a few changes to some of you) and Aspen (history grade is up-to-date)

2. Make your own copy of the Directions and Research Doc:Directions & Research Doc

3. Create an Easybib to keep track of all your sources www.easybib.com 

4. Use my American Presidents Symballoo page to get information on how your president was influential.  After you have your basic research you may need to use the library databases to learn more about the events and actions of your president.
American Presidents Symballoo Page (click "add this webmix")
JFK Middle School Library Database

5. Remember it is best to put your research into your own words, but if you use someone else's words YOU MUST PUT QUOTES around it!

6. The Research Doc has space to develop your research for all 5 actions, but only 3 are required, the rest are there if you need them. 

Other Helpful Information:

-I'm in the building today so email me if you have any questions!

-Not sure who you are researching or want to talk to someone researching the same president as you? check out the Student Assignment List

-Want to know when we are working on this assignment? Check out this week's calendar: Week of Oct 17 Calendar

-Preview the Writing Graphic Organizers for tomorrow: 

3 Paragraph Organizer

5 Paragraph Organizer

Executive Branch

Today we finished our executive branch notes on the 3 Branches of Government Chart (see post from Oct 4 for a copy)

We also introduced this week's writing project.  Everyone was assigned a president Click here if you don't know who to research!

Here is this week's calendar: Calendar Week of October 17th

In class we watched a few clips about the presidents...

Preamble & Executive Branch

Today in class we continued to work on our Preamble Projects.  The deadline has been extended until Monday.  See previous post for assignment details.

Change in homework:

Due Tomorrow: Executive Branch Jigsaw

 Executive Branch jigsaw Doc

 Executive Branch Jigsaw Readings

Due Monday: Readworks: President Reading & Questions 

Role of the President HW

Modified President HW

ELL President Questions

The Preamble

Click HERE for this week's calendar

Today we examined the Preamble to the Constitution.  We completed the Preamble What Does it Mean Chart using the videos and power point below. 

PREAMBLE Power Point with NOTES

Tomorrow we will work on our Preamble Project (Due Friday) for directions click HERE

And for a little fun...

Today's Directions:

1. Take out your Three Branches Chart from yesterday

2. With your partner open the Article 1 Interactive Doc from yesterday.  If a partner is absent just click HERE to make a new copy.
3. Analyze the data on page 2 and 3 of the Doc and write a commentary on what observations you can make about our current Congress based on the data.
4. Discuss observations with the class and examine how Congress has changed in 200 years

3 branches

Three Branches of Government

Over the next week we will be working to fill out the following chart Three Branches of Government Chart

Each day I will post the class notes here if you missed them or just need a copy

Read together WTP pages 132 and take notes on enumerated powers
Period 2 2016 Three Branches of Government Notes
Period 3 3 Branches
Period 5 Three Branches Chart
Period 6 Three Branches Chart Notes
Period 7 Three Branches Notes

With your partner make a copy of Article 1 Interactive Doc and work on page 1

Use the rest of the period to do any of the following:
1. Practice Vocab with Quizlet HERE
2. Practice 50 states http://www.sheppardsoftware.com
3. Practice the 3 branches of government sheppard software government games
4. Check Aspen
5. Watch any of the videos below and write a summary/review for extra credit Government Video Reflection Chart Doc