It's Spring... and time for Rabbits!

After some hibernation, I feel really anxious to greet the students for the last waltz in their 8th grade year.
(Students:  You should be really worried :)

Our return will see us beginning our study of poverty and the Great Depression.  Students will be working outside of class on their projects on poverty.  In class, we will be focusing on reading Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men."  (Hence, the rabbits.)

Monday- Introduce Projects on Poverty.  All work is due 9:00 AM on Friday, 4.12.
Tuesday- Introduce Steinbeck, Social Realism, and student obligations.  HW:  All projects are due on 4.12 at 9:00 AM.
Wednesday- Read Chapter 1 from "Of Mice and Men" in class.  HW:  All projects are due on 4.12 at 9:00 AM and Steinbeck Reflection Sheets are due on 4.15 at the start of class.
Thursday- Read Chapter 2  from "Of Mice and Men" in class.  HW:  All projects are due on 4.12 at 9:00 AM and Steinbeck Reflection Sheets are due on 4.15 at the start of class.
Friday- Read Chapter 3  from "Of Mice and Men" in class.  HW:  All projects are due on 4.12 at 9:00 AM and Steinbeck Reflection Sheets are due on 4.15 at the start of class.

Over the next couple of weeks, our students will be interacting with some great literature and the close reading that accompanies it.  I hope you will allow me the opportunity to help me help your students emerge into the pantheon of scholarship.  Many of them are well on their way!

If I can be of any further help or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
All best.
Mr. Kannan

Tommy Guns', the 1920s, and the completion of work: Two out of three from the Jazz Age Ain't Bad!

Prior to going over what is on tap next week, all students are reminded of the following:
1)  Completed World War I Assessment- Even if this was not submitted for a grade in second trimester, it is needed in order to go to Tommy Guns.
2)  "Midnight in Paris" Enrichment Sheet- Numbers 1, 3, 6, and 11 are needed.
3)  Study Guides for Chapter 22, sections 1- 4 (Pages 9, 11, 13, and 15 of yellow packets)
4)  Enrichment Sheet for Fitzgerald's "Winter Dreams"- Starts on page 51 of packet.
5)  Identification for a person or concept of the 1920s- Paragraphs must include three facts about the subject matter, two reasons why the subject matter is relevant to the decade, and a theme from the 1920s to which it connects.
6)  Completed Clive James Enrichment Sheet on "Fame in the 1920s"- Found on pages 71 and 72 in packet as well as the page towards the end of the packet with questions 1-10 on it.
All of these need to be done by Monday, 3.11 as students will have additional work assigned from Monday of next week.  All permission slips and money is due on 3.15.

For the week of 3.11, we begin our station rotation of the 1920s.  This will consist of 15 stations where students will spend time absorbing different aspects of the time period.  We have stations that deal with Gershwin on a train, the Marx Brothers going to another part of the country, Madonna "Voguing," as well as Bessie Smith crooning, the Klan protesting, the Harlem Renaissance battling, and nostalgia waxing.  Students will be exposed to varied items of the time period that helped to make the Jazz Age "Roar."  There are questions assigned to each station and what is not finished in class is completed for homework.  This will constitute the last two stamps from Social Studies, along with the declaration of figure for Tommy Guns.  With students completing a Stock Market Project in Math, students should have all of their work in for Tommy Guns by Friday.
Please let me know if I can of any further assistance as we explore a time period in which celebrity "roared."
All best.
Mr. Kannan

Week of 3.4 to 3.8: ISATs Await!

With this week of ISATs, here lies the work for Social Studies:
3.5- In class reading of James' "Fame in the 20th Century."
3.6- Continuation of In class reading of James.
3.7- In class work on Enrichment Sheet and James Questions.  HW:  Finish by Monday.
3.8- Ensure all James questions are done, ready for a stamp on Monday.

All best with this your last standardized test in District 97.
Mr. Kannan