Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Language Arts Overview – 8th Grade

Monday, December 7 – Open note quiz on clauses: dependent, independent, noun, adjective, and adverb. Homework is to read “Mother and Daughter” in red literature book. Focus on specific details to support an opinion.

Tuesday, December 8 – Writer’s Workshop

Wednesday, December 9 – Discussion of “Mother and Daughter.”

Thursday, December 10 – Vocabulary Quiz #2

Friday, December 11 – Science Field Trip

Upcoming Assignments: Dialogue Writing Piece – Tuesday, December 8

Book Report #3 – Change in due date – December 10

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Language Arts Overview – 7th Grade

Monday, December 7 – Complete “Waiting” questions. Introduce “The Scholarship Jacket.” Complete story and questions on story by Wednesday.

Tuesday, December 8 – Writer’s Workshop

Wednesday, December 9 – Discuss “The Scholarship Jacket.”

Thursday, December 10 – Vocabulary Quiz #2

Friday, December 11 – The Lake Field Trip

Upcoming Assignments: Dialogue Writing Piece – Tuesday, December 8

Book Report #3 – Change in due date – December 15

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Monday, November 30, 2009

Language Arts Overview – 8th Grade

Monday, November 30 – High School Placement Test Prep – Explore Test

Tuesday, December 1 – Writer’s Workshop - Dialogue and Word Choice

Wednesday, December 2 – Finish up clause work.

Thursday, December 3 – Writer’s Workshop

Friday, December 4 – Vocabulary Quiz #1; Quiz dependent clauses and their roles.

Upcoming Assignments: Book Report #3 – Change in due date – December 10

Vocab Retake – Monday after school or Tuesday Before School

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Language Arts Overview – 7th Grade

Monday, November 30 – Introduction to “Waiting” by Budge Wilson. Finish reading for Wednesday. Homework - during reading focus on characters’ perspectives and character transformation.

Tuesday, December 1 – Writer’s Workshop – dialogue and word choice

Wednesday, December 2 – Discussion of “Waiting.” Focus on character’s perspective

Thursday, December 3 – Writer’s Workshop

Friday, December 4 – Vocabulary Quiz #1. Finish up on “Waiting.”

Upcoming Assignments: Book Report #3 – Change in due date – December 15

Vocab Retake – Monday after school or Tuesday Before School

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Monday, November 16, 2009

Language Arts Overview – 8th Grade

Monday, November 16 – Master vocabulary lists distributed. Continue with complex sentences.

Tuesday, November 17 – Noun, Adj., Adv. Clauses

Wednesday, November 18 – Benchmark Test #1

Thursday, November 19 – Benchmark Test #1 Cont’d. Comp. & Cont. Essay due today.

Friday, November 20 – Vocabulary review

Upcoming Assignments: Cumulative Vocabulary Test Monday, Nov. 23 (Master List Below)

Writing Workshop Notebook Check #2 – Tuesday, 11/24

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131


Eighth Grade Vocabulary List

1. adversary (n.) an enemy, opponent

2. alienate (v.) to turn away: to make indifferent or hostile

3. coerce (v.) to compel, force

4. demise (n.) a death, especially of a person in a lofty position

5. exhilarate (v.) to enliven, cheer, give spirit or liveliness to

6. inclement (adj.) stormy, harsh; severe in attitude or action

7. negligible (adj.) so unimportant that it can be disregarded

8. perpetuate (v.) to make permanent or long lasting

9. precedent (n.) an example that may serve as a basis for later action

10. punitive (adj.) inflicting or aiming at punishment

11. redress (v.) to set right, remedy; (n.) relief from wrong or injury

12. urbane (adj.) refined in manner or style, suave

13. craven (adj.) cowardly; (n.) coward

14. muse (v.) to think about in a dreamy way, ponder

15. artifice n. a skillful or ingenious device; a clever trick; trickery

16. culinary adj. of or related to cooking or to the kitchen

17. delete v. to erase, wipe out, cut out

18. fallow adj. inactive

19. harass v. to disturb, worry;to trouble by repeated attacks

20 sojourn n. a temporary stay v. to stay for a time

21. affiliated (adj.) associated, connected

22. ascertain (v.) to find out

23. disperse (v.) to scatter, spread far and wide

24. esteem (v.) to regard highly; (n.) a highly favorable opinion or

judgment

25. finite (adj.) having limits; lasting for a limited time

26. invulnerable (adj.) not able to be wounded or hurt; shielded against attack

27. nonchalant (adj.) cool and confident, unconcerned

28. omniscient (adj.) knowing everything; having unlimited understanding

29. scrupulous (adj.) exact, careful, attending thoroughly to details

30. uncanny (adj.) strange, mysterious, weird

31. converge (v.) to move toward one point, approach nearer together

32. venial (adj.) easily excused; pardonable

33. expunge (v.) to erase, obliterate, destroy

34. malevolent (adj.) spiteful, showing ill will

35. panacea (n.) a remedy for all ills, cure-all; an answer to all problems

36. skulk (v.) to move about stealthily; to lie in hiding

37. attainment n. an accomplishment; the act of achieving

38. bequeath v. to give or pass on as an inheritance

39. cogent adj. forceful, convincing

40. supercilious adj. showing scorn or disgust because of a feeling of superiority

41. adroit n. skillful, expert in the use of hands or mind

42. amicable adj. peaceable, friendly

43. averse adj. having a deep-seated distaste; opposed, unwilling

44. benevolent adj. kindly, charitable

45. extol v. to praise extravagantly

46. feasible adj. possible, able to be done

47. impervious adj. not affected or hurt by: admitting of no passage

48. jeopardy n. danger

49. meticulous adj. extremely careful: particular about details

50. scrutinize v. to examine closely

51. cursory adj. hasty, not thorough

52. grimace n. a wry face, facial distortion

53. holocaust n. a large-scale destruction; a vast slaughter

54. impetus n. a moving force, impulse, stimulus

55. tepid adj. lukewarm; unenthusiastic

56. belligerent adj. given to fighting, warlike

57. duplicitous adj. treacherous, deceitful

58. nostalgia n. a longing for something past; homesickness

59. quintessential adj. the purest essence or form of something

60. regress v. to move backward; to return to an earlier condition

61. adulterate v. to corrupt, to make worse by the addition of something of lesser value

62. ambidextrous adj. able to use both hands equally well

63. augment v to make larger; increase

64. bereft adj. deprived of; made unhappy through a loss

65. deploy v. to position or arrange; to utilize

66. dour adj. stern,unyielding; gloomy, ill-humored

67. fortitude n. courage in facing difficulties

68. gape v. to stare with open mouth; to open wide

69. gibe v. to utter insulting or taunting words n. an expression of scorn

70. guise n. an external appearance, cover mask

71. insidious adj. designed or intended to deceive or entrap

72. intimation n. a hint, indirect suggestion

73. opulent adj. wealthy, luxurious; ample

74. pliable adj. easily bent, flexible

75. reiterate v. to say again; repeat

76. stolid adj. not easily moved, mentally or emotionally

77. tentative adj. uncertain, hesitant; experimental in nature

78. unkempt adj. not combed; untidy

79. verbatim adj. or adv. word for word; exactly as written or spoken

80. warily adv. cautiously, with great care

Language Arts Overview – 7th Grade

Monday, November 16 – Master vocabulary lists. Review definition of literary terms that were for homework.

Tuesday, November 17 – Application of Literary Terms

Wednesday, November 18 – Benchmark Test #1

Thursday, November 19 – Benchmark Test #1 Continued

Friday, November 20 – Vocabulary review

Upcoming Assignments: Cumulative Vocabulary Test Monday, Nov. 23 (Master List Below)

Writing Workshop Notebook Check #2 – Tuesday, 11/24

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Seventh Grade Vocabulary List

1. merely (adv) no more than; simply

2. clusters (n.) numbers of things of the same sort that are grouped together; bunches

3. resumed (v.) began again; continued

4. perch (n.) roost for a bird; seat

5. relation (n.) connection between two or more things

6. quest (n.) long search for something

7. adequate (adj.) enough

8. deceive (v.) make someone believe something that is true

9. transformation (n.) change

10. ignorant (adj.) not knowing facts or information

11. Omit (v.) to leave out

12. Rigorous (adj.) very severe

13. Sane (adj.) mentally healthy

14. Supplement (v.) to supply what is lacking

15. Bewilderment (n.) a state of being puzzled and unclear

16. Feign (v.) to pretend; to give false impression

17. Fraught (adj.) filled with or accompanied by

18. Intrigue (v.) to excite curiosity or interest

19. Mystify (v.) to confuse or bewilder

20. Persist (v.) to refuse to stop or be changed

21. Irreparable (adj.) not able to be made good or repaired

22. Summit (n.) the highest point of a mountain

23. Unbiased (adj.) with an open mind; without prejudice

24. Appease (v.) to relieve or satisfy

25. Devote (v.) to give one’s time, effort, or attention to a person or purpose

26. Endurance (n.) the power to last or keep on going

27. Immunity (n.) resistance to disease

28. Inadequate (adj.) not as much as required

29. Ingest (v.) to take into the body for digestion

30. Limber (adj.) bending easily

31. ban (v.) to prohibit by law

32. brawl (v.) to quarrel or fight noisily

33. controversial (adj.) subject to argument or debate

34. dispel (v.) to drive away or cause to disappear

35. drought (n.) a continued period with little or no rain

36. endless (adj.) never stopping; having no end

37. epidemic (n.) the rapid spread of a disease

38. foretell (v.) to predict; to tell beforehand

39. immigration (n.) the act of entering and living in a new country

40. innovation (n.) the act of creating something new

41. Vigor (n.) healthy strength

42. Premise (n.) a statement assumed to be true and used to draw a

conclusion

43. Uncanny (adj.) arousing wonder and fear; mysterious

44. Cordiality (n.) warmth; friendliness

45. Detain (v.) to hold back; delay

46. Idyllic (adj.) relating to the simple, quiet beauty of country life

47. Remote (adj.) located far away

48. Spry (adj.) lively; able to move quickly and lightly

49. Summon (v.) to send for or request the presence of

50. Yearn (v.) to feel a strong desire or longing

51. unscathed adj. not hurt; not marked

52. stipend n. allowance or money paid

53. retractable adj. able to be drawn back

54. commemorate v. to serve as a memorial or reminder

55. commiserate v. to express sympathy for

56. complacent adj. so pleased with yourself as to be unaware that things could

change for the worse

57. concise adj. saying much with few words

58. condescend v. to something while acting as if it is beneath you

59. conspire v. to plot together secretly

60. correlation n. a relationship between two things

61. billow v. to swell out

62. doldrums n. a period of inactivity or low spirits

63. pedigree n. a list of the ancestors of a purebred animal

64. submerge v. to put under water

65. acoustics n. that which affects sound in a room

66. cameo adj. a small role in a play or movie done by a well-known actor oractress

67. melodrama n. a story or play with exaggerated events designed to stir up emotions

68. repertory n. a list of pieces a group or a person can perform

69. aria n. a song in an opera sung by one person

70. troupe n. a group of actors or other performers

71. hindrance n. that which hinders; obstacle; impediment

72. dubious adj. doubtful, unsure

73. euphoria an exaggerated feeling of well being

74. rancor n. bitterness; long lasting ill will, resentment

75. ramification n. the consequence of something; offshoot, outgrowth

76. profuse adj. bountiful, lavishly abundant; extravagant

77. profound adj. deep, either in the physical sense or intellectually

78. dilapidated adj. bring into ruin; state of falling apart

79. digress v. stray away from; go off

80. finesse refinement, skillful handling; delicate maneuvering

81. eccentric adj. unusual, peculiar, odd, behaving strangely

82. delineate v. accurately portray or describe

83. sardonic adj. sarcastic; mocking

84. hierarchy n. organization or division based on rank or social standing

85. hiatus n. break, interruption

86. tantalize v. tease, excite, work up interest in

87. tangible adj. perceptible; substantially real, material

88. heresy n. dissent or deviation from established beliefs, especially

religious beliefs

89. hedonism n. the pursuit of pleasure as the goal of life

90. harbinger n. forerunner; one that predicts or presages what is to come




Monday, November 2, 2009

Week of November 2

Language Arts Overview – 8th Grade

Monday, November 2 – “The Hitchhiker” alternative ending due. Continue with discussion on “Tell Tale Heart.”

Tuesday, November 3 – Writing Workshop

Wednesday, November 4 – “Tell Tale Heart” and “The Hitchhiker” compare and contrast

Thursday, November 5 – Vocabulary Quiz #7. Writing Workshop Piece #1 Due

Friday, November 6 – Veterans’ Day observed – No School

Upcoming Assignments: Compare and Contrast #2 – Week of Nov. 16 Cumulative Vocabulary Test – Monday, November 23

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Language Arts Overview – 7th Grade

Monday, November 2 – Discussion of “A Days Wait.” Compare and contrast with from Barrio Boy

Tuesday, November 3 – Writing Workshop

Wednesday, November 4 – Book Report #2 due. Continue with comparison and contrast of “A Days Wait” and from Barrio Boy.

Thursday, November 5 – Vocabulary Quiz #8. Writing Workshop

Friday, November 6 – Veterans’ Day observed – No School


Upcoming Assignments: Writing Workshop Piece #1 – Nov. 13 Cumulative Vocabulary Test – Monday, November 23

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Monday, October 26, 2009

Language Arts - Week of October 26, 2009

Language Arts Overview – 8th Grade

Monday, October 26 – Introduce “Hitchhiker” assignment

Tuesday, October 27 – Writing Workshop - Vocabulary Exercises due (only one)

Wednesday, October 28 – “The Tell-Tale Heart”

Thursday, October 29 – Writing Workshop - Book Report #2 Due

Friday, October 30 – “Tell Tale Heart” - Vocabulary Quiz #6

Upcoming Assignments: “The Hitchhiker” extra scene due Monday, November 2

Writing Workshop Piece #1 – Nov. 5

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Language Arts Overview – 7th Grade

Monday, October 26 – Introduce and read from Barrio Boy

Tuesday, October 27 – Writing Workshop - Vocabulary Exercises due (only one)

Wednesday, October 28 – Introduce and read “A Day’s Wait”

Thursday, October 29 – Writing Workshop

Friday, October 30 – Compare and contrast from Barrio Boy and “A Day’s Wait” –

Vocabulary Quiz #7

Upcoming Assignments: Book Report #2 due November 4, 2009

Writing Workshop Piece #1 – Nov. 13

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Week of October 12, 2009

Language Arts Overview – 8th Grade

Monday, October 12 – No School

Tuesday, October 13 – Writing Workshop

Wednesday, October 14 – Vocabulary Exercises Due – Only one exercise. Review of punctuation rules.

Thursday, October 15 – Writing Workshop. Homophone exercise due today

Friday, October 16 – Vocabulary #5 Quiz - Graphic Organizer on horror stories

Upcoming Assignments: Book Report #2 due October 28, 2009

Writing Workshop Piece #1 – Nov. 6

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Language Arts Overview – 7th Grade

Monday, October 12 – No School

Tuesday, October 13 – Writing Workshop

Wednesday, October 14 – Vocabulary Exercises Due – Only one exercise. Introduce from An American Childhood

Thursday, October 15 – Writing Workshop. Homophone exercise due today

Friday, October 16 – Vocabulary #5 Quiz- Finish up from An American Childhood

Upcoming Assignments: Book Report #2 November 4

Writing Workshop Piece #1 – Nov. 13

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Monday, October 5, 2009

Week of October 5, 2009

Language Arts Overview – 8th Grade

Monday, October 5 – Review of vocabulary words

Tuesday, October 6 – Writing Workshop

Wednesday, October 7 – Midterm Vocabulary Test

Thursday, October 1 – Writing Workshop

Friday, October 2 – In class activity covering elements of the short story.

Upcoming Assignments: Book Report #2 – Wednesday, 10/28

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Language Arts Overview – 7th Grade

Monday, October 5 – Review of vocabulary words

Tuesday, October 6 – Writing Workshop. Point of view exercise & caricature due

Wednesday, October 7 – Midterm Vocabulary Test

Thursday, October 1 – Writing Workshop

Friday, October 2 – In class activity on the short story “The Clown.”

Upcoming Assignments: Vocabulary Midterm – Wednesday, 11/3

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Monday, September 21, 2009

Language Arts - Week of September 21, 2009

Language Arts Overview – 8th Grade

Monday, September 21 – Vocabulary List #4 distributed. Continue discussion of “Treasure of Lemon Brown.” – compare and contrast with “The Lie.”

Tuesday, September 22 – Writing Workshop

Wednesday, September 23 – Vocabulary Exercise #4 due. Book Report #1 due. In class activity on literary terms.

Thursday, September 24 – Writing Workshop

Friday, September 25 – Vocabulary Quiz #4. Continue discussion on literary terms.

Upcoming Assignments: Compare and Contrast essay due October 2

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Language Arts Overview – 7th Grade

Monday, September 21 – Vocabulary List #4 distributed. Introduce writing assignment for Horton Hears a Who.

Tuesday, September 22 – Writing Workshop.

Wednesday, September 23 – Vocabulary Exercise #4 due. Begin reading Papa’s Parrot by Cynthia Rylant.

Thursday, September 24 – Writing Workshop

Friday, September 18 – Vocabulary Quiz #4. Continue working on Papa’s Parrot. Horton Hears a Who assignment due.

Upcoming Assignments: Book Report #1 due September 30

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

L.A. Week of September 14, 2009

Language Arts Overview – 8th Grade

Monday, September 14 – Vocabulary List #3 distributed. Introduction of “The Treasure of Lemon Brown.” Read story by Wednesday.

Tuesday, September 15 – Writing Workshop – Writing response to “The Lie” due

Wednesday, September 16 – Vocabulary Exercise #3 due. Begin discussion on “Treasure of Lemon Brown.”

Thursday, September 17 – Writing Workshop

Friday, September 18 – Vocabulary Quiz #3. Activity comparing and contrasting “The Lie” with “Lemon Brown.”

Upcoming Assignments: Book Report #1 due September 23

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131

Language Arts Overview – 7th Grade

Monday, September 14 – Vocabulary List #3 distributed. Continue with elements of a story with Horton Hears a Who.

Tuesday, September 15 – Writing Workshop.

Wednesday, September 16 – Vocabulary Exercise #3 due. Continue with Horton Hears a Who. Complete analysis of Horton for Friday.

Thursday, September 17 – Writing Workshop

Friday, September 18 – Vocabulary Quiz #3. Questions for Horton due today.

Upcoming Assignments: Book Report #1 due September 30

Contact Info: kberger@op97.org 708-524-3040 ext 4131