Happy Halloween!!!

All holidays are a great time to get together with loved ones... But, I have to admit that Halloween is my favorite. There's no big dinner to prepare, and no presents to buy. We spent our day raking (jumping in) leaves; carving up some pumpkins; and visiting family to do some trick or treating. I hope my SDMS family had as much fun as we did!!! 

                            

Oranges make great baby jack o lanterns

A busy day means I break out the big cup

Perfect day for a drive....

             

Mr. DeGray gets the dirty work- scooping out the pumpkin guts! 

                             

Angela etching out her pumpkin design

Cat Jack o Lantern... MEOW! 

Introducing... Anna of Arrendale

and her sister... Elsa Witch of Arrendale

Boo! 

Happy Halloween! 

Spooky Candy Corn! 

Outlines help keep us on track

Introducing.... the main body paragraphs!

Before your readers dive into the main body paragraphs to get to the heart of your argument, you must set the tone with an introductory paragraph that grabs their attention; introduces your topic; and clearly states the claim you are trying to prove.

Rubric for Published Entry

	STANDARD	Mastery	Developing	Attempting	Not Evident
Development of Central Idea/Theme	Determine a theme or central idea and analyze its development through a summary of the characters, setting, and plot.
Analysis & Textual Evidence	Use evidence from the text that best supports your analysis, including inferences.
Use of Precise Language	Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
Reflective Conclusion	Provide a conclusion that connects ideas from the text to the human experience and the world around us.

RL8.1/ RL8.2/ W8.3d/W8.3e

Writing a reflective conclusion

Choosing the best evidence...

(Thank-you Mrs. Harmon!!)

Cooking up an Evidence Sandwich

Writing about character perspective...

Revisions anyone???

What's behind your perspective?

What outside forces are influencing the main character in your historical fiction book? How do these forces impact your character's actions and decision making? 

Celebrating the rich history of Old Wethersfield.

WWII Research

Click on the link below to reach a web resource for WWII. Use the information on the website to answer the questions on your homework

WWII Link

Questions to answer in your notebooks

Test Driving Historical Fiction

"Test driving" potential new books is the best way to make an informed decision. 

We run the school!

Members of the SDMS running club braved the cold temperatures, and some snow flurries, on Sunday to participate in the 17th annual Mikey's Place 5K. Congratulations to 8th graders Galen Brodeur and Mike Dunn! They claimed the top spots in the boys ages 9-13 division. Galen came in second place with a time of 21:26  and Mike clinched first place with a time of 20:33. Well done to the SDMS running club for participating in this event for more than 10 years! 

8th graders Galen Brodeur (left) and Mike Dunn (right). 

DeGray family pre-race photo. 

Saturday night fun!

I hope all my students are having a fantastic time at the Cove Carnival tonight.... While I am spending Saturday night grading narrative essays! Oh, the glamorous life of an English teacher!! 

Write a Spy Story

Text 1
Text 2
Text 3

Narrative Essay Rubric

View the rubric indicators below, or click on the link to download a copy. 

Printable Rubric

Criterion for Evaluating Essay:	Student	Teacher
Overall I presented and told a personal story that had well developed characters, tension, and a clear theme that shares a life lesson with the audience. My writing is organized and proves mastery of concepts taught throughout the unit.	____	____
Format My essay is typed, double spaced, size 12 Times New Roman font or neatly handwritten in ink, with a heading and inviting/unique title that references the theme of my story. I wrote introduction and conclusion paragraphs that explain how my personal story connects to the lesson/message.	____	____
Lead I wrote a beginning in which I not only set the plot or story in motion, but also introduced the larger meaning (lesson) the story would convey. I explained the significance of the lesson and its value to society.	____	____
Transitions My transitions helped the reader follow my lines of thinking. Transitional language is used to move the reader from one paragraph to the next. I used transitional phrases to connect what happened to why it happened.  If…, I hadn’t…, I might not have…, because of…, although…, and little did I know that…	____	____
Ending I wrote an ending that connected to what the story was really about. My conclusion paragraph gave readers a sense of closure by showing a new realization, insight, or a change that I experienced as a result of what happened in my story. I emphasized the value of the lesson I learned, and how others could learn from it as well.	____	____
Organization My paper included an introduction, the personal story, and a conclusion. In the story, I used paragraphs purposefully to show time or setting changes; new parts of the story; or to create suspense for readers.  I described a sequence of events that was clearly connected to the overall message/lesson I was conveying.	____	____
Elaboration I developed realistic characters and developed the details, action, dialogue, and internal thinking that contributed to the deeper meaning of the story.	____	____
Description I developed character traits and emotions through what I said and did.  In my story, I chose several key parts to stretch out and several to move through more quickly. I used precise descriptions, figurative language, and symbolism to help readers picture the setting, actions, and events, and to bring forth meaning.	____	____
Grammar/Punctuation I used punctuation to clarify and emphasize quotations and to enhance meaning. (I used punctuation such as dashes, colons, parentheses, and semicolons to help me include or connect extra information in some of my sentences.)	____	____
Spelling I spelled technical terms and literary vocabulary accurately.	____	____
Grade	____	____

Sample essay

Use the sample essay below as an example of how to put your own writing together for publication. Notice how the writer transitions between the different parts of the assignment (introduction, personal story, conclusion) and how the message to the audience is clearly referenced from beginning to end.

Click on this link to view the sample essay file

Endings

How to set up a conclusion for your "Narrative Essay"

Checklist

1. Closure! - Give the audience some closure to your story.

2. Reflect- explain how you have changed as a result of this experience in a way that your audience can relate.

Formatting Reminders

Use the reminders above when typing your "Narrative Essays," 

due at the end of this week. 

Don't forget:

Filename for the document is LastName Narrative Essay

Name, date, assignment goes in the top left of the paper

Double Space

Type in size 12 Times New Roman

Spellcheck!!

Write a unique/original title