Yeah the weekend is almost here!

5th grade- We will continue to read our chapter about the earth's crust

7th grade- Reading- Lightning Thief read through chapter 4. Enjoy your trip

8th grade- HAve a great trip. Turn in your paper before you leave!

Hi all, I know I have been delinquent in my postings so here is the rest of the week

5th Grade- We are starting our new unit tomorrow- The Earth's Changing Crust. I know exciting stuff, come with all your enthusiasm tomorrow!

7th Grade- Grammar quiz tomorrow Adjective and Adverb phrases. We will continue Lightning Thief and be prepared for journals, activities, reading and discussion. This is going to be a great book!

8th Grade- Papers are due Friday! yeah! you are almost there, don't worry you can coach the 7th grade through it next quarter. Spelling test tomorrow "double letters" next week we will dive back into vocabulary and finish up phrases. I think most of you are getting the hang of those pesky little phrases.

The next novel we will read is Agatha Christie And Then There Were None. I have about 9 copies coming from the library but if you would like to purchase your own copy I think my discount is 20% at Barnes and Noble. Try and have a copy by Monday.

That's it for now.

Welcome back from a great and snowy long weekend. Just glad it didn't happen during the school week.

5th Grade- No homework- If you received a 73 or less on your science test please have your parents sign it and bring it back tomorrow.

7th Grade- Final draft for compare/contrast paper due Friday

8th grade- 1st draft of research paper due Friday. Thesis statement due to me in the morning.

5th grade- no homework

7th grade- Spelling/vocabulary quiz on Monday. Finish outlining and organizing your main points for your paper. We will work on a rough outline tomorrow.

8th grade- Bring your sources in this week ( physical sources) We will continue to work on your bibliographies and start the note taking process.

Spelling quiz on Friday.

I am probably going to change some of the dates for your paper. Please remember the importance of meeting these deadlines.

5th Grade- Read Lesson 5 and note cards for vocabulary.

7th Grade- Compare/Contrast paper- please visit the site I emailed to your parents if you are still struggling for a topic. Your similarities and differences are due tomorrow. You can use the Venn Diagram of list if you prefer. ***Spelling/vocabulary quiz on Friday

8th Grade- Sources due tomorrow! We will work on proper bibliography format. I am posting the guidelines below if you need to refer back to them or you have misplaced your copy. ***Spelling quiz on Friday

8^th Grade Informational Research Paper Guidelines

Writing a research paper does not have to be a difficult task. By researching and writing about a topic, you will learn new information and improve your writing skills. You will learn how to brainstorm your topic, narrow it down and focus on a manageable topic. You will research and organize your information by using note cards and creating a well- organized outline. Your paper will include proper bibliographies so that you give credit to the proper sources. Finally you will write a first draft, make revisions and submit a final polished paper that you can be proud of. Get started early! This is not something that you can put off until the last minute. “ It is easy to put off until tomorrow what you need to get done today.” Students who write the best papers and get the best grades are usually the ones that start early.

Your paper needs to be 5-7 pages typed and double- spaced.

Selecting your topic.

You must select a historical topic that occurred during the 20^th and 21st centuries. It may not be about a specific individual but rather an event. Do not choose a topic that is too broad, or too narrow. You want to choose a topic that you will be able to find a wide range of resources. Choose several topics, ask your parents what they think, ask your peers, or ask me. Make sure your topic is something you are very interested in or feel passionate about. You will be spending a lot of time over the next several weeks reading and learning about the subject, so make sure you enjoy it.

Your topic is due Thursday January 28.

Finding Information and Sources

You will be required to use a minimum of 5 sources for you paper. At least one (1) of them needs to be a book and one needs to be a periodical (newspaper or magazine). The remaining three may be articles found on the Internet, or you may even interview a person who has knowledge of your topic. You may not use Wikipedia as a source. They need to be educational and informational websites. The downtown library is a great place to start.

You will create a bibliography card for each source: books, periodical, and Internet sources. I will give you several examples of MLA style bibliographies that that I want you to model.

Sources and are due Wednesday February 3

Taking Notes

If you do a good job taking good notes, then your research paper will be a lot easier to write. If you are lax, you will make more work for yourself later on. While you are reading through your material you need to make notes about the important facts you plan to include in your paper. The easiest way to take notes is by using note cards. You will have three different types of notes, direct quotes, summaries, and paraphrases. You should write one piece of information on a card. Only write on one side, and make sure you include the source of the information. You will use these notes to create your outline.

Writing a Thesis Statement

“A thesis statement is a single declarative sentence that states the controlling idea of your research paper. It identifies both your topic and your limited focus and suggests what the body of your paper will cover” (Goldenberg 53). Think about what you want to say in your paper. Arrange your notes in order of topics. Do you have a lot of notes in one and not enough in another? You may need to break some things down into sub-topics or do some more research.

Notes, Bibliographies, Thesis due: Tuesday February 9

Topic Outline

An outline can help you organize your paper before you even begin to write it. Creating a topic outline helps to place all your details and supporting research under similar “umbrellas” Your headings and subheadings should be related but should not overlap or duplicate each other. We will be using some class time to work on your outlines.

First Draft

This is your first attempt of writing your paper. Don’t worry I don’t expect it to be polished and ready to turn in.

The introduction: This will grab your reader’s interest. This paragraph will include your theses statement, which controls and focuses your paper. The introduction states the point of your paper and lets our reader know you are going to tell him something new and different.

The Body: What you paper is all about! Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that transitions to the new paragraph from the previous one. Remember your paragraphs should follow in a logical order

The conclusion: Your conclusion ties it all together. The conclusion restates your thesis and shows how the thesis has been supported by the information presented in the body paragraphs. I will give you some examples of transition statements and phrases. We will also work on how to put together a bibliography page

Outline and 1^st draft due: Friday February 16

Final draft

Polished, ready to be graded 5-7 page typed research paper. All your hard work is now complete. Breathe a relief that it is over. If you followed all the above steps you should have written an informational and well –organized paper. I look forward to reading them!

2nd Draft due: Tuesday February 23 for peer proofing

Final Draft due: Thursday February 25