Quarter 2 Week 5 November 13-16, 2018

LAFS.7.RL.1.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
LAFS.7.RL.1.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
LAFS.7.RL.1.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
LAFS.7.RL.2.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes
and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
LAFS.7.RL.2.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.
LAFS.7.RL.2.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
LAFS.7.RL.3.7 Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to
each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).
LAFS.7.RL.3.9 Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how
authors of fiction use or alter history.
LAFS.7.W.1.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
LAFS.7.W.1.1a Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
LAFS.7.W.1.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
LAFS.7.W.1.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.
LAFS.7.W.1.1d Establish and maintain a formal style.
LAFS.7.W.1.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
LAFS.7.W.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information.

This week we will read some of our essays aloud and use the document camera to study good ones.

We will look at persuasive writing and speaking.

We will learn spelling and vocabulary.

We will read aloud several pieces of literature.

Students will read two pieces of literature silently, answer questions, and discuss.

1. bountiful – plentiful, given generously
2. entertained – provided with amusement or
enjoyment
3. deeper discussions – conversations that discuss more important, moral, or emotional topics
4. ignore – refuse to take notice of
5. concentration – focusing one’s total attention
6. escort – a person who walks with another for protection
7. gratitude – happy appreciation for someone, for an act of service, or for food and other benefits, the quality of being thankful
8. approval – officially agreeing to something or some
decision
9. asthma – a respiratory condition that makes it
difficult to breathe
10. dinosaurs – a fossil reptile of the Mesozoic era, often reaching an enormous size
11. prehistoric – relating to the time before written history
12. orthodontist – a type of dentist who specializes in straightening crooked teeth
13. humiliating – totally embarrassing
14. long-lasting effects – a result, act, or condition that will stay for a long time

Monday – NO SCHOOL

Tuesday – Turn in“The Lost Boys of the Sudan” essay packets. Review spelling and vocabulary.
Discuss persuasive speaking and writing. Watch the video on Cell Phones. Be ready to discuss the pros and cons.
Homework – Read “Should Kids Have Their Own Cell Phones” aloud slowly and with expression to your parent. Parent should sign. Read your book report book 20 minutes before bedtime.

_________________________________Parent Signature
Your Submerged Project is due November 30. This creative project should showcase important knowledge from the book. Your grade will equal two summative grades. Parents may give guidance but not do your work! You may use any creative method of showcasing your knowledge.

Your next book report is due December 7.

Wednesday – Independent reading. Work on iReady lessons. NO HOMEWORK!

Thursday – Review spelling and vocabulary. Read aloud in class. Read for author’s purpose and literary devices.
Homework – Study for spelling and vocabulary test. If you scored below 93% on last week’s spelling test, write each word 25 times each. Read “What are your Thanksgiving Traditions” aloud to your parent. Parent should sign. Watch the Thanksgiving video. Read your book report book 20 minutes before bedtime.

_________________________________Parent Signature

Friday – Spelling test. Vocabulary test. Finish all work.

Should Kids Have Their Own Cell Phones

by Melissa Forney ©2015

Have you seen families in restaurants lately? Often, instead of talking to each other, everyone
is tuned in to his own cell phone or mini tablet. I get it. Facebook, email, apps, games, and music are all entertaining. People love to be entertained. But getting together for a family meal is an important social time for kids, siblings, and parents. Mealtimes are a chance for learning what’s going on in each other’s lives. Sitting down together and really giving each other attention and eye contact leads to sharing, celebrating, and deeper discussions. The only time cell phones should be used during mealtime is perhaps to take a picture of the group.
Turn off your cell phones. Tune in to each other.

Cell Phones = Safer Kids
by Melissa Forney ©2015

Imagine: Kara and Su Yi are at the soccer field. Lots of soccer games are going on, and there are
moms, dads, coaches, and kids everywhere. Kara wants to put her jacket in the car, so she and Su Yi go to her family’s car. In the parking lot, the girls see a stranger hanging around. He follows them and keeps talking to them even when they ignore him. The girls are frightened. At the car, they lock themselves in. In order to go back to the soccer games, they would have to face the same man again. Kara uses her cell phone to call her dad, who is watching the game. The dad and a security officer immediately come to the car and safely escort the girls back.

Too Much of a Good Thing
by Melissa Forney ©2015

Cell phones might be great little inventions, but sometimes they can be too much of a good thing. Some children use their phones all during the night, talking to friends, watching movies, or playing games. They are so sleepy the next day they can hardly pay attention in school. Their concentration is not good. They can’t make sense of what the teacher is saying.
Also at school, kids sneak to use cell phones to text their friends when they are supposed to be paying attention to the lesson. If parents don’t enforce rules, kids have been known to spend more than eight hours a day on their phones. When this happens, kids tune out conversations, instructions, and even scoldings or warnings from their parents. They are off in Cell Phone Land. Too much is too much.

Information, Please

by Melissa Forney ©2015

Bryan is at the mall with Damarius and Toby. He wants to buy a new pair of Kobe Bryant sneakers, but he knows he’ll need his mother’s permission. Bryan takes a picture of the shoes with his cell phone camera and sends it to his mother. She calls him back to give her approval, after she asks a few questions about price and fit.
Joslyn is going shopping with Maria to find a blouse for her new skirt. The skirt is an unusual shade of purple. Joslyn takes a picture of the skirt, so she can try to match it. At the mall, she uses the photo on her cell phone to find a blouse that has flowers just the same shade of purple. The blouse is a perfect match.
Dominic is at the after-hours clinic with an asthma attack. The doctor asks Dominic’s mother what medicines he usually uses for an inhaler. When Dominic’s mother has trouble remembering the name of the medicine, Dominic pulls out his cell phone and shows her a picture of the front of his inhaler. She is happy to have the exact information.
Juno and Mara watch a great movie about dinosaurs. Mara is particularly interested in the prehistoric sea creature called “mosasaurus” and wants to read more about it. She uses her cell phone to go to the Internet and finds several good websites with information about “mosasaurus.” She spends a long time learning cool new facts she can share with Juno.

Change of Plans
by Melissa Forney ©2015

Malala’s mother always picks her up from school at the exact same time and spot. Today, however, Malala’s mom is stuck in traffic. She doesn’t want her daughter to worry, so she sends her a text message. Malala goes to the gym with the other kids to have fun while she waits for her mother to arrive at school.
Jonathan receives a text message from his orthodontist’s office telling him his appointment has been cancelled. He is at school, and his dad was planning to pick him up early for the appointment. He sends a text message to his dad telling him this news. His dad texts back that he has already taken off work and is on his way, so now he’ll take Jonathan out for lunch, and they’ll go to a baseball game instead. Jonathan smiles a secret smile. He and his dad will be skipping school together.

No Bullying!
by Melissa Forney ©2015

There is no doubt that cell phones and smart phones can be extremely helpful. They can also be harmful if used to criticize, expose, or hurt other people. For instance, some kids use the text message portion of their phone to sound off and put people in their place as soon as they hear rumors that might or might not be true. Because it is so easy to do, they can send cruel or rude remarks that can have long-lasting effects. Some kids use their cell phone cameras to take secret or humiliating pictures of their classmates and share these pictures with friends. Worse, they sometimes post these pictures on social media, and the pictures go out on the Internet to be seen by hundreds or even thousands of other people. This is the kind of embarrassment that has led children and teens to take their own lives. Be careful what you do with your cell phone. Don’t use it to hurt someone else!

What Are Your Thanksgiving Traditions?
BY MICHAEL GONCHAR, New York Times, NOVEMBER 19, 2015

You might know the Thanksgiving story — of the Pilgrims feasting alongside Native Americans in 1621 after a bountiful corn harvest. But do you know where your own family’s traditions come from, whether you eat turkey, snicker salad or sopapilla cheesecake?

What are your family’s Thanksgiving traditions?

In “The Birth of Thanksgiving,” Paul Quigley explains how the holiday of Thanksgiving became a national tradition:

Though we most often associate Thanksgiving with Pilgrims and New England Indians, the holiday, at least as an official national event, began 150 years ago, at the height of the Civil War.

On Oct. 3, 1863, President Lincoln issued a proclamation announcing that the final Thursday of November would be set aside to express appreciation for the “blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.” Even amid war’s many horrors, Americans had much to be thankful for. And Lincoln insisted that the rightful object of their gratitude was “the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.” Divine mercies required public acknowledgment. And so, Lincoln invited all Americans to “observe the last
Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and prayer to our beneficent Father, who dwelleth in the heavens.”

Dr. Forney’s Students: Read and be ready to discuss the answers to these questions below.

— What are your Thanksgiving traditions? Do you know how and when they started? If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, do you have any other holidays with special traditions this time of year? Please share.

— Does your family serve the same meal every year? Do you have any favorite dishes? Describe.

— Will you be traveling anywhere during the holiday weekend? Where do you go, and how do you get there?

— Do you celebrate the holiday with anyone special? Is there anyone you wish you could spend Thanksgiving
with, but can’t?

— What big things in your life are you grateful for? What small things? What things or people do you think you might take for granted that deserve your gratitude this season? Why?