8th+grade+writing+class+2013-2014

Mr. Williams home page

Story starters

Soundtracks

Comic Page

Misplaced modifier assignment


 * Wednesday 3-26-14**

Wrote an argumentative essay. It may be satirical.


 * Tuesday 3-25-14**

Completed another Indirect Object worksheet.


 * Monday 3-24-14**

Completed an Indirect Object worksheet.


 * Friday 3-21-14**

Go to the poetry link. Follow the directions on the poetry page and have fun!


 * Thursday 3-20-14**

Go to the poetry link. Follow the directions on the poetry page and have fun!


 * Wednesday 3-19-14**

Go to the poetry link. Follow the directions on the poetry page and have fun!


 * Thursday 3-13-14**

Go to the poetry link. Follow the directions on the poetry page and have fun!


 * Wednesday 3-12-14**

Completed a subject compliment worksheet. Worked on poems.


 * Tuesday 3-11-14**

Finished the poem and illustration.


 * Monday 3-10-14**

Write a 10 line poem and illustrate it. The poem has to have a rhyming pattern.


 * Thursday and Friday 3-6-14**

Go to the poetry link. Follow the directions on the poetry page and have fun!


 * Wednesday 3-5-14**

Write a sentence on the white board and underline a word to identify. Practicing identifying parts of speech.


 * Tuesday 3-4-14**

Simple, Compound and Complex sentence worksheet. Write a paragraph that includes a simple, compound and complex sentence.


 * Monday 3-3-14**

Wrote a simple, compound and complex sentence. Students then walked around the room and label each others sentences.


 * Thursday and Friday**

Finish twist ending stories.


 * Wednesday 2-26-14**

Typing twist ending story focusing on details for each rising action.


 * Tuesday 2-25-14**

Typing twist ending stories focusing on character descriptions.


 * Monday 2-24-14**

Finish plot line and start typing stories focusing on character descriptions.


 * Friday 2-21-14**

Finished reading a story with a twist ending. Start making a plot line for your very own story with a twist ending.


 * Thursday 2-20-14**

Completed a worksheet labeling each word. I read a story to them with a twist ending.


 * Wednesday 2-19-14**

Completed a worksheet labeling each word. I read a story to them with a twist ending.


 * Tuesday 2-18-14**

Completed a worksheet labeling each word. I read a story to them with a twist ending.


 * Monday 2-17-14**

Turned in poster project and paper. Wrote sentences and identified parts of speech.


 * Friday 2-14-14**

Poster project and two page paper are due Monday.


 * Thursday 2-13-14**

Continue to work on the poster project.


 * Wednesday 2-12-14**

Continue to work on the poster project.


 * Tuesday 2-11-14**

Snow Day papers are due. Start the poster project.


 * Poster Project**

1. You are going to make a poster in color. I would encourage you to use colored pencil. You are going to select a thing or product. It may be something or an idea that already exist or you may make up your own.

2. You need to use all the persuasive techniques to persuade us to buy, use or act a certain way. Bandwagon, Glittering Generality, Citing Statistics, Emotional Appeal, Reasoning, and Testimonial. Write an example of each on your poster and label it. Persuasive Techniques

3. You will also use figurative language to make your idea or product sound more appealing. Metaphor, Simile, Onomatopoeia, Personification, Hyperbole, Idiom, and Analogy. Write an example of each on your poster and label it correctly. Figurative Language

4. When you are done with your poster, you need to write a story about how your product or idea has changed the life of someone!


 * Monday 2-10-14**

Write the final copy with a partner using the white board to show me each sentence.


 * Friday 2-7-14**

Write the final copy with a partner using the white board to show me each sentence.


 * Thursday 2-6-14**

Wrote 5 paragraphs about how wonderful or how dreadful you holiday was.


 * Tuesday and Wednesday were snow days**


 * Monday 2-3-14**

Presented one of the following to class: lyrics, persuasive presentation, persuasive paper, or grammar presentation.


 * Friday 1-31-14**

Presented one of the following to class: lyrics, persuasive presentation, persuasive paper, or grammar presentation.


 * Thursday 1-30-14**

Finished up all assignments. Will present one of the following tomorrow: lyrics, persuasive presentation, persuasive paper, or grammar presentation.


 * Wednesday 1-29-14**

Took a short quiz over nouns, action verbs, linking verbs, prepositional phrases, adjectives, adverbs, and infinitives. Worked on the grammar presentation and added Direct Objects, Indirect Objects, Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compoud/Complex Sentences


 * Tuesday 1-28-14**

Graded rough draft of persuasive paper. Work on grammar presentation.


 * Monday 1-27-14**

Finish persuasive paper.

Start making a grammar presentation. Start with the following: nouns, action, linking, being and helping verbs, adjective, adverb, prepositions, infinitive.


 * Friday 1-24-14**

Finish first draft of persuasive paper. Remember it has to have 5 paragraphs: Introduction, 1st point, 2nd point, 3rd point, and conclusion.


 * Thursday 1-23**

Work on the persuasive paper.


 * Wednesday 1-22-14**

Download the power point. It will download to your desktop, so look for it there!

Read through the power point then go back and write a persuasive paper. Use buhlerdocs and write an awesome persuasive paper!!!

Your paper is going to be at least 5 paragraphs. You will need 3 supporting points. Uses examples, evidence and a persuasive technique for each point.


 * [|Details]
 * [[file:buhlerphms/Persuasive Writing.ppt|Download]]
 * 1 MB


 * Monday 1-21-14**

Completed a grammar review worksheet.


 * Friday 1-17-14**

Finished persuasive techniques project.


 * Thursday 1-16-14**

Pick a project

1. Use pages. Use all the persuasive techniques except bias and make a persuasive poster.

2. Use buhlerdocs presentation and make a presentation using all the persuasive techniques except bias.

Persuade people to do or believe something by letting them know others are all doing it. Example: All kids are wearing Lucky jeans. (Everybody’s doing it, and if you don’t, you’ll be left out.) * appeals to feelings of loyalty, nationalism (red, white, and blue), and the winning side * trying to convince viewers/readers that a product is good because everyone is buying it.
 * __ Bandwagon __**

A writer may list statistics to lend importance or credibility to his/her argument. Example: Three out of five dentists recommend. ..
 * __ Citing Statistics __**

Words or images that appeal to the audience’s emotions are used such as fear, anger, joy, desire for success, etc. Example: What would you do if all your possessions were lost in a fire? Get the **Save-All** fireproof safe and protect your valuables.
 * __ Emotional Appeal __**

Information that is so general that it sounds like a fact, but it isn’t. (feel good’s but no guarantees) Example: Many people believe. . . (The question to ask is – How many people?) * Statements are vague but have positive connotations * Statements exaggerate the merits of a product using unsupported and often meaningless statements
 * __ Glittering Generalities __**

By using the plain folks rhetoric, speakers attempt to convince their audience that they, and their ideas, are “of the people.” The device is used by advertisers and politicians alike. They go to great lengths to present themselves as ordinary citizens. Example: Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin was heard to say, “As a hockey mom, I understand the concerns of many parents.”
 * __ Plain Folks __**

The reader is lured by listening to or having someone explain reasons or an idea. Example: One **Puffs** advanced can do the job of two other tissues because it is twice as strong.
 * __ Reasoning __**

Use of famous people or someone you respect or like to testify that something is good, to advertise, or to promote a product or an idea because they tried it, and it worked, etc. Example: Professional football player, Marcus Browning, “I use Wash Out window cleaner.” Ty Pennington, “Right now every Alltel customer can share the love this Valentine’s Day with unlimited video and picture messaging FREE. How sweet is that?”
 * __ Testimonial __**

Persuasive Techniques


 * Wednesday 1-15-14**

Finish the figurative language assignment.


 * Tuesday 1-14-14**

Wrote 3 sentences: simple, compound, and complex. Worked on figurative language assignment.


 * Monday 1-13-14**

Wrote 4 sentences.

1. S, AV, DO, ADJ, ADV, Preposition Phrases 2. S, LV, Subject Compliment, Prepositional Phrases 3. Write a sentence with an independent clause and a dependent clause that starts with, who. 4. Write a sentence with an independent clause and a dependent clause that starts with, which.


 * Friday 1-10-14**

First finish your Guess Who paragraphs.

Make a presentation. Make a slide for each of the following figurative language. Each slide will have song lyrics that are an example of the figurative language, and you need to explain what the lyrics mean. Make sure and write the title of the song and the person or band who sang them.

Analogy - a comparison made between two things to show how they are alike. (extended simile or metaphor)

Alliteration – the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words. Example: Shelly sees scrapbooking as a sensational source of pictures.

Hyperbole – an extreme exaggeration (I’m so hungry that I could eat a horse.)

Idiom – a phrase that conveys a meaning different from the exact definition of the words used in it. (You’re driving me up a wall!)

Irony - a contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs. Irony Photos

Metaphor – a figure of speech that compares two things which are basically unlike. (example: Justin is a real bear in the morning.)

Onomatopoeia – the use of words whose sounds imitate or suggest their meaning. (buzz, boom, tick tock)

Personification – giving human qualities to nonhuman objects or beings.

Simile – a comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as”


 * Wednesday 1-8-14**

Finish rough drafts, make sure that I read them and correct them, and start typing them in buhlerdocs.


 * Tuesday 1-7-14**

Students are writing 5-7 clauses about 5 different people who have had a positive influence on their lives. It is a game of Guess Who? Today they worked on the rough drafts.


 * Monday 1-6-14**

Spelling test for the spelling bee. Wrote about the break. Made a list of people who have had an impact on their lives.


 * Wednesday 12-18-13**

Took Explore Test


 * Tuesday 12-17-13**

Watched //It's a Wonderful Life// and talked about all the problem/solutions facing the main character. Make sure that you have mastered the vocabulary list!!! []


 * Monday 12-16-13**

Watched the introduction to //It's a Wonderful Life//. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbSv_ZTgs-M


 * Friday 12-13-13**

[]


 * Thursday 12-12-13**

Write what each phrase or figurative language means

faith of a child

get my wings

two cents worth

flying carpet

plug nickels

boarding house

buzzard

Joe college

dance card

a pox upon me

shaking dust from my feet

your caboose

lasso the moon

fatted calf

two-headed

on his toes

like a firefly

collar button

fifty cents on the dollar

a peach

moss back

ground floor

richer than a bootlegger’s wife

shoot the works

strings on fingers

seed money

bank run

in a pickle

called our loan

like the Waldorf Hotel

local yokels

a boil on my neck

see you in the funny papers

ship has come in

on the nest

playing the market

riff raff

out of town on a rail

cheerio

know you from Adam

pan handling

you must be bats

[]


 * Wednesday 12-11-13**

Reviewed and went over yesterday's worksheet. Completed a subject complement worksheet.


 * Tuesday 12-10-13**

Worked on a worksheet with predicate nouns. Students labeled every word in the sentences.


 * Monday 12-9-13**

Handed in Pop Goes the Verb assignment.

Wrote 6 simple sentences and one compound.

1. Compound sunjects 2. Compound verbs 3. Compound objects of the prepositions 4. Compound direct objects 5. Compound adjectives 6. Compound Predicate adjectives 7. Compound sentence


 * Friday 12-6-13**

Reviewed simple, compound and complex sentences. Then write and number the first 5 sentences of your paper. The sentences need to be perfect.


 * Thursday 12-5-13**

Finished pop goes the verb writing assignment then made a pop can to go with the paper.


 * Wednesday 12-4-13**

Students took a test over linking and action verbs then started pop goes the verb assignment.


 * Tuesday 12-3-13**

Students wrote and identified direct object, predicate nouns, predicate adjectives, and labeled sentences transitive or intransitive.


 * Monday 12-2-13**

Wrote about the break. Took a quiz. Students wrote the following: Transitive and Intransitive sentences. Sentences with a predicate adjective and predicate noun. A sentence with helping verbs.


 * Tuesday 11-26-13**

Took a quiz over action verbs and linking verbs.


 * Friday 11-22-13**

Wrote sentences and identified action verbs, linking verbs, helping verbs, direct objects and predicate nouns and adjectives.


 * Thursday 11-21-13**

Went over the worksheet, and worked on writing different kinds of sentences using and identifying action, linking and helping verbs.


 * Wednesday 11-20-13**

Finished and handed in all assignments then worked on vocab.com.


 * Tuesday 11-19-13**

Finished verb poster and worked on a verb worksheet.


 * Monday 11-18-13**

Finished Verb Poster


 * Friday 11-15-13**

Went to the musical at BHS.


 * Thursday 11-14-13**

Worked on the verb assignment.


 * Wednesday 11-13-13**

Took a short quiz over prepositional phrases. Started an assignment using pages 316-326 on verbs.


 * Tuesday 11-12-13**

Practiced finding prepositional phrases, adjectives, adverbs, subjects, and verbs in sentences. Took a quiz.


 * Monday 11-11-13**

Wrote the first 5 sentences of your paper and made sure the grammar was perfect!


 * Friday 11-8-13**

Finished up figurative language poster assignment and worked on vocab.com

1st period http://vocab.com/classes/gmdnD1qcTxM


 * Thursday 11-7-13**

Make sure and go to YOUR class!!

4th period http://vocab.com/classes/tSMw859OYuN

3rd period http://vocab.com/classes/AogJ6eW9GtQ


 * Wednesday 11-6-13**

Finished worksheet, poster and paper.


 * Tuesday 11-5-13**

Worked on a worksheet.


 * Monday 11-4-13**

Worked on figurative language poster and paper.


 * Thursday 10-31-13**

Worked on figurative language poster project.


 * Wednesday 10-30-13**

Finished parts of speech assignment from yesterday. Make sure you handed the assignment to me. Started a figurative language writing assignment.


 * Figurative Language Poster Project **

1. You are going to make a poster in color. I would encourage you to use colored pencil. You are going to select a thing or product. It may be something or an idea that already exist or you may make up your own.

2. You will use figurative language to make your idea, thing or product appealing. Use the following: Metaphor, Simile, Onomatopoeia, Personification, Hyperbole, Idiom, Irony and Analogy. Write an example of each on your poster and label it correctly.

3. When you are done with your poster, you need to write a story about how your product, thing or idea has changed the life of someone!


 * Tuesday 10-29-13**

Students identified and labeled: 5 prepositional phrases, 5 subject/verb pairs, 3 adjectives, and 4 adverbs from a page of a literature book.


 * Monday 10-28-13**

Finished Squash Cemetery assignment. They are due tomorrow.


 * Friday 10-25-13**

Worked on Squash Cemetery assignment.


 * Thursday 10-24-13**

Typed //Squash Cemetery// papers and identified the prepositional phrases.


 * Wednesday 10-23-13**

Worked on //Squash Cemetery// assignment. We will type the stories Thursday and Friday.


 * Tuesday 10-22-13**

Started the //Squash Cemetery// assignment.


 * Monday 10-21-13**

Students wrote and shared sentences focusing on adjectives and adverbs.


 * Friday 10-18-13**

Students wrote introductions then passed their paper around the class until their paper returned.


 * Thursday 10-17-13**

Wrote sentences and identified prepositional phrases, subjects, verbs, and infinitives. Wrote compound and complex sentences.


 * Wednesday 10-16-13**

Rewrite your papers and change the pronouns to their antecedents. This will sound silly when you are done.


 * Tuesday 10-15-13**

Wrote sentences and identified the pronouns and the pronoun's antecedent.


 * Monday 10-14-13**

Finished noun and pronoun poster project.


 * Thursday 10-10-13**

Finished a worksheet identifying prepositions, subjects, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Students are starting a project on nouns and pronouns.


 * Wednesday 10-9-13**

We wrote sentences and identified prepositional phrases, subjects, and verbs in those sentences. I passed out a worksheet. Students labeled the prepositions and naming words.


 * Tuesday 10-8-13**

Finished Monday's assignment. Practice writing sentences with prepositional phrases and identified prepositional phrases using the white board.


 * Monday 10-7-13**

On a plain piece of computer paper write 15 sentences with 15 different prepositional phrases that go with a picture. On the other side write 15 more sentences with 15 different prepositional phrases, but you will not need to draw a picture. You will have 30 different prepositional phrases. Please carefully check and make sure that you did not use a preposition more than once.


 * Friday 10-4-13**

Narrative papers are due Monday!


 * Thursday 10-3-13**

Worked on our stories. They are due on Monday!


 * Wednesday 10-2-13**

Worked on our stories!


 * Tuesday 10-1-13**

Type your stories. They are due Monday!


 * Monday 9-30-13**

Finish and show me your narrative plot lines. Plot lines for your narrative are due tomorrow.

When finished with plot line, start typing the story.


 * Friday 9-27-13, Thursday 9-26-13 and Wednesday 9-25-13**

Finish the outline for your narrative!

Setting Characters Character descriptions (Describe each character by using 150 words for the main characters 50 words describing minor characters.) Conflict Rising action (Include either foreshadowing or a flashback.) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Climax Falling action 1. 2. Resolution


 * Tuesday 9-24-13**

I want you to start your very own fiction or narrative story.

First I want you to complete the outline below.

Explain each of the following in order:

Setting Characters Character descriptions (Describe each character by using 150 words for the main characters 50 words describing minor characters.) Conflict Rising action (Include either foreshadowing or a flashback.) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Climax Falling action 1. 2. Resolution


 * Monday 9-23-13**

Continue working on the elements of plot assignment on Pages.


 * Friday 9-20-13**

Today we will be working on Pages. Please log into your student folder, so you can save it!!! You are going to create a blank pages document. The first thing that you need to do is change it to legal size! Use all the elements of plot from below. For each you will include 4 items. 1. The element of plot. 2. The definition of the element of plot. 3. An example that you make up. 4. A picture. You will need to be creative and work hard to get everything on the one page. You can do it!
 * Everything will be on the one page!!!**


 * Elements of Plot for a Narrative Story **

Character – a person or an animal in a story, play, or other literary work

Climax – the point in the story that causes the greatest suspense or interest

Conflict – a struggle between opposing forces or characters

Falling action – events occurring after the climax

Flashback – interruption in the present action of a plot to show events that happened at an earlier time

Foreshadowing – the use of clues or hints to suggest events that will occur late in the plot

Resolution – the outcome or the end result

Rising action – the events in the story that occur before the climax

Setting – the time and place that a story occurs

Theme – the general idea or insight about life that a work of literature or writing reveals


 * Thursday 9-19-13**

Work on and presented figurative language presentation. Last Day!!!

Wednesday 9-18-13

Work on and presented figurative language presentation.

Tuesday 9-17-13

Continue to work on the figurative language assignment. We will start presenting them to the class tomorrow!

Use the figurative language link for definitions and examples. The following figurative language will be in the presentation: metaphor, simile, analogy, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, idiom, personification, and irony. Alliteration will be your last one!

Example:

A metaphor is an example of figurative language because a metaphor compares two things that are basically unalike. For example Justin is a real bear in the morning. Another example, Brian was a wall. Therefor Justin in extremely grumpy in the mornings, and Brian bounces every ball back over the net.

Monday 9-16-13

Continue to work on figurative language assignment.

Friday 9-13-13

Continued working on the figurative language presentation using buhlerdocs.

Thursday 9-12-13

Students started figurative language presentations. Use the figurative language link for definitions and examples. The following figurative language will be in the presentation: metaphor, simile, analogy, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, idiom, personification, and irony.

Example:

A metaphor is an example of figurative language because a metaphor compares two things that are basically unalike. For example Justin is a real bear in the morning. Another example, Brian was a wall. Therefor Justin in extremely grumpy in the mornings, and Brian bounces every ball back over the net.

Wednesday 9-11-13

Students finished their interviews, and presented them to the class.

Tuesday 9-10-13

Students worked on their interviews.

Monday 9-9-13

Worked on computers. Made folders for buhlerdocs, checked out this or my website, and all the other computer stuff!