Enjoy this video that plays with language

Costco Connections

For your Costco Connections article that must be filled out individually, some students were asking for some of the post popular articles. Click on the link! Remember that you must choose an article that you haven't read yet.

Should wild animals be used for our entertainment?
Is golf a sport?
Is cash on its way out?
Are vehicle black boxes a good idea?
Are US manufacturing jobs still important to the economy?
Are standardized tests a fair measure of students' achievement?
Should you seek medical advice online?
Should voting be mandatory?

Article of the Week 11

To complete Article of the Week 11, click below or go to Ted.com and search "Why I Love Vultures"

Munir Viraci: Why I Love Vultures

Due dates:

A day: Friday, November 22
B day: Monday, November 25

Article of the Week 10

For Article of the Week 10, you must listen to this Ted Talk and fill out the Article of the Week 10 sheet. You can find the clip by

• going to Ted.com and searching the title (Got a Meeting, Take a Walk)
• By typing the link into your address bar
• Or by clicking on the link below

Got a Meeting? Take a Walk

Not sure what to read?

Ask the Book Seer!

The Giver

We are about to start reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. If you are absent, you need to make up your reading by going to this link here which includes the full text.

The Giver

Free Stuff for Good Grades

There are some companies that will reward students who get A's on their report card. Make sure you call ahead to verify the deal! I can't promise any of these companies will give you anything, but it is worth the try!

• Chuck E. Cheese - Bring in a recent report card with good grades and receive free game tokens.
• Chick-fil-A – Report cards with all A’s and B’s will receive a free 8 piece chicken nugget.
• Pizza Hut – Report cards with 3 A’s or more will receive a free personal pan pizza and drink. Dine in only.
• Krispy Kreme – Get a free original glazed doughnut for each A (up to 6 A’s).
• McDonalds- Free happy meal for report cards with all A’s
• Cheryl & Co Free cookie for every A on report card

• Limited Too.  Limited Too states report cards with passing grades must be brought to a girl’s local Limited Too store within 30 days of when she receives it. The girl will receive $5.00 off her purchase that day. I would assume this will work at Justice, but I would call first.
  Cold Stone Creamery -Get all A’s and you get a free ice cream. Just have your child bring in their report card. This is for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. Only at participating locations.
  McDonald’s : Students with a straight “A” report card get a free Happy Meal (Kindergarten-5th grades) or a free Value Meal (6th-12th grades). Call your local McDonald’s to see if they will participate.
  Wendy’s: Students who received A’s and B’s on their report card and bring it into Wendy’s will receive a delicious report card reward. Not all locations participate.
  Baskin Robbins: Free scoop of ice cream for a good report card.

Submit your writing

TeenInk publishes middle school and high school writer's across the United States. Submit your work and get it published!

TeenInk

Grades Cut Off

This Friday, October 18, grades will cut off. I will not accept any late work after that date. Turn everything in!

Want to win some money?

Here is a scholarship essay writing contest that you might be interested it.

Click here!

Reading Logs

Reading Logs are due:

A day: Oct 21

B Day: Oct 18

Make sure you are reading those five books! Happy reading!

The Outsiders

We are going to begin reading The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. I wish you could all have your own copy, but we only have one class set. If you are absent, here is a link that gives you the full text so you can catch up on your reading.

Click here for the entire book.

Talk about your reading

It is so important that you are continually talking about your reading to those around you. You can talk to parents, friends, teachers, etc. Just talk!

• Tell them about your book and what is happening. 
• Make connection between your book and your own life.
• Ask questions!
• Make predictions.
• How are the characters acting and how are they similar or different from you?
• Do you agree or disagree with what you are reading? And why?

We read and write to communicate ideas. What are those ideas?? What do you think of them? And what do those around you think of them?

Welcome Learners!

Get ready for eight grade English! This year we will be discovering our identities as readers and writers, thinkers and communicators. We will be discovering how each of us as individuals can connect to each other, the world around us, and the texts we are reading. As we work to become life-long readers and learners, we will work to discover what matters to each of us and how reading, writing, and communicating can help us reach our goals.

Materials needed for class include:

1. A writer's notebook (composition or spiral bound)
2. A highlighter
3. Pens and pencils
4. Loose leaf paper
5. Outside reading novels
6. A binder to keep materials organized

Please get an outside reading novel as soon as possible. This can be any book that you would like to read - whatever interests you!

The first book we will be reading as a class is The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. These books will be provided by the school, but if at all possible, it is recommended that parents buy their child a copy of his or her own. This will allow the student to annotate the book, bring it back and forth from school, and develop life long reading habits.

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