Wednesday1-15

Spring 2014with Mrs. Adams

What we are going to do…

O We will spend about 6 weeks on a research unit where you will research a culture and compose a 3-5 page research paper complete with 3 sources and present your research findings to the class.

O We will read the novel, The Giver, as a class and create mini-projects as a group. You will also present these projects to the class.

O We will spend about 4 weeks on informational text where you will analyze directional and informational texts.

What you need to do…O You will need a fresh, new notebook for this semester, so

try and get this by the end of the week.O You have about 20 weeks to prove that you are ready to

move on to the 8th grade, so work hard as it will pay off!!O You need to stay on top of all of your assignments and

turn everything in, on time.O Focus on this class in this class; leave your drama,

attitude, issues, etc. outside. When you are in this classroom, I want you worried about this class and its contents.

O If you do not understand something, you need to come and get help. I will be here on Thursdays and Fridays after school to help you in any way that I can. I want you to succeed in my class and move on to the 8th grade ready to succeed there as well. I will do whatever I can to help you succeed.

Rules/ Expectations…O Respect EVERYONE in this classroom

(yourself, your peers, and your teacher).O Trash will be thrown away on your way out,

not in the middle of class.O If you need tissue, ask me; do not get up in

the middle of class to get a piece of tissue.O Sharpen your pencils on your way in or out.O Turn in work on time. Late work will only be

accepted for partial credit for one week after the assignment was originally due.

O All quizzes can be retaken once, but only for one week after the original quiz took place.

Thursday/Friday1-16—1-17

1. Set-up Notebooks (15 minutes)2. Comparatives and Superlatives (30

minutes)a) Notesb) Practice

3. Research Vocabulary (30 minutes)4. What is Research? (25 minutes)5. Research Essay Prompt (20 minutes)

First …(on the front cover)

OWrite your full name (first and last)

OWrite your subject/ period

OWrite teacher’s name/ room number

NAME (FIRST LAST)

SCIENCE/ PERIOD

MISS FLORES/ ROOM #

Next, add your title page

SUBJECT

Name (First and Last)Period

*Feel free to decorate this page

Next, add in the Table of Contents

Table of ContentsDate Assignment Page

#

Skip a few blank pages (2-4) for your table of

contents

How to set up your notebook …

1L 1R

Label the left side “1L” and the right side “1R” in the center of bottom

margin

How to set up your notebook …

1L 1R

Date:

Make sure you put the date on each new page

Date:

How to set up your notebook …

1L 1R

Title

Make sure you title your page and underline it in the center

top margin

Date:Title Date:

Setting Up Your Glossary Section…Carefully count out 7 full pages or 14

half pages backwards from the contacts section

12

…

34

…

1314

Label page 14 “A” at the top and “B” at the bottom. Then, continue through

the alphabet until you get to Z.

CA

B D

…

YW

ZX

Comparatives and Superlatives (1R)

• Comparatives are used to compare 2 things or people.– Example: She is nicer

than Betty.• Superlatives are used to

compare 3 or more things or people.– She is the nicest person I

know.

Comparatives Superlatives

Compares 2 3 or more

1 syllable -er -est

2 syllables and ends

in “y”

-ier -iest

2 or more syllables

MoreLess

MostLeast

Superlatives and Comparatives (page 1R)

One syllable adjectives Comparative: add er (cheaper) Superlative: add est (the cheapest)

One syllable adjectives ending in 'e' Comparative: add r (nicer) Superlative: add st (the nicest)

One syllable adjectives ending in consonant - vowel - consonant Comparative: add consonant + er (hotter) Superlative: add consonant + est (the hottest)

Two syllable adjectives ending in 'y' Comparative: replace 'y' with ier (happier) Superlative: replace 'y' with iest (the happiest)

Two or more syllable adjectives Comparative: add more / less (more / less beautiful) Superlative: add the most / the least (the most / least beautiful)

Irregular adjectives good - better - the best bad - worse - the worst far - further - the furthestFun – more fun – the most fun

Superlatives and Comparatives (page 1L)

1. Wayne thinks it would be ____ to go to Colorado than Oregon. (fun)

2. Florida is ____ south you can go in the United States. (far)3. She wants to be ____ than her sister at soccer. (good)4. He is the ____ behaved student at our school. (bad)5. Chelsea is the ___ friend I have. (odd)6. I think the pink necklace is ____ than the black one. (elegant)7. Ken tries hard to be the ____ player on our team. (good)8. Jake had the ____ in kindergarten because he didn’t have any

homework. (fun)

Comparatives and Superlatives Homework (Worksheet—tape to page 1L)

Next, you are going to complete a ½ sheet worksheet. You may write on this sheet, and I want you to tape it to page 1L (on top of the practice you just did with your partner). This is homework and will be checked on Tuesday/ Wednesday.

(2R) Research Vocabulary

• Since we will be spending the next 6 weeks on research, it is important that you know the academic language that goes with it.

(2L) Research Vocabulary Copy each of the words and definitions below.

1. in-text citations- n. the citation in the writing

2. Thesis statement- n. a statement that states what the entire essay will be about.

3. Factual evidence- n. proof that can be proven

4. Fact- n. something that is true and can be proven

5. Opinion- n. a person’s thoughts6. Concrete evidence- n. solid proof7. Bibliography- n. list of sources

that you used to get your information

8. Transitions- n. sentences that move on to the next paragrah

9. Hook- n. 1st sentence of an essay that grabs the reader’s attention

10. Support- n. evidence 11. Statement- n. claim; what you are talking about12. Paraphrase-v. to summarize 13. Sources- n. where you get your information from14. MLA format- n. the format and method for giving credit to your sources15. Prompt- n. what you have to write your essay about16. Research- v. to find information about a specific subject17. Source cards- n. a card where you record your sources18. Quotation marks- n. used to give credit to others’ work

What is research? (page 2R)O What is research?O When you gather information about one single idea.O When you look at sources to get the information that

you need.O A project to find new information.O Based on facts about a topic or subject.O Steps…1. Brainstorm and pre-write2. Find sources (websites, books, etc.)3. Takes notes on the information4. Start typing/writing (in-text citations)5. Edit, rewrite, finalize (bibliography)6. Present your findings/ turn in paper

What is research? (page 2R)O I want you to take about 3 minutes

to come up with 4 or 5 steps that everyone should follow when conducting research.Think of the steps you took in writing your research paper last year and the steps that you will be taking to write your research paper this year.

(page 2R) What is Research?

O Getting more information about a topicO To search for info that you don’t already knowO Looking on the internet or in books for infoO Using resourcesO Use citations and give credit to the authorSteps to Research1. Pre-write and plan out your essay2. Find resources3. Read and take notes4. Write drafts5. Edit and finalize6. Bibliography

What is Research? 9 Steps to Follow When Conducting Research…O STEP 1: Formulate your question O STEP 2: Get background information O STEP 3: Refine your search topic O STEP 4: Consider your resource options O STEP 5: Locate your materials O STEP 6: Analyze your materials (notes)O STEP 7: Organize and write O Step 8: Revise your writingO STEP 9: Compose your bibliography

Research Structure (2R)

O You usually write a research essay on a general or broad topic (a larger topic) and then break that down into narrow topics to support your larger idea.

O Chezlette is my research topic (very broad, general, or large)

O Traditions, Religion, Food, and Location are more narrow, specific, or small subtopics to give more information about my larger topic.

O These subtopics can be broken down even further to provide even more information. Example: Religion can be broken down to Christianity, Islam, and Voodoo.

Research Structure (page 2R)

O Broad to narrow and back to broad

7th Grade Research Paper

•For this paper, you will need to examine a culture that you are unfamiliar with. You will become an investigative reporter and learn everything you can about your culture and its (1) food, (2) religion, (3) traditions (music, dance, art, etc.), (4) location, and (5) school system.

Requirements for your paper: It must be 3-5 pages in length, using formal writing style and proper MLA

format (including citations). You must incorporate material from at least 3 resources into the body of

your report.• (One of these sources must be a book or encyclopedia.) In your first paragraph, you will introduce your culture; tell what you

already know about this culture and what interests you have in that culture. (this and the last paragraph are the only paragraphs where you will use first person pronouns)

In multiple paragraphs, you must give a complete report of the information you gathered about your culture. You must write about the five aspects listed above: food, religion, traditions, location, and the school system.

In your final paragraph, you must draw conclusions. What did you learn (about the culture, yourself, the world you live in, etc.) from your research?

You must have a properly written Bibliography page (this does not count in the 3-5 requirement).

Remember…OWe will be spending a lot of time in the next few weeks in the computer lab/ with the laptop carts conducting research, and it is up to you to use your time wisely and keep yourself on track to finish your research paper. 

OI will bring in books about your cultures, which you can use during our research time, but these books will NOT be available to take outside of the classroom.

OAt the end of this research unit you will be presenting your research findings to the class, so make sure you are educating yourself on your culture as you go.

NO Ifs, ANDs, or BUTs!!!!!!!!ODue Date: Thursday, February 20th/ Friday, February 21st

OPresentations will take place the week after: February 24th—February 28th.

O If you wake up sick that day, you need to email your final draft to me or send it to school with a friend or parent!!!!!

Graphic Organizer for Culture Research Paper Prompt: You have been given an unfamiliar culture to research. Find out all you can about the food, religion, music, location, and school system of your culture.

Culture (what is the name of your culture?) _______________________________

Where (location? What are the neighboring cities, oceans, etc.? What continent(s) are people of your culture located? Population?)-____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Traditions (what role does music, dance, art, or any other tradition play in your culture? What are the types of music/instruments? Art? Dance?)-_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Food (What kinds of food do the people eat? Specific types/food groups/etc? Traditional Foods?)-_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Religion (What God or Gods do these people believe in? Are religious at all? Is there more than one type of religion practiced there? Are people free to follow any religion?)-________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

School System (How long do they go to school for—including years and hours per day? What are the major subjects they learn? Do they have to learn English?)-__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(page 2L) ResearchO Tape the research prompt and

graphic organizer to page 2L on top of the vocabulary.