Barnes & Noble Poetry Schedule

Hello all and thank you to those of you who replied to my email. This is our tentative schedule. More students may be added over the next couple of days.

Reading times:

5:00 - Meghan J.

5:05 - Megan S.

5:10 - Jade V.

5:15 - Heather

5:30 - Justin

6:00 - Ethan

6:03 - Noah

6:05 - Olivia

6:15 - Hailey

6:20 - Adrienne

6:30 - Fiona

6:35 - Marissa

6:40 - Autumn

7:00 - Karissa

Verbs Venn Diagram for 8th Grade

Here's the graphic from class today. Check out how linking verbs, helping verbs and main verbs overlap.

More 6-Word Stories

Some cool stories from 6-1:

"Yesterday , I knew. Today I don't." - KB

"She grew up, she fell down." - HR

"No, I don't know your dad." - DW

"The nurse says to stay back." - SF

"Earth spreads, but we stay together." - DM

"You're lucky we caught it early." - KD

"She walked till it stopped again." - MJ

Poetry Event

Hello everyone! Welcome to the event page for our Poetry Reading at Barnes & Noble.

Event Details:

Monday, December 8th, 5-8pm
@ Barnes & Noble in Bel Air

Come out to hear our upper school students sharing their amazing poetry. We will be doing live poetry readings and displaying our Blackout Poetry pieces (a type of poetry we've just learned this year which incorporates visual design) all around the store. Bring your friends and family and enjoy some wonderful poetry. Shopping for Christmas gifts? Good news - Barnes & Noble will donate a portion of profits during our event to TLS. Be sure to mention you're there for Trinity's event should you choose to purchase a book. We look forward to sharing our literature with you!

For students who wish to submit a piece:

***Submissions are open to all students from 5th to 8th Grade***

1. Place your poem (written or Blackout) in the "Poetry Submissions" bin in Ms. Johnson's room between now and December 3rd.

2. For written poems: After your poem has been previewed, I will make a copy and return it to you. Rehearse your reading and be ready to share December 8th. For Blackout poems: Submit your poem and we will work on matting the piece for display after approval.

3. Come to Barnes and Noble 12/8 any time between 5 and 8 pm ready to read (or to show off your Blackout poetry). Bring your written poem with you (I'll have a backup copy just in case). If you wish to share your written piece but do not want to read publicly, you may choose another student (or myself) to read it for you.

4. Hang out with friends & family, listen to the poetry of your classmates, and grab a hot chocolate next door from Starbucks! You can come any time between 5 and 8.

If you have any questions, please contact me at ajohnson@tlsonline.org.

6-1 Palindromes

Here are some of the palindromes we made in 6-1 to get ready for Holes. I'm sorry Blogger won't upload them right-side-up, but please enjoy nevertheless.

6-Word Stories

Today in Creative Writing, the 6-2 class learned about 6-word stories - very, very, VERY short stories (only and exactly 6 words long). Then, they created their own. Here are some I'd like to share:


Some things just can't be undone. - MH

Too late, sir. She is gone. - MW

The lullaby stopped, and I cried. - JV

Where she was, no one knows. - DM

High school... then college... then professional. - MS

Wherever you are, stay right there. - GR

The last one: not for sale. - OS

Sorry man, you can't have pencils. - JB

I saw him; then I didn't. - SM

It sounded loud and looked fast. - MV

Green and blue. I'm staying here. - RB

Jade's Website

Hello everyone! I just wanted to share the link to Jade's website. She's got some of her writing on there. Be sure to check it out!

http://onepathtojoy.com/

Bucky's Debut as Captain Hook

Did you guys catch that vocab word? ;)

Here's Bucky, the three-legged wonder, sailing the high seas as Captain Hook:

Blackout Poetry!!!

Wow! I'm super impressed with everyone's blackout poetry. You all did an amazing job. Here are a few highlights:

Our poetry board is filling up nicely :)

"I believe you can do this."

"The lightning bolt was sparkling."

"The majesty of the sea 

comes without warning 

when we cast aside the mystery

and delve into the melody

of the song."

"The lovely men and women

invented a deep personal adornment

of beauty."

""Like the old beauty of a world in real life

We need to know and understand ourselves

so that we can admire and love the people."

Weekend Writing Assignment for 6-1

Due Monday:

Imagine how things might have been different had Lucy chosen to follow Aslan right away instead of going with the other children and the Dwarf. Write a scene or two (about a page; feel free to write more if you'd like) to follow the scene in which Lucy first spots Aslan in Chapter 9. In your scene(s) have Lucy insist on following Aslan regardless of what the other children choose. Imagine what might happen next.

Format: Word or Google Doc

- Double-spaced
- Use spell-check and complete sentences
- Paragraph format (like a story)
- 11-point font

Letters from the Moon to the Sun

Hey guys! Just wanted to post a couple of creative letters I received from your assignment Thursday. I thought these were pretty great - and they really did a nice job of using the right format (a letter). Enjoy!

From 6-2, by J.B.:

Dear Sun,

It’s been so long! I having a great time here near earth. How about you?

Earth and I have been having a blast together. We have planned a ton of moon eclipses for the people on Earth. How is Mercury doing? Is he still on the medication?

So I was thinking we can plan a meeting for us to see each other again. Maybe during our eclipses Earth and I have planned, or maybe I can come over and ask pluto to take over for me? Well anyways, The eclipses are 10 Earth days apart, which is 1 day apart to us. So maybe you can get ready during the day and come over? Also Mars is gonna come and help us with the eclipses. There are gonna be a total of 10 eclipses. Well anyways, if you can come over, please come!

I’m also gonna be hosting the Milky Way Galaxy Awards, which is in a month. Isn’t that cool? Plus, the co-host is Jupiter. Maybe we can win Best system award this year! Hopefully we can. Well, tell everyone i said hi!

Sincerely,

                The Moon

And from 6-1, by K.M.:

hello,its me moon and i just wanted to say our chat yesterday was nice and we should do it again and when are we going to put on the big show when we have that cungunction? also we are having a meating on monday about how mars grew a pimple (plant) and he is worryed that ailens are going to find it...or worse...HUMANS,there devices they call ‘rovers’ are all over us,also earth is sick with pollution so there might be some bad weather down there for the humans,and pluto is still debating about how e is being left out and that he should be a plant too,haily the comet is almost ready to put on her bb show,and i am growing another crader,so we need to remove the plant on mars ASAP. i know we just meet but,i think your are my friend if so send back a note that is not burned please

                                                                                             your friend i think,

                                                                                                            the moon

Creative Writing Assignment 1

Your first short story should be between 150 and 300 words. Remember to use the Microsoft Word Count feature to check your story length.

Please remember to double-space your paper. Also, please use Calibri font, size 11. This should already be your default setting. Standard paragraph format (use the tab button to indent).

Your story prompt:
"The Day the Power Went Out..."

Remember, this is your story. There is a power outage. How devastating this power outage is, where it occurs, and who is involved is up to you. Just remember what we talked about in class about what makes a story a "story" - there needs to be some sort of conflict or problem and a resolution.

I can't wait to read your first story! This is due next week when I see you again for Creative Writing. Please don't print your story out - save it to your computer instead. I will show you how to share it with me electronically next week.

Study Guide Final

Rule 1: Keep calm and study on.

Don't sweat the final; as long as you review your grammar notes and pay close attention in class next week as we review, you'll be okay. :)

There will be three parts to your final:

Part I
You will be given a short story to read. After reading the story you will be asked to identify the literary elements.
- Theme (be prepared to explain your choice)
- Conflict (be prepared to explain your choice)
- Identifying Characters (protagonist, antagonist, static, dynamic)
- Setting
- Plot (summarize with our 5-point plot method)

Part II
You will be asked to identify certain parts of a sentence. Be ready to identify:
- Complete subjects
- Complete predicates
- Prepositions
- Pronouns
- Conjunctions
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- Action verbs and direct objects (together)
- Helping and linking verbs
- Independent and dependent clauses

Part III
You will need to rewrite several sentences correctly. Some of the sentences will include capitalization mistakes. Others will be run-on sentences and you will need to show your knowledge of comma use. You will need to rewrite a few sentences using the singular or plural possessive forms, and you will be required for some sentences to fill-in-the-blank with a verb in the correct tense.

*The best way to study for your final is to review the past 3 Grammar quizzes you've had. The questions will be verrrrrry similar.*

As always, if you have any questions, please comment or send me an email.

Writing Prompt/Grammar Quiz

Hey everyone! First, let me just say that I was really impressed last night at our Spring program. You all did such an awesome job!

Your writing prompt for this week (due Monday):
Write a story in past tense. Somewhere in your story, you must incorporate the following:
1. A person named Jack
2. Cupcakes
3. Diamonds
* Please remember to keep your word count under 250. Check previous posts for formatting.
** Also, remember that this time, you won't be turning in a rough draft. What you hand in will be your one and only draft. Remember that it is a test grade and I'm looking for correct format, grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.

Grammar quiz this Friday:
- Anything we've had on our previous quizzes is fair game
- Verb tenses (using the correct form of the verb for past, present, and future tenses)
- Subject - verb agreement
- Commas

Study for Grammar

What's on tomorrow's assessment?

- Anything from our first assessment is fair game (subject/predicate, prepositions, capitalization, run-on sentences, possessive nouns)

- Helping verbs

- Linking verbs

- Verb tenses

Linking Verbs + Portfolio Info

Sorry for the delay, everyone. As Kyle says... I have the memory of a goldfish.

Today's assignment:
Draw a line under the linking verb in each sentence.

1. The animal shows are my favorite exhibit.
2. The farmers seem friendly.
3. The animals look healthy.
4. The judges are experts.
5. One judge is a farmer.
6. He appears knowledgeable about the animals.
7. Sheila seems quite skilled.
8. Her sewing appears perfect.
9. The dress is a blue ribbon winner.
10. Hans and Jody are relaxed, too.

After we check our work, we'll be talking about... dun dun dunnnn... VERB TENSES!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!

So. Onto portfolios. Here's a list of what you should have in your portfolio (remember, portfolio check is tomorrow):
1. Fantasy story (1 draft)
2. Heater story (2 drafts)
3. Donkey story (2 drafts)
4. Crisis (president) story (2 drafts)
5. Island story (1 draft)

Finally, here's what I've been promising I'd post regarding the header format for your stories. You don't have to make an actual "header" - what I'd like you to do instead is:
1. Make sure your text is aligned to the LEFT.
2. First line - type your name.
3. Second line - type the class (Language Arts A or Language Arts B).
4. Third line - type the date.
5. Fourth line - CENTER your text alignment for the title.
6. After you've included your title, hit enter for the next line, re-align your text to the left, and begin your story.

I'll be showing you how to follow these steps in class today. I do expect the final draft of your Island story to follow this format. Here's a picture of what it will look like (click to enlarge the picture):

Homework 5/6

Main Verbs and Helping Verbs

Part I: Draw one line under the helping verb. Draw to lines under the main verb. 

1. We have met every day after school.

2. Other students are planning their acts.

3. Everybody is making fancy costumes.

4. Sandy has made a decision.

5. She shall enter the contest without a partner.

6. She is performing a solo act.

7. We can meet in the afternoon.

8. Justin and I could use more practice.

Part II: Copy the following list of common linking verbs in your grammar notes. We will discuss linking verbs tomorrow. 

am
is
are
was
were
will be
seem
appear
look
taste
smell
feel

Homework 3/5

Verbs with Direct Objects: At the Dog Show

Draw one line under the action verb and two lines under the direct object.

1. A beagle shows her hunting skills.

2. Each owner wants the best prize.

3. Elaine brings dog biscuits.

4. The pets love the treats.

5. They all wag their tails.

Complete each sentence with a direct object.

1. We enter the ___________________.

2. Elaine pats a frightened _______________________.

3. Susan brushes a _______________________.

4. The judge announces the _________________________.

5. A sheepdog wins the __________________________.

Grammar Questions 4/29

Howdy, y'all. Here are tonight's homework questions for our Using Possessive Nouns unit:

Write each sentence. Change each underlined phrase to include a possessive noun.

1. The safety habits of the students should be perfect.
2. The students listen to the opinions of adults.
3. The comments of the visitors are helpful.
4. The hands of many pupils are raised now.
5. The work of the hall monitors improves safety in our school.
6. The principal reminds students to use the office of the nurse.
7. The goals of the assembly have been met.

Grammar Assessment

Just a few quick reminders/announcements -

1. Remember to be working on your book report.
2. Your two story drafts will be returned to you next Monday. We will not be writing a story this
    week.
3. Your Grammar Assessment is this Friday.

So... what's going to be on the Grammar assessment?

Some "old stuff" that we've been talking about all year:
1. Subjects and Predicates
2. Prepositions
3. Capitalization
4. Fixing run-on sentences

AND

Some "newer stuff" from this week:
5. Possessive Nouns (singular and plural)

What will it look like?

You will identify the subjects/predicates/prepositions for a few sentences.
You will fix the capitalization and basic punctuation of a few incorrect sentences.
You will fix a few run-on sentences by rewriting them.
You will incorporate possessive nouns, both singular and plural, into sentences.

There will be a total of 20 questions. Each question is worth multiple points. Look over your grammar notes. We will be reviewing in class.

Stranded on an Island

Your word limit for this story is 500 words. Please, please, please remember to double-space. This is due when we return from spring break.

Writing Prompt:

You are fortunate to be alive. On the way to a very expensive field trip to research wildlife in the South Pacific, your class crash-landed on a deserted tropical island. There were only students on the plane, and the pilot, unfortunately, was ejected from the plane somewhere above the ocean. The only things you have are your suitcases, which contain all of the normal things you'd take on vacation. Remember, no weapons are allowed on a plane.

What happens on the island? Which students emerge as leaders? Who is helpful to your group? What efforts do you make to survive/be rescued? Please try to include everyone in your class and what role he/she plays on the island.

Book Report Project

WOW, guys. I can't believe we're already on our last official book of the school year!

Your Book Report project is due Friday, May 23rd.

Book choice
- Please make sure you book is school appropriate. That means no excessive violence, inappropriate content, etc.
- Your book should be somewhere around 180 pages. 150 is the absolute minimum. There is no maximum - just make sure you choose wisely and budget your time accordingly.
- "Can it be a book I've read before?" - Because we're going to be using this project to take a very in-depth look at the story you read, yes. But you will most likely need to re-read your book in order to effectively complete the assignment.

Identifying Literary Elements
Your report will need to identify the following literary elements in the story you choose:

1. Theme - Identify the theme of your story and briefly explain why that's the theme you chose.

2. Setting - Include location and time.

3. Main characters - Identify the main protagonist, the main antagonist, and give an example of a static character and a dynamic character.

4. Conflict - Identify the main conflict that drives the story.

5. Plot - Summarize the plot by identifying (1 sentence each) the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement. We will talk more about these elements during class - don't worry! :)

The Work (dun dun dunnnn!)
There are two parts to this project. Part 1 is Identifying Literary Elements. Part 2 is an oral presentation.You have a few options for Part 1 of your book report.

Options for Part 1:

1. Video News Report
Present your information via a "news broadcast." You can feature your friends/family if their parents give you permission. Get creative! Maybe... have a Plot segment instead of Sports? :) And, yes, this project still requires you to give us the information in person for your oral report.

2. Book in a Box
Redecorate a cereal box to advertise your story. The box must include all of the Literary Elements, so take time to plan the layout of your box. Example: Instead of listing ingredients on the side, list the main characters and the static/dynamic characters.

3. Book Report Sandwich
Make a 3D representation of your story by turning into a sandwich! Nommmm! The top slice of bread should contain the title of the book and the author's name. Then the rest of your sandwich should identify the literary elements. For example, the lettuce should contain the plot summary, the tomato slice should contain the main characters, etc. If you use paper, be sure to staple your sandwich together!

4. Newspaper Front Page
*This must be typed*
Using a template from Word or from the Web, create a news story about your book by dedicating the first page of a newspaper to the story. You will need to identify the literary elements using different newspaper columns, "photographs," etc. Suggestions: Use a date that fits in with the setting of the story; draw/scan pictures of the characters as you imagine them; conduct imaginary character interviews and type them up into columns...

Grading
Your rubric is as follows (total of 100 points):

Part 1 - Identifying Literary Elements
Theme - 10 pts.
Setting - 10 pts.
Characters - 8 pts.
Conflict - 10 pts.
Plot summary - 20 pts.
Name on project - 2 pts.
Creativity - 10 pts.

Part 2 - Oral Presentation
Preparedness - 5 pts.
Eye Contact - 5 pts.
Speaking (be loud and clear!) - 10 pts.
Logical Order (we'll talk about this in class) - 10 pts.

If you're reading this before we discuss it in class, don't stress. I will be going into detail during class. :)

Thursday, 3/20

Hello all.

We're going to do things differently this week regarding our weekly creative writing assignment. For now, please hold on to the "donkey" stories, and be sure to have them tomorrow (I will definitely be there!!!).

Since it's the craziest week of the school year, and you've got show nights up until Sunday, I do not expect you to write a short story over the weekend. Instead, let's complete it in class today. Don't forget about the length requirements!

Today's writing prompt:

A national crisis has forced our government to look for a very special leader. It's a Tuesday morning, you've just finished your Eggos and are in the middle of brushing your teeth when a Secret Service agent arrives at your home. She informs you that you've been elected to be the President of the United States of America, effective immediately.

In today's short story, tell me what the crisis is, how you plan to help resolve the crisis, and anything else you plan to do as president.

If everyone finishes their stories, you may print them out and play a round of Sparkle for Units 12 and 13.
6A Sparkle leader - Anna
6B Sparkle Leader - Patrick

See you all tomorrow.

Writing Portfolio Info/Assignment for 3/17

Hello everyone,

Your portfolios should be in the following format:

- A section in your binder (remember to use a hole-puncher for your stories)
 OR
- A folder

I will be completing portfolio checks periodically to ensure that you are keeping up with it. During these checks I will be looking to see that you have all of your assigned stories in the right place.

For the first six portfolio assignments, this is how grading will work:
1. You will be given a creative story prompt on the blog on Fridays to be completed over the weekend. The story will be due the following Monday (for a completion grade). It will need to follow the same format as my previous post - same font, spacing, etc. ***Please remember to keep the story between 150-250 words (250 maximum).
2. I will return your stories to you on Wednesday. You will have until Friday to edit your story and make any corrections I've noted. Then you will hand your final draft in on Friday, which I will grade for grammar, spelling, sentence structure, etc.

For the remaining portfolio assignments, your stories will be assigned on Fridays, and final drafts (to be graded for grammar, spelling, etc.) will be due the following Tuesday. I will not correct your first draft and hand back to you for these pieces.

Your new creative writing assignment (due Monday, 2/17) is to write a story based on the picture below. Remember that a story needs a conflict and a resolution, even when it's short! Have fun!

Grammar Assignment AND Creative Writing Assignment

Helllloooooooo!

Tonight's assignment is below. Feel free to print this out if you'd like, or you may write your sentences on a separate sheet of paper. ***Please see instructions for your new creative writing assignment AFTER the grammar questions.***

Run-On Sentences A run-on sentence is a sentence with at least two independent clauses (complete thoughts) which are forced together instead of being properly connected.

To correct these sentences, you have several options:
 1) Separate clauses using punctuation.

2) Separate clauses using a conjunction.

3) Rearrange the sentence (you may add or remove words).

Run-on sentence: He put on some sunscreen, the sun was so extremely hot, and he
wanted to go inside.
  "He put on some sunscreen"  1st clause

"the sun was so extremely hot"  2nd clause

"he wanted to go inside"  3rd clause

Corrected sentence: He put on some sunscreen because the sun was extremely hot. He
wanted to go inside.
  In the corrected sentence, we separated the 1st and 2nd clauses using the conjunction "because", and we removed the word "so". We also separated the 2nd and 3rd clauses using a period.

Note: Just because a sentence is long does not necessarily mean it is a run-on. Some long sentences are grammatically correct, while some short sentences are run-ons.

Note: Simple, short sentences are the easiest to read and understand!

Directions: try to correct the following run-on sentences.

1. My mother and father and sister are coming to dinner tonight.



________________________________________________________________________
 2. I like learning English it makes me tired.



________________________________________________________________________

3. My sister was taller than me when we were young now I am the tallest it is fun.



________________________________________________________________________
 4. I love school, I love learning, my teacher is nice.



________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
 5. I don’t want much for Christmas just some chocolates and a little toy car.



________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
 6. Blue is my favorite color it is the color of the sky and the sea and it reminds me of my favorite insect which is the butterfly.



________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
 7. When I get older I want to have a big family I like big families.



________________________________________________________________________
 8. We usually leave at 11:00 but today is different we are leaving at 10:30.



________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
 9. I like Tuesdays and Wednesdays and I like Fridays because the weekend starts on Friday.



________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
 10. We should get moving there’s no time to waste.



_____________________________________________________________________

****************************************************************************

Creative Writing: Portfolio Piece 2
DUE Monday, March 10th (print before class)

Length:  150 words

Format: 11 point font, Calibri
              Standard margins
              Double-spaced

Prompt: You know that noise we hear coming out of the heating unit in our classroom? The weird  
              one that randomly sounds like there's a creature trapped inside, or maybe a small army of
              imaginary people? Tell me what it is. I'd like to know who or what is in there, what it's
              called, why it's there, and what it's doing. Be as descriptive as you can - tell me what it
              (or they) look like.

Grading: Appropriate length (around 150 words) - 10 pts
               Creativity - 10 pts
               Correct format - 6 pts
               Grammar - 10 pts
               Spelling - 10 pts
               Final draft (to be completed after corrections) - 4 pts

*Please double-check your paper for punctuation, run-on sentences, sentence fragments, correct capitalization, and so on!*
              
              

Mad Libs!

Hello everyone! Let's review parts of speech again today with a Mad Libs activity.

Here are the instructions for your packet:

1. Write a short story on the First Draft sheet (approx. two paragraphs).

2. Using the second page (I've listed the clues for you), find ten words which fit the clues and highlight them. For example:

Your first part of speech (or "clue") is an adjective. Find the first adjective in your story and highlight it.
Your second clue is a noun. Find the first noun in your story and highlight it.
Keep going until you've highlighted all the clues and have all the parts of speech on the clue list.

4. Rewrite your story on the Final Draft page - but leave the words you've highlighted in your first draft out of the story. Instead, keep those spaces blank.

5. Pair up with a classmate and, on a separate sheet of paper, have your friend supply ten words that match the clue list (an adjective, a noun, and so on). You will do the same thing for your friend. (Everyone has the same clue list so you can just look at your clue list to make up the words.) Then fill out your final draft page with your friend's words and give it to your friend to read. Now everyone's got a silly story to share. :)

Creative Writing Assignment Tuesday, 2/25

Please bring your creative writing assignment tomorrow. The required length is three paragraphs. Choose from the following:

1. You have stumbled upon a wand and an instruction manual. You can do pretty much anything with this magical device, but it is probably best to keep it semi-secret for the time being. Describe your first couple of weeks with this new found life hack.

2. You live in a world where cars are obsolete because griffins take everybody around (starting around 1990). How does this change traffic patterns and roads? Are you still late to school or work because of your "vehicle?"

3. The world you live in is essentially the same...present day, same technologies...except everybody lives in castles and is trying to work their way up to knighthood (including women). Detail a typical day in your life.

4. You must go on a quest to save the world from impending doom! What do you bring, who do you bring with you, and what is this evil presence that is threatening the planet?

5. You wake up in the morning and you have become a centaur. Are you the only one? How are you going to go to work or school like this? What changes have occured in your life after this transformation.

6. You are taking your dog for a walk when he starts talking to you. In fact, all the animals in the world have just become extremely conscious and have begun talking to their masters. How does this change things? A new civil rights movement, perhaps?

7. Create your own fantasy world using any of the following elements: magic, elves, secret dungeon, a captured prince, and a self-replenishing bag of gold.

8. During a tornado, your house flies away "Wizard of Oz" style and ends up in a fantastical realm. Where is it and how do you go about your quest to get home?

Grammar Video

Hello all! It's the Rainbow Unicorns here with all the info you need for your grammar video, which is due on TUESDAY, FEB. 18.

The video your group makes must:
1. Include the following information we've learned about complete sentences:
     - The subject of a sentence is who or what the sentence is about (the nouns). Multiple subjects =
        a compound subject.
    - The predicate tells what the subject is or does (the verbs). Multiple predicates = a compound
       predicate.
2. Give examples of the information above.
3. Be at least one minute long. (Please, no longer than 4 minutes.)
4. Include a song or a rap being sung/performed by one or all of the group members.

Remember, your video can feature your group members, puppets, animations, anything. Be creative! Also, please remember to let me know if your group needs to use the school video camera. We will have class time to work on this project, but I encourage you to get together with your friends outside of school and film this at home with all of your awesome devices and software. Show us what you can do!

You will be graded on:
1. Grammar Rules/Examples (Did you explain the subject/predicate rules well? Does the audience now understand what subjects and predicates are?)
2. Song or rap component
3. Length
4. Creativity
5. Teamwork

Have fun!

"Stuff to know" for Cleo...

I. Review the characters (your crossword puzzle is a good resource!)
II. Things to think about:
     A) Why Cleo thought she'd be a good ruler//Why the Egyptians hated Ptolemy
     B) What Cleo disliked about the Appian Way
     C) Why Egypt thought Alexander the Great was the Messiah
     D) How Cleopatra disguises herself when she visits the village
III. Be SURE you've read the whole book AND the Epilogue (you don't need to have read all the extra "stuff" in the back, just the story and Epilogue). You will be asked to put parts of the plot into chronological order.
IV. We will review again tomorrow, as well as discuss the major literary elements of the story (plot, theme, etc.)