Interesting Article

Northeast Ohio College Prep fires athletic director following 107-point loss to Gilmour

Please read and comment on this article in this padlet.

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Injustice Book Assignments

Students have been given their book and group assignments and are doing preliminary research on the injustices in their books.  We are asking parents to sign a letter acknowledging the cost of each of the assigned books in case students lose them.  We are short on some books, so all donations are welcome!  Please make checks payable to Culbreth Middle School if you would like to donate money for us to buy more books for our injustice unit.

Thank you so much for your support.

Another Snow Day!

I hope everyone is safe and warm today!

For those of you in need of reading material, here are some practice readings and questions that I am planning to do in class this week. Check out the first selection, "Song." Does anybody else feel a strong connection to the second stanza?

Practice passages and questions for English II - for those who need a little more challenge!

New Reading Log Responses
The following are additional responses that you can use for your reading logs. After reading, write practice comprehension questions based on your reading using the following formats:

1. Which detail in the selection supports the development of the central idea? RL.8.1, 8.2; textual evidence/central idea
2. Which statement summarizes the selection? RL.8.2; textual evidence/summary
3. According to the selection, what did the ____ seek from the ____? RL.8.3, analyze/character/meaning of text
4. Based on the sentences below, what does _____ mean? L.8.4 analyze words in context
5. In the sentence below, what is conveyed by comparing ____ to ____? L.8.5 interpret figures of speech/analyze word choice
6. In the sentence below, why did ____ feel ____? RL.8.6; analyze/character’s point of view
7. What do the sentences below reveal about the character?  RL.8.6; analyze/ character’s development

Update for students who have to make up their missed reading logs 
Those of you who owe me reading time during study hall can make up some of that time by reading today. Here's how:

1) Read your independent reading book (or read the sample selections posted above) for up to 40 minutes today.
2) Do two reading responses on your Make-Up reading log.
3) Show me your reading log tomorrow in class.
4) Email me if you have questions.

Suggestions for Reading Responses

Some students have asked me for suggestions for their at-home reading logs.  Here are some responses that you can use:

Suggestions for Reading Responses

Introduction to Injustice

This week we will be previewing the historical injustices that form the topics our books for the Injustice Unit. Some of these injustices include the Holocaust, Civil War in Sierra Leone, US Civil Rights Movement, Iranian Revolution, and more. Understandably, this is sensitive material. We anticipate that our students will approach this information scholastically, with careful consideration of others’ experiences. While students’ may have some prior knowledge about these historical injustices, they are not expected to be experts. As we learn about these events through research and through the characters and accounts in our books, students will be encouraged to seek to understand with open-mindedness.

Parents, it is our intention to have students learn about these events honestly and maturely. Please understand that many of these events contain tragic and horrific circumstances, and while we do not wish to inappropriately overexpose students to atrocities, it would also be an educational disservice to minimize the magnitude of such events. As always, parents and students alike, please reach out to me should you have any concerns.

Super Bowl Sunday Reading

I hope everyone is enjoying Super Bowl Sunday. Here's an article that seems relevant to our discussion of generalizations and stereotypes this week:

Warren Moon, Who Helped Clear Way for Black Quarterbacks, Recalls His Struggles

Also, this is a just reminder that reading logs are due tomorrow for 1-3rd periods and Tuesday for 6th and 7th periods.

Have a great Sunday!

Injustice Unit

Today we finished our Follow Your Dream unit. The students and I have enjoyed this unit and they have done a wonderful job with their Career Infographics, presentations, and interviews.

I sent home Performance Series scores today.  Please talk to your child about his or her scores and let me know if you have questions.

Reading logs were also sent home yesterday and today and are due on Monday. Students need to read for 20 minutes a day for 5 days and complete a brief  response to their reading. Students are encouraged to use the "Suggested Learning Objectives" from the Performance Series reports to help them in their reading responses.

Tomorrow we start our literature circle/research unit on injustice. Ms. Crawford, our student intern, will be teaching the unit this week. Here is a note from Ms. Crawford related to this unit:

Injustice Unit

We are excited to be starting a new unit on injustice. Students will be exploring concepts of injustice, stereotypes, and the escalation of hate. For this unit, students will be in literature circles, reading a book that features a historical injustice. The literature circles will help students work together to improve their reading comprehension skills.

A series of research assignments will prepare students for their culminating assignment. They will present a speech in which they address the United Nations, informing them that an injustice has occurred, making recommendations for what should be done. The injustice they report will be the one presented in their book, which they will have researched throughout the unit.

I am excited about this unit for a number of reasons; I believe everyone will be challenged academically and intellectually. I hope it encourages students to consider what role they play in preventing and responding to injustices in the world, as they learn to become socially and culturally enlightened contributors to our community and beyond.

Please email me with any questions you have!

Ms. Crawford, ccrawford@chccs.k12.nc.us