Mrs. Simko's Drama, Poetry, Novels, Short Stories
Remember that scary pumpkin a few short weeks ago? Just add whipped cream... Where ever you give thanks to God this holiday, do it with a full heart and in all probability, a full stomach.
Don't forget that your independent reading documentation MUST be completed by participating in book club or taking a test either on Accelerated Reader with Mrs. T. or at www.bookadventure.org and emailing me the results! Your new second quarter deadline is January 15th, so start reading!
"I didn't get it." is NEVER and excuse. DO NOT wait until the last moment to ask for clarification on something we have read or homework that has been assigned. Please come to class prepared and that means taking responsibility and asking for help via e-mail, note, or meeting during study hall or after school!!!!!
Please scroll down to the very BOTTOM for the week in review and special due dates, notices, and information for each grade level.
Fairness: Fairness is NOT equal. Fairness is giving each individual student what he or she needs to meet their full potential. If there is a concern or there is a special need, please do not hesitate to ask. I will help anyone in anyway that I can to succeed in my class.
Simple Survival Suggestions:
o Follow directions carefully as written on study guides or black board.
o Slow down!!! Work seems rushed and done quickly and that may be where the gap in directions is happening.
o Proof read your work using the directions/notes by writing a rough draft if work is not a worksheet.
o Bring home your notebook!!! This is key. Your notebook is basically your text- book. If you don¡¦t finish the notes, tell me and I will get you a copy or come after school for a few minutes to catch up.
o Read notes daily even if there is no assigned homework. This keeps information fresh and cuts down on the time needed to study for quizzes.
o Of course, this means you have to take careful notes. If you need to move closer to see the board better, just let me know or go ahead and move.
o Don't wait until the night before to study or complete work that has been assigned a few days in advance.
o Don't forget to ask questions. This can be done in class, after school, or post on my web site. You can access this by clicking on my name in the classroom section of the school web site. I post assignments, quizzes, activities weekly.
o Don't worry! This causes stress and sometimes we seem to deal with stress by rushing through the work just to get it over with. Remember that there is nothing we can¡¦t get past if we communicate and we are all here to help you.
o Remember that you are capable, intelligent, and loved no matter what, but we will expect your best as well.
If the year's selections are are too challenging for your child due to academic and/or psychological circumstances, please let me know and I can design as well as work with your child using a more amiable selection.
Literature / Independent Reading Guidelines
Due to Standards evaluation, all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students must read a novel independently of school each quarter so start reading!!!
QUARTER 2 ( 6th Grade: Drama, 7th Grade: Drama, 8th Grade: Short Story)
Lesson Plans for the week of November 16th - November 23rd
6th:
Monday
Today we will perform our Liturgical Drama. Don¡¦t forget your costumes and props!
Tuesday:
We will finish our dramas today and discuss the assessment sheet. We will begin our look at the second phase of drama starting in 1600's with the first professional dramas. Discussion and notes are on the agenda!
Wednesday:
We will continue our notes today on the history of dramatic styles and themes and specific authors and contributions from England, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway and back to America!
Thursday:
We hope to finish our notes and prepare for a note check on this section. Our notebook check on this section will perhaps be today, so don't forget your notebooks! We will begin work on vocabulary for Act I of "A Christmas Carol".
Friday:
We will continue work on our vocabulary today and this will be due on Monday, November 30th for correction! We also reviewed our final project for the quarter. This is done individually. Students can either create a diorama depicting a setting from "A Christmas Carol" or rewrite a scene from "A Christmas Carol" that has been updated. Instead of an 1800's counting house, it could be an IT business in Chicago, a stock brokerage in New York, or up-scale restaurant in L.A.; the voices of the spirits can originate from a pc or X-Box...
Monday:
Vocabulary work today and perhaps a READ Magazine is on the agenda or students may need time to work on vocabulary. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!
Long range due dates:
01/07 - Independent Drama Project - Diorama/Scene Rewrite
01/15 - Independent Reading Documentation/Book Club List due
Exit Expectations:
Use effective reading strategies to analyze and evaluate literature for a specific purpose (Understand the need for drama as an integral part of human and historical development and Understand drama as a natural form of self-expression and communication. (religiously, politically, and socially)
Read, interpret language, topic, purpose and point of view using drama to critically analyze literature (Identify the elements of Liturgical Drama)
Read to acquire knowledge through interpretation, identifying main idea, distinguish between generalization and interpretation through Summarizing, paraphrasing, reflecting, and decoding (Create a dramatic performance using the elements of Liturgical Drama)
7th:
Monday:
Today we will correct our vocabulary on "The Governess" by Neil Simon, based on a drama by Anton Chekov: Vocabulary: Substitute a word for the following vocabulary. Please make sure your substitute word matches the part of speech indicated.
excelled - verb, heirloom - noun, guileless - adjective, sympathetic - adjective
inferior - adjective, forbad(e) - verb, blunt - adjective, Rubles - noun, discharged - verb
simpleton - noun, discrepancies - noun, reluctantly - adjective, bafflement - noun, curtsies - noun/verb, spineless - adjective, attitude - noun, engaged - verb, lax - adjective
critical - adjective
We will use the vocabulary, title, information about the author, the date of the original production, the setting, and the characters as listed to predict the play's topic.
Tuesday:
Project work continues today with editing our scripts for our Radio Drama presentations.
Wednesday:
"The Governess" will be dramatized in class today, we will revise our predictions mid-point and analysis questions will be assigned and due Wednesday for discussion. Questions:
1. According to the Mistress, why has the Governess been summoned?
2. How many children does the Governess care for and what are some challenges she faces?
3. How much money does the Mistress finally give Julia?
4. What is the turning point in their conversation?
5. What is the lesson the Mistress wanted to teach Julia?
6. Ironically why was it unnecessary given Julia's past employment experiences?
7. The original story by Chekhov was called "The Nincompoop". Who does that describe in this story and why do you believe this to be true?
8. Explain why Simon is either critical or sympathetic toward Julia and give an example to prove your opinion.
9. What is the meaning behind Julia's facial expression and final words to the Mistress?
10. What insight does this give into human nature on the part of the Mistress?
Thursday
We will continue our work on this drama with characterization by assigning roles and determining costuming. Today we will correct our homework as a class and begin work on staging and designing our set for this piece based on individual visions of the drama as it was read.
Friday:
Today we will wrap up with costumes and casting. The final piece of the stage study portfolio of "The Governess" will be due on Monday. When we get back from Thanksgiving break, we will begin analysis of the radio drama. I will see the 7th grade twice each class today to work on our drama unit for "The Governess".
Monday:
If we get done with the critique before the end of class, we will work on editing our scripts. This is the final class day to get this aspect of your project completed and on to commercials, rehearsals, and gathering props. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!
Long Range due dates:
11/23 - "The Governess" Portfolio is due
01/15 - Independent Reading Documentation/Book Club List Due
Exit Expectations:
Use Effective Reading Strategies such as cause and effect, paraphrasing and summarizing, evaluating literature for a specific purpose, prediction, visualization, and decoding.
Use Knowledge of sentence structure and word structure to understand passages of text and evaluate the usefulness of information with relative accuracy
Read and Interpret literature by identifying defining features of a specific genre, and draw on a broad base of knowledge.
Provide interpretive responses orally and in writing to develop criteria to evaluate the merit of literature and explain critical opinions of text informally and formally (Understand and appreciate the importance of tone and mood for a dramatic production using sound and voice)
Identify common historical, social, and cultural themes and issues in a work of literature to understand human experience by drawing on theme and reflecting/evaluating text
Evaluate themes and main ideas considering audience and purpose (develop an appreciation of Reader¡¦s Theatre as the first form of mass distribution of the dramatic arts for consumption of the general public)
8th:
Monday:
Essays will work as groups to prepare for our test and work on vocabulary for "The Necklace", due tomorrow.
Vocabulary words from our first short story from "The Necklace" are due on Wednesday, November 18th. Please find two definitions or substitute words for the following vocabulary: blundered, caste, peopling, gallantries, inscrutable, covetously, frenzied, homage, volition, impelled, Francs, ruinous, appalled, abject, garret, haggling, shrill, fickle, artisans, wit, and trifled
Tuesday:
We will take our test today and work our vocabulary.
Wednesday:
We will correct our vocabulary for "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant today.
Thursday:
We will read our story today and start our assignment on "The Necklace". This will be corrected Monday. Your vocabulary for our next story, "The Lady and the Tiger" will be due Monday, the 30th for correction. Please find two definitions or substitute words for: poetic justice, galleries, impartial, incorruptible, subordinate, aesthetic, portals, grievous, reveries, gnashed, futurity, deliberation, presume, emanated, retribution, moiety, apple of one's eye, and epithalamia(c)
Friday:
No classes today due to your field trip to Folk Fair! Don't forget that vocabulary will be due Monday, November 23rd.
Monday:
We will correct our work on "The Necklace" and perhaps have time to work on the vocabulary for our next story, "The Lady and the Tiger" by Frank Stockton. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!
Long Range due dates:
01/15 - Independent Reading Documentation/Book Club List Due
Exit Expectations:
Use effective reading strategies such as sentence and work context clues to understand unfamiliar language and clarify text as well as cause and effect.
Use text to find information and gain understanding of point of view.
Select, summarize, and paraphrase passages for specific purposes
Read, interpret and critically analyze literature through identifying defining features such as point of view, character in conflict and draw on a broad base of knowledge to interpret meaning
Read and discuss a work of literature to understand the human experience by evaluating theme considering purpose
Read to acquire knowledge through identifying and explaining information, main idea, interpretation, generalization, comparison/contrast of the modern short story through effect of Horror and Mystery
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Send E-Mail to: simkol@christkingparish.orgCopyright © 2009 Linda M. Simko. All Rights Reserved