Today was the first day of our SAGE Writing test. If you were gone, you will start tomorrow.

Dear Parents & Guardians,

As you may know, your student has been preparing to take the end of year writing test. We have been working hard in class to make sure that each student has the writing skills necessary to not only do well on the test, but be a successful writer in the future. But some students are still nervous about the test or their ability to perform well.

Some students may want additional practice to prepare for the SAGE Writing assessment. If that is the case, here is a link and instructions for the SAGE practice exam.
To access these tests click here: http://sageportal.org/training-tests/
-Select "Training Tests"
-Sign in as a guest user. (First Name and SSID should both be "GUEST")
-The next page should ask "is this you?" Select grade 7 and click "Yes"
-Choose "Start Writing Grades 6-8"
-Select your settings on the next page
-Click "Yes, Start My Test"
-If a page comes up saying that text to speech is not available, don't worry. Click "Continue"
-Finally you can click "Begin Test Now"

Taking the practice test is not necessary, but it will help your student get used to the format of the test.

I can analyze a writing prompt, read, outline, and write infomationally.

Today we worked on getting ready for the SAGE Test which we will start on Monday. Please use the Power Point and notes below to help you know what to do when we start testing. Afterward, do the practice test provided.

Follow the steps for on demand writing (Purple Ape loves Oreos because cookies rule) to outline and write an on demand essay. You will need to write the essay on your own piece of paper.

10 Steps to Change a Flat Tire by ehow

1. • Make sure you are well off the highway, parked on a hard, level surface. Turn on your emergency flashers. Place the car in park, or if you have a stick shift place the transmission in first or reverse gear. Engage the parking brake.
     
     
     
   • Locate and remove your spare wheel, lug wrench, tire jack, and wheel chocks.
     
     
   • Remove the hub cap, if equipped, using the tapered end of the lug wrench. Using the other end of the lug wrench, loosen the lug nuts holding the wheel on. Do this while the wheel is still on the ground. All you are doing is loosening the nuts slightly, do not remove the lug nuts at this time.
     
     
     
   • Block the wheel diagonally opposite the flat on both sides of the tire to keep the car from rolling while it is being jacked up.
     
     
     
   • Place the jack underneath the car in the location specified in your owner's manual. Not doing so may cause the car to fall off the jack, damaging the car and possible causing injury to you. Using the jack handle, jack up the car until the flattened wheel is completely off the ground.
     
     
     
   • Finish loosening the lug nuts and completely remove them.
     
     
     
   • Remove the wheel and set it aside.
     
     
     
   • Install the spare wheel, lining it up over the wheel studs. Thread the lug nuts back onto the studs, installing the tapered end of the nut towards the wheel. Be careful not to cross thread the lug nuts. Hand tighten the lug nuts.
     
     
     
   • Lower the car back to the ground. Using your lug wrench, tighten all of the lug nuts.
     
     
     
   • Reinstall the hub cap. Put away the spare and all of your tools, and you are ready to drive away!
     

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_5521220_change-flat-tire-easy-steps.html#ixzz2xIBWk6Bv

I can unpack a writing prompt. 

The SAGE Writing Test starts on Monday. Today we worked on getting ready by unpacking or analyzing writing prompts. It's something that we have done before, but now we are going to look at it in a new way. For this activity we took notes in our writer's notebooks. You will need to copy notes from a neighbor or from the examples below.

After we took the notes, we looked at several writing prompts. Below you will find examples of prompts and pictures of T charts.

Sample #1
Describe how and why Manolo’s attitude and feelings changed about bullfighting. Support your idea with details and examples from the text. Connect your evidence to your main idea. Check your work for correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar when complete.

Below you will find a worksheet with several more writing prompts. Use the prompts to get additional practice.

I can identify, use, and explain rhyme, rhythm, and repetition.

We finished learning about all of the poetry terms we are going to cover! If you were gone, please fill in the following worksheet by using the Power Point below it.

Note: The slide about rhyme scheme isn't very clear. Click this link to learn about rhyme scheme. http://learnzillion.com/lessons/1106-mark-a-poems-rhyme-scheme (start at 1:00)

I can identify, write, and explain personification.

Mustang Minute
A Summer Afternoon
Swish, swish swaying trees,
Splash-splish jumping fish,
Crash-bang thundering clouds,
Ker-plop falling rain.
 —Anonymous

This is an example of an echoic poem (one that uses onomatopoeias). In your writer’s notebook brainstorm some of your favorite places or times. Next, think of sounds you might hear there/then.  Finally, write a 4 line poem like the one above. Each line should have an onomatopoeia.

Today we talked about personification. Personification is: Giving a nonhuman human like characteristics.

Watch the following clip (sorry it's so poorly edited) and see what human like characteristics Abu (the monkey) and the magic carpet have.

Now that you've watched the video, use this paper to guide the rest of your actions. i.e. fill the paper in.

The notes page above tells you to read a poem in the text book. That's obviously not an option if you are gone, so here is the poem!

I like to see it lap the Miles - (383)
by EMILY DICKINSON

I like to see it lap the Miles -
And lick the Valleys up - 
And stop to feed itself at Tanks - 
And then - prodigious step

Around a Pile of Mountains - 
And supercilious peer
In Shanties - by the sides of Roads - 
And then a Quarry pare

To fit it's sides
And crawl between
Complaining all the while
In horrid - hooting stanza - 
Then chase itself down Hill - 

And neigh like Boanerges - 
Then - prompter than a Star
Stop - docile and omnipotent
At it's own stable door -

Here is a link to an explanation about the poem, but basically, it'a a poem that gives a train human like characteristics.

The next part of the lesson is to describe Pop Rocks. We actually had Pop Rocks in class to help us describe them. Since you are at home, do you best without. After you have written down describing words (as per the notes page), write 5 sentences in which you personify Pop Rocks. Be careful not to write a simile, metaphor, or simple description on accident.

Some of my favorite examples from today were:

• Pop Rocks are jousting in my mouth.
• Pop Rocks chatter on their way down my throat. 
• They laugh on my tongue.
• They cackle at my pain.

Personifying things that move and make noise is pretty simple. Personifying things that do not move or make sound can be much harder. The last thing we did today was write a poem personifying a number. Below you will see a chart. Pick a number and write it above the chart. Next, fill in the chart and write a 6 sentence poem. Each sentence should have one personification that you put in your chart. For example,

Eight
8 likes to throw her weight around.
She's bossy but sweet- just watch out if she calls you "sweetie."
8 thinks she's a nobody, but she's only 2 away from a perfect 10.
8 struts; she's got moves and she knows it.
8 checks out skinny little 7 and 9, but she's not intimidated.
She's loud, proud, strong, and yet cooperative.
Eight is great.

I can identify and write an onomatopoeia and alliterations.

Today was free read Monday. For the first half of the class we worked on poetry terms. For the second half of class we free read.

Here is the PowerPoint and worksheet we used for notes:

We are starting a poetry terms unit. This is my personal favorite part of English, and I hope it's your favorite too. Basically, when people say things, they don't always mean exactly what they say. They're not lying, they're just using creative language to get their point across. For example:

So, yes. People sometimes say things in creative ways, and frankly, I think that's what makes language so fun. As we start into this unit we will be learning about several poetry terms. Here is a little preview:

So today we took notes and went outside for an activity. Below you will find the PowerPoint we used to take notes and our notes page. Use the PowerPoint to take notes so that you won't be behind when you get back.