Mrs. Albanese’s Blog

Can’t wipe this smile from my face. It’s true. Alex and his Cape LAX team WON THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP on Saturday at Dover High School. They are simply the best!  Smile. Joy. Pride.

 

Last Friday I had doubts that we would ever get any poetry written in time for Mother’s Day, but once again my students’ hard work prevailed and most of them took home some beautiful words, a description of their mom in poetic form on colorful paper with foam letters at the top.  My favorite comment from a student was that the poem he gave his mom ALMOST made her cry. I know that I would have been a blubbering mess if my son had handed me a poem. Actually, I did shed a few tears on Mother’s Day. My son Alex gave me a photograph that was matted and signed on the back with the kindest, sweetest words I have ever read. Gosh, the best gifts are gifts from the heart. 

^{YOU ARE THE AUTHOROF YOUR OWN LIFESTORY!}

^{Capstone Project}

This is it! The end of your middle school experience. Now get writing!

• Part 1 – Brainstorm to create list of personal accomplishments and memories
• Part 2 – Writing Workshop create written material that represents your life so far then post on your blog. Respond to classmates postings.
• Part 3 – Oral and Visual Presentation protopage project and oral presentation  

List of Choices   * items are a must do                                                         

1. Accomplishment Essay * – Name a special accomplishment that you are proud of. Tell about it and how it changed your thinking.
2. Resume * –tells about your qualifications for a summer job
3. Letter * –  a thank you letter thanking someone for helping you
4. Proudest Moment Essay or Person You Most Admire Essay * – your proudest moment or write about the person you most admire.
5. Timeline – your life events in a time sequence
6. Hobby or Passion – write about something that you love to do. Include pictures and descriptions.
7. Favorite Things Protopage – tab each of your favorites including food, games, sports, music, dances, art, books, colors, fashions, shoes, whatever! Include website links.
8. Virtual Vacation – what places would you like to visit? Create a blog page or a protopage linked to your blog to show this place.
9. Middle School Memories – What are your most precious memories?
10. Your choice – see me for discussion. 

              

Petals

by Pat Mora

have calloused her hands,

brightly colored crepe paper: turquoise,

yellow, magenta, which she shapes

into large blooms for bargain-hunting tourists

who see her flowers, her puppets, her baskets,

but not her – small gray-haired woman

wearing a white apron, who hides behind

blossoms in her stall at the market,

who sits and remembers collecting wildflowers

as a girl, climbing rocky Mexican hills

to fill a straw hat with soft blooms

which she’d stroke gently, over and over again

with her smooth fingertips.

A guided response to write a poem about the person who you honor on Mother’s Day. This could be your mom, stepmom, aunt, grandmother or nana.  You may write more than one poem and put it together in a very special way as a gift.

Use the five senses when you complete this sequence. Use vivid words that tell color, shape and texture.

1. write words that describe your mother’s hands
2. write words that tell what she does when she works
3. write words that describe her at work
4. write words that describe her face, eyes, nose, mouth, hair
5. write words that describe her in her favorite clothes
6. write words that describe a memory she may have from when she was a young girl
7. write words that describe her being funny
8. write words that describe her doing something that she loves
9. write words that describe her doing something with you

Now we will take this list and arrange the words into a poem.

Homework – you guessed it! READ! Must take one AR test by the end of May for your grade.

Monday – Best Short Story text – “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” by Walter Dean Myers. Read Introduction. Pages 190-193.  Read the story 195-205. Make a character map as you go to help you remember a major character. 

Tuesday – “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” finish reading. Dialect, page 207-209. Do Exercise A Questions 1-2. 

Wednesday – “The Treasure of Lemon Brown”. Using comparisons.  page 214-215 Do Exercise C, #1-2. Do Review and interpret questions on pages 219-223.

Thursday – Test on Lemon Brown. Poem, Petals revisited and writing our own petal poem for mom.

Friday – Book Review