EIGHTH GRADE LESSON PLAN LOG
For the Week of May 13, 2013
Mrs. Schacher
Class: ELA-3 Eighth Grade
Monday
May 13, 2013
PLAN
(Remember that the “Assignments” page on the web site has more
information about assignments mentioned in the lesson plans.)
Students picked up graded papers.
We discussed clerihew as a form of poetry, which is four lines long and written in couplets. The first and second
lines rhyme with each other (aa), and the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other (bb); therefore, usually an
“aabb” rhyming pattern. The first line names a person (usually about a celebrity), and the second line ends with
something that rhymes with the name of the person. A clerihew should be funny. It pokes gentle (whimsical rather
than satirical) fun at the person, much like a political cartoon. A schoolboy named Edmund Clerihew Bentley
invented this style of poetry. Bentley placed several of his clerihews in a London newspaper during World War II.
I read several examples written by William Jay Smith. Four of his clerihews are:
Harry Potter
Was a magical plotter.
At Hogwarts he became a master
After many a goof and disaster.
Mark Twain
Wrote books in a humorous vein
His characters can make us grin,
Especially that rascal Huck Finn.
Edgar Alan Poe
Penned stories that we all know
And every one that he wrote
Seems to end on a gruesome note.
Beatrix Potter,
While doodling with her pen on a fuzzy blotter,
May well have developed the habit
Of drawing Peter Rabbit.
Students wrote their own clerihew as the ticket out of the classroom.
Tuesday
May 14, 2013
Wednesday
May 15, 2013
Students received a packet for the speech unit. We discussed the outline process. Students will work
on their outline for their speech in the lab tomorrow.
We watched the Mother’s Day video by Kid President to discuss the concept of ethos for their speech
rubric.
We met in Lab 105.
After going over the “I Can” statements and the purpose for the day, students picked up their speech
presentation packets.
Students had the time to work on their outline and Bibliography for their speech.
Students must have their Bibliography of at least three sources completed by Friday. It will be stapled
to the back of their outline for their persuasive speech.
After helping students yesterday, I realized that several struggled with the idea of creating an
outline. Even though I included an example and instructions in their speech packet, they struggled
with making sense out of the text. So I decided to model the process with an example under the
document camera.
Students wrote two-column notes for portions of the speech presentation example, and then they
took my example and tried to create that part for their outline.
I used gun control as the topic. Students wrote their title for their speech, which was about their
topic.
I modeled the process for the introduction, which will end with the thesis for the speech. We
discussed how a three to five minute speech must focus only on one topic in order to keep its focus.
Using their outline format in the speech packet, we used a synonym for the three topics in the body
of text. We discussed how these are similar to three reasons to prove or persuade the audience.
Then should examples of opposing claims, and knowing how to bring them into the speech with the
ultimate goal of supporting your thesis. With gun control, I used three good opposing claims and
modeled the process of politely countering them with facts that support my thesis.
Students practiced writing more clerihews about themselves or a classmate with the idea of
presenting a speech.
Thursday
May 16, 2013
Friday
May 17, 2013
Homework
Due Dates
I reminded students to have their speech notes and packet tomorrow in class. They will have time
to continue the draft for the outline, which they will type tomorrow in the lab. Both the outline and
Bibliography will be due on Friday at the end of the hour.
Academic vocabulary words
Reading Log #6 is due today.
Work out the draft for your speech to word process tomorrow.
rd
Students will receive reading Log #7, which started today and is due on May 23 .
Students will receive a Haiku packet to write this style of poetry. It will be due at the end of the
hour.
We will complete the academic vocabulary words.
Meet in Lab 105.
Students will print out their outline and Bibliography.
Students will make a one page computer poster for their academic vocabulary words.
Notes for the speech will be stapled to the outline, which is due on the day of the speech.
Clerihew is due on Monday, May 13, 2013.
th
Reading Log #6 is due on Thursday, May 16 .
th
Haiku is due on Thursday, May 16 .
th
You need to finish your speech notes for at least three sources by Friday, May 17 . Two of your
sources must come from www.mel.org. Your typed Bibliography and Speech Outline are due at
the end of class on Friday. You will staple your Bibliography to the back of your outline.