Expository Essay - Grade 9's

Expository essays are due(typed) Wednesday, March 4th. Essays can also be emailed to me at sxballum@edu.pe.ca 

*Reminder - Reading Ladders for term 2 are due Friday, February 27th. 

Grade 8 & 9 - Term 2 Reading Ladders

**Book trailers are due. Please email to: sxballum@edu.pe.ca

Reading Ladder assignment guidelines are below for all grade 8 and 9 students in my classes. Students are familiar with this assignment as they completed one at the end of first term. Please note this assignment is due Friday, February 27th.  

This is not mandatory work, as I do not have everyone's email address. However, students will be expected to complete as homework next week. Please email me at sxballum@edu.pe.ca if you have any questions.

Reading Ladder – Analyzing your reading process

A Reading Ladder is simply a piece of explanatory writing where students rank the books they’ve read according to complexity, reflect on their reading habits, and make plans for future growth.

Purpose: to step back and look at what you have accomplished as a reader in order to measure progress and set new goals for term two and the rest of the school year.

Process

1.    Compile a list of all of the books you completed and abandoned so far this school year. List the books in order of most difficult to least difficult.

2.    Write a “Why this Order?” paragraph.  Explain your reasons for ranking books. Discuss what make a book ‘difficult.’

3.    Reading Rate – calculate the number of pages you've read this term. Then calculate the average number of pages you read per week. This will determine your reading rate for this term. Compare this new rate with your term 1 reading rate and reading rate at the beginning of the school year . Discuss your at home reading habits.

4.    Summary – summarize one book. Provide a true summary of the book, not just a comparison between books.

5.    Personal Goals – set goals for term two and the rest of the school year. These should be specific: I will read 15 books by June. I will read one nonfiction book. I will develop an at home reading habit. I will…

Grade 9's - Book Trailers & Expository Writing

Book trailers are due! Please email a link to: sxballum@edu.pe.ca

Grade 9's have started studying expository writing last week. Students should have a topic and rough outline by Friday.

This writing will be the most formal piece of writing they have written thus far. Students will be shown how to properly construct an outline, introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. 

PLEASE NOTE:

As a result of so many storm days students will be asked to type their  final copy of essay at home or in the library during their own time(before school, at lunch, or after school).

Grade 8's

**Book trailers are due! Please email a link to your trailer to sxballum@edu.pe.ca

Grade 8's - Biography Writing

Grade 8's have started studying biography writing last week; each student has chosen a person they will be researching and ultimately writing a biography about this person.

This writing will be the most formal piece of writing they have written thus far. Students will be shown how to properly construct an outline, introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. In addition students will be shown how to research properly(taking notes..not copying!) and correctly citing their sources. Lastly students will be expected to give a short presentation about their subject. 

As a result of so many storm days students will be asked to type final copy at home or in the library during their own time(before school, at lunch, or after school).

Grade 8 & 9: Book Trailers New Due Date

With so many interruptions and storms we've moved the due date for grade 8 & 9 book trailers.

Due Date: Thursday, February 12th

Students can email their video or send me a link via email to their youtube account(where they have saved/uploaded their video).

My email: sxballum@edu.pe.ca