English

Today we looked at capturing the reader's attention and transitions. Building on our expository paragraphing, students were introduced to three ways to grab the reader's attention:

1: starting with a question.
2. starting with a quotation.
3. starting with a key fact.

We also looked at transition words and phrases. We looked at examples online and discussed their relevance. https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/135/transw.html

Students were then asked to write a paragraph on a topic of their choice using the model they were shown in class. Students can achieve 15 marks for this assignment.

Write a "hook" and a topic sentence: 5 marks (be sure to underline or highlight the hook)
Include three sub-topics, examples and a transition word: 5 marks (underline or highlight the examples)
Write a concluding statement that restates the topic sentence: 5 marks (underline or highlight)

*look at my previous blog to see writing exemplar

This assignment is due Wednesday, Oct. 1st.

English

Continuing with expository writing, students are to compare and contrast two dissimilar items. We started with a graphic organizer, such as a Venn diagram, and wrote a simple, but organized, multi-paragraphed response.

Compare and Contrast

A Baseball and the Great Wall

          There are many similarities and differences between a baseball and the Great Wall of China. Firstly, both objects are man-made.  Secondly, both have ridges that weave around like a meandering river. Finally, they are both hard objects. Like the similarities, there are also differences that can be detected.

          The differences are much easier to spot. A baseball is round, while the Great Wall is long and tall. The Great Wall is made out of bricks, mud, and stone, while a baseball is made from leather and string. A final difference is in the colour. The Great Wall mostly grey, whereas a baseball is white. As mentioned, there are many similarities and differences between a baseball and the Great Wall of China.

English

Model the example of expository writing seen below. Choose your own animal to write about and be sure to highlight or use a different colour pen as seen in the second example.

Expository Writing

What is the best pet?

    The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  The third reason is they are good friends.  For these reasons, cats are the best pet.

The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  The third reason is they are good friends.  For these reasons, pets are the best pet.

The best pet is a cat.  The first reason is cats are smart.  They can learn and adapt to people and environments.  The second reason is they are clean animals.  They bury their waste and keep their bodies clean.  The third reason is they are good friends.  They can sense when people are down and always do what they can to support them.  For these reasons, cats are the best pet.

Welcome to a new school year at G.P. Vanier.

Hi all,

After a long summer, it is time to get down to business. I am positive that this will be an exciting and productive year. I am pleased to be teaching your son/daughter this year and will be working very hard to help them achieve success both at school and on the ice.

Please feel free to contact me anytime at david.miller@sd71.bc.ca

Humanities 8

An Emerging Empire

Read pages 192 to 197 from Across the Centuries

1. In the three centuries after the end of the Han dynasty, what did China experience in the following areas:  Government, Economy, Religion

2. What did Emperor Wen do during the Sui Dynasty to achieve the following results:

Result                                                       Technique

a sense of common history

a sense of common goals

preservation of the classics

efficient government

Chinese unity

3. Summarize the three belief systems:  Confucianism,  Buddhism,  Daoism
4. Which belief system appeals the most to you and why?
5. What were the natural barriers that protected China on the east, west and southwest?

The Great Wall

Read pages 198 and 199

1. What were the benefits of constructing the Great Wall?
2. What were the costs of constructing the Great Wall?
3. Depending on whether you believe that there was more benefit than cost or vice versa, create a poster that would be used by a public relations firm either to promote or discourage the building of the wall.

Humanities 8

Introduction to Ancient Civilizations

What are civilizations?

How did they develop?

What are their influences?

The civilizations of Rome, Persia, India and China were all very different, but they shared common traits.

According to historians, a civilization is a society that has cities, a written language, specialized jobs, an organized government, technology, and skilled craftspeople.

Not all societies are complex enough to be civilizations. Early hunter-gatherers never settled long enough in one place to build cities or have a government; they had a distinctive culture but not a civilization.

Civilizations first developed as people learned how to increase their food supply. Physical settings can be a real influence on the development of a civilization. Farming freed people from spending all their time looking for food. With more spare time, people began to develop specialized skills. They also were producing surplus goods as well as surplus food, which could be traded. People needed places to meet and trade goods so towns and markets were built. To keep track of business, they developed systems of writing and numbers.

Today, trade still plays a major role in the way civilizations grow and change. Through trade, civilizations exchange ideas, inventions and goods and thereby become acquainted.

Look at the timelines on page 33 of Across the Centuries to see how the four ancient cultures were developing and came into contact.

Read the handout, “Asia: Physical Setting” and answer the following questions:

1. What are the natural boundaries of the area in which Chinese civilization developed?
2. What are China’s three great river systems?
3. What are two conditions that affected its development?
4. Where was the original cradle of Chinese civilization?

Humanities 8

The Outsiders newspaper project is due this Friday. As usual, students who are in need of extra time should see Mr. Miller for an extension.

Project criteria (pick one from each category):

Headline News Stories (10 marks)

1. Bob's death
2. Johnny's death
3. The rumble
4. The fire and rescue
5. Dally killed by the police

Interview (10 marks)

1. Darry
2. CherryPonyboy
3. Dally
4. Randy
5. Other

Letters to the editor (10 marks)

1. A neighbour
2. Ponyboy's teacher
3. Darry's coach
4. Soc's parent
5. Store owner

Other (5marks)

1. Advertisement (1960's style)
2. Obituary
3. Pictures
4. Classified ads (for sale, rentals, small business, etc.)

Quality of written expression, authenticity in both look and 1960's slang/vernacular. ( 10 marks)

Total marks for this assignment: 45