Vocabulary for "The Tell-Tale Heart"

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21st Century After School Program

Need extra help in math or ELA?  Want to complete activities that help you gain knowledge in these subjects and still have fun?  Want to participate in fun enrichment activities?  Then join HW Smith's 21st Century After School Program!  Contact Mrs. Earl or Mrs. Yanchik for more information. 

Out of Class Reading Assignment Update

Due to the change in the timeline for report cards, all out of class reading assignment summary activities are due by the end of the school day on  Wednesday, October 30th instead of Friday, November 1st.  If you have questions, please see Mrs. Earl. 

Practicing Figurative Language

Play some games at the links below to practice figurative language like similes, metaphors, etc.!

http://www.quia.com/hm/80390.html

http://www.starrmatica.com/standalone/starrMaticaFigurativeLanguageBaseball.swf

http://ereadinggames.com/orpheus/

http://www.kidsonthenet.org.uk/dragonsville/metaphor1.htm

Denotation Vs. Connotation

Reviewing Tone and Mood

Tone and Mood Video

Word Choice and the Creation of Tone

This week students will be concentrating on the author's word choice and how it creates tone in a story.  Tone and mood are closely connected but two separate and distinct ideas.  

To review:

• Tone is the author’s attitude toward the writing (his characters, the situation).
•  Tone is set by the setting, choice of vocabulary, and other details.
• A work of writing can have more than one tone. 

Some Words That Describe Tone 

Amused 

Humorous 

Pessimistic 

Angry 

Informal 

Playful 

Cheerful

 Ironic 

Pompous 

 Serious 

Formal 

Resigned 

Suspicious 

 Witty

• Mood is the general atmosphere created by the author’s words. 
• It is the feeling the reader gets from reading those words. 
• The mood may be the same throughout a story, or it may change from situation to situation.

Words That Describe Mood 

Melancholy 

Frightening 

Mysterious 

Frustrating 

Romantic 

Gloomy 

Sentimental 

Happy 

Sorrowful 

Joyful 

Suspenseful 

Out of Class Reading Assignment

Just a reminder that November 1st is right around the corner.  Students are required to submit the three summary activities for the out of class reading assignment by that time.  Students should be reading and completing the summary activities throughout the marking period.

Weekend Homework

Students have been reading The House on Mango Street and will continue to do so over the weekend and throughout the next two weeks.  In addition to reading through page 52 of the novel over the weekend, students are asked to complete five of the nine comprehension activities on the handout.

Happy Columbus Day!

Just a reminder that there is no school on Monday, October 14th due to the celebration of Columbus Day.  Have a restful three-day weekend!

Earn a Homework Pass

Created with Padlet

Scholastic Reading Inventory

Each year, students take the Scholastic Reading Inventory three times to determine their reading level.  This information helps teachers best meet the needs of the students in front of them.  Eighth graders will be taking the SRI on Monday, October 7th.

The House on Mango Street

Students are reading the novel, The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros.  The novel is written in a series of vignettes that tell the story of Esperanza, a young teen, and her trials as she grows into a young woman.  The coming of age story is the perfect novel to focus on the skill of charting character development.  Throughout the unit, students will read the novel and identify and explain the ways Esperanza changes and grows throughout the story.

Learn more about the novel from the author in the clip below.