Happy Thanksgiving!

If you were absent on Wednesday, November 25th, here is the link to the video we watched. It is called One Survivor Remembers and Gerda Weissman shares her amazing story of survival during the Nazi occupation of Poland.  Please take the time to watch it.
Here is the link:  http://www.tolerance.org/kit/one-survivor-remembers

Upcoming due dates:

• Newsela article on Germany and refugees due by Wednesday, November 25th before you leave for break.
• The Diary of Anne Frank Act I vocabulary quiz will be on Wednesday, December 2nd.  Try making a Quizlet to help you study! 
• Study questions for Act I will be due by Friday, December 4th.

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Anne Frank & the Holocaust

This week we are starting a unit on Anne Frank and the Holocaust.  We will be reading the play based on Anne Frank's diary and each student will be selecting a novel about the Holocaust era.  Students can select fiction, non-fiction, or memoir for their independent reading.

Upcoming due dates:
Wednesday, November 11th -- Newsela article due if not completed in class.
Thurday, November 12th -- 2nd Independent Novel Project due (extension from the 9th).
Friday -- Holocaust Background Vocabulary quiz on Friday, Nov. 13.

Please select novel by Monday, Nov. 16th!

End of Quarter and NaNoWriMo

This week we read a suspenseful short story entitled "The Landlady" by Roald Dahl.  Students are creating a newspaper account that reveals what happens to the main character, Billy Weaver.  Here is the assignment:
"The Landlady" Newspaper Article Assignment
A solid draft of your article is due on Monday!
Final draft will be due by  Friday, November 6th.

The next independent novel project is due on Monday, November 11th. Here is the assignment sheet in case you have misplaced it:  Independent Novel Project #2

Sunday, November 1st marks the first day of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).  For my writers out there, this is a great way to give yourself an added challenge to just get the words down on paper!! Set a word count goal, dedicate some time each day, and write! The initial goal is quantity with quality and revision coming later on.  For more information, check out the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Program website at:  http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/