Mr. Vanden Bergh

Sept. 4-7 Assignments

                                               This week's assignments are focused on point of view once again.   Students will need their literature textbooks Tuesday through Thursday as we will be reading "Rikki Tikki Tavi" in class.  It is critical that all art critique papers from last week are turned in on Tuesday with both the final copy and the draft.  Here's this week's schedule:

Mon.     School Holiday!

Tues.     Turn in Art Critique papers.  Background information on Rudyard Kipling, author of "Rikki Tikki Tavi"   Read "Rikki Tikki Tavi" (pgs. 408-422)  HW: Finish reading "Rikki Tikki Tavi"

Wed.     Response to "Rikki Tikki Tavi" (Pg. 422, questions #1-6 and pg 423 question #10)  Introduce point of view article to be written in groups.  Groups will choose the point of view of one of the prominent characters in the story to create a newspaper article (i.e. "The Mongoose Times" or "The Cobra Herald")  We will go to the computer lab to do brief research on the animal your group will be using for your article.  HW: none

Thurs.    Continue work on newspaper article from character's point of view.   Guidelines for article attached below  HW: none

Download point_of_view_article

Fri.      View movie - "Rikki Tikki Tavi"   Discuss similarities and differences from text.   HW: To be announced

Aug. 27-31 Assignments

           This week we will move from figurative language to the concept of point of view.  We will be discussing the differences between each persons point of view in stories, in art, and life in general.  The largest assignment this week is a critique of famous artwork.  Students will receive the background information and guided practice to create their own critique of a piece of art.  The art critique will be graded with the rubric following Friday's assignments.  Here's our schedule:

Mon.     Introduction to point of view, short movie clip from "The Dead Poets Society", create a working definition for point of view, point of view activity - No HW

Tues.    Begin looking at artwork as a class.  Receive notes on how to critique artwork.  Describe and analyze a piece of art. HW: Find information about your artist (i.e. where he/she grew up, influences, education, etc.)  This can be printed out and brought in to class OR recorded in your analysis worksheet under "Artist Information."

Wed.     Describe and analyze a piece of art as a group using the "My Analysis Worksheet".   Begin writing the introduction paragraph for the art critique. The artist link below will provide extra information on all of the artists except Barbara Eastom.  HW: Use your notes from the worksheet to complete your 1st paragraph.  *NOTE*  Those students looking for information for Barbara Eastom will need to complete just the literal description part of the 1st paragraph.  Please leave room in the beginning of the paragraph to insert artist information later.

Download artist_history.doc

Download art_analysis_worksheet.doc

Thurs.    Begin writing the 2nd(Analysis) and 3rd(Interpretation and Judgment) paragraphs for your art critique. HW: Complete the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs.

Fri.        Peer editing of draft of art critique.  Students will be allowed to begin their final drafts in class or type them over the weekend.  **PLEASE review the art analysis rubric listed below.                Download art_analysis_rubric.doc    HW:  Type final copy of Art Critique.  Staple the handwritten rough draft under the final copy.  If, and only if, you are having printer trouble, please e-mail your paper as an attachment to benjamin.vandenbergh@cobbk12.org   PAPERS ARE DUE TUESDAY!

Aug. 20-24 Assignments

           We've survived the first week and are getting settled in.  This week we will continue to focus on literal and figurative language.  Students will receive notes and activities that will prepare them for their first quiz on Friday the 24th.  Items listed below are to be downloaded ONLY IF students are absent that day or have lost their assignments. Please be certain that you have organized your Language Arts notebook at this point.  It is essential to your success this year.   Here's our schedule:

Mon.    D.O.L. #4, Finish writing baseline writing sample from last Friday, peer response sheet. No HW

Tues.   D.O.L. #5, Figurative Language Notes Download fig. Lang. Notes   , Homework: Florida/Georgia Fig. Lang. Sheet  Download fig. Lang. FloridaGeorgia.doc

Wed.   D.O.L. #6, Review Oxymorons and Onomatopoeia,  Homework: Fig. Lang. Packet (First half)

Download similies_and_metaphors.pdf

Download similies_and_metaphors_cont..pdf

Download whats_that_sound.pdf     

Thurs.  D.O.L. #7, Review Game to prepare for quiz.  Homework: Fig. Lang. Packet (Second half)   

Download Hyperbole.pdf 

Download Personification.pdf

Download the_fishing_trip.pdf   

Fri.      Review and turn in packet,   QUIZ on Figurative Language,  No HW

1st Nine Weeks Syllabus

Download 7th_la_syllabus.doc

Aug. 13-17 Assignments

           Welcome back seventh graders!  I am glad to see that you are checking the weblog.  Please bookmark this site for daily reference.  At this cite you will find important daily class news and information.  You will often be able to download notes, classwork, or homework here.  The most important item this week is to create a Language Arts notebook.  We will be discussing this in class, but if you need a refresher, here's what you'll need:   A three-ring binder with the following 5 sections divided:  Notes/Syllabus, Grammar, Writing, Literature, and Classwork/Homework.  Oh, by the way, the guy on the left is Abraham (he has some issues that I'd rather not talk about).  As you will see, generally homework assignments have been started in class and will be denoted in red below.  Here's our schedule for the week:

Mon.       Beginning of the year preparation, class routines, and activity, "What is a proverb?"  There will be a quick crossword puzzle for review.  Homework: organize your notebook!

Tues.      Finding the difference between "literal" and "figurative" meaning.  Homework:  complete the proverb sheet that we began in class.

Download Proverbs.doc

Wed.      Personal Agenda information, review proverb sheet. Homework:  create 5 of your own proverbs.

Thurs.    Classroom rules review, discuss proverbs that you have created and choose your favorite.   Homework:  Make a copy of your favorite proverb along with an illustration.

Fri.         Base line writing sample (Personal Narrative)  Students will be given three topics to choose from for writing a personal narrative.  The requirements will be discussed in class.  No homework assigned.