Advanced English 8: Periods 1 and 2

56 Minutes
10/31/16
(15 mins) Weekly Vocabulary Activity
Common Core Standards:

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language- Vocabulary

Acquisition and Use: #4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and
consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.

Objectives:

Students will be able to infer the meanings of vocabulary words using context clues
found in example sentences.
Students will be able to explain which context clues from example sentences contributed
to their understanding of each vocabulary word and why.

Purpose: We are going to go over a new list of vocabulary words today, in order to expand your
vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.
Input: Im going to hand out the list of example sentences. I want you to highlight the context
clues in each sentence, and write a synonym next to the vocabulary word which has been bolded
and underlined in each sentence. As you work, discuss the sentences with the people in your
table groups and explain what you think the word means and why.
Guided Practice: Students will highlight and write on their handouts, and discuss each word and
sentence with their groups.
Check for Understanding: As students work, I will walk around the room and listen to how
students are making meaning from the example sentences. If an entire group is struggling to
come up with an answer together, I will ask leading questions to get them thinking critically.
Input: Now Im going to go over the handout with you all. As we go over the answers, be sure to
write down the correct definition of each word if you did not already have the right answer. Can I
get a volunteer to give us their definition for the first word?
Check for Understanding: After all of the students have completed the handout, I will go
through each example sentence and ask for volunteers to explain what they think each word
means, and how they got to that conclusion by explaining their context clues. I will reinforce
students answers for each word by going over the definition with the class.

Independent Practice: At the end of this activity, students will receive a handout that contains
the vocab words and definitions. For homework, they will pick 10 words and write their own
example sentences to share tomorrow.
(20 mins) Grammar Notes Activity
Common Core Standards:

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language- Conventions of

Standard English: #1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Objectives:

Students will be able to define predicate nominatives.

Students will be able to explain how linking verbs influence the predicate nominatives in
a sentence.

Purpose: Now we are going to go over some new grammar material today. Weve already talked
linking verbs, and today were going to talk about how linking verbs go before predicate
nominatives in a sentence.
Input: Put your vocabulary away and pull out your grammar notes. You can continue on your
old pages or start a new page if you need to. Follow along with me as I write the notes using the
projector.
Modeling: I will take notes in real time, using the projector to show my notes to the class so that
they can follow along and copy the same notes. I will be copying off of my pre-made notes on
predicate nominatives. I will write the definition of predicate noms, any helpful tips about how to
find them in a sentence, and then write down some example sentences.
Guided Practice: I will have the students go through and label the parts of the sentence, first
having them label the parts that they already know and have reviewed at length on their own, and
then asking for a volunteer to read off their answers. Then, as a class, we will work through the
new material, labeling the subjects and predicate nominatives, using the strategies that we have
just written down. We will write out and label several example sentences together as a class until
I am confident that the students understand the material.
Assessment: As we work through the examples together, I will take volunteers, as well as call on
students to check that they understand how to label the parts of the sentence. Occassionally, I
will address the entire class with a short-answer question like, What is the predicate nominative
in this sentence? The class should all answer in unison, and if some students have a different
answer or do not feel confident enough to answer, I will know that we need to review some

more. If the majority of the class has the same answer, I will know that they understand the
material.
Independent Practice: For homework, students will also complete grammar exercise 3 on page
219 from their textbooks, which was assigned to them at the end of the grammar notes and
written on the white board.
(20) Introduction to Narrative: What Makes a Story?
Common Core Standards:

Writing Standards: #3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or

events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event
sequences.

Objectives:

Students will be able to define the elements of a narrative

Students will be able to highlight the specific parts of a story that contribute to the
elements of narrative, including characterization and conflict.
Students will be able to summarize what a narrative is in proper summary paragraph
format.

Purpose: Today were going to talk about narratives, and what they look like. We just finished
reading Boy by Roald Dahl. Now this was an autobiography, but it had elements of a narrative, as
well. There were specific plot points, characters (real people), and conflicts that the Dahl had to
deal with.
Input: As I go through this slideshow, continue to fill out the packets that I gave you last week.
Note at the top where it has directions for cuteing (CUTE = Chunk, Underline, Think of
questions, and Edit) your notes. After you have completed this packet, I want you to go back and
cute your notes for homework. Tomorrow Ill be checking to see if you did this and giving
stars for credit.
Modeling: I will read through the slideshow presentation, stopping to elaborate on points, and to
dive into examples of each of the elements of narrative, and how to find them within a story. I
will demonstrate how to ask critical questions, what elements look like when they present in a
narrative, and how to underline or highlight key points of a passage.
Guided Practice: As I go through the slideshow, students will take notes in their packets. They
will be following along with me, and have opportunities to ask questions if confused.

Check for Understanding: Each time I finish going over a new piece of information, such as
what is characterization? I will stop and ask the class if anyone has any questions. If students
seem confused, I will elaborate or give more examples to scaffold the information.
Independent Practice: At home, students will cute their notes. This will be a kind of review
for them as well. Even if we dont get through the entire slideshow today, I will still have them
cute the notes they do have for homework.
Assessment: My stopping to check for understanding will act as an informal assessment for this
material today. Next week, students will be given an assignment where they have to create their
own narratives, and this will act as a summative assessment of their knowledge on narrative
when they turn it in.
(1 min) Closure

If we have not finished the slideshow, I will inform students that we will finish it next
week and that they still must cute their notes from today for homework.
I will then spend a minute calling on students to define some of the terms that we went
over during the slideshow and asking for examples, in order to synthesize todays
material.
I will then tell students to take a Halloween cookie from the back of the room before they
leave class. Happy Halloween!