Access the March newsletter, preview new books and learn about your favorite authors!
Teens@Random | Sister Ink:
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About Me
- Mrs. Buzzell
- Nottingham, NH, United States
- I'm a middle school science teacher at Nottingham and I love biology!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Links to Poetry Websites
If you enjoy poetry, check out some of the links listed on the pagelink below! We will be starting a poetry unit soon. What types of poetry do you enjoy the most? Do you have a favorite poem? If not, start looking for one now - you will need a poem that you enjoy to share with the class!
Educational Resources and Middle School Lessons | Melbourne, FL: 'via Blog this'
Educational Resources and Middle School Lessons | Melbourne, FL: 'via Blog this'
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
First, Second or Third Person - How Do I Tell Them Apart?
Click the link below to take a look at key words to look for in order to determine what point of view something is written in!
Point of View - reference and practice activity
'via Blog this'
Point of View - reference and practice activity
'via Blog this'
Monday, March 26, 2012
Interactive Writing Resources for Students
Results on ReadWriteThink - ReadWriteThink:
Lots of cool project ideas and interactive websites to help you with a variety of writing projects! Create your own comic strip or character trading cards!
'via Blog this'
Lots of cool project ideas and interactive websites to help you with a variety of writing projects! Create your own comic strip or character trading cards!
'via Blog this'
Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes- meet author Jarrett J. Krosoczka!
You and your classrooms are invited to a special virtual visit to Jarrett J. Krosoczka's studio onMarch 27, 2012 in celebration of the publication of Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes.
Live book talks happen every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. EST to 3 p.m. EST.
StudioJJK on USTREAM: .:
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Writing - Where Do I Start?
Writing is a vital communication tool. Choosing the right words to make your point or to evoke emotions in your audience are just two of the many ways that we use writing on a daily basis.
Fun and Easy Web2.0 Tools:
To get started with the brainstorming process, try wordle! Wordle can also be used to make a collage of vocabulary or spelling words you are learning about. Tagxedo is another site where you can make word clouds - try choosing a shape that is related to your word list!
Once you have an idea about what you are going to be writing about, consider the purpose for your writing, who your audience is and how to best organize the information. A letter to the Governor asking him to ban smoking on public beaches would have a very different tone and level of formality than a text to your best friend about the stores you want to shop at when you go to the mall on Saturday.
Graphic Organizers:
If you need a graphic organizer, I've uploaded many of the ones we've used in class to the Worksheets and Student Information page on my website. If you click on the link, look in the Writing Workshop folder - you'll be able to view or download several different organizers.
Resources for Ditching Dead Words and Adding Transitions:
After you've written your rough draft, you are ready to start the best part of writing - revising! Revising is an exciting process - this is where you choose the perfect words to make your point, and where you may decide to move some of your information around, so that it makes sense and you've successfully said what you wanted to say! If you go back to the Worksheets and Student Information page on my website - look in the Writing Workshop folder for Dead Words - avoid using worn out third grade words like "said" and "talked" - Dead Words will get you started on the path to an expansive and exciting vocabulary! You can always use a thesaurus, too!
Editing Checklists:
Once you are happy with the wording and organization of your writing, it is time to start the editing process. Spelling? Punctuation? Fragments? Where to start? So many different areas to review... -don't panic! Take a deep breath, click on the Writing Workshop folder and use one of the editing checklists to make sure you don't miss any errors.
My number one piece of advise for finding problem areas is to read your essay aloud. If you pause when reading and there is no comma or end punctuation in your writing, go back and take a closer look. You may have found a run on sentence. Can it be broken into two sentences or will it sound choppy? If you have two independent clauses, you can add a semi colon to connect them!
Another great resource that you have right at home are your family members - have an adult or older sibling look over your paper - see if they'll go through it with you. Use the rubric to make sure you aren't forgetting something important! It is amazing what an extra pair of eyes can find - especially if they haven't read the essay before!
I hope this helps! If you get stuck, write a note about your question in the margin of your paper and ask me about it during class or come see me at study hall. Keep writing! The more you practice, the better your writing will be!
Fun and Easy Web2.0 Tools:
To get started with the brainstorming process, try wordle! Wordle can also be used to make a collage of vocabulary or spelling words you are learning about. Tagxedo is another site where you can make word clouds - try choosing a shape that is related to your word list!
Once you have an idea about what you are going to be writing about, consider the purpose for your writing, who your audience is and how to best organize the information. A letter to the Governor asking him to ban smoking on public beaches would have a very different tone and level of formality than a text to your best friend about the stores you want to shop at when you go to the mall on Saturday.
Graphic Organizers:
If you need a graphic organizer, I've uploaded many of the ones we've used in class to the Worksheets and Student Information page on my website. If you click on the link, look in the Writing Workshop folder - you'll be able to view or download several different organizers.
Resources for Ditching Dead Words and Adding Transitions:
After you've written your rough draft, you are ready to start the best part of writing - revising! Revising is an exciting process - this is where you choose the perfect words to make your point, and where you may decide to move some of your information around, so that it makes sense and you've successfully said what you wanted to say! If you go back to the Worksheets and Student Information page on my website - look in the Writing Workshop folder for Dead Words - avoid using worn out third grade words like "said" and "talked" - Dead Words will get you started on the path to an expansive and exciting vocabulary! You can always use a thesaurus, too!
Editing Checklists:
Once you are happy with the wording and organization of your writing, it is time to start the editing process. Spelling? Punctuation? Fragments? Where to start? So many different areas to review... -don't panic! Take a deep breath, click on the Writing Workshop folder and use one of the editing checklists to make sure you don't miss any errors.
My number one piece of advise for finding problem areas is to read your essay aloud. If you pause when reading and there is no comma or end punctuation in your writing, go back and take a closer look. You may have found a run on sentence. Can it be broken into two sentences or will it sound choppy? If you have two independent clauses, you can add a semi colon to connect them!
Another great resource that you have right at home are your family members - have an adult or older sibling look over your paper - see if they'll go through it with you. Use the rubric to make sure you aren't forgetting something important! It is amazing what an extra pair of eyes can find - especially if they haven't read the essay before!
I hope this helps! If you get stuck, write a note about your question in the margin of your paper and ask me about it during class or come see me at study hall. Keep writing! The more you practice, the better your writing will be!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Random Buzzers - Week of March 12th, 2012
New books to preview the first few chapters of, contests, and this week's feature author is Sasha Gould! Sasha's new historical fiction book is about a 16 year old girl whose father is forcing her to marry the repulsive elderly merchant who had been engaged to her recently deceased older sister. Will she have to marry Vincenzo?
Random Buzzers - Week of March 12th, 2012:
'via Blog this'
Random Buzzers - Week of March 12th, 2012:
'via Blog this'
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Poetry Contest!
Middle School Poetry Contest
Celebrate Your Cooperative Spirit in a Poem
A Poetry Contest for Middle School Students
Making a Difference: Open to Students in Grades 5 - 8
Sponsored by Cabot Creamery and Potato Hill Poetry
Have you worked alone, with your family, or in the classroom to give back in some special way? We want to know what you've done. Write a poem about how you have made a difference to your community and the people who live there. You must be a student in Grades 5-8. Your entry must be your own original, unpublished work. Deadline is April 30. For complete contest rules, great prizes, and submission guidelines, click here.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Random Buzzers - Week of March 5th, 2012
Here's the latest Random Buzzers Newsletter! You can read the first few chapters of Chomp! by Carl Hiasson - he is one of my favorite authors and the book is guaranteed to make you laugh! Meet Author Josh Berks, send in a question to win an advance copy of Cross My Heart and more!
Random Buzzers - Week of March 5th, 2012:
'via Blog this'
Random Buzzers - Week of March 5th, 2012:
'via Blog this'
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