Last Week Together :(

Hello my lovely 7th graders,

This week is our last week together as a class and I am feeling a little emotional about it... I will definitely miss all of you, you have been such a great group to work with. 

Today we will have our movie day (and yes, I baked a cake, actually, I baked 2!) and then on Tuesday and Friday I will go through your short stories with you and give you your final grades. 

No time to be sad yet though - let's make this last week together a fun one!

Carmen :)

Movie Day :)

Hey 7th graders,

Yesterday we decided that our movie day will be on Monday, June 1. I will order bag lunches for us to eat in the classroom and, as promised, I will bake a cake :) 

Happy studying for Friday's quiz!

Carmen :)

Preposition Quiz

Hey 7th graders,

In reading through your writing this year I have noticed that many of you still need to sharpen your skills when it comes to English prepositions. For this reason you will have a preposition quiz on Friday, May 22. This particular preposition quiz will be on prepositions of time (tidsprepositioner). Here are the prepositions of time that you need to know:

1. ago = för.....sedan  (OBS! Svenskans två ord (för...sedan) motsvaras av ett ord (ago) i engelskan!)

Exempel: Lektionen började för femton minuter sedan = The lesson began fifteen minutes ago.

2. during = under (när det handlar om tid; during används för att ange en tidsperiod)

Exempel: Jag bodde i Frankrike under min ungdom/ I lived in France during my youth.

3. for = i (framför tidsuttryck some svarar på hur länge?)

Exempel: Jag har väntat i tre timmar/I have been waiting for three hours.

4. in = på, vid (används vid årtal, årstider och månader samt delar av dagar)

Exempel: Jag brukar läsa på eftermiddagarna/ I usually read in the afternoons.

5. at används vid tidpunkter/klockslag och namn på högtider

Exempel: Skolan börjar alltid 8.20/School always starts at 8.20.

6. on används vid namn på dagar och vid datum

Exempel: Kommer du på lördag?/Are you coming on Saturday?


The quiz will consist of twenty Swedish sentences that you will have to translate into English using the correct prepositions of time. We'll do an exercise in class next week so you can get a little practice.

Enjoy your long weekend!

Carmen :)

Creative Writing Final Assignment

The end of the year is almost upon us, which means there isn’t a whole lot of time left for creative writing! I think all of you have proven yourselves to be talented writers, however, and I would like to give you the chance to show me your best work.

On Tuesday, May 26, 2015 you will hand in a typed copy of one of the following short stories:

·                     Shoveling Snow

·                     3 Elements

·                     Museum Story

·                    A story of your own choosing (you can write about anything)

I expect your stories to be checked for spelling and grammar and they should be between 1-3 pages in length (if you must write more than 3 pages, then please do). You will also hand in a typed copy of your short story plan: characters, plot, setting, theme, conflict. This plan should be typed and stapled to your short story as a cover.

I will grade your stories based on the following criteria:

Stories that receive an A will make frequent use of imagery and adjectives, contain almost no grammatical or spelling errors, and will be well-organized and full of insight, examples and details.

Stories that receive a C will usually make use of imagery and adjectives, contain some grammatical errors and spelling errors, and will have some insight, and a few examples and details.

Stories that receive an E will make use of imagery and adjectives, will have frequent grammatical and spelling errors, and a little bit of insight, as well as few examples or details.

We will have a lesson or two in the computer lab so that you can work on your stories before they are due. 

Questions? Just ask!

Carmen :)

Verb Quiz #3

Hey 7th graders! 

Here are the verbs for this Friday's quiz (8:e maj):

bleed         bled          bled                 att blöda
breed        bred          bred                att föda, uppföda
feed           fed             fed                  att mata
lead           led             led                   att leda
meet          met            met                 att möta
read          read           read                att läsa
sit              sat              sat                   att sitta
spit            spat           spat                 att spotta
forgive      forgave     forgiven          att förlåta
fobid         forbade     forbidden       att förbjuda

Happy studying!

Carmen :)

UNICEF

Hey 7th graders!

I thought I'd post a pic of the diploma you received from UNICEF:

As you can see, your donation to UNICEF's vaccine initiative was much appreciated. Thank you for contributing - always remember, you can make a difference in this world and you can always lend a hand to those in need!

Have a nice weekend! Trevlig Valborg!

Carmen :)

Homework for Tuesday (28:e april)

Hey 7th graders!

I'm very much looking forward to our trip to Moderna Museet today! I think we will have a lot of fun! However, I do have to inform you that you will have homework for Tuesday (28:e april): You need to be finished with both your Shoveling Snow and 3 Elements short stories. See you soon!

Carmen :)

Kulturnatt 2015

Hey 7th graders,

If you're looking for something to do this coming Saturday (25:e april), then I highly recommend checking out Kulturnatt 2015 with friends and/or family. There are over 400 free cultural events to enjoy all around the city - music, theater, art, dance and literature presented in fresh and interesting ways. If you're interested, check out the website:

                                KULTURNATT 2015

See you later today!
Carmen :)

Verb Quiz 2

Hey 7th graders, 

Here are the verbs for the quiz on Friday, April 24th. There are ten verbs in total:

              begin       began        begun        att börja
              ring          rang          rung       att ringa
              sing          sang          sung        att sjunga
              spring      sprang      sprung    att springa
              drink       drank        drunk     att dricka
              sink          sank          sunk       att sjunka
              shrink      shrank      shrunk   att krympa
              stink         stank        stunk      att stinka
              swim         swam       swum      att simma
              eat             ate            eaten      att äta  

Once again there will be sentences and you will need to place the correct tense of the verbs in the gaps. 

Happy studying! See you Monday!

Carmen :)

The 5 Elements of a Short Story

Hey 7th graders,

Below is a quick review of the 5 Elements of a Short Story we discussed in class:

Character
A character is a person, or sometimes an animal, who takes part in the action of a short story or other literary work. An example of a character in the Harry Potter series is, of course, Harry Potter.

Setting
The setting of a (short) story is the time and place in which it happens. Authors often use descriptions of landscapes, scenery, buildings, seasons or the weather to provide a strong sense of setting. One of the settings in the Harry Potter series would be, for example, Hogwarts.

Plot
A plot is a series of events and character actions that relate to the story's central conflict. In the Harry Potter series, the plot is the sum of all the events that happen from when we first meet Harry at the Dursleys to his final triumph over Lord Voldemort.

Conflict
The conflict is the struggle between two people or things in a (short) story. The main character (protagonist) is usually on one side of the conflict. On the other side, the main character may struggle against another important character (antagonist), the forces of nature, against society or even against herself. In the Harry Potter series, Harry, the main character, struggles against Lord Voldemort, the antagonist, as the story's central conflict. 

Theme
The theme is the central idea(s) or belief(s) in a (short) story. It's the (short) story's messages: what it's all about. There can be many themes in a story, and finding them often depends on each individual reader's interpretation of the story. In the Harry Potter series there are many themes: love, death, justice, friendship, good vs. evil etc.

Last but not least... I should probably give you the definition of a short story:

A short story is a work of fiction. Fiction, as you know, is prose writing about imagined events and characters. Prose writing differs from poetry in that is does not depend on meters, rhymes or verses for its organization and presentation.

And with that, a happy weekend to you all!

Carmen :)

Welcome back! (Verb Quiz 1)

Hey 7th graders!

Welcome back! I hope you've all enjoyed your week of freedom :) Now it's time to get back to work!

For the next few weeks we will have verb quizzes every Friday. Your homework, then, will be to study for the quizzes. You must memorize the three tenses of 5 irregular verbs (temaformer av 5 oregelbunda verb) and then be able to use them in sentences. I will provide the sentences for you, all you need to do is place the correct tense of the verb in the gap.

Here are this week's verbs:

wring              wrung             wrung         att vrida ur
hang                hung               hung           att hänga
strike               struck            struck         att slå
win                  won                 won            att vinna
think                thought          thought      att tänka, fundera

See me if you have questions.

Happy studying!

Carmen :)

Enjoy your break!

Hey 7th graders!

I just wanted to wish you all a very happy Easter and I hope you are able to relax and have fun. I will grade your tests over the break and return them to you sometime during week 16. Then we can start our creative writing unit!

Cheers!

Carmen :)

Animal Farm Quiz #7

Hey 7th graders!

Below are the words for Animal Farm Quiz #7 on Friday (20:e mars):

circulate - att gå runt, att cirkulera
uproarious - larm
indignantly - indignerat
banquet - bankett, festmåltid
mention - att tala om, att nämna
pride - stolthet
marvel - att förundras
flutter - att sväva
satisfaction - nöjdhet
cheer - att heja på

Good luck!

Carmen :)

Test Information!

Hey 7^th graders! 

Your first (and only) test this term will be on Monday, March 30. This means that you have about three weeks to prepare, which is plenty of time.

This test is a writing test. The topic will be Animal Farm. I want to see how you handle the different styles of writing we have worked on in class (persuasive, narrative and informative). I will give you the writing tasks to prepare in advance (i förväg), but you will not be allowed to use notes to complete the tasks during the test.

Task #1: Persuasive Writing

Imagine that you are Snowball in exile and you think that what is happening on Animal Farm is terrible. A radio station has given you the chance to give a talk and they will broadcast it live and try to transmit what you say to Animal Farm. Pretend you are Snowball and write a speech to the animals. Try to show the animals your real actions (handlingar) and intentions (avsikter, intentioner). Try to convince them that Napoleon is not good for the Animal Farm – give examples of the bad things he has done. Try to give the animals some advice – what should they do to make the Animal Farm a better place?

Task #2: Narrative Writing

Pick your favorite character from Animal Farm. Write a short biography of his or her life. When was he/she born? Does he/she have brothers and sisters? What are his/her hobbies and favorite things? Be creative, as if you are telling a story.

Task #3: Informative Writing

Why did George Orwell write Animal Farm? (Hint: pages 1-4 in your book)

Grades (Betyg)

Tests that receive an A will require written responses that are more than half a page. They will have clear topic sentences, almost no grammatical errors, and will make frequent use of transition words (in addition, furthermore, moreover etc.). They will be well-organized and full of insight, examples and details.

Tests that receive a C will require written responses that are a half a page. They will usually have clear topic sentences, some grammatical errors, and will make occasional use of transition words (in addition, furthermore, moreover etc.). They will have minor organizational problems, some insight, and a few examples and details.

Tests that receive an E will require written responses that are a half a page. They will rarely have clear topic sentences, grammatical errors will be frequent, and transition words (in addition, furthermore, moreover etc.) will rarely be used. They will have organizational problems, a little bit of insight, and few examples or details.

Animal Farm Quiz #6

Hey 7th graders!

Below you will find the words for the Animal Farm spelling quiz on Friday (13:e mars):

limp - att halta
enemy - fiende
rejoice - att glädjas
emerge - att framträda
lamentation - sorg, klagolåt
amusement - underhållning
refuge - skydd
superannuate - att pensionera, att avskeda
admit - att erkänna
ration - ranson

Happy studying!

Carmen :)

Animal Farm Quiz #5

Hey 7th graders!

Below you will find the words for the Animal Farm spelling quiz on Friday (6:e mars):

execution - avrättning
production - tillverkning
inhabit - leva i eller bo i
inscribe - skriva in
surmount - överstiga
jealousy - avundsjuka
skulk - att gömma sig
scoundrel -  skurk, bov
bewilderment - förvirring
hullabaloo - tumult, larm

There are ten words in total. You will need to write each word in both Swedish and English. 

Good luck!

Carmen :)

Animal Farm Quiz #4 and homework

Hey 7th graders,

Your homework for next Friday (February 20) is the Transitions in a Sentence packet I handed out today in class. In addition, you will need to study the following words for the quiz, also on Friday, February 20:

-troublesome: besvärlig, jobbig
-suggest: att föreslå
-improvement: förbättring
-declare: att uppge, att deklarera
-vaguely: oklart
-unexpected: oväntad
-extravagant: omåttlig, orimlig
-unforeseen: oförutsedd
-failure: misslyckande
-uneasiness: förvirring

There are ten total words this week as you also have quite a bit of writing to do. Have a nice weekend!

See you Monday!
Carmen :)

No Quiz this Friday

Hey 7th graders!

Since I forgot to post the words on the blog over the weekend, there will be no quiz on Friday. You will, however, need to turn in your "Topic Sentences" packets on Friday. See me with questions.

Carmen :)

Animal Farm Quiz #3

Dear 7th graders,

Animal Farm Quiz # 3 will take place on Friday, January 30, 2015. You will need to spell and define the following words from chapter 3:

implements - verktyg

humble - ödmjuk

acute - akut, stark

worthless - värdelös

quarrel - att gräla

intention - avsikt

headquarters - högkvater, operationsbas

committee - styrelse

seclusion - isolering, ensamhet

selfishness - egoism

There are 10 words in total. Study up! And let me know if you have questions!

Carmen :)

Book Reports

Hey 7th graders,

This is just a friendly little reminder that your book reports are due on Monday, February 2, 2015. Do not forget to turn them in on time! If you have questions, please let me know!

Carmen :)

Omarina's Story

Hi 7th graders,

Some of you were interested in watching the short video about American middle school student Omarina Cabrera again. Here is a link to the video:

Omarina's Story

Happy viewing! See you tomorrow!

Carmen :)

Animal Farm Quiz #2

Dear 7th graders,

Animal Farm Quiz #2 will take place on Friday, January 23, 2015. You will need to spell and define the following words from chapter 2:

cleverest - klokast 
reputation - rykte
nimble - kvick eller snabb
elementary - enkel eller grundläggande
convinced - övertygad
persuade - att övertala
absorb - att suga upp eller absorbera
disheartened - nedslagen
tormentor - torterare
expel - att driva ut
knoll - rund kulle
speechless - stum
adapt - att anpassa sig
frothy - skummigt
soaked - genomblöt

There are 15 words in total. Study up! And let me know if you have questions!

Carmen :)

Form and Content

Hey 7th graders,

Today's lesson on writing was important. We talked about form - how you say something when you write - and content - what you say when you write. Your goal as a student should be to have an equal balance of high quality form and content in all that you write, no matter the language, no matter the subject. 

Here is a little breakdown of form and content:

Form (language/språk)
-accurate (korrekt)
-clear
-"a nice flow"

Content (innehåll)
-relevant
-well-organized
-interesting

We will work on balancing form and content all term, so hopefully by the summer you'll be well on your way to becoming experts!

Have a nice evening,
Carmen

Animal Farm Quiz #1

Welcome back 7th graders!

I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable Christmas break! 

This term, you will need to look at the blog every week because this is where I will be posting the vocabulary words for each Animal Farm vocabulary quiz. I will not be handing out the vocabulary words on paper in class. So... CHECK THE BLOG! And if you lose or forget  the blog's address... THEN ASK!

Animal Farm Vocabulary Quiz #1

Quiz #1 will take place on Friday, January 16, 2015. You will need to spell and define the following words:

ensconce - att förskansa
benevolent - välvillig; generös
conceal - att hemlighålla (dölja) eller att gömma
first-rate - förstklassig
dainty - söt eller nätt
contentedly - nöjd
acquire - att få eller erhålla
laborious - arbetsam
capable - skicklig eller kunnig
abundance - rikedom eller myckenhet
dignity - värdighet
abolish - att avskaffa
tyranny - tyranni
rebellion - uppresning
comrade - kamrat
vanish - att försvinna
tremendous - oerhörd
delightful - behaglig eller förtjusande
nestle - att kura ihop sig
hurriedly - hastigt

Study up! And let me know if you have questions!

Carmen :)