And it seems like, just yesterday, we were getting started with our eighth grade year...
Last week, the students finished up their study of Shakespeare (unless they are missing work or want to retry an assignment). Not only did we look at how Shakespeare wrote his plays, analyze his vocabulary, understand iambic pentameter as a writing style, and perform scenes from William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily A New Hope, the students also had to, then, become Shakespearean authors and create sonnets based on a song of their choosing. As we learned about sonnets, we recognized that sonnets were almost like song lyrics, but without the music. So the students had to take a song and whittle it down to its basic understanding, working within the constraints of a Shakespearean sonnet: only 14 lines, each line has to be in iambic pentameter, and following a specific rhyme scheme. Additionally, those who wanted a challenge could then write their sonnet in Elizabethan English, as Shakespeare would have used. Our next unit of study is going to be based on the novel of Jurassic Park. To begin with, JP is an incredible novel that starts to dig deep into the idea of science and man playing God; themes which we will be exploring. Having been the basis of one of my favorite films, we will be watching the movie upon completing the novel, with a focus on visual storytelling. Part of creating a movie is using music effectively, so that's where we are beginning. This week, we are doing a study of music, not just in movies, but how and why it's used in movies. This will lead us to a project the students will be doing, in which they need to create a soundtrack for the novel as they read. This unit of study will continue after winter break. As a reminder, I will be taking a leave of absence from Monday, January 6th, with a return date of Wednesday, February 19th. Information about a substitute teacher is forthcoming. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. - Mr. Mazzuca
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A continuation of all things going on in 8th grade literacy class this school year! Archives
March 2020
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