First Marking Period

(First Unit of Study)
Topics Explored During the Perspective Unit Perspective and Irony Autobiographical Poetry Narrative Writing Creative Writing Vocabulary and Spelling Development Unit Highlight Examining optical illusions and "cloud" art while discussing perspective. Academic Classes Highlight All students in the Academic Program will be offered the opportunity to write a personal narrative. Major Writing Activities During the Perspective Unit Personal "Bio-Poem" A poetry writing activity that asks each student to write an autobiographical poem and create a personal poster displaying the poem and the student's baby picture. "Understanding Ourselves" A personal narrative writing activity that asks each student to examine a significant time, event, or experience in his or her life and explore how personal perspective changes with the passage of time. "Responding to Literature" Students will write short essays in response to themes and concepts explored through the literature read during the perspective unit. Literature Explored During the Perspective Unit "All Summer in a Day" "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" "Time Enough at Last" "The Gift of the Magi" "To Serve Man" Unit Highlight Reading, watching, and discussing old Twilight Zone episodes. Advanced Classes Highlight All Honors students will be offered the opportunity to create their own Twilight Zone episodes.

"The Language of Language"
Throughout the year we will take the opportunity to learn the "language of language" beginning with a review of the eight parts of speech. Special emphasis will be placed on the proper use of the personal pronoun in our writing including subjective and objective pronouns and pronoun/antecedent agreement.

Useful Links

Grammar Helpers
Includes links to grammar resources on the Internet, such as grammar guides, instruction, activities, parts of speech, and punctuation.

Grammar Rock Lyrics
What would be a study of parts of speech without singing the Grammar Rock songs. You can do that at this website.

The Parts of Speech
Contains information on all the parts of speech with many examples and a review exercise..

Interlink Language Centers
This is a wonderful sight containing information and quizzes on each of the eight parts of speech.

Madlibs
A sight that allows you to review parts of speech while having fun creating madlibs.

by
J.R.R. Tolkien

I am looking for
someone to share
in an adventure!

An Introduction to
The Hobbit

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. He lived in the Shire, and people considered him very respectable because he never had any adventures or did anything unexpected. However, this was all to change when the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves arrive at Bilbo's home. Bilbo has been chosen to go on an adventure with the dwarves who hope to reclaim their treasure and their homeland from the dreaded dragon Smaug. Together the travelers face one calamity after another as they encounter trolls, goblins, giant spiders, and savage wargs. However, the greatest encounters are left to Bilbo alone who must outwit Gollum, face the dreaded Smaug, and forge a union between man, elf, and dwarf before the Battle of the Five Armies is lost.

Unit Highlight
Playing the Riddle Game after reading to "Riddles in the Dark" (Chapter Five).

Unit Highlight
Writing, directing, producing, and acting out a dramatic scene based on a chapter from The Hobbit.

Rolozo Tolkien
My favorite website. Here you will find the greatest artwork related to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings including the artwork found in every calendar available since 1974.

Lord of the Rings
Another of my favorite websites. This is the official website for the Lord of the Rings movies. A great site for LotR screensavers, desktop wallpapers, and theatrical trailers.

Click on the Infotrac Logo to access the Infotrac page. The password for Holicong Middle School is
central_rpa
Make sure you type the password in lower case.

Student Resource Center - Bronze
(Click on the icon)
A database containing thousands of documents, biographies, essays, background information, critical analyses, full-text coverage of over 450 magazines, newspapers, over 20,000 photographs and illustrations, and more than 8 hours of audio and video clips.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
Click on the icon)
Opposing Viewpoints provides a complete one-stop source for information on social issues. Access viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Infotrac: Student Edition - K12
(Click on the icon)
This database is designed for students, with access to a variety of indexed and full-text magazines, newspapers and reference books for information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

The Patriot's Pen Essay Writing Contest, sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, offers selected students the opportunity to express their views in writing on patriotic themes. Local winners move on to the district, state, and national competitions.

The Anthology of Poetry Writing Contests offers selected students the opportunity to have their poetry published in a nationally recognized anthology of middle school poetry.

Both contests will be introduced to the students at the end of the first marking period and will have due dates in November.


In October, all Team 7-0 students will travel to Lyndhurst, New Jersey, and step back in time. Imagine a history lesson presented by a King and his Noble Court, set within the walls of an 11th century-style castle. Every detail is painstakingly re-created as our students take a personal journey back to the Middle Ages. Students will enjoy amazing swordplay, spectacular horsemanship, medieval games of skill, and an authentic jousting tournament. The students will also join the King and Queen for a true Medieval Feast including roasted chicken, soup, potatoes, and a medieval dessert.