Email: jodi.chesbro@dvusd.org

Phone: 623-376-4873

Qualifications: University of Phoenix, Post Graduate Studies Middle School Endorsement 1994-1995 Literacy Learning Network Teacher Coach 2000-2009 Rio Salado College English SEI Endorsement 1990 ASU College of Education Post Graduate 1985 Arizona State University Bachelor of Arts English, cum laude 1984 Scottsdale Community College Associate of Arts 1980

Mrs. Chesbro

About Me

"We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch.  Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit."  
-- e. e. cummings

 

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Hello. I’m Mrs. Chesbro. You and I will be a part of Sierra Verde’s 7th grade Language Arts experience. Together, we’ll discover great literature, learn the power of the written word, and capture a vision of our future. Learning is fun!  So, plan to challenge your active vocabulary this year.  You will never look at words – and life – the same way again.

 

I was born in Arizona — an actual native — and have lived here all my life.  I had an incredible Jr. High English teacher who helped me understand my talents, and inspired me to pursue a life of learning. I graduated from ASU and took a job teaching Junior High English in a small rural cotton farming community with a one-school district.  I discovered that teaching was not just a job, but also a calling.

The same year I began teaching, I married my husband John.  We have a bouncy boy named Buckley — who happens also to have fur, a tail and a wet nose. I love to travel and count Britain, Italy, Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska among my favorite places to visit.  I love to read, hike, sit in my garden, and throw a ball for our furry child. 

I am on the board of an organization called Arizona Educational Foundation. I get to visit excellent schools and give them a grade of A+ for being great places to learn, and for making a difference for kids. I absolutely love being part of the Viper Family!  I’m looking forward to being your Language Arts teacher this year. Life is a grand adventure.  

Survival Guide

Show your "Viper Pride"! 

 

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Mrs. Chesbro’s Expectations

Classroom Behavior should be demonstrated using Viper Pride by...

Respect, Responsibility & Integrity
Remember: "Be Safe; Be Respectful; Be Responsible, Be Safe"

All students will...
1.  Show respect to the Teacher at all times by obeying without grumbling and disputing.  Absolutely NO back-talk.
2.  Show respect to the class by not talking, whispering, passing notes, or any other forms of disruptive verbal or nonverbal communication.
3.  Show respect to each other by keeping hands, feet, and all projectile objects to themselves.  (This includes throwing things into the wastebasket.)
4.  Show respect to themselves by refraining from any abusive or disrespectful language. 

Broken Rules Result in...
1.  Verbal or nonverbal warning.
2.  Individual conference with the teacher, GRIT card infraction.
3.  Lunch Detention
4.  Phone call home
4.  Major Behavior:  Any broken school rule results in referral directly to the principal’s office.

General Classroom Order

 

 

Students are responsible to... 

1.     line up outside of class until the teacher lets them in.
2.     be in their seat, ready to begin before class starts.
3.     listen and follow directions.
4.     have pencils sharpened before class begins.
5.     keep desks and areas around them neat and free from litter.
6.     keep desks and furniture clean of writing, vandalism or abuse.
7.     use dictionaries, and return them neatly and in order.
8.     use passes out of this room wisely.  
9.     leave this room only with a signed planner.
10.   stand when an adult enters the room.

11.   be polite and courteous at all times.

 

Passes are a privilege and over-use or misuse will result in suspension of that privilege.

Courtesy to one another and to the teacher is of paramount importance. 

Students should say please and thank you, and should reply to the teacher by name.

 

Vocabulary             

Every Monday you will receive ten or more new vocabulary words.  If time permits, you may be given class time to look the words up.  You may use a chrome book or smart device for this with the teacher's permission. Use the following guidelines:

1.    Write or type the full definition of the word in a Google Doc.  
2.    Make note of the pronunciation.  Practice saying it until you feel confident.
3.    Write the part of speech (n, vt, adj, etc).
4.    After you have the definition and understand the word, use the word in a sentence.
5.    If you wish to use the sentence provided by the dictionary, feel free.

6.    Never use the word in a sentence with just a subject, linking verb, and vocabulary word. 

 

For example:  Henry is obnoxious.  I am fastidious. Show me that you know what the word means by the way you use it.

 

7.    Underline or highlight the word in the sentence.
8.    Never define a word with a derivative of the word (for example: defining neurotic with neurosis).
9.    Save all your vocabulary worksheets until the end of the year.  

Every Tuesday I will check your vocabulary.  If you have looked up nine out of ten words, you do not get credit. If you did not finish in class, then it is your responsibility to finish at home. 

Looking up words can be tedious. On Tuesday, we will go over the words, and then you will receive a worksheet/writing assignment to reinforce the words in your own vocabulary.  Unless otherwise noted, this worksheet is due on Thursday.

Every Friday you will have a test over that week’s words.  You will also have periodic midterms and finals over the previous units, and at the end of the year, you will have a final over all 200+ words.  This is a good reason to really learn the words and move them into your active vocabulary, and not just memorize them for the tests.  The tests will be given online, and you will be responsible for both definition and usage.  The tests are rather difficult and will require study.  Get into the habit of setting aside time every Thursday night for this purpose.

• Parts of Speech

  "Grammar is the logic of speech, even as logic is the grammar of reason." 

  - Richard Chenevix Trench

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  Contents

  Links may not be available until content is covered in class.

   

  Adjectives

  Adverbs

  Conjunctions

  Interjections 

  Nouns

  Prepositions 

  Pronouns

  Subjects & Predicates

  Verbs

   

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• Nouns

  [nown] a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things common noun, or to name a particular one of these proper noun.

 

• Interjections!

  [in-ter-jek-shuh n] words expressing emotion, distinguished in most languages by their use in grammatical isolation, as Hey! Oh! Ouch! Ugh!

• Conjunctions

 

• Prepositions

 

• Adverbs

• Verbs

 

• Adjectives

  [aj-ik-tiv] Words that modify nouns and pronouns, primarily by describing a particular quality of the word they are modifying, as wise in a wise grandmother, or perfect in a perfect score, or handsome in He is extremely handsome. 

 

• Pronouns

• Subjects & Predicates

•  MLA Writers' Format

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  All written pieces are required to be in MLA (Modern Language Association) Format. You can read the whole thing by clicking here: MLA Formatting and Style Guide, but below are overall rules and general guidelines that will give you the skills you need to be successful 7th grade Viper writers. 

  
  You can also download these handy templates:

  MS Word Template

   

   

  
  Overall Paper Format

  • The paper should be typed and double-spaced, on standard 8 ½” x 11”, 20-pound white paper or a Google Template.
  • All four outside margins should be set at 1 inch.
  • A header with consecutive page numbering should appear on the upper right-hand corner of each page. It must be flush with the right margin, and one-half inch down from the top margin.
  • A title page is not necessary (unless otherwise requested). Instead of the title page, four double-spaced entries are made, beginning at the top left-hand corner of the first page, listing author (your) name, course instructor’s name, course name/number, and the date.
  • The title of the paper should be centered, one double-space from the bottom of the previous entry (either the header, or the date if there was no title page).
  • You may also use the site EasyBib for assistance in formating. 

    http://www.easybib.com/guides/citation-guides/mla-format/

  Sample first page

• Sample Subsequent Pages

• In-Text Citations of Sources

  • When citing a work within the text of a paper, try to mention the material being cited in a “signal phrase” that includes the author’s name. After that phrase, insert in brackets, the page number in the work referred to from which the information is drawn.
  • For example: [ In his final study, Smith said that the response “far exceeded our expectations” (253) ]. The reader can then look up Smith in the works cited list for complete information about the publication for which page 253 is being cited.
  • In cases where the author is not mentioned in a "signal phrase" the author’s name, followed by the page number, must appear in parentheses. Example: [ When he left that job he felt it was time to move back to the sea (Smith 309). ]
  • For citations of Internet resources, refer to the special page that I have set up about this right here.

  Bibliography / Works Cited List

  • Sources are referred to in a "Works Cited" list that should begin at the top of a separate page after the last page of essay text. (do not capitalize, underline, etc.).
  • All entries in the works cited list should be double-spaced with no extra line spaces between entries.
  • The first line of each entry in the works cited listshould be flush to the left margin, and each subsequent line for that entryshould be indented one-half inch (i.e. hanging indent).
  • For the title of the work being cited, use underliningor italics, not both. They are equivalent in this case. Whichever convention ischosen must be used throughout the essay for all titles cited.
  • The works cited list should be arranged in alphabeticalorder, based on the first word of each entry. For most entries, this will bethe last name of the author.
  • As a general rule, the names of authors are inverted(i.e. last name first). In cases where a work has more than one author, invert the first author’s name only, followed by a comma, after which the other authors are listed (names not inverted).
  • If more than one work by the same author is cited, the entries should appear as consecutive entries in the list, in alphabetical order by title. For the second, and all subsequent entries for that author, replace the author’s name with a line of three hyphens at the beginning of the entry.
  • In cases where an author appears both as a sole author of a work, and as the first of a group of authors for another work, place the solo-entry first.
  • If the author of a work is unknown, alphabetize the entry by the title of the work.
  • Generally, when citing BOOKS, arrange the information into three units, each followed by a period and one space as follows: (1) author’s name (last name first), (2) title and sub-title, underlined (or italics), (3) place of publication, publisher, and date (in that order).
  • Generally, when citing ARTICLES, list the information in the following order: (1) author name (inverted), (2) article title (enclosed in quotations), (3) title of the magazine or journal (underlined or italics), (4) date and page numbers (in that order).
  • When listing ranges of page numbers, use the format 354-359 for an article appearing on those pages. The efficient form, 354-59, may also be used.

  Sample Citations (Bibliography) Page

• File Format

  Sierra Verde students will think critically, respond digitally, and communicate effectively ....YES! 

   

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  Using technology to create and submit your work is a STEAM and Viper expectation. Just like real life, however, sharing digital content for class credit can be a challenge. Sierra Verde Vipers are responsible to understand the digital media available to them, and to submit their work in a format that is universally viewable (and especially viewable by your teacher!).

   

  Accepted file formats are:

  • PDFs (Portable Document Format) - This is your safest bet for any digital file submission
  • Documents: Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, Google Sheets 
  • Presentations: PowerPoint, Sway, Google Slides
  • Images: JPEG, TIFF, PNG
  • Media: MOV, MWV, AVI
  Other file formats should be converted to one of the standards above. This is easy in most programs and can usually be done be selecting either "Save As..." or "Export..." from the File menu. 

   

  Here are tips for saving your files in formats that are guaranteed to be acceptable in class. 

   

   

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  PDFs 

   

  Portable Document Format (PDF) preserves document formatting and enables file sharing. PDFs are universally viewable on virtually any computer. When the PDF format file is viewed online or printed, it retains the format that you intended. 

   

  Saving Microsoft docs to PDF

   

  To learn how to save any Microsoft Office document (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) as a PDF, follow this link.

   

  Saving Mac docs to PDF

   

  To export any Mac iWork document (Pages, Keynote, Numbers), simply click File > Export To > PDF.

   

  

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  Presentations

   

  Microsoft  PowerPoint 2013 is the standard presentation program for Deer Valley. It can open most previous versions as well. If you are using another presentation program such as Keynote for Mac or Google Slides, you should convert the presentation to PowerPoint before bringing it to class. 

   

  Converting Apple Keynote

   

  Just like exporting to PDF, converting your Keynote presentation to PowerPoint is easy. Simply click File > Export To > PowerPoint. You should always double check your converted presentation; graphics and fancy animations may not work the way you expect them to.

   

  

   

  Converting Google Slides

   

  Slides is Google's free online presentation software. If you create a presentation in Slides, you can store it online and present it from a web browser. You are responsible for knowing how to do this before you get to class! If you wish to export it to PowerPoint and download it instead, follow these easy steps: just click File > Download as > Microsoft PowerPoint.

   

  

   

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  Media

   

   

Public Speaking with Dramatic Emphasis

"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts."                

-William Shakespeare

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Welcome to Dramatic Public Speaking! This class is designed to help you feel comfortable "on stage", improve your memorization skills, and learn to have fun while performing. We will also spend some time working on movement, taking on roles, memorization in groups, dialogues, and monologues. 

You need no supplies.  Instead you will be using your imagination, memory, and body to perform skits, dialogues, pantomimes, improvs, and monologues.  Hopefully you will discover a little more of who you are through drama!

• Public Speaking

  "There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave.  The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave." - Dale Carnegie

   

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  Great words from great minds

  Here are some of the greatest speeches of the modern era captured in video. What is it about these speeches that you think made the words or the speaker so compelling to the audience?
  If you find a broken link, please report it here.

•  I Have a Dream

   

  "I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination. The speech, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. Delivered to over 200,000 civil rights supporters, the speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century by a 1999 poll of scholars of public address.

   

  According to U.S. Representative John Lewis, who also spoke that day as the President of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, "Dr. King had the power, the ability, and the capacity to transform those steps on the Lincoln Memorial into a monumental area that will forever be recognized. By speaking the way he did, he educated, he inspired, he informed not just the people there, but people throughout America and unborn generations."

   

  This is only a snippet of the most famous section of this speech. To see and hear the complete version, click here to visit YouTube. 

• Do You Believe in Me?

   

  You can be young and still speak with confidence and conviction. 

•  Want to be Inspired?

   

  40 snips of lines strung together for one motivational speech!

• Mind and Body Control

  Memorization of a speech is often only half of your job.  Movement of body is a large part of performance.

Vocabulary

"By words we learn thoughts, and by thoughts we learn life."    - Jean Baptiste Girard

 

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For general vocabulary expectations, see Mrs. Chesbro's Survival Guide.

To see current homework assignments and due times, please log in to PowerSchool, or check your online classroom.

For the Advanced Literary Vocabulary list, click here.

 

Please rely on official pronunciations from your dictionary and classroom practice.

• Classroom

  Guidelines for Sierra Verde

   

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  Communication

  We look at the academic success of each student as the result of the student, parents/guardians and teachers working together as a team. With the access of PowerSchools, parents and students will be able to constantly monitor academic progress so there should never be any surprises.  Beyond this, every parent/guardian should feel free to contact any teacher if they have a question or concern. Please note that for a quicker response, e-mail is usually the most efficient way to correspond and this can be found under teacher contact.
  
  We also feel that having an open communication line between teacher and student is vitally important. If a student feels lost in any assignment or has any concerns, he or she needs to bring it up to his/her teacher right away. If there is not time during class, an appointment can be set up that works for both the student and teacher to better address the matter. It may not always be obvious to a teacher if a student has a question so he or she must take the initiative to seek help. Only as a team can we work towards each student’s academic potential. 
  
  Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook
  Every student will have access to the most current Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook. It is very important that all students and their parents/guardians make themselves familiar with these district policies. A copy can also be downloaded from the district’s website.
  
  Behavior Policy
  The following is an outline of parameters that must be followed in order to ensure optimal success in the classroom and provide for a smoothly run class. This program is designed to promote positive cooperation between parent, student, and school.
  
  School wide expectations are based on Viper Pride and the Six Pillars of Character as outlined in the “Character Counts Program”. 
  
  Expectations:  
      Be Respectful  
      Be Responsible  
     Be Safe  
     Be Kind

        

  Always be safe, responsible, respectful, and kind.

  You may not verbally or physically disrupt the educational process of any student
  Bullying will never be tolerated - either physical or verbal
  Always be prepared for class with homework and supplies

  Follow all class and school rules

   

  Consequences
  If a student CHOOSES to violate any of these expectations, there will be consequences for their actions. The following is a breakdown of the graduated step-approach of consequences: 
  
       1st Offense –  Verbal or visual warning, GRIT card infraction
       2nd-4th Offense – GRIT card infraction
       5th Offense –  A detention will be assigned and parent notified
       Serious Offense –  Other disciplinary action according to the District handbook
  
  Depending on the seriousness of the offense a student might be issued a detention or suspension without the previous steps at the discretion of the teacher and/or administration. 
  
  Tardiness
  It is very important that every student is in his or her desk and ready to learn at the start of every class. Any student who reaches 3 unexcused tardies in a class per quarter will receive a detention from that teacher – this also includes being late for 1st period.
  
  Restroom Use
  It is the expectation that students will use the restroom before school, during lunch breaks and after school. Using the restroom during academic time should be reserved for emergencies ONLY.  Students are encouraged not to use the restroom during instructional time. In the event that one needs to leave the classroom, students must sign in/out using the log book located by the exit. 
  
  Assignments and Make up
  
  Makeup Work - The following standards apply in the district for makeup work due to an excused absence.  Adjustments may be made when it is in the best interest of the student(s).

  • It is the student’s responsibility to follow each individual teacher’s procedures for making up work.
  • The student has the responsibility to work with the teacher to develop a plan for making up homework and tests.
  • If work is not turned in when the assignment is due and the student fails to provide an acceptable explanation of the extenuating circumstances that would merit an extension, the teacher may reduce the grade on an assignment or withhold credit on the assignment.
  • When a student has been absent for illness he or she will receive one day for each day absent, up to three days. It is the student’s responsibility to pick up and turn in the absent work.
    
    In situations where the student will be absent for more than three days due to illness, or when the parent notifies the office that the student will be absent more than one week for other reasons (e.g., vacation), teachers may provide required assignments in advance or upon the student's return.  Long term absences will be handled on an individual basis. This policy does NOT apply to suspensions.  If a student is suspended -- either in-school or out-of-school -- he or she is responsible to keep up with the work. It is expected that the student will go to each teacher BEFORE the suspension to get the work that he or she will miss.

  
  For Mrs. Chesbro's classroom-specific survival guide, click here.