Great work today with the questions and the responses and the discussions over pages 47-61. We'll be focusing heavily on pages 66-69 tomorrow. Only three pages but they are packed with emotion.
Ask yourself the following...
Would you die for what you believe in?
What would make you lose your faith?
Did God abandon the Jews?
Should Elie lose his faith?
Those are some of the discussions we'll have tomorrow.
One last Archer card signature possibility. What fantastic Christmas movie did the amazing Jimmy Stewart star in?
Come rain or snow we will see you tomorrow.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Enriched 12-20-2012
The NPR audio we listened to today in periods five and six generated some positive discussion. It's tough to balance evil in the world with a benevolent supreme being. Thus the discussion in the NPR spot was relevant to our discussions of Elie and his personal ordeal. Here's a link to the audio, period one, should you be curious of what was said. It's only four minutes long. Give it a listen. Tell me what you think.
Lots of discussion on the text today as well. We covered a lot of ground quickly and each class did a fine job of getting almost every student involved. I've read the book over twenty times and I still pause and let Elie's description of Juliek's final violin concert wash over me. I was pleased that every class selected that scene as the most beautiful. Elie's disbelief at being 16 and witnessing what he had witnessed and the bonds formed by Elie and his father seemed to dominate the conversations. Tonight you are finishing the book. It's powerful and holds nothing back. Elie is nothing if not brutally honest with his words. When he says, "Free at last..." it tears at me in multiple ways. We'll consider his words and much more tomorrow. Be sure you have your two questions written on page 116 before you enter class tomorrow.
Jenni Munoz was doing a little looking around the internet and found a couple sites with some rare photographs. Check these out if you have a moment. Pretty stunning.
I'll return your papers tomorrow, but, unfortunately, I was unable to assess them all. Look for final assessments over break.
One more Christmas Archer card signature opportunity. One of the most often adapted Christmas tales is that of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Identify three individuals who portrayed Scrooge in an adaptation and I'll sign your Archer card.
We have one more day to make through. It will be a full one. See you tomorrow.
Lots of discussion on the text today as well. We covered a lot of ground quickly and each class did a fine job of getting almost every student involved. I've read the book over twenty times and I still pause and let Elie's description of Juliek's final violin concert wash over me. I was pleased that every class selected that scene as the most beautiful. Elie's disbelief at being 16 and witnessing what he had witnessed and the bonds formed by Elie and his father seemed to dominate the conversations. Tonight you are finishing the book. It's powerful and holds nothing back. Elie is nothing if not brutally honest with his words. When he says, "Free at last..." it tears at me in multiple ways. We'll consider his words and much more tomorrow. Be sure you have your two questions written on page 116 before you enter class tomorrow.
Jenni Munoz was doing a little looking around the internet and found a couple sites with some rare photographs. Check these out if you have a moment. Pretty stunning.
Remind me tomorrow and I'll show you a photo of Elie at one of the camps.
I'll return your papers tomorrow, but, unfortunately, I was unable to assess them all. Look for final assessments over break.
One more Christmas Archer card signature opportunity. One of the most often adapted Christmas tales is that of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Identify three individuals who portrayed Scrooge in an adaptation and I'll sign your Archer card.
We have one more day to make through. It will be a full one. See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Standard 12-19-2012
The QBTs are finished in here for the most part. Period three will have one more after break. I collected all your notes in period three and will do the same in period four tomorrow. Make sure you have everything and make sure it's all up to date.
Important material to cover tomorrow in Night. That's why I want you to carefully review the two scenes that occur on pages 61-65. I also want you to actively read pages 66-69. It's short, but it's very intense. We'll have a lot to discuss tomorrow since we really didn't get to pages 47-61 either. Be sure you are staying up to date. Two days until winter break. You can take a break in less than 45 hours.
Here's a chance for you to earn an Archer card signature. Only one person got yesterday's question correct. There are two bad guys in the Christmas special Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town. Name me one of the two bad guys and I'll sign your card.
See you tomorrow.
Important material to cover tomorrow in Night. That's why I want you to carefully review the two scenes that occur on pages 61-65. I also want you to actively read pages 66-69. It's short, but it's very intense. We'll have a lot to discuss tomorrow since we really didn't get to pages 47-61 either. Be sure you are staying up to date. Two days until winter break. You can take a break in less than 45 hours.
Here's a chance for you to earn an Archer card signature. Only one person got yesterday's question correct. There are two bad guys in the Christmas special Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town. Name me one of the two bad guys and I'll sign your card.
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-19-2012
What we heard today in class from Spencer Kilmer, Caroline Parker, Emily Mack, Alyia Bralick, and Nathan Glaser was pretty powerful. Not surprising then, most of you took me up on the second chance to write the letter to/from God/Elie. Remember to emphasize specific references to the text. Passing references to generalities won't cut it. Be specific and detailed when possible. I'll be collecting all of them--without penalty--tomorrow.
A TON of material to go over tomorrow. We'll be covering info from pages 69 up to 103. We have time in periods five and six, but we'll be pushing it in period one. Come prepared to discuss, question, write, and discuss some more.
Had 29 people retake the verbals quiz. All but one improved their scores. 9 of the 29 even hit the maximum number of points (19/22). Thanks for taking the time over the last two days to learn a little more and improve your scores.
The QBTs are finally finished! Okay, all but period one. Are you kidding me? Five of the seven remaining presenters were absent today? An unfortunate coincidence, I can only hope.
Another Archer card signature possibility. On Christmas Eve through Christmas day, the film A Christmas Story will be running for 24 hours straight. It's a funny movie with an oft quoted line. The line is the young protagonist's mother's reason for not buying him (Ralphie) an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. Tell me the line and I'll sign your card. Then be sure to watch the movie sometime over break.
See you tomorrow.
A TON of material to go over tomorrow. We'll be covering info from pages 69 up to 103. We have time in periods five and six, but we'll be pushing it in period one. Come prepared to discuss, question, write, and discuss some more.
Had 29 people retake the verbals quiz. All but one improved their scores. 9 of the 29 even hit the maximum number of points (19/22). Thanks for taking the time over the last two days to learn a little more and improve your scores.
The QBTs are finally finished! Okay, all but period one. Are you kidding me? Five of the seven remaining presenters were absent today? An unfortunate coincidence, I can only hope.
Another Archer card signature possibility. On Christmas Eve through Christmas day, the film A Christmas Story will be running for 24 hours straight. It's a funny movie with an oft quoted line. The line is the young protagonist's mother's reason for not buying him (Ralphie) an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. Tell me the line and I'll sign your card. Then be sure to watch the movie sometime over break.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Standard 12-18-2012
We now all have themes for several key ideas in Night: denial, loss, faith, night, indifference, change and dehumanization. Keep aware of these themes as you move forward with your reading tonight. If you see something that hits on one of the themes we developed in class, be sure to mark it in your text. By the way, tonight you should read pages 47-65. Make sure you read actively. I'll be checking before you enter the class tomorrow.
I'll also be asking you to come up with three questions tomorrow. One will be a recall question and the other two will be open-ended questions. We'll be using those as a guide to our discussion. Yet another reason to be reading the text carefully. Since you know what I'll be looking for, you might want to start thinking about those questions tonight.
A few more QBTs tomorrow before we wrap it all up.
I'll sign your Archer card tomorrow if you can tell me the missing word of the following song from The Year Without a Santa Claus.
I'm Mr. Heat Miser
I'm Mr. Sun.
I'm Mr. Heat Blister
I'm Mr. __________
See you tomorrow.
I'll also be asking you to come up with three questions tomorrow. One will be a recall question and the other two will be open-ended questions. We'll be using those as a guide to our discussion. Yet another reason to be reading the text carefully. Since you know what I'll be looking for, you might want to start thinking about those questions tonight.
A few more QBTs tomorrow before we wrap it all up.
I'll sign your Archer card tomorrow if you can tell me the missing word of the following song from The Year Without a Santa Claus.
I'm Mr. Heat Miser
I'm Mr. Sun.
I'm Mr. Heat Blister
I'm Mr. __________
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-18-2012
Tomorrow is the verbal retake quiz. So far I have only thirteen people eligible to take it. If you are interested in taking it then you need to come see me before school tomorrow and show me the corrections you've made on your quiz and/or sit through some verbal review. The highest score you will be able to earn is a 19/22; however, if you score less than your score on the original quiz, the new score will be the one that counts. In other words, you better study.
Tonight you need to actively read Night from pages 69-84. In addition, you should type a letter from God to Elie or a letter from Elie to God. You need to focus on our in class discussion today along with the attitude Elie develops in pages 66-69. An effective letter will be loaded with specific textual references from the beginning of the book through page 69 supporting either God's voice or Elie's voice.
Period 6 finished their QBTs today. Period 5 will finish tomorrow. That leaves you, Period 1. 22 down 7 to go.
Let me leave you with another chance to earn an Archer card signature. In the Frosty the Snowman cartoon Christmas special, there is a magician named Professor Hinkle who owns a rabbit. What is the rabbit's name?
See you tomorrow.
Tonight you need to actively read Night from pages 69-84. In addition, you should type a letter from God to Elie or a letter from Elie to God. You need to focus on our in class discussion today along with the attitude Elie develops in pages 66-69. An effective letter will be loaded with specific textual references from the beginning of the book through page 69 supporting either God's voice or Elie's voice.
Period 6 finished their QBTs today. Period 5 will finish tomorrow. That leaves you, Period 1. 22 down 7 to go.
Let me leave you with another chance to earn an Archer card signature. In the Frosty the Snowman cartoon Christmas special, there is a magician named Professor Hinkle who owns a rabbit. What is the rabbit's name?
See you tomorrow.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Standard 12-17-2012
We started working on themes from Night today. We'll finish those up tomorrow, complete with supporting evidence, before discussing a couple key points from the first 41 pages along with the pages you are actively reading tonight (42-46).
Be sure you read tonight.
I'll sign the Archer card of anyone who can tell me one of the Misfit Toys from the Island of Misfit Toys in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
See you tomorrow.
Be sure you read tonight.
I'll sign the Archer card of anyone who can tell me one of the Misfit Toys from the Island of Misfit Toys in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-17-2012
Be sure you actively read Night pages 66-69 for tomorrow. Read it twice. It would also be helpful if you revisit pages 61-65. Those are the pages of the two hanging episodes.
As you read, I want you to think about this question: Is Elie right to give up on God during the Holocaust? That will be the driving force of our discussion tomorrow. Be ready to back up your perspective.
We discussed several of the short stories from pages 47-65. We'll wrap the rest up tomorrow prior to our other discussion.
If you want to retake the verbal quiz on Wednesday during lunch, you must come to one of the before school reteaching sessions on Tuesday or Wednesday. If you cannot make one of those sessions, you need to correct all of the errors on your original verbal quiz and show it to me on your own time. Not during class. If you do not do one of these, then you cannot retake the quiz. Remember, you will receive a maximum score of 19/22 on the retake.
I'll sign the Archer card of anyone who can tell me why the Bumble didn't die when he fell off the cliff near the end of the Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
See you tomorrow.
As you read, I want you to think about this question: Is Elie right to give up on God during the Holocaust? That will be the driving force of our discussion tomorrow. Be ready to back up your perspective.
We discussed several of the short stories from pages 47-65. We'll wrap the rest up tomorrow prior to our other discussion.
If you want to retake the verbal quiz on Wednesday during lunch, you must come to one of the before school reteaching sessions on Tuesday or Wednesday. If you cannot make one of those sessions, you need to correct all of the errors on your original verbal quiz and show it to me on your own time. Not during class. If you do not do one of these, then you cannot retake the quiz. Remember, you will receive a maximum score of 19/22 on the retake.
I'll sign the Archer card of anyone who can tell me why the Bumble didn't die when he fell off the cliff near the end of the Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
See you tomorrow.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Standard 12-13-2012
Tomorrow will be your last chance to get help with your paper! Come prepared to work on it. Come prepared to ask questions on it. Come prepared to share it with someone else. Come prepared tomorrow so that you will be in great shape come Monday.
We'll start out tomorrow by finishing the PTs. While individuals finish those, the rest of us will see a couple of QBTs. Once both of those have been completed, we will move upstairs to the IMC so that we can work diligently on your papers. You will have an opportunity to do everything I mentioned in paragraph one. There will also be some computers available (limited number) if you need access to one to type. I'm looking forward to seeing what you all produce.
Here's a little holiday Archer card question. Answer it and I will sign your card. In "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" television special, there is a song with a line in it that says, "I wouldn't touch you with a _________ foot pole." How long is the pole in the song?
See you tomorrow.
We'll start out tomorrow by finishing the PTs. While individuals finish those, the rest of us will see a couple of QBTs. Once both of those have been completed, we will move upstairs to the IMC so that we can work diligently on your papers. You will have an opportunity to do everything I mentioned in paragraph one. There will also be some computers available (limited number) if you need access to one to type. I'm looking forward to seeing what you all produce.
Here's a little holiday Archer card question. Answer it and I will sign your card. In "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" television special, there is a song with a line in it that says, "I wouldn't touch you with a _________ foot pole." How long is the pole in the song?
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-13-2012
The day is upon us. The nonfiction paper is due. I've assessed a dozen or so early submissions and am pleased with the direction they have taken. For the rest of you, be sure you have the following taken care of.
Typed
Double spaced
Proper heading
Creative title
Engaging lead
Title and author of your nonfiction book mentioned in the first paragraph
Strong clear one sentence claim
Topic sentences
Thoroughly developed ideas
Supported thoroughly developed ideas
Properly cited support
Closings for each paragraph
A conclusion
A rubric stapled to the front
Any drafts
I'll collect those first thing tomorrow so that we can move on to
PTs and QBTs.
We'll do those simultaneously. Once finished we'll move on to Night with a focus on the themes developed in the first 47 pages. We will examine your quotes and check out Elie's reliability.
A word on the verbals quiz. Some did exceptionally well. Others struggled mightily. There will be a chance to land a more respectable score coming next week. Here's a little Christmas special Archer card question: What is the elf's name who befriends Rudolph in the claymation story "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"? Archer card signature awaits any correct answer.
See you tomorrow.
Typed
Double spaced
Proper heading
Creative title
Engaging lead
Title and author of your nonfiction book mentioned in the first paragraph
Strong clear one sentence claim
Topic sentences
Thoroughly developed ideas
Supported thoroughly developed ideas
Properly cited support
Closings for each paragraph
A conclusion
A rubric stapled to the front
Any drafts
I'll collect those first thing tomorrow so that we can move on to
PTs and QBTs.
We'll do those simultaneously. Once finished we'll move on to Night with a focus on the themes developed in the first 47 pages. We will examine your quotes and check out Elie's reliability.
A word on the verbals quiz. Some did exceptionally well. Others struggled mightily. There will be a chance to land a more respectable score coming next week. Here's a little Christmas special Archer card question: What is the elf's name who befriends Rudolph in the claymation story "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"? Archer card signature awaits any correct answer.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Standard 12-11-2012
Sorry I missed the first half of period three today, but at least we had the opportunity to check out George Maxwell's paper. It clarified some questions we were having. Period four lucked out because Nolan Metcalf has been working hard. He produced a very high quality paper for us to examine. Period three will get a peek at it tomorrow. Final copies will be due 12-17-12.
Several QBTs still to go, and we will attack those again tomorrow.
After that we will spend our time delving into Night. Remember to have actively read pages 23-41 for tomorrow. That means you should highlight it, text code it, annotate it, etc. I'll be checking before you enter class.
Have a good night's sleep. See you tomorrow.
Several QBTs still to go, and we will attack those again tomorrow.
After that we will spend our time delving into Night. Remember to have actively read pages 23-41 for tomorrow. That means you should highlight it, text code it, annotate it, etc. I'll be checking before you enter class.
Have a good night's sleep. See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-11-2012
Make sure you read pages 29-46 actively tonight. By actively I do mean highlighting, text coding, annotating, etc. Interact with the text. When I look at your book tomorrow, I want to see that you learned something, questioned something, understood something.
After reading the text, remember to do your 2 and 2. I want you to identify two quotes/passages from the text that resonate with you for any reason. Then I want you to write two paragraphs--one for each quote. In the paragraphs you should interpret the quote, identify its significance to the text, and explain why you selected it. I'll be collecting them tomorrow.
After our QBTs tomorrow (period five continues to rock while Nuha, Steven Hall, and Clare Frederick all did well in period six today) we will focus on Night. We'll be spending time identifying themes and discussing EW's reliability as a narrator.
Paper is due in less than 72 hours. Hope it's coming along well.
See you tomorrow.
After reading the text, remember to do your 2 and 2. I want you to identify two quotes/passages from the text that resonate with you for any reason. Then I want you to write two paragraphs--one for each quote. In the paragraphs you should interpret the quote, identify its significance to the text, and explain why you selected it. I'll be collecting them tomorrow.
After our QBTs tomorrow (period five continues to rock while Nuha, Steven Hall, and Clare Frederick all did well in period six today) we will focus on Night. We'll be spending time identifying themes and discussing EW's reliability as a narrator.
Paper is due in less than 72 hours. Hope it's coming along well.
See you tomorrow.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Standard 12-10-2012
Another full week this week. Maybe we should cancel winter break to make sure we can get it all in.
We will have QBTs tomorrow. You should look at the previous blog posting to know when your presentation date is.
Most of our focus tomorrow will be on the paper. Come to class prepared to edit it and hone it so that it can be the best it can be.
If time permits we will also further discuss our Night reading from the weekend.
For Wednesday, be sure you have read pages 22 to the bottom of page 41.
Remember to bring in the Acuity permission slip. You're taking the test no matter what. The form just allows us to send your info to the Acuity people.
See you tomorrow.
We will have QBTs tomorrow. You should look at the previous blog posting to know when your presentation date is.
Most of our focus tomorrow will be on the paper. Come to class prepared to edit it and hone it so that it can be the best it can be.
If time permits we will also further discuss our Night reading from the weekend.
For Wednesday, be sure you have read pages 22 to the bottom of page 41.
Remember to bring in the Acuity permission slip. You're taking the test no matter what. The form just allows us to send your info to the Acuity people.
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-10-2012
I do wish we had block scheduling back at Discovery. There's just too much to do in too little time. We were rushed again today, so we didn't tackle everything I had hoped we would. Nevertheless, we will endure and succeed.
Tomorrow be ready for the verbals quiz. We will take it as soon as we enter class. It shouldn't take too long...if you're prepared.
We will follow that up with our scheduled QBTs. Check past blogs to see who's on board tomorrow.
After that we'll have about a half hour left. We'll spend some of the time answering any paper questions. Remember, the paper is due to me no later than 12-14-12. That's Friday for those without a calendar handy. I also want to spend some of that time working on the themes you developed for the first Night reading. Block scheduling is looking better and better.
For Wednesday, you need to read pages 29-46 actively. That means you should highlight and annotate the reading. While reading I want you to identify two passages/quotes from the reading that resonate with you for whatever reason. Type them up and cite them. Under each one, be sure to type a paragraph that explains the quote, it's significance to the text, and why you selected it.
Remember to hand in your Acuity form tomorrow. You'll be taking the test no matter what this Thursday and Friday. The form just allows your results to be sent into the Acuity people to judge the effectiveness of the test.
See you tomorrow.
Tomorrow be ready for the verbals quiz. We will take it as soon as we enter class. It shouldn't take too long...if you're prepared.
We will follow that up with our scheduled QBTs. Check past blogs to see who's on board tomorrow.
After that we'll have about a half hour left. We'll spend some of the time answering any paper questions. Remember, the paper is due to me no later than 12-14-12. That's Friday for those without a calendar handy. I also want to spend some of that time working on the themes you developed for the first Night reading. Block scheduling is looking better and better.
For Wednesday, you need to read pages 29-46 actively. That means you should highlight and annotate the reading. While reading I want you to identify two passages/quotes from the reading that resonate with you for whatever reason. Type them up and cite them. Under each one, be sure to type a paragraph that explains the quote, it's significance to the text, and why you selected it.
Remember to hand in your Acuity form tomorrow. You'll be taking the test no matter what this Thursday and Friday. The form just allows your results to be sent into the Acuity people to judge the effectiveness of the test.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Standard 12-09-2012
We will watch a few QBTs tomorrow and then focus on our reading of Night pages 3-22. Make sure you have read those pages actively. We will be discussing and you will be writing and we will be increasing our awareness of what happened to Elie Wiesel.
Remember your paper rough draft should be in class on 12-11-12. That's Tuesday. Hope it's coming along well.
See you tomorrow.
Remember your paper rough draft should be in class on 12-11-12. That's Tuesday. Hope it's coming along well.
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-09-2012
In addition to the QBTs that will be presented tomorrow, we will also discuss our reading from Night. Remember to have actively read pages 3-28. You should also be completing your 1-2-1: type up one theme you see being developed in the first 28 pages of the novel; type up two quotes from the text that are representative of the theme you selected; type up an explanation paragraph explaining the theme, quotes, and how they work together with Night.
Yes, I'll be collecting it.
Yes, it will earn you some points.
No, we will not have the verbals quiz tomorrow.
Yes, we will have the verbals quiz Tuesday at the beginning of class.
No, I am not wearing a tie right now.
Yes, you will be reading further in Night for Wednesday.
Yes, I hope to see you all tomorrow.
Yes, I'll be collecting it.
Yes, it will earn you some points.
No, we will not have the verbals quiz tomorrow.
Yes, we will have the verbals quiz Tuesday at the beginning of class.
No, I am not wearing a tie right now.
Yes, you will be reading further in Night for Wednesday.
Yes, I hope to see you all tomorrow.
Period Six New QBT Schedule 12-09-2012
Here is an updated QBT schedule due to all of our unfortunate interruptions.
Monday: Michael Knutson, Alivia Longley, Daniel Yu
Tuesday: Nuha Zackariya, Stephen Hall, Clare Frederick
Wednesday: Aliya Bralick, Grany Brenner, Alexis Marks
Thursday: Gabrielle Lovisa, Jarod Swank, Keegan Hurst
Friday: Madelyn Busch, Jewel Eyestone, Isaiah Schatz
Monday: Michael Knutson, Alivia Longley, Daniel Yu
Tuesday: Nuha Zackariya, Stephen Hall, Clare Frederick
Wednesday: Aliya Bralick, Grany Brenner, Alexis Marks
Thursday: Gabrielle Lovisa, Jarod Swank, Keegan Hurst
Friday: Madelyn Busch, Jewel Eyestone, Isaiah Schatz
Period Five New QBT Schedule 12-09-2012
Here is an updated QBT schedule due to all of our untimely interruptions.
Monday: Bryce Yoder, Madeline Wegner, Conrad Adams
Tuesday: Elizabeth Bollinger, Chris Peck, Chris Dell
Wednesday: Isabella Gianesi, Mark Gindling, James Iapalucci
Thursday: Lili Dutka, Matt Eitler, John Ohlson
Friday: Caroline Parker, Allison Mason, Ryan Klinedinst
Monday, December 17: Morgan Blank, Thatcher Boyd
Monday: Bryce Yoder, Madeline Wegner, Conrad Adams
Tuesday: Elizabeth Bollinger, Chris Peck, Chris Dell
Wednesday: Isabella Gianesi, Mark Gindling, James Iapalucci
Thursday: Lili Dutka, Matt Eitler, John Ohlson
Friday: Caroline Parker, Allison Mason, Ryan Klinedinst
Monday, December 17: Morgan Blank, Thatcher Boyd
Period Four New QBT Schedule 12-09-2012
Here is an updated QBT schedules due to all of our conflicts.
Monday: Veronica Procaccino, Jasmine Leininger, Jacob Shreve, Steven Yuan
Tuesday: Killian Braunsdorf, Brittany Brown, Hannah Hinton
Wednesday: Jacob Callender, Christian Pottschmidt, Ben Rose
Thursday: Nolan Metcalf, Rachel Snyder, Abigail Takach
Friday: Catherine Hauck, Nicole Hiler, Noah Bradish
Monday: Veronica Procaccino, Jasmine Leininger, Jacob Shreve, Steven Yuan
Tuesday: Killian Braunsdorf, Brittany Brown, Hannah Hinton
Wednesday: Jacob Callender, Christian Pottschmidt, Ben Rose
Thursday: Nolan Metcalf, Rachel Snyder, Abigail Takach
Friday: Catherine Hauck, Nicole Hiler, Noah Bradish
Period Three New QBT Schedule 12-09-2012
Here is the updated schedule based on all of our disruptions.
Monday: A.J. Crawford, Austin Laymon, Andrew Migas, Kiernan Karch
Tuesday: John Graham, Noah Stabrowski, Zaine Tilton, Vanessa Banes
Wednesday: Sam Nicholas, Nic Cowsert, Michelle Allen
Thursday: Michael Burnett, Ryan Lau, Isaac Torres
Friday: George Maxwell, Taylor Shapiro, Patrick Brough
Monday, December 17: Travis Tucker, Tyler Lindzy
Monday: A.J. Crawford, Austin Laymon, Andrew Migas, Kiernan Karch
Tuesday: John Graham, Noah Stabrowski, Zaine Tilton, Vanessa Banes
Wednesday: Sam Nicholas, Nic Cowsert, Michelle Allen
Thursday: Michael Burnett, Ryan Lau, Isaac Torres
Friday: George Maxwell, Taylor Shapiro, Patrick Brough
Monday, December 17: Travis Tucker, Tyler Lindzy
Friday, December 7, 2012
Period One New QBT Schedule 12-07-2012
Due to all the delays and our full agendas, we need to restructure the QBT schedule for period one.
Here it is.
Monday: Nate Mark, Monesh Devireddy, Ashleigh Mattei
Tuesday: Andrew Bernard, Kelsey Calhoun, Logan McGuire, Hannah McGinness
Wednesday: Jenni Munoz, Peter Rutkowski, Savannah Day
Thursday: Allison Riggs, Matt Shan, Garrett Wolfram
Friday: David Payton, Julia Kwak, Sean Conley
Monday, December 17: Zach Hall, Reis Kennedy, Ava Khan
Tuesday, December 18: Hailey Carter, Allyssa Pate, Clair Patnaude
Hopefully this schedule will remain as is. Sorry for any inconvenience the schedule adjustments have caused.
Here it is.
Monday: Nate Mark, Monesh Devireddy, Ashleigh Mattei
Tuesday: Andrew Bernard, Kelsey Calhoun, Logan McGuire, Hannah McGinness
Wednesday: Jenni Munoz, Peter Rutkowski, Savannah Day
Thursday: Allison Riggs, Matt Shan, Garrett Wolfram
Friday: David Payton, Julia Kwak, Sean Conley
Monday, December 17: Zach Hall, Reis Kennedy, Ava Khan
Tuesday, December 18: Hailey Carter, Allyssa Pate, Clair Patnaude
Hopefully this schedule will remain as is. Sorry for any inconvenience the schedule adjustments have caused.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Standard 12-06-2012
A bit of a rough time writing a sentence with a gerund, participle, and an infinitive. Hopefully you've been doing a little reviewing and practicing. Remember to come to class tomorrow with a sentence like that on the notecard. Underline your three verbals and identify which is which. If you lose your notecard or need another one, swing by class tomorrow before school and pick one up off the filing cabinet by the door. Remember that a gerund is a verb acting as a noun ending in -ing. A participle is a verb acting as an adjective USUALLY ending in -ing or -ed. An infinitive is a verb acting as a noun, adjective, or adverb beginning with the word to. We'll go over those first thing tomorrow.
We have some QBTs to go through tomorrow. Here are the inspiring presenters.
Period Three-Kiernan Karch; William Martin; Jordan Vargo
Period Four-Veronica Procaccino; and then I'm a bit confused by what I wrote down but the other presenters will come from this grouping: Kelsey Johnson; John Wantuch; Catherine Hauck; Nicole Hiler; Noah Bradish
Then we will wrap up our intro to the book Night, pass the books out, and begin reading them together. You'll have an assignment over the weekend to read and type something. The book will be yours. You'll write your names in them and be expected to highlight and annotate (text code) as you read.
Can't wait to start! See you tomorrow.
We have some QBTs to go through tomorrow. Here are the inspiring presenters.
Period Three-Kiernan Karch; William Martin; Jordan Vargo
Period Four-Veronica Procaccino; and then I'm a bit confused by what I wrote down but the other presenters will come from this grouping: Kelsey Johnson; John Wantuch; Catherine Hauck; Nicole Hiler; Noah Bradish
Then we will wrap up our intro to the book Night, pass the books out, and begin reading them together. You'll have an assignment over the weekend to read and type something. The book will be yours. You'll write your names in them and be expected to highlight and annotate (text code) as you read.
Can't wait to start! See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-06-2012 Part II
Hopefully by now you have all clicked on the link and watched the video called "The People Next Door" (The first 20-25 minutes at least). The link was on the earlier posting today. I'll be asking some questions on it tomorrow, so hopefully you watched it carefully and wrote down questions on anything you didn't understand.
Tomorrow you will receive the books. I'll pass them out at the beginning of class, and they will be yours to keep. You will put your name in them right away and will be expected to highlight and annotate (text code) as you read the book. We'll probably read the first 4-5 pages together. It's a little heavy on the religion, and you might get confused. Hopefully this will help to avoid any enthusiasm killing frustration.
We'll take the verbals quiz and then get ready to listen to some QBTs. There are at least five to get through in each class, so the QBTs will wrap up the day. Here is the potential schedule of QBTers.
Period One- Mandy Poznanski; Jason Bao; Nate Mark; Steven Null; Ashleigh Mattei; Monesh Devireddy; Andrew Bernard; Kelsey Calhoun; Logan McGuire; Peter Rutkowski; Jenni Munoz; Savannah Day
Okay, twelve in one day, after the book and the quiz, in a Friday-Read shortened period? No way! But that is the order we will go, and it would be a good idea to be prepared, just in case the people in front of you go quickly.
Period Five- Bryce Yoder; Riley Smith; Madeline Wegner (if she's ready); Sydney Seigel; Anna Demel; Conrad Adams
Period Six- Nathan Glaser; Karley Bounds; Brett Shepard; Michael Knutson; Daniel Yu; Alivia Longley
That verbals quiz is looking good. Hope you're ready. See you tomorrow.
Tomorrow you will receive the books. I'll pass them out at the beginning of class, and they will be yours to keep. You will put your name in them right away and will be expected to highlight and annotate (text code) as you read the book. We'll probably read the first 4-5 pages together. It's a little heavy on the religion, and you might get confused. Hopefully this will help to avoid any enthusiasm killing frustration.
We'll take the verbals quiz and then get ready to listen to some QBTs. There are at least five to get through in each class, so the QBTs will wrap up the day. Here is the potential schedule of QBTers.
Period One- Mandy Poznanski; Jason Bao; Nate Mark; Steven Null; Ashleigh Mattei; Monesh Devireddy; Andrew Bernard; Kelsey Calhoun; Logan McGuire; Peter Rutkowski; Jenni Munoz; Savannah Day
Okay, twelve in one day, after the book and the quiz, in a Friday-Read shortened period? No way! But that is the order we will go, and it would be a good idea to be prepared, just in case the people in front of you go quickly.
Period Five- Bryce Yoder; Riley Smith; Madeline Wegner (if she's ready); Sydney Seigel; Anna Demel; Conrad Adams
Period Six- Nathan Glaser; Karley Bounds; Brett Shepard; Michael Knutson; Daniel Yu; Alivia Longley
That verbals quiz is looking good. Hope you're ready. See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-06-2012
Here's the link to the video I talked about in class today.
http://bit.ly/Xnxdpy
Click on it and watch the video of the times leading up to and during the times in the camps.
http://bit.ly/Xnxdpy
Click on it and watch the video of the times leading up to and during the times in the camps.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Standard 12-05-2012
Missed you period three. Good times period four.
Tomorrow we will do another verbals check and hear three more QBTs.
Here are the lucky QBTers
Period Three Period Four
Kiernan Karch Audrey Richmond
Greyson Papp Mackenzie Saar
Rachel Lee Alex Zarazee
We will dedicate the rest of the time to finishing up the video and discussion, and perhaps getting the books tomorrow as well.
See you tomorrow.
Tomorrow we will do another verbals check and hear three more QBTs.
Here are the lucky QBTers
Period Three Period Four
Kiernan Karch Audrey Richmond
Greyson Papp Mackenzie Saar
Rachel Lee Alex Zarazee
We will dedicate the rest of the time to finishing up the video and discussion, and perhaps getting the books tomorrow as well.
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-05-2012
Okay, change of plans. Tomorrow will be a Night day. It will be all work on Night so that we can be prepared to have the books in our hands on Friday. That means our focus will be on the "What Is Indifference?" article, the nine quotes, and the video called "The People Next Door". By working our way through these things purposefully, we should be ready to begin our reading this weekend.
What else does that mean? Well, for starters the verbals quiz will be moved to Friday. Any QBT scheduled for tomorrow will also be moved to Friday. The QBTs scheduled to go on Friday will remain on Friday. An extra day of preparation all around.
Finally, the nonfiction papers will still be due no later than the 14th but I'll be willing to accept any paper before that. Please turn them in when ready.
See you tomorrow.
What else does that mean? Well, for starters the verbals quiz will be moved to Friday. Any QBT scheduled for tomorrow will also be moved to Friday. The QBTs scheduled to go on Friday will remain on Friday. An extra day of preparation all around.
Finally, the nonfiction papers will still be due no later than the 14th but I'll be willing to accept any paper before that. Please turn them in when ready.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Standard 12-04-2012
No class for period three tomorrow. Period four? We will be meeting and we will be continuing our work with verbals. Be ready for some infinitive questions tomorrow.
We'll also continue our QBTs. Tomorrow's presenters are Sabrina Brown, Brooke Hoffman, and Paige Piekarz. Should be three awesome QBTs!
We started to watch a portion of "The People Next Door" video. We only got a taste, but you already learned a lot from the brief part we watched. Racism was the core of the Nazi creed. A week economy and societal unrest helped boost Hitler to power. Anti-Semitism has been going on for over 1000 years! We'll watch more tomorrow, continue to take notes, and discuss the key ideas presented.
The paper rough drafts are due in class on Monday, December 10. I had the day right but I had previously told you the 11th. Sorry for the mistake. Regardless, starting out your I-Search paper effectively is important. Here are a couple successful examples.
This is an introduction to a career study I-Search paper. The individual wanted to be an artist, and didn't hold back her enthusiasm.
Ever since I've been old enough to hold a crayon, I have been fascinated with the arts. Picasso. Monet. Van Gogh. They all had so much creativity and so much style. I love to study the different techniques the artists use and then try to incorporate them in my own works and make my own unique style. An undiscovered style. Undiscovered for now, that is, because I want to be a famous artist whose talent is familiar throughout the world. That is why I need to discover more about what it takes to become a successful artist.
Obviously in the next few paragraphs, she is going to share the research she did to understand what it takes to be an artist. That's what she learned.
Now in this next example remember that I mentioned you might use dialogue in your paper, and that's just what this person decided to do to start his I-Search paper.
"Five minutes, Derek," the stage manager booms.
"Okay. I'll be there A.S.A.P." I bolt out of my dressing room door, easily find my way through the large maze called backstage, and then blackness. The stage, my one true home. I hear the call for places, and I scurry into position. As I wait patiently for the curtain to rise, I slowly drift back to how I first learned about what it takes to be a stage performer.
You can tell that he is telling a story. He's now transitioning into what he learned about what it takes to be on stage.
This final example leads into someone learning about crime scene investigating.
The gruesome crime scenes and bloody evidence can be repulsive, however, my fascination with the job of crime scene investigator has yet to be quenched, no matter how many CSI shows I have watched. Helping to decipher who has committed a crime and helping a family find justice drive me to
learn as much as I can about this job. I need to know about the required schooling, the different fields, the special tools, the proper procedures. Once I have these I know I can become a successful crime scene investigator.
These are three different intros to I-Search papers. The difference between these and the ones you will be writing is that these three didn't start by learning information from a book. They figured out what they wanted to learn more about and then they researched it. You will need to have the title of your book and the author mentioned in your intros. Aside from that, the tone and delivery of the three intros above are similar to what I'll be expecting from you. Notice the heavy use of the first person. Notice the personality and flair. Notice the conversational tone. Copy that and you could be successful too.
See you tomorrow.
We'll also continue our QBTs. Tomorrow's presenters are Sabrina Brown, Brooke Hoffman, and Paige Piekarz. Should be three awesome QBTs!
We started to watch a portion of "The People Next Door" video. We only got a taste, but you already learned a lot from the brief part we watched. Racism was the core of the Nazi creed. A week economy and societal unrest helped boost Hitler to power. Anti-Semitism has been going on for over 1000 years! We'll watch more tomorrow, continue to take notes, and discuss the key ideas presented.
The paper rough drafts are due in class on Monday, December 10. I had the day right but I had previously told you the 11th. Sorry for the mistake. Regardless, starting out your I-Search paper effectively is important. Here are a couple successful examples.
This is an introduction to a career study I-Search paper. The individual wanted to be an artist, and didn't hold back her enthusiasm.
Ever since I've been old enough to hold a crayon, I have been fascinated with the arts. Picasso. Monet. Van Gogh. They all had so much creativity and so much style. I love to study the different techniques the artists use and then try to incorporate them in my own works and make my own unique style. An undiscovered style. Undiscovered for now, that is, because I want to be a famous artist whose talent is familiar throughout the world. That is why I need to discover more about what it takes to become a successful artist.
Obviously in the next few paragraphs, she is going to share the research she did to understand what it takes to be an artist. That's what she learned.
Now in this next example remember that I mentioned you might use dialogue in your paper, and that's just what this person decided to do to start his I-Search paper.
"Five minutes, Derek," the stage manager booms.
"Okay. I'll be there A.S.A.P." I bolt out of my dressing room door, easily find my way through the large maze called backstage, and then blackness. The stage, my one true home. I hear the call for places, and I scurry into position. As I wait patiently for the curtain to rise, I slowly drift back to how I first learned about what it takes to be a stage performer.
You can tell that he is telling a story. He's now transitioning into what he learned about what it takes to be on stage.
This final example leads into someone learning about crime scene investigating.
The gruesome crime scenes and bloody evidence can be repulsive, however, my fascination with the job of crime scene investigator has yet to be quenched, no matter how many CSI shows I have watched. Helping to decipher who has committed a crime and helping a family find justice drive me to
learn as much as I can about this job. I need to know about the required schooling, the different fields, the special tools, the proper procedures. Once I have these I know I can become a successful crime scene investigator.
These are three different intros to I-Search papers. The difference between these and the ones you will be writing is that these three didn't start by learning information from a book. They figured out what they wanted to learn more about and then they researched it. You will need to have the title of your book and the author mentioned in your intros. Aside from that, the tone and delivery of the three intros above are similar to what I'll be expecting from you. Notice the heavy use of the first person. Notice the personality and flair. Notice the conversational tone. Copy that and you could be successful too.
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-04-12
We were rushed today. No doubt about that. Participles. QBTs. "What is Indifference?" article. Discussion. The nine quotes. We didn't quite get to the depth I wanted, but based on the exit cards in periods one and five, we have a solid grasp on indifference. That's great going into tonight's assignment. Remember. Read the nine quotes. Choose three of the nine. On the back of the sheet, write three sentences for each selected quote (that's nine total) explaining what the quote is saying and how it connects to indifference. We'll talk a little more about Elie Wiesel's article and then tackle the quotes.
Period one...lucky day...since we don't meet tomorrow, this assignment will be due on Thursday for you. More time to work on your nonfiction paper tonight! That's not just period one, however. We all should be working on the paper. It's due no later than the 14th but I will gladly accept anyone's paper prior to that time. I know a few of you are pretty close to submission already. I'll look forward to collecting those soon.
QBT presenters tomorrow are
Period One Period Five Period Six
None Cole Pollyea Tanner Manbeck
Joe Bursley Nikolas Kavadas
Baker Nasser Hannah Keeler
We'll hit the infinitive quickly tomorrow and then be ready for a quiz over verbals Thursday. Review those notes!
Another full day is planned. See you tomorrow.
Period one...lucky day...since we don't meet tomorrow, this assignment will be due on Thursday for you. More time to work on your nonfiction paper tonight! That's not just period one, however. We all should be working on the paper. It's due no later than the 14th but I will gladly accept anyone's paper prior to that time. I know a few of you are pretty close to submission already. I'll look forward to collecting those soon.
QBT presenters tomorrow are
Period One Period Five Period Six
None Cole Pollyea Tanner Manbeck
Joe Bursley Nikolas Kavadas
Baker Nasser Hannah Keeler
We'll hit the infinitive quickly tomorrow and then be ready for a quiz over verbals Thursday. Review those notes!
Another full day is planned. See you tomorrow.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Standard 12-03-2012
We started the QBTs today. We saw a lot to give us ideas on what we need to do to make strong presentations. Be sure you open your talk correctly and effectively. Focus on what you learned. Close appropriately. Bring your book. Bring your passion. Here's the schedule for tomorrow.
Period Three Period Four
Tyler Davis Kate Barker
Savannah Scott Chase Tarwacki
Payton Woodworth
The nonfiction paper should be in class in rough draft form by 12-10-2012. Get busy locating your other source. Look on this site tomorrow for a couple intro examples.
Several of you nailed the gerund as subject right away today. Great work. After a short explanation, we all seemed to have figured it out. I want to commend Rachel Lee and Sam Nicholas who took advantage of the verbals link on yesterday's blog. It sure does show you how well you know the material. Go back and look at yesterday's blog to take advantage of it. Participles tomorrow.
Our Night Word Wall is growing. Nice job today adding to it. Now you just need to make sure you are familiar with all the terms on the list.
We looked at a couple more pictures today. Tomorrow, we'll be watching a short video excerpt from "The People Next Door", writing about it, and discussing it together. It'll do a great job of setting us up for the book.
Period Three Period Four
Tyler Davis Kate Barker
Savannah Scott Chase Tarwacki
Payton Woodworth
The nonfiction paper should be in class in rough draft form by 12-10-2012. Get busy locating your other source. Look on this site tomorrow for a couple intro examples.
Several of you nailed the gerund as subject right away today. Great work. After a short explanation, we all seemed to have figured it out. I want to commend Rachel Lee and Sam Nicholas who took advantage of the verbals link on yesterday's blog. It sure does show you how well you know the material. Go back and look at yesterday's blog to take advantage of it. Participles tomorrow.
Our Night Word Wall is growing. Nice job today adding to it. Now you just need to make sure you are familiar with all the terms on the list.
We looked at a couple more pictures today. Tomorrow, we'll be watching a short video excerpt from "The People Next Door", writing about it, and discussing it together. It'll do a great job of setting us up for the book.
Enriched 12-03-2012
Kudos to the presenters today, especially in period five. Emily Mack, Maddie Thurin, Madi Meyer, and Vishal Patel each offered strong QBTs that clearly informed us and engaged us. Well done!
Here's tomorrow's schedule
Period One Period Five Period Six
Aidan Palonis Kacey Wood Matt Maurer
Nate Mark Rachel Minnie Caleb Rice
Mandy Poznanski Calley Tartaglione Leah Weaver
Jason Bao Darius Sohrab
Nice job with the gerunds as subjects today. After an initial stumble for a few of us, we all seemed to grasp the concept. Tomorrow: participles! Quiz is approaching!
Started getting deeper into the background discussion for Night, especially in periods five and six. We saw a strong piece of propaganda with the short story "The Poisonous Mushroom" and got a sense of what life in the ghettos might have been like.
Tomorrow will be big in all three classes. You're actively reading the "What is Indifference?" article tonight for some serious class discussion tomorrow. You are also producing two questions-at least one of which should be an open-ended/discussion question. The article is not easy to understand; it might take a couple reads. Yet it's topic is of vital import. It's written by Elie Wiesel, the author of Night, and he is attempting to nail down exactly what indifference, a concept explored in Night, is. After your reading, some small group discussions, a large group gathering, and some quote analysis, you'll be asked to clearly state what you believe indifference is. Read carefully tonight.
The way we are moving, you could have the book by Thursday. Keep working on that nonfiction paper so that you don't get swamped. I'll take those papers up to the 14th, but feel free to turn them in before that.
See you tomorrow.
Here's tomorrow's schedule
Period One Period Five Period Six
Aidan Palonis Kacey Wood Matt Maurer
Nate Mark Rachel Minnie Caleb Rice
Mandy Poznanski Calley Tartaglione Leah Weaver
Jason Bao Darius Sohrab
Nice job with the gerunds as subjects today. After an initial stumble for a few of us, we all seemed to grasp the concept. Tomorrow: participles! Quiz is approaching!
Started getting deeper into the background discussion for Night, especially in periods five and six. We saw a strong piece of propaganda with the short story "The Poisonous Mushroom" and got a sense of what life in the ghettos might have been like.
Tomorrow will be big in all three classes. You're actively reading the "What is Indifference?" article tonight for some serious class discussion tomorrow. You are also producing two questions-at least one of which should be an open-ended/discussion question. The article is not easy to understand; it might take a couple reads. Yet it's topic is of vital import. It's written by Elie Wiesel, the author of Night, and he is attempting to nail down exactly what indifference, a concept explored in Night, is. After your reading, some small group discussions, a large group gathering, and some quote analysis, you'll be asked to clearly state what you believe indifference is. Read carefully tonight.
The way we are moving, you could have the book by Thursday. Keep working on that nonfiction paper so that you don't get swamped. I'll take those papers up to the 14th, but feel free to turn them in before that.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Standard 12-03-2012
The QBTs start tomorrow! Hope you are ready! Okay, I hope the people scheduled to go are ready. Here they are.
Period Three Period Four
Emily Swaim Charlene Menzen
Meagan Kelly Clare Jurkovic
Sophia Donati Nicole Knudston
Katherine Barker
Payton Woodworth
Chase Tarwacki
Period Four is loaded. No guarantees that you will all present; however, you all need to be ready to present. If not...you may not want to know.
Here are a couple of reminders for you presenters.
*Be sure you have some notecards but don't read off of them.
*Keep strong eye contact throughout the presentation.
*Have an engaging voice.
*Be passionate about what you learned.
*Start off with a catchy opening about what you learned.
*Mention the title and author but don't open with the title and the author.
*Have your book and show it to us.
*Make sure it is clear what you learned.
*Share evidence on what you learned.
*Have fun. It's over in 120-180 seconds.
We'll discuss those presentations for successes and weaknesses--pointers for the rest of you. Take notes on what works.
Our verbals study will continue. How well do you know the material? Can you identify a gerund? A participle? An infinitive? Not sure? Check your notes. Then take this verbals quiz. It'll give you a quick look at how well you know the material. Take the quiz. Write down your answers. Check to see how you did. Show it all to me. I'll sign your Archer card.
You should also be working on the paper for the nonfiction book. What did you learn? What other source are you going to use to expand upon what you learned? Then write a two page paper with an intro, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Some of you are already making progress with this. Great! Don't wait for me to come breathing down your neck to get started.
A chunk of our time this week will be spent preparing for and starting Night. We've gone through some background information already to prepare us for what we are about to read. The time period: 1930s-1940s. The central participants: Hitler and the Nazis, the United States, The Soviets, the Jews, the Poles, the Gypsies. Some key words: propaganda, gas chambers, crematoriums, concentration camps, ghettos, sterilization, selection. We read a short story: "The Poisonous Mushrooms". We looked at a quote from Goethe. Still to come we will examine a few more photographs. There's a short video we will watch. We'll also clarify a timeline of key events. The book could be in your hands as early as Tuesday.
Still time to get some work done tonight. See you tomorrow.
Period Three Period Four
Emily Swaim Charlene Menzen
Meagan Kelly Clare Jurkovic
Sophia Donati Nicole Knudston
Katherine Barker
Payton Woodworth
Chase Tarwacki
Period Four is loaded. No guarantees that you will all present; however, you all need to be ready to present. If not...you may not want to know.
Here are a couple of reminders for you presenters.
*Be sure you have some notecards but don't read off of them.
*Keep strong eye contact throughout the presentation.
*Have an engaging voice.
*Be passionate about what you learned.
*Start off with a catchy opening about what you learned.
*Mention the title and author but don't open with the title and the author.
*Have your book and show it to us.
*Make sure it is clear what you learned.
*Share evidence on what you learned.
*Have fun. It's over in 120-180 seconds.
We'll discuss those presentations for successes and weaknesses--pointers for the rest of you. Take notes on what works.
Our verbals study will continue. How well do you know the material? Can you identify a gerund? A participle? An infinitive? Not sure? Check your notes. Then take this verbals quiz. It'll give you a quick look at how well you know the material. Take the quiz. Write down your answers. Check to see how you did. Show it all to me. I'll sign your Archer card.
You should also be working on the paper for the nonfiction book. What did you learn? What other source are you going to use to expand upon what you learned? Then write a two page paper with an intro, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Some of you are already making progress with this. Great! Don't wait for me to come breathing down your neck to get started.
A chunk of our time this week will be spent preparing for and starting Night. We've gone through some background information already to prepare us for what we are about to read. The time period: 1930s-1940s. The central participants: Hitler and the Nazis, the United States, The Soviets, the Jews, the Poles, the Gypsies. Some key words: propaganda, gas chambers, crematoriums, concentration camps, ghettos, sterilization, selection. We read a short story: "The Poisonous Mushrooms". We looked at a quote from Goethe. Still to come we will examine a few more photographs. There's a short video we will watch. We'll also clarify a timeline of key events. The book could be in your hands as early as Tuesday.
Still time to get some work done tonight. See you tomorrow.
Enriched 12-03-2012
Okay, so after that build up to the QBTs, we really saw only one last Friday. Thank you to Jacob Hiscock in period five for presenting his QBT to the rest of us. We learned a lot. He presented confidently and knew his material. Jacob also allowed us to see the importance of consistent eye contact and of using specific information from the text. One last thing to take away from Jacob's presentation was the need to make sure your audience understands the topic you are sharing. If you understand it, great; however, if your audience comes away confused, then you need to work on your presentation.
Here's the QBT schedule for tomorrow:
Period One Period Five Period Six
Mandy Poznanski Emily Mack Liz Kruis
Kayla Cole Madeline Meyer Austin Finnessy
Will Gruber Vishal Patel Natalie Raffelock
Spencer Kilmer Maddie Thurin Darius Sohrab
We will spend a bit of time discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the presentations; however, we will be keeping the pace moving--they are QBTs afterall--so that we can delve further into our preparation for reading Night.
Speaking of Night, last Thursday we introduced a few key concepts that will prepare us for the text. We discussed the swastika, Hitler, World War II, a few important events that took place in 1933, 1939, 1941, and 1945. (Do you remember what they were? If not, look at your notes. If you don't have them in your notes, take better notes.) We brainstormed what we know and wrote down questions we hope to have answered over the next three weeks. We then started looking at some photographs. The idea with the photograph study is to stress how real this all was. It's not a story. It's not fiction. What we are looking at really took place. What Elie Wiesel wrote about in Night really took place. Having images in our heads to draw upon while reading his story will help our comprehension of the material.
Tomorrow, we'll look at some of those questions you submitted. We will also look at a few more pictures. I have an article written by Elie Wiesel on the topic of indifference that I want you to actively read. (Any idea what indifference is? Tough concept to wrap your mind around.) It will most likely be homework, and we'll discuss it in class Tuesday. Before we begin the book this week, we'll examine some quotes, watch a short video, understand the meanings of The Final Solution, Kristalnacht, propaganda, indifference, the Allies, the Axis Powers, the Gestapo and a few other relevant ideas. Have those notebooks ready.
Finally, our verbals study will proceed. Can you differentiate between gerunds, participles, and infinitives? I sure hope so by now. If not...take a look at your notes. And then check out this verbals quiz link. It's a super way to see how well you know and understand the material. It's 20 questions. You write down your answers and then check the answer key to see how you did. I'll sign your Archer card if you write down the answers, mark which ones are right and wrong, and show me your results tomorrow. Take your time and try your best, but don't worry if you don't do well. That's what practice is for.
Should be a busy week. Nonfiction books, QBTs, nonfiction papers, verbals, Night, other assignments. Three weeks until winter break. You will definitely earn that break. See you tomorrow.
Here's the QBT schedule for tomorrow:
Period One Period Five Period Six
Mandy Poznanski Emily Mack Liz Kruis
Kayla Cole Madeline Meyer Austin Finnessy
Will Gruber Vishal Patel Natalie Raffelock
Spencer Kilmer Maddie Thurin Darius Sohrab
We will spend a bit of time discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the presentations; however, we will be keeping the pace moving--they are QBTs afterall--so that we can delve further into our preparation for reading Night.
Speaking of Night, last Thursday we introduced a few key concepts that will prepare us for the text. We discussed the swastika, Hitler, World War II, a few important events that took place in 1933, 1939, 1941, and 1945. (Do you remember what they were? If not, look at your notes. If you don't have them in your notes, take better notes.) We brainstormed what we know and wrote down questions we hope to have answered over the next three weeks. We then started looking at some photographs. The idea with the photograph study is to stress how real this all was. It's not a story. It's not fiction. What we are looking at really took place. What Elie Wiesel wrote about in Night really took place. Having images in our heads to draw upon while reading his story will help our comprehension of the material.
Tomorrow, we'll look at some of those questions you submitted. We will also look at a few more pictures. I have an article written by Elie Wiesel on the topic of indifference that I want you to actively read. (Any idea what indifference is? Tough concept to wrap your mind around.) It will most likely be homework, and we'll discuss it in class Tuesday. Before we begin the book this week, we'll examine some quotes, watch a short video, understand the meanings of The Final Solution, Kristalnacht, propaganda, indifference, the Allies, the Axis Powers, the Gestapo and a few other relevant ideas. Have those notebooks ready.
Finally, our verbals study will proceed. Can you differentiate between gerunds, participles, and infinitives? I sure hope so by now. If not...take a look at your notes. And then check out this verbals quiz link. It's a super way to see how well you know and understand the material. It's 20 questions. You write down your answers and then check the answer key to see how you did. I'll sign your Archer card if you write down the answers, mark which ones are right and wrong, and show me your results tomorrow. Take your time and try your best, but don't worry if you don't do well. That's what practice is for.
Should be a busy week. Nonfiction books, QBTs, nonfiction papers, verbals, Night, other assignments. Three weeks until winter break. You will definitely earn that break. See you tomorrow.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Standard 11-29-2012
1933.
1939.
1941.
1945.
Tell me what important events happened in those years (the events we talked about in class today) and I'll sign your Archer card.
We are all over the place with our knowledge of World War II and the Holocaust. We had a good discussion today, but there's more we need to get to. First we need to be sure we all have a solid understanding of the background. I want you to feel comfortable as we start our reading of Night next week. Here is a link to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum that will help you have a better understanding of the time period. It's a reliable site and it is chock full of super information. Check it out! In the mean time we will look at a few more pictures tomorrow and read a couple articles on some key concepts. Have those highlighters.
The Night books will probably be in your hands on Monday. That means you have a few more days to work on your nonfiction books, QBTs, and papers before you receive an additional assignment. Use the time wisely. After three weeks, those books should be finished. Get busy!
After the last couple of days you all know what gerunds are. You also have a decent grasp on participles after today. Quick which one always ends in -ing? Which one is a verb acting as an adjective? Which one is a verb acting as a noun? What are three types of verbals? What is "to eat"? If you could answer those questions easily, then you are doing fine. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you better review those notes.
Good stuff coming tomorrow. See you then.
1939.
1941.
1945.
Tell me what important events happened in those years (the events we talked about in class today) and I'll sign your Archer card.
We are all over the place with our knowledge of World War II and the Holocaust. We had a good discussion today, but there's more we need to get to. First we need to be sure we all have a solid understanding of the background. I want you to feel comfortable as we start our reading of Night next week. Here is a link to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum that will help you have a better understanding of the time period. It's a reliable site and it is chock full of super information. Check it out! In the mean time we will look at a few more pictures tomorrow and read a couple articles on some key concepts. Have those highlighters.
The Night books will probably be in your hands on Monday. That means you have a few more days to work on your nonfiction books, QBTs, and papers before you receive an additional assignment. Use the time wisely. After three weeks, those books should be finished. Get busy!
After the last couple of days you all know what gerunds are. You also have a decent grasp on participles after today. Quick which one always ends in -ing? Which one is a verb acting as an adjective? Which one is a verb acting as a noun? What are three types of verbals? What is "to eat"? If you could answer those questions easily, then you are doing fine. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you better review those notes.
Good stuff coming tomorrow. See you then.
Enriched 11-29-2012
It has begun. We have started our dive into World War II, the Holocaust, and Elie Wiesel's incredible memoir Night. Before we crack open the book, however, we need to level the playing field. Obviously, since some of us were able to quickly identify the initial image of the swastika while others claimed complete ignorance of what it was, it was a good idea to work our way through the basic background of the time, filling in any holes we uncovered along the way. We all developed questions which will be answered as we move our way through the text. For an easy to read timeline of the War itself, go to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website. You'll also find out some basic info on the Holocaust itself at the website. The site is very reliable and is loaded with info on the material we'll be looking at over the next three weeks. Lots more to come on this topic. For now, tell me what holocaust means and I'll sign your Archer card.
We won't be spending any time on the Night preparation tomorrow. Instead we have a presentation or two of our QBTs, and then we will have an in class work day. You can read your nonfiction book, work on your QBT, or work on your paper. You can ask me questions, and I have rubrics for you as well. We will set a firm due date for the paper. Be sure to bring what you need to be successful tomorrow. By the time you leave, you should feel comfortable on both the QBT and the paper. I'll resist the temptation to give you any additional work tomorrow night. But you can bet that you'll have some reading and analysis to do for our Night reading Monday evening. Use tonight and the weekend to get as much done as possible on the nonfiction assignments.
You all know what gerunds are. You also have a decent grasp on participles after today. Quick which one always ends in -ing? Which one is a verb acting as an adjective? Which one is a verb acting as a noun? What are three types of verbals? What is "to eat"? If you could answer those questions easily, then you are doing fine. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you better review those notes.
Three weeks until Winter Break after tomorrow. It's close, but we have a lot to do before then. Dig deep, work hard, give 100%. The results will be amazing.
See you tomorrow.
We won't be spending any time on the Night preparation tomorrow. Instead we have a presentation or two of our QBTs, and then we will have an in class work day. You can read your nonfiction book, work on your QBT, or work on your paper. You can ask me questions, and I have rubrics for you as well. We will set a firm due date for the paper. Be sure to bring what you need to be successful tomorrow. By the time you leave, you should feel comfortable on both the QBT and the paper. I'll resist the temptation to give you any additional work tomorrow night. But you can bet that you'll have some reading and analysis to do for our Night reading Monday evening. Use tonight and the weekend to get as much done as possible on the nonfiction assignments.
You all know what gerunds are. You also have a decent grasp on participles after today. Quick which one always ends in -ing? Which one is a verb acting as an adjective? Which one is a verb acting as a noun? What are three types of verbals? What is "to eat"? If you could answer those questions easily, then you are doing fine. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you better review those notes.
Three weeks until Winter Break after tomorrow. It's close, but we have a lot to do before then. Dig deep, work hard, give 100%. The results will be amazing.
See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Enriched and Standard 11-28-2012
Sorry for the absence yesterday. I got caught juggling too many items and something had to give. Back today! This will be the last day of the combo blog as well. The last several days we've been tracking together as we've worked through the practice performance task and taken the acuity test. We'll be separating again-somewhat--after tomorrow.
I say somewhat because we all will be reading Night by Elie Wiesel. It's a fantastic book. It's an easy read from a comprehension stand point but a difficult, draining read from an emotional perspective. I'll introduce it over the next couple days, and we can all expect to start reading it at the beginning of next week.
That means you best be working hard on finishing that nonfiction book of your own. You still have a couple more weekdays and a weekend to work on it, but I wouldn't want it hanging over my head as I start working with the Wiesel book. While you have the time, finish your nonfiction book, prepare and practice your QBT, and do what you can on that paper to move it along.
Our first QBTs will be Friday and Monday. It's a quick presentation so be sure you fall into the required time frame (120-180 seconds). Open up with a hook on what you will be talking about (what you learned) before mentioning the title and the author. Have the book with you so that you can show it when you mention the title. After a brief explanation on what the book is about, segue into your discussion of what you learned. While quotes can help, don't fill your presentation with one or two long quotes. Make sure you are talking to us and explaining what you learned in your own words. Close out the QBT effectively. Plan this. Don't make it up when you are standing up there. A couple other tips. Look at your audience. Talk at a good volume. Get rid of your timid, monotone voice and speak with flair and passion. Have note cards but don't read from them. They can guide you but you should not be dependent on them. If you've practiced enough (at least six times studies say), then you shouldn't need them that much. If you read from the cards, you will receive a failing grade.
One final thing about topics. You are talking about what you learned. Make sure it is something you learned and not something that you knew about before reading the book. Someone wanted to talk about how appearances can be deceiving. That's a concept we have all been aware of for some time. The old "You can't judge a book by its cover" idea. The individual had prepared the speech but realized that that part of the speech had to be changed. Part of your assessment will consider the legitimacy of the topics. Make sure you are learning.
In other news, the Acuity test today was a pretty good success overall. While some struggled, the vast majority came flying through with some terrific scores. I'd like to commend the individuals who earned perfect 30/30 scores today: Julia Kwak, Andrew Bernard, Hannah McGinness, Savannah Scott, Matt Eitler, Calley Tartaglione, Joe Bursley, and Jewel Eyestone. A special tip of the hat goes to period six who rocked it with over a dozen scores of 29/30.
Our verbals discussion will take a breather tomorrow, since our plates are going to be loaded with other activities. But hold on tightly to that verbals information--especially the gerund material--it'll be coming back soon, and a quiz will be sure to follow.
See you tomorrow.
I say somewhat because we all will be reading Night by Elie Wiesel. It's a fantastic book. It's an easy read from a comprehension stand point but a difficult, draining read from an emotional perspective. I'll introduce it over the next couple days, and we can all expect to start reading it at the beginning of next week.
That means you best be working hard on finishing that nonfiction book of your own. You still have a couple more weekdays and a weekend to work on it, but I wouldn't want it hanging over my head as I start working with the Wiesel book. While you have the time, finish your nonfiction book, prepare and practice your QBT, and do what you can on that paper to move it along.
Our first QBTs will be Friday and Monday. It's a quick presentation so be sure you fall into the required time frame (120-180 seconds). Open up with a hook on what you will be talking about (what you learned) before mentioning the title and the author. Have the book with you so that you can show it when you mention the title. After a brief explanation on what the book is about, segue into your discussion of what you learned. While quotes can help, don't fill your presentation with one or two long quotes. Make sure you are talking to us and explaining what you learned in your own words. Close out the QBT effectively. Plan this. Don't make it up when you are standing up there. A couple other tips. Look at your audience. Talk at a good volume. Get rid of your timid, monotone voice and speak with flair and passion. Have note cards but don't read from them. They can guide you but you should not be dependent on them. If you've practiced enough (at least six times studies say), then you shouldn't need them that much. If you read from the cards, you will receive a failing grade.
One final thing about topics. You are talking about what you learned. Make sure it is something you learned and not something that you knew about before reading the book. Someone wanted to talk about how appearances can be deceiving. That's a concept we have all been aware of for some time. The old "You can't judge a book by its cover" idea. The individual had prepared the speech but realized that that part of the speech had to be changed. Part of your assessment will consider the legitimacy of the topics. Make sure you are learning.
In other news, the Acuity test today was a pretty good success overall. While some struggled, the vast majority came flying through with some terrific scores. I'd like to commend the individuals who earned perfect 30/30 scores today: Julia Kwak, Andrew Bernard, Hannah McGinness, Savannah Scott, Matt Eitler, Calley Tartaglione, Joe Bursley, and Jewel Eyestone. A special tip of the hat goes to period six who rocked it with over a dozen scores of 29/30.
Our verbals discussion will take a breather tomorrow, since our plates are going to be loaded with other activities. But hold on tightly to that verbals information--especially the gerund material--it'll be coming back soon, and a quiz will be sure to follow.
See you tomorrow.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Enriched and Standard 11-26-2012
Not exactly the most exciting of days, but we did get a good feeling for what it'll take to be successful on the upcoming Performance Tasks. We also got to learn a little bit more about Helen Keller. What a woman! In case you're not satisfied yet, check out this link. Tomorrow we'll answer a couple more prompts and take a look at the essay the Acuity Performance Task is asking you to write.
We began to take a look at verbals today as well. Remember, verbals are vverbs that function as different parts of speech. Gerunds, participles, and infinitives are all verbals. Tomorrow our focus will be on the gerunds. These are -ing verbs acting as nouns. Here are a couple examples to consider.
Swimming is my favorite sport.
I enjoy running throughout Granger.
There's nothing I hate more than raking.
In each case the -ing word is being used as a noun, making it a gerund. Tell me tomorrow in which sentence the gerund is the subject and I'll sign your Archer card.
Are you reading those nonfiction books? I hope so. While we have secured a couple volunteers for later in the week, we'll be drafting QBT positions for next week tomorrow. Read, read, read and the enriched students should get crack-a-lackin on that paper.
See you tomorrow.
We began to take a look at verbals today as well. Remember, verbals are vverbs that function as different parts of speech. Gerunds, participles, and infinitives are all verbals. Tomorrow our focus will be on the gerunds. These are -ing verbs acting as nouns. Here are a couple examples to consider.
Swimming is my favorite sport.
I enjoy running throughout Granger.
There's nothing I hate more than raking.
In each case the -ing word is being used as a noun, making it a gerund. Tell me tomorrow in which sentence the gerund is the subject and I'll sign your Archer card.
Are you reading those nonfiction books? I hope so. While we have secured a couple volunteers for later in the week, we'll be drafting QBT positions for next week tomorrow. Read, read, read and the enriched students should get crack-a-lackin on that paper.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Enriched and Standard 11-25-2012
What a great Thanksgiving break! I'm still eating food from Thursday and it's still tasting great. I can never get enough honey baked ham or gravy smothered turkey. Sorry to all you vegans out out there. I hope your Thanksgivings (and Black Friday shopping sprees) were full of family and fun.
Way to go Irish! 12-0! Going to the championship game! I know Sean Conley is feeling pretty good about now. Now it's a long way until January 7. Four weeks of school and all of Winter Break. Imagine all of the learning we are going to be doing between now and then.
For starters, we all hopefully spent some of the last four days reading our nonfiction books. Some time this week, we'll start our QBTs. You tell me when you want to go. I'll start assigning days towards the end of the week. You all also have a paper you need to complete with the nonfiction book. While the enriched students know what they need to do for the paper, the standard students will be finding out tomorrow. It'll involve a bit of research. I know you can't wait to find out.
Tomorrow and Tuesday we'll be taking some time going over a practice Acuity Performance Task. This was obviously created by the Acuity people. We were selected to pilot the task. The one we will look at tomorrow and Tuesday is the practice PT. In a couple weeks we will take an official one. Since it is a practice one, we will be going over it slowly, taking our time, discussing the prompts and the responses, scoring them together, making sure you understand what you need to do to be successful. Should be a lot of fun.
On Wednesday, we will be taking our Predictive B Acuity Test. This is our quarter 2 predictive test that will give us an idea how you will do on the ISTEP test this spring. It's not for a grade, but it is important to do the best that you can on it.
There's still some time left to get some reading in this weekend. Remember, I'm giving you a new book in the near future.
See you tomorrow.
Way to go Irish! 12-0! Going to the championship game! I know Sean Conley is feeling pretty good about now. Now it's a long way until January 7. Four weeks of school and all of Winter Break. Imagine all of the learning we are going to be doing between now and then.
For starters, we all hopefully spent some of the last four days reading our nonfiction books. Some time this week, we'll start our QBTs. You tell me when you want to go. I'll start assigning days towards the end of the week. You all also have a paper you need to complete with the nonfiction book. While the enriched students know what they need to do for the paper, the standard students will be finding out tomorrow. It'll involve a bit of research. I know you can't wait to find out.
Tomorrow and Tuesday we'll be taking some time going over a practice Acuity Performance Task. This was obviously created by the Acuity people. We were selected to pilot the task. The one we will look at tomorrow and Tuesday is the practice PT. In a couple weeks we will take an official one. Since it is a practice one, we will be going over it slowly, taking our time, discussing the prompts and the responses, scoring them together, making sure you understand what you need to do to be successful. Should be a lot of fun.
On Wednesday, we will be taking our Predictive B Acuity Test. This is our quarter 2 predictive test that will give us an idea how you will do on the ISTEP test this spring. It's not for a grade, but it is important to do the best that you can on it.
There's still some time left to get some reading in this weekend. Remember, I'm giving you a new book in the near future.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Standard 11-20-2012
Are you reviewing the Hostess article? I sure hope so. The more familiar you are with the article the easier the questions will seem. There are going to be six questions you need to respond to tomorrow in class. I'm sure you can probably guess what at least two or three of them will be--if you've been paying attention in class. (Look over the two hunger articles for some clues). And if you've been paying attention in class, you will be able to respond to those questions intelligently. Good luck.
Be sure to bring your non-fiction book tomorrow. You might have a chance to do a little reading after finishing the prompts.
By the way, how far are you in that non-fiction book? The QBTs can start as soon as Monday. Wouldn't you like to have that completed early?
You will also be writing a paper on your book. It's going to require a bit of research on your part. Know your book well. I'll tell you more about the paper either tomorrow or Monday.
Anyone who plans on missing class next Monday or Tuesday should be sure to see me tomorrow and let me know. I have something for you.
Have a great night's sleep. Four day weekend fast approaching!
See you tomorrow.
Be sure to bring your non-fiction book tomorrow. You might have a chance to do a little reading after finishing the prompts.
By the way, how far are you in that non-fiction book? The QBTs can start as soon as Monday. Wouldn't you like to have that completed early?
You will also be writing a paper on your book. It's going to require a bit of research on your part. Know your book well. I'll tell you more about the paper either tomorrow or Monday.
Anyone who plans on missing class next Monday or Tuesday should be sure to see me tomorrow and let me know. I have something for you.
Have a great night's sleep. Four day weekend fast approaching!
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 11-20-2012
If you look at the blog from the end of last week, I promised a long awaited notebook quiz. Tomorrow is the day. It'll be a quick one, but I would want to be sure I brushed up on the material. Read the old blog if you are unsure of the content.
Good discussion today on the Montana and Smith articles. While most of you concluded that Smith's presentation of the information was the more valid one, the key thing I wanted you to see is that it is important to find out who is writing what you are reading. Does the writer have credibility? What is his/her stake in writing the article? Is it overly opinionated? Biased? A lot of the material you read will be opinionated. Some might even be biased. There is nothing wrong with either if the writer can support his/her opinion with evidence and if you are aware of the bias while you are reading it. That way you can come to a fair conclusion on where you stand on the topic.
I also hope you saw the power of voice. Montana was dripping in it! I loved the confident , in-your-face attitude that pervaded the entire piece--the first time I read it, that is. My second reading allowed me to look beyond the flair and flash and see that most of what he preached had little backing. A closer reading revealed him to be a loud mouth with a bullhorn. Unfortunately today, the loudest screamers tend to get the most attention. Just watch any talk show (politics, sports, etc.) or listen to any talk radio station. They are all overloaded with bombastic individuals in love with the sounds of their voices. Facts? Support? Who needs them? At least that's what they believe. It takes a wise, educated viewer/listener to wade through the style and find the substance.
We'll finish our Ashby discussion, take that quiz, enjoy a Rudyard Kipling poem, synthesize our ideas from "Harrison Bergeron,"Flowers for Algernon", the three steroid articles, and the poem, and maybe have a bit of time for some nonfiction reading. How far are you in your book? QBTs can start Monday! (Two weeks already?!?!)
See you tomorrow.
Good discussion today on the Montana and Smith articles. While most of you concluded that Smith's presentation of the information was the more valid one, the key thing I wanted you to see is that it is important to find out who is writing what you are reading. Does the writer have credibility? What is his/her stake in writing the article? Is it overly opinionated? Biased? A lot of the material you read will be opinionated. Some might even be biased. There is nothing wrong with either if the writer can support his/her opinion with evidence and if you are aware of the bias while you are reading it. That way you can come to a fair conclusion on where you stand on the topic.
I also hope you saw the power of voice. Montana was dripping in it! I loved the confident , in-your-face attitude that pervaded the entire piece--the first time I read it, that is. My second reading allowed me to look beyond the flair and flash and see that most of what he preached had little backing. A closer reading revealed him to be a loud mouth with a bullhorn. Unfortunately today, the loudest screamers tend to get the most attention. Just watch any talk show (politics, sports, etc.) or listen to any talk radio station. They are all overloaded with bombastic individuals in love with the sounds of their voices. Facts? Support? Who needs them? At least that's what they believe. It takes a wise, educated viewer/listener to wade through the style and find the substance.
We'll finish our Ashby discussion, take that quiz, enjoy a Rudyard Kipling poem, synthesize our ideas from "Harrison Bergeron,"Flowers for Algernon", the three steroid articles, and the poem, and maybe have a bit of time for some nonfiction reading. How far are you in your book? QBTs can start Monday! (Two weeks already?!?!)
See you tomorrow.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Standard 11-19-2012
You had two others help you exam the "Food Stamps in Elmo's World" piece. A partner assisted you in tackling the "Families Struggle to Afford Food, Survey Finds" article. Next up? Independently, you will be reading and responding to similar prompts on the copy of "Back When a Chocolate Puck Tasted, Guiltily, Like America" reprint.
First, we will complete our discussion from today. This will give you a final chance to ask questions about what's to come. Then we'll move to the Hostess article. We'll read it together, making sure everyone understands the key ideas. You'll be marking up the text and making annotations on your own. Then you will be answering prompts similar to the ones you responded to from the last two articles. This will be big. You'll want to do well. There's a slight chance this gets pushed to Wednesday. Be ready, either way.
See you tomorrow.
First, we will complete our discussion from today. This will give you a final chance to ask questions about what's to come. Then we'll move to the Hostess article. We'll read it together, making sure everyone understands the key ideas. You'll be marking up the text and making annotations on your own. Then you will be answering prompts similar to the ones you responded to from the last two articles. This will be big. You'll want to do well. There's a slight chance this gets pushed to Wednesday. Be ready, either way.
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 11-19-2012
So which do you support?
A sarcastic, opinionated blog with great voice by a steroid expert who is an admitted drug user, law breaker, and egotist out for his own personal financial gain?
Or an evenly written article in a respected magazine by a sports enthusiast who gets paid to write about sports?
Both share the same conclusion about steroids, yet the Smith piece has a clear advantage over the Montana article in presentation and tone. We'll talk more about the two authors tomorrow, but this goes to show you the importance of looking at the source of your evidence. I have a few more points to drive home in case there are any holdouts.
Actively read the new "Steroid" article tonight. Period five? I forgot to hand it out to you. We'll spend a bit of time in class tomorrow reading it so you might have to have additional homework tomorrow night instead of tonight. While we will analyze this third article, we will handle it more quickly. One main idea will be April Ashby's support of her arguments. How does she do compared to the two men, Smith and Montana?
I have a poem for us to look at as well. It's by Rudyard Kipling, and it's called "If". It'll be a more sober look at what it takes to be all that we can be after looking at weighted handicaps, brain surgery and steroid usage.
I'll see you tomorrow.
A sarcastic, opinionated blog with great voice by a steroid expert who is an admitted drug user, law breaker, and egotist out for his own personal financial gain?
Or an evenly written article in a respected magazine by a sports enthusiast who gets paid to write about sports?
Both share the same conclusion about steroids, yet the Smith piece has a clear advantage over the Montana article in presentation and tone. We'll talk more about the two authors tomorrow, but this goes to show you the importance of looking at the source of your evidence. I have a few more points to drive home in case there are any holdouts.
Actively read the new "Steroid" article tonight. Period five? I forgot to hand it out to you. We'll spend a bit of time in class tomorrow reading it so you might have to have additional homework tomorrow night instead of tonight. While we will analyze this third article, we will handle it more quickly. One main idea will be April Ashby's support of her arguments. How does she do compared to the two men, Smith and Montana?
I have a poem for us to look at as well. It's by Rudyard Kipling, and it's called "If". It'll be a more sober look at what it takes to be all that we can be after looking at weighted handicaps, brain surgery and steroid usage.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Standard 11-15-2012
A whole lot of 6/6s on the notebook quiz today. Way to go! You pay attention. You take notes. You get involved in class. Good things happen.
Good discussion on the three ways Kevin Sack supported his nonfiction article on cremation. In period four I saw some of you applying what we learned from Sack as we started to read the "Elmo" article together. Great to see.
Be sure to actively read both articles tonight. There are several questions after each article, but they do not need to be answered tonight. Instead, we will spend some class time tomorrow having you and your peers discuss the possible responses. If you can't read the two pieces tonight--no matter what the reason--I expect to see you tomorrow in my class during lunch completing the reading.
Keep reading that nonfiction book. If you have any questions on it, let me know.
I'll sign your Archer card if you write down the following sentence and punctuate it correctly.
I haven't started reading my nonfiction book yet however I plan on reading a lot on Saturday.
See you all tomorrow.
Good discussion on the three ways Kevin Sack supported his nonfiction article on cremation. In period four I saw some of you applying what we learned from Sack as we started to read the "Elmo" article together. Great to see.
Be sure to actively read both articles tonight. There are several questions after each article, but they do not need to be answered tonight. Instead, we will spend some class time tomorrow having you and your peers discuss the possible responses. If you can't read the two pieces tonight--no matter what the reason--I expect to see you tomorrow in my class during lunch completing the reading.
Keep reading that nonfiction book. If you have any questions on it, let me know.
I'll sign your Archer card if you write down the following sentence and punctuate it correctly.
I haven't started reading my nonfiction book yet however I plan on reading a lot on Saturday.
See you all tomorrow.
Enriched 11-15-2012
Great work today. Each class identified several similarities between "Harrison Bergeron" and "Flowers for Algernon. While people brought up the main characters' determination and deaths, the key idea, which was mentioned in each class, was the ways both Harrison and Charlie shed their handicaps so that they might become all that they could become.
Becoming all that you can become. It's an admirable goal, is it not? Something to think about when you are actively reading your two articles tonight. The two articles share the same topic, and a major point of our discussion tomorrow will be your selection of the article you feel does the better job of arguing its case. They argue the same topic, but one will undoubtedly be more convincing to you then the other. Which will it be? Whatever you decide is fine, just be sure to know why you decided what you did and be ready to defend it to the death...or at least until someone convinces you otherwise. You'll be writing on the topic, discussing it with like-minded peers, preparing arguments, and debating it. Should be energetic and fun.
The timed writing went well. I heard some pretty confident people after each class. You had to tap into your creative side to nail this one down. I'm looking forward to checking out the first few submissions tonight.
It was great hearing from Regan Stohler in period one today. She said she's done many timed writings in high school already. The more we do now, the better off you'll be, not just for PARCC and ISTEP, but for high school next year.
Here's an early tip for you. Three days next week. One day we will have a point of view quiz. I'm talking about first person, second person, third person limited, and third person omniscient. I probably won't tell you when, so take this as your only warning. If you don't understand something about them, you better ask me soon.
Last chance for the word challenge I posted last week will be Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Jenni Munoz dropped eight strong ones on me today, but I left them at school. Come back tomorrow to see what her creative mind developed.
See you tomorrow.
Becoming all that you can become. It's an admirable goal, is it not? Something to think about when you are actively reading your two articles tonight. The two articles share the same topic, and a major point of our discussion tomorrow will be your selection of the article you feel does the better job of arguing its case. They argue the same topic, but one will undoubtedly be more convincing to you then the other. Which will it be? Whatever you decide is fine, just be sure to know why you decided what you did and be ready to defend it to the death...or at least until someone convinces you otherwise. You'll be writing on the topic, discussing it with like-minded peers, preparing arguments, and debating it. Should be energetic and fun.
The timed writing went well. I heard some pretty confident people after each class. You had to tap into your creative side to nail this one down. I'm looking forward to checking out the first few submissions tonight.
It was great hearing from Regan Stohler in period one today. She said she's done many timed writings in high school already. The more we do now, the better off you'll be, not just for PARCC and ISTEP, but for high school next year.
Here's an early tip for you. Three days next week. One day we will have a point of view quiz. I'm talking about first person, second person, third person limited, and third person omniscient. I probably won't tell you when, so take this as your only warning. If you don't understand something about them, you better ask me soon.
Last chance for the word challenge I posted last week will be Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Jenni Munoz dropped eight strong ones on me today, but I left them at school. Come back tomorrow to see what her creative mind developed.
See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Standard 11-14-2012
You'll be having a notebook quiz tomorrow. It'll be over the three types of support that Sack uses in his article on cremation. You've worked with a group to identify them. We've discussed them in class. You've made a poster that includes them. I also had you write down notes today in your notebook. On top of all that, I'm telling you now that you will be quizzed on the topic tomorrow. I do believe you should be able to identify the three types of support fairly easily. Good luck.
Had a good conversation in period four today about the ways personal stories are used in nonfiction articles. We also discussed the trouble with statistics. Remember yesterday's posting on the trouble with statistics? We were about to delve into the reasons we need to be cautious about "expert" interviews. Time ran out but we will get back to that first thing tomorrow.
We have a few final things to do with our cremation article tomorrow, and then we will move on to a couple articles that deal with hunger, food stamps, and Elmo. How do these connect? You'll have to read the articles tomorrow and find out.
Identifying the main idea of an article proved more difficult than expected. You can bet we will be spending a bit of time on that tomorrow with regard to those two new articles. We will also be reading them with an eye on the support that is offered.
We'll close tomorrow with an exit task. It'll be a precise/concise sentence. Are you ready?
See you tomorrow.
Had a good conversation in period four today about the ways personal stories are used in nonfiction articles. We also discussed the trouble with statistics. Remember yesterday's posting on the trouble with statistics? We were about to delve into the reasons we need to be cautious about "expert" interviews. Time ran out but we will get back to that first thing tomorrow.
We have a few final things to do with our cremation article tomorrow, and then we will move on to a couple articles that deal with hunger, food stamps, and Elmo. How do these connect? You'll have to read the articles tomorrow and find out.
Identifying the main idea of an article proved more difficult than expected. You can bet we will be spending a bit of time on that tomorrow with regard to those two new articles. We will also be reading them with an eye on the support that is offered.
We'll close tomorrow with an exit task. It'll be a precise/concise sentence. Are you ready?
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 11-14-2012
There are two big things that we are going to concentrate on tomorrow.
First will be the connections between "Harrison Bergeron" and "Flowers for Algernon". We'll write about them. We'll discuss them. The results will be important as we progress to our first nonfiction articles. Yes, there are more connections coming your way with the two steroid articles. More on that later.
Second, you will be trying your hand at an in-class timed writing. If you are reading this now, as you all should be, you'll have time to do a bit of planning. Throughout the story "Flowers for Algernon", you will find an assortment of pictures, seven in all, from pages 190-215. I am going to ask you to write an essay (intro, body, and conclusion) that explains the relevance of one of the pictures (your choice) to the story "Flowers for Algernon".
You probably do not want to look at the pictures on a literal level. Instead be thinking how the picture you choose relates to the text in a figurative or symbolic way. Be thinking, perhaps, about how the theme of the picture relates to the theme of the story. You might also consider how the mood of the picture you choose captures the mood of the story. No, you don't need to do all of those things I just mentioned; you only need to do one; however, you need to do that one very well. Of course, cited quotes from the text will help you be successful.
While I wouldn't spend a ton of time tonight preparing for this tonight, I would want to at least identify the picture I will use. I'd also like to decide what type of connection I'd be making Thematic? Mood? Symbolic? Something else? Time permitting I might find the info in the text that I need to support my ideas.
Any preparation you do ahead of time will help you in class tomorrow. However, if you decide not to do any, then you should still have enough time to write the paper well. You'll have at least 35 minutes to complete this essay. As with the last in-class timed writing, length will not guarantee success. Jump in. Say what you need to say. Back it up effectively. Get out. A sentence or two for the intro and conclusion is all you need. Develop the body paragraph(s?) well.
Nuff said. I want to get this posted quickly. Good luck.
One last thing. Remember to be actively reading the two steroid articles for class Friday. After reading, highlighting, and annotating both carefully, be sure to come to a decision on which one you believe does the better job of arguing for the use of steroids. Whatever you decide is fine, but, as I'm sure you can guess, you'll be writing about why you feel the way you do on Friday.
First will be the connections between "Harrison Bergeron" and "Flowers for Algernon". We'll write about them. We'll discuss them. The results will be important as we progress to our first nonfiction articles. Yes, there are more connections coming your way with the two steroid articles. More on that later.
Second, you will be trying your hand at an in-class timed writing. If you are reading this now, as you all should be, you'll have time to do a bit of planning. Throughout the story "Flowers for Algernon", you will find an assortment of pictures, seven in all, from pages 190-215. I am going to ask you to write an essay (intro, body, and conclusion) that explains the relevance of one of the pictures (your choice) to the story "Flowers for Algernon".
You probably do not want to look at the pictures on a literal level. Instead be thinking how the picture you choose relates to the text in a figurative or symbolic way. Be thinking, perhaps, about how the theme of the picture relates to the theme of the story. You might also consider how the mood of the picture you choose captures the mood of the story. No, you don't need to do all of those things I just mentioned; you only need to do one; however, you need to do that one very well. Of course, cited quotes from the text will help you be successful.
While I wouldn't spend a ton of time tonight preparing for this tonight, I would want to at least identify the picture I will use. I'd also like to decide what type of connection I'd be making Thematic? Mood? Symbolic? Something else? Time permitting I might find the info in the text that I need to support my ideas.
Any preparation you do ahead of time will help you in class tomorrow. However, if you decide not to do any, then you should still have enough time to write the paper well. You'll have at least 35 minutes to complete this essay. As with the last in-class timed writing, length will not guarantee success. Jump in. Say what you need to say. Back it up effectively. Get out. A sentence or two for the intro and conclusion is all you need. Develop the body paragraph(s?) well.
Nuff said. I want to get this posted quickly. Good luck.
One last thing. Remember to be actively reading the two steroid articles for class Friday. After reading, highlighting, and annotating both carefully, be sure to come to a decision on which one you believe does the better job of arguing for the use of steroids. Whatever you decide is fine, but, as I'm sure you can guess, you'll be writing about why you feel the way you do on Friday.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Standard 11-13-2012
We are making some great progress on the analysis of the cremation article. By now you should have pared down the central idea of the article to one precise sentence. Then, in your groups, you identified three ways that Kevin Sack supported that central idea.
First of all, he opened the paper up with a personal story about the Kelly family. Tomorrow I'll be asking why he chose to start the paper this way. What benefits does a personal story have in a nonfiction article?
Second, he loaded the paper with numbers: facts, figures, statistics, data. These numbers can carry a lot of weight; however, a popular saying is, "If you torture a statistic long enough, you can get it to say anything you want." What does that mean? How does that apply to this article?
By the way another famous saying is, "98% of all statistics are made up." What are your thoughts on that phrase? I'll be asking you tomorrow!
Third, he used the most important supporting device: the expert interview. It's great to talk to people who are knowledgeable about the topic you are discussing. Yet, even here, you need to tread carefully. What should you be wary of when looking at expert opinions?
We'll have another look at a precise/concise/vivid sentence or two tomorrow.
We'll spend a bit of time making some cause and effect statements.
We will also have a bit of time with our nonfiction books. EVERYONE should have it in class tomorrow!
"So much to do, so much to see." I'll sign your Archer card if you tell me what great 90's hit those lyrics are from.
See you tomorrow.
First of all, he opened the paper up with a personal story about the Kelly family. Tomorrow I'll be asking why he chose to start the paper this way. What benefits does a personal story have in a nonfiction article?
Second, he loaded the paper with numbers: facts, figures, statistics, data. These numbers can carry a lot of weight; however, a popular saying is, "If you torture a statistic long enough, you can get it to say anything you want." What does that mean? How does that apply to this article?
By the way another famous saying is, "98% of all statistics are made up." What are your thoughts on that phrase? I'll be asking you tomorrow!
Third, he used the most important supporting device: the expert interview. It's great to talk to people who are knowledgeable about the topic you are discussing. Yet, even here, you need to tread carefully. What should you be wary of when looking at expert opinions?
We'll have another look at a precise/concise/vivid sentence or two tomorrow.
We'll spend a bit of time making some cause and effect statements.
We will also have a bit of time with our nonfiction books. EVERYONE should have it in class tomorrow!
"So much to do, so much to see." I'll sign your Archer card if you tell me what great 90's hit those lyrics are from.
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 11-13-2012
The first part of this post will be for period one.
I want each of you to write a half page response the "Flowers for Algernon" in the literature section of your language arts notebook. Then write down a couple of questions that you had after completing the reading.
You should also consider the following prompts.
1) Was it ethical to use Charlie for the experiment? Explain.
2) Is Charlie a hero? Explain.
3) Explain the function of Algernon in the story.
4) Compare the story "Harrison Bergeron" to the story "Flowers for Algernon".
If you are missing class tomorrow, you should also write responses to those four questions in the lit section of your LA notebook. If you will be in class, you do not need to write responses to the four prompts.
If you are missing class tomorrow due to the band expedition, be sure to stop by the room sometime during the day to see if there is something you need to pick up. Depending on how far we get in class, there might be an article or two for you to actively read tomorrow night.
The rest of the blog is for everyone.
The questions listed above should be thought about prior to walking into room 110 tomorrow. They will be a significant part of our study tomorrow.
Everyone should be sure to bring his or her nonfiction book with him/her tomorrow.
There will be a two sentence notebook quiz over concise/precise/vivid/clear language tomorrow. Be sure you know what to look for.
I mentioned another timed writing coming soon. It has to do with "Flowers for Algernon" and Darius Sohrab was eerily close to discussing it in class today. However, since period one is not as far as periods five and six, I'll be holding off for another 24 hours or so. Stay posted to see what's coming when.
Last week I issued a word play challenge. I had a couple takers. Without a doubt, the most courageous individuals were Peter Rutkowski and Isabella Gianesi and Baker Nasser and Vishal Patel.
Peter and Isabella impressed with the following submissions:
Pommunist-a government ruler who forces all citizens to become cheerleaders
Chipocryte-one who gets mad at you for polishing off the Doritos after he polished off a whole can of Pringles
Omulet-a good luck charm made of scrambled eggs on a necklace
Baker and Vishal worked together to come up with
Lictionary-candy that, when licked, reveals the defintion of a word
Chort-a quick and easy chore
Some funny ones there. Thanks for trying it out. Archer card signatures are on your way. (Remind me tomorrow).
See you all tomorrow.
I want each of you to write a half page response the "Flowers for Algernon" in the literature section of your language arts notebook. Then write down a couple of questions that you had after completing the reading.
You should also consider the following prompts.
1) Was it ethical to use Charlie for the experiment? Explain.
2) Is Charlie a hero? Explain.
3) Explain the function of Algernon in the story.
4) Compare the story "Harrison Bergeron" to the story "Flowers for Algernon".
If you are missing class tomorrow, you should also write responses to those four questions in the lit section of your LA notebook. If you will be in class, you do not need to write responses to the four prompts.
If you are missing class tomorrow due to the band expedition, be sure to stop by the room sometime during the day to see if there is something you need to pick up. Depending on how far we get in class, there might be an article or two for you to actively read tomorrow night.
The rest of the blog is for everyone.
The questions listed above should be thought about prior to walking into room 110 tomorrow. They will be a significant part of our study tomorrow.
Everyone should be sure to bring his or her nonfiction book with him/her tomorrow.
There will be a two sentence notebook quiz over concise/precise/vivid/clear language tomorrow. Be sure you know what to look for.
I mentioned another timed writing coming soon. It has to do with "Flowers for Algernon" and Darius Sohrab was eerily close to discussing it in class today. However, since period one is not as far as periods five and six, I'll be holding off for another 24 hours or so. Stay posted to see what's coming when.
Last week I issued a word play challenge. I had a couple takers. Without a doubt, the most courageous individuals were Peter Rutkowski and Isabella Gianesi and Baker Nasser and Vishal Patel.
Peter and Isabella impressed with the following submissions:
Pommunist-a government ruler who forces all citizens to become cheerleaders
Chipocryte-one who gets mad at you for polishing off the Doritos after he polished off a whole can of Pringles
Omulet-a good luck charm made of scrambled eggs on a necklace
Baker and Vishal worked together to come up with
Lictionary-candy that, when licked, reveals the defintion of a word
Chort-a quick and easy chore
Some funny ones there. Thanks for trying it out. Archer card signatures are on your way. (Remind me tomorrow).
See you all tomorrow.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Standard 11-12-2012
I'll tell you as well...notebook quiz tomorrow on the words precise and concise. I'll give you the words; you give me the definitions. Simple enough, I hope.
We'll attack that cremation article tomorrow. Have it in class and be ready to discuss those questions on the back of the article.
You need a nonfiction book in class by Wednesday. If you need help, come see me before or after school or during lunch. No excuses for not having one on Wednesday.
You have a QBT you'll be presenting in the next few weeks. Presentations for some of you are easy. For others not so much. Take a look at these three tips (the 3 Ps) and apply them to your QBT.
We'll attack that cremation article tomorrow. Have it in class and be ready to discuss those questions on the back of the article.
You need a nonfiction book in class by Wednesday. If you need help, come see me before or after school or during lunch. No excuses for not having one on Wednesday.
You have a QBT you'll be presenting in the next few weeks. Presentations for some of you are easy. For others not so much. Take a look at these three tips (the 3 Ps) and apply them to your QBT.
*Prepare. Do your homework. Do your research. Don't settle for one source. Examine a few sources. Don't just find any quote. Search for the right quote. Don't just settle for a decent idea. Find the idea that demonstrates thought and insight. That usually means avoiding the first thing that jumps into your head. Think on your topic a little longer than your peers and your assessment will be a little higher.
*Practice. Studies show that to become comfortable with your presentation, it's a good idea to practice at least six times. It's not until then that the information starts to flow naturally. You have to practice anything to become better at it. Speaking in front of the class is no different. On top of that, practicing in front of the mirror, your little brother, any willing siblings, parents, friends, or clerks at Krispy Kreme will help make a good presentation great.
* Passion. This can take you soooooo far! I've seen solid presentations torpedoed by monotoned, apathetic, tired voices. If you sound disinterested, your audience will be disinterested. Care. Offer some life, some energy, some pizzaz, some chutzpah, some inflection, some fire. EVERY ONE OF YOU CAN DO THIS! The only person stopping you is you. A person with passion will get the grade, the interview, the job, the scholarship, the boundless, unlimited future!
You can be as good and as successful as you want to be. How high will you go?
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 11-12-2012
I'm just saying...there will be a notebook quiz tomorrow over the difference between precise and concise. I'll give you the words; you give me the definitions. Do yourself a favor and review the meanings.
Book group discussions are finished in periods five and six. Period one has two remaining. We'll wrap them up tomorrow. As we near the end, I'll have to admit that I'm surprised and a little disappointed with the overall quality of the presentations, especially the later ones. Going first is never easy; however, when you have the luxury of seeing a few presentations and having time to adjust your own based on our insightful discussions, it's fair to assume that the presentations will improve. That just didn't happen. Going forward, here are a few tips, let's call them the 3 Ps, that I hope you will take to heart.
*Prepare. Do your homework. Do your research. Don't settle for one source. Examine a few sources. Don't just find any quote. Search for the right quote. Don't just settle for a decent idea. Find the idea that demonstrates thought and insight. That usually means avoiding the first thing that jumps into your head. Think on your topic a little longer than your peers and your assessment will be a little higher.
*Practice. Studies show that to become comfortable with your presentation, it's a good idea to practice at least six times. It's not until then that the information starts to flow naturally. You have to practice anything to become better at it. Speaking in front of the class is no different. On top of that, practicing in front of the mirror, your little brother, any willing siblings, parents, friends, or clerks at Krispy Kreme will help make a good presentation great.
* Passion. This can take you soooooo far! I've seen solid presentations torpedoed by monotoned, apathetic, tired voices. If you sound disinterested, your audience will be disinterested. Care. Offer some life, some energy, some pizzaz, some chutzpah, some inflection, some fire. EVERY ONE OF YOU CAN DO THIS! The only person stopping you is you. A person with passion will get the grade, the interview, the job, the scholarship, the boundless, unlimited future!
We'll get into "Flowers for Algernon" in each class tomorrow. Lots to talk about there. Here is a taste of what you'll be thinking about and responding to.
1) What is the significance of the Robinson Crusoe section?
2) Discuss Charlie's "friends" at work and the role they play in the story.
3) Who is right about seeking knowledge, Fanny or Charlie?
4) Why does Keyes use the allusion to Paradise Lost?
5) Is Charlie better off before or after the operation?
6) What do you think Keyes' thoughts are on the medical profession? our treatment of the disabled?
7) What is Algernon's role in the story?
8) Is Charlie a hero?
9) Is the first person narrative an effective technique?
10) Compare this story to "Harrison Bergeron".
See what I mean? I could go on, but that's enough for now.
Remind me to talk about an opportunity for a few more points on the agreement quiz tomorrow.
Don't forget to have a nonfiction book in class by Wednesday. No excuses.
See you tomorrow.
Book group discussions are finished in periods five and six. Period one has two remaining. We'll wrap them up tomorrow. As we near the end, I'll have to admit that I'm surprised and a little disappointed with the overall quality of the presentations, especially the later ones. Going first is never easy; however, when you have the luxury of seeing a few presentations and having time to adjust your own based on our insightful discussions, it's fair to assume that the presentations will improve. That just didn't happen. Going forward, here are a few tips, let's call them the 3 Ps, that I hope you will take to heart.
*Prepare. Do your homework. Do your research. Don't settle for one source. Examine a few sources. Don't just find any quote. Search for the right quote. Don't just settle for a decent idea. Find the idea that demonstrates thought and insight. That usually means avoiding the first thing that jumps into your head. Think on your topic a little longer than your peers and your assessment will be a little higher.
*Practice. Studies show that to become comfortable with your presentation, it's a good idea to practice at least six times. It's not until then that the information starts to flow naturally. You have to practice anything to become better at it. Speaking in front of the class is no different. On top of that, practicing in front of the mirror, your little brother, any willing siblings, parents, friends, or clerks at Krispy Kreme will help make a good presentation great.
* Passion. This can take you soooooo far! I've seen solid presentations torpedoed by monotoned, apathetic, tired voices. If you sound disinterested, your audience will be disinterested. Care. Offer some life, some energy, some pizzaz, some chutzpah, some inflection, some fire. EVERY ONE OF YOU CAN DO THIS! The only person stopping you is you. A person with passion will get the grade, the interview, the job, the scholarship, the boundless, unlimited future!
We'll get into "Flowers for Algernon" in each class tomorrow. Lots to talk about there. Here is a taste of what you'll be thinking about and responding to.
1) What is the significance of the Robinson Crusoe section?
2) Discuss Charlie's "friends" at work and the role they play in the story.
3) Who is right about seeking knowledge, Fanny or Charlie?
4) Why does Keyes use the allusion to Paradise Lost?
5) Is Charlie better off before or after the operation?
6) What do you think Keyes' thoughts are on the medical profession? our treatment of the disabled?
7) What is Algernon's role in the story?
8) Is Charlie a hero?
9) Is the first person narrative an effective technique?
10) Compare this story to "Harrison Bergeron".
See what I mean? I could go on, but that's enough for now.
Remind me to talk about an opportunity for a few more points on the agreement quiz tomorrow.
Don't forget to have a nonfiction book in class by Wednesday. No excuses.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Standard 11-11-2012
Well here's some good news for you. I've assessed the agreement quizzes, and, for the most part, you completed the quiz well. Not everyone nailed it, and a few of you will need some extra work; however, it was obvious that a lot of you understood what these agreement errors are all about. Nice job.
We'll be shifting back to some Acuity questions this week, but I also have a bit of good news for you on the Acuity front. Be sure to ask me about it tomorrow.
I know cremation may not be the hottest topic (no pun intended) for you to read about. However, one thing I want you to realize as we shift to a heavier nonfiction load, is the way nonfiction is written and how it differs from fiction. That's a major reason why I gave you the questions that I did at the end of the article. I want you to see how the author organized his ideas and especially how he supported them. That's something fiction never has to worry about. When reading nonfiction, you should always be aware of what is being said, who is saying it, and why the speaker's opinions or the data being cited matter.
So be sure to have actively read and annotated the article. I want you coming ready to discuss the topics.
I trust you've been looking for and thinking about and narrowing down your nonfiction options for your next book. Remember I have a few to choose from, Mom and Dad could probably suggest some, and the library and the book store have nearly endless supplies. Have some titles in mind when you come to class tomorrow. Here is a helpful link of titles to peruse if you are still unsure. You are going to want to select a book which you have interest in. Remember, in addition to reading it, you'll need to write a paper and complete a QBT (Quickie Bookie Talkie) over the book. More on both will be in your hands tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, we'll be experiencing some Tool Time work with sentences and a heavy dose of nonfiction. See you then.
We'll be shifting back to some Acuity questions this week, but I also have a bit of good news for you on the Acuity front. Be sure to ask me about it tomorrow.
I know cremation may not be the hottest topic (no pun intended) for you to read about. However, one thing I want you to realize as we shift to a heavier nonfiction load, is the way nonfiction is written and how it differs from fiction. That's a major reason why I gave you the questions that I did at the end of the article. I want you to see how the author organized his ideas and especially how he supported them. That's something fiction never has to worry about. When reading nonfiction, you should always be aware of what is being said, who is saying it, and why the speaker's opinions or the data being cited matter.
So be sure to have actively read and annotated the article. I want you coming ready to discuss the topics.
I trust you've been looking for and thinking about and narrowing down your nonfiction options for your next book. Remember I have a few to choose from, Mom and Dad could probably suggest some, and the library and the book store have nearly endless supplies. Have some titles in mind when you come to class tomorrow. Here is a helpful link of titles to peruse if you are still unsure. You are going to want to select a book which you have interest in. Remember, in addition to reading it, you'll need to write a paper and complete a QBT (Quickie Bookie Talkie) over the book. More on both will be in your hands tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, we'll be experiencing some Tool Time work with sentences and a heavy dose of nonfiction. See you then.
Enriched 11-11-12
Where were you at 11:11 on 11-11-12? I was engaged in a chess match against my son. Not so lucky for me, however. I lost. Guess it could have been worse.
I've scored all the agreement quizzes and the results are pretty good. While we have a few anomalies, overall, you demonstrated a solid grasp of the agreement rules we've been going over. Good work.
This week we'll use our Tool Time time to work on writing vivid and clear and precise and concise sentences (Archer card signature for anyone who can tell me the difference between precise and concise AND then explain it to the rest of the class). This was one of our major areas of concern on the second quarter Acuity pre-test we took a few days ago. By the way, I have some news about Acuity testing that you might find interesting. Ask me about it tomorrow. I'm sure you'll be happy.
Every class has some group book presentations to finish up yet. Period one, as usual, is a bit behind and actually has four yet to go. We'll hopefully finish all those up the beginning of the week and continue our shift to our nonfiction studies.
Speaking of which, I hope you've been looking for a good nonfiction book to read. You saw plenty in class on Friday. Mom and Dad undoubtedly have a few recommendations. There are a plethora of possibilities at the library and the bookstore. Check out this link for a list of HOT NONFICTION READS. You should be able to find something that interests you and meets our 8th grade enriched standards. Remember you will be writing a paper on the book and be giving a QBT (Quickie Bookie Talkie). More details on both assignments coming tomorrow.
Yet before we go full bore into our nonfiction, we need to finish up our reading of "Flowers for Algernon". "Flowers" is an excerpt from a much longer novel. The novel was also made into two films. One was a successful, though psychedelic, award winning film. The other was a more modern made for television adaptation. In all forms, the protagonist Charlie is engaging. He's easy to care about. The story itself is a fascinating "What if?" It offers plenty of topics to consider. If you are super observant (which I'm sure you all are) I'm sure you noticed a connection between "Flowers" and "Harrison Bergeron". You had to know that would be coming! If you didn't pick up on it yet, give it a second look. I'll be asking you to finish reading the story for Tuesday. We'll start a serious look at the tale then.
Remember, your irony examples are due tomorrow. We've already collected over thirty good ones. And best of all, no redos have been necessitated yet. Perhaps we'll all be perfect on our first submissions. That's a lot of 10/10s!
So tomorrow: a little Tool Time, a book group presentation or two, info on the nonfiction books and assignments and perhaps a bit of "Flowers for Algernon" discussion. See you then.
I've scored all the agreement quizzes and the results are pretty good. While we have a few anomalies, overall, you demonstrated a solid grasp of the agreement rules we've been going over. Good work.
This week we'll use our Tool Time time to work on writing vivid and clear and precise and concise sentences (Archer card signature for anyone who can tell me the difference between precise and concise AND then explain it to the rest of the class). This was one of our major areas of concern on the second quarter Acuity pre-test we took a few days ago. By the way, I have some news about Acuity testing that you might find interesting. Ask me about it tomorrow. I'm sure you'll be happy.
Every class has some group book presentations to finish up yet. Period one, as usual, is a bit behind and actually has four yet to go. We'll hopefully finish all those up the beginning of the week and continue our shift to our nonfiction studies.
Speaking of which, I hope you've been looking for a good nonfiction book to read. You saw plenty in class on Friday. Mom and Dad undoubtedly have a few recommendations. There are a plethora of possibilities at the library and the bookstore. Check out this link for a list of HOT NONFICTION READS. You should be able to find something that interests you and meets our 8th grade enriched standards. Remember you will be writing a paper on the book and be giving a QBT (Quickie Bookie Talkie). More details on both assignments coming tomorrow.
Yet before we go full bore into our nonfiction, we need to finish up our reading of "Flowers for Algernon". "Flowers" is an excerpt from a much longer novel. The novel was also made into two films. One was a successful, though psychedelic, award winning film. The other was a more modern made for television adaptation. In all forms, the protagonist Charlie is engaging. He's easy to care about. The story itself is a fascinating "What if?" It offers plenty of topics to consider. If you are super observant (which I'm sure you all are) I'm sure you noticed a connection between "Flowers" and "Harrison Bergeron". You had to know that would be coming! If you didn't pick up on it yet, give it a second look. I'll be asking you to finish reading the story for Tuesday. We'll start a serious look at the tale then.
Remember, your irony examples are due tomorrow. We've already collected over thirty good ones. And best of all, no redos have been necessitated yet. Perhaps we'll all be perfect on our first submissions. That's a lot of 10/10s!
So tomorrow: a little Tool Time, a book group presentation or two, info on the nonfiction books and assignments and perhaps a bit of "Flowers for Algernon" discussion. See you then.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Enriched and Standard 11-08-2012
Agreement quiz tomorrow. To help prepare check out yesterday's link to a series of agreement quizzes.
Nonfiction books. We'll be traveling to the IMC for a look but feel free to bring in ones from home or another library. I want to see which book you select.
Enriched
Are you prepared to present with your book group?
Is ignorance bliss?
When is it better not to know?
Who exactly is Charly?
If we can, should we?
Do you have your irony?
Standard
How is your highlighting and annotating going?
Would you want to be cremated?
What makes an article nonfiction?
What is Kevin Sack trying to say?
What does Kevin Sack think?
Who is Kevin Sack?
See you tomorrow.
Nonfiction books. We'll be traveling to the IMC for a look but feel free to bring in ones from home or another library. I want to see which book you select.
Enriched
Are you prepared to present with your book group?
Is ignorance bliss?
When is it better not to know?
Who exactly is Charly?
If we can, should we?
Do you have your irony?
Standard
How is your highlighting and annotating going?
Would you want to be cremated?
What makes an article nonfiction?
What is Kevin Sack trying to say?
What does Kevin Sack think?
Who is Kevin Sack?
See you tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Standard 11-07-2012
Congratulations to John Graham! He was part of a presentation on the book Slam! and he did a fine job of presenting his information and backing it up with support from the text. Way to go, John!
Our book group presentations are now over. Tomorrow, in my absence, we will begin the move from a heavy fictional menu and turn to a diet with a hefty serving of nonfiction. With that in mind, I want you to start looking for a nonfiction book that you would be interested in reading. This will not be a group read this time. Instead we will be reading these books on our own. Ask Mom or Dad for some help in picking a good nonfiction book to read. I'll fill you in more on what we will be using the book for (other than reading) when I return on Friday.
Since we are heading in to nonfiction territory, you'll be receiving your first dose tomorrow. You'll have an article to read and write about. I have three possibilities, but I haven't yet decided which way to turn. I'll leave you with that anticipation.
Friday will be our agreement error quiz. Are you ready? A good way to find out is to brush up on the notes you've taken. Review the pronoun chart. Remind yourself to identify key words. You can even go to this agreement error link for a little additional assistance. Make sure you scroll down a bit to the Pronoun Agreement section. Plenty of practice awaits you there. Answers too!
Have a great night. I'll see you Friday.
Our book group presentations are now over. Tomorrow, in my absence, we will begin the move from a heavy fictional menu and turn to a diet with a hefty serving of nonfiction. With that in mind, I want you to start looking for a nonfiction book that you would be interested in reading. This will not be a group read this time. Instead we will be reading these books on our own. Ask Mom or Dad for some help in picking a good nonfiction book to read. I'll fill you in more on what we will be using the book for (other than reading) when I return on Friday.
Since we are heading in to nonfiction territory, you'll be receiving your first dose tomorrow. You'll have an article to read and write about. I have three possibilities, but I haven't yet decided which way to turn. I'll leave you with that anticipation.
Friday will be our agreement error quiz. Are you ready? A good way to find out is to brush up on the notes you've taken. Review the pronoun chart. Remind yourself to identify key words. You can even go to this agreement error link for a little additional assistance. Make sure you scroll down a bit to the Pronoun Agreement section. Plenty of practice awaits you there. Answers too!
Have a great night. I'll see you Friday.
Enriched 11-07-2012
I won't be in school tomorrow (at meetings talking about Acuity, performance tasks, Common Core, etc.) so there will be no presentations. We will resume the presentations on Friday and make a trip to the IMC in search of potential nonfiction reads. This will not be a group read this time, but an individual one. You can actually start looking at homw for a good nonfiction read. Ask Mom and Dad. They undoubtedly have an idea or two in their brains (notice the agreement!) or on the book shelves they would love to share with you. I, too, have a few suggestions should you become desperate. More on the nonfiction books, and what you will be doing with them, will be available on Friday.
Speaking of Friday...that will also be the day that we have our long awaited agreement quiz. Brush up on the notes you've taken. Review the pronoun chart. Remind yourself to identify key words. You can even go to this agreement error link for a little additional assistance. Make sure you scroll down to the Pronoun Agreement section.
I accepted some great irony examples today. Loved Kacey Wood's toothless man hawking Colgate toothpaste. Hilarious! Lexi Marks offered a creative example of a sunflower in a rain storm. And in the what-were-they-thinking category, Matt Maurer shared a ridiculous ad from Pacific Bell asking us to call them if our phones are out of service. Really? Great job, students.
Tomorrow, in my absence, you'll be starting work on our next frontier. Quarter two is a nonfiction quarter so get ready. Here it comes.
See you Friday.
Speaking of Friday...that will also be the day that we have our long awaited agreement quiz. Brush up on the notes you've taken. Review the pronoun chart. Remind yourself to identify key words. You can even go to this agreement error link for a little additional assistance. Make sure you scroll down to the Pronoun Agreement section.
I accepted some great irony examples today. Loved Kacey Wood's toothless man hawking Colgate toothpaste. Hilarious! Lexi Marks offered a creative example of a sunflower in a rain storm. And in the what-were-they-thinking category, Matt Maurer shared a ridiculous ad from Pacific Bell asking us to call them if our phones are out of service. Really? Great job, students.
Tomorrow, in my absence, you'll be starting work on our next frontier. Quarter two is a nonfiction quarter so get ready. Here it comes.
See you Friday.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Standard 11-06-2012
We made some progress on two fronts today. First I feel that our understanding of agreement errors has turned a corner. By going through the ten sentences and seeing a correct example juxtaposed against an incorrect example, we were able to have a better sense of what the agreement problems were in each sentence. Then, taking the time to circle the key words that we need to pay attention to as we examine each sentence also undoubtedly helped our comprehension. I think you became more confident as you went down the list.
The other area where there was some improvement was in our presentations. Do we still have a bit to go? Absolutely. Yet there were signs of life and personality (Ben Rose and Rachel Snyder) There were multiple quotes used for evidence (Rachel Lee, Greyson Papp, and Jordan Vargo). Now with only a couple groups to go, perhaps one group will be able to pull it all together and offer that presentation that combines substance and style splendidly.
We will be starting our new material tomorrow. I hope you like nonfiction because that is where our focus will be. More coming tomorrow.
See you then.
The other area where there was some improvement was in our presentations. Do we still have a bit to go? Absolutely. Yet there were signs of life and personality (Ben Rose and Rachel Snyder) There were multiple quotes used for evidence (Rachel Lee, Greyson Papp, and Jordan Vargo). Now with only a couple groups to go, perhaps one group will be able to pull it all together and offer that presentation that combines substance and style splendidly.
We will be starting our new material tomorrow. I hope you like nonfiction because that is where our focus will be. More coming tomorrow.
See you then.
Enriched 11-06-2012
Wow! I was awash in Watership Down today! The group from period one (made up of Spencer Kilmer, Will Gruber, Kayla Cole, and Mandy Poznanski) spoke for over 15 minutes and used several video clips from the classic 1978 film to help make their presentation engaging. The group from period five (consisting of Sydney Seigel, Anna Demel, Calley Tartaglione, and Madi Meyer) offered a wealth of information on the different forms of government evident in the text. Just when I thought they had finished, they proceeded to discuss religion and language barriers as well. It was obvious from both Prezis that a lot of time and effort went into the productions of the presentations. Just put a bit more emphasis on what the fantasy element from the text says about humanity and you will be golden.
Looking forward to new books and groups tomorrow. But not in period one. I'm gone tomorrow morning for an Acuity meeting. I'll be in the building but out for period one. That's okay. Period one will get a bit of a jump on an upcoming reading and assignment.
Speaking of assignments, let's get that irony one in no later than Monday. Remember, I want to avoid duplicates. Hand in early to ensure acceptance. You need to have an image (picture, drawing, photo, magazine spread, etc.) and then a typed explanation (with proper heading) of why it is an example of irony. Be sure it's a thorough and accurate explanation. Let's all earn ten points on this one.
We did some good work with agreement errors today. I think we turned a corner in our understanding. We'll see soon as the promised quiz will take place either Thursday or Friday.
The next big paper will start to take shape in the next few days, as well. I hinted at the topic a week or two ago, and since quarter two is all about nonfiction, it seems like the perfect time to tackle it. More to come.
Don't forget about the Archer card challenge. Congrats to Monesh Deverieddy for offering the first entry. He offered "stukid" and defined it as a less than intelligent young person. That's a fine start, but I'm looking forward to where our creativity will take us. Choose bigger, unique words and have fun with your definitions.
See you tomorrow.
Looking forward to new books and groups tomorrow. But not in period one. I'm gone tomorrow morning for an Acuity meeting. I'll be in the building but out for period one. That's okay. Period one will get a bit of a jump on an upcoming reading and assignment.
Speaking of assignments, let's get that irony one in no later than Monday. Remember, I want to avoid duplicates. Hand in early to ensure acceptance. You need to have an image (picture, drawing, photo, magazine spread, etc.) and then a typed explanation (with proper heading) of why it is an example of irony. Be sure it's a thorough and accurate explanation. Let's all earn ten points on this one.
We did some good work with agreement errors today. I think we turned a corner in our understanding. We'll see soon as the promised quiz will take place either Thursday or Friday.
The next big paper will start to take shape in the next few days, as well. I hinted at the topic a week or two ago, and since quarter two is all about nonfiction, it seems like the perfect time to tackle it. More to come.
Don't forget about the Archer card challenge. Congrats to Monesh Deverieddy for offering the first entry. He offered "stukid" and defined it as a less than intelligent young person. That's a fine start, but I'm looking forward to where our creativity will take us. Choose bigger, unique words and have fun with your definitions.
See you tomorrow.
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