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.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
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.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Standard 11-05-2012
The agreement quiz is coming this week. No doubt about it. How ready will you be? We'll try a different approach tomorrow in an attempt to make sure we really understand it. Hopefully it works.
Gotta be honest. The presentations have not been very good. You have offered thin, unsupported, cursory responses to the prompts which you have had plenty of time to prepare for. You need to take responsibility for your role in your group. Be the best that you can be. Check out the rubric again.
Are you offering intelligent discussion?
Are you being thorough and clear?
Are you supporting what you say with evidence from the text?
Are you offering context to be sure your discussion is understood?
Are you being passionate in your presentation?
Are you as prepared as you can be?
Tomorrow's presentations will go a long way to deciding the next step we take.
We'll be jetting off in a new direction very soon. Time for a bit of nonfiction.
See you tomorrow.
Gotta be honest. The presentations have not been very good. You have offered thin, unsupported, cursory responses to the prompts which you have had plenty of time to prepare for. You need to take responsibility for your role in your group. Be the best that you can be. Check out the rubric again.
Are you offering intelligent discussion?
Are you being thorough and clear?
Are you supporting what you say with evidence from the text?
Are you offering context to be sure your discussion is understood?
Are you being passionate in your presentation?
Are you as prepared as you can be?
Tomorrow's presentations will go a long way to deciding the next step we take.
We'll be jetting off in a new direction very soon. Time for a bit of nonfiction.
See you tomorrow.
Enriched 11-05-2012
Congratulations to Peter Rutkowski, Jason Bao, Nate Mark, and Garrett Wolfram on an excellent presentation during period one today. The information they shared was insightful and organized. The highlights were the specific examples they used to construct the connections between Stroud's fantasy world and our own real world. Tremendous research and thorough development. Everyone was involved. You even wrapped it up well at the end. Great job going above and beyond, men.
The bar has been set. The challenge is out there. What are you going to do to make sure your presentation is as strong and clear and thorough as it needs to be?
You completed a quick 15 minute writing assignment today where you interpreted a quote using "HB" as support. I've only looked at a dozen so far but Ava Khan definitely nailed it. What terrific insight she offered into how Barry Goldwater's quote on equality was evident in the text of "HB". I'm looking forward to checking out the rest.
Tomorrow I'll be giving you an assignment on irony. We found some examples in our "Harrison Bergeron"story, and now I want you to locate an example on your own. This will be in the form of our juxtaposition/parallel structure/cohesive writing assignments. Ten points. More to come tomorrow.
We'll have an agreement quiz this week. That means we'll spend a bit of time tomorrow working on agreement errors again. Perhaps this time we'll try a different approach. Hmmm... my mind is racing with an idea.
We'll also start reading a story from our text books tomorrow. I wonder if you'll be able to see the connection it has to "HB".
Remind me tomorrow that we have to file our C.A.P. papers and reflections (if you haven't already done so).
Isabella, I think I found it. Imaginat10n!
Here's an Archer card challenge. I heard about this on NPR over the weekend. I thought it was funny and creative. The Washington Post presented its readers with a challenge. Take any word. Change, add, or subtract one letter in the word. Give the new word a definition. Sound simple enough? Here are a couple examples.
sarcasm becomes sarchasm
definition- the gap between a person who uses sarcasm and the ability of the audience to grasp it.
reincarnation becomes reintarnation
definition-when a person dies and is reborn as a hillbilly
Dopler becomes dopeler
definition-the tendency for stupid ideas to sound smarter the faster they are coming at you
Take a couple of days and see what you can come up with. Create one or two on your own, type it up nice and I'll sign your Archer card for each one. Work with a friend. I'll sign for both of you. They need to be original. Check out this link for more examples. Have fun.
See you tomorrow.
The bar has been set. The challenge is out there. What are you going to do to make sure your presentation is as strong and clear and thorough as it needs to be?
You completed a quick 15 minute writing assignment today where you interpreted a quote using "HB" as support. I've only looked at a dozen so far but Ava Khan definitely nailed it. What terrific insight she offered into how Barry Goldwater's quote on equality was evident in the text of "HB". I'm looking forward to checking out the rest.
Tomorrow I'll be giving you an assignment on irony. We found some examples in our "Harrison Bergeron"story, and now I want you to locate an example on your own. This will be in the form of our juxtaposition/parallel structure/cohesive writing assignments. Ten points. More to come tomorrow.
We'll have an agreement quiz this week. That means we'll spend a bit of time tomorrow working on agreement errors again. Perhaps this time we'll try a different approach. Hmmm... my mind is racing with an idea.
We'll also start reading a story from our text books tomorrow. I wonder if you'll be able to see the connection it has to "HB".
Remind me tomorrow that we have to file our C.A.P. papers and reflections (if you haven't already done so).
Isabella, I think I found it. Imaginat10n!
Here's an Archer card challenge. I heard about this on NPR over the weekend. I thought it was funny and creative. The Washington Post presented its readers with a challenge. Take any word. Change, add, or subtract one letter in the word. Give the new word a definition. Sound simple enough? Here are a couple examples.
sarcasm becomes sarchasm
definition- the gap between a person who uses sarcasm and the ability of the audience to grasp it.
reincarnation becomes reintarnation
definition-when a person dies and is reborn as a hillbilly
Dopler becomes dopeler
definition-the tendency for stupid ideas to sound smarter the faster they are coming at you
Take a couple of days and see what you can come up with. Create one or two on your own, type it up nice and I'll sign your Archer card for each one. Work with a friend. I'll sign for both of you. They need to be original. Check out this link for more examples. Have fun.
See you tomorrow.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Standard 11-04-2012
The weekend is nearing its end, and, if you are like me, you can't wait for school to start tomorrow. Unfortunately, we still have almost fifteen hours before we need to be at school. What to do until then...
Well, if you haven't presented your book yet, you could be polishing that up. We had the chance to see a couple presentations last Friday, and while there were some bright spots, overall, there was a lack of passion and an inconsistent use of specific textual details. The discussion also lacked the depth necessary to be completely successful. Since we have all seen two presentations and been a part of an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, my expectations for the groups who will be presenting this week have been raised.
I'll be collecting the books from you once you have completed your presentations. We will head off in a new direction this week with a stronger focus on nonfiction reading and writing. Remember that I promised an agreement quiz sometime this week. Don't worry, I won't let you down by forgetting. There is also a rumor of some practice Acuity performance tasks coming our way.
So much fun. I can't wait to get started. I'll see you tomorrow.
Well, if you haven't presented your book yet, you could be polishing that up. We had the chance to see a couple presentations last Friday, and while there were some bright spots, overall, there was a lack of passion and an inconsistent use of specific textual details. The discussion also lacked the depth necessary to be completely successful. Since we have all seen two presentations and been a part of an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, my expectations for the groups who will be presenting this week have been raised.
I'll be collecting the books from you once you have completed your presentations. We will head off in a new direction this week with a stronger focus on nonfiction reading and writing. Remember that I promised an agreement quiz sometime this week. Don't worry, I won't let you down by forgetting. There is also a rumor of some practice Acuity performance tasks coming our way.
So much fun. I can't wait to get started. I'll see you tomorrow.
Enriched 11-04-2012
I can tell by the emails that people have been putting the finishing touches on their presentations. Responses to a few of the more common questions are as follows.
Yes, you can use notecards, but remember that they are NOTE cards not sentence cards or paragraph cards. You should use them as reminders of ideas you wish to discuss but not as pieces of paper to read from.
A works cited should be included for information you accessed from the web and included in your Prezi; however, since I did not stress it to you myself, it will be considered more of a highly recommended suggestion instead of a requirement. Kudos to those who have asked or who have automatically included one. The rewards will be yours.
Remember, we'll be looking for intelligent discussions, multiple examples, creative presentations, thoughtful organization, equal involvement, and PASSION!
We'll start tomorrow, but not before we spend the first fifteen minutes giving you a chance to complete the writing we didn't have time for last Friday. You need to choose one of the three quotes listed on the 11-01-2012 blog. You need to discuss and interpret the quote using "Harrison Bergeron" as your sole source of support for your interpretation. The writings will be assessed on your ability to organize and develop your ideas in a clear, concise manner. 20 points.
Another crazy week ahead of us. I miss Wednesday morning and all day Thursday for language arts meetings. We supposedly have a practice Acuity performance task we'll be starting followed up by a
official Acuity performance task. We'll also be moving beyond "Harrison Bergeron" and into other related areas. There will be an irony assignment coming your way. Oh, and don't forget that agreement quiz I promised. I sure won't. On top of all that we still have our presentations that will take a few days to get through.
Enjoy the last few hours of your weekend. Sleep well tonight. I'll see you tomorrow.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Standard 11-01-2012
Tomorrow is the day. Our book group presentations will take flight. I want you all soaring to presentation nirvana. We had a good look today at what is expected out of your talks. I want to thank the Speak group in period three and the Someone Like You group in period four for helping us to prepare. I think it was time well spent. Tonight, you should be putting the finishing touches on all your responses. I have tremendous faith in you. Success is within your grasp. Go grab it!
See you tomorrrow.
See you tomorrrow.
Enriched 11-01-2012
It's late, so I'll be quick.
Today we spent a good amount of time prepping for our presentations that will begin next Monday. Since you have the extra weekend days to perfect your presentations, I'm expecting insightfully prepared and passionately shared analyses from every one of you. Keep checking out the A expectations on that rubric to remind yourselves what you need to accomplish.
Happy HB! Tomorrow will be a "Harrison Bergeron" day! All Harrison. All hour. I know, I can't wait either. We'll be looking at Vonnegut's views and purpose. "Harrison"'s vocabulary and theme. Examples of irony and symbolism. A couple other surprises and these quotes:
"If liberty and equality are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost." Aristotle
"Equality, rightly understood as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences; wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, it leads to conformity and then to despotism." Barry Goldwater
"Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact."
Honore de Balzac
Here's a thought. At the end of class tomorrow, say the last fifteen minutes, we might be doing an in class writing asking you to discuss one of those three quotes using "Harrison Bergeron" as your supporting text.
Gotta fly. Be good. See you tomorrow.
Today we spent a good amount of time prepping for our presentations that will begin next Monday. Since you have the extra weekend days to perfect your presentations, I'm expecting insightfully prepared and passionately shared analyses from every one of you. Keep checking out the A expectations on that rubric to remind yourselves what you need to accomplish.
Happy HB! Tomorrow will be a "Harrison Bergeron" day! All Harrison. All hour. I know, I can't wait either. We'll be looking at Vonnegut's views and purpose. "Harrison"'s vocabulary and theme. Examples of irony and symbolism. A couple other surprises and these quotes:
"If liberty and equality are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost." Aristotle
"Equality, rightly understood as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences; wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, it leads to conformity and then to despotism." Barry Goldwater
"Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact."
Honore de Balzac
Here's a thought. At the end of class tomorrow, say the last fifteen minutes, we might be doing an in class writing asking you to discuss one of those three quotes using "Harrison Bergeron" as your supporting text.
Gotta fly. Be good. See you tomorrow.
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