Thursday, May 22, 2014

Standard 05-22-2014

That was a lengthy Performance Task.  But thanks for putting forth your best effort. I'll be assessing it while you are in DC and can't wait to see the results.

You'll have some class time tomorrow to complete the PT, but we should also have some time left to discuss a bit of Night.  With that in mind, be sure to have read and text coded the remainder of the book (page 115) for class tomorrow.  Lots to discuss.

See you then.  

Honors 5-22-2014

Performance Task today.  Looks like the Performance Task tomorrow as well.  That baby took a bit of time.  Thanks for putting forth a full effort.  I'll have it assessed before you come back from DC.

Since you will be receiving about 30 minutes tomorrow to complete the PC, we should have some time left over to do a little Night work.  Remember to have read and text coded 66-69 for class.

Your penultimate Friday at Discovery is tomorrow.  See you then.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Standard 5-20-2014

No new reading homework for tonight.  Just revisit pages 85-97 for tomorrow.

We introduced antithesis today.  We'll look at it more deeply tomorrow.

PT will be Thursday.

See you soon.

Honors 5-20-2014

No reading homework tonight.   Just review last night's reading of 47-65.

Be able to write a sentence of antithesis tomorrow.

Five more This I Believe testimonials coming.

PT will be Thursday.

See you soon.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Standard 05-19-2014

Juxtaposition assignments were turned in today.  I saw plenty of good ones.  Nice work and thanks for getting them in on time.

We started a good discussion on Night (pages 69-84).  Lots of dehumanization, loss and indifference.  Indifference was a concept that perplexed some of us.  Remember, it is an essential question, so you need to be able to understand it.  We have a bit more to dicuss tomorrow but you should still read and text code to page 97 for tomorrow.  Elie is leaving Buna, but where is he headed?  At what cost?

See you soon.


Honors 5-19-2014

A little antithesis today.  It's a difficult term but it's easy to use.  See, I just did it!  I'll share a few more examples tomorrow.  We'll try writing some later in the week.  We still need to have an assessment on denotation, connotation, juxtaposition and antithesis.  Maybe after DC?

Today we heard some This I Believe testimonials and I was impressed.  If you live up to what you all say, the world is going to be in good hands when you get older.

We didn't have a ton of time to discuss Night today.  There is more that I want to discuss from last night's reading (22-46), but I still want you to move forward and read 47-65 for tomorrow.  Be sure to text code too.  As you read, I want you to be thinking about the essential questions.  Also be on the lookout for powerful quotes in tonight's reading.  What stands out?  Why?

I have news on the Performance Task.  Be sure to ask me tomorrow.

See you soon.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Standard 05-15-2014

We took the SRI (Lexile) today and there were some pretty big jumps throughout the classes.  Good work.  I guess I need to find harder books.

I returned the timed writings today and a couple things came through.

We are good at using quotes in our writings.
We know we need to mention the title and author in our papers.
We know to start off with a quick intro and end with a quick conclusion.
We remember to explain the quotes after we use them.

There are also some things we need to work on.

Although we use quotes, we don't introduce them or set them up so that the message is as clear as it can be.
Although we remember to explain the quotes after we share them, we don't always offer good explanations. The explanations need to be fleshed out and developed.
We need to remember that a claim must be a sentence.
We need to be sure we understand the material that we are quoting.  Telling someone to lie about their age so that they can stay alive is not dehumanizing.

Try to remember these things when you write papers later this year and into high school.

We'll finish our jigsaw work tomorrow.  We'll have a quick open note assessment over it.  Then we will look closely at pages 66-69.  Powerful stuff.  Text code it well.

Juxtaposition examples are due Monday.  Be sure you've typed your proper heading on the top.

See you soon.

Honors 5-15-2014

We had our SRI (Lexile) testing today and you showed a lot of growth throughout every class.  Well done.  If you do the same on ISTEP, we'll be breaking records!

We had a bit of time for a few This I Believe presentations as well.  More stellar examples in period two added on to those from period six yesterday.  Keep up the good work.

Juxtaposition assignments are due tomorrow.  Be sure to have yours.

In class we will complete our discussion of Brown's preface to the original version of Night.  Then we will focus on pages 6-22.  Loss.  Dehumanization.  Faith.  Denial.  Indifference.  All these topics keep coming back.  Find evidence for them.  What is EW saying about each one?  And why is this book called Night? Be thinking about that as you read.  

There will be some reading asignments for this weekend.

See you soon.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Standard 5-14-2014

Just a quick posting today.

Juxtaposition examples are due Monday.  Be sure your explanations are solid and be sure you have a complete heading (name, date, period, assignment) typed on top.

We just about finished the jigsaw of pages 47-65.  Once you have all the info, I'll be assessing you.  Yes you can use your notes.  Be sure they are thorough.

No new reading for tonight because we have SRI (Lexile Testing) tomorrow.   Not sure how long it will last so we'll have to keep our options open.

See you soon.

Honors 5-14-2014

Quick post today.

The juxtaposition example is due on Friday.  Make sure your explanation is solid.

The This I Believe presentations have begun.  Here's a link to the scoring guide: quick and simple

Reread and be sure to text code Night pages 6-22. Be thinking of the essential questions and any themes that start taking shape.

SRI (Lexile Testing) tomorrow.  Not sure how long this will take so we'll have to play our lessons by ear.

See you soon.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Standard 5-13-2014

Some good examples of juxtaposition are already pouring in.  Now if the explanations match the examples, we'll be set.  I'll check them out tonight.

After reading 47-65 last night, we broke into groups and became experts on one section. We know why Elie included the section and what significance it has for the entire story.  You also identified the most powerful quote in the section.  Tomorrow you will be participating in a jigsaw and sharing your expertise with another group.  Be sure you are clear on your meaning and purpose.  Be sure you take good notes while the other experts speak.  There will be an assessment—open-note—once we are finished jigsawing. There is no reason why you should do poorly.

We'll pick up our reading tomorrow night.

See you soon.

Honors 5-13-2014

Some good examples of juxtaposition are already pouring in.  Now if the explanations match the examples, we'll be set.  I'll check them out tonight.

Night is now in your hands.   We started reading it today in class, and I am asking you to read and text code a bit tonight.  I know you track athletes are fairly busy tonight so do the best you can.  The rest of you should do a thorough job reading and text coding pages 3-22.  There's a lot revealed in a short amount of time after those somewhat deep and dense first three pages.  I hope you see that it became easier to understand.

As you read be thinking about those essential questions.  Mark up the text if you see anything that connects to one of them.  I'd write them in my book if I were you.  Also be on the lookout for any recurring ideas/themes.  Just like The Pearl, this memoir will also have ideas that keep coming up.  In period one indifference and faith were two ideas that were noted.  What else is frequently brought up?

I believe our This I Believe presentations will start tomorrow.  Good luck.  I hope you are working on yours.
See you soon.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Standard 5-12-2014

How are Laurel and Hardy an example of juxtaposition?  A full Archer card if you tell me tomorrow.

So we discussed juxtaposition today.  Here's the link to the slides in case you missed it or need a refresher.  remember the homework that's on the final slide.

Solid discussion on a couple issues from last Thursday's reading. A-7713 was a pretty big deal.  Be sure to remember why.  Tonight you have a lot to read (47-65) and text code.  Handle it well.  That will be our focus tomorrow.  It is actually split into eight sections.  These eight sections focus on different events from his time at Auschwitz.  He could have selected a number of things but he concentrated on these eight.  Why?

That's what I want you to be thinking about while you read the text tonight.  Why is each one of these events significant?  Why is each one of these events worth sharing?  Here are the big eight broken down:

47-51     first days at camp
51-52     dentist
52-54     French girl
54-56     dad beaten and the crown
56-58     Idek and the whip
58-61     bombing
61-63     hanging #1
63-65     hanging #2

Read carefully.  Text code thoroughly.

See you soon.

Honors 5-12-2014

How were Laurel and Hardy juxtoposed?  A full Archer card if you tell me tomorrow.

So we discussed juxtaposition today.  Here's the link to the slides in case you missed it or need a refresher.  Don't forget that homework assignment on the final slide.  Due Friday.

No takers today on the This I Believe assignment.  Hopefully tomorrow will bring braver souls.

Little more talk on propaganda today.  We also got a look at the essential questions for our upcoming reading.  Here they are again.

Is there such a thing as a just war?
When does hope get in the way of reality?
Is there good in all men?
What doe sit mean to be human?

Some of you have the book Night.  Others will get it tomorrow.  Either way we'll start reading and text coding it in class and see what awaits us.

See you soon.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Honors 05-07-2014

You're nailing denotation and connotation.  Great work.  We are seeing that words are malleable and carry some pretty heavy baggage with them sometimes.  The take awy should be: choose your words carefully; every word matters.

Good discussion on the indifference quotes today.  You never cease to amaze me with your analysis and insight.  Keep it up.

We saw some powerful and moving photographs today.  You generated some good questions and we learned a little bit more about what the Holocaust entails.

Tomorrow, during my absence, you will be starting with a film called The People Next Door. You will not watch the entire thing, but it will expose you to more insightful information on the Holocaust.

There is an activity with connotation and denotation that you will work on after the film and I have a short story to share with you, time permitting.  I'll be back on Friday and we will pick up where you left off Thursday.  I will be able to answer any questions you have about the film or the other activities, so write those questions down.

See you soon.

Standard 05-07-2014

While we had a solid discussion in period three, I must commend period four for their superb discussion in class today.  Bravo!  That is how a class discussion is supposed to go.  Citations everywhere. Comments from nearly everyone.  Organized discussion peppered with well-supported disagreements.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Thank you.

It's a great lead-in to our in-class timed writing tomorrow.  And if you are here right now, then you deserve to receive a hint as to the topic you will be writing about tomorrow.  We hit that faith topic pretty hard in our discussion today, so we will move on to a different topic.  I'm going to offer you two.  You will choose one of these and write about it tomorrow.

From pages 29-39 there is a lot of loss and dehumanization taking place.  Examples of both thematic ideas are everywhere.  Focusing on those pages only—nothing before page 29 and nothing after page 39—I want you to choose ONE of those thematic ideas, change the thematic idea into a sentence so that it can be used as a theme, and write an essay that shows that the theme you came up with is valid for those ten pages.

You need to be sure you make a claim about loss...OR...You need to be sure you make a claim about dehumanization and then write an essay supporting that idea.  Yes, you will need to use quotes.  Yes, you will need to cite the quotes.  Yes, you will need an intro and a conclusion.  Yes, you will be able to use your book.  Prepare your sentence tonight.  Find your support tonight.  That way you can spend tomorrow writing an amazing essay.

See you soon.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Standard 5-06-2014

Denotation and connotation!  Do you remember the difference? Let's look at a word like "school".  What is the denotation of school?  I know you can all figure that one out as a place of learning.  I also know you all have a lot to say about the connotation of school.  Boring?  Prison?  Fun?  An escape? The word has some baggage doesn't it?  Don't forget that some words have negative connotations and some words have positive connotations.  Which one does school have?  Could it be both?  Neutral?

That was a bit of a tight fit today in class as we began our Night discussion.  Remember how hot and uncomfortable it became in such a short piece of time when we stood so closely together.  That was just a small taste of what the Jews experienced.

There is some powerful reading in tonight's ten pages (29-39).  Be ready to discuss the events and your reactions.

See you soon.

Honors 05-06-2014

Denotation and connotation!  Do you remember the difference? Let's look at a word like "school".  What is the denotation of school?  I know you can all figure that one out as a place of learning.  I also know you all have a lot to say about the connotation of school.  Boring?  Prison?  Fun?  An escape? The word has some baggage doesn't it?  Don't forget that some words have negative connotations and some words have positive connotations.  Which one does school have?  Could it be both?  Neutral?

We returned the The Pearl assessment today.  Be sure to see me if you have any questions on it. We also found a connection between an article in Sports Illustrated  and the novel.

Don't forget to be working on the This I Believe assignment.  We'll be calling that in for a draft examination in the near future.

Tomorrow after a bit of fun with denotation and connotation we'll look at those indifference quotes, examine some pictures and answer the question "Why did the Germans go along with Hitler?"

See you soon.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Standard 5-05-05

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Happy last day of ISTEP!

I hope you enjoy both of these celebrations.  (And I hope you did your very best on ISTEP).

Tomorrow we will be back at our study of the book Night.  With that in mind I've asked you to read and text code the next chapter (six pages: 22-28).  Be sure to highlight any information on the essential questions you come across, as well as any questions you have, words you don't understand, revelations that shock you, etc.  Write notes in the margins too.  Text coding is not complete if all you do is highlight the lines in the book.  

Be ready for some type of assessment tomorrow.  A quiz?  A writing?  A discussion?  Who knows?

In addition it's time to challenge you with some language arts vocabulary that you might not yet be familiar with.

See you soon.

Honors 5-05-2014

ISTEP is officially over!  Let's take a moment to remember it and all the ways it taxed and challenged us over the past several years.

Okay, moment's over.

Now we will return to our classroom focus.  And that means we will jump back to our analysis of the Holocaust and the surrounding events in an attempt to develop a fairly uniform knowledge base.  I wanted to spend a bit more time with some of those indifference quotations.  We'll take a look at some images and some propaganda and try to understand how the German people came to accept Hitler and all that he stood for.

Prior to that, I will return your assessments over The Pearl.  It's as good a time as any to share an Sports Illustrated article with you as well.  Then let's see what language arts terms I can challenge you with.  Time to expand your knowledge even further.

See you soon.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Standard 5-01-2014

Good discussion on dehumanization and how it gives the Nazis power over the Jews by making them feel inferior to the Nazis.  If I feel like a beaten dog, I will be easier to control and might even give up.  The Nazis have treated Elie and the Jews poorly so far but that is nothing compared to what is on the way.  No homework tonight because tomorrow we have...

ISTEP!

Round one of ISTEP is tomorrow.  Get a good sleep.  Eat a good breakfast. Bring a good lunch.  Oh, and take a good test.  Remember the goal: pass plus and showing growth.  You can do it.  Be sure to power pose!

See you soon.

Honors 5-01-2014

So what is indifference?

Is it a good thing?

Is it worse than anger?

Is it worse than hatred?

Is it tempting?

Is indifference necessary at times to maintain sanity?

Is an indifferent God a good God?

Is indifference a horrible sin?

Who was indifferent during the holocaust?

That last question is one we didn't really get to in the clases today.  Perhaps we will start with that one and a few of those quotes tomorrow after...

ISTEP!

Round one of ISTEP is tomorrow.  Get a good sleep.  Eat a good breakfast. Bring a good lunch.  Oh, and take a good test.  Remember the goal: pass plus and showing growth.  You can do it.  Be sure to power pose!

Don't forget about the This I Believe list you should be compiling and organizing and cutting down and adding to and honing and narrowing and writing and rewriting and perfecting.  Can't wait to see where you go.

See you soon.