Remember that the parallel structure assignment is due tomorrow. You need to have the proper heading along with a good example of parallel structure. The source should be clearly identified. You also need to clearly explain why the example you share is indeed parallel structure. Do not just say that it is items in a series. Instead, explain why its structure makes it a good example of parallel structure.
We continued our theme study by finalizing themes from "Gil's Furniture" and the "Friendship" poem: Items with sentimental value can be priceless. We discussed how the theme in the poem was constructed through comparison and the theme from the short story was demonstrated through actions and dialogue. We are picking up the idea again in "The Treasure of Lemon Brown". We'll look at characterizations, figurative language, setting and, of course, theme. I'll demonstrate what I expect initially but then I'll set you off into groups. It's a good story. I hope you like it.
See you soon.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Honors 01-30-2014
A little irony review followed by a lot of peer editing. Fills up the class time quickly. Hopefully the time with the peer was well spent and your paper will be stronger because of it. For additional help, I'm sharing a slide show I produced to help you edit yourself. Can you answer all these questions in a way that shows your paper is strong? If not, what do you need to change? Fix those little things. Make this your strongest paper yet.
As we discussed in class, our due date for TIPP has been pushed back. While you can turn in the paper anytime starting tomorrow, the written in stone deadline will be Tuesday, February 4. Any paper received after that date will be considered late. Don't give points away.
Tomorrow we will be asking some questions on the paper before shifting over to a more enhanced look at irony. Can you identify the three types? Can you define each one? Can you offer original examples of each one? I hope so. On top of that you better be ready to write! What can you say in 55 words? Have those creative juices flowing.
See you soon.
As we discussed in class, our due date for TIPP has been pushed back. While you can turn in the paper anytime starting tomorrow, the written in stone deadline will be Tuesday, February 4. Any paper received after that date will be considered late. Don't give points away.
Tomorrow we will be asking some questions on the paper before shifting over to a more enhanced look at irony. Can you identify the three types? Can you define each one? Can you offer original examples of each one? I hope so. On top of that you better be ready to write! What can you say in 55 words? Have those creative juices flowing.
See you soon.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Standard and Honors 01-26-2014
Another blast of arctic air, another snow day. I'm not complaining--are you?--but I don't want to be sitting in the classroom in July.
As far as class goes, we will pick up with our Friday plans. For the standard classes that means identifying a unifying theme for "Gil's Furnitiure" and the "Friendship" poem followed by an examination of the short story "The Treasure of Lemon Brown"by Walter Dean Myers. We will of course look at its theme but also be analyzing the characters, setting and the description. There are sure to be some similarities between the two short stories. Can you identify them?
For the honors classes that means looking at our complete, typed rough drafts of TIPP. With a couple extra days I'm sure you were able to scrub them up a little more. remember that the better they are when you have your peers read them, the better they will be by the time the final copy comes around. At this point, the final copy due date is looking to be Wednesday-Thursday. One thing I can tell you is that after our peer edit day, we will be putting the finishing touches on the paper on our own at home. In class we will start diving into some prime classic fiction tales. Time to get a fiction novel from the IMC too. We'll come up with something to do with that. Oh, that goes for all of you in the standard class as well. Be thinking of fiction novels you want to read.
Hopefully we'll all be able to brave the cold and snow and see each other tomorrow.
As far as class goes, we will pick up with our Friday plans. For the standard classes that means identifying a unifying theme for "Gil's Furnitiure" and the "Friendship" poem followed by an examination of the short story "The Treasure of Lemon Brown"by Walter Dean Myers. We will of course look at its theme but also be analyzing the characters, setting and the description. There are sure to be some similarities between the two short stories. Can you identify them?
For the honors classes that means looking at our complete, typed rough drafts of TIPP. With a couple extra days I'm sure you were able to scrub them up a little more. remember that the better they are when you have your peers read them, the better they will be by the time the final copy comes around. At this point, the final copy due date is looking to be Wednesday-Thursday. One thing I can tell you is that after our peer edit day, we will be putting the finishing touches on the paper on our own at home. In class we will start diving into some prime classic fiction tales. Time to get a fiction novel from the IMC too. We'll come up with something to do with that. Oh, that goes for all of you in the standard class as well. Be thinking of fiction novels you want to read.
Hopefully we'll all be able to brave the cold and snow and see each other tomorrow.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Honors 01-23-2014
Seemed like we didn't have a lot of time today. Well, I guess that's because we didn't. But anyway, time did fly. In the time we did have we looked at several TIPP examples today and here are the major takeaways:
-works cited needs to be in alphabetical order
-in works cited entries titles of articles, books, and websites all need to be either in quotation marks,
underlined or italicized; if you are not sure which one to use, ask someone who knows or look it up on
OWL
-if you are quoting something that is opinion based then you need to identify the source so the reader can
make a judgement on his or her credibility
-be sure that your body paragraphs offer convincing arguments on influence
-a variety of sources is best
-close each argumentative paragraph by returning to the claim (emphasizing the influence)
-use topic sentences and transitional topic sentences
Tomorrow is peer edit day. Be sure to bring a clean updated copy into class. We can either pair up and edit or I can run the class through a step-by-step examination of the paper. Your choice.
The better the paper you bring in tomorrow, the more helpful tomorrow will be. Work hard tonight so that tomorrow will be beneficial.
We had to drop irony from our discussion today due to the shortened schedule but I still want you thinking about it daily. You will be having an assignment over it soon and I think it would be a good idea to quiz you over it as well. We'll talk about it a bit more first but it's coming. Hi, Renee.
Quick:
offer a definition of irony
identify the three types
define each type and offer an original example of each
Can you do the above? Great! If not...
See you soon.
-works cited needs to be in alphabetical order
-in works cited entries titles of articles, books, and websites all need to be either in quotation marks,
underlined or italicized; if you are not sure which one to use, ask someone who knows or look it up on
OWL
-if you are quoting something that is opinion based then you need to identify the source so the reader can
make a judgement on his or her credibility
-be sure that your body paragraphs offer convincing arguments on influence
-a variety of sources is best
-close each argumentative paragraph by returning to the claim (emphasizing the influence)
-use topic sentences and transitional topic sentences
Tomorrow is peer edit day. Be sure to bring a clean updated copy into class. We can either pair up and edit or I can run the class through a step-by-step examination of the paper. Your choice.
The better the paper you bring in tomorrow, the more helpful tomorrow will be. Work hard tonight so that tomorrow will be beneficial.
We had to drop irony from our discussion today due to the shortened schedule but I still want you thinking about it daily. You will be having an assignment over it soon and I think it would be a good idea to quiz you over it as well. We'll talk about it a bit more first but it's coming. Hi, Renee.
Quick:
offer a definition of irony
identify the three types
define each type and offer an original example of each
Can you do the above? Great! If not...
See you soon.
Standard 01-23-2014
It was a quick day but it was a good day. We decided on a good theme for "Gil's Used Furniture Bought and Sold" and ten had a chance to read a friendship poem by Helen Steiner Rice. You quickly noticed that the theme of the poem was similar to that of the short story. They both dealt with things that are priceless. Ah...but then the challenge came. I needed to to write a one sentence theme that captures the main idea of both the short story and the poem. We went through some in period three but will revisit them tomorrow. I look forward to seeing what period four produced.
Regardless, this is the type of question we will be looking at this quarter. We need to be able to see connections between the materials we read and discuss. Two pieces often share a similar theme but they arrive at that theme in completely different ways. Gil's music box and a true friend are two very different things, but they are both priceless. We'll do more of that in the coming weeks.
We gave parallel structure the short shrift today due to our 2 hour delay, but we will hopefully revisit it tomorrow. Don't forget to complete the parallel structure assignment by Wednesday the 29th. Type up an example, the source, an explanation and a heading. Make it neat and grammatically correct. Ten points.
See you for a full class tomorrow...hopefully.
Regardless, this is the type of question we will be looking at this quarter. We need to be able to see connections between the materials we read and discuss. Two pieces often share a similar theme but they arrive at that theme in completely different ways. Gil's music box and a true friend are two very different things, but they are both priceless. We'll do more of that in the coming weeks.
We gave parallel structure the short shrift today due to our 2 hour delay, but we will hopefully revisit it tomorrow. Don't forget to complete the parallel structure assignment by Wednesday the 29th. Type up an example, the source, an explanation and a heading. Make it neat and grammatically correct. Ten points.
See you for a full class tomorrow...hopefully.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Honors 1-22-2014
Irony became a little confusing today. I thought it would be fun and educational to check out the Is It Ironic? website, but it became headache-inducing and confusing as we tried to explain why we felt an idea or situation was or was not ironic and then tried to mesh our interpretation with the vote on the website. Let's take a step back.
What is irony? It is when what is said is not what is actually meant. It is when what is expected to happen does not fit with what actually happens. So when Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker dies in a fiery car crash it is sad but it is not ironic. People die in car crashes daily. People driving at high speeds die in fiery crashes. Paul was in a car going at a high rate of speed. The car crashed. He died. It is sad. It is unfortunate. Yes, he was much too young to die. But it was not ironic. Yes he played a skilled driver in the movies, but that does not mean he was a skilled driver. Again, it's not ironic. Now let's say he was a professional race car driver, a man with proven technical driving skills, a man practiced in the art of weaving in and out of high speed, congested traffic, a man who puts his life on the line every time he gets on the track. Let's say this highly skilled driver was in his Honda mini-van driving to the grocery store when he got in a car accident and died. Would that be ironic? Yes. Here's a highly skilled driver who defies death on the race track only to die on a basic two lane road where all should be safe, driving at a quarter the speed he is used to traveling.
Should you be able to correctly identify what irony is 95% of the time? Yes. Will there be times or examples that confuzzle you? Sure. I'm not 100% positive all the time either. Make it your goal to have the best understanding possible of the term and be able to apply it to what you read and what you view, as well as situations you encounter on a daily basis. Hope this helps.
TIPP is taking shape. It should be in complete shape by Friday with a new, clean, complete rough copy in your hands as you enter the class. Now the shape will probably be malleable, but that is what the peer edit draft day Friday is all about: molding that paper into the best shape it can be in.
As we read a variety of paragraphs today, we were reminded of the need to do the following:
Have a refutation
Make a counter-argument not a counter-statement
Use quotes from a variety of sources to support my arguments
If Wikipedia is my primary source, I'm in trouble
Identify my sources to enhance their credibility
Have a claim that mentions the person's name, uses a form of the word influence and hints at the arguments coming up
We'll play with irony some more tomorrow and have some time to look at some TIPP paragraphs on the big screen.
See you soon.
What is irony? It is when what is said is not what is actually meant. It is when what is expected to happen does not fit with what actually happens. So when Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker dies in a fiery car crash it is sad but it is not ironic. People die in car crashes daily. People driving at high speeds die in fiery crashes. Paul was in a car going at a high rate of speed. The car crashed. He died. It is sad. It is unfortunate. Yes, he was much too young to die. But it was not ironic. Yes he played a skilled driver in the movies, but that does not mean he was a skilled driver. Again, it's not ironic. Now let's say he was a professional race car driver, a man with proven technical driving skills, a man practiced in the art of weaving in and out of high speed, congested traffic, a man who puts his life on the line every time he gets on the track. Let's say this highly skilled driver was in his Honda mini-van driving to the grocery store when he got in a car accident and died. Would that be ironic? Yes. Here's a highly skilled driver who defies death on the race track only to die on a basic two lane road where all should be safe, driving at a quarter the speed he is used to traveling.
Should you be able to correctly identify what irony is 95% of the time? Yes. Will there be times or examples that confuzzle you? Sure. I'm not 100% positive all the time either. Make it your goal to have the best understanding possible of the term and be able to apply it to what you read and what you view, as well as situations you encounter on a daily basis. Hope this helps.
TIPP is taking shape. It should be in complete shape by Friday with a new, clean, complete rough copy in your hands as you enter the class. Now the shape will probably be malleable, but that is what the peer edit draft day Friday is all about: molding that paper into the best shape it can be in.
As we read a variety of paragraphs today, we were reminded of the need to do the following:
Have a refutation
Make a counter-argument not a counter-statement
Use quotes from a variety of sources to support my arguments
If Wikipedia is my primary source, I'm in trouble
Identify my sources to enhance their credibility
Have a claim that mentions the person's name, uses a form of the word influence and hints at the arguments coming up
We'll play with irony some more tomorrow and have some time to look at some TIPP paragraphs on the big screen.
See you soon.
Standard 01-22-2014
Full day today. You took a quiz over parallel structure and did pretty well overall. You had to think fast and you demonstrated a decent understanding of the concept.
Next on the agenda is finding an example of parallel structure in your everyday world. As we discussed in class today I want you to locate an example of parallel structure in a book you are reading, the newspaper, a magazine, etc. Type it up, identify the source and then explain why it is parallel structure in a couple of sentences. Type it all up and turn it in to me anytime before next Wednesday, January 29. Ten points riding on this one.
We talked a bit more about "Gil's Used Furniture" (Cisneros 450) focusing on characters, summary and theme. We have discussed the story thoroughly and now for tonight's homework I need you to send me an email. My address is <pomalley@phm.k12.in.us>. In the email you should identify the theme of the story and offer an explanation--supported by the text--that explains why it is the theme. Send it to me by midnight tonight. Five points for completing this successfully.
We'll be looking at a poem tomorrow that shares a theme with "Gil's..." We will talk about Lemon Brown's treasure and see if it has a theme too. We'll also look at anaphora and parallel structure a bit more closely.
See you soon.
Next on the agenda is finding an example of parallel structure in your everyday world. As we discussed in class today I want you to locate an example of parallel structure in a book you are reading, the newspaper, a magazine, etc. Type it up, identify the source and then explain why it is parallel structure in a couple of sentences. Type it all up and turn it in to me anytime before next Wednesday, January 29. Ten points riding on this one.
We talked a bit more about "Gil's Used Furniture" (Cisneros 450) focusing on characters, summary and theme. We have discussed the story thoroughly and now for tonight's homework I need you to send me an email. My address is <pomalley@phm.k12.in.us>. In the email you should identify the theme of the story and offer an explanation--supported by the text--that explains why it is the theme. Send it to me by midnight tonight. Five points for completing this successfully.
We'll be looking at a poem tomorrow that shares a theme with "Gil's..." We will talk about Lemon Brown's treasure and see if it has a theme too. We'll also look at anaphora and parallel structure a bit more closely.
See you soon.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Honors and Standard 1-21-2014
Unexpected events at Purdue dramatically altered my evening plans so this will be quick.
Honors students should be working on TIPP. Strengthen what you brought in today and keep sharpening it for the rough draft due date on Friday. Bring in what you have completed tomorrow for some circle and share and discussion time. Final copy will be due the beginning of next week.
Also remember to be listening for an example of verbal irony. Type it up, write it down or just remember it but have an example of an original one in class tomorrow.
Can you:
define irony?
identify the three types of irony?
offer definitions and examples of the three types of irony?
Standard students should be completing their summaries from the short story we read in class today called "Gil's Furniture Bought and Sold" on page 450. We will be sharing those tomorrow and identifying the theme of the story.
Which reminds me...can you define theme? Look over your definition.
You also should be able to identify parallel structure in a sentence. Remind yourself of the definition and then be on the lookout for new examples.
See you all soon.
Honors students should be working on TIPP. Strengthen what you brought in today and keep sharpening it for the rough draft due date on Friday. Bring in what you have completed tomorrow for some circle and share and discussion time. Final copy will be due the beginning of next week.
Also remember to be listening for an example of verbal irony. Type it up, write it down or just remember it but have an example of an original one in class tomorrow.
Can you:
define irony?
identify the three types of irony?
offer definitions and examples of the three types of irony?
Standard students should be completing their summaries from the short story we read in class today called "Gil's Furniture Bought and Sold" on page 450. We will be sharing those tomorrow and identifying the theme of the story.
Which reminds me...can you define theme? Look over your definition.
You also should be able to identify parallel structure in a sentence. Remind yourself of the definition and then be on the lookout for new examples.
See you all soon.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Honors 01-16-2014
The time today was spent with a little bit of information on counter-arguments (courtesy of the Harvard Writing Center). I summarized the ideas below.
1)
A good counter argument allows you to:
-test
your argument
-offer
a persuasive tactic
-disarm
your opponents
-anticipate
doubts
-pre-empt
objections
2)
A good counter-argument also:
-presents
you as a person who weighs alternatives before arguing
-presents
you as someone who confronts problems instead of sweeping them under
the rug
-presents
you as someone more interested in the truth than the victory
3)
Present
your counter-argument by:
-transitioning
to the opposite opinion
-arguing
against yourself as well as you argue for your claim
4)
By the way, a weak counter-argument is ineffective
5)
Now refute the counter-argument by either:
-showing
how it is mistaken
-acknowledging
its validity but then explaining why it is less important
-conceding
that it is a darn good point but then reaffirming your dedication to
your original claim
Tomorrow we will look at a sample counter-argument paragraph. There will be several things I want to point out so that you can be sure to include them in your paper to make it as effective as possible. Be sure to bring your devices again since all the labs have been previously reserved.
The dog draft will be coming in Tuesday with a final copy due date tentatively looming on the 27th.
See you soon.
Standard 01-16-2014
Here's the prompt for tomorrow's in-class timed writing.
In the packet you received, you read how Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream that one day all men would be able to walk the streets of America as equals. You also read two poems and four quotations that all shared thoughts on hopes and dreams in a more general way. And don't forget the picture. Remember the message it revealed about hopes and dreams.
That brings us to your task. I want you to select one of the four quotations found on page seven of your packet and use that as a claim for your essay. You will then use the MLK speech, the two Hughes poems and the image to clarify, support and argue for the validity of the quotation.
A well written essay will include the following:
-a lead
-an introduction
-the claim (quotation)
-well-developed and supported arguments
-quotes from the sources
-information from the MLK speech, the two poems, and a reference to the picture
-transitions
-a conclusion
-proper conventions that meet the high end of the 8th grade standard
If I was you tonight, I would identify which quotation I was going to use and find information from the speech and the poems that would support it. You can not bring any actual writing into class tomorrow; however, the packet and notes are allowable.
See me early tomorrow morning should you have any questions.
See you soon.
In the packet you received, you read how Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream that one day all men would be able to walk the streets of America as equals. You also read two poems and four quotations that all shared thoughts on hopes and dreams in a more general way. And don't forget the picture. Remember the message it revealed about hopes and dreams.
That brings us to your task. I want you to select one of the four quotations found on page seven of your packet and use that as a claim for your essay. You will then use the MLK speech, the two Hughes poems and the image to clarify, support and argue for the validity of the quotation.
A well written essay will include the following:
-a lead
-an introduction
-the claim (quotation)
-well-developed and supported arguments
-quotes from the sources
-information from the MLK speech, the two poems, and a reference to the picture
-transitions
-a conclusion
-proper conventions that meet the high end of the 8th grade standard
If I was you tonight, I would identify which quotation I was going to use and find information from the speech and the poems that would support it. You can not bring any actual writing into class tomorrow; however, the packet and notes are allowable.
See me early tomorrow morning should you have any questions.
See you soon.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Honors 01-15-2014
Everybody know what time it is?
TIPP time!
That's right. The Influential Person Paper now takes center stage in our classroom focus. We've touched on outlines, citations, works cited, and even dabbled with counter-arguments, but now we will be hitting it full-throttle.
With that in mind--and all the computer labs and mobile labs reserved--I'm requesting you bring your device (should you have one available) for some research time tomorrow. Spread the word. Tell your friends. I want you to research, ask questions and uncover difficulties which might creep up.
As of right now I'm looking at a dog draft coming in Monday. Check that. No school Monday. Thanks for the reminder, Period Two. Tuesday. The dog draft will come in Tuesday. As I've been saying, that means we have to be hitting that research hard.
I've got a few thoughts on counter-arguments I want to share with you. I also want to stress the importance of identifying the sources you share in your paper. The reader needs to know that the individuals are valid, reliable sources; thus, it is important to identify their credentials.
Like you, I have some work to do, so I will see you soon.
TIPP time!
That's right. The Influential Person Paper now takes center stage in our classroom focus. We've touched on outlines, citations, works cited, and even dabbled with counter-arguments, but now we will be hitting it full-throttle.
With that in mind--and all the computer labs and mobile labs reserved--I'm requesting you bring your device (should you have one available) for some research time tomorrow. Spread the word. Tell your friends. I want you to research, ask questions and uncover difficulties which might creep up.
As of right now I'm looking at a dog draft coming in Monday. Check that. No school Monday. Thanks for the reminder, Period Two. Tuesday. The dog draft will come in Tuesday. As I've been saying, that means we have to be hitting that research hard.
I've got a few thoughts on counter-arguments I want to share with you. I also want to stress the importance of identifying the sources you share in your paper. The reader needs to know that the individuals are valid, reliable sources; thus, it is important to identify their credentials.
Like you, I have some work to do, so I will see you soon.
Standard 01-15-2014
I hope you all enjoyed your introduction to parallel structure--or parallelism--today. I'm confident you have an understanding as of now, but I realize a full grasp of parallel structure is still in the future. We'll work with it a bit more tomorrow and see if we can't strengthen that comprehension. For now remember that parallel structure--or parallelism--consists of two or more words, phrase or clauses that are similar in length and grammatical form. Here are a few examples:
He laughed. He coughed. He choked. He died.
"Humanity has advanced not because it has been sober, responsible and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious and immature." -Tom Robbins
"Those who write clearly have readers; those who write obscurely have commentators" -Albert Camus
I love to dance in the field, run on the playground and sing in the shower.
You also have the packet in your hands. It deals with our current focus on the overarching ideas of Hopes and Dreams. As you read over it tonight, as you analyze it tonight, as you comprehend it tonight (notice the parallel structure?), be sure to be thinking about them. Your task for class tomorrow is to read and annotate the pieces in the packet and then respond to the following questions. (Be sure to write your responses directly on the packet. There should be plenty of room.)
5)
Select one of the quotes and then draw a picture that captures the
message the quote is sharing.
For question Number 6, you will need to click on this link to see a picture. Study the picture and then write a paragraph explaining how the picture relates to the overarching ideas of Hopes and Dreams.
Be sure the work is complete before you enter the class tomorrow. As we discussed in class, your ability to comprehend this material will go a long way to your writing a successful paper on Friday.
See you soon.
He laughed. He coughed. He choked. He died.
"Humanity has advanced not because it has been sober, responsible and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious and immature." -Tom Robbins
"Those who write clearly have readers; those who write obscurely have commentators" -Albert Camus
I love to dance in the field, run on the playground and sing in the shower.
You also have the packet in your hands. It deals with our current focus on the overarching ideas of Hopes and Dreams. As you read over it tonight, as you analyze it tonight, as you comprehend it tonight (notice the parallel structure?), be sure to be thinking about them. Your task for class tomorrow is to read and annotate the pieces in the packet and then respond to the following questions. (Be sure to write your responses directly on the packet. There should be plenty of room.)
1)
How does Martin Luther King, Jr. use repetition to strengthen his
speech? Offer examples.
2)
Explain the line of the speech on page four, paragraph 9, “With
this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a
stone of hope.”
3)
Offer different ways King says and/or refers to “hope” in the
speech.
4)
Using evidence from both poems, support and explain what Langston
Hughes is saying about dreams.
For question Number 6, you will need to click on this link to see a picture. Study the picture and then write a paragraph explaining how the picture relates to the overarching ideas of Hopes and Dreams.
Be sure the work is complete before you enter the class tomorrow. As we discussed in class, your ability to comprehend this material will go a long way to your writing a successful paper on Friday.
See you soon.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Honors 01-14-2014
With presentations set to be completed tomorrow, we will be turning our full attention to TIPP. But one thing I want to discuss before moving forward completely is your thoughts on our experience over the last month and a half. The presentations were individually driven and took a chunk of time, but what were your thoughts on the process as a whole? Is it something I should try again next year? Is it something that could do with a couple tweaks? a major overhaul? no changes at all? I'll want some of your feedback tomorrow, so please be thinking about it. I already received some good feedback from period two today and am looking forward to hearing what periods one and six are thinking.
You should be researching TIPP last night, tonight, tomorrow night regardless of the period you are in. Stake out a half an hour or so and find out a couple reasons why your person is so influential. Nail some quotes. Locate some great sources. Don't procrastinate. You aren't getting six weeks on this baby.
We discussed a general outline of the paper today in period two and it looked something like this.
I. Introduction
A. Grabber lead
B. Transition from lead to claim
C. Claim
II. Influential Supporting Argument #1
A. Topic sentence
B. Argument complete with evidence and support in the form of cited quotes
C. Close the paragraph
III. Influential Supporting Argument #2
A. Transitional topic sentence
B. Argument complete with evidence and support in the form of cited quotes
C. Close the paragraph
You repeat the above as often as necessary--each student must decide
IV. Counter-Argument
A. Transitional topic sentence
B. Counter-argument with evidence and support in the form of cited quotes
C. Close the paragraph
--OR--
You should be researching TIPP last night, tonight, tomorrow night regardless of the period you are in. Stake out a half an hour or so and find out a couple reasons why your person is so influential. Nail some quotes. Locate some great sources. Don't procrastinate. You aren't getting six weeks on this baby.
We discussed a general outline of the paper today in period two and it looked something like this.
I. Introduction
A. Grabber lead
B. Transition from lead to claim
C. Claim
II. Influential Supporting Argument #1
A. Topic sentence
B. Argument complete with evidence and support in the form of cited quotes
C. Close the paragraph
III. Influential Supporting Argument #2
A. Transitional topic sentence
B. Argument complete with evidence and support in the form of cited quotes
C. Close the paragraph
You repeat the above as often as necessary--each student must decide
IV. Counter-Argument
A. Transitional topic sentence
B. Counter-argument with evidence and support in the form of cited quotes
C. Close the paragraph
--OR--
IV. Counter-Argument
A. Transitional topic sentence
B. Counter-argument with evidence and support in the form of cited quotes
C. Refutation of counter-argument
D. Refute with evidence and support in the form of cited quotes
V. Conclusion
A. Restating the claim
B. Summing up the main arguments
C. Closing with a BANG!
As we discussed in class, the location of the counter-argument and its refutation is up to the individual author. While you don't want to drop it in the middle of your supporting arguments, it could just as easily be placed in the first body paragraph as it could the last.
Tomorrow we'll do a quick review of citations both internal and for the Works Cited page that you will need. I know you have done oodles of internal citations this year and written a few Works Cited pages as well, but a couple students asked for help and there's nothing wrong with a refresher.
RESEARCH!
See you soon.
Standard 01-14-2014
Whew! We are finished with all our presentations now. It feels good to me to be moving on to something else. I'm sure you feel the same way. The presentations were good. We read a lot of good nonfiction and heard about things we probably would have never been exposed to. We should also have a solid understanding now about the strengths and weaknesses of a nonfiction text and a film. In addition we have all gained a bit of confidence so that the next time we need to stand in front of an audience and make a presentation will be even stronger. Overall, great work.
Tool Time came back! Yippee! We took a look at differentiating between facts and opinions. You all seemed to handle that pretty well. Remember to look for key words (better, best, worst, greatest, always, never, etc.) to help you distinguish between facts and opinions.
We started moving on today, and as you saw, our attention will stay with nonfiction for a few more days with a focus on hopes and dreams. With those in mind I created a packet that period three received today. Due to one final presentation today, period four will get it tomorrow. The packet consists of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, a couple of Langston Hughes poems, and four quotes: two by MLK, and one each by Emily Dickinson and Aristotle.
Tonight period three should be sure to have read and annotated the King speech. As you are reading the speech, be on the lookout for ideas that deal with our overarching idea of hopes and dreams. Be sure to write down questions you have about it and mark up sections you are intrigued by or want to discuss. We will have time tomorrow in class to read, analyze, annotate, discuss, and comprehend the poems and quotes. Period four will have to play catch-up tomorrow.
I also have one more surprise I'll introduce to you all tomorrow. The surprise also fits into our hopes and dreams focus.
Our initial goal will be to have a good understanding of the material. After that, you will be challenged to do a synthesis writing. This means you will be using elements from a variety of sources to make one point. In this case, that one point will have something to do with hopes and dreams.
Can't wait to get into this. The end of the grading period is Friday so we will be moving quickly on this one.
See you soon.
Tool Time came back! Yippee! We took a look at differentiating between facts and opinions. You all seemed to handle that pretty well. Remember to look for key words (better, best, worst, greatest, always, never, etc.) to help you distinguish between facts and opinions.
We started moving on today, and as you saw, our attention will stay with nonfiction for a few more days with a focus on hopes and dreams. With those in mind I created a packet that period three received today. Due to one final presentation today, period four will get it tomorrow. The packet consists of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, a couple of Langston Hughes poems, and four quotes: two by MLK, and one each by Emily Dickinson and Aristotle.
Tonight period three should be sure to have read and annotated the King speech. As you are reading the speech, be on the lookout for ideas that deal with our overarching idea of hopes and dreams. Be sure to write down questions you have about it and mark up sections you are intrigued by or want to discuss. We will have time tomorrow in class to read, analyze, annotate, discuss, and comprehend the poems and quotes. Period four will have to play catch-up tomorrow.
I also have one more surprise I'll introduce to you all tomorrow. The surprise also fits into our hopes and dreams focus.
Our initial goal will be to have a good understanding of the material. After that, you will be challenged to do a synthesis writing. This means you will be using elements from a variety of sources to make one point. In this case, that one point will have something to do with hopes and dreams.
Can't wait to get into this. The end of the grading period is Friday so we will be moving quickly on this one.
See you soon.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
01-12-2014
TIPP has taken flight! I have heard from many of you already with your selections. Some fine choices--ones I never would have thought to consider. I like what most of you are coming up with. When you send me your selections and brief explanations, however, be sure that you have given your selection some thought. A couple of you apparently emailed me half asleep, spelling names incorrectly and offering weak and confusing explanations of influence. Needless to say, those cursory attempts were not accepted. You also want to be sure you don't pick someone just because you have a fondness for him or her. Make sure he/she has demonstrated influence.
Something I want to be sure to drive home about this paper is the need for you to focus on the individual's influence and not merely on his/her accomplishments. Without the accomplishments the influence would most likely vanish, but accomplishments alone do not equate to influence. Your task on this paper is to find hard, researched evidence to show that your selected individual deserves a seat at the Table of Influence, NOT a seat at the Table of Doing Really Cool Things.
I also will keep reminding you all of the need to have a counter-argument in your paper. After offering reasons and evidence to support your selection, you will share a counter-argument and then explain why that counter-argument is not a valid reason for keeping your individual off the Table of Influence. As you start researching, be on the lookout for any weaknesses in your selection or contradictory opinions which could be used as counter-arguments. Here is a link to more information on counter-arguments. It is for a college course but it is written in a very accessible, easy to understand way. If you have any questions on counter-arguments, give this link a look and then see me with any follow-up questions.
Period two students are just about finished with their presentations and will be spending a day or two doing some in house research for TIPP as well as researching on their own. Periods one and six should complete the presentations early this week, but should be spending some time outside of class getting the research rolling.
I have more selections to review. See you soon.
Something I want to be sure to drive home about this paper is the need for you to focus on the individual's influence and not merely on his/her accomplishments. Without the accomplishments the influence would most likely vanish, but accomplishments alone do not equate to influence. Your task on this paper is to find hard, researched evidence to show that your selected individual deserves a seat at the Table of Influence, NOT a seat at the Table of Doing Really Cool Things.
I also will keep reminding you all of the need to have a counter-argument in your paper. After offering reasons and evidence to support your selection, you will share a counter-argument and then explain why that counter-argument is not a valid reason for keeping your individual off the Table of Influence. As you start researching, be on the lookout for any weaknesses in your selection or contradictory opinions which could be used as counter-arguments. Here is a link to more information on counter-arguments. It is for a college course but it is written in a very accessible, easy to understand way. If you have any questions on counter-arguments, give this link a look and then see me with any follow-up questions.
Period two students are just about finished with their presentations and will be spending a day or two doing some in house research for TIPP as well as researching on their own. Periods one and six should complete the presentations early this week, but should be spending some time outside of class getting the research rolling.
I have more selections to review. See you soon.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Standard 01-09-2014
We are back! Finally. It was great to see all of you again today. I trust you all enjoyed your holiday, your vacation, your new year, your extended vacation and your extended extended vacation. I didn't think we'd ever get back. But now that we are...
...We have a few more days of presentations. Saw some today but I want to emphasize that by now we should be knocking these out of the park. We should be organized, prepared, fired up and enthused to deliver the best presentations possible. Make that power pose (check out the link I shared with you on the January 6th blog) and then blow us away with your enthusiasm. We should be able to wrap up the presentations by early next week.
Then we'll have time for another article or two and a little more writing before quarter two officially comes to a close.
Any Duck Dynasty fans out there?
See you soon.
...We have a few more days of presentations. Saw some today but I want to emphasize that by now we should be knocking these out of the park. We should be organized, prepared, fired up and enthused to deliver the best presentations possible. Make that power pose (check out the link I shared with you on the January 6th blog) and then blow us away with your enthusiasm. We should be able to wrap up the presentations by early next week.
Then we'll have time for another article or two and a little more writing before quarter two officially comes to a close.
Any Duck Dynasty fans out there?
See you soon.
Honors 01-09-2014
It's good to finally be back. I don't want to get all emotional, but I missed you all. Opening up the new year with three solid presentations made me pretty emotional as well. Life is good! We will keep chipping away at those presentations (period two is on their final three), but at the same time...
...I want you putting some deep thought into your I.P. selection. Choose someone you are really interested in. I've heard several strong ideas already and I could rattle off scores of others, but I'll let Joel Stein, a writer for Time magazine, help you out a bit. Check out this article on influential people. Sure most, if not all, are dead--and you do not have to choose a dead person--but if you are struggling to find someone, this could be a good place to start. I would still love for you to research someone you come up with on your own. Focus on your field or fields of interest and prove that your individual deserves a seat at the table.
More to come on this, so check back here tomorrow.
See you soon.
...I want you putting some deep thought into your I.P. selection. Choose someone you are really interested in. I've heard several strong ideas already and I could rattle off scores of others, but I'll let Joel Stein, a writer for Time magazine, help you out a bit. Check out this article on influential people. Sure most, if not all, are dead--and you do not have to choose a dead person--but if you are struggling to find someone, this could be a good place to start. I would still love for you to research someone you come up with on your own. Focus on your field or fields of interest and prove that your individual deserves a seat at the table.
More to come on this, so check back here tomorrow.
See you soon.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Honors 1-06-2014
Well, I didn't expect to be at home right now typing up a blog entry but Mother Nature has clearly won this battle. I am more than willing to stay inside, drink some hot cocoa and read my book instead of fighting those bone chilling temperatures.
I trust you will also be spending time reading a book or playing a video game or binge-watching something on Netflix or preparing for your presentation! Ah...for those of you who were scheduled after break, your additional time is just about up. If you were scheduled to go Tuesday, then, as long as we have school, you will still be presenting on Tuesday. Wednesday people will go Wednesday, etc. That means you have about 24 hours to perfect this masterful presentation you are about to give. With all the examples you have seen and all the extra time that you have had, it is fair for your peers and I to be expecting truly practiced, polished and exemplary presentations. I can not wait!
Something else I can't wait for are your ideas on people who have shown influence in our world. As you recall, before break I gave you an assignment to think about someone who you believe has had an influence (positive or negative) on the world or at least their part of the world. We are setting a table of influence at which Jesus, Aristotle and Buddha are already seated. Who will be joining them? Who has earned a spot at the table? As I mentioned, you will be researching your individual and writing a paper in which you argue for a seat for him/her. In addition to including information on why he/she is worthy of a place at the table you will include a counter-argument which you will then refute. Jesus, Aristotle and Buddha. Heady company! Who else is worthy of joining them?
For now, I hope you have enjoyed your break and trust you will enjoy today's unexpected addition. Rest up. School will begin this week...sooner or later.
In the meantime, I offer you this video to watch. It's a 20 minute TedTalk by college professor Amy Cuddy on body language. It says a lot about what it takes to be successful in life. What are your nonverbals? If you can, watch it with Mom or Dad and talk about how it relates to you.
See you soon.
Standard 1-06-2014
Well, I didn't expect to be at home right now typing up a blog entry but Mother Nature has clearly won this battle. I am more than willing to stay inside, drink some hot cocoa and read my book instead of fighting those bone chilling temperatures.
I trust you will also be spending time reading a book or playing a video game or binge-watching something on Netflix or preparing for your presentation! Ah...for those of you who were scheduled after break, your additional time is just about up. If you were scheduled to go Tuesday, then, as long as we have school, you will still be presenting on Tuesday. Wednesday people will go Wednesday, etc. That means you have about 24 hours to perfect this masterful presentation you are about to give. With all the examples you have seen and all the extra time that you have had, it is fair for your peers and I to be expecting truly practiced, polished and exemplary presentations. I can not wait!
For the rest of you, I hope you have enjoyed your break and trust you will enjoy today's unexpected addition. Rest up. School will begin this week...sooner or later.
In the meantime, I offer you this video to watch. It's a 20 minute TedTalk by college professor Amy Cuddy on body language. It says a lot about what it takes to be successful in life. What are your nonverbals? If you can, watch it with Mom or Dad and talk about how it relates to you.
See you soon.
I trust you will also be spending time reading a book or playing a video game or binge-watching something on Netflix or preparing for your presentation! Ah...for those of you who were scheduled after break, your additional time is just about up. If you were scheduled to go Tuesday, then, as long as we have school, you will still be presenting on Tuesday. Wednesday people will go Wednesday, etc. That means you have about 24 hours to perfect this masterful presentation you are about to give. With all the examples you have seen and all the extra time that you have had, it is fair for your peers and I to be expecting truly practiced, polished and exemplary presentations. I can not wait!
For the rest of you, I hope you have enjoyed your break and trust you will enjoy today's unexpected addition. Rest up. School will begin this week...sooner or later.
In the meantime, I offer you this video to watch. It's a 20 minute TedTalk by college professor Amy Cuddy on body language. It says a lot about what it takes to be successful in life. What are your nonverbals? If you can, watch it with Mom or Dad and talk about how it relates to you.
See you soon.
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