One week of presentations down and one week to go. Okay, one week and an extra day or two after break. I rewrote the schedule on the board, so be sure to check when your new scheduled presentation day is. Remember, you need to be ready to present one day ahead of your scheduled presentation day just in case someone else is ill or unprepared to present for any reason.
I'd say the presentations are going pretty well so far. I like the wide range of topics that were selected. we've heard discussions over everything from dirt to the Korean War to Jerome Bettis. Here are a couple reminders to make sure your presentation is as strong as it needs to be:
Open with a hook
Support your claims with evidence from the text or the film
Be passionate
Use the checklist to be sure you complete everything you are supposed to complete
End with a BANG!
The article analysis today was over a couple detailed but fairly straightforward articles. Lots of sources in each to be sure. Hopefully you clearly identified the purpose and tied your evidence into sources. Did you explain your bias answer? I hope so. We are going to have to take it easy on the author response. Seems there are a lot of Patricia Smith's out there. I'll go easy on that one. Period one finished during class--nice work. Period two lost fifteen minutes due to a meeting and a video. Period three had the same struggle. Periods four and six should have finished. That was the expectation. I'll start looking at them tonight.
That's all for now. See you soon.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
Honors and Standard 12-09-2013
Fine work today on the presentations. Each one had examples to learn from and try to emulate. Videos worked well too. Couple key ideas to glean from our first day:
**Don't use note cards unless absolutely necessary, but if you must have them, do not read from them!
**Use quotes from the text; hard to be successful without the quotes.
**Be sure you differentiate between the central idea and the summary. Too many times we blended those together. The central idea/purpose/theme should be explaining the deeper message the author/director is trying to get across.
**Be sure you are emphasizing your points whether you are discussing advantages or introducing a clip or quote; be clear and precise.
Be sure to type those reflections tonight if your presented today. I'll be collecting them tomorrow. When reflecting think back on the entire process from your selection process to your reading schedule to your preparation through to your actual presentation. Write about the good and the bad, the challenges and the successes. Put some effort into it and you can earn ten points.
Reminder that I will be meeting with the Quigley people tomorrow during lunch for a chance to earn back some points on the group analysis. Bring paper and pencil and the article.
See you soon.
**Don't use note cards unless absolutely necessary, but if you must have them, do not read from them!
**Use quotes from the text; hard to be successful without the quotes.
**Be sure you differentiate between the central idea and the summary. Too many times we blended those together. The central idea/purpose/theme should be explaining the deeper message the author/director is trying to get across.
**Be sure you are emphasizing your points whether you are discussing advantages or introducing a clip or quote; be clear and precise.
Be sure to type those reflections tonight if your presented today. I'll be collecting them tomorrow. When reflecting think back on the entire process from your selection process to your reading schedule to your preparation through to your actual presentation. Write about the good and the bad, the challenges and the successes. Put some effort into it and you can earn ten points.
Reminder that I will be meeting with the Quigley people tomorrow during lunch for a chance to earn back some points on the group analysis. Bring paper and pencil and the article.
See you soon.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Honors and Standard 12-04-2013
Today was effectively used working on our presentations. I was impressed with some of what I saw. You people are pretty creative with the technology components. Be sure the information matches that level of success.
One more thing I want to make sure you remember is the focus of the presentation. terry Fox was not the focus of my presentation. He was the material I used to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the two mediums: film and text. I then also was able to demonstrate my understanding of main idea and bias through the material on Terry. Again, he was not the focus; he was the material that allowed me to discuss main idea and bias. Be sure you don't make your material the focus of your discussion. Keep your focus on the two mediums, the main ideas, and the bias.
Tomorrow you will be in groups of four. You will be analyzing a nonfiction article and asking yourself four important questions:
Who is the author?
What is the purpose?
What is the evidence?
What/Who are the sources?
In addition you will be discussing the bias of the article. Is it? Isn't it? Back it up either way.
Our last group article analysis before Thanksgiving did not go over well. This one will be assessed regardless of the outcome, so you need to make sure you read and analyze the article well and discuss the results with your peers. One sheet will be submitted per group, four names, one grade. I have several articles to choose from. I'm not sure which one I will choose yet. We'll all find out tomorrow.
See you soon.
One more thing I want to make sure you remember is the focus of the presentation. terry Fox was not the focus of my presentation. He was the material I used to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the two mediums: film and text. I then also was able to demonstrate my understanding of main idea and bias through the material on Terry. Again, he was not the focus; he was the material that allowed me to discuss main idea and bias. Be sure you don't make your material the focus of your discussion. Keep your focus on the two mediums, the main ideas, and the bias.
Tomorrow you will be in groups of four. You will be analyzing a nonfiction article and asking yourself four important questions:
Who is the author?
What is the purpose?
What is the evidence?
What/Who are the sources?
In addition you will be discussing the bias of the article. Is it? Isn't it? Back it up either way.
Our last group article analysis before Thanksgiving did not go over well. This one will be assessed regardless of the outcome, so you need to make sure you read and analyze the article well and discuss the results with your peers. One sheet will be submitted per group, four names, one grade. I have several articles to choose from. I'm not sure which one I will choose yet. We'll all find out tomorrow.
See you soon.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Honors and Standard 12-03-2013
In Lab B tomorrow for work on the presentations. They begin on Monday. Period four already has three volunteers for Monday. Way to go! Period six has a couple volunteers as well. Good to see. Use your time wisely over the next few days and you will be ready to present. We will draft a schedule tomorrow. You will know the day you are meant to present. Our goal remains to have these completed prior to break. Read. Watch. Prepare.
See you soon.
See you soon.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Honors and Standard 12-02-2013
Acuity tomorrow. It's the predictive one so we need to complete the test in our one class period. We've been going over the material that we were weak on before: identifying best sentences( precise/concise/vivid) and familiarizing ourselves with the elements of nonfiction. Keep those in mind and do the best you can. This one will predict your spring ISTEP score.
We are in Lab B on Wednesday and Friday to work on those presentations. Don't wait to get started though. Start working tonight. We'll be drafting for next Monday's presenters on Wednesday. Be prepared.
Here are the directions to use Tube Chop. They may come in handy.
Enter www.tubechop.com in your search bar.
Search for Animal Farm.
Click on the 1954 cartoon version.
Enter the start time and the end time for your clip.
Where it says " (optional) write something about your selection" identify your clip.
Click on "chop it"
Copy the address in the Link box.
Now go to your Google document, highlight the word or phrase you plan on making the link.
Click on the chain symbol in the top tool bar.
Paste the address from the Link box into the space provided.
You should be good to go.
Bring your headphones and any questions to class tomorrow.
See you soon.
See you soon.
We are in Lab B on Wednesday and Friday to work on those presentations. Don't wait to get started though. Start working tonight. We'll be drafting for next Monday's presenters on Wednesday. Be prepared.
Here are the directions to use Tube Chop. They may come in handy.
Enter www.tubechop.com in your search bar.
Search for Animal Farm.
Click on the 1954 cartoon version.
Enter the start time and the end time for your clip.
Where it says " (optional) write something about your selection" identify your clip.
Click on "chop it"
Copy the address in the Link box.
Now go to your Google document, highlight the word or phrase you plan on making the link.
Click on the chain symbol in the top tool bar.
Paste the address from the Link box into the space provided.
You should be good to go.
Bring your headphones and any questions to class tomorrow.
See you soon.
See you soon.
Honors and Standard 12-02-2013: Presentation Example
Below is a link to the updated but not completed presentation on Terry Fox. I repeat, this is not polished but it should give you a good idea what you need to do to be successful as far as the media portion of the presentation goes. The information and enthusiasm are up to you.
https://docs.google.com/a/phm.k12.in.us/presentation/d/1DMs-fi5tyPLSikBJ949sKmIOZF6RZfexTu_wDWFCtr0/edit#slide=id.g17d70155e_034
https://docs.google.com/a/phm.k12.in.us/presentation/d/1DMs-fi5tyPLSikBJ949sKmIOZF6RZfexTu_wDWFCtr0/edit#slide=id.g17d70155e_034
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Standard and Honors 12-01-2013
The blog is back. I was overwhelmed with assessments the last two weeks but that is now under control. Let's get to it.
One thing I decided to do over the break was shave. AH! It feels good to get that scruffy, shag off my face. But it was well worth it. After period one asked, I promised not to shave throughout November if they won the food drive. Congratulations to period one! You amazed me with your generosity.
I trust you all had a great holiday break. Lots of turkey. Lots of shopping. Lots of rest. Did you shop on Thanksgiving day? Or did you wait until Black Friday? We had a good nonfiction reading and video on that topic in the standard class. I wonder what you all decided to do.
We'll keep looking at some nonfiction articles and speeches this week, but we are filling our time with other things as well.
First of all, we all have ACUITY testing on Tuesday. This will be the second quarter predictive test we'll all be taking. Our weak areas across the board had been recognizing nonfiction material, identifying the most precise and vivid sentences, and writing for clarity. We have used Tool Time and class time to focus on these areas. Hopefully, we will be able to see some progress on this test.
On Wednesday and Friday I have the computer lab (Lab B) reserved to help us prepare for the presentations that will start in a little over seven days. I trust we have watched our films a couple times and have completed a majority--if not all--of our books. We have taken copious notes and have narrowed our discussions down to some strong examples. As a reminder, here are the priorities you need to be focusing on:
One thing I decided to do over the break was shave. AH! It feels good to get that scruffy, shag off my face. But it was well worth it. After period one asked, I promised not to shave throughout November if they won the food drive. Congratulations to period one! You amazed me with your generosity.
I trust you all had a great holiday break. Lots of turkey. Lots of shopping. Lots of rest. Did you shop on Thanksgiving day? Or did you wait until Black Friday? We had a good nonfiction reading and video on that topic in the standard class. I wonder what you all decided to do.
We'll keep looking at some nonfiction articles and speeches this week, but we are filling our time with other things as well.
First of all, we all have ACUITY testing on Tuesday. This will be the second quarter predictive test we'll all be taking. Our weak areas across the board had been recognizing nonfiction material, identifying the most precise and vivid sentences, and writing for clarity. We have used Tool Time and class time to focus on these areas. Hopefully, we will be able to see some progress on this test.
On Wednesday and Friday I have the computer lab (Lab B) reserved to help us prepare for the presentations that will start in a little over seven days. I trust we have watched our films a couple times and have completed a majority--if not all--of our books. We have taken copious notes and have narrowed our discussions down to some strong examples. As a reminder, here are the priorities you need to be focusing on:
1) Open with an effective, engaging hook to your topic
2) Introduce the material you used
A) title and author of the book
B) title and director of the documentary
3) Offer a summary of the information the material shared
A) this should be quick
B) this should be basic
4) Discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of the two mediums (book and film)
A) this discussion will include quotes from the text (sources and evidence comes in here)
B) this discussion will include excerpts from the film (sources and evidence comes in here)
5) Explain what the central idea of the book is and back it up
6) Explain what the central idea of the film is and back it up
7) OPTIONAL: Touch on the bias that might be evident in either piece
*this is optional because you might find that the material is not biased
8) Have an effective closing to the presentation
9) Be ready to handle the Q and A following the presentation
I'll be sharing some more ideas with you tomorrow to help you make sure you are preparing for this presentation the best way you can. We might have some trouble with the videos clips, but we are going to do the best we can to make sure that this goes over as effectively as possible. There will be a checklist and a rubric that you'll want to look at carefully too.
That leaves part of Monday and Thursday for our nonfiction articles/speeches. The goal is to have a group assessment followed by an individual assessment. The group assessment will be tackled this week while the individual will be something you will demonstrate the following week. Remember the four questions and the B--word.
I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow. Three quick weeks and then winter break. This year is moving fast. Do your best to keep up.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Honors and Standard 11-19-2013
Going to combine these two entries today because I have a lot to grade (thanks honors classes) and assessing each paper is taking me a while. (Doing this stuff online might save paper but it definitely does not save time). Anyway, we are both doing similar activities right now.
We are focusing on our nonfiction questions in class today and tomorrow. We will finish applying them to our articles and our corresponding videos. Then I have a unique video I found yesterday that we will also take a look at and breakdown.
We are doing our initial application of the questions as a class. We will then be transitioning to small groups before finally switching to completing the application of the questions individually. You need to be active to learn. Get involved.
Hopefully, we have a good understanding of bias based on our definitions and our discussion. That will remain important for the foreseeable future.
Keep reading those books and start watching those films. I'd be taking notes on the film and the book as well.
Remember to bring those books to class tomorrow in the standard classes. Honors, we'll make sure you all have your books for Thursday.
See you soon.
We are focusing on our nonfiction questions in class today and tomorrow. We will finish applying them to our articles and our corresponding videos. Then I have a unique video I found yesterday that we will also take a look at and breakdown.
We are doing our initial application of the questions as a class. We will then be transitioning to small groups before finally switching to completing the application of the questions individually. You need to be active to learn. Get involved.
Hopefully, we have a good understanding of bias based on our definitions and our discussion. That will remain important for the foreseeable future.
Keep reading those books and start watching those films. I'd be taking notes on the film and the book as well.
Remember to bring those books to class tomorrow in the standard classes. Honors, we'll make sure you all have your books for Thursday.
See you soon.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Standard 11-18-2013
You received a lot of material back today: the Precise/Vivid quiz; the Giver paper; the Nonfiction Question quiz. Hope you did well. If not, or if you have any questions on anything, just let me know. I'll be happy to speak with you about anything.
A couple of you still need to turn in a nonfiction book title and a film title. Let's finish this tomorrow so all of us can start reading and watching. You do not want to wait to get started. Use your time wisely.
Good start to our discussion of applying the four questions to our analysis of the Costco article. We will be completing our analysis tomorrow and then do the same to the Costco video. Remember the four questions whenever you read a nonfiction piece.
PURPOSE
AUTHOR
EVIDENCE
SOURCE
See you soon.
A couple of you still need to turn in a nonfiction book title and a film title. Let's finish this tomorrow so all of us can start reading and watching. You do not want to wait to get started. Use your time wisely.
Good start to our discussion of applying the four questions to our analysis of the Costco article. We will be completing our analysis tomorrow and then do the same to the Costco video. Remember the four questions whenever you read a nonfiction piece.
PURPOSE
AUTHOR
EVIDENCE
SOURCE
See you soon.
Honors 11-18-2013
Turn in those papers before you go to sleep tonight. I will not start to assess any paper tonight unless the author specifically requests it at which point I will take them in the order they were submitted.
Don't forget to polish up the works cited as well.
A few of you need to choose your nonfiction book and documentary film yet. Get it in now! Time's a wastin'!
We worked with the nonfiction questions today, and we will pick that up tomorrow. Remember,
PURPOSE
AUTHOR
EVIDENCE
SOURCE
Those are the big four with bias, credibility and both sides being equally represented as related questions.
Here's a link to the Killer Whale clip. We'll look at it tomorrow a little more closely.
See you soon.
Don't forget to polish up the works cited as well.
A few of you need to choose your nonfiction book and documentary film yet. Get it in now! Time's a wastin'!
We worked with the nonfiction questions today, and we will pick that up tomorrow. Remember,
PURPOSE
AUTHOR
EVIDENCE
SOURCE
Those are the big four with bias, credibility and both sides being equally represented as related questions.
Here's a link to the Killer Whale clip. We'll look at it tomorrow a little more closely.
See you soon.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Standard 11-17-2013
I have a new hero. His name is Bat Kid. If you don't know who he is check this out.
He is one amazing kid and the thousands of volunteers are pretty cool, too. How does something like this happen? The power of social media. Let's talk a little bit about this tomorrow.
Of course, that's after we do the work we were going to do with our Costco material. We have a little clip to look at considering the Black Friday shopping day and then an article as well. We'll be using this information to apply the big nonfiction questions we've been talking about. I know most of you know them because you did so well on the Nonfiction Question Quiz. Plenty of 5s to go around. Well done. Now I want you to focus on the big four primary questions:
Who is the author?
What is the purpose of the article?
What is the evidence?
What are the sources?
The secondary questions on the bias and credibility of the author and the article are important as is the question on both sides being equally represented. They stem from those primary four. Eventually, you will be applying these questions to the material yourself, so be sure you know how to use them and what to look for.
You will receive your papers tomorrow. There were plenty of good ones. I have to say that Sam Catrell's writing was especially noteworthy for the depth and insight it offered. Well done, Sam!
Your nonfiction book title and your film title are also due tomorrow. It will be an easy five points for you if you come through. Don't make any hasty decisions. Be sure you have looked into it carefully. I want you to care about what you will be presenting so that you can deliver a passionate presentation. Don't let me down. Don't let your classmates down. Don't let yourself down.
See you soon.
He is one amazing kid and the thousands of volunteers are pretty cool, too. How does something like this happen? The power of social media. Let's talk a little bit about this tomorrow.
Of course, that's after we do the work we were going to do with our Costco material. We have a little clip to look at considering the Black Friday shopping day and then an article as well. We'll be using this information to apply the big nonfiction questions we've been talking about. I know most of you know them because you did so well on the Nonfiction Question Quiz. Plenty of 5s to go around. Well done. Now I want you to focus on the big four primary questions:
Who is the author?
What is the purpose of the article?
What is the evidence?
What are the sources?
The secondary questions on the bias and credibility of the author and the article are important as is the question on both sides being equally represented. They stem from those primary four. Eventually, you will be applying these questions to the material yourself, so be sure you know how to use them and what to look for.
You will receive your papers tomorrow. There were plenty of good ones. I have to say that Sam Catrell's writing was especially noteworthy for the depth and insight it offered. Well done, Sam!
Your nonfiction book title and your film title are also due tomorrow. It will be an easy five points for you if you come through. Don't make any hasty decisions. Be sure you have looked into it carefully. I want you to care about what you will be presenting so that you can deliver a passionate presentation. Don't let me down. Don't let your classmates down. Don't let yourself down.
See you soon.
Honors 11-17-2013
I have a new hero. His name is Bat Kid. If you don't know who he is check this out.
And actually, how about the entire city? The kindness and generosity that we are capable of is amazing. And how does something like that happen? Ah...the power of social media. Perhaps that is something that we will take a look at later this week.
Your papers are due tomorrow. Once you submit it in the folder, I will assume it is ready to be assessed. I won't look at any before 6:00 p.m. tomorrow, but after that, I will dive right in.
We started to take a lot at the Sea World situation on Friday. We got a taste of it, but there is more I want to look at in an attempt to apply the four main questions I want you thinking about whenever you read a piece of nonfiction. Come on, you know what they are by now. Say them with me!
Who is the author?
What is the purpose?
What is the evidence?
What are the sources?
In addition to those, you should be asking about the bias and credibility of the author and the article as well as checking to make sure that both sides are being fairly represented. We will use our Sea World article and perhaps another gander at the Sea World video tomorrow as a practice run.
I'll also be looking to collect everyone's nonfiction books and documentary selections. An easy five points on the line. Be sure you choose carefully not only so you don't feel the need to switch somewhere down the road, but so that you can make a passionate presentation in December because you care about the material you are talking about. Can't wait to see what awaits.
See you soon.
And actually, how about the entire city? The kindness and generosity that we are capable of is amazing. And how does something like that happen? Ah...the power of social media. Perhaps that is something that we will take a look at later this week.
Your papers are due tomorrow. Once you submit it in the folder, I will assume it is ready to be assessed. I won't look at any before 6:00 p.m. tomorrow, but after that, I will dive right in.
We started to take a lot at the Sea World situation on Friday. We got a taste of it, but there is more I want to look at in an attempt to apply the four main questions I want you thinking about whenever you read a piece of nonfiction. Come on, you know what they are by now. Say them with me!
Who is the author?
What is the purpose?
What is the evidence?
What are the sources?
In addition to those, you should be asking about the bias and credibility of the author and the article as well as checking to make sure that both sides are being fairly represented. We will use our Sea World article and perhaps another gander at the Sea World video tomorrow as a practice run.
I'll also be looking to collect everyone's nonfiction books and documentary selections. An easy five points on the line. Be sure you choose carefully not only so you don't feel the need to switch somewhere down the road, but so that you can make a passionate presentation in December because you care about the material you are talking about. Can't wait to see what awaits.
See you soon.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Honors 11-14-2013
Two weeks until Thanksgiving! Wow! time is sure rushing by. Soon enough we'll all be vacationing on the beach in Florida as we enjoy winter break. Okay, well maybe, we'll be slogging through our vacation shoveling snow off the driveway, but regardless, it will be vacation. For now you need to be focusing on a few different items.
First, make sure you are turning that paper into something amazing. Hopefully, you made good use of your peer edit time today and improved your paper. A couple things I noticed are weak claims and superfluous words. You need to make a claim. A claim is an opinion. Is your claim an opinion or is it just saying there are differences between the film and the book? If that is all you are saying then you are not completing the paper the way you should. Go back to the original hand-out. Read over the rubric. You are evaluating not just sharing the deviations. As for the superfluous words, you should embed a link to one of the words or phrases that appears naturally in your writing. Do not add words like "Animal Farm movie link" to the paper and attach the link to them. Attach the link to the words that naturally appear in the paper. One more day tomorrow to ask questions about the paper. I'd love to have the class examine a paper or two under the microscope of the document camera. Volunteers?
Many of you identified your nonfiction books and documentary films. You've earned your five points. The rest of you have until Monday, but I won't complain if it is all decided by tomorrow. One thing to consider, if you change your sources after Monday, November 18, then you will be docked a point. Do your research. Know that the selections you are giving me are the ones you want to work with. Monday is the deadline.
Okay, we will look at the killer whale article tomorrow. You should be thinking about those nonfiction questions we discussed yesterday (don't worry, period one, we'll catch you up). You need to be applying them to any piece of nonfiction you read. I want you to have them down cold. We'll see how you do.
Sorry I forgot to remind everyone: Pizza Party for Period Six Tomorrow! It will take place in period six. Bring your appetite!
See you soon.
First, make sure you are turning that paper into something amazing. Hopefully, you made good use of your peer edit time today and improved your paper. A couple things I noticed are weak claims and superfluous words. You need to make a claim. A claim is an opinion. Is your claim an opinion or is it just saying there are differences between the film and the book? If that is all you are saying then you are not completing the paper the way you should. Go back to the original hand-out. Read over the rubric. You are evaluating not just sharing the deviations. As for the superfluous words, you should embed a link to one of the words or phrases that appears naturally in your writing. Do not add words like "Animal Farm movie link" to the paper and attach the link to them. Attach the link to the words that naturally appear in the paper. One more day tomorrow to ask questions about the paper. I'd love to have the class examine a paper or two under the microscope of the document camera. Volunteers?
Many of you identified your nonfiction books and documentary films. You've earned your five points. The rest of you have until Monday, but I won't complain if it is all decided by tomorrow. One thing to consider, if you change your sources after Monday, November 18, then you will be docked a point. Do your research. Know that the selections you are giving me are the ones you want to work with. Monday is the deadline.
Okay, we will look at the killer whale article tomorrow. You should be thinking about those nonfiction questions we discussed yesterday (don't worry, period one, we'll catch you up). You need to be applying them to any piece of nonfiction you read. I want you to have them down cold. We'll see how you do.
Sorry I forgot to remind everyone: Pizza Party for Period Six Tomorrow! It will take place in period six. Bring your appetite!
See you soon.
Standard 11-14-2013
Identifying main ideas. Applying our nonfiction questions. Those are a couple things we will keep working on in the coming classes. We have been working as a class, but soon you will be working as a table, and soon after that, you will be expected to do the work on your own. With that in mind, I want you to KNOW those questions. Okay, I'll say it: Quiz tomorrow. Better be able to write down five things (five questions) you need to be thinking about as we read nonfiction.
Some of you selected nonfiction books today and your movies too. Don't be hasty. I want you to choose the right combination for yourself. If you are rash, you'll be locked into something you'll regret. Identify a few topics you like and then select your book and film.
I have an assignment hand-out that we will go over tomorrow. Yes, you will be making a presentation over the book and film, but you'll find out more details tomorrow.
I'll pass out those precise/vivid quizzes tomorrow.
See you soon.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Honors 11-13-2013
Well, well, well. We definitely did not get as far as I had hoped today (especially in periods 1 and 2). We need to nail the key questions to ask when reading any piece of nonfiction. We also were going to read an article about the Sea World/killer whale battle that is going on. (By the way, great documentary just released: Blackfish). We'll get to the article tomorrow, but for the sake of time, I'll share those nonfiction questions with you right here. Now these are not all-inclusive, but they are key questions I want you thinking about whenever we read nonfiction.
1) What is the purpose of the article? (What is the main idea the article is trying to get across?)
2) What evidence does the article offer for support? (What are the arguments? Are the arguments credible?)
3) What are the sources for that evidence/those arguments? (Are they credible sources?)
4) Are both sides equally represented? (Is there bias in the presentation?)
5) Who is the author? (What are his credentials? Is he credible? Is he biased?)
Okay that may appear to be many more than four questions, but the questions in parentheses are really just there to help you understand the original questions and allow you to probe deeper into the texts. I want you to know these. Memorize these. Have them readily available. If we read nonfiction, you need to bring these to the discussion.
Tomorrow's main focus will be on editing our Animal Farm papers. We have been given Lab D for tomorrow's editing. Help yourself out by having as polished and complete an effort as possible. The closer you are to finishing the piece, the more help tomorrow will be. If you come with a shoddy, incomplete effort, then you will not benefit as much from the peer edit.
Keep looking for those nonfiction books and documentary films. Several people have already given me their selections. That means they can start reading and viewing. The sooner you do the same the sooner you can start doing the same. Let's not wait until Monday. Let's make it a goal to have these selected by Friday. Remember, five points hang in the balance. But choose wisely. You'll be deducted a point for switching after the 18th.
Some super personal selections so far. I'll be typing up a list and posting it in the classroom so that you can see what your peers have selected.
See you soon.
1) What is the purpose of the article? (What is the main idea the article is trying to get across?)
2) What evidence does the article offer for support? (What are the arguments? Are the arguments credible?)
3) What are the sources for that evidence/those arguments? (Are they credible sources?)
4) Are both sides equally represented? (Is there bias in the presentation?)
5) Who is the author? (What are his credentials? Is he credible? Is he biased?)
Okay that may appear to be many more than four questions, but the questions in parentheses are really just there to help you understand the original questions and allow you to probe deeper into the texts. I want you to know these. Memorize these. Have them readily available. If we read nonfiction, you need to bring these to the discussion.
Tomorrow's main focus will be on editing our Animal Farm papers. We have been given Lab D for tomorrow's editing. Help yourself out by having as polished and complete an effort as possible. The closer you are to finishing the piece, the more help tomorrow will be. If you come with a shoddy, incomplete effort, then you will not benefit as much from the peer edit.
Keep looking for those nonfiction books and documentary films. Several people have already given me their selections. That means they can start reading and viewing. The sooner you do the same the sooner you can start doing the same. Let's not wait until Monday. Let's make it a goal to have these selected by Friday. Remember, five points hang in the balance. But choose wisely. You'll be deducted a point for switching after the 18th.
Some super personal selections so far. I'll be typing up a list and posting it in the classroom so that you can see what your peers have selected.
See you soon.
Standard 11-13-2013
Those questions are coming along. I like the way you called them out, remembered them and then started to apply them to the article on Jackie Robinson and the movie 42. We still have some work to do on that last one, but don't worry, we will keep coming up with ways to use those questions.
One of the big ways was introduced today. You must read a nonfiction book and then view a movie that is either based off of the nonfiction book or watch one that is related to the book. It can be a Hollywood blockbuster or it can be an independent documentary. Either way you will be reading the nonfiction book, watching the film, and then making as presentation over how the two different mediums present the same (or similar information). Both mediums (the text and the film) have advantages and disadvantages. Your job will be to examine both and then present those advantages and disadvantages. You'll be responsible for a little more as well, but you can look for that tomorrow in class when I distribute the hand out.
For now here is a link to nonfiction books that have been turned into films. If you can't find anything on that list you can always try this one. In addition, here is a list of nonfiction books with brief descriptions after them. You don't need to choose any of these books. They key is for you to find something that is of interest to you because you are going to be spending an awful lot of time on it. Don't be rash. Choose wisely.
See you soon.
One of the big ways was introduced today. You must read a nonfiction book and then view a movie that is either based off of the nonfiction book or watch one that is related to the book. It can be a Hollywood blockbuster or it can be an independent documentary. Either way you will be reading the nonfiction book, watching the film, and then making as presentation over how the two different mediums present the same (or similar information). Both mediums (the text and the film) have advantages and disadvantages. Your job will be to examine both and then present those advantages and disadvantages. You'll be responsible for a little more as well, but you can look for that tomorrow in class when I distribute the hand out.
For now here is a link to nonfiction books that have been turned into films. If you can't find anything on that list you can always try this one. In addition, here is a list of nonfiction books with brief descriptions after them. You don't need to choose any of these books. They key is for you to find something that is of interest to you because you are going to be spending an awful lot of time on it. Don't be rash. Choose wisely.
Nonfiction Titles
Into the Wild (man escapes to Alaskan wilderness)
Where Men Win Glory (Pat Tillman and Afghanistan)
Zeitoun (Katrina aftermath)
Under the Banner of Heaven (scathing look at fundamentalist Mormons)
Ghost Soldiers (prisoner of war rescue)
Black Hawk Down (American soldiers in Somalia)
Into Thin Air (climbing and dying on Mt. Everest)
Between a Rock and a Hard Place (man cuts off own arm to live)
The Wild Parrots (man bonds with parents)
Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth (yup, it’s about dirt)
Half the Sky (plight of repressed women)
The Payback (economics)
Silent Spring (birth defects due to chemicals)
Black Boy (black in America)
The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Malcolm X)
This Boy’s Life (young boy in America)
In Cold Blood (true crime)
Angela’s Ashes (poor in Ireland)
Perfect Storm (storm over water)
War (book about war in Afghanistan)
Death In Belmont (true crime)
Devil in the White City (murders in Chicago)
In the Garden of Beasts (Americans in Nazi Germany)
The Last Lecture (man’s advice to his children)
I am Malala (young girl shot by Taliban)
Killing Kennedy (book on Kennedy)
Band of Brothers (WWII book)
The Heart and the Fist (Navy Seal and Humanitarian)
Seal Team Six (memoirs of navy seal)
Dreams of my Father (Barack Obama)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (growing up female and blackin the 1930s)
A Walk in the Woods (Appalachian Trail)
Fast Food Nation (food in America)
And the Band Played On (AIDS at the start)
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
The Executioner’s Song (death penalty)
The Blindside (football)
An Innocent Man (true crime/death penalty)
Eat, Pray, Love (woman stuff and travel)
A Long Way Gone (African child soldiers)
See you soon.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Honors 11-12-13
I was in such a hurry to get upstairs to the IMC and Lab B for our nonfiction work, that I failed to celebrate today's unusual date: 11-12-13. You still have a few hours to enjoy it!
All three periods requested a peer review day for the Animal Farm paper you are currently working on. We settled on Thursday as long as I can get one of the labs. It looks good for right now but I'll tell you for sure tomorrow. Regardless, the final copies look good to go for Monday.
Don't forget to compile your list of four questions you should always have in the back of your mind whenever you are reading nonfiction. They don't need to apply to a specific article of nonfiction; instead, they need to be able to be applied to any nonfiction piece of writing. Write them down and bring them to class tomorrow.
The BIG, HUGE, VASTLY IMPORTANT Nonfiction Book Documentary Film Presentation assignment was distributed today. About a dozen individuals have locked in on their book and documentary already (and earned their five points in the process). You want to be sure you tell me both--IN WRITING--by Monday, November 18 to earn your five points. After that, your earnings will decrease. (Past earnings do not in any way reflect future possible earnings).
I shared with you a substantial list of nonfiction titles and documentary films, but that is not an exhaustive list. Feel free to go elsewhere to find a book and film that work for you. You'll be attached to the book and film for the next 4-6 weeks. You'll be making a BIG, HUGE, VASTLY IMPORTANT presentation that will require you to be in front of your peers for well over ten minutes. You better be sure you find something that interests you. Something you care about. Something you can get excited about. Something you are passionate about. Get the idea?
Once you select your material, don't wait. Start reading. Start watching. I'd read actively, taking notes along the way. I'd watch the film at least twice (once for viewing and once for a deeper analysis) taking notes along the way. Have a general idea of what you will be presenting before you start either so that you can be taking notes on the material that will be most beneficial.
More to come.
See you soon.
All three periods requested a peer review day for the Animal Farm paper you are currently working on. We settled on Thursday as long as I can get one of the labs. It looks good for right now but I'll tell you for sure tomorrow. Regardless, the final copies look good to go for Monday.
Don't forget to compile your list of four questions you should always have in the back of your mind whenever you are reading nonfiction. They don't need to apply to a specific article of nonfiction; instead, they need to be able to be applied to any nonfiction piece of writing. Write them down and bring them to class tomorrow.
The BIG, HUGE, VASTLY IMPORTANT Nonfiction Book Documentary Film Presentation assignment was distributed today. About a dozen individuals have locked in on their book and documentary already (and earned their five points in the process). You want to be sure you tell me both--IN WRITING--by Monday, November 18 to earn your five points. After that, your earnings will decrease. (Past earnings do not in any way reflect future possible earnings).
I shared with you a substantial list of nonfiction titles and documentary films, but that is not an exhaustive list. Feel free to go elsewhere to find a book and film that work for you. You'll be attached to the book and film for the next 4-6 weeks. You'll be making a BIG, HUGE, VASTLY IMPORTANT presentation that will require you to be in front of your peers for well over ten minutes. You better be sure you find something that interests you. Something you care about. Something you can get excited about. Something you are passionate about. Get the idea?
Once you select your material, don't wait. Start reading. Start watching. I'd read actively, taking notes along the way. I'd watch the film at least twice (once for viewing and once for a deeper analysis) taking notes along the way. Have a general idea of what you will be presenting before you start either so that you can be taking notes on the material that will be most beneficial.
More to come.
See you soon.
Standard 11-12-13
Love that date today. I heard from Gabe Spencer in period three that a couple got married at 9:10 on 11-12-13. That's funny. Or creative. Or weird. But it's memorable regardless.
Today should be memorable for you because you turned in your Giver papers. From this point forward this quarter, we will be focusing on nonfiction writing as you undoubtedly could tell from today's discussion. We broke down the key differences between fiction and nonfiction. I highlighted that two big differences are that a nonfiction text will often have a works cited page and an index in the back of the book. They become more reliable if they are able to demonstrate where all their information came from. Works cited page and an index. Don't forget them!
We also went over some key questions that you need to be thinking about whenever you begin reading a nonfiction text. Based on our discussion we settled on several key questions. I shared them below and offered a little elaboration in parentheses.
1) What is the purpose of the article? (What is the main idea the article is trying to get across?)
2) What evidence does the article offer for support? (What are the arguments? Are the arguments credible?)
3) What are the sources for that evidence/those arguments? (Are they credible sources?)
4) Are both sides equally represented? (Is there bias in the presentation?)
5) Who is the author? (What are his credentials? Is he credible? Is he biased?)
Often we accept what we read as true, especially if it is in a newspaper or magazine. However, to become better readers, we need to be more discerning readers. We need to be skeptical sometimes. If we keep those questions in mind when we read, we are less likely to be duped into believing something that isn't true or supporting something that is not worthy of our support. Read with your eyes open.
Tomorrow, we will look at another short nonfiction article and apply our questions to it. Will we also have a quiz over the questions?
We will visit the IMC for a nonfiction book. Do you know what you will be reading?
See you soon.
Today should be memorable for you because you turned in your Giver papers. From this point forward this quarter, we will be focusing on nonfiction writing as you undoubtedly could tell from today's discussion. We broke down the key differences between fiction and nonfiction. I highlighted that two big differences are that a nonfiction text will often have a works cited page and an index in the back of the book. They become more reliable if they are able to demonstrate where all their information came from. Works cited page and an index. Don't forget them!
We also went over some key questions that you need to be thinking about whenever you begin reading a nonfiction text. Based on our discussion we settled on several key questions. I shared them below and offered a little elaboration in parentheses.
1) What is the purpose of the article? (What is the main idea the article is trying to get across?)
2) What evidence does the article offer for support? (What are the arguments? Are the arguments credible?)
3) What are the sources for that evidence/those arguments? (Are they credible sources?)
4) Are both sides equally represented? (Is there bias in the presentation?)
5) Who is the author? (What are his credentials? Is he credible? Is he biased?)
Often we accept what we read as true, especially if it is in a newspaper or magazine. However, to become better readers, we need to be more discerning readers. We need to be skeptical sometimes. If we keep those questions in mind when we read, we are less likely to be duped into believing something that isn't true or supporting something that is not worthy of our support. Read with your eyes open.
Tomorrow, we will look at another short nonfiction article and apply our questions to it. Will we also have a quiz over the questions?
We will visit the IMC for a nonfiction book. Do you know what you will be reading?
See you soon.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Honors 11-11-2013
We edited dog drafts today and received some tips on what needs to be done to take the dog draft (a rough rough draft) to a rough draft. I'm currently eyeing Monday as the day to submit the final copies. Keep working on those papers every night.
Tomorrow is the day. You'll be making some decisions that will effect your next four to six weeks. I'll fill you in when we visit the IMC. I'm putting the finishing touches on some hand-outs tonight. Can't wait to see where this will take us.
What questions should you be asking when reading nonfiction? These questions are different from the ones you ask when reading fiction. Be thinking of possible responses. We'll be falling back on these questions a lot.
See you soon.
Tomorrow is the day. You'll be making some decisions that will effect your next four to six weeks. I'll fill you in when we visit the IMC. I'm putting the finishing touches on some hand-outs tonight. Can't wait to see where this will take us.
What questions should you be asking when reading nonfiction? These questions are different from the ones you ask when reading fiction. Be thinking of possible responses. We'll be falling back on these questions a lot.
See you soon.
Standard 11-11-2013
The paper is due tomorrow. Be sure you have it typed and double spaced and looking good. Have your peer edit sheet and your drafts too. If you have the instruction sheet with the rubric on back, that would also be helpful.
Here is a review of the questions I asked today.
1) Do you have the right heading?
4) Do you transition to the claim?
5) Is the claim clear?
6) Do you mention the title and author in the introduction?
8) Do you start your second paragraph with a topic sentence?
9) Do you give enough story background so that your ideas are clear? This refers to CONTEXT!
10) Do you present the information in logical order?
11) Is what you are discussing directly related to your claim?
12) Do you use quotes?
13) Do you explain the quotes?
14) Do you close the paragraph by referring back to the claim?
15) Do you use a transitional topic sentence to start paragraph three?
16) Do you repeat the ideas listed above in questions 9-14 for paragraph three? paragraph four?
17) Do you have a closing paragraph?
18) Do you restate the claim and connect your ideas to the claim through a brief summary of the paper?
19) Do you close with a BANG!?
Here is a review of the questions I asked today.
1) Do you have the right heading?
Name
Date
Period
Type
of Paper
2)
Do you have a creative title?
3)
Do you have an effective hook?
4) Do you transition to the claim?
5) Is the claim clear?
6) Do you mention the title and author in the introduction?
7)
Is
the title underlined or italicized?
Is
the author's name spelled correctly?
8) Do you start your second paragraph with a topic sentence?
9) Do you give enough story background so that your ideas are clear? This refers to CONTEXT!
10) Do you present the information in logical order?
11) Is what you are discussing directly related to your claim?
12) Do you use quotes?
Are
they cited?
Are
they cited correctly?
13) Do you explain the quotes?
Every
one of them?
Are
they explained well?
14) Do you close the paragraph by referring back to the claim?
15) Do you use a transitional topic sentence to start paragraph three?
Does
it connect and build upon what was already said in paragraph two?
Does
it relate back to the claim?
16) Do you repeat the ideas listed above in questions 9-14 for paragraph three? paragraph four?
Do
you handle both tier one and tier two?
17) Do you have a closing paragraph?
18) Do you restate the claim and connect your ideas to the claim through a brief summary of the paper?
19) Do you close with a BANG!?
20)
If you can answer yes to all of these questions, then you should feel
good and be ready to hand your paper in to me tomorrow.
Be
sure you have a clean final copy with you and all the drafts you have
written.
We start something new tomorrow.
See you soon.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Standard 11-06-2013
Just a reminder tonight. The entire draft of the paper should be typed and in class tomorrow. We will be working on them and editing them tomorrow. the more prepared you are tomorrow, the better off you will be going into the next three days. I will be gone Friday (in Indianapolis at a conference) and will lie to see the final copies of the papers by next Tuesday.
See you soon.
See you soon.
Honors 11-06-2013
Make sure you are spending at least 30 minutes working on your paper tonight. Identify your three discussion points, find your support, practice embedding those links. By 6th hour we figured out the best way to link the exact quote (beginning and ending) that you need. Here are the steps.
Enter www.tubechop.com in your search bar.
Search for Animal Farm.
Click on the 1954 cartoon version.
Enter the start time and the end time for your clip.
Where it says " (optional) write something about your selection" identify your clip.
Click on "chop it"
Copy the address in the Link box.
Now go to your Google document, highlight the word or phrase you plan on making the link.
Click on the chain symbol in the top tool bar.
Paste the address from the Link box into the space provided.
You should be good to go.
Bring your headphones and any questions to class tomorrow.
See you soon.
Enter www.tubechop.com in your search bar.
Search for Animal Farm.
Click on the 1954 cartoon version.
Enter the start time and the end time for your clip.
Where it says " (optional) write something about your selection" identify your clip.
Click on "chop it"
Copy the address in the Link box.
Now go to your Google document, highlight the word or phrase you plan on making the link.
Click on the chain symbol in the top tool bar.
Paste the address from the Link box into the space provided.
You should be good to go.
Bring your headphones and any questions to class tomorrow.
See you soon.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Standard 11-05-2013
We worked on the papers a bit more today. You should come to class tomorrow with the claim and most of the body paragraphs typed up. We'll be think about adding the introduction and the conclusion paragraphs tomorrow in class.
Make sure you are developing the tier one aspects of the paper before developing tier two.
Topic One : Show how Sameness is developed and then explain how it benefits the Community.
Topic Two: Show how pain is used or avoided in the Community and then discuss whether it is hypocritical.
Topic Three: Show three ways Jonas has changed and then explain why those changes are significant.
Topic Four: Show what is right and wrong with the Community and then come to a conclusion on the quest for perfection.
Topic Five: Show how parents can raise their children better by loving them (or show how they would do a worse job by loving them) by sharing experiences from the book and your own life.
Proofread your ideas aloud too. Too many times I've read sentences that just don't make sense. You can identify precise and vivid sentences. Now write them.
See you soon.
Make sure you are developing the tier one aspects of the paper before developing tier two.
Topic One : Show how Sameness is developed and then explain how it benefits the Community.
Topic Two: Show how pain is used or avoided in the Community and then discuss whether it is hypocritical.
Topic Three: Show three ways Jonas has changed and then explain why those changes are significant.
Topic Four: Show what is right and wrong with the Community and then come to a conclusion on the quest for perfection.
Topic Five: Show how parents can raise their children better by loving them (or show how they would do a worse job by loving them) by sharing experiences from the book and your own life.
Proofread your ideas aloud too. Too many times I've read sentences that just don't make sense. You can identify precise and vivid sentences. Now write them.
See you soon.
Honors 11-05-2013
We are in the writing lab tomorrow to work on our Animal Farm papers. The prepared student will come with a list of potential discussion topics narrowed down to the top three or four. Less time will be spent sifting through all your notes that way.
Once there I will spend some time going over the link instructions. I'll walk you through the steps and you should be good to go by the time I'm done. It's pretty easy.
I'd also like to spend some time going over the rubric before making a final copy and passing it out to everyone.
You'll be typing on Google docs. Make sure you know your log in information.
See you soon.
Once there I will spend some time going over the link instructions. I'll walk you through the steps and you should be good to go by the time I'm done. It's pretty easy.
I'd also like to spend some time going over the rubric before making a final copy and passing it out to everyone.
You'll be typing on Google docs. Make sure you know your log in information.
See you soon.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Standard 11-04-2013
I have some grading to do tonight, so I will be making this one quick.
We looked at claims today and I think we all realized that there was some significant work that needed to be done yet. Make sure you have strong claims by tomorrow.
You should also be working on fixing body paragraph number one and adding body paragraph number two. All of this should be typed.
We will be going to the IMC tomorrow to look for books and do some writing. Be prepared.
We'll probably spend a few minutes on Acuity in Tool Time tomorrow too. Remember I was gone last Thursday at an Acuity meeting. I want to share with you what I discovered.
Have those paragraphs typed and in class tomorrow!
See you soon.
We looked at claims today and I think we all realized that there was some significant work that needed to be done yet. Make sure you have strong claims by tomorrow.
You should also be working on fixing body paragraph number one and adding body paragraph number two. All of this should be typed.
We will be going to the IMC tomorrow to look for books and do some writing. Be prepared.
We'll probably spend a few minutes on Acuity in Tool Time tomorrow too. Remember I was gone last Thursday at an Acuity meeting. I want to share with you what I discovered.
Have those paragraphs typed and in class tomorrow!
See you soon.
Honors 11-04-2013
Just a quick one today so I can get back to assessing those timed writings.
We watched the rest of the film (period two has ten minutes left) and you have the instructions for the paper in your hands. you can ask your questions tomorrow, and then we will get writing. Look for a rubric in your future. The Google doc link idea is going to be a good one. I'll demonstrate how to do it--probably tomorrow--and you can practice at home and let me know what difficulties you have. We'll adjust accordingly.
Speaking of links, here is a link to the Animal Farm film. You'll definitely need this to write the analysis.
We are going to the IMC tomorrow. I had something big planned for you, but I think I'm going to hold off for one more week so I can work out some kinks.
I have a cool quote from Karl Marx I found (with the help of Mrs. Burnette) too. I want to see each of you tie it in to Animal Farm.
I was off last Thursday in an Acuity meeting to see what areas we struggled with and now need to focus on. Surprisingly, all five classes struggled with the same three areas. I'll show you tomorrow.
Finally, as a reminder, I'm off this Friday to find out what I can about gifted children. Do you feel gifted? You should.
See you soon.
We watched the rest of the film (period two has ten minutes left) and you have the instructions for the paper in your hands. you can ask your questions tomorrow, and then we will get writing. Look for a rubric in your future. The Google doc link idea is going to be a good one. I'll demonstrate how to do it--probably tomorrow--and you can practice at home and let me know what difficulties you have. We'll adjust accordingly.
Speaking of links, here is a link to the Animal Farm film. You'll definitely need this to write the analysis.
We are going to the IMC tomorrow. I had something big planned for you, but I think I'm going to hold off for one more week so I can work out some kinks.
I have a cool quote from Karl Marx I found (with the help of Mrs. Burnette) too. I want to see each of you tie it in to Animal Farm.
I was off last Thursday in an Acuity meeting to see what areas we struggled with and now need to focus on. Surprisingly, all five classes struggled with the same three areas. I'll show you tomorrow.
Finally, as a reminder, I'm off this Friday to find out what I can about gifted children. Do you feel gifted? You should.
See you soon.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Standard 11-03-2013
I know I enjoyed that extra hour of sleep this weekend. How about you? I love falling back.
That means I'm that much more ready to work on these Giver papers we are writing. It also means you all had an extra hour to perfect your claims and first body paragraphs. We'll be grouping ourselves by topic and doing some serious reading, analysis, and discussion about where we are so far. We will also have a bit of writing time and an author's chair for class discussion. This is one of the first assessments of quarter two. Let's get off to a good start. First thing: BE SURE YOU HAVE THE CLAIM AND THE FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH TYPED AND IN YOUR POSSESSION!
We'll do a little Tool Time and then transition into the papers.
See you soon.
That means I'm that much more ready to work on these Giver papers we are writing. It also means you all had an extra hour to perfect your claims and first body paragraphs. We'll be grouping ourselves by topic and doing some serious reading, analysis, and discussion about where we are so far. We will also have a bit of writing time and an author's chair for class discussion. This is one of the first assessments of quarter two. Let's get off to a good start. First thing: BE SURE YOU HAVE THE CLAIM AND THE FIRST BODY PARAGRAPH TYPED AND IN YOUR POSSESSION!
We'll do a little Tool Time and then transition into the papers.
See you soon.
Honors 11-03-2013
Just watched a powerful documentary about Terry Fox this weekend. He was a young man who lost his right leg to cancer but didn't let that beat him; instead, he decided to run across Canada on one leg raising both money and awareness. I had never forgotten him because of the role he played in my running career way back in 1981, so when I saw this documentary was available on Netflix courtesy of ESPN's 30 for 30, I quickly logged in. Yet as I was watching it, I was thinking about how we could use this video in our nonfiction unit this quarter (Every time I watch anything I'm always wondering if we can use it in class somewhere---ahhh...the life of a teacher). We will be going to the IMC on Tuesday. We will be looking for nonfiction books to read on our own outside of class. Between now and then, I'll be studying the standards and trying to see if there is a way to bring all of this together: documentaries, books and nonfiction.
I've been assessing the timed writings over the weekend. There were several impressive submissions from period one. Renee Yaseen's writing stands out as one strong example. In order to gain insight into who the men were, she went beyond just summarizing the book and the poem in the authors' words to characterizing the men based on what she knows about them through their writings and our discussions. Great results. These have been fun and interesting to read; however, they are taking longer than expected. Please be patient as I work my way through them.
We will be watching the end of the Animal Farm film tomorrow. You had a start last Thursday with Mr. Alfrey. Based on what he told me, you also had some decent discussions (period six especially) about how the film and book coincide and how the film also takes some liberties with the presentation. It's those liberties that we will be interested in once our viewing is done. I know you are all aware that we will be writing a paper on this topic. If you've taken good notes--and continue to take good notes--you should do well. You'll want to go beyond merely saying, "Look, that's different." Instead, you'll want to say, "Look, that's different and this is how it affects the story and this is why the director made the decision to change it." We'll talk more about it in class, but prepare yourself well.
Guess what. I won't be here Friday. I'm going to the National Association of Gifted Children (that's you) conference in Indianapolis. For three days (Friday, Saturday, and even Sunday) I'll be finding new ways to challenge and stimulate you with rigorous and standard based curriculum. Sound fascinating? I know I'm looking forward to it. Ask me about it next Monday.
See you soon.
I've been assessing the timed writings over the weekend. There were several impressive submissions from period one. Renee Yaseen's writing stands out as one strong example. In order to gain insight into who the men were, she went beyond just summarizing the book and the poem in the authors' words to characterizing the men based on what she knows about them through their writings and our discussions. Great results. These have been fun and interesting to read; however, they are taking longer than expected. Please be patient as I work my way through them.
We will be watching the end of the Animal Farm film tomorrow. You had a start last Thursday with Mr. Alfrey. Based on what he told me, you also had some decent discussions (period six especially) about how the film and book coincide and how the film also takes some liberties with the presentation. It's those liberties that we will be interested in once our viewing is done. I know you are all aware that we will be writing a paper on this topic. If you've taken good notes--and continue to take good notes--you should do well. You'll want to go beyond merely saying, "Look, that's different." Instead, you'll want to say, "Look, that's different and this is how it affects the story and this is why the director made the decision to change it." We'll talk more about it in class, but prepare yourself well.
Guess what. I won't be here Friday. I'm going to the National Association of Gifted Children (that's you) conference in Indianapolis. For three days (Friday, Saturday, and even Sunday) I'll be finding new ways to challenge and stimulate you with rigorous and standard based curriculum. Sound fascinating? I know I'm looking forward to it. Ask me about it next Monday.
See you soon.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Standard 10-31-2013
Happy Halloween!
Hope you had a good time ( a dry time?) trick-or-treating tonight. Feel free to bring me any candy you don't want.
You had a good look at the prompts today. In class you should have seriously considered your options and even written about the one you selected. If you didn't get that far, it's okay. We'll have time tomorrow to work on the papers.
Make sure you have The Giver tomorrow. You'll start doing some in class planning and writing. If you use your time wisely, you'll go into the weekend feeling pretty good about where you are with your paper. You'll have time to ask me questions and we'll even here a few ideas from some of your peers.
See you soon.
Hope you had a good time ( a dry time?) trick-or-treating tonight. Feel free to bring me any candy you don't want.
You had a good look at the prompts today. In class you should have seriously considered your options and even written about the one you selected. If you didn't get that far, it's okay. We'll have time tomorrow to work on the papers.
Make sure you have The Giver tomorrow. You'll start doing some in class planning and writing. If you use your time wisely, you'll go into the weekend feeling pretty good about where you are with your paper. You'll have time to ask me questions and we'll even here a few ideas from some of your peers.
See you soon.
Honors 10-31-2013
That STEM production was pretty amazing this morning. I popped in to watch it during my meeting and was impressed. Hope you enjoyed it.
You started watching Animal Farm--the movie--today. I know Mr. Alfrey prepped you pretty well for taking good notes. You need to make sure you are aware of the differences between the film and the text. But you do not only need to know how the two are different. You also need to think about why it was changed and how it affected the telling of the story. Check out the standard again.
8.RL.7 Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.
That "evaluating the choices" part is going to be central to the paper you will be writing over this topic. But that writing will come next week.
Speaking of writing, you can count on finally writing that in-class timed essay tomorrow. You already know the topic if you read yesterday's blog. You should be writing it as a scene between the two men. I want you to use dialogue (punctuate it correctly). Where are the two men meeting? What are they saying to each other? What do they do? How does their conversation end? Look carefully at the poem, the preface, the story, and your notes tonight to be sure you have a good understanding of the interaction that might take place. The successful piece of writing will be creative, engaging, and correctly punctuated, but more importantly, the successful piece will offer insight into the two men based on what you know about them from our class discussion and the readings. Quotes from the text are not a necessity, but they could be used. Specific references are a must. Regardless, whatever you have the men say or do must be able to be defended by some information in your possession. Yes, any notes and texts can be referred to during the writing. No, you can not start writing it tonight and bring it in tomorrow to use. You will have the entire class to write. It will be worth 30 points. i can't wait to see what you write.
See you soon.
You started watching Animal Farm--the movie--today. I know Mr. Alfrey prepped you pretty well for taking good notes. You need to make sure you are aware of the differences between the film and the text. But you do not only need to know how the two are different. You also need to think about why it was changed and how it affected the telling of the story. Check out the standard again.
8.RL.7 Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.
That "evaluating the choices" part is going to be central to the paper you will be writing over this topic. But that writing will come next week.
Speaking of writing, you can count on finally writing that in-class timed essay tomorrow. You already know the topic if you read yesterday's blog. You should be writing it as a scene between the two men. I want you to use dialogue (punctuate it correctly). Where are the two men meeting? What are they saying to each other? What do they do? How does their conversation end? Look carefully at the poem, the preface, the story, and your notes tonight to be sure you have a good understanding of the interaction that might take place. The successful piece of writing will be creative, engaging, and correctly punctuated, but more importantly, the successful piece will offer insight into the two men based on what you know about them from our class discussion and the readings. Quotes from the text are not a necessity, but they could be used. Specific references are a must. Regardless, whatever you have the men say or do must be able to be defended by some information in your possession. Yes, any notes and texts can be referred to during the writing. No, you can not start writing it tonight and bring it in tomorrow to use. You will have the entire class to write. It will be worth 30 points. i can't wait to see what you write.
See you soon.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Standard 10-31-2013
Precise. Concise. Vivid. Can you tell the difference? Those are terms you need to know since Acuity and ISTEP love to ask questions having you identify which sentence is the most precise or vivid or concise. Learning those terms can help you do better on those tests. But even if you can't remember the difference, you should still be able to respond well to the question by selecting the BEST sentence. Look at the four options and choose the one written the most effectively. The more you read, the better your chances of identifying that well written sentence.
We definitely had a majority of students siding with Jonas sharing similarities with Jesus. I think Lois Lowry definitely had Jesus in mind while writing this story. No they are not exact, but there are too many similarities to write it off as coincidence.
The new writing assignment is in your hands tonight. I'm sorry for the confusion--especially in period four--but nothing is DUE tomorrow or Friday. I want you looking over the handout and making some decisions about which topic you will be interested in. With that in mind, tomorrow you will be doing an activity we were meant to start today, but we didn't get to. You will be using the big white boards and coming up with options for the different papers. Use your time wisely and take notes.
That's it for now. Behave tomorrow.
See you soon.
We definitely had a majority of students siding with Jonas sharing similarities with Jesus. I think Lois Lowry definitely had Jesus in mind while writing this story. No they are not exact, but there are too many similarities to write it off as coincidence.
The new writing assignment is in your hands tonight. I'm sorry for the confusion--especially in period four--but nothing is DUE tomorrow or Friday. I want you looking over the handout and making some decisions about which topic you will be interested in. With that in mind, tomorrow you will be doing an activity we were meant to start today, but we didn't get to. You will be using the big white boards and coming up with options for the different papers. Use your time wisely and take notes.
That's it for now. Behave tomorrow.
See you soon.
Honors 10-30-2013
Sometimes I just get so frustrated that I just want to pull out all of my hair and scream, but then I realize that I don't have any hair, and I think about all the money I save on shampoo and all the time I save getting ready in the morning, so I just smile to myself, shrug off whatever was frustrating me and go about my day a richer and happier man.
That kind of happened to me today. As you know we had already postponed the timed writing for one day because we hadn't covered all of the necessary material. No problem. I would rather take an extra day to make sure you are all properly prepared. With that in mind, we moved the timed writing to Thursday. Then after period two today, a clever student reminded me of the assembly we are having tomorrow. Not only does it eat into period one, but it also swallows most of period two as well. UGH! We can't have a timed writing if we don't have time to write. Soooooooo we are moving the timed writing again. It will now take place on Friday. Definitely! I guarantee it! Don't doubt me! I'm not joking! It's written in rock! In blood! In Etch-a-Sketch! Wait. Scratch that last one. But you get the idea.
I hinted at the topic for the writing in periods one and two. Sorry, period six, I'm writing this before your class. I guess I better state it more clearly here, now. We've read Animal Farm by George Orwell and "The Stalin Epigram" by Osip Mandelstam. We also discussed the authors' lives. We discovered some good info about Orwell in the preface. We learned about Mandelstam from what I shared and the solid information your peers researched and shared. We know these two never met since Mandelstam lived in Russia, was in and out of prison in the 1930s, and died in 1938 while Orwell resided in England and didn't really come into his own as an author until the 1940s. That got me wondering what conversation these two would have if they had a chance to meet over lunch, a coffee, or at a party etc. Thus, your topic will be to write the conversation Osip and George (Mr. Mandelstam and Mr. Orwell?) would be engaged in if they happened to meet.
You'll need to identify a logical meeting place (I highly doubt they would run into each other while pumping iron at Gold's Gym) and create an insightful flowing conversation between the two men that reveals their stances on Stalin, the Russian Revolution, and writing in general. You'll need to be creative, but you'll also need to be sure you have a good understanding of the men based on their writings and our class discussions. You have some freedom here; however, you must be able to defend the words you put into their mouths. (Don't have Mandelstam weigh in on the Yankees chances in the World Series--neither man is American and they wouldn't understand or care about baseball). While quoted material might be difficult to insert, specific textual references are a must.
You will have Friday's class to complete this assignment. Here are a few timed writing tips that you should always fall back on regardless of the topic.
-offer an introduction
-be sure titles and authors are included in the work
-clearly develop and support your ideas in paragraphs
-offer an effective conclusion
-clean up the conventions
-write neatly/boldly
I'm out of the classroom tomorrow, but I'll see you Friday. Prepare well!
See you soon.
That kind of happened to me today. As you know we had already postponed the timed writing for one day because we hadn't covered all of the necessary material. No problem. I would rather take an extra day to make sure you are all properly prepared. With that in mind, we moved the timed writing to Thursday. Then after period two today, a clever student reminded me of the assembly we are having tomorrow. Not only does it eat into period one, but it also swallows most of period two as well. UGH! We can't have a timed writing if we don't have time to write. Soooooooo we are moving the timed writing again. It will now take place on Friday. Definitely! I guarantee it! Don't doubt me! I'm not joking! It's written in rock! In blood! In Etch-a-Sketch! Wait. Scratch that last one. But you get the idea.
I hinted at the topic for the writing in periods one and two. Sorry, period six, I'm writing this before your class. I guess I better state it more clearly here, now. We've read Animal Farm by George Orwell and "The Stalin Epigram" by Osip Mandelstam. We also discussed the authors' lives. We discovered some good info about Orwell in the preface. We learned about Mandelstam from what I shared and the solid information your peers researched and shared. We know these two never met since Mandelstam lived in Russia, was in and out of prison in the 1930s, and died in 1938 while Orwell resided in England and didn't really come into his own as an author until the 1940s. That got me wondering what conversation these two would have if they had a chance to meet over lunch, a coffee, or at a party etc. Thus, your topic will be to write the conversation Osip and George (Mr. Mandelstam and Mr. Orwell?) would be engaged in if they happened to meet.
You'll need to identify a logical meeting place (I highly doubt they would run into each other while pumping iron at Gold's Gym) and create an insightful flowing conversation between the two men that reveals their stances on Stalin, the Russian Revolution, and writing in general. You'll need to be creative, but you'll also need to be sure you have a good understanding of the men based on their writings and our class discussions. You have some freedom here; however, you must be able to defend the words you put into their mouths. (Don't have Mandelstam weigh in on the Yankees chances in the World Series--neither man is American and they wouldn't understand or care about baseball). While quoted material might be difficult to insert, specific textual references are a must.
You will have Friday's class to complete this assignment. Here are a few timed writing tips that you should always fall back on regardless of the topic.
-offer an introduction
-be sure titles and authors are included in the work
-clearly develop and support your ideas in paragraphs
-offer an effective conclusion
-clean up the conventions
-write neatly/boldly
I'm out of the classroom tomorrow, but I'll see you Friday. Prepare well!
See you soon.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Standard 10-29-2013
Okay, sorry. I seem to have gotten ahead of myself with this entry. Anyway, I'm here now. And what do you know, so are you!
We struggled today in a way I didn't think we would. There is no way we should still be having trouble using the semi-colon correctly. At some point you have to take charge of this little piece of punctuation. You need to own it. You own the multiplication tables--I hope--now own the semi-colon, gosh darn it! I was also surprised at the number of people who stumbled over combining two sentences with a coordinating conjunction. This is the type of quiz you can expect from now on. I will identify things we have gone over in class and you need to demonstrate the ability to use them correctly. Time to step up and take charge of your education. As Nelson Mandella said, "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use."
The Giver presentations aare completed but that only means that it is time for The Giver paper. You'll be getting a look at some potential topics tomorrow. Hope you are ready to write.
Speaking of writing, you did a bit of that on Jesus today. What for, you are wondering. You'll find out more tomorrow, but I want you to be thinking about the connection you see between Jesus and Jonas.
Jesus and Jonas?
That's right, Jesus and Jonas. You have to be thinking outside the box on this one. Who's feeling creative and insightful? We'll see.
And I'll see you soon.
We struggled today in a way I didn't think we would. There is no way we should still be having trouble using the semi-colon correctly. At some point you have to take charge of this little piece of punctuation. You need to own it. You own the multiplication tables--I hope--now own the semi-colon, gosh darn it! I was also surprised at the number of people who stumbled over combining two sentences with a coordinating conjunction. This is the type of quiz you can expect from now on. I will identify things we have gone over in class and you need to demonstrate the ability to use them correctly. Time to step up and take charge of your education. As Nelson Mandella said, "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use."
The Giver presentations aare completed but that only means that it is time for The Giver paper. You'll be getting a look at some potential topics tomorrow. Hope you are ready to write.
Speaking of writing, you did a bit of that on Jesus today. What for, you are wondering. You'll find out more tomorrow, but I want you to be thinking about the connection you see between Jesus and Jonas.
Jesus and Jonas?
That's right, Jesus and Jonas. You have to be thinking outside the box on this one. Who's feeling creative and insightful? We'll see.
And I'll see you soon.
Honors 10-29-2013
Thanks for all the birthday wishes today. Always nice to receive those. And in return, here is, perhaps, an answer to one of your wishes. After giving it some thought and weighing what my options are, I have decided to postpone the in-class timed writing until Thursday. We could have moved forward with a writing prompt, but it would have had to have been different from the one I was planning on giving you. This will take us a day longer, but I feel you will be better prepared for what's to come.
Great discussion today on Mendelstam's poem. Everyone was getting involved. Everyone was offering insight into the deeper meaning of the piece. As we said, not every interpretation is correct, but there is some wiggle room as long as it can be supported. Always remind yourself to read the poem at least twice. Hey, I didn't understand the poem after one read either. Comprehension takes time. Try to understand the poem in a literal sense. His fingers are worms...okay. He's surrounded by half men...okay. After you feel comfortable with that, look at how the poem might be interpreted in a metaphorical/symbolic/figurative way. Again, his fingers are worms...why worms? What do worms do? What could the worms symbolize? His fingers are always digging deeper, trying to uncover secrets, trying to wrap themselves around something...someone. Talk your way through it. Break the poem up into chunks. Notice how I asked what certain parts meant: the ten paces; the Kremlin Mountaineer; the chicken-necked bosses. If I tried to understand all that at once, I would be overwhelmed. Small steps work.
I say all this not just for this poem, but also for other poems in the future that you will have to interpret on your own. You need to go into your analysis of a poem with a plan. Otherwise, you will get frustrated and give up before giving yourself a fair chance.
Back to the writing topic...As I said earlier, we didn't really get far enough to write tomorrow. Instead, we will take a quick look at the end of the poem. I'll share some background on Mendelstam. (What can you bring to this conversation? I'd love to sign some Archer cards tomorrow for any tidbits of info on him.) We'll compare the poem and Animal Farm. I have an intriguing quote from Mendelstam I want to discuss with you. Here it is:
-“I do not know how it is elsewhere, but here, in this country, poetry is a healing, life-giving thing, and people have not lost the gift of being able to drink of its inner strength. People can be killed for poetry here, —a sign of unparalleled respect —because they are still capable of living by it.”
We'll go over some MUST-DOs for ANY timed writing. I might even share the timed writing topic tomorrow....hmmmm....Finally, if time permits, we will start watching the Animal Farm video. No, it's not just for fun. We'll be doing some writing over it. Hey, it's one of the Common Core State Standards. See below:
You can already guess what you'll be writing about there.
One more thing. Keep in mind those Laws of Quote Insertion we went over today. Recite them in front of the mirror. Ingrain them in your brain. Refer to them when writing papers of any length. If you think about HOW you insert a quote instead of just inserting a quote, your writing will improve.
See you soon. I have some birthday cake to eat.
Great discussion today on Mendelstam's poem. Everyone was getting involved. Everyone was offering insight into the deeper meaning of the piece. As we said, not every interpretation is correct, but there is some wiggle room as long as it can be supported. Always remind yourself to read the poem at least twice. Hey, I didn't understand the poem after one read either. Comprehension takes time. Try to understand the poem in a literal sense. His fingers are worms...okay. He's surrounded by half men...okay. After you feel comfortable with that, look at how the poem might be interpreted in a metaphorical/symbolic/figurative way. Again, his fingers are worms...why worms? What do worms do? What could the worms symbolize? His fingers are always digging deeper, trying to uncover secrets, trying to wrap themselves around something...someone. Talk your way through it. Break the poem up into chunks. Notice how I asked what certain parts meant: the ten paces; the Kremlin Mountaineer; the chicken-necked bosses. If I tried to understand all that at once, I would be overwhelmed. Small steps work.
I say all this not just for this poem, but also for other poems in the future that you will have to interpret on your own. You need to go into your analysis of a poem with a plan. Otherwise, you will get frustrated and give up before giving yourself a fair chance.
Back to the writing topic...As I said earlier, we didn't really get far enough to write tomorrow. Instead, we will take a quick look at the end of the poem. I'll share some background on Mendelstam. (What can you bring to this conversation? I'd love to sign some Archer cards tomorrow for any tidbits of info on him.) We'll compare the poem and Animal Farm. I have an intriguing quote from Mendelstam I want to discuss with you. Here it is:
-“I do not know how it is elsewhere, but here, in this country, poetry is a healing, life-giving thing, and people have not lost the gift of being able to drink of its inner strength. People can be killed for poetry here, —a sign of unparalleled respect —because they are still capable of living by it.”
We'll go over some MUST-DOs for ANY timed writing. I might even share the timed writing topic tomorrow....hmmmm....Finally, if time permits, we will start watching the Animal Farm video. No, it's not just for fun. We'll be doing some writing over it. Hey, it's one of the Common Core State Standards. See below:
One more thing. Keep in mind those Laws of Quote Insertion we went over today. Recite them in front of the mirror. Ingrain them in your brain. Refer to them when writing papers of any length. If you think about HOW you insert a quote instead of just inserting a quote, your writing will improve.
See you soon. I have some birthday cake to eat.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Standard 10-28-2013
Now this has been a relaxing three days. I can't believe I still have another day to enjoy. I trust you are all doing the same: relaxing and enjoying your free time. Because you know what's coming...
Report cards. Well, the end of the grading period was last Wednesday, and our grades are do by the end of the day Tuesday which means you'll probably get the cards on Friday. Then, it's a clean slate for everyone. We all have an A as far as I'm concerned. What will you do to keep it?
After a little Tool Time, we'll wrap up our Giver presentations, but we won't be finished yet with the book. Nope, instead this will be the first thing you can focus on doing well for second quarter. You see, we will be doing some writing over the text. I have quite the assortment of topics and we'll be taking a closer look at these over the next day or two. Then it'll be decision time for you. What will you write about in depth?
Once our writing is finished, we will jump into a variety of nonfiction reads. There's a lot going on in the world. So many topics to choose to read about. I already have a handful of articles but am keeping my eyes open for other high interest articles for you. If you see a good nonfiction story you want to know more about, let me know, and I'll see what I can find.
For now, enjoy the rest of the day. Tomorrow will be here before you know it.
See you soon.
Report cards. Well, the end of the grading period was last Wednesday, and our grades are do by the end of the day Tuesday which means you'll probably get the cards on Friday. Then, it's a clean slate for everyone. We all have an A as far as I'm concerned. What will you do to keep it?
After a little Tool Time, we'll wrap up our Giver presentations, but we won't be finished yet with the book. Nope, instead this will be the first thing you can focus on doing well for second quarter. You see, we will be doing some writing over the text. I have quite the assortment of topics and we'll be taking a closer look at these over the next day or two. Then it'll be decision time for you. What will you write about in depth?
Once our writing is finished, we will jump into a variety of nonfiction reads. There's a lot going on in the world. So many topics to choose to read about. I already have a handful of articles but am keeping my eyes open for other high interest articles for you. If you see a good nonfiction story you want to know more about, let me know, and I'll see what I can find.
For now, enjoy the rest of the day. Tomorrow will be here before you know it.
See you soon.
Honors 10-28-2013
Rejuvenating. That's what my four days have been. I've napped, watched football, and even had the chance to read two books! I could get used to this. I hope you can say the same.
First quarter grades become official tomorrow afternoon. And with that, we start the second quarter. While this quarter will place a stronger emphasis on nonfiction writing, we first need to wrap up our Animal Farm unit. With that in mind, we'll spend most of Tuesday looking at "The Stalin Epigram", analyzing it on its own and tying it to the novel. On Wednesday you can expect an in-class timed writing over the two pieces. I might even throw a picture in the mix to spice up the writing (and the thinking) a bit.
I'm out of the class Thursday to meet with other language arts teachers in the building. It could be a good day to check out the Animal Farm film. If that is what we end up doing, you are going to want to take good notes; we won't watch a film unless we'll be writing about it after. Hint. Hint.
Once that is all concluded, there will be a wave of nonfiction articles. A nonfiction book we will be looking at together this quarter will be Warriors Don't Cry. You will all also be expected to read a nonfiction book of your choice (approved by me) outside of class. Yes, yes, there will be an assessment tied to the outside reading, don't worry. You can start thinking about/finding titles now, and I'll share more information on this in the near future.
You still have a nice looking day in front of you. Go out and enjoy yourself.
See you soon.
First quarter grades become official tomorrow afternoon. And with that, we start the second quarter. While this quarter will place a stronger emphasis on nonfiction writing, we first need to wrap up our Animal Farm unit. With that in mind, we'll spend most of Tuesday looking at "The Stalin Epigram", analyzing it on its own and tying it to the novel. On Wednesday you can expect an in-class timed writing over the two pieces. I might even throw a picture in the mix to spice up the writing (and the thinking) a bit.
I'm out of the class Thursday to meet with other language arts teachers in the building. It could be a good day to check out the Animal Farm film. If that is what we end up doing, you are going to want to take good notes; we won't watch a film unless we'll be writing about it after. Hint. Hint.
Once that is all concluded, there will be a wave of nonfiction articles. A nonfiction book we will be looking at together this quarter will be Warriors Don't Cry. You will all also be expected to read a nonfiction book of your choice (approved by me) outside of class. Yes, yes, there will be an assessment tied to the outside reading, don't worry. You can start thinking about/finding titles now, and I'll share more information on this in the near future.
You still have a nice looking day in front of you. Go out and enjoy yourself.
See you soon.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Honors 10-22-2013
Good to get the presentations under way. I liked a lot of what we saw today. Great insight on the naming of the animals in period 2, the fairy tale qualities of the book in period 1, and I learned that from now on if we need a reader in period one, I'll be choosing Gabbe Besse. That girl could make the tax code sound engaging.
Couple key points to remember based on today's presentations.
Eye contact. Seems I need to repeat this over and over again. Look at your audience. This is not a reading; it's a presentation. Know your material well enough to speak to us not read to us.
Emphasize your main point. When you are finished presenting, the class should be able to identify your main idea/theme/central point. Make sure they can by stressing it wholeheartedly.
One thing I can commend is the enthusiasm people are showing. Even the people who are usually shy and quiet are putting forth a little extra effort. They may not be stage ready, but they are trying.
Tomorrow we will wrap up the presentations and look at the preface. We'll also figure out why we are looking at the preface.
See you soon.
Couple key points to remember based on today's presentations.
Eye contact. Seems I need to repeat this over and over again. Look at your audience. This is not a reading; it's a presentation. Know your material well enough to speak to us not read to us.
Emphasize your main point. When you are finished presenting, the class should be able to identify your main idea/theme/central point. Make sure they can by stressing it wholeheartedly.
One thing I can commend is the enthusiasm people are showing. Even the people who are usually shy and quiet are putting forth a little extra effort. They may not be stage ready, but they are trying.
Tomorrow we will wrap up the presentations and look at the preface. We'll also figure out why we are looking at the preface.
See you soon.
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