Period six finished their debates and presentations...finally. Now they will be catching up with the rest of the classes as we are all moving on to the new Civil Rights unit.
We'll be taking a quiz over active and passive voice this week.
We'll be reviewing and strengthening our understanding of anaphora.
We'll also be reading about the Martin Luther King Holiday in the coming days.
Sometime next week we will start reading Warriors Don't Cry. That reading will be supplemented with a variety of articles sure to inspire fantastic dialogue. Time to get those discussion caps on.
Let's go!
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Monday, January 12, 2015
Moving Forward
We completed presentations and debates today, and I'm over halfway through with the grading of the author's craft essays. Sounds like we are ready to start something new.
That's exactly what we will do starting tomorrow. Period one (who finished their presentations last week) got a bit of a jump on the rest of the classes.
They sharpened their knowledge of active and passive voice in preparation for a quiz later this week.
They also learned all about anaphora. Not sure what it is? You'll find out soon.
Finally, we got a glimpse at their knowledge on the Civil Rights Movement which will be central to our readings, discussions and studies over the coming weeks.
On top of this, you'll be getting new seats and partners soon.
We are shifting geers! Let's start out fast and furious.
That's exactly what we will do starting tomorrow. Period one (who finished their presentations last week) got a bit of a jump on the rest of the classes.
They sharpened their knowledge of active and passive voice in preparation for a quiz later this week.
They also learned all about anaphora. Not sure what it is? You'll find out soon.
Finally, we got a glimpse at their knowledge on the Civil Rights Movement which will be central to our readings, discussions and studies over the coming weeks.
On top of this, you'll be getting new seats and partners soon.
We are shifting geers! Let's start out fast and furious.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
If you are reading this right now, we are having a snow day and you need to complete your language arts elearning. To access the assignment you need to go to the elearning page on the PHM website.
Here is a quick link to make it easier for you.
You'll be reading an article called "Protect Your Privacy Online" and answering some questions.
Email me if you need any help.
Here is a quick link to make it easier for you.
You'll be reading an article called "Protect Your Privacy Online" and answering some questions.
Email me if you need any help.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Active and Passive Voice
Honors and Standard: Today in both classes we looked at the differences between active and passive voice. We realized that the active voice is preferred because it emphasizes the main part of the sentence doing the action and makes for a clearer and more effective sentence. Quick, which sentence written below is active and which one is passive?
After a long, hard workout, I came home and chugged the water by the refrigerator.
After a long, hard workout, the water by the refrigerator was chugged by me.
Let me know which one you identified as active voice tomorrow, and I'll give you a Tootsie Roll.
Here's a link to the presentation you saw in class today.
We also continued to wrap up our debates and presentations (period one is finished!). We'll complete some more tomorrow and hopefully are completely finished by Thursday. These presentations should be amazing considering all the extra time you've had to prepare.
I also shared with several of you that the compare/contrast paper will be moved to later in the third quarter and be written over completely different material. No more "Treasure of Lemon Brown" or "The Bet" or "The Monkey's Paw". Good stories, but it's time to move on. Since this tended to be met with cheers, I assume you agree with me.
See you all tomorrow.
After a long, hard workout, I came home and chugged the water by the refrigerator.
After a long, hard workout, the water by the refrigerator was chugged by me.
Let me know which one you identified as active voice tomorrow, and I'll give you a Tootsie Roll.
Here's a link to the presentation you saw in class today.
We also continued to wrap up our debates and presentations (period one is finished!). We'll complete some more tomorrow and hopefully are completely finished by Thursday. These presentations should be amazing considering all the extra time you've had to prepare.
I also shared with several of you that the compare/contrast paper will be moved to later in the third quarter and be written over completely different material. No more "Treasure of Lemon Brown" or "The Bet" or "The Monkey's Paw". Good stories, but it's time to move on. Since this tended to be met with cheers, I assume you agree with me.
See you all tomorrow.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Craft Paper Submissions
Honors: Today we revisited our winter break fun. I collected the final copies of the author craft essays. We also listened to several presentations. Tomorrow we will hear a few more presentations/debates with the hope of completing all of them on Wednesday. I'll spend a bit of time on the difference between active and passive voice tomorrow as well. It's a concept most of you are unaware of, but one that will improve your writing. It also happens to show up on the acuity and ISTEP tests, so it's always good to be prepared.
Standard: We also revisited our winter break fun, but then we spent the rest of the class trying to polish up the author craft essays. I reminded you of:
-the need for a catchy title
-the requirements of the introduction: hook, synopsis, claim
-stating your arguments at the beginning of each paragraph
-using quotes from the text for support
-citing those quotes correctly
-closing each paragraph by returning to the claim
-the requirements of the closing paragraph: restated claim, a brief summary of arguments, a pow or jolt or cohesive closing.
I'll be collecting those papers tomorrow. After that, we will listen to the presentations and debates that have not yet been shared.
See you later.
Standard: We also revisited our winter break fun, but then we spent the rest of the class trying to polish up the author craft essays. I reminded you of:
-the need for a catchy title
-the requirements of the introduction: hook, synopsis, claim
-stating your arguments at the beginning of each paragraph
-using quotes from the text for support
-citing those quotes correctly
-closing each paragraph by returning to the claim
-the requirements of the closing paragraph: restated claim, a brief summary of arguments, a pow or jolt or cohesive closing.
I'll be collecting those papers tomorrow. After that, we will listen to the presentations and debates that have not yet been shared.
See you later.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Enjoy Your Break!
Happy Holidays to everyone. Enjoy your time away from school.
BUT...once the holidays are over, and if you chose to wait until after break to present or debate, make sure to spend some time preparing for those presentations and debates.
Honors students: if you chose to hand your paper in after break, remember it is due Monday, January 5.
Standard students: you should have a polished rough draft in class on Monday, January 5.
Until next year...
BUT...once the holidays are over, and if you chose to wait until after break to present or debate, make sure to spend some time preparing for those presentations and debates.
Honors students: if you chose to hand your paper in after break, remember it is due Monday, January 5.
Standard students: you should have a polished rough draft in class on Monday, January 5.
Until next year...
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Final Drafts Tomorrow...Maybe
Honors: After talking about transitions and doing a little more editing and revising today, you have the option of turning in the final copy of the author's craft essay either Friday, December 19, 2014 or Monday, January 5, 2015. No penalty either way. Just have a hard copy printed off the day you are going to submit it. Look over the rubric one more time (or a dozen) to be sure your paper is as strong as it can be.
Standard: We talked about introductions today. I want everyone to write an introduction that opens with a hook, offers a brief synopsis and then finishes with the claim. This is not the only way to write an introduction but it is the only way I want you to write this introduction. Tomorrow you should have a complete dog draft in class for examination. Some of you have a bit of work to do tonight. The more you have prepared for editing tomorrow, the better off you will be.
One more day and then you can rest a bit.
Until next time...
Standard: We talked about introductions today. I want everyone to write an introduction that opens with a hook, offers a brief synopsis and then finishes with the claim. This is not the only way to write an introduction but it is the only way I want you to write this introduction. Tomorrow you should have a complete dog draft in class for examination. Some of you have a bit of work to do tonight. The more you have prepared for editing tomorrow, the better off you will be.
One more day and then you can rest a bit.
Until next time...
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Two Days To Go
Honors: Keep polishing. You looked more closely at the rough drafts today with a little peer editing. Tonight you should be reexamining, refining, and revising the author's craft essays. Make them as strong as can be. Tomorrow we will talk about transitions, have a little more editing/writing time and be ready to polish up our drafts tomorrow evening.
Standard: Keep writing. You should have three full body paragraphs typed up once you enter school tomorrow. I'll go over the introduction expectations tomorrow in class. You'll also have a little more writing time to put those instructions into practice. Be ready to have a complete dog draft in class by Friday.
Until next time...
Standard: Keep writing. You should have three full body paragraphs typed up once you enter school tomorrow. I'll go over the introduction expectations tomorrow in class. You'll also have a little more writing time to put those instructions into practice. Be ready to have a complete dog draft in class by Friday.
Until next time...
Monday, December 15, 2014
A Couple Helpful Links
Here is the rubric for the Author's Craft Essay.
Here is the link to the Author's Craft Sample Page
Today we worked on claims in the standard class and conclusions in the honors class.
The standard class learned that the claim should have the title, author, technique and goal mentioned in it.
The honors were reminded that the conclusion should restate the claim, remind the reader of the key arguments and then end with a cohesive ending or a jolt or a call to action or a surprising twist or a clever ending or a thoughtful statement or some other creative and effective form of closure.
The homework for the standard class consists of writing a claim and then writing one body paragraph.
The homework for the honors class consists of having a complete rough draft ready to be edited tomorrow in class.
Four more days!
Until next time...
Here is the link to the Author's Craft Sample Page
Today we worked on claims in the standard class and conclusions in the honors class.
The standard class learned that the claim should have the title, author, technique and goal mentioned in it.
The honors were reminded that the conclusion should restate the claim, remind the reader of the key arguments and then end with a cohesive ending or a jolt or a call to action or a surprising twist or a clever ending or a thoughtful statement or some other creative and effective form of closure.
The homework for the standard class consists of writing a claim and then writing one body paragraph.
The homework for the honors class consists of having a complete rough draft ready to be edited tomorrow in class.
Four more days!
Until next time...
Friday, December 12, 2014
Author Craft Progress...Slow
We need block scheduling!
There. I said it. Hopefully something will be changed next week. If not, we'll have to deal with the status quo for a bit longer.
Until then, we'll continue packing our days with presentations/debates, lessons, writing, conferring, sharing and discussing.
Today we did many of those in the honors classes. Our main focus was on sharing claims, writing introductions and discussing the process of writing and revisions. Our claims sounded pretty strong for the most part. For the introductions you need to be thinking about
The Hook
The Context
The Claim
I showed you a few examples of my own which is where the discussion of writing and revision came in.
This weekend be sure to polish those body paragraphs and write an introduction (or three). We'll have a complete draft in class for Tuesday.
In the standard classes our focus is still on exploring the stories for worthwhile topics to write about. remember, you need to write about a technique the author uses AND THEN EXPLAIN why he used it. What was the purpose of his decision to use that technique?
This weekend I want you to write 1-2 more pages on a specific craft move and the way the author uses it and how you see it developed in the story. You are still exploring and not essaying, but you should be narrowing your focus. On Monday we will identify claims for our papers and start writing the complete essays.
Until next time...
There. I said it. Hopefully something will be changed next week. If not, we'll have to deal with the status quo for a bit longer.
Until then, we'll continue packing our days with presentations/debates, lessons, writing, conferring, sharing and discussing.
Today we did many of those in the honors classes. Our main focus was on sharing claims, writing introductions and discussing the process of writing and revisions. Our claims sounded pretty strong for the most part. For the introductions you need to be thinking about
The Hook
The Context
The Claim
I showed you a few examples of my own which is where the discussion of writing and revision came in.
This weekend be sure to polish those body paragraphs and write an introduction (or three). We'll have a complete draft in class for Tuesday.
In the standard classes our focus is still on exploring the stories for worthwhile topics to write about. remember, you need to write about a technique the author uses AND THEN EXPLAIN why he used it. What was the purpose of his decision to use that technique?
This weekend I want you to write 1-2 more pages on a specific craft move and the way the author uses it and how you see it developed in the story. You are still exploring and not essaying, but you should be narrowing your focus. On Monday we will identify claims for our papers and start writing the complete essays.
Until next time...
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