Archives

Welcome to the Archives page. Here you can find all the Homework page entries from previous months.

Thursday, May 31

Please check St. Score and make sure the grades you see are the ones you think you should have. I will not grade or accept any work submitted after June 8.

For Monday, please do the following:

List 25-30 details from your book that you might include in your sonnet (you will not end up using all of these)
Match the 10 cliches that you rewrote earlier to 10 of the details that you listed
Match 10 of the vocabulary words (there are 55 of them) to 10 of the details you listed
Match the 3 puns that you wrote about to 3 of the details you listed
Match the 2 allusions you chose to 2 of the details you listed

Use any of the above to help you write your sonnet. Work on the sonnet this weekend. You will also have Monday in class to write the sonnet.

On Wednesday June 6, you will do your final reflection and peer feedback.

On Friday June 8, any student who is not yet finished must come to my room during the English exam time and finish their work.

The latest you can submit work is Friday June 8 at 11:59 pm. I will not regrade or count anything that is turned in after that.

Tuesday, May 29

There was no class today (except for Block 6), due to the SABER 9. However, here are a couple of things about Thursday.

Bring your books: the book you are reading that shares themes with Romeo and Juliet. I will be asking you to list 25-30 details from the story. These are details you MIGHT use in your sonnet. You can do this work in advance if you wish!
If you are a “computer person”… bring a laptop if you can. There are no laptops available from the EVL. Otherwise you will have to do the work on paper, take a picture of it and post it to your blog. We have a LOT of things to do Thursday. If you prefer working electronically… bring your own device!! (BYOD).

Friday, May 25

Please use This guide to puns and allusions and follow the 2 sets of instructions in purple.

What’s due on Monday May 28 at 11:59 PM?

an explanation of 3 puns/3 allusions that you found in Romeo & Juliet
an explanation of how the 3 puns would fit into your book (rewrite them if necessary so they “work” for your book)
a parallel, modern-day allusion for each of the 3 allusions you found (ie, Cupid= Match.com or Jove= Bill Gates)
an explanation of how TWO of the allusions (from your list of 6) would fit with your book

Please keep up/get caught up this weekend. We do not have class on Tuesday (except Block 6 at the end of the day), due to the Saber 9.

Wednesday, May 23

NOTE!

No work for Romeo and Juliet will be accepted after June 8.
There is no final exam for this class. All work must be completed by June 8.

What we did today:

Briefly went over PUNS and ALLUSIONS.

Students read the following (no need to take notes– but read carefully):

Notes on puns and allusions (also this powerpoint on allusions)
This guide to puns and allusions (word document)

Watched the first ~40 minutes of the movie. Before next class, please do the following:

Choose 3 puns from the above readings or select others from the play and briefly explain them. Do the same for 3 allusions.

Friday, May 18

Today we watched two more videos about sonnets as a review; click here and here if you want to view them again.

What’s due next Monday May 21st at 11:59 PM?

Notes on “How to Write a Sonnet” YouTube video
3 sonnets from Romeo and Juliet, copied and labeled for rhyme scheme
3 sonnets from other sources (can be by Shakespeares or other poets), copied and labeled for rhyme scheme
a paragraph summarizing the difference between the first 3 quatrains and the final couplet of any sonnet you found and labeled. Click here for an example.

You should be done reading Acts II and III by today.

Wednesday, May 16

Today we watched this YouTube video about sonnets (period 2… you will need to view it on your own). Students took notes on it, then continued to work on the assignments that were already checked (check St. Score to see your grades so far), or on the new assignments, due next Monday May 21st at 11:59 PM:

Notes on video
3 sonnets from Romeo and Juliet, copied and labeled for rhyme scheme
3 sonnets from other sources (can be by Shakespeares or other poets), copied and labeled for rhyme scheme

IMPORTANT: For each sonnet, read through it several times and make sure you understand what it is about.

Monday, May 14

What we did in class today:

Today we listened to II,i and ii as well as the Prologue for II. You need to read the rest of II and all of III by Friday May 18.
Students shared the cliches that apply to their book and to Romeo and Juliet.

What is due by 11:59 PM tonight?

Notes on Shakespearean verbs and use of thee/thou etc
10 cliches rewritten using Shakespearean verbs and thee/thou etc
Rank the 10 cliches (from step 2) in order from most to least favorite, or most to least user-friendly
Identify ONE cliche that applies to both your novel and to Romeo and Juliet. Write a paragraph explaining how it applies.

Remember that you can also redo previous work that was missing or had not yet earned a “4”… I will recheck everything starting tomorrow morning!

Thursday, May 10

What we did today:

We reviewed the rules for using thee/thou etc and the rules for verbs in Shakespearean times. Please use this quick guide as a reminder of what you need to know.
I explained the next set of steps, which will be due Monday, May 14 at 11:59 PM (at that time I will also recheck work that was due Monday May 7… so if something was missing, or you got less than a 4 on anything, you can improve it and I will change your grade at that time).

The next steps (due Monday May 14) are:

Notes on Shakespearean verbs and use of thee/thou etc
10 cliches rewritten using Shakespearean verbs and thee/thou etc
Rank the 10 cliches (from step 2) in order from most to least favorite, or most to least user-friendly
Identify ONE cliche that applies to both your novel and to Romeo and Juliet. Write a paragraph explaining how it applies.

Remember that you need to finish reading Act I by Friday May 11.

Tuesday, May 8

What we did today:

Today students took notes from two websites (click here and here to view), and also went over this document, in order to understand verbs and pronouns in Shakespeare’s time.

What is due next Monday May 14?

The notes you took in class today on Shakespearean verbs and pronouns, and
Ten of the cliche restatements, rewritten in Shakespearean language

… and finally, don’t forget that by Friday May 11, you need to be finished reading Act I of Romeo and Juliet.

Friday, May 4

What we did today:

Listened to Act I, scene i (I,i) and discussed cliches– specifically, cliches that were coined by Shakespeare.

What you need to do:

Click on Cliches from William Shakespeare and read it. Every underlined phrase is a Shakespearean cliche. You need to look them up (can do this in groups and split up the list), and then restate each cliche in your own words (do not just copy/paste definitions from the internet).

What’s due on Tuesday when you walk in to class:

Sentences about your self-selected novel, using each vocabulary word (all 55 of them… can use 2, 3, or more words in each sentence), and
Restatement of each cliche, in your own words.

This work can be on your blog OR you can turn it in on paper… please decide if you are a “paper person” or a “blog person” for this unit.

And finally…

Grades for Collection Final Assessment projects are done. Your grade is what it is. You cannot raise the grade any more. Please check your score and make sure you understand why you got that grade. Thank you.

Wednesday, May 2

What we did today:

A “pass-add” activity with Romeo and Juliet vocabulary. If you missed it… be sure you read the posters carefully to familiarize yourself with the words.

What was assigned for HW:

Write sentences about your self-selected novel (the one you chose prior to spring break, that shares themes with Romeo and Juliet). Each sentence must contain a vocabulary word from the pass-add activity (click here for the link to the words). Yes… there are 55 words. Do you have to write 55 sentences? Not necessarily, but you must use all of the words. If you use 2 words per sentence, you could write 27-28 sentences. If you use 3 words per sentence, that would be 18-19 sentences. Your choice! But please use all 55 words and make the words stand out by bolding, coloring, CAPITALIZING, or in some way differentiating them from the other words in each sentence.

Please review the Romeo and Juliet page to see the schedule for reading the play (those of you who do not have a book, click here for an online copy).

Additional important information:

Check St. Score for your grade on the Collection Final Assessment. If anything is marked as missing, or has a grade of less than 4, please fix it by FRIDAY MORNING. That is when I will recheck all work. The grade you get at that time is the grade you are stuck with… so please complete this assignment prior to coming to class on Friday.

Friday, April 27

Finish your Collection Final Assessment project. I will be checking them this weekend. If I look at yours and it is incomplete, I will mark it as “missing” in the gradebook. When you complete it, you can email me and I will check it again (no penalty or interest).

Remember to finish your “Romeo and Juliet”-like book this weekend. Review it if you finished it a while ago. We will begin the new unit on Wed. May 2.

Wednesday, April 25

Please check Standard Score and notify me of any errors in the Grammar, Vocabulary, & Facebook unit. If you see something marked as “missing” and you have done it, you need to show it to me.

Think about and work on the “Collection Final Assessment” assignment. It is due Friday at the end of class. Click on the blogpage (linked below) to see the instructions.

Monday, April 23

Today students worked on the final reflection and peer feedback steps of the Grammar, Vocabulary & Facebook project. Those are due on Tuesday April 24 at 11:59 pm at the latest. See the Grammar, Vocabulary & Facebook page for the instructions (indicated in purple in the list of activities).

For next class: Please review the instructions on the Collection Final Assessment page and come prepared on Wednesday (with old checklists or other resources you believe might help you). You will only have two days to complete this assignment!

Thursday, April 18

Q: What’s due when you walk into class on Monday?

A: Your final Facebook project… incorporating 5 grammar rules (please include the rule # after you demonstrate it) and 10 vocabulary words. Also, any other work related to this unit (listed on the board or highlighted in pink on the Grammar, Vocabulary & Facebook page). Can be work that was missing before or that you have improved for a better grade.

This is the last time I will check for this work… so if anything is currently marked as missing or has a score of less than 4 (and you would like to change that), please do so before you walk into class on Monday!

Q: What are we doing in class on Monday?

A: You will do the FINAL REFLECTION and PEER FEEDBACK steps of the Facebook project. If you do not finish in class, you will finish for HW… due Tuesday April 24 at 11:59 PM.

Friday, April 13

Today I explained the idea boards and reviewed how you will be graded (on 3 benchmarks) for the Grammar-Vocabulary-Facebook unit. Make sure you understand how this works!! Also be aware that there is no late option for this project– whatever you have completed on Monday April 23 (when you walk in to class), is what will be graded.

On Monday April 16 I will check your blogs (or, if you are doing the work on paper, you can give it to me Monday at conferences OR Tuesday in class– put it in the blue basket) for the following:

24 sentences and 24 comments on the Wiki (please copy/paste them from the Wiki to your blog or word document)
5 paragraphs- one about each Facebook “friend” you have chosen for your project (remember that one of the friends should probably be Jonathan Edwards)
Explanation of 10 of the items on your idea board– what types of comments or other Facebook interactions do they represent?

When I am checking for the above work, I will also check previous work (listed on the board) that was missing or did not receive a “4″– so make sure everything is up-to-date (check Standard Score if you are unsure!).

If you need to see a list of what’s been graded so far, check the Grammar, Vocabulary & Facebook page. Activities shown in pink (in the charts) are the ones that will be checked and graded on Monday April 16.

Wednesday, April 11

By Friday, please decide who will be your central character for the Facebook assignment. You should also start thinking about who his or her “friends” will be (can be fictitious or real, historical, celebrity, etc). You must write a paragraph about each “friend” and his/her connection to the central character.Paragraphs are due Monday (along with the 24 Wikispaces sentences and 24 comments).

IMPORTANT: if you have redone or made up any work from Q3, you must notify me by email. Otherwise, I won’t know that I’m supposed to look at it and change your grade.

Monday, April 9

Please read the entry for Thursday March 29 (below) if you have not done so already. Then check St. Score and make sure you have notified me of missing work that’s been made up or work that you redid to raise your grade. If you don’t tell me about it, I can’t grade it.

For homework, please keep working on your Wiki sentences and comments for peers. These are dueMonday April 16 at 11:59 PM. There are no classes on that day (due to 3-way conferences), but your work must be completed by then.

Thursday, March 29

CWW projects are DONE and grades are IN. If you do not like your grade, and want to improve it, you will have to do the missing work, then the interest, and email me when it’s finalized. Please see theRaising the Grade page for information on interest. And remember, the quarter ends tomorrow… so I cannot guarantee that your redo’s will be counted on your third quarter grade… but it will help you on your second SEMESTER grade. The last day for redoing work on the CWW project will be April 27th.

Meanwhile, we are moving on to the Wikispaces grammar and vocabulary work. Please look for the email from Wikispaces and join the SV Agreement Wiki. Read the instructions and begin doing your sentences/comments. This work is due on your blog (copy/paste your sentences) on Monday April 16 (17th if you are doing the work on paper).

Your CWW video needs to be on your Google sites website by today. I will be checking for these and giving you a grade for doing it, so just do it.

Many people have not turned in their grammar pretest, notes, packet, and final tests yet. This work is overdue but you can still get credit for it. Please bring it in ASAP.

Tuesday, March 27

What was due today?

Grammar: pretest, packet, notes from the powerpoint, and final test with a new sentence, applying the same rule that was being tested on a particular question, for each wrong answer. All of these things will be turned in on PAPER, except the notes– those can be on your blog if you prefer.

CWW: The final reflection is due.

What did we do today?

Students set up their wiki accounts (if they had not done so earlier). Check your email for an invitation from Wikispaces (it was resent to you today). Click on the link and create an account. You will then be added as an editor to the SV AGREEMENT WIKI.

Then they began adding sentences and comments to the Wiki. Please read the instructions on the Home page carefully before you begin. This work will be due on Monday April 16 at 11:59 PM.

What needs to be completed by next class?

Please add your CWW digital story project to your GOOGLE SITES Website. It can be embedded or linked. I will be checking for that on Thursday. It should be done before you come to class on Thursday.

Friday, March 23

What’s due when you walk into class on Tuesday?

HINT: Go to the interactive exercise linked here, and you will notice it is your test in an interactive format. You can get the answers and explanations by doing the exercise online. This will help you to write sentences.

CWW: The final reflection is due. The questions are on the CWW page. Scroll aaaaallllllll the way to the bottom of the page. Put your responses on your blog if that is where your other CWW work is.

All other CWW work was due TODAY (actually it was due March 14 and 16, but I checked it all today). If you have items marked as missing, you are stuck with the grade that you have. If you want to change that grade, please visit the “Raising the Grade” page.

Other Important Information:

I was not able to reserve laptops for next week. If you depend on having a laptop to do your work, please plan to bring your own.
We will go to the library next week to check out a book. The book will relate to our upcoming “Romeo and Juliet” unit. More information soon…
You might want to review the instructions on the class Wiki. We will begin using the Wiki next week. Make sure you know how to access it.

Some Humor for You if You Read This Far:

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER : To get to the other side.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives called into question.

MOSES: And God came down from the Heavens, and He said unto the chicken, “Thou shalt cross the road.” And the chicken crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing.

MACHIAVELLI: The point is that the chicken crossed the road. Who cares why? The end of crossing the road justifies whatever motive there was.

BILL GATES: I have just released the new Chicken Office 2000, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book.

DARWIN: Chickens, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in such a way that they are now genetically disposed to cross roads.

BUDDHA : Asking this question denies your own chicken nature.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain.

COLONEL SANDERS: I missed one?

Wednesday, March 21

Pay attention to the following deadlines. They are firm and no late work will be accepted after they have passed (the end of the quarter is coming!!):

1. CWW work that was due March 14 or 16 (will be checked again on Mar. 23= final time):

Notes on digital storytelling/ 7 elements of digital stories
Purpose and description/evaluation of text, images, and sound in 6 Amazon videos
Mindmap and list of 10 possible images, text, and sound to use in your video
Storyboard, script, video

CWW work to finish in class on Friday March 23:

Final reflection (I will give you the writing prompt in class)

2. Grammar, Vocabulary, and Facebook Activities

Due Feb. 24 (to be checked again on Friday March 23):

5 words to describe J. Edwards’ voice in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” plus evidence for each word
screen shots of speller, Learn or Space Race, and final test on Quizlet for SSAT words
5 sentences about “Sinners…God” using an SSAT word in each sentence

Work that is due Friday, March 23:

Grammar pretest and packet- bring paper copies to class!
Notes from the powerpoint on subject-verb agreement (Go to the presentations page and scroll down to the Subject-Verb Agreement powerpoint)
Grammar S-V agreement final test (with an additional example for each incorrect answer)– We will do the test and the corrections in class on Friday!

Monday, March 12

Today your Grammar, Vocab, & Facebook activities were checked. They will be rechecked in about 2 weeks, so if you were missing anything or had less than a 4 on anything, now is the time to fix it. You can’t get a 4 for the benchmark if you do not have a 4 on all the activities leading up to the benchmark… so complete your work carefully.

On Wednesday March 14 I will check your CWW work up to the mindmap and “lists of 10.” Please check the board for the complete list.

After you finish the CWW final product, work on your grammar pretest and packet. Additional instructions were emailed to you today. Do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions.

Thursday, March 8

The vocabulary, grammar, & Facebook activities that were originally due today will now be collected on Monday, March 12. Scroll down to the entry for Feb. 23 to see a list of what’s due. Please check your work and make sure you have done “4″ quality work on these assignments. If you were doing them on paper, make sure they are printed out when you come to class on Monday.

Today in class we watched 3 more videos (listed below) and commented on their dramatic question, use of TEXT, IMAGES, and SOUND. So now you should have a list or a chart of comments about 6 videos. The video #’s are 2,3,4,5,6 & 7 (as listed on the CWW page). Here are the 3 videos we watched today:

In addition to comments on the 6 videos, you need to make a list of 10 POSSIBLE IMAGES to include, 10 POSSIBLE SOUNDS to include and 10 POSSIBLE FACTS for your video.

For Monday, make a mindmap, using either paper and tips from a website such as this one,. OR a digital tool such as Popplet, LinoIt, or Spiderscribe. Watch this video to see some tips on mindmapping. For iPad users, search for free or low-cost apps in the app store.

The mindmap must include the following:

a dramatic question
the point of view you will use (1st or 3rd person)
the intended audience (if you haven’t decided, then list your options)
3 words describing the kind of voice you wish to convey in your story
descriptions and ideas for the text, images, and soundtrack (you can use some of the ideas that you brainstormed from your “list of 10″).

All of the above will be due on Wed. March 14. Although I will not be here on that day, I will be checking blogs to see who has a CWW page. If you do not have a page set up, I will assume that you are doing the work on PAPER, and in that case your papers will be collected when I return(Wed. March 21). This is also the new due date for the CWW final presentations.

Tuesday, March 6

Welcome back! Today you should look over the CWW page and gather photos and other items you will need to complete the activities. Remember that we are suspending our Grammar, Vocabulary, & Facebook unit for 2 weeks while we work on the CWW digital story.

By next Monday, you should have completed the following activities (put them on a new blog page called CWW, or do them on a word document OR by hand to be turned in as a hardcopy):

View 2 YouTube videos; take notes on helpful tips (The 7 Elements of Digital Storytelling & Producing a Digital Story)
List the 7 elements of digital stories
View the videos listed below and write a DRAMATIC QUESTION for each. Then briefly describe and evaluate each one’s use of TEXT, IMAGES, and SOUND– thinking about what you could learn (do’s and don’ts) from each one.

On Thursday, come to class with some IDEAS about your purpose and audience. Also, start gathering any photos, film footage, or information that you think you might want to use in your digital story.

Thursday, Feb. 23

Here is what’s due by Thursday March 8:

5 words from the VOICE WORDS document (on the voice page) describing Jonathan Edwards’ voice, plus evidence for each word.
Screen shots with Speller, Learn OR Scatter, Space Race, and Final Test (100% on this) screen shots for SSAT words
Five sentences, each one using an SSAT (Quizlet) word, and related to “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” in some way.

Aaaand: while you are away for CWW, make sure you are thinking about what type of multimedia presentation you would like to make… what is the purpose? who is the intended audience? What types of images, sounds, details will you include? We will work on this the first week that you are back at school. The final product for this will be due Friday March 16.

Friday, Feb. 17

Important reminders and information!

You need to decide “blog or binder” for the next unit
You will find all the information for this unit on the Grammar, Vocabulary & Facebook page
You need to set up a Quizlet account and familiarize yourself with the Speller, Scatter, Space Race and Test activities
Make sure you know which set of flashcards we are using (see the Gr, Vocab & FB page for the link)
You will need to learn how to take screen shots with your computer. Google it if you don’t know!
You need to join the SV agreement Wiki. If you haven’t done so and aren’t sure how, please ask me on Tuesday.

For homework: Please reread “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (it is linked on the Gr, Vocab & FB page). List 5 words that describe the speaker’s voice and provide evidence for each word.

Wednesday, Feb. 15

For Friday: make sure your final reflection for the voice unit is finished when you come to class. If you turned in other work on paper, this should be on paper too. If you turned in all the other work on your blog, add the final reflection there. Instructions for the final reflection can be found on the VOICE page of the blog (scroll all the way down to the bottom).

Also, don’t forget that AoW 15 is due Friday (by 11:59 PM).

Today in class I went over the new unit called Grammar, Vocabulary, & Facebook. Please look over the activities on this page and finish reading “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” for Friday. Note that you can download and print out the activities list. Also note that you will need to join the class wiki and set up a Quizlet account. I will help you to do this on Friday if you are not able to do so on your own.

“Sinners”, Quizlet, and the wiki are all linked on the Grammar, Vocabulary, & Facebook page. Visit it now!

Monday Feb. 13

Student presentations continued. We will do 3 or 4 per day until we have seen them all– so if you haven’t presented yet, be ready!

Students began to write their final reflections for this unit. The instructions for this are on the VOICE page. Remember that if you do not complete this activity (by Friday) the highest grade you can get for benchmark 2.16 is a 3.5.

I went over the late work policy for the VOICE unit. Please read it carefully– (click here) even if you turned your project in on time. There will be similar guidelines in place for late work on future units.

IMPORTANT: some of you have all of your work done but the storyboards/final presentations weren’t linked correctly or at all– if you don’t link them, they are counted as missing (even if you presented in class). Check St. Score to see if these assignments have been marked as “missing.” If they have, you can fix them by following the procedure below. This procedure is also described on the Raising the Grade page.

Special offer just for late storyboards/final presentations

Trouble linking your storyboard/final presentation properly? I will look for these two items one more time– on Friday, Feb. 17. In order to get full credit for them, you must meet the following conditions:

The links must work. Look at other people’s projects. Find someone who used the same programs as you did. As them how they made the links work.
On your voice or projects page, write a paragraph that explains the specific problem, the bigger problem, and the solution for avoiding future problems like this one. EX: “My storyboard link did not take users to the actual storyboard but to the homepage for Linoit. I did not test my links after I put them on my blog, and I did not use the time in class to set this up as Mrs. Thomas advised. The solution was to change the preferences setup and then choose the right URL for linking. To solve this problem in the future, I will do the following: use class time to work on technology when it is provided for me, test links on my blog before the due date and ask a friend or the teacher for help if I can’t figure it out on my own.”
You must have the missing work, plus the paragraph, on your blog by the time you enter the classroom on Friday, Feb. 17th.

Thursday, Feb. 9

Today storyboards and final presentations were due. If you did not present– please plan to do so on Monday. If you have an extension due to absences, you have until Friday, but if you are ready on Monday, that would be great. On Monday you will do a final reflection and your grades for the project will be entered into Standard Score.

Remember that today is the last day to make up any missing work for this unit or to improve any grade in this unit!!

For students who did everything on paper: create a blogpage called “projects.” Put the link to your project on this page. Do this for your storyboard if it was created online, as well.

For students who did everything on the blog, but the storyboard is on paper: Scan it, or take a picture of it. Insert or attach it on the VOICE page of your blog. This is where you should put your presentation link too (no need to create a “projects” page).

Tuesday, Feb. 7

Students continued working on their storyboards and final presentations today. Please see the final product details on the Voice page of the blog to remind yourself of what the final product needs to look like.

Some important reminders:

NO LATE WORK, please. You will have to do interest and you will penalized for projects turned in after Thursday, Feb. 9. Please be ready to share your work with the class on Thursday.
You can redo anything that earns less than a 4, up until class on Thursday. After that, what you see is what you get. I will recheck all blogs with missing work or work that has scored less than a 4. No need to notify me of changes. If your work is on paper, turn in the original work along with any revisions, clearly labeled.

Friday, Feb. 3

Today students worked on their storyboards. A storyboard is a map for how your want your presentation to look. There are many ways to do storyboards– some on paper, others using a computer. If you need some ideas, check the tech tools page or do a Google search for “storyboarding”.

Note– if you prefer to do your storyboard on paper, but have been doing all of your other work on your blog, just take a picture of the storyboard when it is done and insert or attach it to your blog.

Today all of your work will be checked. Click on the checklist (below) to see what should be turned in or completed on your blog by 11:59 PM.

Wednesday, Feb. 1

Today students shared their Tech Tools notes and took notes on what their peers had to say about the Tech Tools they explored.

Then students narrowed their list of possible tech tools to use for the final presentation to 3 choices. You must list pros and cons for each option.

The tech tools notes, notes from peers, and pro/con lists are all due on Friday at the beginning of class (must be on your blog or turned in as a hard copy).

Important: you must also include, in your list of activities, the feedback you gave to 3 peers on the two paragraphs. Copy and paste the actual feedback you gave (and for whom you wrote it).

Click here for the checklist of activities and explanation of grading for the VOICE unit.

Monday, Jan. 30

In addition to the list below (under Tuesday, Jan. 24), the following items are due on Friday Feb. 3 (can be on your blog or turned in on paper at beginning of class):

Feedback from 3 peers on your paragraph
Notes on 5 tech tools (see the Tech Tools page for a list of resources)

Some reminders for 2nd semester:

Work submitted more than one month after the due date will not be accepted
You may not email any work to me. Use DropBox or turn in as a hard copy. I will also be using Turn It In as an alternative to DropBox; I will let you know when this option is available.
Some work such as the activities leading up to the VOICE project, will not be accepted after the final project is turned in
I will check the VOICE activities twice– Feb. 3 and 9. After that, you will not receive credit for any of those activities
There are only 2 ways to submit your VOICE work: on paper or on a blog page that you create, titled VOICE
We are not doing any analyses packets this month, nor in February

Tuesday, Jan. 24

Today in class students finished their idea boards.

What’s due next class:

A list of 10 images you chose for your idea board.
For each image, a word that goes with it (to describe the voice of your core character).
For each word, a reason (ie, textual evidence in the form of a quote or paraphrase)
For each reason, a label (ie, diction, details, syntax, or presentation).

Also due: A paragraph written in the voice of your core character, explaining to your readers that you were given 10 (or so) items to read, view, listen to, or otherwise enjoy, and a brief explanation of why you are creating a presentation to express your reaction to them.

Remember that you should be keeping all of your “voice” activities in one place– either on a page in your blog, a word document that you will print out, or in your notebook. It will be collected when the final presentations are completed.

Friday, Jan. 20

Today students made an idea board to represent their core character’s voice in pictures. Be sure to search for additional images to download and print out over the weekend. You will be able to finish your idea board in class on Tuesday. Then I will ask you to justify your choices.

I also went over the purpose of the activities on the board that we have done so far (paragraphs about candy, highlighting, feedback, etc). It is your responsibility to finish those activities, either in class or at home. They will be collected and checked the day that the final presentation is due (right now I am estimating that date to be Friday Feb. 3).

Don’t forget to do AoW 13 by 11:59 PM!!

Wednesday, Jan. 18

Today in class students color-coded their “Fancy Nancy” paragraphs for diction, details, syntax and presentation. Then peer feedback was given and received, focusing on how and how well the author conveyed the voice of Fancy Nancy.

For next class, please view the list of words to describe voice (located in the resources section of the VOICE page). Choose 10 words that you think best describe the voice of your core character. Add these words to the VOICE document or blog page you have been working on.

Also… don’t forget that AoW 13 is due Friday night. Since we are not doing any analysis packets this month, take advantage of the extra time and get it finished early. The instructions for AoWs 13-16 are on the AoW page. Please see me if you do not have a packet of the new AoWs.

Monday, Jan. 16

Today we began the new voice unit. Please see the VOICE page for the details on Day 1 activities. If you did not finish your “candy paragraph” in the voice of Fancy Nancy, be sure to do that for homework. You will be evaluating yours, and others’ paragraphs on Wednesday.

Good job to everyone for their silent reading today! I am enjoying my historical fiction as well. On Wednesday, in addition to bringing the book you are currently reading, please bring your core novel and make sure you have access to your character/reading logs. We will be using these in class on Wednesday for the voice activities.

Today I also handed out AoW’s 13-16. Note that the instructions for these are all about VOICE (see the AoW page for details). Please open a new page on your blog called AoW 4 and put the entries there. You do not need to include a word count document. Just write two paragraphs– one in your voice and one in your core character’s voice– and you will be fine.

Happy New Year!

Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012

Today students took a practice AP literature test (9 questions) in groups. The groups with the highest scores will be receiving a “late work” coupon!

The next AoW packet will be distributed on Monday. For a preview of what you will be reading about, and the instructions for this round of AoWs, please check the AoW page.

Please read the new VOICE page before Monday. Developing your writing voice, and understanding how writers develop a character’s voice, will be our next unit of study.

Starting Monday, we will have SSR (Silent Sustained Reading) time at the beginning of every class. Please bring a book to read.

TUESDAY, DEC. 13

Copy your in-text and bibliographical citation from your Christmas card on to a sheet of notebook paper; turn in. This is the only way to get a grade for making the card correctly!

Look at the instructions for the Final Assessment of AoWs 9-12. You will have time to work on this during class on Thursday. Please plan ahead (print out whatever you need/copy tone questions from your blog). I will not have computers available for you in the classroom.

Please note the change in electronic submission:

By DropBox only (no more emailing assignments to me)
Save all files with your first name and assignment description, for examples: Terry_AoW9-12 Final_Assessment

Please check Standard Score to make sure it is up to date. See me about any missing assignment from November or later that you would like to improve or make up.

FRIDAY, DEC. 9

Analysis Packet 8 was collected today. So was the capitalization packet, which included the pretest, the worksheets, and notes from the two required websites. For anyone turning in work late, please refer to the Grammar page for information on interest.

Students also took a capitalization test. Please see me to schedule a time to take the test if you missed it today. You must take the test before Christmas break.

In class, students made Christmas cards for their core characters. If you are going to participate in the gift exchange, please bring your present on Tuesday. All students must present their card and reason for the gift (whether imaginary or actual) on Tuesday.

You will also have a quiz about in-text citations and bibliographical citations, so make sure you review which is which and have the citations correctly formatted on your card.

Please take the time this weekend to review Standard Score and make sure you have all of your work in. If you see a discrepancy between what you think you have turned in and what is recorded in St. Score, let me know on Tuesday.

And finally… remember that AoW 9-12 Final Assessment is due Thursday Dec. 15. You cannot get credit for this if you have not submitted AoW responses 9-12. Please get caught up this weekend, if necessary.

TUESDAY, DEC. 6

Today students took a quiz about in-text citations. Please see pages 374-79 in The Everyday Writer to review. You should also look over 381-83 to review bibliographical citations. Click here to visit the website I showed you today– it has examples of in-text and bibliographical citations for MLA.

We went over the answers to pages 3 & 4 of the capitalization packet. Remember that on Friday, before the grammar test, I will collect the following:

capitalization pretest
grammar packet
notes from the two required website

Please remember that by Friday, you should have your idea for the gift you will “give” to the main character of your book. You will make a holiday card for him or her on Friday. Please bring your core book so you can correctly format the in-text and bibliographical citation. Also bring any decorations, stickers, markers, etc. to make the cards. The actual gift exchange (which is not required) will take place on Tuesday Dec. 13.

FRIDAY, DEC. 2

Today I went over the answers to pages 1 & 2 in the capitalization packet. Please complete pages 3 & 4 for Tuesday– I will go over the answers on Tuesday.

Remember that for the grammar test on Friday Dec. 9, you are responsible for the answers to the questions generated by YOUR class only (not the other sections of gr. 9). The document with the questions/answers is located on the grammar page of the blog. Or, you can click here!

AoW 12 is due tonight. Please post your answers on your blog. You need to explain the tone, audience, & purpose. Then post some type of extension (a video, another article, a photo, etc).

The Final Assessment for AoWs 9-12 was scheduled to be collected on Dec. 9. I am moving the date to Dec. 15. If you are leaving for Christmas break early, and won’t be here on Dec. 15, please ensure that it will be turned in on time (via DropBox or email). You can find the instructions for it on the AoW page.

Next week you will make a card for the main character of your core book. You do not have to buy anything for him or her, but you do have to make a card and have a gift idea. If you do bring a gift (on Tuesday Dec. 13), you will have the opportunity to also receive a gift. Either way, you must make the card. We will do the cards on Friday Dec. 9. Please bring any decorations, markers, stickers, glitter, etc that you would like to use in card-making. I will have some supplies here in the classroom for you as well.

Please read pages 371-379 in The Everyday Writer. This will familiarize you with various ways to write in-text citations. Be prepared for a quiz on this next class. If you find the book too confusing, try this guide from Marymount in New York.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 30

Today in class students brainstormed Christmas gift ideas for the main character of their core novel. We will do a gift exchange based on this. More information on Friday– for now, just be thinking about possible gifts for your core character in the 10,000-20,000 peso range.

Students checked out a copy of The Everyday Writer from the library. It is important that you have a copy of this book. Keep it at home with you for reference. Occasionally, I will be assigning some pages to read from this book.

Please keep working on late work. Last day I will accept work from Sept., Oct., or Nov. is Dec. 5. After that, all late work will become zeroes and will not be changed.

Remember the following due dates:

Dec. 8: Packet 8
Dec. 9: Grammar packet (capitalization), grammar notes, and pretest turned in. Final test for capitalization.
Dec. 13: Christmas gift exchange for characters

MONDAY, NOV. 28

Today in class I went over the following dates and reminders:

Dec. 2: AoW 12 is due. You do not have to make a glog. Just put the tone/audience/purpose/extension on your blog. Don’t forget the extension!
Dec. 5: Last day to turn in any late work from Sept, Oct, Nov (especially the first half of November). If you are doing your best to meet this deadline, but need a *small* extension for the more recent assignments, we can talk. Otherwise, please be aware that work that has been missing for weeks or months will become a “0” permanently on Dec. 5.
Dec. 8: Packet 8 is due. We do not have school on this day. Please plan to turn your pack in early or first thing on Friday (first 5 minutes of class). Or, you can turn it in on Dec. 8 if you are using Dropbox.
About Dropbox: you MUST use a folder that I have shared with you. These are called “Gr. 9 Weekly Analysis” or “G. 9 all other work.” Do not use a “public folder” as that is not one that is shared by you and me.

Grammar: today we took a pretest for the capitalization unit. You have until Dec. 9 to take notes, complete the packets, and find the answers to the questions listed on this document (which also contains some “do’s” and “don’ts” from you and your classmates!). Please visit the Grammar page for all the links and reminders.

TUESDAY, NOV. 22

Character/reading logs were collected today, stapled together with the checklist and list of misfits. If you did not turn this assignment in, either electronically or in hard copy, it is too late!

Today in class we discussed the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. I strongly suggest using your annotations and filling out the analysis worksheet for your next packet, due Dec. 8 (3 items). Or, you can save it for a future packet.

I went over the procedure for grammar which will start Nov. 28. Please take a few minutes to read the grammar page.

Coming soon: a literature page where I will provide a list of the common texts we read, plus links to helpful websites and further readings.

Important: I have set Dec. 5 as a final date for students who are missing work from September, October, and November. Students who have significant amounts of assignments missing will be receiving remediation forms on Wednesday via email. Please consider starting to do this work over the break, as you have no other homework.

If you are missing assignments, but do not receive a remediation form, you can still make up the work by Dec. 5. Please check Standard Score (it is up to date) and see me on Monday Nov. 28 to confirm what exactly you need to do.

FRIDAY, NOV. 18

Today students turned in their character logs and reading logs along with notes they made in the margins about how their analyses readings connect to their core novels. I also collected the checklists and a list of “misfits” (items that did not seem to go with the core book). Students who did not complete this assignment in class need to turn it in first thing on Tuesday. I will not be accepting late work for this.

Students were given a copy of the short story “The Lottery” and need to read it before the next class. Please write down answers to the following questions:

What happened in this story?
Why, in your opinion, would someone write such a story?
When the story first appeared in the New Yorker magazine in 1948, how do you think people reacted and why?
Did you like the story?

One last reminder– VERY IMPORTANT: If your name is on the board for missing work, and you do not show up, you will be reported as skipping, If you cannot make it on the day you are scheduled, it is up to you to move your name to another day.

TUESDAY, NOV. 16

1. Today some changes were announced in terms of packet and AoW collection dates. Please see the Nitty-Gritty and AoW pages for the details. Coming soon: A grammar page, literature page, and vocabulary page.

2. On Friday you must bring your checklist (filled out) and your Character Logs/Reading Logs (either saved as Word documents on your own laptop which you will bring to class, OR printed out, double spaced, OR handwritten in your journals if that is the way you originally did them.) Plan to spend time on Friday finding connections between your core book (the main character AND the overall themes), and your analysis readings.

3. Don’t forget that if your name is on the board for missing work, you must show up that day or change it to a day that you plan to come. Failure to come to Opportunity Day for missing work will result in disciplinary action.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9

Today I went over new policies for students who have late work. The procedure will be as follows:

Name on board to attend an Opportunity Day early in the week,
You are obligated to attend that day or to change your name to another day that you will attend,
Students who do not attend their scheduled Opp. Day will be reported as skipping class.

Note!

Remember to send me an email once you have successfully linked your Glog on your blog so I can give you credit (no interest for this small problem, as long as you had all the work done on time).

Note! If your AoW was not done on time, you must do interest. This means reading the other AoW for this week, and writing an entry on your blog in which you identify tone, audience, & purpose, and then provide some sort of extension (a reading, a video, etc.). You do not have to make a 2nd Glog when you do interest.
Note! We no longer have school laptops to use in class. Unless and until I learn more about who was responsible for vandalizing a school computer last Friday, you will have to bring your own laptop and/or plan to work only with pen and paper at school, leaving all technology-related tasks to do at home.
Note! You can turn in Packet 6 on Friday during 3-Way conferences at the latest. That means between the hours of 7:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Packets submitted after that will be counted as LATE.

FRIDAY, NOV. 4

Students who are missing work were given lists. You must email me by tonight with the list of work you still owe, when you plan to turn it in (must be on or before Nov. 9), what caused you to get in this situation, and what SPECIFIC steps you will take to avoid this situation in the future. Failure to send me your letter will result in an email to your parents.
A reminder that AoW 9 is due tonight. The instructions for AoWs 9-12 are on the AoW page of the blog. Please follow directions carefully. Also, don’t forget that I will be collected your annotations for AoW 9 next week on Wednesday Nov. 9.
Next week we will only have one class together- Wed. Nov. 9. Packet #6 is still due on Thursday. You can turn it in on Friday during 3-way conferences at the latest. Do not wait to turn it in this late if you are not 110% sure that you and/or your parents are attending Friday’s conference. If I don’t have it by the end of the day on Friday, it will count as “late” and you will have to do interest.
Packet 5 was collected today. Remember that this packet includes the exercises we did on Oct. 26 regarding tone, audience, and purpose. Make sure to include this in your packet.

IMPORTANT: Next week no laptops will be available for you in the classroom. If you prefer working on a laptop, please plan to bring your own.

MONDAY OCT. 31

We had a review “quiz” for tone/audience/purpose. Please see me before Friday if you were absent and want to take this quiz. Otherwise, i will just count you as “excused” from taking the quiz.
Students watch a short video about Columbine High School and then completed a TONE worksheet. These worksheets are due next class. See the Nonfiction Analysis Help page for a link to the video.
Remember that for this Thursday’s packet, you need to attach your answers to the Mohammed Ali speech that we watched last Wednesday, Oct. 28.

WEDNESDAY OCT. 27

Today we talked about audience, tone, & purpose. Please refer to thenonfiction analysis page to review the powerpoint and exercises (linked at the top). Remember that you must complete all the exercises (in red) on the exercise handout. You will turn in your answers next week with packet #5.
Remember also that packet 4 is due today in class or by the end of the day if you are submitting electronically.
AoW 6,7,8 self-evaluations are due by the end of the day tomorrow (you may submit via DropBox, email, or hard copy).
I suggest you read an annotate AoW 9 over the weekend, thinking about audience, tone, and purpose as you read.

MONDAY OCT. 25

Today I introduced you to two sources for finding speeches or essays to analyze– This I Believe and Ted Talks. You can find the links to these two websites, and much more, on the Useful Links page.
Remember that Analysis Packet 4 is due at the beginning of class on Thursday (end of the day for electronic submission).
Also remember that a self-evaluation for AoWs 6,7, and 8 is due by Friday (but no AoW this week!). You can submit the self-evaluation as hard copy, by email, or in DropBox (please accept the invitation to the new folder if you are choosing DropBox).

FRIDAY OCT. 21

Today I shared two websites with you and some thoughts about theme in general and the theme of “My Papa’s Waltz.” You can review this information by clicking here. This document is also posted on the poetry page of the blog.

Remember to use your calendar to plan ahead. The calendar for Nov./Dec. is linked at the top of this page.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19

Click on the Poetry Page and scroll down to the bottom to see what we did today. Remember that you can use any of your work’ or your classmates (all sections) to fill out an analysis worksheet or do a journal entry for “My Papa’s Waltz.” You may use this analysis in tomorrow’s packet or any future packet.

Packet 3, consisting of 4 analyzed items plus notes from this fiction analysis page is due tomorrow by 11:59 PM in DropBox or in the first five minutes of class on Friday. Thank you to those who have already turned it in.

Also, remember that if you have any work marked as MISSING, it is up to you to let me know when it is posted (and the interest is completed). Please notify me of this by email.

FRIDAY OCT. 7

Packet #2 was collected today (or yesterday, via DropBox). Remember that anything that is late will be doubled, so turn in what you have on the due date.

Next packet is due Thursday Oct. 20 but it will consist of 4 analyses, not two, PLUS notes from the Fiction page of the blog. Please take note on the link called Fiction Analysis. Try to use keywords only, and focus on the items that will better help you to understand the worksheets for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

Be sure to finish your core book plus reading and character logs over the break. And remember that we will only have about 30 minutes of work time on Wednesday Oct. 19, so you will need to work over break to get everything done for Thursday (and AoW 8, for Friday Oct. 20th).

WEDNESDAY OCT. 5

Remember that packet #2 is due tomorrow. This packet consists of:

annotations for the two literary works that you read
analysis (worksheets or journal entries) for the two literary works
notes (about 2 pages) from the Nonfiction Analysis Help page(including the links that take you to further information on diction, images, language, and syntax).

You have two options for turning this in:

Electronically, to the DropBox, by 11:59 PM on Thursday, Oct. 6. Remember to save all your work as one file, and put your first name (and last initial if necessary) in the filename.
By hand, any time up to and including the first 5 minutes of class on Friday. After this time, the work will be considered LATE and you will have to do interest.

REMEMBER: You cannot turn in part of the assignment electronically and another part in hard copy. It must all be in one form. You cannot email this work to me either. Use the DropBox or print it out.

Don’t forget to check out Quizlet! Here are some flashcard sets to study and play with. This activity is not required at this time, but I highly recommend you try it to familiarize yourself with new vocabulary related to literary and nonfiction analysis:

Elements of Fiction by natalie8351
Elements of Fiction by primetimesanders
Elements of nonfiction by dancinggirl134
Poetry terms by definition by janiedougla
Poetry terms by missgarrido

MONDAY OCT. 3

Today students received back their hard copies of Pkt. 1. Remember to save these in a safe place as you will be referring to them later for the final project/product of this class. This work is essential to your later success!

I also reminded students to link their AoW responses as a word document on their blogs. The link should appear at the beginning of the blog entry (not the end). The instructions for linking are now attached on the Article of the Week page, but I will also include them here for your convenience. Remember to put a word count at the top, in nice big letters so we both know that you are meeting the 500-800 word requirement.

Today a student asked me how AoW’s 6,7, and 8 will be graded. The benchmarks, listed below, also appear on the template for AoW 6,7, and 8.You will be evaluating yourself according to these two benchmarks:

ELA 9.2.17: Uses a clear, logical, purposeful, and effective structure.

What this means: You have followed the template above. Your response flows logically from summary to thoughts to research activity and finally to your conclusion. I can see the evolution of your ideas and I understand the reasons behind your opinions and conclusions.

ELA 9.4.15: Uses detailed and persuasive reference to the text.

What this means: “The text” refers to both the original article you have read and any research you have conducted. All references to text are clear and easy to understand. They are there for a reason, and you have explained them. Anything that came from a website is hyperlinked. Any text that is copied word-for-word is in quotation marks with credit given to the author. Ideas that are paraphrased are also credited.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 29

Many of you have already turned in your Packet #1– good job! I am guessing those who haven’t are going to have it in the Dropbox folder by 11:59 PM… right?? If you are using this method for turning in work, please save it as ONE FILE and make sure your first name/last initial appear in the filename!

Failure to save it properly (with your name in the file) will result in a grade of “0”… which you can make up later. With interest.

So… turn in what you have and turn it in before midnight tonight!

Also remember that AoW 6 is due tomorrow night, new format, also put the attachment on the AoW page with a wordcount at the top. Failure to do this properly will mean the assignment will count as late and you will have to do… well, you know.

Some of you still owe me a Self-Evaluation for AoWs 1-4. If it is not turned in by midnight on Friday, you will have to do interest for that, too.

TUESDAY SEPT. 27

CLICK HERE! This is where you can find the new template for AoWs 6,7, and 8.

Remember that if you have any work that is marked as MISSING in Standard Score, you must email to let me know when you have completed it. I will not be checking your blogs every day.

Priorities: Right now your main goal should be to have two analyses finished by Thursday (end of class). If you are turning them in as hard copies, bring all papers to class. If you are turning them in electronically, please save them as FirstName_LastInitial_Packet_1. DO NOT EMAIL THIS DOCUMENT TO ME. Put it in the dropbox folder that I shared with you.

FRIDAY SEPT. 23

What we did today: You received worksheets and journal guidelines for analyzing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. You also were shown the due dates for analyses packets in Sept./Oct. You should have added these to your pink calendar.

What you should be doing this weekend:

Go back and review the blog pages that I asked you to read for today.
If you still don’t understand something, email me or ask me about it ASAP. Submit your AoW Self-Evaluation by email tonight.
Post AoW Response #5 on a NEW PAGE in your blog. Call this page AoW2.
Start searching for, reading, annotating and analyzing works of literature.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 21

What we did today: Students had the choice of working on their self-evaluations, reading logs, character logs, getting caught up on AoWs, searching for literature in the books, or reading their core books. Some important things to remember:

You CANNOT get credit for your self-evaluation if your AoWs are not all submitted (with interest). Please email me when you have completed all 4 AoW responses plus the interest.
When you submit your self-evaluation, please save it asFirstName_LastInitial_AoWSelfEval. It should be emailed to me by Friday night at the latest. Be sure to also include the AoW responses themselves, copied and pasted onto Word documents with the summary parts highlighted.
When doing your self-evaluation, please use all the features of Word that will make your writing CLEAR and CONVINCING. You can color code things, create numbered or bulleted lists, hyperlink anything that you used for research, and also delete the lengthy instructions written by me (keep the first sentence of each instruction or step so I know what you are doing).
Pay attention to the description of what it takes to get a 4: You must have used 4 different response options in your responses. A “response option” could be researching a person, event, organization, or even some vocabulary words. All of those would count as DIFFERENT response options. You can also offer an out-of-the-box solution to a problem that is posed, or talk about a personal experience you had with one of the topics. Please review the options on the Annotating and rubric for Aow handout.

Here is some more information that is not related to the Self-Evaluation:

You do have another AoW Response due on Friday. Please start a new page on your blog for the next 4 responses. Call the page “AoW2”
Your character logs and reading logs should be progressing. You should have two entries for each by tomorrow and that means you should be about halfway done with the book. I have not collected them yet… but please keep up!
You need to read the following pages on my blog and come to class on Friday with questions: Introduction, Nitty-Gritty, Grading, and Raising the Grade. I will be giving you information and handouts that relate to those pages, and if you don’t read them, the handouts might not make sense.
Please sign up for DropBox if you haven’t already. To complete the signup, you must download it to your computer. Soon, I will be sending you an “invitation” to access a shared folder. That folder will go in your DropBox, and sometimes that is where you will be turning in assignments. Magically, when you put in in the folder on your desktop, it will show up in mine! We aren’t using DropBox yet, however. Please be patient while I figure it out.

MONDAY SEPT. 19

1. Today we heard a couple more “Hero” presentations. Then I went over the expectations for the week. Your priorities should be as follows:

First, get your AoW page up to date and look over the self-evaluation form that you will fill out for Wednesday. You might want to even start filling it out before Wednesday.
Second, remember that you should be about halfway done with your book by now. By tomorrow, a second Character Log entry is due and by Thursday, a second Reading Log entry is due. Do not send me your Character Log or Reading Log entries. I will be setting up a Dropbox account and inviting you to join… this is where you will turn in your logs if you have chosen to create them on a Word Document!

2. IMPORTANT!! After you do your Self-Evaluation for AoWs 1-4, you will not put any more entries on that page of your blog. Instead, please create a new page called “AoW2”. This is where entries 5,6,7, and 8 will be posted.

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 14

1. Today I clarified the difference between the character log and the reading log. If you are still confused, please refer to this chart. And see this calendarfor due dates in Sept/Oct.

NOTE: For each type of “log” you will need to decide if you want to create a new page on your blog, do the work on a Word document, use Google docs, or write it in your notebook. Please be prepared to let me know what system you have chosen next class (it’s okay to have one system for the character log and another for the reading log, but it’s NOT okay to change systems once you decide).

2. Remember that you should have 3 “checks” on Standard Score for the 3 AoWs you have done so far. If you did not link your articles properly, you did not get a check!! For every missing check, you must fix the problem, then do “interest” (the second article). Please get those fixed and posted as soon as possible, then email me when you are done. Please label the interest so I know what it is. Remember that you have AoW #4 due on Friday Sept. 16th. Next week you will do a self-evaluation of your first four AoW responses, and if you haven’t completed the responses, you will receive an incomplete for this.

3. A few of the Hero presentations were given today. The rest of the students should be prepared to go next week!

MONDAY SEPT. 12

There was quite a bit of confusion over the Character Log and Reading Log. After looking at the two documents, plus the instructions on the Need a Hero page, I can see why! So, I have made some changes to these documents in order to streamline the instructions for you. Please take a look by clicking on the documents and Hero page again (linked above). You’ll see that now you can use the same division system for both types of logs (dividing your book into fourths and doing an entry after reading each 1/4). You do need to pay attention to the instructions for each. For one, you are keeping track of the hero/antihero’s personality. For the other, you are looking at themes, symbols, references to important ideas/events/people, and keeping track of those. Also, the two logs have slightly different due dates.

If you still feel confused, I will go over all of this with you on Wednesday. But do read the two documents and then you can email me with questions. If you already did the first part the “old” way, don’t worry… you can keep it like that. Just re-adjust for the last 3/4 of your book.

Other information… your HERO presentations are due Wednesday. Click hereto review the standards on which you will be graded.

Also, some of you are missing one or more AoW entry. You should have done 3 so far. They should be on your blog, in the right place, with the title of each article showing up as a link at the BEGINNING of the response. If you do not have this done correctly, you need to fix it. And, if you have any AoW marked as “missing” on Standard Score, you will need to complete the work and then do the other AoW for that week as “interest.” Once your AoW page is corrected and updated, please email me and I’ll confirm it, then change your status in Standard Score. Failure to notify me by email of completed work that is currently marked as “missing” will mean I won’t know to change your grade.

THURSDAY SEPT. 8

Today we had MAP testing, but that doesn’t mean you are off the hook! Remember that you need to have your two AoW responses, with links, in the right place on your blog by tonight. I will be checking. And, by tomorrow night, you should have 3 entries on your AoW page.

In addition, you should be reading your book and keeping a character log. Read this handout carefully and get started, if you haven’t already. “Not knowing” is not an excuse!

Check this calendar for more due dates. You don’t need to print this out… I will give you a printout on Monday!

On the calendar, you will see a reference to something called a Reading Log. This is different than your character log, but is still related to the book you are reading. Please read this handout carefully and begin making a Reading Log.

By the way, the Character Log instructions, AND the Reading Log instructions, can both be found on the Novel Reading page of this blog. Please get used to knowing how to find what you need, when you need it.

Also on Monday, we will again have a MAP test. Please go directly to the middle school computer lab in the IMC. And remember to bring something to read or work on following the test, in case you finish early.

TUESDAY SEPT. 6

1. Please make sure you read the guidelines for your reflection and self-evaluation of AoWs 1-4. This is where we are headed… are you keeping up?

2. Please make sure you put your AoW responses on your AoW PAGE… not in the comments section but in the TEXT section. If you did this incorrectly, please fix it by THURSDAY, otherwise it will be counted as “late” and you will have to do “interest.”

3. Please visit the Novel Reading page of the blog. Read it and click on the Character Log document. Note the due dates at the bottom of the document… get started on this if you are into your book already… If you are NOT into your book already, you need to start reading so you have something to write about!!

4. MAP testing begins on Thursday and will be in my room (H302). Bring something to READ or WORK ON after the test so you can use the time productively and quietly. Also, remember to bring your MAP Goal Setting Sheet if you did not turn it in already.

FRIDAY SEPT. 2

Today we visited the library to find a book featuring a hero/antihero. Please read enough of your book this weekend to determine whether or not it is the right book for your Collection project!

Don’t forget to go over your MAP score reports and fill in the goal-setting portions. Please return these on Tuesday. We will begin MAP tests next week, with Reading on Thursday Sept. 8. Language Usage will follow on Monday Sept. 12. This means that your “hero” presentations will move to Wednesday Sept. 14.

WEDNESDAY AUG. 31

Today students viewed the rubric on which your “hero” presentations will be graded. Please see the “Need a Hero” page for guidelines and grading. I also emphasized the importance of speaking as quietly as possible to those around you, so as not to cause the noise level to rise when others are speaking too. We will continue to work on this.

Don’t forget to keep working on your presentation. Also, AoW responses must be on your blog by Friday. See me if you are having trouble getting your blog set up correctly.

I know you will want to watch this again!

MONDAY AUG. 29

1. Make sure your name is on my blogroll (right side of my blog– scroll down). Click on it. It should take you to the FRONT PAGE of your blog. If it does not, please set up your static front page correctly. Also, make sure your AoW response is on your AoW page (not on your “posts” page). You will not use the “posts” page in this class. Finally, make sure you have linked the AoW title to the actual article. If you do not know how to create a hyperlink, ask someone to help you.

2. Visit the page titled Need a Hero on my blog. Read through the instructions and begin taking notes. You should not copy word-for-word from any websites. Just write down a list of characteristics shared by archetypal heroes, another list for real-life heroes, and a third list for antiheroes. Then begin searching for stories, poems and essays, using books or the links I have provided. Keep checking this Need a Hero page for more details about this assignment. You will be informed of the rubric and other information as you progress.

THURSDAY AUG. 25

1. Have you finished setting up your blog? Did you send me the link? Remember, without the link, I can’t see your Article of the Week response tomorrow! It is only “done” if it is on your blog (barring any technology catastrophes!).

2. Finish reading the Introduction, Nitty Gritty,and Samples pages on my blog. Come with questions on Monday.

TUESDAY AUG. 23

What we did today:

1. We went over the requirements for Article of the Week annotating/responding. You got a packet of articles for first quarter. A few important things to know about this packet:

-It was given to you in the correct order. If the papers get out of order, you might accidentally do the wrong article for that week. Check theArticle of the Week page of this blog to make sure you are reading the correct article.
-These articles are for first quarter. After Q1, you will be responsible for printing out your own article.
-The numbers and instructions on the articles do not pertain to this class. Ignore them and follow my directions.

2. You set up your blog using WordPress.

Homework:

1. If you did not finish setting up your blog and static front page, please do so. Follow the instructions for setting up a blog. After clicking on your confirmation email, please enter your dashboard and set up a STATIC FRONT PAGE. Use this link to help. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask a friend who has already successfully completed this step. If, after trying your best, you can’t do it, then plan to finish this step on Thursday in class.

2. Set up a new page called Article of the Week. Here, you will post your responses to each article. Make sure you PUBLISH or UPDATE your work each time you edit a page of your blog. Otherwise, your work will not be saved.

3. Email me the link to your blog. If you prefer for your blog to be private at this time, please let me know in the email.

FRIDAY AUG. 19

What we did today:

1. Some students presented their “5 words about me” assignments. If you did not go today, be sure you are ready to present on Tuesday.

2. We learned what a proverb is. You worked in teams to decipher the proverbs without vowels.

3. You named the class, or were instructed to propose a name for class via email. Be sure to email me with your class name (or proposal).

Homework:

Go to the page called Article of the Week. Read the instructions, including the handout that is linked there (it will explain how to annotate and how your work will be graded). Jot down any questions you have. On Tuesday you will read your first Article of the Week (AoW) and I’ll tell you how to post your reflections.

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