Monday, September 21, 2015

English 9--9/28/2015

Jump Off
--Pick up a copy of the "i-Ready Progress Monitoring" halfsheet from the front table.  When you hear your name called for attendance, come see me over at my computer where I will give you a strip of paper with your login information.
--COLLIN J. AND BOBBY W. NEED TO GIVE ME BACK THEIR CUMULATIVE WRITING PORTFOLIO FOLDERS.

S. the C.
--agenda/HW
--set the parameters for today's work
  • a note about headphones
  • this is an assessment, so...
--Which of the following titles intrigues you more?:
  • "Is It OK to Shoot Down a Drone Over Your Backyard?"
  • "Should You Let Your Kids Play Football?"
Transition
--pick up your preferred article for Article of the Week #2
--head down to the Computer Lab quietly

Assessment -- i-Ready Progress Monitoring

HW (Class Preparation)
--Conduct a brief search into the life of Rainer Maria Rilke.  Come to class next time (Wednesday, 9/30) prepared to share two important facts about Rilke.
--Read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS.
HW (Take-Home Assessment)
--Active, purposeful reading of Article of the Week #2 (either Choice A or Choice B) is due at the beginning of class on Friday, 10/2.  Make sure to purposefully read the directions in the box at the top of the page and complete your best work with regard to the directions in order to demonstrate your true skill level.  Good luck!


 

 

English 10 Honors--9/25/2015

Jump Off
--Pick up the vocabulary assessment from the front table. Complete the quiz quietly and independently. Good luck!
--Just an FYI: I will interrupt you in a few minutes to let you know/remind you about "Diction Doctor" status.
--When you finish, engage in free reading until everyone has completed the assessment.  If you do not yet have a free reading book (which, frankly, I don't expect you to at this point!), pick up a copy of the most recent issue of Upfront newsmagazine from the front table for use during this block of time.

S. the C.
--trade and grade
--return quizzes to rightful owners--reflect on performance and note still-not-mastered words in vocabulary books--I will collect quizzes momentarily
--agenda/HW

Transition
--form a circle out of the desks

Teambuilding Activity -- Artifact Bags
--I hand a paper bag to a random student--he/she then displays items from the bag one at a time, briefly describing what he/she is seeing
--guess who?!
--owner of bag further describes, explains, shares anecdotes, etc. as a form of introduction to teacher/peers
--REPEAT THE PROCESS UNTIL ALL THE BAGS HAVE BEEN SHARED

Transition
--Please pick up the following documents from the front table:
  • "Free Reading Course Component--Overview Document"
  • "Short Story Unit Information Sheet--2015-2016"

Looking Ahead -- Free Reading and the Short Story Unit
--oral gist reading of the "Free Reading Course Component--Overview Document"
--Q & A
--oral gist reading of the "Short Story Unit Information Sheet--2015-2016"
--Q & A

Transition
--re-column the desks

DEAR -- Free Reading Books (time permitting)
--browse the classroom library if you do not have a book selected
--students can also read Upfront newsmagazine

HW (Class Preparation)
--Prepare for the following ASSESSMENT:
  • mastery of terms/concepts 61-80 ("Realism"-"Verbal irony") next class (Tuesday, 9/29)
    • FYI: TERMS/CONCEPTS FROM THE FIRST SIXTY ON THE LIST ARE "FAIR GAME," SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU REVIEW ALL OF THE TERMS/CONCEPTS.
--Read your free reading book for at least 15 minutes between now and next class. ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS.
Miscellaneous
--The Thematic Essay Writing Assignment--Partner Interviews essay (your best effort) is due at the beginning of next class (Tuesday, 9/29) typed in proper MLA format.

English 9--9/24/2015

Jump Off (15-20 mins.)
--Pick up the vocabulary assessment from the front table. Complete the quiz quietly and independently. Good luck!
--Just an FYI: I will interrupt you a few minutes in to let you know/remind you about "Diction Doctor" status and give you directions for what to do when you finish.
--When You Finish...
  • Read the standards below (focal points of today's lesson) and consider and be ready to discuss the questions that follow:
    • RI.2: English 9 students can determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
    • RI.3: English 9 students can analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
    • SL.1: English 9 students can initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
      • What do these standards ask students to do?
      • When and how have we worked toward mastery of these standards this school year?
      • On a scale of 1-5+, how would you rate your mastery of these standards?  BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF.
*AS YOU WORK ON THE VOCABULARY ASSESSMENT, I WILL COME AROUND WITH YOUR CUMULATIVE WRITING PORTFOLIOS AS WE WILL USE THE FOLDERS LATER DURING TODAY'S CLASS BLOCK*

S. the C. (8-10 mins.)
--trade and grade
--return quizzes to rightful owners--reflect on performance and note still-not-mastered words in vocabulary books--I will collect quizzes momentarily
--quick share-out as per the "When You Finish..."--today's class, which marks the beginning of our first mini-unit, is very much an RI.2 and RI.3-driven lesson with an assessment of RI.2 skills as closure
--today's class also presents an opportunity to apply standard SL.1 by aiming to participate effectively in a collaborative discussion--you will likely pose and respond to questions, incorporate each other into the discussion, and challenge/verify each other's ideas and conclusions
--agenda/HW

Old Business/Looking Ahead -- "Letter to Mr. Martin" (5-8 mins.)
--engage in personal reflection based on my notes to you
--common and unique interests shared
--list of advice to me shared--I will take this advice into consideration!

Oral Reading -- “Letter One" of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet (20-25 mins.)
--discuss the nature of a typical “first-draft” reading of a difficult text:

  • A gist reading--“survival mode” in order to understand/comprehend the text on a literal level
    • Ask the “curious questions”
    • Basic comprehension is essential if any deeper understanding is to occur.
  • Easier with some sort of defined purpose (therefore, often a purposeful reading)
  • Most effective when it is still somewhat active reading (annotate: jot down curious questions, jot down notes related to your defined purpose, etc.)
--Transition--return your Cumulative Writing Portfolio and pick up a copy of the "'Letter One' of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet" document from the front table
--oral first-draft reading of "Letter One"

  • Your purpose:
    • Jot down curious questions on your personal copy of the text whenever such questions enter your mind (listen for them!)
    • Underline key words/details and annotate with regard to these two questions:
      • What does Rainer Maria Rilke, the author of this letter, say to "Sir" about what is important and meaningful to a person?
      • What advice does Rilke give "Sir?"
Discussion -- "Letter One" of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet--Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2 (10-15 mins.)
--share out/address my related questions (cards drawn if necessary)--as I mark up the text on the SmartBoard, do the same on your personal copy of the text

Transition (2 mins.) -- BEGIN BLOCK 1 HERE AFTER REVIEWING ANNOTATIONS/CONCLUSIONS FROM LAST CLASS AND FINISHING SHARE OUT...BEGIN SHARE OUT IN BLOCK 2...FINISH READING AND BEGIN SHARE OUT IN BLOCK 3
--Pick up the following document from the front table:

  • "RI.2 Ticket-Out-the-Door"
Closure (remainder of class)
--After carefully reading the directions for the Ticket-Out-the-Door, complete the task at hand and submit your best work based on the time permitted prior to leaving class.

HW (Class Preparation)
--Conduct a brief search into the life of Rainer Maria Rilke.  Come to class on 9/30 prepared to share two important facts about Rilke.
--Read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class. ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS.

Miscellaneous
--Next class, we will head down to the Computer Lab for progress-monitoring testing.  Expect to receive your login information at the beginning of the block before quietly heading down to the lab and settling in.

English 10 Honors--9/23/2015

Jump Off (20-25 mins.)
--Pick up the "English 10 Honors--Literature and Nonfiction Terms/Concepts 2015-2016--Assessment--Terms/Concepts #41-60" document from the front table.  Complete the quiz quietly and independently back at your assigned seat.  Good luck!  When you finish taking the quiz, follow the directions below:
  • Place your work in the black basket on the front table.
  • Pick up both the "The Art of Quoting" document and the "Introducing Quoted Material" document from the front table.  I highly encourage you to engage in a self-study of these documents in order to help you succeed with the quotation requirement of the writing assignment.
  • Grab a laptop from the cart up front and get yourself logged in.
  • Take out your notebook and date the page (9/23).  Label the page as follows: "Everything I Know About Writing an Essay."  Spend approximately five minutes quietly and independently populating a list under this heading.  For example, you might write "Strong and thorough evidence is needed in support of all of the claims that a writer makes."  We will then review the information that you come up with as one final bit of instruction before working to finish up your essays by early next week.
S. the C. (15-20 mins.)
--FYI: If you would like to see how you did on the vocabulary exercise, you can see me during any of my office hours and go over the work with me or on your own using the "Teacher's Edition."
--agenda/HW
--share out as per the J.O., creating a sort of picture of the brainstorming/organizing/outlining/drafting process
  • distinguish between a "theme statement" and a "thesis statement"
  • sample thesis statement(s) shared
Many people are presented with some incredible opportunities.  Yet when the opportunities come, some people are hesitant to take advantage of the opportunities and miss the chance at something that could potentially have a remarkable impact.  Then there are those individuals who reach out and grab those opportunities, and that decision to do so will often change their lives.  Dean Damon is one of those people.  He has had many opportunities in many different forms.  Some have come through academic activities while others have come through involvement in sports.  No matter what form the opportunities come in, though, Dean has found that taking advantage of life's opportunities has rewarded him with some memorable experiences.

Donny really is a tech-savvy kid, but he goes even further than that.  Donny lives by the motto that people most often have passions in life which dictate their past and present, and when people discover what exactly their passions are, they ought to pursue a career that relates in the future.

Writing Workshop -- Thematic Writing Assignment--Partner Interviews (remainder of class)
--set some goals for today's work block
--set the parameters for today's work block
--outlining/drafting time--How can I help?

HW (Class Preparation)
--Prepare for the following ASSESSMENTS:
  • mastery of Unit #1 vocabulary at the beginning of next class (Friday, 9/25)
Assessment Format
--Part of Speech (Multiple Choice)
--Synonym (Multiple Choice)
--Antonym (Multiple Choice)
--Definition (Multiple Choice)
--Completing the Sentence (Multiple Choice)
--Application (Writing Sentences Using Whimsical Words)
  • mastery of terms/concepts 61-80 ("Realism"-"Verbal irony") on Tuesday, 9/29
    • FYI: TERMS/CONCEPTS FROM THE FIRST SIXTY ON THE LIST ARE "FAIR GAME," SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU REVIEW ALL OF THE TERMS/CONCEPTS.
Miscellaneous
--The Thematic Essay Writing Assignment--Partner Interviews essay (your best effort) is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, 9/29 typed in proper MLA format.  If you still need to gather additional information about your partner, do so!
--Make sure to SEE ME if you have any questions about anything from today's class!

English 9--9/22/2015

Jump Off (2 mins.)
--Take out your vocabulary book and open to page 17.
--Place your free reading book on the floor next to your desk so that I can easily see it in order to copy down the title later during today's class block.
--The following students need to see me before the end of class today:
  • Gunnar D.
  • Robert L.
  • Kiara S.
S. the C. (3-5 mins.)
--agenda/HW

Looking Ahead -- Vocabulary Unit #1 (8-10 mins.)
--go over the correct responses to the 50/50 exercise three-in-a-row style
  • How did you do?
  • What words have you yet to master?
  • How might you go about preparing for the assessment?
Transition (1 min.)
--Take out your Article of the Week.

Literacy Activity (cont.) -- Article of the Week #1 (15-20 mins.)
--another key reason why we do Article of the Week shared: purposeful and active reading practice!
--What was our purpose when we read the beginning of this article?--EXEMPLARY WORK SHARED VIA POWERPOINT (Block 3 only)
--What is our purpose when we re-read the beginning of this article along with reading the rest of it? (Block 3 only)

--What is our purpose again when we finish reading the rest of this article?--discuss the second of the italicized questions above/model via the SmartBoard (Block 3 only)
--independent active re-reading finished
--brief whole-group share--mark up document on SmartBoard
--FYI: We are going to forego the writing portion of this particular Article of the Week.  Expect to outline and/or write a paragraph next time!

Transition (5 mins.)
--establish parameters for speakers and listeners
--form an alphabetical-by-first name circle out of the desks

Teambuilding Activity -- Artifact Bags (until 2 minutes remain in class)
--I hand a paper bag to a random student--he/she then displays items from the bag one at a time, briefly describing what he/she is seeing
--guess who?!
--owner of bag further describes, explains, and shares an anecdote as a form of introduction to teacher/peers
--REPEAT THE PROCESS...

Transition (remainder of class)
--re-column the desks using the signs as a guide

HW (Class Preparation)
--The Unit #1 vocabulary assessment will take place at the beginning of next class (Thursday, 9/24). Finish preparing! (What study strategies have brought you success in the past?)

Assessment Format--Multiple Choice

  • Part of Speech
  • Synonym
  • Antonym
  • Definition
  • Completing the Sentence
--Read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class. ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Binder Tabs--Suggested Setup for English 9

  • IN FRONT OF BINDER (NO TAB NEEDED) = MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS ORDERED BY DATE (e.g., Articles of the Week from newest to oldest)
  • CLASS NOTES
  • LITERATURE TERMS
  • GRAMMAR HAMMER
  • WRITING
  • RETURNED WORK

The Components of a Well-Written Introduction (English 10 Honors)

  • Hook: A sentence or series of sentences at the beginning of an introduction that "hook" or draw the reader in to the writing piece.  Basically, a hook is an intriguing start that makes the reader want to keep reading.  Below is a list of methods for hooking readers that you might want to consider:
    • Anecdote/Scenario
    • Philosophical Musing
    • Humorous Musing
    • Startling Statement
    • Analogy
    • Quote from Literature
    • Quote from Another Source
    • Rhetorical Question
  • Bridge: A sentence or sentences that are used to "bridge" the gap or transition between a writer's hook and thesis statement.  When a bridge is missing in an introduction, the reader thinks: How did you get from there to here so quickly?!
  • Thesis Statement: 
    • A sentence or sentences clearly stating the multi-faceted focus/point/purpose of an entire essay
    • Usually states some sort of claim
    • Provides the reader with a "roadmap" of what the remainder of the essay will address including the subtopics of each of the forthcoming body paragraphs
      • The subtopics previewed in the thesis statement are often called "focus words."
      • The focus words in a thesis statement should be in the same order as the body paragraphs themselves.
    • Relates clearly to the purpose-driven topic sentence(s) of each of the essay's body paragraphs
      • If a writer crafts his or her body paragraphs first, he or she can build out from his or her topic sentences in order to write a thesis statement.
    • Typically located at the end of an introduction