English 10 Honors--9/24/2014

Jump Off (5 mins.)

--Turn in your typed-in-MLA-format Thematic Writing Assignment--Partner Interviews essay (your best effort) by placing the writing piece in the black basket on the front table.  Make sure that you have followed all directions (e.g., underlining where necessary).  I'll do my best to do my best work (closely reading and providing meaningful feedback) in a somewhat timely fashion, but I'll be honest--it'll take a while :).

--Pick up the following materials from the front table:

• a BINGO board
• a highlighter
• the "English 10 Honors 2014-2015--HEDI Scale for Feedback/Scoring" document

--Wait for me to give further directions.

*AS YOU WORK A FEW MINUTES FROM NOW, I WILL BE AROUND WITH YOUR SCORED ARTICLE OF THE WEEK #2 WRITING PIECE*

S. the C. (15 mins.)

--agenda/rationale/HW

--directions given for how to fill in BINGO boards (unit word + "helper" word)--I WILL MODEL

--directions given for writing five sentences on the back of your BINGO board (you may NOT just use the sentences from the book)--I WILL MODEL/TALK STRATEGY

--fill in BINGO boards/write sentences quietly and independently--feel free to check your vocabulary homework using the "Teacher's Edition" located on the front table!

--explanation of Article of the Week scoring (e.g., this week, only Command of Evidence was assessed [though other aspects weren't entirely ignored])--see categories written on the front board

--exemplary "They Say/I Say" writing piece shared with a particular focus on logical vs. illogical "tweaks" to the template

Review -- Vocabulary Unit #1 BINGO (25-30 mins.)

--independent work time--finish writing five sentences

--share "how to win" boards

--share information about “board validation” (at podium, share words, basic definitions, and a sample sentence)

--play 3ish games (depending on time)--+1 bonus to winners

--Looking Ahead: talk about format of upcoming vocabulary assessment

--For HW, finish preparing for the Unit #1 vocabulary assessment, which will take place at the beginning of next class. Good luck!

Transition (3 mins.)

--Recycle or FILE AWAY your BINGO board.

--Pick up a copy of the text titled "Pickup Lines and Open(ing) Seductions, or Why Novels Have First Pages" and survey the text.

Literacy Activity/Intertextuality Unit Introduction -- Thomas C. Foster's "Pickup Lines and Open(ing) Seductions, or Why Novels Have First Pages" from How to Read Novels Like a Professor (2008)--REST OF AGENDA POSTPONED UNTIL FRIDAY

--brief overview of Foster's work and its purpose

--oral gist reading (rationale: fluency) of the title of the text through the end of the first paragraph--students follow along

--What initial thoughts and/or questions did you formulate during the gist reading?

• Discuss via a drawing of cards

--engage in discussion about the first paragraph--"talk to the text" (and, of course, each other!)

--conduct a gist reading of the rest of the text (silently or orally?--majority rules!)--feel free to annotate a little bit (though this is not the purpose during an initial reading)

Transition

--Pick up a copy of the "Mr. Martin's English--Reading Nonfiction Document" from the front table.  Purposefully read the top half of the document in order to understand how to use the document and its purpose.

HW Time

--briefly discuss as per the "Transition" above

--discuss the following question, tapping in to prior knowledge from English 9: What is close reading?

• Distinguish between close reading and free reading, gist reading, active reading, and purposeful reading
• Is close reading always necessary?
• Note the importance of annotating as part of the close reading process

--take a look at sample close reading for paragraph #1

HW

--Finish your work with Article of the Week #3, which is due at the beginning of class next time (Friday, 9/26).  This task will include purposefully reading the directions in the box at the top of the page and completing your best work with regard to the directions.  Technically speaking, you should really parenthetically reference direct quotations pulled from sources--I suggest you attempt to do so with your written response this week!

--The Unit #1 vocabulary assessment will take place at the beginning of next class (Friday, 9/26) . 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
• Application (Writing Sentences Using Whimsical Words)

--Close read (SEE MY PARAGRAPH #1 SAMPLE) pages 21-25 of Thomas C. Foster's "Pickup Lines and Open(ing) Seductions, or Why Novels Have First Pages", stopping prior to the list that begins on page 25.  Consult the list under "Step #2" of your "Mr. Martin's English--Reading Nonfiction Document" for close reading tips.  I would expect to see most (if not all) of the close reading methods on the list implemented within your own annotations, which I will likely check at the beginning of class on Friday, 9/26.--POSTPONED UNTIL FRIDAY

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

English 10 Honors--Essay Notes from 9/18/2014

English 9--9/22/2014 & 9/23/2014

Jump Off (10-12 mins.)
--Turn in your written-in-pen or typed "They Say" paragraph response by placing the writing piece in the black basket on the front table.
--Pick up the "English 9--Article of the Week #2 (9/22-9/26)--2014-2015 School Year" document from the front table.
--Pick up a Level D vocabulary book and a marker from the front table. Write your name on the inside cover and on the bottom of the pages of your vocabulary book. Then, return the marker.
--Pick up both a copy of the “Learning Standards” document and the “Learning Standards--Unit Items and Progress Self-Assessment” document from the front table.  After gist reading the standards document and scanning the chart, spend about 8 minutes filling in the “What Does This Standard Mean?” column of the chart.  Be ready to share your ideas via a drawing of cards.  We will return to these documents several times throughout our first mini-unit.
*I WILL CHECK HOMEWORK FOR COMPLETION AND RETURN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AS YOU WORK ON THE FOURTH ITEM LISTED ABOVE*
 
S. the C. (15 mins.)
--point out the "Binder Tabs--Suggested Setup" list on the front board (also a blog post)
--view the video clip below in order to build background for AoW #2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_itlEamvBo
--share out as per the Jump Off, connecting the standards to past years of ELA and English
--share focal points for today’s lesson standards-wise (RL.1 and RL.4) and explain purpose behind first block of time (vocabulary)
--agenda/rationale/HW
 
"Setting the Table"/Instruction -- Vocabulary Unit #1 (8-10 mins.)
--share the correct responses to the Diagnostic Test--students mark correct responses and
count up total number correct
--analyze Diagnostic Test class data via "heads down/hands up"
--vocabulary work: rationale and our typical routine
--go over Unit #1 word list (page 14)--read word aloud and have students repeat the word--repeat this process for the entire list (when time permits, we will also sometimes look at the part of speech, definition, and sample sentence[s] for a word)
 
"Work smarter" suggestion:

• Put a star next to "foreign" words (those that will definitely need to be studied).

Transition (3 mins.)

--Pick up a copy of “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.”  Briefly survey the text, noting the title, author, and genre (type) of the text.

Instruction -- Getting Started with “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves”

--discuss the following question, tapping in to prior knowledge from English 8: What is close reading? (10 mins.)

• Distinguish between close reading and free reading, gist reading, active reading, and purposeful reading
• Is close reading always necessary?
• Note the importance of annotating as part of the close reading process (a skill that will be deliberately built throughout this mini-unit)

--Today, we’ll actually first conduct a gist reading before returning to the text for a closer look.
--oral reading (rationale: fluency) of the title of the story through the end of the first paragraph--students follow along (3 mins.)
--What initial thoughts and/or questions did you formulate during the gist reading?

• Discuss via a drawing of cards (3 mins.)

--begin a phase of close reading, focusing on RL.4:

• Reread the title and the Stage 1 epigraph: Circle or box any unfamiliar words--then, look for context clues that point you toward meaning (I will model with “couth” and “kempt” from later in the text) (3 mins.)
• Independent work time (5 mins.)
• Share out--as I mark up the text on the SmartBoard, do the same on your personal copy of the text (10 mins.)
• Is it always possible to use the context?
• What happens in instances where the context “fails” readers?
• Let’s make sure to hit Jesuit, Lycanthropic, and Lycanthropic Culture Shock

Closure (10 mins.)

--Pick up the “RL.4 Ticket-Out-the-Door” halfsheet from the front table.  After carefully reading the directions, complete the task at hand and submit your best work prior to leaving class.

DEAR -- Free Reading Books (remainder of class)

--students without books will read Upfront Magazine

HW
--Begin your work with Article of the Week #2, which is due at the beginning of class on Friday, 9/26 (ACE) or Monday, 9/29 (BDF) . This task will include purposefully reading the directions in the box at the top of the page and completing your best work with regard to the directions.
--Complete the Choosing the Right Word ("50/50") vocabulary exercise (pages 17 and 18). Expect me to check your work next class. The Unit #1 quiz will take place on Friday, 9/26 (ACE) or Monday, 9/29 (BDF).
--Read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS.


Backburner Goals (Mr. Martin's Note-to-Self):

• Teambuilding (first and last name prior to participating)
• Revisit methods for finding key details in nonfiction (use notes from last class later in school year)

English 10 Honors--9/22/2014

Jump Off (5-8 mins.)
--Turn in your homework by placing both assignments in the black basket on the front table.  Make sure that your name is located on your work.

• Two-paragraph "They Say/I Say" response for AoW #2
• Vocabulary Diagnostic Test

--Pick up the "English 10 Honors--Article of the Week #3 (9/22-9/26)--2014-2015 School Year" document from the front table.
--Pick up a Level E vocabulary book and a marker from the front table.  Write your name on the inside cover and on the bottom of the pages of your vocabulary book.  Then, return the marker.
--If you have not already received feedback from me about your hooks, pick up your writing from me at the front table.
--Grab a laptop from the cart up front and get yourself logged in.
*I WILL CHECK HOMEWORK AND RETURN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AS YOU LOG IN*

S. the C. (10-15 mins.)
*SET YOUR COMPUTER ASIDE ONCE YOU'RE LOGGED IN*
--agenda/HW
--view the video clip below and briefly discuss the focus question:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL7qShELFR4
What opinions do you have about any of this?
--share the correct responses to the Diagnostic Test--students mark correct responses and count up total number correct

"Setting the Table"/Instruction -- Vocabulary Unit #1 (8-10 mins.)
--analyze Diagnostic Test class data via "heads down/hands up"
--vocabulary work: rationale and our typical routine
--go over Unit #1 word list (page 14)--read word aloud and have students repeat the word--repeat this process for the entire list (when time permits, we will also sometimes look at the part of speech, definition, and sample sentence[s] for a word)

"Work smarter" suggestion:

• Put a star next to "foreign" words (those that will definitely need to be studied).

--pronounce the five "Whimsical Words" (from http://www.dailywritingtips.com/100-whimsical-words/)

Writing Workshop -- Thematic Writing Assignment--Partner Interviews (remainder of class)

--MLA format--a "crash course"
--set some goals for today's work block
--set the parameters for today's work block
--outlining/drafting time--How can I help?

HW
--Begin your work with Article of the Week #3, which is due at the beginning of class on Friday, 9/26.  This task will include purposefully reading the directions in the box at the top of the page and completing your best work with regard to the directions.  If you get a chance to do so, watch the YouTube video linked in above before beginning your work since the network was not cooperating during class today.
--Complete the Choosing the Right Word ("50/50") vocabulary exercise (pages 17 and 18).  Expect me to check your work next class.  Also, familiarize yourself with the "Whimsical Words".  The Unit #1 quiz will take place on Friday, 9/26.
--The Thematic Writing Assignment--Partner Interviews essay (your best effort) typed in MLA format is due at the beginning of class next time (Wednesday, 9/24).  We will not use class time for peer/self-editing on Wednesday--what you submit is your final piece for my eyes!

English 9--9/18/2014 & 9/19/2014

Jump Off (3 mins.)
--The following students need to see me at the front table to tell me the titles of their free reading selections:

• Taylor F.
• Andrew S.
• Andrew W.
• Jake W.
• Corinne W.

--Take out your notebook and date the page (9/18 or 9/19). Label the page as follows: "Improving My Active Reading--Tips for Marking Up Key Words/Details"
--Take out your Article of the Week #1 document.

S. the C. (5 mins.)
--rationale/objectives:
Leave today with...

• more focused active reading skills--if you're reading a piece of nonfiction and should underline key words/details (a somewhat vague directive), what should you underline? What makes text "key"?
• more of your free reading book read and, hopefully, a sense of appreciation for the book--can you summarize what you read today and explain whether or not you're enjoying your book?
• a better sense of who's who within our group--can you name everybody in the classroom?

--agenda/HW

Literacy Activity (cont.) -- Article of the Week (20-25 mins.)
--modeling on the SmartBoard in response to this question: If you're reading a piece of nonfiction and should underline key words/details (a somewhat vague directive), what should you underline? What makes text "key"?

• as modeling occurs, ...
• jot down any tips shared in your notebook
• continue marking up your copy of AoW #1 (some independent work time provided)

--survey/highlight key aspects of the first half of the writing template located at the end of the AoW #1 document--I will complete the first paragraph on the SmartBoard

• as modeling occurs, ...
• compare my work to yours and make any necessary improvements

--For HW, write your name in pen at the top of a clean sheet of lined paper. Then, write a one-paragraph "They Say" response using the first half of the template located at the end of the AoW #1 document.  Let me be clear--you will turn in a paragraph next class, not merely a template with writing in the blanks.  This writing piece will be turned in at the beginning of class next time (Monday, 9/22 or Tuesday, 9/23).

--independent work time

DEAR -- Free Reading Books (20 mins.--timer set)
--oral reading of information about "reading flow" to frame this block of time first
--students without books will read the September 15, 2014 issue of Upfront Magazine

Transition (2 mins.)
--The following student needs to grab a paper bag from me at the front table: Olivia S.

Teambuilding Activity -- Artifact Bags (15-20ish mins.--timer set)
--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 repeats first and last name and further describes, explains, shares anecdotes, etc. as a form of introduction to teacher/peers
--REPEAT THE PROCESS...

Closure (remainder of class)
--Pick up the “Teambuilding/Free Reading/Active Reading--Ticket-Out-the-Door" document from the front table.  After carefully reading the directions, complete the task at hand and submit your best work prior to leaving class.

HW
--Write your name in pen at the top of a clean sheet of lined paper. Then, write a one-paragraph "They Say" response in pen using the first half of the template located at the end of the AoW #1 document. Let me be clear--you will turn in a paragraph next class, not merely a template with writing in the blanks. This writing piece will be turned in at the beginning of class next time (Monday, 9/22 or Tuesday, 9/23).
--Read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class. ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS.
--Enjoy the weekend--you only get so many of 'em.

English 10 Honors--9/18/2014

Jump Off (8 mins.)
--Turn in your homework (two markedly different essay hooks) by placing the writing in the black basket on the front table.  Make sure that your name is located somewhere on your writing.
--Pick up both the "The Art of Quoting" document and the "Introducing Quoted Material" document from the front table.
--Take out your notebook and date the page (9/18).  Label the page as follows: "Everything I Know About Writing an Essay".  Spend the first five minutes of class 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 use this information in order to consider what needs to be done between now and officially beginning writing your Thematic Writing Assignment--Partner Interviews essay.
--PLEASE SEE ME: Josh B.

S. the C. (20 mins.)
--agenda/HW
--Transition--pick up additional homework materials from the front table (article[s] and "Diagnostic Test")
--share out as per the J.O., creating a sort of picture of the brainstorming/organizing/outlining/drafting process

Teambuilder/Research/Writing Workshop -- Thematic Writing Assignment--Partner Interviews (remainder of class)

• Group/Presentation Activity -- "Mini-Lessons": Deftly Integrating Direct Quotations
• task explained
• Transition--four groups formed via a drawing of cards:
• "Introducing Quoted Material"
• "The Art of Quoting" pgs. 42-44
• "The Art of Quoting" pgs. 45-47
• "The Art of Quoting" pgs. 48-50
• group work time--preparing mini-lessons
• mini-lessons--important take-aways/"news you can use" from documents

--gather additional information about your partner one more time--DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE DIRECT QUOTATION COMPONENT OF THE ASSIGNMENT!
--brainstorming/organizing/outlining/drafting time--how can I help?

T0-Do List Developed Earlier in Block:

• Write a rough thesis statement
• A thesis statement is a sentence or sentences clearly defining an essay's purpose--in our essay, the thesis ought to include the overarching theme statement as per the essay's purpose.
• A thesis statement includes focus words that essentially "blueprint" the contents of upcoming body paragraphs--in our essay, focus words might include "realms" in which the overarching theme can be seen in the subject of the essay's life.
• Process through details gathered during the "research" process and determine what information you will use (constantly bearing in mind your rough thesis statement if it exists or simultaneously developing a rough thesis statement based on the details and what the details suggest)
• Once you have details selected, for each, write a sentence or two explaining how the detail connects back to your rough thesis statement--these sentences become your tiebacks
• Put together an outline, perhaps using the basic essay structure notes crafted on the front board today during the first part of the block (SEE THE "Essay Notes from 9/18/2014" BLOG POST)

*I WILL TAKE A LOOK AT AS MANY HOOKS AS I CAN DURING THIS BLOCK OF TIME*

HW Time

HW

--Finish your work with Article of the Week #2, which is due at the beginning of class next time (Monday, 9/22). This task will include purposefully reading the directions in the box at the top of the page and completing your best work with regard to the directions.  Also, you must read/view the work of one or more of the "contrarians" to which Matthew Herper is responding in his piece and find a way to deftly include some information from this outside source/these outside sources in your template-based "They Say/I Say" two-paragraph response.  Here is a link to the Ezekial Emanuel video that Herper references:
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/what-doctors-make-of-the-ice-bucket-challenge-AjP6JPSFSy~ntpVIuSzsBg.html
--Complete the "Diagnostic Test" for our vocabulary program to hand in at the beginning of class next time (Monday, 9/22).  Do not look up any of the words as you complete the assessment--it is a pre-test meant to diagnose your current knowledge and understanding.  The assessment will be scored based on completion, not how you actually perform.  Thank you for your cooperation!
--If necessary, finish getting in touch with your partner and engaging in the "research" process. The more intriguing information you have gathered about your partner, the more engaging your essay will likely be.
--Are you ready to craft a thesis statement for your essay?  If so, have at it!  I hope to have some commentary for you on Monday (if I don't finish during class today) so that you can make an informed decision about which hook to use (though the choice is ultimately yours!).
--The Thematic Essay Writing Assignment--Partner Interviews essay (your best effort) is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, 9/24 typed in proper MLA format.  
--We will have computer access on Monday, so you might want to bring a flashdrive!