English 9--4/24/2014

Jump Off (2 mins.)
--Take out your writing piece and feedback analysis halfsheet from the end of last class (Dragonsong Chapter 4).

S. the C. (5 mins.)
--The following student needs to see Mr. Martin at the end of class today for some important information:

• Hannah Montana

--agenda/HW

Writing Workshop (cont.) -- Dragonsong Unit--Chapter 4 Paragraph--Feedback Analysis (10-20 mins.)
--whole-group share-out ("I wrote...in the _____ category..."/"I improved...by...")--Mr. Martin adds items under the appropriate categories on the front board and models where appropriate--TAKE NOTES EITHER IN YOUR NOTEBOOK OR ON THE FRONT/BACK OF YOUR FEEDBACK ANALYSIS SHEET IN ORDER TO HELP YOU SUCCEED ON YOUR END-OF-UNIT ESSAY

Transition (1-2 mins.)
--When finished, clip your paragraph and feedback analysis sheet into (the Writing Section of?) your binder.

--Pick up the "Comma Splice/Sentence Combining Assessment" sheet from the front table.  Complete the assessment quietly and independently as a warm up for today's actual grammar hammer assessment.

 

Warm-Up/Review/Self-Reflection -- The Grammar Hammer (8-10 mins.)

--Finish the "assessment" quietly and independently.

--Go over the assessment.

--Assessments returned from 11/7/2013:

• Have your skills improved?
• Have your skills stayed the same?
• Have your skills (eeeeeeekkkkkkkkkk!) gotten worse?

Transition (1-2 mins.)
--Pick up the "The Grammar Hammer--Assessment of English 9 Errors/Rules #2" sheet from the front table.

Assessment -- The Grammar Hammer: English 9 Errors/Rules (20-25 mins.)
--After purposefully reading the directions, carefully complete the task at hand.  
--When you finish with the assessment, place your completed work in the black basket on the front table.  Then, pick up the "Dragonsong Unit: Assignment Introduction--Final Essay" sheet and an index card from the front table.  Give the assignment sheet a gist reading.

Writing Workshop -- Dragonsong Unit Final Essay (remainder of class/time permitting)
--purposefully read through assignment introduction sheet together
--link this work to the multitude of well-developed paragraphs that we have written this school year (answering questions, structure, etc.--"building out" from there):

• Chapter 1 paragraph exemplar shared again--keep in mind your own writing piece that was returned last class for the sake of comparison
• Potential essay idea "fleshed out" based on paragraph exemplar

--quiet/independent work time--developing a question and/or thesis statement for Dragonsong aspect of assignment for approval by Mr. Martin--MEETINGS WILL BEGIN OCCURRING IF TIME PERMITS
--begin brainstorming, outlining, detail-hunting, etc.
--Closure--T-O-D

• On your index card, write down your question/thesis statement for submission.

HW
--If you have not already done so, spend some time reading back through your Post-its/notes for Dragonsong in order to review everything that you have read and your "conversation with the text." Don't forget, too, that some of our notes from class discussion have been posted on the blog. A novel assessment covering the following will take place next class:

• character identification via characterization and plot events (Alemi, Beauty, Brekke, Elgion, Jaxom, Lessa, Mavi, Mirrim, Menolly, Oharan, Robinton, Sella, T'gellan, and Yanus)--do you know who's who?
• application of some of the concepts studied during the 7 Habits Unit (e.g., proactive vs. reactive behavior)--did you internalize material/life lessons from the beginning of the course?
• basic recall of the plot--did you keep up with the reading and get the gist?
• characterization and character motive
• themes
• the three types of irony
• one standards-based question for each of the following Reading Standards for Literature: RL.1, RL.4, and RL.5

--If we do not have much time to complete today's second "Writing Workshop" block, complete a gist reading of the "Dragonsong Unit: Assignment Introduction--Final Essay" sheet prior to next class. 
--Continue thinking about/preparing for writing your Dragonsong Unit Final Essay.
--Over the course of the next few weeks, we will deal with additional unit material (e.g., Mulan, poetry, etc.) that can be used as the second work in your essay. One of your purposes when viewing, reading, etc. will be taking notes and detail-hunting through the lens of your essay idea.

--YOU MUST BRING YOUR DRAGONSONG BOOK TO CLASS EVERY DAY BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE DRAGONSONG UNIT. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR BOOK, EXPECT CONSEQUENCES FOR LACK OF PREPARATION.
--BRING YOUR VOCABULARY BOOK TO CLASS DAILY. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MIGHT NEED IT!