English 10 Honors--10/5/2015

Jump Off (5-8 mins.)
--Pick up a highlighter and the "Parts of Speech--Post-test" from the front table.  Complete the assessment quietly and independently back at your desk.  Good luck!

S. the C. (10-12 mins.)
--When finished with the assessment, come up to the front table and...

• return your highlighter 
• pick up your Article of the Week #1 active reading
• pick up the document containing Article of the Week #1 sample work

Then, compare your active reading to the sample work, which is done to mastery level.  Also, scan back through your annotations in preparation for a brief discussion about the sharing economy later during the class block.
--agenda/HW
--trade and grade--scored assessments returned to test-takers for self-reflection purposes--scored assessments collected

Discussion/Debate/Instruction -- Articles of the Week/Take a Stand (20-25 mins.)

--briefly discuss "A Brief Guide to America's Sharing Economy" via circled annotations
--description of the protocol for Take a Stand:

• Momentarily, I will make a debatable statement:
• If you agree with the statement, STAND UP next to your desk.
• If you strongly agree with the statement, STAND ON your desk chair.
• If you disagree with the statement, STAY SEATED in your desk chair.
• If you strongly disagree with the statement, SIT ON THE FLOOR next to your desk.

--My claim: Most students at Livonia High School do not perform as well as they could academically due to not getting enough sleep at night. 
--show your position
--cold-calling--students randomly selected to briefly explain their stand (no more than three sentences)
--Transition--pick up the "English 10 Honors--Article of the Week #2 (10/5-10/9)--2015-2016 School Year" document from the front table
--take a brief look at exemplary work--expectations/methods of assessment further defined

Transition (3-5 mins.)
--note-taking (Short Story as a Literary Form and Romanticism as a Literary Movement)

Looking Ahead--Story #1 -- “The Masque of the Red Death” (10-15 mins.)

--take a thoughtful look at pictures via slides (with Poe, expect symbolism and, sometimes, allegory--what might each "thing" pictured represent within the story?)

Transition (2 mins.)
--pick up the “Short Story Analysis Sheet”, a story map (if desired), and a copy of "The Masque of the Red Death"

HW Time (remainder of class)
--purposefully read “The Masque…” (use “Short Story Analysis Sheet”)--keep our ideas from earlier in class in mind

Teambuilding Activity -- Artifact Bags (Block 4--time permitting)
--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...

HW (Take-Home Assessment)
--Complete Article of the Week #2 to turn in at the beginning of next class (Wednesday, 10/7).  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.
HW (Class Preparation)
--Begin/finish purposefully reading “The Masque…”  Be prepared for an assessment and/or a discussion about the reading next class.
--Continue thinking about your short story.  The final draft of the assignment will be due before you know it!
--Read your free reading book for at least 15 minutes between now and next class. ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS.

English 9--10/2/2015

Jump Off/"Hook"/Warm-Up (8-10 mins.)

--Turn in your active, purposeful reading of Article of the Week #2 (either Choice A or Choice B) by placing your work in the black basket on the front table.
Tone in Email Correspondence 
--"set the table" for the reading about to be shared
--Your purpose:

• When listening to the return email from me to "Random Student", determine my tone. Remember that a writer's tone is the attitude he or she has toward the subject about which and/or audience to which he or she is speaking. A writer's tone can be described using adjectives such as any of those from the list below:
• angry
• arrogant
• baffled
• depressed
• detached
• formal
• honest
• instructional
• intimate
• ironic
• neutral
• outraged
• playful
• serene
• serious
• tender

--brief discussion as per your purpose--cards drawn if necessary

• What was the subject of my email?
• Who was the audience of my email?
• What was my tone in the email?
• How do you know?

S. the C. (8-10 mins.)

--today's class is an RI.2, RI.3, and RI.4-driven lesson with informal assessments of RI.4 occurring throughout the block and a formal assessment of RI.2, RI.3, and RI.4 (central idea and tone) at the end of the block

• 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.
• RI.4: English 9 students can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact on meaning and tone.
• What does this last standard ask students to do?
• What did you just do?!
• On a scale of 1-5+, how would you rate your mastery of these standards? BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF.

--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

Gist Reading/Discussion -- “Letter One" of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet (10-15 mins.--STOPWATCH)
--An informative excerpt from educational researcher Robert Marzano's book Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement:

• "Although it is true that the extent to which students will learn this new content is dependent on factors such as the skill of the teacher, the interest of the student, and the complexity of the content, the research literature supports one compelling fact: what students already know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information relative to the content. Commonly, researchers and theorists refer to what a person already knows about a topic as “background knowledge.” Numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between background knowledge and achievement (Nagy, Anderson, & Herman, 1987; Bloom, 1976; Dochy, Segers, & Buehl, 1999; Tobias, 1994; Alexander, Kulikowich, & Schulze, 1994; Schiefele & Krapp, 1996; Tamir, 1996; Boulanger, 1981). In these studies the reported average correlation between a person's background knowledge of a given topic and the extent to which that person learns new information on that topic is .66 (see Technical Note 1 on p. 127 for a discussion of how the correlation was computed)."

--take a look at background information about Rainer Maria Rilke--how can this information help us better analyze and understand Rilke's letter?
--Block 3: Finish gist reading first!
--scan back through your copy of "Letter One" of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet

• What curious questions did you jot down?
• What did you underline/how did you 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?"

--begin/continue doing the following: share out as per gist reading/address my related questions--as I mark up the text on the SmartBoard and jot down on the whiteboard important conclusions that we draw, mark up your personal copy of the text accordingly

Brain Break -- Desk Stretches (5 mins.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLPfP1oRJFM
*YOU MAY EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO PASS*

Purposeful Rereading/Informal Assessment/Discussion -- Central Idea and Tone in "Letter One of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet (20 mins.--STOPWATCH)
--Purposefully reread as much of Rilke's letter as you can in 10 minutes quietly and independently.

• Your purpose:
• Continue jotting down curious questions whenever such questions enter your mind (listen for them!)
• Continue underlining key words/details with RI.2 in mind
• Make connections between the conclusions we drew earlier in class and the text, annotating accordingly
• Draw boxes around any words or phrases that help you figure out what Rilke's tone is (RI.4)
• FYI: THESE ANNOTATIONS, IF DONE WELL, WILL COME IN EXTREMELY HANDY DURING THE ASSESSMENT AT THE END OF TODAY'S CLASS!

--informal assessment of RI.4 (SEE FRONT BOARD)
--wrap-up discussion (time permitting)

Transition (2 mins.)
--Pick up the "Mid-Mini-Unit Standards Assessment--RI.2, RI.3, and RI.4" document from the front table.

Closure (remainder of class) 
--After carefully reading the assessment directions, complete the task at hand and submit your best work based on the time permitted prior to leaving class.

"Cool-Down"/Full-Circle Ending (time permitting)

--let's talk about "Random Student" again and what he's up to now...

HW (Class Preparation)
--Bring your vocabulary book next time. Please do not forget!
--Read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS.  You have up until the first week of December to finish your book.
--Enjoy the weekend--you only get so many of 'em!

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

• Review the parts of speech as introduction to our grammar work/in order to aid in vocabulary study

English 10 Honors--10/1/2015

Jump Off (3-5 mins.)
--Pick up a highlighter and the sheet entitled "Parts of Speech--Pretest" from the front table.  Complete the sheet quietly and independently.  Good luck!

S. the C. (3-5 mins.)
--agenda/HW
--prepare slides for next activity--drop the hammer--share routine/rationale with students and link to writing that we've done so far this year
--directions given for first activity

Transition (2 mins.)
--return highlighter and pick up a tile, an Expo marker, and a scrap for erasing from the front bookshelf--be kind to my markers!

Review Activity/Instruction -- The Grammar Hammer--Parts of Speech TILES (15-20 mins.)
--indicate pretest responses as directed by the PowerPoint slides/take any necessary notes

Self-Assessment -- 1st Marking Period Soft Skills (30-35 mins.)
--familiarize ourselves with the framework/"anchor in" via PowerPoint and tiles (sample rubric squares, sample "students," etc.)--STREAMLINED!
--Transition--pick up a copy of the "Mr. Martin's English--Soft Skills Self-Assessment" document from the front table
--complete the "Mr. Martin's English--Soft Skills Self-Assessment" document quietly and independently as directed
--When you finish, place your self-assessment in the black basket on the front table, return your tile and Expo marker, and begin working on the next part of the lesson.

Transition (5-8 mins.)
--note-taking (Short Story as a Literary Form and Romanticism as a Literary Movement)--date the page in your notebook (10/1/2015)

Looking Ahead--Story #1 -- “The Masque of the Red Death” (10-15 mins.)

--take a thoughtful look at pictures via slides (with Poe, expect symbolism and, sometimes, allegory--what might each "thing" pictured represent within the story?)
 

Transition (2 mins.)
--pick up the “Short Story Analysis Sheet”, a story map (if desired), and a copy of "The Masque of the Red Death"

HW Time (time permitting)
--purposefully read “The Masque…” (use “Short Story Analysis Sheet”)--keep our ideas from earlier in class in mind

DEAR -- Free Reading Books (time permitting)
--students without books will read Upfront newsmagazine

Teambuilding Activity -- Artifact Bags (Block 4--time permitting)
--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...

HW (Class Preparation)

--Prepare for the "Parts of Speech--Post-test," which will take place at the beginning of next class.  It might be in your best interest to review via the following website if you struggled on today's pre-test:
http://arts.uottawa.ca/writingcentre/en/hypergrammar/the-parts-of-speech/review-parts-of-speech
--Begin/continue thinking about your short story.  The final draft of the assignment will be due before you know it!

--Begin/finish purposefully reading “The Masque…”  Be prepared for an assessment and/or a discussion about the reading next class.
--Read your free reading book for at least 15 minutes between now and next class. ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS.
Miscellaneous
--Enjoy the weekend--you only get so many of 'em!

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

• return/reflect--terms/concepts assessments

English 9--9/30/2015

Jump Off (5 mins.)
--Under the area of the front board labeled "Rainer Maria Rilke Background," write down one of the important facts that you found about Rilke as part of your homework.  Read what others before you have written, and if you have nothing new to add, of course, don't be repetitive--simply return to your desk.

S. the C. (5-8 mins.)

--today's class, following an important block of time for reflection, is RI.2, RI.3, and SL.1-driven with an assessment of RI.2 skills as closure

• 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.

--agenda/HW

Transition (3 mins.)
--pick up a tile, an Expo marker, and a scrap for erasing from the front bookshelf--be kind to my markers!

Self-Assessment -- 1st Marking Period Soft Skills (25-30 mins.)
--familiarize ourselves with the framework/"anchor in" via PowerPoint and tiles (sample rubric squares, sample "students," etc.)
--Transition--Pick up a copy of the "Mr. Martin's English--Soft Skills Self-Assessment" document from the front table.
--complete the "Mr. Martin's English--Soft Skills Self-Assessment" document quietly and independently as directed
--When you finish, place your self-assessment in the black basket on the front table and begin working as per the directions below.

Literacy Activity/Discussion -- “Letter One" of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet (20-25 mins.)
--An interesting excerpt from educational researcher Robert Marzano's book Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement;

• "Although it is true that the extent to which students will learn this new content is dependent on factors such as the skill of the teacher, the interest of the student, and the complexity of the content, the research literature supports one compelling fact: what students already know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information relative to the content. Commonly, researchers and theorists refer to what a person already knows about a topic as “background knowledge.” Numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between background knowledge and achievement (Nagy, Anderson, & Herman, 1987; Bloom, 1976; Dochy, Segers, & Buehl, 1999; Tobias, 1994; Alexander, Kulikowich, & Schulze, 1994; Schiefele & Krapp, 1996; Tamir, 1996; Boulanger, 1981). In these studies the reported average correlation between a person's background knowledge of a given topic and the extent to which that person learns new information on that topic is .66 (see Technical Note 1 on p. 127 for a discussion of how the correlation was computed)."

--take a look at background information about Rainer Maria Rilke--how can this information help us better analyze and understand Rilke's letter?
--Block 3: Finish gist reading first!
--scan back through your copy of "Letter One" of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet

• What curious questions did you jot down?
• What did you underline/how did you 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?"

--begin/continue doing the following: share out as per gist reading/address my related questions, focusing more specifically on paragraphs 1 and 2 (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.)
--Pick up the following document from the front table:

• "RI.2 Ticket-Out-the-Door"

Closure (as long as necessary)
--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.

DEAR -- Free Reading Books (time permitting)
--students without books will read Upfront newsmagazine

Teambuilding Activity -- Artifact Bags (time permitting)
--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...

HW (Class Preparation)
--Read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS.  You have up until the first week of December to finish your book.

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 next class (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--9/29/2015

Jump Off (30-35 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 try to do my best work (reading closely and providing meaningful feedback) in a somewhat timely fashion, but I'll be honest--it'll probably take a while :).
--Pick up the "English 10 Honors--Literature and Nonfiction Terms/Concepts 2015-2016--Assessment--Terms/Concepts #61-80" 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 quiz in the black basket on the front table.
• Pick up a copy of Perrine's Story and Structure and the "Perrine's Story and Structure--'Reading the Story' (pgs. 3-9)" sheet from the front table.  Read through the italicized directions on the sheet and engage in purposeful reading as preparation for a follow-up discussion later in class (distinguishing between two types of fiction and analyzing literature that we've read through this lens), completing part of the top half of the "Perrine's Story and Structure--'Reading the Story' (pgs. 3-9)" sheet.

Transition (1 min.)
--pick up the "Short Story Writing Assignment" sheet from the front table--form a circle

S. the C. (5 mins.)
--agenda/HW

Unit Introduction (cont.)/Discussion -- Short Story Unit (20-25 mins.)
--oral gist reading of "Short Story Writing Assignment" sheet--any questions that I can answer?
--Q & A
--discussion protocol/"Discussion Contribution Rating Scale" shared
--finish preparing for discussion (if necessary)
--engage in discussion/notetaking about the reading titled "Reading the Story":

• distinguish between commercial and literary fiction
• begin to answer these questions: What is a short story? and How does purposefully reading a short story enhance our understanding of the human experience? 
• analyze works that we've read in the past--commercial or literary fiction?
• I WILL ASSESS CONTRIBUTIONS VIA THE "DISCUSSION CONTRIBUTION RATING SCALE"

Transition (5-8 mins.)
--note-taking (Short Story as a Literary Form, Allegory as a Literary Term, and Romanticism as a Literary Movement)--date the page in your notebook (9/29/2015)

Looking Ahead--Story #1 -- “The Masque of the Red Death” (10-15 mins.)

--take a thoughtful look at pictures via slides (with Poe, expect allegory and symbolism--what might each "thing" pictured represent within the story?)

Transition (2 mins.)
--pick up the “Short Story Analysis Sheet”, a story map (if desired), and a copy of "The Masque of the Red Death"

HW Time (time permitting)
--purposefully read “The Masque…” (use “Short Story Analysis Sheet”)--keep our ideas from earlier in the mini-lesson in mind

HW (Class Preparation)

--Begin thinking about your short story.  The final draft of the assignment will be due before you know it!

--Begin/finish purposefully reading “The Masque…”  Be prepared for an assessment and/or a discussion about the reading next class.
--Read your free reading book for at least 15 minutes between now and next class. ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS.

--You might want to review the eight parts of speech prior to next class ;).

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.