English 9--6/2/2016

Jump Off
--Pick up both of the following documents from the front table: 

• "Divergent Unit--Literary Analysis: Arguing About Courage ASSESSMENT"
• halfsheet with additional information about scoring

After carefully reading the directions, prompt, and additional information about scoring, complete the task at hand quietly and independently.  Good luck!
*AS YOU WORK ON THIS ASSESSMENT, I WILL RETURN YOUR UNIT #9 VOCABULARY QUIZ AND YOUR CUMULATIVE WRITING PORTFOLIO*
--When you finish with the assessment, place your work in the black basket on the front table and complete one or several of the following tasks:

• read Divergent
• read your free reading book
• reflect upon your performance on the Unit #9 vocabulary quiz--shade in a bar on your bar graph
• look through the list of Unit #10 vocabulary words and put a mark next to all of the words that you are pretty confident about knowing already
• take a peek in your Cumulative Writing Portfolio
• meet with me to go over your revisions for the CWP

S. the C.
--Reminder: It is important for you to stay caught up with regard to all of your coursework.  It would behoove you to check the blog and SchoolTool often.  Additionally, if you have an "NG" for a Marking Period, following up with me ASAP is in your best interest.
--Reminder: The English 9 Final Examination will take place on Thursday, 6/16 during the 11:10 AM - 2:10 PM time slot.  A review sheet intended to help you prepare will be available next week.
--FYI: The "incentive plan" is in place for this vocabulary unit!
--pronounce each of the Unit #10 vocabulary words (pages 128-130)
--list of students needing to revise for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio shared--Would anyone like to schedule a meeting for a time slot during my office hours, today's class, or next class?

• The due date for submission is Monday, 6/6 by 3:00 PM (four days from today!).

--agenda/HW

Transition

--Turn in your Unit #9 vocabulary quiz, your colored pencil (if you grabbed one), and your Cumulative Writing Portfolio at the front of the classroom.

HW Time

HW (Class Preparation)
--Purposefully/actively read up to the end of Chapter 33 of Divergent.  This includes taking detailed notes on the page related to your faction/group as well as completing three or more "Notice & Note" Post-its and any additional Post-its related to anything worth discussing.  Review your purposeful/active reading notes as preparation for the writing section of the English 9 Final Examination.
--Begin preparing for the Unit #10 vocabulary quiz, which will take place on Wednesday, 6/8.  I strongly advise you to complete the vocabulary exercises in your book as preparation!  REMEMBER THAT WORDS FROM PREVIOUS UNITS ARE "FAIR GAME" ON ANY VOCABULARY QUIZ THEREAFTER.
--Bring your vocabulary book to class next time.  PLEASE DO NOT FORGET!
--Try to find some time to read your free reading book between now and next class.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!
HW (Writing)

--The due date for submitting a revised The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet End-of-Unit Essay for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio is Monday, 6/6 by 3:00 PM (four days from today!)--YOU MUST schedule a meeting with me to go over your revisions; simply handing in the revisions is unacceptable as per the protocol.  In fact, in circumstances where I have not already done so, you can expect me to ASSIGN meeting times if necessary to "get the ball rolling".  Meetings will occur during class again next time.

On the backburner:

• connect also to essential question
• film

English 10 Honors--6/1/2016

Jump Off
--Pick up a copy of the "End-of-Course Assignment--2016--Presentation Tips/Rubric" document FROM ME at the front table.  Take a look at this document during the first few minutes of class in order to...

• determine with whom you will be presenting
• familiarize yourself with the expectations
• prepare any questions for me.

--Grab a laptop from the cart and log in.

S. the C.
--agenda/HW
--Q & A

Writing Workshop -- End-of-Course Assignment

--work on End-of-Course Assignments (papers and/or presentations)

HW (Class Preparation)

--Review your purposeful/active reading notes and notes from past discussions for To Kill a Mockingbird, as another assessment is "fair game" at any point in time between now and the end of the course.

--Bring your vocabulary book to class next time so that we can begin working on the final unit of the school year--PLEASE DO NOT FORGET!
--Try to find some time to read your free reading book between now and next class. 

ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

HW (Class Preparation/Writing/Final Exam)

--Continue progressing through your End-of-Course Assignment.  I hope the end of the school year has not crept up on you because, well, it's more or less here!  We are scheduled for one more full block with computer access next class (Friday, 6/3).  Plan accordingly!  The written portion of the End-of-Course Assignment is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, 6/7, which will also be the first day of in-class presentations.  Next class, I will draw names to determine the presentation order for next week.

• BRING YOUR END-OF-COURSE ASSIGNMENT MATERIALS TO CLASS DAILY, INCLUDING YOUR COPY OF TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD AND THE READING GUIDE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THESE MATERIALS MIGHT BE NECESSARY!

 

English 9--5/31/2016

Jump Off
--Pick up a copy of the "Divergent Unit--Literary Analysis: Arguing About Courage" document from the front table.  After carefully reading the directions and prompt, complete the task at hand quietly and independently.  Good luck!
--When you finish, either read Divergent or your free reading book.

S. the C.
--Reminder: It is important for you to stay caught up with regard to all of your coursework.  It would behoove you to check the blog and SchoolTool often.  Additionally, if you have an "NG" for a Marking Period, following up with me ASAP is in your best interest.
--Reminder: The English 9 Final Examination will take place during the upcoming "exam week" as per the information shared last class.  More specific information regarding the exam is forthcoming.
--list of students needing to revise for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio shared--Would anyone like to schedule a meeting for a time slot during my office hours or one of our next two class blocks?

• The due date for submission is Monday, 6/6 (six days from today!).
• If you submitted your essay late, see me after school today to pick up your scored and commented upon essay.

--agenda/HW

Transition
--Who did you write about?

• form groups accordingly

Discussion #1 (Small Groups--Same) -- Divergent Unit--Literary Analysis: Arguing About Courage
--share organizational structure, claims, counterclaims, and evidence with each other as preparation for a follow-up whole-class discussion

Discussion #2 (Small Groups--Different) -- Divergent Unit--Literary Analysis: Arguing About Courage
--share organizational structure, claims, counterclaims, and evidence with each other as preparation for a follow-up whole-class discussion

• during this discussion, you are expected to "clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions"

Transition
--Consider/respond to the following questions:

• As per Al's definition of courage, who is the most courageous person that you know?  Why?
• How courageous are you?

--Form an alphabetical-by-first-name-of-courageous-individuals standing circle

Closure (Whole Class) -- Divergent Unit--Literary Analysis: Arguing About Courage

--check alphabetization/share courageous individuals
--share "for the good of the order"/Q & A for assessment next class

Transition
--re-column the desks

HW Time

HW (Class Preparation)
--Purposefully/actively read up to the end of Chapters 28 & 29 of Divergent.  This includes taking detailed notes on the page related to your faction/group as well as completing three or more "Notice & Note" Post-its and any additional Post-its related to anything worth discussing.  Review your purposeful/active reading notes, as an assessment will take place next class (Thursday, 6/2).  

• It would make logical sense for me to create an assessment task that mirrors the discussion activity that we completed a few classes ago ("Speed Dating").
• Expect to truly argue about something pertaining to Divergent as you did in class today.  

--Bring your vocabulary book to class next time so that we can begin working on the final unit of the school year--PLEASE DO NOT FORGET!
--Try to find some time to read your free reading book between now and next class.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

HW (Writing)
--The due date for submitting a revised The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet End-of-Unit Essay for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio is Monday, 6/6 (six days from today)--YOU MUST schedule a meeting with me to go over your revisions; simply handing in the revisions is unacceptable as per the protocol.  In fact, in circumstances where I have not already done so, you can expect me to ASSIGN meeting times if necessary to "get the ball rolling".  Meetings will occur during class both next time and Monday of next week.

On the backburner:

• portfolios?
• connect also to essential question
• film

English 10 Honors--5/26/2016

SPRING DAY

Film -- Robert Mulligan’s To Kill a Mockingbird (remainder of class)
--while continuing to view the film today, bear in mind the following questions--better yet, jot down notes in response to each of the questions!

• How does the film version stay faithful to the novel?  (What’s the same?)
• How does the film version depart from the novel?  (What’s different?)
• Do the choices of the director or actor(s) effectively convey the themes of the text?  Why/why not/to what extent?

*AS THE FILM IS PLAYING, I WILL RETURN YOUR LAST TWO NOVEL ASSESSMENTS SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR PERFORMANCE AND ENGAGE IN SELF-REFLECTION.  PLEASE PLACE BOTH ASSESSMENTS IN THE BLACK BASKET ON THE FRONT TABLE BEFORE LEAVING.*

 

HW (Class Preparation)

--If, for some unspeakable reason, you have not yet finished purposefully/actively reading To Kill a Mockingbird, please do so over the long weekend.  Review your purposeful/active reading notes and notes from past discussions, as another assessment is "fair game" at any point in time between now and the end of the course.

--Continue progressing through your End-of-Course Assignment.  Do not let the end of the school year unnecessarily creep up on you!  We are scheduled for two more full blocks with computer access on the following days: Wednesday, 6/1 and Friday, 6/3.  Plan accordingly!  The written portion of the End-of-Course Assignment is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, 6/7, which will also be the first day of in-class presentations.

 

• BRING YOUR END-OF-COURSE ASSIGNMENT MATERIALS TO CLASS DAILY, INCLUDING YOUR COPY OF TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD AND THE READING GUIDE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THESE MATERIALS MIGHT BE NECESSARY!

--Try to find some time to read your free reading book between now and next class.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

 

English 9--5/25/2016

Jump Off
--Pick up a sheet of computer paper from the front table and sit in your most recent assigned seat.

S. the C.
--Reminder: It is important for you to stay caught up with regard to all of your coursework.  It would behoove you to check the blog and SchoolTool often.  Additionally, if you have an "NG" for a Marking Period, following up with me ASAP is in your best interest.
--list of students needing to revise for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio shared--Would anyone like to schedule a meeting for a time slot during my office hours?

• The due date for submission is Monday, 6/6 (about 1.5 weeks from today).

--information shared about the final examination:

• when-ish?
• length
• what's assessed
• format
• Q & A

--agenda/HW

Activity -- "Fable for When There's No Way Out"
--oral reading for the "gist"--as poem is read aloud two-four times, draw the gist of the poem (in frames? in one complete picture? you decide!)--really look to be accurate as per the text
--share some pictures--as this occurs, I will capture some notes about the poem on the front board
--brainstorm a list of what to do next (digging deeper)--remember that this is poetry: tap into eighth grade poetry knowledge and our earlier course work with poetry
--Transition--pick up a copy of the poem from the front table
--oral reading for deeper meaning--as poem is read aloud twice, jot down notes on the poem itself as per our "digging deeper" list
--share out

Closure -- Quote Hunting--Cutaway Scene Insertion
--What is a cutaway scene?--tap into prior knowledge/share definition from Wikipedia--anyone think of examples?
--find a quote from Divergent where in the "film version", a cutaway version to "Fable for When There's No Way Out" would "work"
--share out

HW Time

HW (Class Preparation)
--Purposefully/actively read up to the end of Chapter 27 of Divergent.  This includes taking detailed notes on the page related to your faction/group as well as completing three or more "Notice & Note" Post-its and any additional Post-its related to anything worth discussing.  Review your purposeful/active reading notes, as an assessment is "fair game" at any point in time between now and when we finish the novel.  It would make logical sense for me to give an assessment that mirrors the discussion activity that we completed last class! :)
--Try to find some time to read your free reading book between now and next class.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

HW (Writing)
--The due date for submitting a revised The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet End-of-Unit Essay for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio is Monday, 6/6 (about 1.5 weeks from today)--YOU MUST schedule a meeting with me to go over your revisions; simply handing in the revisions is unacceptable as per the protocol.  In fact, in circumstances where I have not already done so, you can expect me to ASSIGN meeting times if necessary to "get the ball rolling". When time permits, meetings can/will occur during class time.
Miscellaneous
--Enjoy the long weekend--you truly only get so many of these!!!

On the backburner:

• portfolios?
• connect also to essential question

English 10 Honors--5/24/2016

Jump Off
--Grab a laptop from the cart and log in.

S. the C.
--agenda/HW
--Reminder:
COMPACT FOR WORK TIME

• Talking should be very limited.
• When talking must occur, get peer’s attention first and stay on task.
• Teacher will use the consequence system in place for lack of compliance.
• Listening to music (provided by teacher or on personal devices) is acceptable.

Writing Workshop -- End-of-Course Assignment

--Do you remember these "controlling quotations" from earlier in the course?  These ideas might help guide your work today!:

 

• "At this point [of gathering evidence], you want to include anything, anything, that might be useful, and you also want to avoid the temptation to arrive at definite conclusions about your topic. Remember that one of the qualities that makes for a good interpretation is that it avoids the obvious. You want to develop complex ideas, and the best way to do that is to keep your ideas flexible until you've considered the evidence carefully. A good gauge of complexity is whether you feel you understand more about your topic than you did when you began (and even just reaching a higher state of confusion is a good indicator that you're treating your topic in a complex way)."
• "A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a 'working thesis,' a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way."

--work on End-of-Course Assignments "anchored in" to the "Compact for Work Time"

 

HW (Class Preparation)

--Finish purposefully/actively reading To Kill a Mockingbird by working through the “To Kill a Mockingbird Novel Study--Purposeful Reading Guide.”  Remember that your End-of-Course Assignment pertains to arguing about human nature and includes both Lord of the Flies and To Kill a Mockingbird.  You might want to take additional notes (on Post-its?) accordingly.  Review your purposeful/active reading notes and notes from past discussions, as another assessment is "fair game" at any point in time between now and the end of the course.  You can expect to get back both your Lord of the Flies Novel Assessment and the To Kill a Mockingbird assessment next class.

--Continue progressing through your End-of-Course Assignment.  Do not let the end of the school year unnecessarily creep up on you!  We are scheduled for two more full blocks with computer access on the following days: Wednesday, 6/1 and Friday, 6/3.  Plan accordingly!  The written portion of the End-of-Course Assignment is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, 6/7, which will also be the first day of in-class presentations.

 

• BRING YOUR END-OF-COURSE ASSIGNMENT MATERIALS TO CLASS DAILY, INCLUDING YOUR COPY OF TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD AND THE READING GUIDE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THESE MATERIALS MIGHT BE NECESSARY!

--Try to find some time to read your free reading book between now and next class. 

ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

English 9--5/23/2016

Jump Off
--Find your name card and sit in the corresponding desk.
--Pick up the grammar quiz from the front table.  Carefully read the directions; then, carefully complete the quiz quietly and independently.  Good luck!
--When you finish with the assessment, read either Divergent or your free reading book until everyone has finished taking the assessment.

S. the C.
--Reminder: It is important for you to stay caught up with regard to all of your coursework.  It would behoove you to check the blog and SchoolTool often.  Additionally, if you have an "NG" for a Marking Period, following up with me ASAP is in your best interest.
--list of students needing to revise for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio shared--Would anyone like to schedule a meeting for a time slot during my office hours?

• The due date for submission is Monday, 6/6 (two weeks from today).

--agenda/HW

• Remember that today's grammar quiz aims to assess your mastery of a component of the language standard that reads as follows: English 9 students demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing (L.1).
• Additionally, we will work on RL and SL standards today.  Who can summarize some of the components of these standards?!

Transition

--Pick up a copy of the notes page from the front table, which consists of our discussion notes from a few classes ago.  Once everyone has returned to desks, I will model for you what I would like you to do with the notes page.

Discussion Preparation -- Divergent Chapters 1-21
--Directions:

• Read through the notes from all three classes in order to respond thoughtfully to the following prompt: Pick out a direct quotation from Chapters 17-21 that "builds upon" something that came up in discussion last week.  Then, answer the following questions as preparation for sharing your ideas/thoughts with some of your peers:
• What came up in discussion last week that your direct quotation addresses?
• What is your direct quotation?  (Make sure to properly parenthetically reference your quotation by including the author's last name and page number[s]!)?
• How does your direct quotation "build upon" what was discussed prior?
• So what?!

--Directions executed (a model):

• In Block 2, the theme of jealousy was discussed when taking a look at why Peter stabbed Edward in the eye near the end of Chapter 16.  Someone suggested that Peter's violent act may have been spurred by him being jealous of Edward's success.
• "She gets up and stands behind the members sitting in the doorway.  In a second, her serious expression is gone, but I still feel rattled by what she said, half confused by the idea of Four being 'nice' and half wanting to punch her for no apparent reason" (Roth 214).
• In this direct quotation, Tris is talking about Shauna.  Shauna has just told Tris that Shauna and Four both went through Dauntless initiation together, and Four taught Shauna how to fight because she was awful at it.  When I first read about Four helping Shauna, I remember thinking to myself the following: Huh...kind of like he's taking a special interest in Tris right now?!  I would imagine Tris was thinking the same thought, feeling jealous, and therefore desiring to "punch [Shauna] for no apparent reason."  The reason seems to be jealousy.
• It is important to now notice that two radically different characters, Peter and Tris, both experience jealousy while undergoing Dauntless initiation.  Perhaps Veronica Roth wants her readers to realize that all people, regardless of the society in which they live or their temperament or how they then respond to the emotion are naturally jealous beings.  A society, then, that attempts to rid its people of qualities considered undesirable, such as jealousy, will never fully succeed, as it is human nature to experience jealousy.  Roth likely wants us to realize, if we have not already, that the society she depicts for her readers is far from perfect.

--quiet and independent work time

Transition

--desks paired up for "speed dating" discussion

Discussion -- Divergent Chapters 1-21 "Speed Dating"
--"date" format:

• east-side student shares first for up to one minute
• west-side student briefly summarizes what he/she heard for up to thirty seconds
• west-side student shares second for up to one minute
• east-side student briefly summarizes what he/she heard for up to thirty seconds
• west-side students rotate south/east-side students remain stationary

--engage in "speed dating" process for at least three "dates"

Closure -- Whip Around
--Think of one "thing" you learned in class today.  (If you need to write your key learning down so that you don't forget, please do so!)

--Toss the ball around the classroom from one to another sharing learnings.

HW Time (time permitting)

HW (Class Preparation)
--Purposefully/actively read up to the end of Chapter 24 of Divergent.  This includes taking detailed notes on the page related to your faction/group as well as completing three or more "Notice & Note" Post-its and any additional Post-its related to anything worth discussing.  Review your purposeful/active reading notes, as an assessment is "fair game" at any point in time between now and when we finish the novel.  It would make logical sense for me to give an assessment that mirrors today's discussion activity! :)

--Try to find some time to read your free reading book between now and next class.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!
HW (Writing)
--The due date for submitting a revised The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet End-of-Unit Essay for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio is Monday, 6/6 (two weeks from today)--YOU MUST schedule a meeting with me to go over your revisions; simply handing in the revisions is unacceptable as per the protocol.  In fact, in circumstances where I have not already done so, you can expect me to ASSIGN meeting times if necessary to "get the ball rolling". When time permits, meetings can/will occur during class time.

On the backburner:

• portfolios?
• connect also to essential question