English 9--1/15/2016

Jump Off
--Pick up the Unit #5 vocabulary quiz from the front table.  Make sure to carefully read all of the directions.  Complete the quiz quietly and independently. Good luck!
--When you finish with the assessment, place your work in the black basket on the front table.  Then, spend some time looking over your copy of the Prologue as final preparation for the next part of today's class block. 

S. the C.
--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 (posted on the front board)?
• The due date for submission is the end of the day TODAY (3:00 PM)!

--trade and grade--scored assessments returned to test-takers for self-reflection purposes--scored assessments collected
--agenda/HW
--prologue recitation in pairs

Public Speaking Activity #1 -- Prologue Recitations (First Five Lines [or More!])
--volunteers first, then cards drawn

 Group Work/Mini-Presentation Preparation Activity -- The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet--Background Information
--"anchor in" to the "Compact for Group Work" via the poster located in the front of the classroom
--Transition--get back in groups from last class
--prepare a brief presentation to share with the rest of the class
--When preparing/practicing your mini-presentation, keep this information about content and these seven public speaking tips in mind:

• Content
• Your presentation must have a planned opening and closing and share essential information based on answers to questions/information in charts, but you should not just read from the sheets!
• The information shared should be evenly split amongst group members (all must speak), and smooth transitions from speaker to speaker are expected.
• Delivery (Public Speaking Tips)
• Pause/smile in front and gain the attention of your audience before speaking.
• Speak loudly enough to be heard by all.
• Speak at an appropriate speed (NOT TOO FAST).
• Speak with enthusiasm.
• Make clear attempts at eye contact to ALL parts of the classroom.
• Limit vocal fillers ("umm", "ahh", long silences, etc.)--NO MORE THAN 3-5 PER MINUTE.
• Limit distracting body movements (podium tapping, hair smoothing, etc.).

Transition
--Pick up a copy of the sheet entitled "Background Information Mini-Presentation Notes" and read the directions at the top of the page.

Introductory Activity/Mini-Presentations/Public Speaking Activity #2 -- The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet--Background Information
--presentations as per guidelines above/notetaking

HW Time -- Memorizing the Prologue
--quiet and independent work time (paraphrasing, repetition of lines, writing lines in own handwriting, etc.)

HW (Take-Home Assessment/Class Preparation)
--Memorize the first ten lines of the Prologue by the beginning of class next time (Wednesday, 1/20), and be ready to demonstrate your memorization in class when I draw cards for oral recitations.  Remember that if you are able to recite the entire Prologue on Wednesday, an additional 100% quiz score will be factored in to your Marking Period 3 GPA, and your "Initiative" soft skills report will be positively impacted!
HW (Class Preparation)
--Review your "Background Information Mini-Presentation Notes" page prior to next class, as an upcoming assessment is quite possible!
--Try to read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class.  Your book must be finished by mid-March.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!
Miscellaneous
--Enjoy the weekend--you only get so many of 'em!
--Work toward achievement of your S.M.A.R.T. Goal?!

On the backburner:

• A Paragraph's a Paragraph's a Paragraph instruction (if necessary)
• Break down model paragraph together (if necessary)

English 10 Honors--1/14/2016

Jump Off (2 mins.)
--Pick up the "Vocabulary Units--Exercise Check" halfsheet from the front table. Write your name on the line and open your vocabulary book to page 65.

S. the C. (15-20 mins.)
--quickly complete exercise check--when finished, pass up facedown
--go over the homework ("Choosing the Right Word" exercise on pages 65 and 66) three-in-a-row style, sharing words for all three and context clues for one
--Reminder: the "incentive plan" (it is in place this week!)
--Reminder: Keep the "Intertextuality Unit--The Alchemist and The Old Man and the Sea Culminating Essay Assignment" document in mind, as this is where we are headed as we continue working through our current literature unit. Do you have any potential ideas in mind already? (Frankly, you should!)
--Reminder--Speaking and Listening Standards: English 10 Honors students can participate effectively in a collaborative discussion, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. This includes:

• coming to the discussion prepared, having read and researched the material under study and explicitly drawing on that preparation by referring to evidence from the text and additional reading/research to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
• propelling conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporating others into the discussion; and clarifying, verifying, or challenging ideas and conclusions.
• responding thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarizing points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualifying or justifying their own views and understanding and making new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented. THIS MULTI-PART STANDARD WILL BE ASSESSED TODAY VIA THE "DISCUSSION CONTRIBUTION RATING SCALE."

--agenda/HW

Transition (2 mins.)
--Get back in partnerships/groups from last class and take out your "Joseph Campbell's Monomyth--Background, Instruction, and Application" document.

Application Activity (Novella Closure) -- Joseph Campbell's Monomyth (flex time)

--"anchor in" to the "Compact for Group Work" via the poster located in the front of the classroom

--finish working on applying the monomyth template to The Alchemist as preparation for today's discussion

Transition (2-3 mins.)

--Form a circle out of the desks by birth order from youngest to oldest ending with me (I am 34, and my birthday is in October!).

--Keep/Take out the following items: your monomyth document, your notebook, your copy of the novella, your active/purposeful reading notes, and any additional discussion ideas.

Circle Discussion (Novella Closure) -- The Alchemist up to the End (flex time)

--engage in discussion as per the protocol--contributions will be assessed via the "Discussion Contribution Rating Scale"

Potential items for discussion:

• Application of the monomyth template to The Alchemist--so what?!
• What is magical realism? What are magical realist authors "up to"?
• How does Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist "fit the magical realism bill", so to speak?
• Connections between Paulo Coelho's life and the novella 
• Application of new terms/concepts (e.g., dilemma, fable, foil) to the novella
• For example, you might attempt to answer this question: What characters in the novella serve as foils to each other? How so? What is Coelho's potential purpose?
•  Active/purposeful reading notes

Transition -- re-column the desks (1 min.)

Closure -- Final Thoughts (time permitting)
--In your notebook, jot down a one-sentence final thought.
--whip-around

HW (Class Preparation)
--Finish preparing for the Unit #5 vocabulary quiz, which will take place at the beginning of class next time (Tuesday, 1/19). Don't forget about the "Whimsical Words."  REMEMBER THAT WORDS FROM PREVIOUS UNITS ARE "FAIR GAME" ON ANY VOCABULARY QUIZ THEREAFTER (EXCLUDING PAST "WHIMSICAL WORDS"), and don't forget about the incentive plan!
--Remember that I reserve the right to conduct a reading assessment at any time. It would be in your best interest to continuously review your reading notes for The Alchemist and any related materials. Remember, too, that you are expected to both understand and apply your understandings of certain terms/concepts to your reading of the novella (in addition to the typical terms/concepts such as setting, symbolism, theme, etc.): allegory, aphorism, dilemma, everyman, fable, foil, genre, interior monologue, leitmotif, magical realism, monomyth (hero's journey), motif, myth, paradox, and quest. A sample assessment question/prompt, then, might look like the following:

• How is Paulo Coelho's novella The Alchemist a blending of several literary modes/genres? Consider using any or all of the following terms in your response: genre, allegory, fable, and magical realism. What is one likely purpose Coelho was looking to fulfill when he decided to tell such a story?

--Try to find some time to read your free reading book between now and next class.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!
Miscellaneous
--Enjoy the weekend--you only get so many of 'em!
--Work toward achievement of your S.M.A.R.T. Goal?!
 
On the backburner:

• Paraphrasing Mini-Lesson as preparation for culminating assignment (based on observations while assessing the "Reading Nonfiction Document"s)
• ACT nonfiction passages and multiple choice questions

    

English 10 Honors--The Alchemist up to Page 47 Discussion Notes

English 9--1/13/2016

Jump Off (2 mins.)
--Pick up the "Vocabulary Units--Exercise Check" slip from the front table. Write your name on the line and open your vocabulary book to page 65.

S. the C. (15-20 mins.)
--quickly complete exercise check--when finished, pass up facedown
--go over the homework ("Choosing the Right Word" exercise on pages 65 and 66) three-in-a-row style, sharing words for all three and context clues for one
--Reminder: the "incentive plan" (it is in place this week!)
--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 (posted on the front board)?
• The due date for submission is Friday, 1/15 (the end of THIS week!) 

--agenda/HW

Transition (10-12 mins.)
--Pick up the "The Shakespearean Sonnet--Comprehension/Closure Questions for 'Sonnet 116'" document from the front table.  Read the directions at the top of the page and complete the task at hand quietly and independently in order to "close out" our work with the poem from last class.  Good luck!

Comprehension/Closure Activity -- The Shakespearean Sonnet ("Sonnet 116") (10-15 mins.)
--go over the questions/prompts and finish annotating the poem

Purposeful Reading/Group Work/Mini-Presentation Preparation Activity -- The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet--Background Information (15-20 mins.)
--"anchor in" to the "Compact for Group Work" via the poster located in the front of the classroom
--Transition--form groups via the lists located on the front board

--folders handed out to groups
--purposefully read as directed--DO NOT WRITE ON THE COPIES OF THE TEXTS THEMSELVES AS THESE SAME COPIES WILL BE USED IN ALL CLASS BLOCKS

HW Time -- Memorizing the Prologue (time permitting)

--quiet and independent work time (paraphrasing [use "explication" from last class], repetition of lines, writing lines in own words, etc. and/or Choosing the Right Word)

HW (Take-Home Assessment)

--The due date for submitting a revised "'St. Lucy's...' End-of-Mini-Unit Assessment/Writing Assignment" for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio is Friday, 1/15 (the end of THIS week!).  Your improved writing piece must be typed in proper MLA format and highlighted as per the Cumulative Writing Portfolio protocol.  Remember that YOU MUST schedule a meeting with me to go over your revisions; simply handing in the revisions is unacceptable as per the protocol.
HW (Take-Home Assessment/Class Preparation)
--Memorize the first five lines of the Prologue by the beginning of class next time (Friday, 1/15), and be ready to demonstrate your memorization in class when I draw cards for oral recitations.  Remember that if you are able to recite the entire Prologue on Friday, an additional 100% quiz score will be factored in to your Marking Period 3 GPA, and your "Initiative" soft skills report will be positively impacted!
HW (Class Preparation)
--Finish preparing for the Unit #5 vocabulary quiz, which will take place next time (Friday, 1/15).  REMEMBER THAT WORDS FROM PREVIOUS UNITS ARE "FAIR GAME" ON ANY VOCABULARY QUIZ THEREAFTER.  Don't forget about the incentive plan! 
--Try to read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class.  Your book must be finished by mid-March.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

On the backburner:

• A Paragraph's a Paragraph's a Paragraph instruction (if necessary)
• Break down model paragraph together (if necessary)

English 10 Honors--1/12/2016

Jump Off (5-8 mins.)
--Open your vocabulary book to page 62. Look through the list of words and put a mark next to all of the words that you are pretty confident about knowing already.  Also, make sure that you familiarize yourself with the "Whimsical Words."
*AS YOU WORK, I WILL RETURN YOUR UNIT #4 VOCABULARY QUIZ.*

S. the C. (8-10 mins.)

--agenda/HW

--pronounce each of the Unit #5 vocabulary words (pages 62-64) and the five "Whimsical Words"

--reflect upon your performance on the Unit #4 vocabulary quiz

Transition (2 mins.)
--When you finish the last task described above, place your Unit #4 vocabulary quiz in the black basket on the front table and pick up a copy of the "Joseph Campbell's Monomyth--Background, Instruction, and Application" document.

Application Activity/Discussion (Novella Closure) -- Joseph Campbell's Monomyth
--alternate between pair work and discussion until about six minutes remaining in class

Transition (1 min.)
--Pick up an index card from the front table.

Closure -- "Today, I learned..." (remainder of class)

• You must include both a properly punctuated nonrestrictive element and a Unit #5 vocabulary word within your writing.  Good luck!

HW (Class Preparation)

--Carefully complete the Choosing the Right Word ("50/50") vocabulary exercise (pages 65 and 66).  As you do so, underline the specific context clues within each sentence that help you arrive at your selections.  Expect me to check your work next class (Thursday, 1/14).  Also, familiarize yourself with the "Whimsical Words."  The Unit #4 vocabulary quiz will take place on Tuesday, 1/19.  REMEMBER THAT WORDS FROM PREVIOUS UNITS ARE "FAIR GAME" ON ANY VOCABULARY QUIZ THEREAFTER (EXCLUDING PAST "WHIMSICAL WORDS")!

--Bring your vocabulary book to class again next time.  PLEASE DO NOT FORGET!

--Remember that I reserve the right to conduct a reading assessment at any time. It would be in your best interest to continuously review your reading notes for The Alchemist and any related materials. Remember, too, that you are expected to both understand and apply your understandings of certain terms/concepts to your reading of the novella (in addition to the typical terms/concepts such as setting, symbolism, theme, etc.): allegory, aphorism, dilemma, everyman, fable, foil, genre, interior monologue, leitmotif, magical realism, monomyth (hero's journey), motif, myth, paradox, and quest. A sample assessment question/prompt, then, might look like the following:

• How is Paulo Coelho's novella The Alchemist a blending of several literary modes/genres? Consider using any or all of the following terms in your response: genre, allegory, fable, and magical realism. What is one likely purpose Coelho was looking to fulfill when he decided to tell such a story?

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

• Paraphrasing Mini-Lesson as preparation for culminating assignment (based on observations while assessing the "Reading Nonfiction Document"s)
• ACT nonfiction passages and multiple choice questions

 

English 9--1/11/2016

Jump Off (3-5 mins.)
--Turn in Article of the Week #5 by placing your best work in the black basket on the front table.  While you are up there, pick up a colored pencil.
--Open your vocabulary book to page 62. Look through the list of words and put a mark next to all of the words that you are pretty confident about knowing already.
*DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, I WILL RETURN YOUR UNIT #4 VOCABULARY QUIZ.*

S. the C. (10-15 mins.)
--list of students that need to see me ASAP--IF YOU DO NOT SEE ME TODAY, I WILL REFER YOU TO THE MAIN OFFICE FOR CENTRAL DETENTION:

• Mud Trucker
• Person from Whom I Do Not Have a Nickname

--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 (posted on the front board)?
• The due date for submission is Friday, 1/15 (the end of THIS week!) 

--agenda/HW

--pronounce each of the Unit #5 vocabulary words
--Reminder: the "incentive plan" (it is in place this week!)

--reflect upon your performance on the Unit #4 vocabulary quiz--shade in a bar on your bar graph

Transition (1 min.)

--When you finish the last task described above, turn in your Unit #4 vocabulary quiz and your colored pencil at the front of the classroom.  While you are up there, pick up the "The Shakespearean Sonnet" document.

Mini-Lesson -- The Shakespearean Sonnet (flex time)
--directions given for first two purposeful readings of the poem (William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 116")
--read through skeletal notes at the top of the document in order to clarify purpose
--oral readings of the sonnet
--complete skeletal notes together
--engage in explication of the sonnet quietly and independently
--pair up and share
--whole-class share-out/discussion (cards drawn)--continue annotating your text
--Closure

• Take out your copy of the Prologue for The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.  Bearing in mind your new knowledge about Shakespearean Sonnets, read the Prologue one more time.  What do you notice?

HW Time -- Memorizing the Prologue and/or Vocabulary (time permitting)

--quiet and independent work time (paraphrasing [use "explication" from last class], repetition of lines, writing lines in own words, etc. and/or Choosing the Right Word)

HW (Take-Home Assessment)

--The due date for submitting a revised "'St. Lucy's...' End-of-Mini-Unit Assessment/Writing Assignment" for the Cumulative Writing Portfolio is Friday, 1/15 (the end of THIS week!).  Your improved writing piece must be typed in proper MLA format and highlighted as per the Cumulative Writing Portfolio protocol.  Remember that YOU MUST schedule a meeting with me to go over your revisions; simply handing in the revisions is unacceptable as per the protocol.
HW (Take-Home Assessment/Class Preparation)
--Memorize the first five lines of the Prologue by the beginning of class on Friday, 1/15, and be ready to demonstrate your memorization in class that day when I draw cards for oral recitations.  Remember that if you are able to recite the entire Prologue on the 15th, an additional 100% quiz score will be factored in to your Marking Period 3 GPA, and your "Initiative" soft skills report will be positively impacted!
HW (Class Preparation)
--Carefully complete the Choosing the Right Word ("50/50") vocabulary exercise (pages 65 and 66).  As you do so, underline the specific context clues within each sentence that help you arrive at your selections.  Expect me to check your work next class (Wednesday, 1/13).
--Begin preparing for the Unit #5 vocabulary quiz, which will take place on Friday, 1/15.  REMEMBER THAT WORDS FROM PREVIOUS UNITS ARE "FAIR GAME" ON ANY VOCABULARY QUIZ THEREAFTER.  Don't forget about the incentive plan! 
--Bring your vocabulary book to class again next time in case we have time for review. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET!
--Try to read your free reading book for at least 10 minutes between now and next class.  Your book must be finished by mid-March.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR FREE READING BOOK TO CLASS!

On the backburner:

• A Paragraph's a Paragraph's a Paragraph instruction (if necessary)
• Break down model paragraph together (if necessary)

English 10 Honors--1/8/2016

Jump Off (5 mins.)
--Spend the first five minutes of class engaging in some last-minute review for the forthcoming grammar assessment.  If you did the extra practice, the answer key is located on the front table.

S. the C. (5-8 mins.)
--agenda/HW

Transition (1 min.)
--Pick up the "QUIZ--Restrictive elements/Non-restrictive elements" from the front table and get started.

Assessment #1 -- Restrictive Elements/Non-restrictive Elements (5-10 mins.)
--When you finish, place your assessment in the black basket on the front table and pick up the next assessment.

Assessment #2 -- The Alchemist up to Page 104 (20-25 mins.)

--complete questions 1-6 (60%--basic comprehension)

--complete question 7 (40%--higher-level thinking/writing)

--When you finish, place your assessment in the black basket on the front table.  Then, create a section in your notes for today's discussion labeled "The Alchemist Discussion up to Page 104".  Finally, read The Alchemist or your free reading book until everyone is finished.

Transition (2 mins.)

--Form a circle out of the desks--have both your discussion ideas and notebook handy.

Discussion -- The Alchemist up to Page 104 (flex time)

--engage in discussion

HW Time (time permitting)

HW (Class Preparation/Take-Home Assessment)
--Finish The Alchemist by the beginning of next class (Tuesday 1/12).  Demonstrate your best skill level in reading actively/purposefully via the Post-it Note strategy, and expect any or all of the following to occur next class:

• collection of your Post-its for assessment purposes
• a "60/40" reading assessment
• a discussion geared around your Post-its 

HW (Class Preparation)
--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!
Miscellaneous
--Enjoy the weekend--you only get so many of 'em!
--Work toward achievement of your S.M.A.R.T. Goal?

On the backburner:

• Paraphrasing Mini-Lesson as preparation for culminating assignment (based on observations while assessing the "Reading Nonfiction Document"s)
• ACT nonfiction passages and multiple choice questions