Wednesday, November 30, 2016

SOAPSTone for Undercover Parent

Goal: Our First Soapstone, learning a piece of rhetorical analysis.

Agenda:
Read
Reading Progress Survey
Be sure your book is checked out to you.
SOAPSTONE Preview
SOAPSTONE with a partner

Reading Progress Survey:
Complete the SURVEY to update me about your current reading.

SOAPSTone:
S - Subject / topic / issue of the text
O - Occasion - what is the context of the text?
A - Audience who is this written for? How do you know?
P - Purpose - why did the author write this? What is his/her goal?
S - Speaker - who is Coben? How do you know? What else can you find out?
Tone - sarcastic, humble, bitter, convinced, unsure, reasonable, angry, immature, educated?

SOAPSTone:
Open the Undercover Parent article I shared with you on Tuesday.
With your partner complete the SOAPSTone FORM.  (If you are absent you'll have to work on it on your own.)

Reminders: 

  • Novel projects are due today unless you brought in a can for the food drive. Then you can have one extra day. 
  • Tomorrow we write book reviews about the second book you read for this grading period. 
  • Make sure your English Journal is complete. 
  • Grading period ends Friday.



Tuesday, November 29, 2016

First read of Undercover Parent

Goals: First reading of Undercover Parent article using the "Say Something" protocol.

Agenda:
Read
Learn about the "Say Something" protocol.
First read of Undercover Parent

First Read of Undercover Parent: 
  • This text is shared with you in Google Drive. 
  • You will read it with a partner and use the say something protocol to check your thinking and understanding with each other as you go. 

Reminders: 
  • Novel projects due TOMORROW
  • Food Drive. We have a box for JROTC where you can drop off non-perishable, canned food. 
  • Book reviews are happening in class on Thursday. You can pre-write them if you want to. 
  • English Journals must be complete by Thursday. If you are missing anything there, get it done now. 
  • This grading period ends on Friday. All regrade requests are due by 2:30 Friday. (Some of you may want to work on your memoir, your visual memoir, or other missing work.)
  • Scroll to the very bottom of this blog and click the blue + sign at the bottom right side of the calendar. That will add this calendar to your calendar. 

Monday, November 28, 2016

Welcome Back: Lets Get Started

Goal: Exploring our initial thoughts and opinions related to teens and the internet.

Agenda:
Read
Quick Survey
Four Corners Discussion

Quick Survey: 
  • To prepare for our next unit I would like you to think briefly about your opinions related to these topics. Please be as honest and accurate as possible. 
  • Take the SURVEY
Four Corners Discussion:
Move to the corner of the room that best represents your thoughts about the statement

Reminders: 
  • Book reviews are happening in class on THURSDAY. You can pre-write them if you want to. 
  • English Journals must also be complete by Thursday. If you are missing anything there, get it done now. 
  • This grading period ends on Friday. All regrade requests are due by 2:30 Friday. (Some of you may want to work on your memoir, your visual memoir, or other missing work.)
  • Scroll to the very bottom of this blog and click the blue + sign at the bottom right side of the calendar. That will add this calendar to your calendar. 

Friday, November 18, 2016

Novel Project Progress

Goal: Making progress, catching up and preparing for our next steps.

Read:
Make sure you have a great book to read over break.

Novel Project Progress:
Use THIS FORM to give me an update on your novel project.

Catching Up: 

  1. Most of you have the book review for your group novel completed in your English Journal. If not work on that first. 
  2. What progress can you make today on your novel project? Is there anything you can do right now? 
  3. Do you have a really good book to read over break? Next book reviews due 12/1/16. 
  4. Still have time to spare. Try THIS

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Unit Test

Goal: Taking a unit test about the things we learned while reading novels.

Agenda: 
Take the test
Read while others finish

Unit Test: 
  • This TEST is designed to assess your ability to apply the concepts from this unit.
  • Answer every question the best you can. 
  • You can use your group novel for the last two questions. 
  • If you would like a paper copy of the story on the test ask me for one. 

Read: 
  • Make sure you have a very good book. Don't like your book? Ask for help finding a better one. 
  • Be sure to CHECK OUT every book you take home. Yes, you can borrow more than one at a time. 
  • Return books to the white crate at the front of the room. Add a small sticky note with your name when you return it to be sure I know who brought it back. (We have multiple copies of lots of books.)
Reminders:
  • Finish your review of your group novel. I am grading those over break. 
  • Don't waste too much time playing with Quick Draw

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Review and Catch Up

TOMORROW. The test is tomorrow. 
Goal: Review and catch up.

Read:
You are reading your second book.
You have a good book that you want to read ready for Thanksgiving break.

Concepts to Review: 
During our Reading the Novel unit we covered a lot of concepts. Today we will review those concepts and tomorrow you will show that you can apply them.

The test tomorrow will ask you to read a short story and then answer questions about:

  • Characterization
  • Internal and external conflict
  • Setting
  • Imagery
  • Sensory Details 
  • Diction (word choice)
  • Connotation and Denotation
  • Plot
  • Theme
  • You will also need to be answer a few short answer questions about your group novel. You should bring the book to refer to. 
Let's Review: 
Go to https://join.quizizz.com and I'll give you the code to join our practice session.
If you want to play again at home click the link above and use code 281990

Catch Up: 
Is your book review of the group novel finished? We worked on it Monday and Tuesday, so you should be done or almost done. 
While you are there, check your English Journal. Are ALL of your assignments complete? 


Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Meeting Counselors, Finishing Book Reviews

Goal: Meeting with your counselor and working on your book review.

Read:

  • Get your book out. You can read while you wait to meet with your counselor. 
  • Which counselor are you meeting? Check the chart ^^^


Book Reviews:

  • Yesterday you started working on a book review for your group novel. 
  • Open your English Journal and work on finishing that.
  • Check out your book if you started a new one from our classroom.  


Reminders:
Check your English Journal for any assignments you are missing or need to finish.
Unit Test Thursday. We will review on Wednesday.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Novel Project Ideas and Book Reviews

Goal: Generate project ideas and write book reviews


Read:
What will be your second book for this six-weeks?

Novel Project:



Book Reviews:

  • Now that you are done reading your group novel you are able to review the book. 
  • Write it in your English Journal
  • Use the four paragraph structure I showed you in September. 
  • You can see an example HERE
  • I'd like to be posting your reviews to Goodreads, but I don't know if you will be able to do that or not with your sandi.net accounts. You are welcome to try it, but write the review first in your EJ. 
Reminders: 
Tomorrow we visit the counselors. Bring a book. 
Thursday is your unit test. 
Finish your book review. 

Thursday, November 10, 2016

End of the book quiz and next steps

Goal: Novel test and finish district literacy assessment.

#1 Novel Test: 
  • Click HERE to access your novel test. 
  • Complete the test using everything you know about the book. 
  • The test has a password. You definitely have to be in class to take the test. 
  • Your answers must be under 1200 characters. Make every word count. 
#2 Something Creative


Reminders: 
Be sure your English Journal is up to date. 
Be ready for a multiple choice UNIT TEST next week.
Be ready to write a review of your group novel.
Be ready to visit the counselors on Tuesday. 

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Getting into diction, author's choices, and theme.

Goal: Going deeper into magical realism by looking at diction, author's choices, and theme.

Agenda: 
Read
Partner challenge

With your partner: 
  • Look again at the story you read yesterday in class. 
  • You can still find the text HERE
  • Together (one form, two names) complete THIS FORM of questions about the text. 
Reminders: 

  • Keep reading. You need to finish your group novel by tomorrow.
  • Quiz tomorrow about the end of your group novel.
  • Check the calendar at the bottom of the blog for upcoming assessments.
  • Be sure all your work is up to date in your English Journal.
  • Bring back your media release form.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

First reading of "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings"

Goal: First read of A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

Agenda:
Read
First read of a new text

Reading: 
  • A new text has been assigned to you in GoFormative. 
  • You can find the text HERE
  • Read and answer the questions as you read. 
  • If you are new to our class you may need the class code. It is on a chart on the whiteboard under GoFormative. 


Reminders: 

  • Keep reading. You need to finish your group novel by Thursday.
  • Quiz Thursday about the end of your group novel
  • Last chance to work on your Article of the Week from Friday. 
  • Check the calendar at the bottom of the blog for upcoming assessments.
  • Be sure all your work is up to date in your English Journal.
  • Bring back your media release form.

Monday, November 7, 2016

Writing About Theme with Support

Goal: Explain how evidence supports the theme.

Agenda:
Read
Explain how your evidence supports the theme

Explain your Evidence: 
  1. Open your English Journal, add today's date at the top. 
  2. Open the Theme Organizer document your team was working with on Thursday and Friday. 
  3. Copy and paste in ONE theme and one set of quotes from your book. 
  4. Write a paragraph in which you explain/defend how this theme is relevant to your book. Use the evidence/quotes you found on Friday to support your points. Explain how that evidence supports the theme. 
Theme Paragraph Frame: (You can change this to fit what you are trying to say.)
An important theme in ...(book title)... is that (....................theme..............) The events of the novel support this theme because............ For example on page ..... it says that ".......(quote from the book)......" This shows that....... because....... Another moment from the book that reveals the theme is when....... Which is why ...... says/does....  ".....(quote)....." All of this means that.... 
Homework: 
Complete the Article of the Week from Friday by TONIGHT, or you won't be able to later as those resources will change.
Finish reading your group novel before Thursday the November 10th.
Check the calendar at the bottom of the blog for upcoming assessments.
Be sure all your work is up to date in your English Journal.

Friday, November 4, 2016

Lots to do today


Goals: Reading progress, "AOW" and catching up.

Release forms: 
Occasionally people like to visit our classroom to see how we use our computers, collaborate on projects, etc. Sometimes they like to bring cameras. I want to be sure I know parent/guardian preferences about students being in pictures and videos. Today I am sending home a letter and release forms. Please return them asap. Thank you.

Reading Progress Survey:
Please complete the SURVEY to give me a snapshot of where you are as a reader today.

Article of the Week:
Yesterday I showed you what a mail in ballot looks like and answered your questions about the election. it was clear from the brief discussion that many of you want to know more. So your AOW this week is about digging into what you want to know.

  • I'm providing some links below. 
  • Examine one or more of them closely. 
  • Write two paragraphs in your English Journal. The first should be about what looked at and what you found. The second should be what you think about what you found. 
KPBS Voter Guide: Enter your address and look at the section about the 31 ballot measures. 


FiveThirtyEight Election Forecast: Examine the maps, graphs, and articles here to learn more about the statistics in the election. 



Visit the Official Voter Information Guide from the state of California. Use the box on the left to navigate to the propositions and learn more about one that interests you. 


Catch Up: We started several things this week with your groups that you didn't quite finish. Your character conflicts silhouette and the theme organizer you started yesterday still need some work. talk to your group about how you will get those finished and ready for next week. 

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Character goals lead to theme conclusions

Goal: Apply what you learned in your last lesson on theme to the book you are reading as a group.

Agenda:
Read
Review Theme
Theme work with your group

Theme work with your group:
  • Have ONE person in your group get a copy of your theme organizer
  • That person needs to rename it correctly, share it with everyone in the group, and share it with Mrs. R. 
  • Work as a group to complete the organizer. Divide the work evenly. 
  • Remember you need evidence to go with your themes. 
  • I will look at the revision history to see who completed what. 

Character Drawing:
  • Some teams still need to finish your character drawing from yesterday. 
  • Do you have both internal and external conflicts?
  • Are they in the right places?
  • Does it look good? (Never underestimate the power of good looking work. 
  • You can get creative with colors, fonts, and props for your character. 
Homework: 
Keep reading. 
Keep an eye on those conflicts your character is facing and how he or she deals with them. Flag them when you see them in your book. 
Be on the lookout for new conflicts that suddenly arise in the middle of the book. 


Keep adding predictions to your predictions chart. 
Keep thinking about how all of this supports the theme(s) you worked on today. 

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Characters in conflict

 Goal: Developing a deeper understanding of characters and the conflicts they face.

Agenda:
Read
Quick write
Character drawing

Quick Write:
  • Open your English Journal. Add today's date at the top. 
  • Prompt: 
    • Consider a character from your group novel. 
    • What problems does that character have? 
    • Write about those problems. 
    • Try to come up with at least three things your character is worried about or dealing with. 
Character Drawing:
  • Choose a character captain in your group. 
  • Have that person click HERE to get a copy of "Character."
  • Share it with the people in your group and Mrs. R.
  • Name it period, color, book title.  So: 3 Blue Saint Iggy
  • I have to give you the rest of the directions for this in class. If you are absent you're missing all the fun.
  • Types of Character Conflict
Homework: 
Keep reading. 
Keep an eye on those conflicts your character is facing and how he or she deals with them. Flag them when you see them in your book. 
Be on the lookout for new conflicts that suddenly arise in the middle of the book. 
Keep adding predictions to your predictions chart. 

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Reflecting and Predicting

Goals: Reflecting on our assessment process. Predicting next steps in group novels.

Read: 
Never underestimate the power of reading.

English Journal Quick Write: 
Last week you made a quiz, took a quiz, and yesterday you scored a quiz. Write about it.

  1. What did you learn in that process? 
  2. What do you know now about your book, your group, yourself, or assessments in general that you didn't know before? 
  3. What will you do differently the next time you take (or make) a quiz? 

Evaluate your quiz: 
Open the quiz you made last week.
Take a look at the kinds of questions you asked.
Using the chart below rate each of your questions on the depth of knowledge chart.



Prediction Chart: 
On Friday (10/28) you added a prediction chart to your English Journal.
Have you worked on that since then?
You have read more of your book now. What new predictions do you have?

Novel Prediction Chart
My prediction
Evidence from the text that makes me think this.
(Use sentences from your book that lead to your prediction.)