Friday, November 22, 2019

Book Reviews Before Break (Sounds like a Magic Treehouse Title)


Goal: Writing your first formal book review..

Agenda: 

Read
Reading Progress Update
Book Review Structure
Starting a book review

1. Complete your READING PROGRESS UPDATE.

2. Learn about the structure of a book review. 
  • This week you met with Ms. Love and learned about book review structure. 
  • If you need to review that you can click HERE to get a copy of what you worked on with her. 
  • She will be giving back your paper copy in class too. 
Click the picture to see it larger. 

3. Write your own book review.

  • I shared a new document with you in Google Drive called Book Reviews 19-20.
  • You will use this doc to write your review today and to write other book reviews in the future. 

Reminders
  • Have a great book to read during Thanksgiving break. 
  • You can return your group novel to the library now, or add it to the basket in the back of the room and I will have a student take them down to the library.


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What can I work on? 
By popular request, I'm posting a list of things you can catch up on or check on during break. This six week grading period ends today, though, so these things won't impact your current grade. They will help your more important semester grade.

1. READ - Reading is the best thing you can do for yourself. You should be reading book #5 or more. 

2. BOOK REVIEW - Finish your review of book #4 if you didn't already finish it in class. Hint, this should be on the "book review" doc that I shared with you on Friday. We are grading reviews of book #4 after Thanksgiving break. 

3. NOVEL PROJECT: A few of you still need to turn in your novel project. This post from our submission day should have all the links you need to help you with that. 

Request a Regrade: 
If you never revised your memoir or your visual memoir you can still work on either or both of those and then request a regrade on the tab above.

Most of you just need to read, relax and enjoy your break time with family and friends. If you really must worry about your English grade, try not to do that for more than a few hours. You need the time off. I need the time off too, so if you email me a question I probably won't get back to you until school starts again. Don't panic.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday: Rotations

Goal: Learn about charting texts, book review structures, practice non-fiction summarizing, and silent reading.

NOTE: District internet may still be down today. That could change these plans. District email has also been down, so if you tried to reach us we didn't get it. 

  • This week we will try a three day instructional rotation. 
  • Your group will do two activities per day until you have done all six. (You'll do silent reading twice, so that you still get as much reading time.)

EOS: 
Make sure you have finished the district EOS survey.

AOW: Article of the Week
Read THIS ARTICLE  or THIS ONE in Newsela.
Write TWO paragraphs about it in your English Journal.
Paragraph 1: Summarize the article. Use the summary frame if it helps you.
Paragraph 2: Say what you think about the topic in the article. (Your thoughts and opinions.)

Silent Reading: 
Read silently in your independent reading book.

Book Review Structure: 
Work with Ms. Love or Ms. Dowd to understand the structure of a book review.
(5th period you'll be doing this on your own.)

Charting Article: 
Work with Mrs. R to learn about a strategy called "charting the text."

Reminders:
Finish reading book #4.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Formative assessment and EOS Survey

Goals: Formative assessment for non-fiction reading, submitting projects and EOS survey. 


1. Formative Assessment: 
  • Before we begin our next unit, we'd like to know more about your non-fiction reading skills. 
  • Click HERE to take the assessment.

2. Do you still need to Submit Your Project: 

  • Go to Flipgrid and upload or record your project. 
  • Remember your SPEAKING counts. Be sure to speak clearly and logically about how your project relates to the theme of your novel. 
  • You can also record in our classroom at lunch or after school. 
3. EOS Survey
This is a DISTRICT SURVEY that we need to get started on. If your project is done, do this next. 

4. Something different tomorrow: 
We will explain in class because we want you to know about it before you walk in. 

Reminders: 
You should be finishing book #4 this week. 
Check Power School to see if you have anything missing or anything you can work on for a regrade. 

Friday, November 15, 2019

Project Submission Day

Goals: Finish and submit your novel project. Start the EOS survey.

Agenda: 
Read
Finish your project
Submit your project
Take the survey

Finish your project: 

Submit Your Project: 

  • Go to Flipgrid and upload or record your project. 
  • Remember your SPEAKING counts. Be sure to speak clearly and logically about how your project relates to the theme of your novel. 
  • You can also record in our classroom at lunch or after school. 
Take the Survey: 
This is a DISTRICT SURVEY that we need to get started on. If your project is done, do this next. 

Reminders: 
Get really close to being done with book #4. (Finish by 11/20) 
Grading period ends 11/22. Get those re-grade requests in. (See tab above.) 

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Project progress...

Goals: Make great progress on your Novel Project.

Agenda:
Read
Reading Progress Update
Project Script
Project progress

Reading Progress Update: 
Complete THIS FORM about your recent reading.
Be sure to use the last question to let us know about other books you've finished recently.

Project Script:
  • Remember SPEAKING GRADE. 
  • Write down what you want to say about how your project relates to the THEME of your group novel. 
  • Practice reading your script until you feel comfortable. 
Project Progress: 
Are you using spark.adobe.com
Have you made all your slides there? 
Have you recorded any of your script yet? 

Reminders: 
Novel Project due Friday. 
Grading period ends 11/22. 
Keep reading book #4 to finish by 11/20.