English 9 and 9A--Your grades will be FINAL by Monday, June 13 at 11am--please do not email me questions about your current grades at this time, as they are unweighted, incomplete and thus, not 100% accurate.
31 May 2016--Tuesday-Friday
This week's information is the SAME for all 4 days:
--Work, work, work, work on both your Reading Ladder (Due Friday) and your Final Exam Essays (due Sunday).
Keep in mind--I'm giving you 4 days of work time for a reason. This is a LOT of work and in order to do well and get quality grades, you will need to use every single moment of time in class, plus homework time, to get this done to the caliber I am expecting. Do not rush this, blow it off or "halfsies" it--these are your FINAL two moments of 9th grade English. Finish strong with the best quality work of which I know you're capable. You can do it!
This week's information is the SAME for all 4 days:
--Work, work, work, work on both your Reading Ladder (Due Friday) and your Final Exam Essays (due Sunday).
Keep in mind--I'm giving you 4 days of work time for a reason. This is a LOT of work and in order to do well and get quality grades, you will need to use every single moment of time in class, plus homework time, to get this done to the caliber I am expecting. Do not rush this, blow it off or "halfsies" it--these are your FINAL two moments of 9th grade English. Finish strong with the best quality work of which I know you're capable. You can do it!
27 May 2016--Friday
1st Period: Today in class we read for 10 minutes and then worked on your Reading Ladder.
5th Period: We finished watching The Odyssey and then started working on your Reading Ladder.
As I shared with you, the Reading Ladder for this semester is a LOT of work and there needs to be documentation of all the books you've read since September--for some of you, that is a lot. Please do not wait until the last moment to work on this--you have a lot of work coming up next week, so please start to budget your time and plan out your workload.
1st Period: Today in class we read for 10 minutes and then worked on your Reading Ladder.
5th Period: We finished watching The Odyssey and then started working on your Reading Ladder.
As I shared with you, the Reading Ladder for this semester is a LOT of work and there needs to be documentation of all the books you've read since September--for some of you, that is a lot. Please do not wait until the last moment to work on this--you have a lot of work coming up next week, so please start to budget your time and plan out your workload.
26 May 2016--Thursday
Today in class, I was absent (no voice!), so the sub had you watch most of The Odyssey movie. You were expected to take notes throughout and you MIGHT have a quiz on this tomorrow when I return. Homework is Create Your Own God. On Friday in class we are starting your Reading Ladder. If you are not here Friday, you should start it on your own. You also should be working on your final exam.
Reading Ladder due June 3
Final Exam Essay due June 5
1st Period final exam June 8
5th Period final exam June 10
First day of summer June 11.
Today in class, I was absent (no voice!), so the sub had you watch most of The Odyssey movie. You were expected to take notes throughout and you MIGHT have a quiz on this tomorrow when I return. Homework is Create Your Own God. On Friday in class we are starting your Reading Ladder. If you are not here Friday, you should start it on your own. You also should be working on your final exam.
Reading Ladder due June 3
Final Exam Essay due June 5
1st Period final exam June 8
5th Period final exam June 10
First day of summer June 11.
25 May 2016--Wednesday
Today in class we read for 10 minutes and then I book talked The Virgin Suicides (1st) and All American Boys (5th). Then we discussed your teenage letter writing/reflection (5th) and asked "Is the Journey or the Destination more important?" drawing connections between your own writing and Odysseus' journey. After that we watched The Odyssey film, starting when the suitors arrive at the palace to woo Penelope. Students took notes on 3 major topics: Penelope and her Power, the Suitors and their Choices and Telemachus and his Leadership. Homework is to work on your Create Your God (due Friday) and start your final exam writing.
Today in class we read for 10 minutes and then I book talked The Virgin Suicides (1st) and All American Boys (5th). Then we discussed your teenage letter writing/reflection (5th) and asked "Is the Journey or the Destination more important?" drawing connections between your own writing and Odysseus' journey. After that we watched The Odyssey film, starting when the suitors arrive at the palace to woo Penelope. Students took notes on 3 major topics: Penelope and her Power, the Suitors and their Choices and Telemachus and his Leadership. Homework is to work on your Create Your God (due Friday) and start your final exam writing.
24 May 2016--Monday and Tuesday
Monday in class we read Scylla and Carbides in The Odyssey and discussed Odysseus as a hero and our ideas of heroes in general. We also discussed flaws and weaknesses and which it is easier to share--a flaw or a weakness. 5th period's HW was the One Line assignment and 1st period had the Honors Breakfast, so they are 1 day behind.
Monday/Tuesday in class students received their final exam essay assignment--this is 50% of your final exam grade for English 9A and it is due to the website button above by June 5 at 11:59pm. Failure to turn this in will result in failing the final exam. I strongly encourage you to start working on it this week, but next week in class I will give you computer days. Keep in mind, you will also be doing a comprehensive Reading Ladder before the end of the year too, so do not procrastinate all this work!
We also got your letters back that you wrote yourself on the first
What has changed in your life since then?
What is the same?
How are you a different person?
How are you the same?
What do you wish you had known then that you know now?
What would you change if you could go back in time?
What would you keep the same?
What is the biggest adventure you have had this school year? Why?
Monday in class we read Scylla and Carbides in The Odyssey and discussed Odysseus as a hero and our ideas of heroes in general. We also discussed flaws and weaknesses and which it is easier to share--a flaw or a weakness. 5th period's HW was the One Line assignment and 1st period had the Honors Breakfast, so they are 1 day behind.
Monday/Tuesday in class students received their final exam essay assignment--this is 50% of your final exam grade for English 9A and it is due to the website button above by June 5 at 11:59pm. Failure to turn this in will result in failing the final exam. I strongly encourage you to start working on it this week, but next week in class I will give you computer days. Keep in mind, you will also be doing a comprehensive Reading Ladder before the end of the year too, so do not procrastinate all this work!
We also got your letters back that you wrote yourself on the first
What has changed in your life since then?
What is the same?
How are you a different person?
How are you the same?
What do you wish you had known then that you know now?
What would you change if you could go back in time?
What would you keep the same?
What is the biggest adventure you have had this school year? Why?
13 May 2016--Friday
Today in class we read, I book talked 2 books (American Wife and The Devil in the White City) and then we watched a John Green Crash Course video about The Odyssey. During this video, we looked for themes/big ideas that Green mentioned as a reason for reading and understanding this class. Homework this weekend is to read in your choice reading book and to complete the following writing prompt in your Writer's Notebook (CRJ section)--due Monday--What does “HOME” mean to you? Discuss what it means for you to “come home” or for you to “leave home”. What would you change about your “home” if you could? What would you keep the same? How is your “home” different than your friends? How is your “home” comforting or frustrating?
Give me at least page…
Checking it MONDAY
Today in class we read, I book talked 2 books (American Wife and The Devil in the White City) and then we watched a John Green Crash Course video about The Odyssey. During this video, we looked for themes/big ideas that Green mentioned as a reason for reading and understanding this class. Homework this weekend is to read in your choice reading book and to complete the following writing prompt in your Writer's Notebook (CRJ section)--due Monday--What does “HOME” mean to you? Discuss what it means for you to “come home” or for you to “leave home”. What would you change about your “home” if you could? What would you keep the same? How is your “home” different than your friends? How is your “home” comforting or frustrating?
Give me at least page…
Checking it MONDAY
11 May 2016
Today in class we read for about 15 minutes, then I Book Talked "Play Dead" by Harlan Coben and "I Can't Keep My Own Secrets" by Smith Magazine. This book is a six-word memoir book written by teenagers. Then we had a LONG discussion about your teenager writing from homework--all these writings/discussions/homework this week are sort of getting you ready to write your longer piece which is part of the final exam. So it's all valuable--really! Tomorrow we are taking a mental health survey with the guidance department for about 30 minutes and then will watch a pre-viewing video for The Odyssey. Homework tonight is to write 3 Six Word Memoirs of your own--1 funny/silly, 1 serious and 1 that deals with something somewhat "secret" that maybe you haven't shared with a lot of people. We will NOT be sharing these publicly, unless you want to do so on Thursday.
Today in class we read for about 15 minutes, then I Book Talked "Play Dead" by Harlan Coben and "I Can't Keep My Own Secrets" by Smith Magazine. This book is a six-word memoir book written by teenagers. Then we had a LONG discussion about your teenager writing from homework--all these writings/discussions/homework this week are sort of getting you ready to write your longer piece which is part of the final exam. So it's all valuable--really! Tomorrow we are taking a mental health survey with the guidance department for about 30 minutes and then will watch a pre-viewing video for The Odyssey. Homework tonight is to write 3 Six Word Memoirs of your own--1 funny/silly, 1 serious and 1 that deals with something somewhat "secret" that maybe you haven't shared with a lot of people. We will NOT be sharing these publicly, unless you want to do so on Thursday.
10 May 2016
Today in class we watched a Ted Talk by a 17 year old, Kate Simonds--Click HERE for the link. Then your homework, as prep for The Odyssey is the complete this Writing Prompt:
What does it mean to be 14/15/16 years old? --What should people expect of you? What do you expect of yourself? What do you expect of your generation? What adventures do you want to have before you reach your dreaded “adulthood”?
We are sharing these tomorrow — I would recommend spending a MINIMUM of 20 minutes on this tonight in your Writer’s Notebook. Anything under a full page of length will not receive credit.
Due Wednesday.
Today in class we watched a Ted Talk by a 17 year old, Kate Simonds--Click HERE for the link. Then your homework, as prep for The Odyssey is the complete this Writing Prompt:
What does it mean to be 14/15/16 years old? --What should people expect of you? What do you expect of yourself? What do you expect of your generation? What adventures do you want to have before you reach your dreaded “adulthood”?
We are sharing these tomorrow — I would recommend spending a MINIMUM of 20 minutes on this tonight in your Writer’s Notebook. Anything under a full page of length will not receive credit.
Due Wednesday.
03-06 May 2016 -- Tuesday through Friday
1st and 5th Periods: We are finishing our Romeo and Juliet unit this week by preparing and presenting dramatic interpretations of a selection that embodies one of Shakespeare's themes. Students may continue their practice with podcast groups (with the exception of 1st hour) or choose a new group. Choose wisely, and remember that you may perform alone. Today, May 3, you MUST decide on your selected scene or poem. Mrs. Steelman and Mrs. Alt will confer with all groups and create a schedule for Thursday or Friday of this week. Each group must submit a rubric for your group with the names of the group members and the title of the selection.
ON FRIDAY WE WILL CELEBRATE OUR SUCCESS WITH THIS UNIT!
02 May 2016 -- Monday
5th Period: Today students will finish their pod casts and send them to my email. We will listen to all of them today before taking a look at the rubric for the final performance assessment. Students may work together or independently on a "reading" of a selection that exemplifies one of Shakespeare's themes. We begin the presentations on Thursday, May 5.
1st Period: Today we completed your final assessment (written portion) for RJ. If you were absent, it is your responsibility to make it up outside of class, with me supervising. I will not track you down.
29 April 2016 -- Friday
5th Period: Today we are moving into the performance assessment section of the final week of Romeo and Juliet. To prepare for your assessment, we will spend 2 days on pod casting, an opportunity for you to "play" with Shakespeare's language in groups. We will divide the group into the five acts. Each group will choose a scene to read, using sound effects as an added bonus. We will practice today, record and listen on Monday!
1st Period: Mrs. Alt's class will continue their work on Shakespeare today and do some choice reading while she is away. Your assessment will be on Tuesday.
28 April 2016 -- Thursday
5th Period: Final writing assessment today.
1st Period: Today we practiced for the final assessment (Monday) and reviewed the prompt, rubric and graphic organizer (optional). Students also reviewed their green primary document packets with one another and clarified the assessment. Tomorrow is a Read In with your sub!
27 April 2016 -- Wednesday
5th Period: Today I finished sharing student writing samples, giving tips for the final assessment, which is tomorrow. We practiced by writing about how Shakespeare develops a theme, such as love, and supporting it with ideas from both Romeo and Juliet and a new document. Students then shared one essay from their group under the document camera.
1st Period: Today we are looking at the primary documents for Acts IV and V under the theme of poison and medicine. Students on Thursday will work in groups of 4, each reading and annotating one of the documents, taking notes on the themes they see as well as examples from Romeo and Juliet.
26 April 2016 -- Tuesday
5th Period: Today we are looking at the primary documents for Acts IV and V under the theme of poison and medicine. Students worked in groups of 4, each reading and annotating one of the documents, taking notes on the themes they see as well as examples from Romeo and Juliet.
1st Period: Today students tried silent annotations in groups of three. Each group received a portion of Act V, scene 3, to explicate without speaking to each other. Next, they discussed what was written presented their section in a 2-minute "document walk." Each group could then hear what the other groups read and annotated. We finished the hour with choice reading.
25 April 2016 -- Monday
5th Period: Today students tried silent annotations in groups of three. Each group received a portion of Act V, scene 3, to explicate without speaking to each other. Next, they discussed what was written presented their section in a 2-minute "document walk." Each group could then hear what the other groups read and annotated. We finished the hour with choice reading.
1st Period: No choice reading today. We will finish Act IV today in reader's theater style, followed by an update of scene titles. During the final act, students will read scene 1 aloud and listen to the audio for scene 2. We will watch the 2013 version to end the play.
22 April 2016 -- Friday
5th Period: No choice reading today. We will finish Act IV today in reader's theater style, followed by an update of scene titles. During the final act, students will read scene 1 aloud and listen to the audio for scene 2. We will watch the 2013 version to end the play.
1st Period: Before choice reading today, we are finishing up with Juliet's Soliloquy, writing about her fears before she takes the friar's potion. After choice reading, we will read Act IV, scenes 5 and 6 in reader's theater style.
21 April 2016 -- Thursday
5th Period: Before choice reading today, we are finishing up with Juliet's Soliloquy, writing about her fears before she takes the friar's potion. After choice reading, we will read Act IV, scenes 5 and 6 in reader's theater style.
1st Period: Today we are finishing yesterday's lesson with a quick-write on the themes found in Act IV, scenes 1 and 2. We are exploring examples and quotes from Romeo and Juliet that will support student-selected themes. During scene 3, Juliet fears taking the potion that Friar Laurence gave her to drink - we will explicate her soliloquy, then update our foldables with the following terms: soliloquy, aside, conceit.
20 April 2016 -- Wednesday
5th Period: Today we are finishing yesterday's lesson with a quick-write on the themes found in Act IV, scenes 1 and 2. We are exploring examples and quotes from Romeo and Juliet that will support student-selected themes. During scene 3, Juliet fears taking the potion that Friar Laurence gave her to drink - we will explicate her soliloquy, then update our foldables with the following terms: soliloquy, aside, conceit.
1st Period: Today we reviewed the first three acts in an activity called "verbal fluency," followed by an update of scene titles in our foldables. We read Act IV, scenes 1 and 2 and wrote about the themes in critical reading journals.
19 April 2016 -- Tuesday
5th Period: Today we reviewed the first three acts in an activity called "verbal fluency," followed by an update of scene titles in our foldables. We read Act IV, scenes 1 and 2 and wrote about the themes in critical reading journals.
1st Period: We are continuing to work through the primary documents for the Act III themes of violence and death. After analyzing the Salviolo fencing document from 1590, students, in groups of 4, did a jig-saw reading where each student read one document and then shared with their small group. We ended the hour by looking at the final assessment rubric and wrote a practice essay.
18 April 2016-- Monday
5th Period: We are continuing to work through the primary documents for the Act III themes of violence and death. After analyzing the Salviolo fencing document from 1590, students, in groups of 4, did a jig-saw reading where each student read one document and then shared with their small group. We ended the hour by looking at the final assessment rubric. Tomorrow we will do a practice essay.
1st Period: After watching the short performances of Act III, scene 1, students watched the nurse and Juliet read scene 2 and added dramatic irony to their foldables. We then watched the rest of Act III (2013 performance) and discussed the themes developed by this part of the text. Finally, we looked at some sample sociograms and students chose a character and began sketching one of their own.
15 April 2016 -- Friday
5th Period: Today we had to finish yesterday's work: we finished watching Act III and spent time sketching sociograms. Then we began looking at Salviolo's Fencing manual, comparing those sections of the text in both Act II and III that deal with duels. We began the 2013 movie to finish the Act.
1st Period: Students met in the Max Auditorium today for stage combat instruction with Mr. Matt McKay today!
14 April 2016 -- Thursday
5th Period: After watching the short performances of Act III, scene 1, students watched the nurse and Juliet read scene 2 and added dramatic irony to their foldables. We then watched the rest of Act III (2013 performance) and discussed the themes developed by this part of the text. Finally, we looked at some sample sociograms and students chose a character and began sketching one of their own.
12 April 2016 -- Tuesday
1st Period: Today we begin a new theme, violence and death, during Act III, the pivot scene. April is not only National Poetry Month, but also Shakespeare's birthday on April 23 - we will celebrate! We are taking parts today to bring scene 1 to life in preparation for our stage combat lesson with Mr. McKay on Friday (6th hour will be next Tuesday). HOMEWORK: Finish your annotations and work on the Yellow Primary Source Packet (Act II)--due Monday.
5th Period: Today begins the SAT/PSAT testing window, which means we are on a different schedule. After testing today, this class meets in the MAX Auditorium where Matt McKay, a specialist in stage combat and one of our student teachers, is teaching us the fine art of sword dueling, particularly the moves Shakespeare includes in Act III. Great Day!
11 April 2016 -- Monday
1st Period: We are looking through primary documents for Act II, ones that relate specifically to the theme of marriage and sexuality. Partner groups read a document together and then selected a "roaming team leader" to move through the other groups to share their document. All students will be familiarized with 8 documents by the end of the period.
5th Period: Today we begin a new theme, violence and death, during Act III, the pivot scene. April is not only National Poetry Month, but also Shakespeare's birthday on April 23 - we will celebrate! We are taking parts today to bring scene 1 to life in preparation for our stage combat lesson with Mr. McKay tomorrow. Fifth hour will miss class on Wednesday only. Choice reading begins again today!
31 March 2016--Thursday
All Periods: Today is "servant day," a fund raiser for National Honor Society. We are doing a Read-In today! Enjoy the final day before Spring Break, and we will be back into Act III of Romeo and Juliet and stage combat!
30 March 2016 -- Wednesday
1st Period: We began class with a warm-up writing about how Shakespeare is developing the theme of marriage and sexuality in his plays, specifically in scenes i and ii. A student and I did a reading of scene iii, followed by a discussion of Romeo's interaction with Friar Laurence. In groups of 4 or 5, students used this fish bowl model to read scene iv. We watched a clip from the 2013 movie on scenes v and vi.
5th Period: We are looking through primary documents for Act II, ones that relate specifically to the theme of marriage and sexuality. Partner groups read a document together and then selected a "roaming team leader" to move through the other groups to share their document. All students will be familiarized with 8 documents by the end of the period.
29 March 2016 -- Tuesday
1st Period: Today we begin Act II of Romeo and Juliet by listening to the audio for scene 1 and then acting out scene 2, the famous balcony scene. To dig in a little deeper, partner groups will explicate several lines each and then share out with the class to be sure we understand what Romeo and Juliet's hopes are for their future. We continue our work with primary documents by writing about how they are helping us understand Shakespeare's world.
5th Period: We began class with a warm-up writing about how Shakespeare is developing the theme of marriage and sexuality in his plays, specifically in scenes i and ii. Ms. Alt and I did a reading of scene iii, followed by a discussion of Romeo's interaction with Friar Laurence. In groups of 4 or 5, students used this fish bowl model to read scene iv. We watched a clip from the 2013 movie on scenes v and vi.
28 March 2016 -- Monday
1st Period: Today we looked at several primary documents that will help us understand what was happening during the early modern period when Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet. Students worked in small groups to read and discuss one document and then moved to a larger group to teach this document to others. We ended the class with a debriefing on how the document fits the gender theme.
5th Period: Today we begin Act II of Romeo and Juliet by listening to the audio for scene 1 and then acting out scene 2, the famous balcony scene. To dig in a little deeper, partner groups will explicate several lines each and then share out with the class to be sure we understand what Romeo and Juliet's hopes are for their future. We continue our work with primary documents by writing about how they are helping us understand Shakespeare's world.
25 March 2016 -- Friday
1st Period: We are finishing Act I today with the meeting of Romeo and Juliet. We will read the play with our student "players" in the middle of the room while we, as audience, will surround them. Our job is to analyze not only what they are saying, but also how they are delivering their lines. On Monday we will work in your foldable to examine relationships between characters in the play thus far and also watch some clips of the line delivery from Ben Crystal, Shakespeare scholar. Homework is to choice read!
5th Period: Today we looked at several primary documents that will help us understand what was happening during the early modern period when Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet. Students worked in small groups to read and discuss one document and then moved to a larger group to teach this document to others. We ended the class with a debriefing on how the document fits the gender theme.
24 March 2016 -- Thursday
1st Period: Today we finished analyzing early modern male clothing and continued with women's clothing. Students read scenes 2, 3, and 4, focusing on the Queen Mab speech in scene 4. Students sketched how Queen Mab was described in the CRJs. Each day, we are experimenting with different ways of reading the scenes: small groups, stage, seminar, and readers' theatre.You are all doing a magnificent job of adjusting to Shakespeare's language! Keep up the good work. Make sure you are keeping up with your outside choice reading!
5th Period: We are finishing Act I today with the meeting of Romeo and Juliet. We will read the play with our student "players" in the middle of the room while we, as audience, will surround them. Our job is to analyze not only what they are saying, but also how they are delivering their lines. Students will watch a video clip of actor/director Ben Crystal discuss this scene. Finally, we will add terminology and scene titles to our foldables. Please be aware that we will not do choice reading until next Thursday, which will be an all-hour event! I will continue book talks!
23 March 2016 -- Wednesday
1st Period: Today we finished explicating Prince Escalus' speech and scene one. We then added the scene title and new vocabulary words to our foldables. We reviewed more men's period clothing before moving on to scene 2. Students are doing a wonderful job of reading early modern language aloud! Make sure you are keeping up with your outside choice reading!
5th Period: Today we finished analyzing early modern male clothing and continued with women's clothing. Students read scenes 2, 3, and 4, focusing on the Queen Mab speech in scene 4. Students sketched how Queen Mab was described in the CRJs. Each day, we are experimenting with different ways of reading the scenes: small groups, stage, seminar, and readers' theatre.You are all doing a magnificent job of adjusting to Shakespeare's language! Keep up the good work. Make sure you are keeping up with your outside choice reading!
22 March 2016 -- Tuesday
1st Period: We begin Act I of Romeo and Juliet today! The theme for this week is Gender and Clothing, which are developed by not only Shakespeare, but also by contemporary authors in some of your choice reading books. After looking at some of the clothing styles for men during the sixteenth century, we read through scene 1, stopping to look closely at Prince Escalus' speech. Consider why he would harshly condemn to death the next person to fight in the streets of Verona.
5th Period: Today we finished explicating Prince Escalus' speech and scene one. We then added the scene title and new vocabulary words to our foldables. We reviewed more men's period clothing before moving on to scene 2. Students are doing a wonderful job of reading early modern language aloud!
21 March 2016 -- Monday
1st Period: Today students are reviewing the Capulet and Montague family trees by constructing them on their desks from memory. They have received their parts and are encouraged to practice at home! We then broke up into 14 groups, each group taking one line from the prologue to memorize and act out. We put it all together to make a sonnet. On Tuesday we begin Act I!
5th Period: We begin Act I of Romeo and Juliet today! The theme for this week is Gender and Clothing, which are developed by not only Shakespeare, but also by contemporary authors in some of your choice reading books. After looking at some of the clothing styles for men during the sixteenth century, we read through scene 1, stopping to look closely at Prince Escalus' speech. Consider why he would harshly condemn to death the next person to fight in the streets of Verona.
18 March 2016 -- Friday
1st Period: Today students made foldables, an interactive note taking system to keep track of not only what is happening in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but also to note his language. We also learned about the "dramatis personae" or the characters who are in the play. We will begin reading Monday! If you are going to Chicago on Monday with the English Department to see Twelfth Night, be sure to pick up a "detail sheet" from Ms. Alt today. Plan to board the bus at 6:00 a.m. and arrive home at 7:30 p.m.
5th Period: Today students are reviewing the Capulet and Montague family trees by constructing them on their desks from memory. They have received their parts and are encouraged to practice at home! We then broke up into 14 groups, each group taking one line from the prologue to memorize and act out. We put it all together to make a sonnet. On Monday we begin Act I! If you are going to Chicago on Monday with the English Department to see Twelfth Night, be sure to pick up a "detail sheet" from Ms. Alt today. Plan to board the bus at 6:00 a.m. and arrive home at 7:30 p.m.
17 March 2016 -- Thursday
1st Period: Today students will continue their work with the text The World of Shakespeare to find out more about Shakespeare's world: London, the theater, clothing, apothecaries, and plays. We will use the Macbook Airs to further our study of the text by going to www.usborne-quicklinks.com and then putting in the keyword: Shakespeare. Click at the top for the page numbers you would like to check out, and you will see video clips, art, articles, and stories about the Bard. At the end of the hour, we shared our findings.
5th Period: Today students made foldables, an interactive note taking system to keep track of not only what is happening in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but also to note his language. We also learned about the "dramatis personae" or the characters who are in the play. We will begin reading Monday!
16 March 2016 -- Wednesday
1st Period: Today students reviewed the list of information we knew about Shakespeare and added those ideas we learned yesterday from the movie Shakespeare in the Classroom. We then added questions we still had about Shakespeare and the early modern period. Students then wrote for 5 minutes about what themes Shakespeare develops in his plays, specifically Romeo and Juliet and how they are still relevant today. During the last 5 minutes of class students perused The World of Shakespeare. We will continue reading tomorrow.
5th Period: Today students will continue their work with the text The World of Shakespeare to find out more about Shakespeare's world: London, the theater, clothing, apothecaries, and plays. We will use the Macbook Airs to further our study of the text by going to www.usborne-quicklinks.com and then putting in the keyword: Shakespeare. Click at the top for the page numbers you would like to check out, and you will see video clips, art, articles, and stories about the Bard. At the end of the hour, we shared our findings.
15 March 2016--Tuesday
1st Period: Today students were introduced to the Romeo and Juliet unit of study, which will include both the reading of the play and studying the time period. Students today discussed what they already knew about Shakespeare and the early modern period: the 16th and 17th centuries. We watched Shakespeare in the Classroom to learn more about Shakespeare and his world. If you were absent, you should watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAfih_YUgMk
5th Period:
Today students reviewed the list of information we knew about Shakespeare and added those ideas we learned yesterday from the movie Shakespeare in the Classroom. We then added questions we still had about Shakespeare and the early modern period. Students then wrote for 5 minutes about what themes Shakespeare develops in his plays, specifically Romeo and Juliet and how they are still relevant today. During the last 5 minutes of class students perused The World of Shakespeare. We will continue reading tomorrow.
1st and 5th Periods: We are finishing our Romeo and Juliet unit this week by preparing and presenting dramatic interpretations of a selection that embodies one of Shakespeare's themes. Students may continue their practice with podcast groups (with the exception of 1st hour) or choose a new group. Choose wisely, and remember that you may perform alone. Today, May 3, you MUST decide on your selected scene or poem. Mrs. Steelman and Mrs. Alt will confer with all groups and create a schedule for Thursday or Friday of this week. Each group must submit a rubric for your group with the names of the group members and the title of the selection.
ON FRIDAY WE WILL CELEBRATE OUR SUCCESS WITH THIS UNIT!
02 May 2016 -- Monday
5th Period: Today students will finish their pod casts and send them to my email. We will listen to all of them today before taking a look at the rubric for the final performance assessment. Students may work together or independently on a "reading" of a selection that exemplifies one of Shakespeare's themes. We begin the presentations on Thursday, May 5.
1st Period: Today we completed your final assessment (written portion) for RJ. If you were absent, it is your responsibility to make it up outside of class, with me supervising. I will not track you down.
29 April 2016 -- Friday
5th Period: Today we are moving into the performance assessment section of the final week of Romeo and Juliet. To prepare for your assessment, we will spend 2 days on pod casting, an opportunity for you to "play" with Shakespeare's language in groups. We will divide the group into the five acts. Each group will choose a scene to read, using sound effects as an added bonus. We will practice today, record and listen on Monday!
1st Period: Mrs. Alt's class will continue their work on Shakespeare today and do some choice reading while she is away. Your assessment will be on Tuesday.
28 April 2016 -- Thursday
5th Period: Final writing assessment today.
1st Period: Today we practiced for the final assessment (Monday) and reviewed the prompt, rubric and graphic organizer (optional). Students also reviewed their green primary document packets with one another and clarified the assessment. Tomorrow is a Read In with your sub!
27 April 2016 -- Wednesday
5th Period: Today I finished sharing student writing samples, giving tips for the final assessment, which is tomorrow. We practiced by writing about how Shakespeare develops a theme, such as love, and supporting it with ideas from both Romeo and Juliet and a new document. Students then shared one essay from their group under the document camera.
1st Period: Today we are looking at the primary documents for Acts IV and V under the theme of poison and medicine. Students on Thursday will work in groups of 4, each reading and annotating one of the documents, taking notes on the themes they see as well as examples from Romeo and Juliet.
26 April 2016 -- Tuesday
5th Period: Today we are looking at the primary documents for Acts IV and V under the theme of poison and medicine. Students worked in groups of 4, each reading and annotating one of the documents, taking notes on the themes they see as well as examples from Romeo and Juliet.
1st Period: Today students tried silent annotations in groups of three. Each group received a portion of Act V, scene 3, to explicate without speaking to each other. Next, they discussed what was written presented their section in a 2-minute "document walk." Each group could then hear what the other groups read and annotated. We finished the hour with choice reading.
25 April 2016 -- Monday
5th Period: Today students tried silent annotations in groups of three. Each group received a portion of Act V, scene 3, to explicate without speaking to each other. Next, they discussed what was written presented their section in a 2-minute "document walk." Each group could then hear what the other groups read and annotated. We finished the hour with choice reading.
1st Period: No choice reading today. We will finish Act IV today in reader's theater style, followed by an update of scene titles. During the final act, students will read scene 1 aloud and listen to the audio for scene 2. We will watch the 2013 version to end the play.
22 April 2016 -- Friday
5th Period: No choice reading today. We will finish Act IV today in reader's theater style, followed by an update of scene titles. During the final act, students will read scene 1 aloud and listen to the audio for scene 2. We will watch the 2013 version to end the play.
1st Period: Before choice reading today, we are finishing up with Juliet's Soliloquy, writing about her fears before she takes the friar's potion. After choice reading, we will read Act IV, scenes 5 and 6 in reader's theater style.
21 April 2016 -- Thursday
5th Period: Before choice reading today, we are finishing up with Juliet's Soliloquy, writing about her fears before she takes the friar's potion. After choice reading, we will read Act IV, scenes 5 and 6 in reader's theater style.
1st Period: Today we are finishing yesterday's lesson with a quick-write on the themes found in Act IV, scenes 1 and 2. We are exploring examples and quotes from Romeo and Juliet that will support student-selected themes. During scene 3, Juliet fears taking the potion that Friar Laurence gave her to drink - we will explicate her soliloquy, then update our foldables with the following terms: soliloquy, aside, conceit.
20 April 2016 -- Wednesday
5th Period: Today we are finishing yesterday's lesson with a quick-write on the themes found in Act IV, scenes 1 and 2. We are exploring examples and quotes from Romeo and Juliet that will support student-selected themes. During scene 3, Juliet fears taking the potion that Friar Laurence gave her to drink - we will explicate her soliloquy, then update our foldables with the following terms: soliloquy, aside, conceit.
1st Period: Today we reviewed the first three acts in an activity called "verbal fluency," followed by an update of scene titles in our foldables. We read Act IV, scenes 1 and 2 and wrote about the themes in critical reading journals.
19 April 2016 -- Tuesday
5th Period: Today we reviewed the first three acts in an activity called "verbal fluency," followed by an update of scene titles in our foldables. We read Act IV, scenes 1 and 2 and wrote about the themes in critical reading journals.
1st Period: We are continuing to work through the primary documents for the Act III themes of violence and death. After analyzing the Salviolo fencing document from 1590, students, in groups of 4, did a jig-saw reading where each student read one document and then shared with their small group. We ended the hour by looking at the final assessment rubric and wrote a practice essay.
18 April 2016-- Monday
5th Period: We are continuing to work through the primary documents for the Act III themes of violence and death. After analyzing the Salviolo fencing document from 1590, students, in groups of 4, did a jig-saw reading where each student read one document and then shared with their small group. We ended the hour by looking at the final assessment rubric. Tomorrow we will do a practice essay.
1st Period: After watching the short performances of Act III, scene 1, students watched the nurse and Juliet read scene 2 and added dramatic irony to their foldables. We then watched the rest of Act III (2013 performance) and discussed the themes developed by this part of the text. Finally, we looked at some sample sociograms and students chose a character and began sketching one of their own.
15 April 2016 -- Friday
5th Period: Today we had to finish yesterday's work: we finished watching Act III and spent time sketching sociograms. Then we began looking at Salviolo's Fencing manual, comparing those sections of the text in both Act II and III that deal with duels. We began the 2013 movie to finish the Act.
1st Period: Students met in the Max Auditorium today for stage combat instruction with Mr. Matt McKay today!
14 April 2016 -- Thursday
5th Period: After watching the short performances of Act III, scene 1, students watched the nurse and Juliet read scene 2 and added dramatic irony to their foldables. We then watched the rest of Act III (2013 performance) and discussed the themes developed by this part of the text. Finally, we looked at some sample sociograms and students chose a character and began sketching one of their own.
12 April 2016 -- Tuesday
1st Period: Today we begin a new theme, violence and death, during Act III, the pivot scene. April is not only National Poetry Month, but also Shakespeare's birthday on April 23 - we will celebrate! We are taking parts today to bring scene 1 to life in preparation for our stage combat lesson with Mr. McKay on Friday (6th hour will be next Tuesday). HOMEWORK: Finish your annotations and work on the Yellow Primary Source Packet (Act II)--due Monday.
5th Period: Today begins the SAT/PSAT testing window, which means we are on a different schedule. After testing today, this class meets in the MAX Auditorium where Matt McKay, a specialist in stage combat and one of our student teachers, is teaching us the fine art of sword dueling, particularly the moves Shakespeare includes in Act III. Great Day!
11 April 2016 -- Monday
1st Period: We are looking through primary documents for Act II, ones that relate specifically to the theme of marriage and sexuality. Partner groups read a document together and then selected a "roaming team leader" to move through the other groups to share their document. All students will be familiarized with 8 documents by the end of the period.
5th Period: Today we begin a new theme, violence and death, during Act III, the pivot scene. April is not only National Poetry Month, but also Shakespeare's birthday on April 23 - we will celebrate! We are taking parts today to bring scene 1 to life in preparation for our stage combat lesson with Mr. McKay tomorrow. Fifth hour will miss class on Wednesday only. Choice reading begins again today!
31 March 2016--Thursday
All Periods: Today is "servant day," a fund raiser for National Honor Society. We are doing a Read-In today! Enjoy the final day before Spring Break, and we will be back into Act III of Romeo and Juliet and stage combat!
30 March 2016 -- Wednesday
1st Period: We began class with a warm-up writing about how Shakespeare is developing the theme of marriage and sexuality in his plays, specifically in scenes i and ii. A student and I did a reading of scene iii, followed by a discussion of Romeo's interaction with Friar Laurence. In groups of 4 or 5, students used this fish bowl model to read scene iv. We watched a clip from the 2013 movie on scenes v and vi.
5th Period: We are looking through primary documents for Act II, ones that relate specifically to the theme of marriage and sexuality. Partner groups read a document together and then selected a "roaming team leader" to move through the other groups to share their document. All students will be familiarized with 8 documents by the end of the period.
29 March 2016 -- Tuesday
1st Period: Today we begin Act II of Romeo and Juliet by listening to the audio for scene 1 and then acting out scene 2, the famous balcony scene. To dig in a little deeper, partner groups will explicate several lines each and then share out with the class to be sure we understand what Romeo and Juliet's hopes are for their future. We continue our work with primary documents by writing about how they are helping us understand Shakespeare's world.
5th Period: We began class with a warm-up writing about how Shakespeare is developing the theme of marriage and sexuality in his plays, specifically in scenes i and ii. Ms. Alt and I did a reading of scene iii, followed by a discussion of Romeo's interaction with Friar Laurence. In groups of 4 or 5, students used this fish bowl model to read scene iv. We watched a clip from the 2013 movie on scenes v and vi.
28 March 2016 -- Monday
1st Period: Today we looked at several primary documents that will help us understand what was happening during the early modern period when Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet. Students worked in small groups to read and discuss one document and then moved to a larger group to teach this document to others. We ended the class with a debriefing on how the document fits the gender theme.
5th Period: Today we begin Act II of Romeo and Juliet by listening to the audio for scene 1 and then acting out scene 2, the famous balcony scene. To dig in a little deeper, partner groups will explicate several lines each and then share out with the class to be sure we understand what Romeo and Juliet's hopes are for their future. We continue our work with primary documents by writing about how they are helping us understand Shakespeare's world.
25 March 2016 -- Friday
1st Period: We are finishing Act I today with the meeting of Romeo and Juliet. We will read the play with our student "players" in the middle of the room while we, as audience, will surround them. Our job is to analyze not only what they are saying, but also how they are delivering their lines. On Monday we will work in your foldable to examine relationships between characters in the play thus far and also watch some clips of the line delivery from Ben Crystal, Shakespeare scholar. Homework is to choice read!
5th Period: Today we looked at several primary documents that will help us understand what was happening during the early modern period when Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet. Students worked in small groups to read and discuss one document and then moved to a larger group to teach this document to others. We ended the class with a debriefing on how the document fits the gender theme.
24 March 2016 -- Thursday
1st Period: Today we finished analyzing early modern male clothing and continued with women's clothing. Students read scenes 2, 3, and 4, focusing on the Queen Mab speech in scene 4. Students sketched how Queen Mab was described in the CRJs. Each day, we are experimenting with different ways of reading the scenes: small groups, stage, seminar, and readers' theatre.You are all doing a magnificent job of adjusting to Shakespeare's language! Keep up the good work. Make sure you are keeping up with your outside choice reading!
5th Period: We are finishing Act I today with the meeting of Romeo and Juliet. We will read the play with our student "players" in the middle of the room while we, as audience, will surround them. Our job is to analyze not only what they are saying, but also how they are delivering their lines. Students will watch a video clip of actor/director Ben Crystal discuss this scene. Finally, we will add terminology and scene titles to our foldables. Please be aware that we will not do choice reading until next Thursday, which will be an all-hour event! I will continue book talks!
23 March 2016 -- Wednesday
1st Period: Today we finished explicating Prince Escalus' speech and scene one. We then added the scene title and new vocabulary words to our foldables. We reviewed more men's period clothing before moving on to scene 2. Students are doing a wonderful job of reading early modern language aloud! Make sure you are keeping up with your outside choice reading!
5th Period: Today we finished analyzing early modern male clothing and continued with women's clothing. Students read scenes 2, 3, and 4, focusing on the Queen Mab speech in scene 4. Students sketched how Queen Mab was described in the CRJs. Each day, we are experimenting with different ways of reading the scenes: small groups, stage, seminar, and readers' theatre.You are all doing a magnificent job of adjusting to Shakespeare's language! Keep up the good work. Make sure you are keeping up with your outside choice reading!
22 March 2016 -- Tuesday
1st Period: We begin Act I of Romeo and Juliet today! The theme for this week is Gender and Clothing, which are developed by not only Shakespeare, but also by contemporary authors in some of your choice reading books. After looking at some of the clothing styles for men during the sixteenth century, we read through scene 1, stopping to look closely at Prince Escalus' speech. Consider why he would harshly condemn to death the next person to fight in the streets of Verona.
5th Period: Today we finished explicating Prince Escalus' speech and scene one. We then added the scene title and new vocabulary words to our foldables. We reviewed more men's period clothing before moving on to scene 2. Students are doing a wonderful job of reading early modern language aloud!
21 March 2016 -- Monday
1st Period: Today students are reviewing the Capulet and Montague family trees by constructing them on their desks from memory. They have received their parts and are encouraged to practice at home! We then broke up into 14 groups, each group taking one line from the prologue to memorize and act out. We put it all together to make a sonnet. On Tuesday we begin Act I!
5th Period: We begin Act I of Romeo and Juliet today! The theme for this week is Gender and Clothing, which are developed by not only Shakespeare, but also by contemporary authors in some of your choice reading books. After looking at some of the clothing styles for men during the sixteenth century, we read through scene 1, stopping to look closely at Prince Escalus' speech. Consider why he would harshly condemn to death the next person to fight in the streets of Verona.
18 March 2016 -- Friday
1st Period: Today students made foldables, an interactive note taking system to keep track of not only what is happening in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but also to note his language. We also learned about the "dramatis personae" or the characters who are in the play. We will begin reading Monday! If you are going to Chicago on Monday with the English Department to see Twelfth Night, be sure to pick up a "detail sheet" from Ms. Alt today. Plan to board the bus at 6:00 a.m. and arrive home at 7:30 p.m.
5th Period: Today students are reviewing the Capulet and Montague family trees by constructing them on their desks from memory. They have received their parts and are encouraged to practice at home! We then broke up into 14 groups, each group taking one line from the prologue to memorize and act out. We put it all together to make a sonnet. On Monday we begin Act I! If you are going to Chicago on Monday with the English Department to see Twelfth Night, be sure to pick up a "detail sheet" from Ms. Alt today. Plan to board the bus at 6:00 a.m. and arrive home at 7:30 p.m.
17 March 2016 -- Thursday
1st Period: Today students will continue their work with the text The World of Shakespeare to find out more about Shakespeare's world: London, the theater, clothing, apothecaries, and plays. We will use the Macbook Airs to further our study of the text by going to www.usborne-quicklinks.com and then putting in the keyword: Shakespeare. Click at the top for the page numbers you would like to check out, and you will see video clips, art, articles, and stories about the Bard. At the end of the hour, we shared our findings.
5th Period: Today students made foldables, an interactive note taking system to keep track of not only what is happening in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but also to note his language. We also learned about the "dramatis personae" or the characters who are in the play. We will begin reading Monday!
16 March 2016 -- Wednesday
1st Period: Today students reviewed the list of information we knew about Shakespeare and added those ideas we learned yesterday from the movie Shakespeare in the Classroom. We then added questions we still had about Shakespeare and the early modern period. Students then wrote for 5 minutes about what themes Shakespeare develops in his plays, specifically Romeo and Juliet and how they are still relevant today. During the last 5 minutes of class students perused The World of Shakespeare. We will continue reading tomorrow.
5th Period: Today students will continue their work with the text The World of Shakespeare to find out more about Shakespeare's world: London, the theater, clothing, apothecaries, and plays. We will use the Macbook Airs to further our study of the text by going to www.usborne-quicklinks.com and then putting in the keyword: Shakespeare. Click at the top for the page numbers you would like to check out, and you will see video clips, art, articles, and stories about the Bard. At the end of the hour, we shared our findings.
15 March 2016--Tuesday
1st Period: Today students were introduced to the Romeo and Juliet unit of study, which will include both the reading of the play and studying the time period. Students today discussed what they already knew about Shakespeare and the early modern period: the 16th and 17th centuries. We watched Shakespeare in the Classroom to learn more about Shakespeare and his world. If you were absent, you should watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAfih_YUgMk
5th Period:
Today students reviewed the list of information we knew about Shakespeare and added those ideas we learned yesterday from the movie Shakespeare in the Classroom. We then added questions we still had about Shakespeare and the early modern period. Students then wrote for 5 minutes about what themes Shakespeare develops in his plays, specifically Romeo and Juliet and how they are still relevant today. During the last 5 minutes of class students perused The World of Shakespeare. We will continue reading tomorrow.
14 March 2016--Monday
1st Period: Today in class we finished LTAB film and also read for about 15 minutes. Your class was a bit behind the other classes, so you did not write about LTAB afterwards, but tomorrow in class we will briefly discuss it. Homework tonight is to read in your choice reading book and to do your Teachers of NV assignment if you haven't yet--it's due by 11:59pm this evening. This week you have a new HofNV assignment too and it is on the Humans of NV page of the website. That is due by NEXT Monday. Tomorrow we start Romeo and Juliet and it will be AWESOME! Really, really, really--get excited! :)
5th Period (Steelman): Today students were introduced to the Romeo and Juliet unit of study, which will include both the reading of the play and studying the time period. Students today discussed what they already knew about Shakespeare and the early modern period: the 16th and 17th centuries. We watched Shakespeare in the Classroom to learn more about Shakespeare and his world. If you were absent, you should watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAfih_YUgMk
1st Period: Today in class we finished LTAB film and also read for about 15 minutes. Your class was a bit behind the other classes, so you did not write about LTAB afterwards, but tomorrow in class we will briefly discuss it. Homework tonight is to read in your choice reading book and to do your Teachers of NV assignment if you haven't yet--it's due by 11:59pm this evening. This week you have a new HofNV assignment too and it is on the Humans of NV page of the website. That is due by NEXT Monday. Tomorrow we start Romeo and Juliet and it will be AWESOME! Really, really, really--get excited! :)
5th Period (Steelman): Today students were introduced to the Romeo and Juliet unit of study, which will include both the reading of the play and studying the time period. Students today discussed what they already knew about Shakespeare and the early modern period: the 16th and 17th centuries. We watched Shakespeare in the Classroom to learn more about Shakespeare and his world. If you were absent, you should watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAfih_YUgMk
10 March 2016--Thursday
Today in class we came very close to finishing LTAB. 5th period--You have a CRJ due Monday regarding your reaction to LTAB using one of the prompts from your CRJ sheet. Your HW this weekend in addition is to get to your reading goal for Monday and to do your Humans of Northview assignment (due Monday night by 11:59pm) with your Teacher of the Week!
Today in class we came very close to finishing LTAB. 5th period--You have a CRJ due Monday regarding your reaction to LTAB using one of the prompts from your CRJ sheet. Your HW this weekend in addition is to get to your reading goal for Monday and to do your Humans of Northview assignment (due Monday night by 11:59pm) with your Teacher of the Week!
7 March 2016--Monday
Today in class we continued our spoken word unit and started watching the documentary Louder than a Bomb. You have 1 CRJ Entry due about the LTAB film on Wednesday at the beginning of class. Also, you have your 3rd Humans of Northview assignment due Friday by 11:59pm via the website. Make sure to make an appointment with your teacher of choice--don't bombard them! Ask them in advance!
Today in class we continued our spoken word unit and started watching the documentary Louder than a Bomb. You have 1 CRJ Entry due about the LTAB film on Wednesday at the beginning of class. Also, you have your 3rd Humans of Northview assignment due Friday by 11:59pm via the website. Make sure to make an appointment with your teacher of choice--don't bombard them! Ask them in advance!
29 February 2016--Monday
Today was a Read In! This week is SUCH a chill week for you. The only thing to stress about right now is your Humans of Northview assignment #2--due Friday by 11:59pm via the website. Other than that, just read, read, read, read, read!
Today was a Read In! This week is SUCH a chill week for you. The only thing to stress about right now is your Humans of Northview assignment #2--due Friday by 11:59pm via the website. Other than that, just read, read, read, read, read!
26 February 2016--Friday
Today in class we reviewed some Humans of New York and talked a bit about the photography and stories. Then the rest of the hour was yours to work on your Passion Project, your Humans of Northview (#1 and #2) or Choice Reading. Monday in class will be a Read In!
Remember to review the rubric before you turn in the final copy of your paper! And remember that you MUST email me to say, "Hey, my paper is done, I want that fresh fresh fresh Extra Credit!" (You don't have to say it that way, but you get what I mean!)
Today in class we reviewed some Humans of New York and talked a bit about the photography and stories. Then the rest of the hour was yours to work on your Passion Project, your Humans of Northview (#1 and #2) or Choice Reading. Monday in class will be a Read In!
Remember to review the rubric before you turn in the final copy of your paper! And remember that you MUST email me to say, "Hey, my paper is done, I want that fresh fresh fresh Extra Credit!" (You don't have to say it that way, but you get what I mean!)
25 February 2016--Thursday--SNOW DAY
Today is a SNOW DAY (woo hoo!). You should be working on your Passion Project and also getting in touch with your Human of Northview for Assignment 1. The rubric for the Passion Project is HERE. I would share the white paragraph check sheet, but I only have it saved at school. Sorry!
Reminders--
1) Humans of Northview due by Friday at 11:59pm via the form on the "Humans of Northview" page of this website.
2) 2 CRJ entries--due Friday at the beginning of class.
3) FINAL draft of your Passion Project due for full credit by Monday at 7;45am.
Turn it in for 5 points of extra credit by Friday at 11:59pm. If you want the EC, you must send me an email that says, "Please grade my paper NOW for the extra credit option!"; otherwise I will not know you want extra credit!
NO MATTER WHAT, YOU MUST TURN IT IN VIA THE CLASS WEBSITE USING THE BUTTON ABOVE. I WILL NOT GRADE IT IF YOU JUST SHARE IT WITH ME.
Today is a SNOW DAY (woo hoo!). You should be working on your Passion Project and also getting in touch with your Human of Northview for Assignment 1. The rubric for the Passion Project is HERE. I would share the white paragraph check sheet, but I only have it saved at school. Sorry!
Reminders--
1) Humans of Northview due by Friday at 11:59pm via the form on the "Humans of Northview" page of this website.
2) 2 CRJ entries--due Friday at the beginning of class.
3) FINAL draft of your Passion Project due for full credit by Monday at 7;45am.
Turn it in for 5 points of extra credit by Friday at 11:59pm. If you want the EC, you must send me an email that says, "Please grade my paper NOW for the extra credit option!"; otherwise I will not know you want extra credit!
NO MATTER WHAT, YOU MUST TURN IT IN VIA THE CLASS WEBSITE USING THE BUTTON ABOVE. I WILL NOT GRADE IT IF YOU JUST SHARE IT WITH ME.
22 February 2016--Monday
Hello! Today in class we had a good amount of reading time, about 20 minutes, and also did reading goals/evaluation from last week. Then we reviewed the allusions--note, your vocabulary quiz is moved to WEDNESDAY this week. Then I showed you how to access BibMe.org for all your citations. Tomorrow in class, while Mr. Smith is your sub, you will work on your Self Editing Checklist AND your BibMe.Org citations. Your final draft of the paper is due by Monday, February 29, at 7:45am OR if you'd like to turn it in early for 5 points of Extra Credit, you can do so by Friday at 11:59pm.
Further--Friday 2 new CRJ entries are due about your current SSR book
Humans of Northview Assignment #1--due Friday by 11:59pm using the form on the Humans of Northview page.
Hello! Today in class we had a good amount of reading time, about 20 minutes, and also did reading goals/evaluation from last week. Then we reviewed the allusions--note, your vocabulary quiz is moved to WEDNESDAY this week. Then I showed you how to access BibMe.org for all your citations. Tomorrow in class, while Mr. Smith is your sub, you will work on your Self Editing Checklist AND your BibMe.Org citations. Your final draft of the paper is due by Monday, February 29, at 7:45am OR if you'd like to turn it in early for 5 points of Extra Credit, you can do so by Friday at 11:59pm.
Further--Friday 2 new CRJ entries are due about your current SSR book
Humans of Northview Assignment #1--due Friday by 11:59pm using the form on the Humans of Northview page.
17 February 2016--Wednesday
Today in class we learned how to organize our research papers and used colored pencils for annotation using a mentor text that Ms. Alt wrote. That annotation is your gatekeeper into the next section of your drafting. Please remember the idea of Skill vs. Will--this paper is HARD, it's going to take all your concentration, you don't have time to be foolish you and you need to own that. Please come tomorrow ready to work, focus, and push yourself to do your very best. You can do it. It's time to show that!
Homework tonight is to finish your vocabulary sheet AND do your allusions (yes, that means researching them online!!)
Today in class we learned how to organize our research papers and used colored pencils for annotation using a mentor text that Ms. Alt wrote. That annotation is your gatekeeper into the next section of your drafting. Please remember the idea of Skill vs. Will--this paper is HARD, it's going to take all your concentration, you don't have time to be foolish you and you need to own that. Please come tomorrow ready to work, focus, and push yourself to do your very best. You can do it. It's time to show that!
Homework tonight is to finish your vocabulary sheet AND do your allusions (yes, that means researching them online!!)
16 February 2016--Monday
Today in class we worked on your evidence organizer--most of you were good to move on! Tomorrow we will start drafting your paper in class and your rough draft is due FRIDAY at the beginning of the class period. Plan for Thursday to be your only day of 100% work time in class! The rest will be on your own.
Also--due tomorrow--your 1 CRJ entry regarding the Socratic Seminar is due tomorrow (prompts are below!) at the beginning of the class period. We are using those in class, so make sure it's done and make SURE to do your heading, too!!
Today in class we worked on your evidence organizer--most of you were good to move on! Tomorrow we will start drafting your paper in class and your rough draft is due FRIDAY at the beginning of the class period. Plan for Thursday to be your only day of 100% work time in class! The rest will be on your own.
Also--due tomorrow--your 1 CRJ entry regarding the Socratic Seminar is due tomorrow (prompts are below!) at the beginning of the class period. We are using those in class, so make sure it's done and make SURE to do your heading, too!!
12 February 2016--Friday
Hello. Today in class we read, and I book talked 3 books--The Other Wes Moore, A Prayer for Owen Meany and the Adoration of Jenna Fox. Then I reminded you about research and ensuring your research is connecting to your toes of your thesis. The rest of the hour was research time--reminder that you Evidence Organizer is due Tuesday at the beginning of the hour. Tuesday will be new vocabulary and a Read-In.
Hello. Today in class we read, and I book talked 3 books--The Other Wes Moore, A Prayer for Owen Meany and the Adoration of Jenna Fox. Then I reminded you about research and ensuring your research is connecting to your toes of your thesis. The rest of the hour was research time--reminder that you Evidence Organizer is due Tuesday at the beginning of the hour. Tuesday will be new vocabulary and a Read-In.
11 February 2016--Thursday
Today in class we engaged in your Socratic Seminar and thus far (after 1st period), you have ROCKED it. I am so impressed, English 9A, you are super stars. Homework for today/this week is as follows:
--2 Critical Reading Journal entries about your current SSR book are due FRIDAY
--Evidence Organizer packet--due TUESDAY
--Reading Goal check--TUESDAY
--1 new Critical Reading Journal based on today's seminar from ONE of the questions below--due Wednesday 2/17
How will you take this difficult experience and learn from it in the future?
How did this experience change your perception of school or Honors classes?
How did this experience change your understanding of stress?
What did you hear from your classmates during this discussion that surprised, interested or sparked something in you?
How did knowing this seminar was not graded impact your participation/approach?
I just wish my parents understood ____________
I just wish my teachers understood ___________
Today in class we engaged in your Socratic Seminar and thus far (after 1st period), you have ROCKED it. I am so impressed, English 9A, you are super stars. Homework for today/this week is as follows:
--2 Critical Reading Journal entries about your current SSR book are due FRIDAY
--Evidence Organizer packet--due TUESDAY
--Reading Goal check--TUESDAY
--1 new Critical Reading Journal based on today's seminar from ONE of the questions below--due Wednesday 2/17
How will you take this difficult experience and learn from it in the future?
How did this experience change your perception of school or Honors classes?
How did this experience change your understanding of stress?
What did you hear from your classmates during this discussion that surprised, interested or sparked something in you?
How did knowing this seminar was not graded impact your participation/approach?
I just wish my parents understood ____________
I just wish my teachers understood ___________
9 February 2016--Tuesday
Today in class we started research. We looked at chicken feet thesis statements. We bulked up the chicken leg (the "big idea") and we grappled with the complexity of writing and research. Newsflash: It's NOT easy! That's ok. You're doing great! Homework tonight is to spend maybe 20/30 more minutes working on your research notes, remembering that you're looking for research that will help PROVE your thesis statement....Also, 2 new Critical Reading Journal entries are due by Friday which will bring your total for the 2nd semester of CRJ entries up to 3.
I am not checking any homework until Friday when your CRJs are due.
Today in class we started research. We looked at chicken feet thesis statements. We bulked up the chicken leg (the "big idea") and we grappled with the complexity of writing and research. Newsflash: It's NOT easy! That's ok. You're doing great! Homework tonight is to spend maybe 20/30 more minutes working on your research notes, remembering that you're looking for research that will help PROVE your thesis statement....Also, 2 new Critical Reading Journal entries are due by Friday which will bring your total for the 2nd semester of CRJ entries up to 3.
I am not checking any homework until Friday when your CRJs are due.
8 February 2016--Monday
Today in class we set new reading goals and turned in read tickets from last week. Then we went over how to formulate a solid thesis statement and then students worked on their Initial Research and Thesis statement independently. Tomorrow's homework is: 1) Vocabulary/Allusion quiz 2) Finalize your thesis statement on your chicken foot paper and bring it to class. There are 2 Critical Reading Journal entries due by Friday as well. Click HERE if you have lost the prompt sheet from 1st semester. I'll give you hard copies of this tomorrow during class. Please remember to do the heading on your CRJ entries and to spend time to do them well; rushed work isn't really the best thing.
Today in class we set new reading goals and turned in read tickets from last week. Then we went over how to formulate a solid thesis statement and then students worked on their Initial Research and Thesis statement independently. Tomorrow's homework is: 1) Vocabulary/Allusion quiz 2) Finalize your thesis statement on your chicken foot paper and bring it to class. There are 2 Critical Reading Journal entries due by Friday as well. Click HERE if you have lost the prompt sheet from 1st semester. I'll give you hard copies of this tomorrow during class. Please remember to do the heading on your CRJ entries and to spend time to do them well; rushed work isn't really the best thing.
5 February 2016--Friday
Today in class we solidified your research questions for your Passion Project and brainstormed out sub topics for your paper. Your homework this weekend (though I am NOT checking this for points on Monday) is to start working on your Initial Research paper--this is just for you to start to see what's out there for your paper--a few bullet points/jots in each category is ideal. I would recommend spending 30-45 minutes total on this over the weekend. If you come to class Monday and haven't started it yet, you'll simply have more to catch up on.
Tuesday you will take your vocabulary quiz (allusions and your 5 vocabulary words)
Your reading goal check is Monday!
5th Period: You need to do your Critical Reading Journal assignment for Monday--"What did you learn from the experience of the Summary/analysis, Mini Essays, station work and discussion day regarding education, stress, etc?"
Today in class we solidified your research questions for your Passion Project and brainstormed out sub topics for your paper. Your homework this weekend (though I am NOT checking this for points on Monday) is to start working on your Initial Research paper--this is just for you to start to see what's out there for your paper--a few bullet points/jots in each category is ideal. I would recommend spending 30-45 minutes total on this over the weekend. If you come to class Monday and haven't started it yet, you'll simply have more to catch up on.
Tuesday you will take your vocabulary quiz (allusions and your 5 vocabulary words)
Your reading goal check is Monday!
5th Period: You need to do your Critical Reading Journal assignment for Monday--"What did you learn from the experience of the Summary/analysis, Mini Essays, station work and discussion day regarding education, stress, etc?"
4 February 2016--Thursday
If you still do not have your Passion Project topic chosen yet, you need to come see me ASAP in the morning before school. If your research question is still feeling off, again, I need to see you. Homework tonight is to do your Allusions on your vocabulary sheet and to do your 1 Critical Reading Journal entry regarding the Socratic Seminar/Mini Essays/Summary Analysis packet. The question you are responding to is, ¨What did you learn from the experience of the Summary/Analysis, Mini Essays and Socratic Seminar over the past week?"
If you still do not have your Passion Project topic chosen yet, you need to come see me ASAP in the morning before school. If your research question is still feeling off, again, I need to see you. Homework tonight is to do your Allusions on your vocabulary sheet and to do your 1 Critical Reading Journal entry regarding the Socratic Seminar/Mini Essays/Summary Analysis packet. The question you are responding to is, ¨What did you learn from the experience of the Summary/Analysis, Mini Essays and Socratic Seminar over the past week?"
2 February 2016--Tuesday
Today in class, you took your vocabulary quiz, set new reading goals and filled out your reading goal sheet. If you were absent, it is your responsibility to make up the work--I won't track you down. Then we worked a bit on the Mini Essays and began the first day of our Socratic Seminar around Education. We will return to this on Friday in class. Your homework tonight is to choose your topic for your Passion Project and fill out the Passion Project sheet--if you have a few ideas for tomorrow, that is fine, but plan to spend 15-20 minutes tonight working on your brainstorm. Also, by FRIDAY, you need to do 1 Critical Reading Journal entry in preparation for Part II of the Socratic Seminar, answering: ¨What did you learn from the experience of the Summary/Analysis, Mini Essays and Socratic Seminar over the past week?
Today in class, you took your vocabulary quiz, set new reading goals and filled out your reading goal sheet. If you were absent, it is your responsibility to make up the work--I won't track you down. Then we worked a bit on the Mini Essays and began the first day of our Socratic Seminar around Education. We will return to this on Friday in class. Your homework tonight is to choose your topic for your Passion Project and fill out the Passion Project sheet--if you have a few ideas for tomorrow, that is fine, but plan to spend 15-20 minutes tonight working on your brainstorm. Also, by FRIDAY, you need to do 1 Critical Reading Journal entry in preparation for Part II of the Socratic Seminar, answering: ¨What did you learn from the experience of the Summary/Analysis, Mini Essays and Socratic Seminar over the past week?
1 February 2016--Monday
Today in class you were all in the Fishbowl with your counselors getting registered for your classes for 10th grade. Due to that, we are on a different schedule for this week:
--Tuesday you have 1) Your vocabulary quiz and allusions then 2) A Socratic Seminar to finalize allllll the work you did last week on your Summary Analysis and Essay writing. I'll also be giving you your Passion Project assignment at the end of the hour and checking your reading goal too! LOTS to do!
Today in class you were all in the Fishbowl with your counselors getting registered for your classes for 10th grade. Due to that, we are on a different schedule for this week:
--Tuesday you have 1) Your vocabulary quiz and allusions then 2) A Socratic Seminar to finalize allllll the work you did last week on your Summary Analysis and Essay writing. I'll also be giving you your Passion Project assignment at the end of the hour and checking your reading goal too! LOTS to do!
28 January 2016--Thursday
You're amazing. Thank you for my birthday celebration. You rock. :)
Homework tonight is to finish your essays and submit them to the website by the time class starts tomorrow morning. REMEMBER, my overachievers:
1 page each (you can go longer if you need to, but it's not necessary)
They are ALL on the same document
Submit it through the website; simply shared with me will not receive credit.
TRIPLE check that I can edit them and you have selected, "Anyone with the link can edit" in your shared settings.
I will be here today until 3:30pm and tomorrow morning by 6:45am if you need a place to work.
You're amazing. Thank you for my birthday celebration. You rock. :)
Homework tonight is to finish your essays and submit them to the website by the time class starts tomorrow morning. REMEMBER, my overachievers:
1 page each (you can go longer if you need to, but it's not necessary)
They are ALL on the same document
Submit it through the website; simply shared with me will not receive credit.
TRIPLE check that I can edit them and you have selected, "Anyone with the link can edit" in your shared settings.
I will be here today until 3:30pm and tomorrow morning by 6:45am if you need a place to work.
27 January 2016--Wednesday
Hello! Today in class you turned in your Summary Analysis assignment (Good job!) and we watched some videos. If you were absent, you should click on the "Socratic Seminar Prep" page above and watch the very last video "Shifting the Education Paradigm", the "Why I Love Education, but Hate School" video. Tonight for homework, you have the following:
1) Complete the allusion side of your vocabulary —checking this Friday.
2) Tonight — watch at least 1 more of the videos from the class website under the page “Socratic Seminar Prep”—they vary in length from 3-11 minutes. Do the 2 minute Summary/Analysis thing in your notebook we did today in class with tonight’s video.
4) By Friday, you need to have watched them all, so if you have time, you can watch more tonight.
Tomorrow in class:
¨I’ll give you about 35 minutes to work on either your essays or on watching these videos, so bring headphones!
Your essays are due FRIDAY using the button above.
Hello! Today in class you turned in your Summary Analysis assignment (Good job!) and we watched some videos. If you were absent, you should click on the "Socratic Seminar Prep" page above and watch the very last video "Shifting the Education Paradigm", the "Why I Love Education, but Hate School" video. Tonight for homework, you have the following:
1) Complete the allusion side of your vocabulary —checking this Friday.
2) Tonight — watch at least 1 more of the videos from the class website under the page “Socratic Seminar Prep”—they vary in length from 3-11 minutes. Do the 2 minute Summary/Analysis thing in your notebook we did today in class with tonight’s video.
4) By Friday, you need to have watched them all, so if you have time, you can watch more tonight.
Tomorrow in class:
¨I’ll give you about 35 minutes to work on either your essays or on watching these videos, so bring headphones!
Your essays are due FRIDAY using the button above.
26 January 2016--Tuesday
Today in class you had the chance to work on your Summary Analysis packet and to organize Writer's Notebooks/CRJs for the remainder of the semester. The notebook should be organized and updated by the time you come to class tomorrow. Your Summary Analysis packet is DUE tomorrow at the beginning of the hour, and I am collecting it. Please ensure you read the directions carefully; it is all laid out for you very specifically and I am serious when I say it is credit/no credit, so check it closely. It must be handwritten. The 5 Mini Essays are due Friday and they MUST be submitted via Google Forms using the button above that says Socratic Seminar Essays. I will be giving you about 20/25 minutes in class on Thursday for typing and work on those and they should all be submitted as ONE large document.
Today in class you had the chance to work on your Summary Analysis packet and to organize Writer's Notebooks/CRJs for the remainder of the semester. The notebook should be organized and updated by the time you come to class tomorrow. Your Summary Analysis packet is DUE tomorrow at the beginning of the hour, and I am collecting it. Please ensure you read the directions carefully; it is all laid out for you very specifically and I am serious when I say it is credit/no credit, so check it closely. It must be handwritten. The 5 Mini Essays are due Friday and they MUST be submitted via Google Forms using the button above that says Socratic Seminar Essays. I will be giving you about 20/25 minutes in class on Thursday for typing and work on those and they should all be submitted as ONE large document.
25 January 2016--Monday
Welcome to the first day of your new semester! You all have an A today, which is such a fantastic feeling, I'm sure! Today and tomorrow in class we are taking some time to reestablish routines and protocols. One thing we are working on is appropriate email etiquette, since many of you don't seem to follow it (just being real!). So, for your assignment today, please click HERE and follow the links to the Google Doc which will have your next steps. Your assignment is due by the end of the hour, no exceptions.
Additional work for this week: Your packet reading and annotations/summary analysis work is due Wednesday at the beginning of the hour. Please note--Your Blue Packet information must be HANDWRITTEN! Read the assignment, carefully!
Your 5 essays are due Friday via Google Forms. Click the button above to submit all your essays and remember, for the love, make sure you have selected "Anyone with the link can edit"--otherwise, you will receive NO credit.
Welcome to the first day of your new semester! You all have an A today, which is such a fantastic feeling, I'm sure! Today and tomorrow in class we are taking some time to reestablish routines and protocols. One thing we are working on is appropriate email etiquette, since many of you don't seem to follow it (just being real!). So, for your assignment today, please click HERE and follow the links to the Google Doc which will have your next steps. Your assignment is due by the end of the hour, no exceptions.
Additional work for this week: Your packet reading and annotations/summary analysis work is due Wednesday at the beginning of the hour. Please note--Your Blue Packet information must be HANDWRITTEN! Read the assignment, carefully!
Your 5 essays are due Friday via Google Forms. Click the button above to submit all your essays and remember, for the love, make sure you have selected "Anyone with the link can edit"--otherwise, you will receive NO credit.
ALL THE SPOKEN WORD AND TED TALKS!!
1) Shake the Dust by Mojani
2) Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luurhman (sp?)
3) Maskless by Miles Hodges
4) Childhood—Brave New Voices
5) “Untitled” poem about Home by Ms. Alt’s former student Teresa
6) Cody by Nova Venerable
7) TED Talk—Sam Berns, Angela Duckworth
8) You can also talk about ANY of the Story Corps interviews that impacted you!
9) Somewhere in America—Queen Latifah show
1) Shake the Dust by Mojani
2) Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luurhman (sp?)
3) Maskless by Miles Hodges
4) Childhood—Brave New Voices
5) “Untitled” poem about Home by Ms. Alt’s former student Teresa
6) Cody by Nova Venerable
7) TED Talk—Sam Berns, Angela Duckworth
8) You can also talk about ANY of the Story Corps interviews that impacted you!
9) Somewhere in America—Queen Latifah show
12, 13, 14 January 2016
This week we are starting your first Critical Reading Journal meetings. If you need info, there is a page on this site called Critical Reading Journals-9A. I would click there! Everything you need is there. You will receive your exam packet on Friday to work on in class. We are also watching To Kill a Mockingbird and you are reading like a bunny rabbit in your Choice Reading Novel.
This week we are starting your first Critical Reading Journal meetings. If you need info, there is a page on this site called Critical Reading Journals-9A. I would click there! Everything you need is there. You will receive your exam packet on Friday to work on in class. We are also watching To Kill a Mockingbird and you are reading like a bunny rabbit in your Choice Reading Novel.
11 January 2016
Today in class we reviewed expectations for your Critical Reading Journal meetings which will start tomorrow in class. Reminder that these are 5 minutes meetings and you DO need to prepare for your meeting. There is further information, including the rubric, on the Critical Reading Journal page above--please take a minimum of 20 minutes to prepare for this conference so you are ready to go tomorrow. Please do NOT plan to "wing this". Trust me.
Today in class we reviewed expectations for your Critical Reading Journal meetings which will start tomorrow in class. Reminder that these are 5 minutes meetings and you DO need to prepare for your meeting. There is further information, including the rubric, on the Critical Reading Journal page above--please take a minimum of 20 minutes to prepare for this conference so you are ready to go tomorrow. Please do NOT plan to "wing this". Trust me.
6 January 2016--Wednesday
Homework tonight is to start working on your Reading Ladder--these are due on Sunday night. See above for the information on the Ladder. We will work on these in class tomorrow. Also, you should have at least 23 CRJ entries by this point in the school year; if not, then use tonight to catch up on some entries. :)
Homework tonight is to start working on your Reading Ladder--these are due on Sunday night. See above for the information on the Ladder. We will work on these in class tomorrow. Also, you should have at least 23 CRJ entries by this point in the school year; if not, then use tonight to catch up on some entries. :)
5 January 2015--Tuesday
Hello! Today in class we had some book talks, read in SSR, did a Landing Page, and then wrote in Writer's Notebooks about this prompt: "What's on your mind? What are you thinking about lately?" We also went over the schedule for the rest of the semester. Homework tonight is reading in your SSR book and THEN to do 1 CRJ entry about your current SSR book. You should have a minimum of 23 CRJ entries by this point in the school year!
Hello! Today in class we had some book talks, read in SSR, did a Landing Page, and then wrote in Writer's Notebooks about this prompt: "What's on your mind? What are you thinking about lately?" We also went over the schedule for the rest of the semester. Homework tonight is reading in your SSR book and THEN to do 1 CRJ entry about your current SSR book. You should have a minimum of 23 CRJ entries by this point in the school year!
4 January 2015--Monday
I'm not here today! Remember, I told you I won the Lottery and for a teacher that means an extra day off from school after Christmas break--soooo, your sub, Mr. Smith,has been charged with the awesome task of making sure you do great work today. Your jobs are:
1) To work on your "It's 2015 Letter/Rant" assignment--it's due TONIGHT (Monday) by 11:59pm. You MUST submit it using the button above--see that black button that says "Click here to submit your 2015 assignment?"--Yeah, click there. And then when you paste your link, make SURE you have selected in your sharing settings, "Anyone with the link can edit"--that way I can edit it. As of the time I posted this at 7:45pm on Sunday night, I only have submissions from 5 of you, so make sure to click that button and fill in the form!
2) If you have finished your paper, submitted it (and it's awesome, you spell checked it, made sure it was your BEST work), then your job during class is to curl up with your SSR book and read, read, read, read! I can't wait to hear about what you read over break and to share with you some of my books too! I read some good ones! :)
See you on Tuesday!
I'm not here today! Remember, I told you I won the Lottery and for a teacher that means an extra day off from school after Christmas break--soooo, your sub, Mr. Smith,has been charged with the awesome task of making sure you do great work today. Your jobs are:
1) To work on your "It's 2015 Letter/Rant" assignment--it's due TONIGHT (Monday) by 11:59pm. You MUST submit it using the button above--see that black button that says "Click here to submit your 2015 assignment?"--Yeah, click there. And then when you paste your link, make SURE you have selected in your sharing settings, "Anyone with the link can edit"--that way I can edit it. As of the time I posted this at 7:45pm on Sunday night, I only have submissions from 5 of you, so make sure to click that button and fill in the form!
2) If you have finished your paper, submitted it (and it's awesome, you spell checked it, made sure it was your BEST work), then your job during class is to curl up with your SSR book and read, read, read, read! I can't wait to hear about what you read over break and to share with you some of my books too! I read some good ones! :)
See you on Tuesday!
7 December 2015--Monday
I was sick today--ugg, I hate that! I wanted to be there with you to collect all your work, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. Still, you should have turned in ALL your TKAMB work (notebooks and your blue packet) to the sub. I plan to come into NV this afternoon and collect that to grade, so make sure you gave it to him/her so I can collect it. Tomorrow we'll get into TKAMB discussions and debates more, so tonight is your first night in a long time where I can say, "Homework is just to read in your Choice reading novel." Well...and to study for your vocabulary quiz, which is on Tuesday, but that's IT! Wow, that feels good. See you tomorrow, bunny rabbits!
I was sick today--ugg, I hate that! I wanted to be there with you to collect all your work, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. Still, you should have turned in ALL your TKAMB work (notebooks and your blue packet) to the sub. I plan to come into NV this afternoon and collect that to grade, so make sure you gave it to him/her so I can collect it. Tomorrow we'll get into TKAMB discussions and debates more, so tonight is your first night in a long time where I can say, "Homework is just to read in your Choice reading novel." Well...and to study for your vocabulary quiz, which is on Tuesday, but that's IT! Wow, that feels good. See you tomorrow, bunny rabbits!
3 December 2015--Thursday
Today I gave you a kindness--you have an extension on your TKAMB work--it is due on Monday--HOWEVER, you also have to finish the other work I was already planning to give you for Monday as well. It is a packet of readings, annotations and summary. All the work you are doing this week/weekend will prepare you for a full week's of work on TKAMB. A reminder too--reading ONLY the Sparks Notes is the lazy man's way. If I suspect you have done only the minimum, you can plan on being moved to English 9 or English 10 in the upcoming semesters. Please talk to me if you are having a particularly hard time getting this book finished; that could be a red flag for us and we should make a plan!
Today I gave you a kindness--you have an extension on your TKAMB work--it is due on Monday--HOWEVER, you also have to finish the other work I was already planning to give you for Monday as well. It is a packet of readings, annotations and summary. All the work you are doing this week/weekend will prepare you for a full week's of work on TKAMB. A reminder too--reading ONLY the Sparks Notes is the lazy man's way. If I suspect you have done only the minimum, you can plan on being moved to English 9 or English 10 in the upcoming semesters. Please talk to me if you are having a particularly hard time getting this book finished; that could be a red flag for us and we should make a plan!
30 November 2015--Monday
Today in class we read in SSR and then students had a ton of independent work time to get going along with their TKAMB assignment (due Friday!). Homework for the night is to keep plugging away at TKAMB, but also to post to the forum by Thursday at 4pm. The forum can be accessed by visiting the TKAMB--9A page on this website. Also, the Great Thanksgiving Listen is due TOMORROW and we are using it in class, so ensure you have it ready to go and accessible via your device or smart phone.
Today in class we read in SSR and then students had a ton of independent work time to get going along with their TKAMB assignment (due Friday!). Homework for the night is to keep plugging away at TKAMB, but also to post to the forum by Thursday at 4pm. The forum can be accessed by visiting the TKAMB--9A page on this website. Also, the Great Thanksgiving Listen is due TOMORROW and we are using it in class, so ensure you have it ready to go and accessible via your device or smart phone.
23 November 2015--Monday
Today in class, we read in our SSR books for awhile (15 minutes!), then did some work in our Writer's Notebooks about Thanksgiving/holidays using a spoken word poem as a model for our writing. After discussing a bit about the holiday season, we clarified and worked on ensuring all students are ready for The Great Thanksgiving Listen by looking at the Story Corps app, talking about interview subjects and making a plan for completing this interview.
These are due 12/2 (Tuesday) and the easiest way to do them is to download the Story Corps app to your phone and do it that way. Remember, your interview subject must be over 18 years old and it must be a SPOKEN/ORAL interview (you can't just hand the paper to your person and tell them to fill it out for you). This is a listening project!
Homework tonight is to prepare for your Read In tomorrow and to make sure you are moving forward with getting your interview all set up. Also, be working on your To Kill a Mockingbird schedule. ALL work and finishing of the book is due on December 4 (next Friday)--do NOT PROCRASTINATE!!
Today in class, we read in our SSR books for awhile (15 minutes!), then did some work in our Writer's Notebooks about Thanksgiving/holidays using a spoken word poem as a model for our writing. After discussing a bit about the holiday season, we clarified and worked on ensuring all students are ready for The Great Thanksgiving Listen by looking at the Story Corps app, talking about interview subjects and making a plan for completing this interview.
These are due 12/2 (Tuesday) and the easiest way to do them is to download the Story Corps app to your phone and do it that way. Remember, your interview subject must be over 18 years old and it must be a SPOKEN/ORAL interview (you can't just hand the paper to your person and tell them to fill it out for you). This is a listening project!
Homework tonight is to prepare for your Read In tomorrow and to make sure you are moving forward with getting your interview all set up. Also, be working on your To Kill a Mockingbird schedule. ALL work and finishing of the book is due on December 4 (next Friday)--do NOT PROCRASTINATE!!
Hi 5th period! I know you ALL are going to check the website tonight--woo hoo!! Let's start making it a habit, ok? Ok. Good plan!
20 November 2015--Friday
This weekend, you need to start planning your interview for The Great Thanksgiving Listen--you need to know by Monday:
--Who you are interviewing (must be over 18 years old and it should be an interview that you can conduct IN PERSON (not over the phone)).
--A list of the 7-10 questions you will ask him/her (use the examples from the back page if you're having a hard time thinking of them!)
--Talk to the person and make sure they are ok with you interviewing them.
--Download the Story Corps app from the app store to your phone OR have a very solid plan of how you will record this interview with your subject.
Also, make sure you are working on your To Kill a Mockingbird reading schedule as well! You really, really, really need to be on it--plan to spend a minimum of an hour working on this!
This weekend, you need to start planning your interview for The Great Thanksgiving Listen--you need to know by Monday:
--Who you are interviewing (must be over 18 years old and it should be an interview that you can conduct IN PERSON (not over the phone)).
--A list of the 7-10 questions you will ask him/her (use the examples from the back page if you're having a hard time thinking of them!)
--Talk to the person and make sure they are ok with you interviewing them.
--Download the Story Corps app from the app store to your phone OR have a very solid plan of how you will record this interview with your subject.
Also, make sure you are working on your To Kill a Mockingbird reading schedule as well! You really, really, really need to be on it--plan to spend a minimum of an hour working on this!
19 November 2015--Thursday
Today in class, we finished watching the film 42 and students had time to read as well in their SSR books. They also received the packet for The Great Thanksgiving Listen and by MONDAY, you need to have chosen your interview subject, written in your questions (using the ones from the sheet I gave you), and be prepared to share information about your interview. The FINAL draft of the interview isn't due until December 1 (Tuesday), but you should start to plan your interview now!
Also, you have 1 CRJ entry due about the film 42 by tomorrow (Friday)
Also, you should be reading in your To Kill a Mockingbird book as well.
Also, you need to read and annotate Ms. Alt's example of Prince of Tides for a CRJ by tomorrow.
WOW. You are busy.
Today in class, we finished watching the film 42 and students had time to read as well in their SSR books. They also received the packet for The Great Thanksgiving Listen and by MONDAY, you need to have chosen your interview subject, written in your questions (using the ones from the sheet I gave you), and be prepared to share information about your interview. The FINAL draft of the interview isn't due until December 1 (Tuesday), but you should start to plan your interview now!
Also, you have 1 CRJ entry due about the film 42 by tomorrow (Friday)
Also, you should be reading in your To Kill a Mockingbird book as well.
Also, you need to read and annotate Ms. Alt's example of Prince of Tides for a CRJ by tomorrow.
WOW. You are busy.
17 November 2015--Tuesday
Today in class we watched 42, the story of Jackie Robinson, the first African American Major League Baseball player. You will do 2 CRitical Reading Journal entries about this film, so use your bullet point sheet to do 2 entries at some point before Friday. Homework tonight is to FINISH the yellow Story Corps paper that I gave you yesterday in class; it is due in your Writer's Notebook on Thursday. Plan to spend between 10-15 minutes on it total; you need to have listened to ask least 4 stories total, so maybe you need to make some up at home. The website is www.storycorps.org to listen! You also NEED to be working on your To Kill a Mockingbird reading schedule. If you have not yet started the book, you are BEHIND. Seriously. Get it started. Trust me. Please. I'm begging you. Do not wait. Do not wait. Do not waiiiittt!!!
Today in class we watched 42, the story of Jackie Robinson, the first African American Major League Baseball player. You will do 2 CRitical Reading Journal entries about this film, so use your bullet point sheet to do 2 entries at some point before Friday. Homework tonight is to FINISH the yellow Story Corps paper that I gave you yesterday in class; it is due in your Writer's Notebook on Thursday. Plan to spend between 10-15 minutes on it total; you need to have listened to ask least 4 stories total, so maybe you need to make some up at home. The website is www.storycorps.org to listen! You also NEED to be working on your To Kill a Mockingbird reading schedule. If you have not yet started the book, you are BEHIND. Seriously. Get it started. Trust me. Please. I'm begging you. Do not wait. Do not wait. Do not waiiiittt!!!
16 November 2015--Monday
Today in class, we read and then listened to some stories from Story Corps, a national story project. The work we did listening was recorded in our Writer's Notebooks. Click HERE to see the work we did in class. Homework tonight is to finish your reflection from today--this is due THURSDAY--so if you didn't finish listening to all your stories (I think most of you got through 2), then you need to listen to 2 more and do the reflection before Thursday. Click HERE for the homework questions. Also keep working on your To Kill a Mockingbird reading as well!
Today in class, we read and then listened to some stories from Story Corps, a national story project. The work we did listening was recorded in our Writer's Notebooks. Click HERE to see the work we did in class. Homework tonight is to finish your reflection from today--this is due THURSDAY--so if you didn't finish listening to all your stories (I think most of you got through 2), then you need to listen to 2 more and do the reflection before Thursday. Click HERE for the homework questions. Also keep working on your To Kill a Mockingbird reading as well!
13 November 2015--Friday
Today in class we completed the final assessment for GAWM. Your homework for the weekend is to read, read, read in your SSR books. Please bring your headphones and smart phone to class on Monday. Also, get started on your To Kill a Mockingbird reading and work--as I know you already know, it's a lot of work, and December 4 will be here before your little heart knows it, so do not procrastinate!! Have a great weekend!!
Today in class we completed the final assessment for GAWM. Your homework for the weekend is to read, read, read in your SSR books. Please bring your headphones and smart phone to class on Monday. Also, get started on your To Kill a Mockingbird reading and work--as I know you already know, it's a lot of work, and December 4 will be here before your little heart knows it, so do not procrastinate!! Have a great weekend!!
12 November 2015--Thursday
Today in class we took a vocabulary quiz over the first 3 lists--if you MISSED IT, it is your responsibility to make it up, I will not track you down. We also had time to work on the Getting Away with Murder questions for this unit assessment which is Friday. Please remember that having all the questions finished is expected at the beginning of the hour--and make SURE you use examples from the book to support your answers! Bring materials to class with you on Friday to ensure you can work on the "My Story" assignment too! These should be creative, so push yourself to really think about your life story and how you will illustrate it! Also, check in on your CRJ entries--you should have a minimum of 10 since the beginning of the school year. :)
Today in class we took a vocabulary quiz over the first 3 lists--if you MISSED IT, it is your responsibility to make it up, I will not track you down. We also had time to work on the Getting Away with Murder questions for this unit assessment which is Friday. Please remember that having all the questions finished is expected at the beginning of the hour--and make SURE you use examples from the book to support your answers! Bring materials to class with you on Friday to ensure you can work on the "My Story" assignment too! These should be creative, so push yourself to really think about your life story and how you will illustrate it! Also, check in on your CRJ entries--you should have a minimum of 10 since the beginning of the school year. :)
10 and 11 November 2015--Tuesday/Wednesday
Tuesday in class, we took a Pop Quiz/Open Note quiz over Chapter 6 in Getting Away with Murder, revisited with Miles Hodges and his poem, talked about the final assessment for this unit and read. Wednesday, students all received their final assessment and had time to work on preparing for it. We also got a new assignment (lots of work this week!) called My Story which students can work on outside of class and during class on Friday (when they are not doing their assessment in the hallway. This is due on Tuesday. Homework tonight is to prepare for the final GAWM assessment (questions!).
I would also recommend you check in on your Critical Reading Journal--how many entries do you currently have (you should have about 6-10)? If you haven't started yet, it would be a good idea to start to do entries independently and aim for 2 a week from here on out. You want to always write a minimum of 2 entries PER book....
Tuesday in class, we took a Pop Quiz/Open Note quiz over Chapter 6 in Getting Away with Murder, revisited with Miles Hodges and his poem, talked about the final assessment for this unit and read. Wednesday, students all received their final assessment and had time to work on preparing for it. We also got a new assignment (lots of work this week!) called My Story which students can work on outside of class and during class on Friday (when they are not doing their assessment in the hallway. This is due on Tuesday. Homework tonight is to prepare for the final GAWM assessment (questions!).
I would also recommend you check in on your Critical Reading Journal--how many entries do you currently have (you should have about 6-10)? If you haven't started yet, it would be a good idea to start to do entries independently and aim for 2 a week from here on out. You want to always write a minimum of 2 entries PER book....
9 November 2015--Monday
Today in class we watched another spoken word poem, Maskless by Miles Hodges and then wrote about it a bit. We'll keep discussing it tomorrow too. Then students had a GOOD amount of independent work time to read Chapter 6 of Getting Away with Murder and to work on their 4 questions for this chapter are due on Tuesday!
Today in class we watched another spoken word poem, Maskless by Miles Hodges and then wrote about it a bit. We'll keep discussing it tomorrow too. Then students had a GOOD amount of independent work time to read Chapter 6 of Getting Away with Murder and to work on their 4 questions for this chapter are due on Tuesday!
5 November 2015--Thursday
Today in class we read, set page goals for ourselves, and then watched a spoken word video called "Cody" from a young teenager about her brother who has special needs. Homework for this weekend is to read, read, read, read, read!
Today in class we read, set page goals for ourselves, and then watched a spoken word video called "Cody" from a young teenager about her brother who has special needs. Homework for this weekend is to read, read, read, read, read!
3 November 2015--Tuesday
Today in class we read, did a Landing Page entry, then finished up the last 2 segments of the video from Jane Elliot and A Class Divided. There were about 14 minutes of video to watch where Mrs. Elliot did the activity with a group of adults. The last 10 minutes of class, students had time to finish up their 8 questions.
Homework: All 8 questions are due tomorrow (3 sentences minimum for this!) We are using these 8 questions during discussion tomorrow, so please ensure you are prepared. We are also going to start the workshop process for our CRJ entries--make sure to bring 3 printed copies of your CRJ entry to class. I cannot print for you and you MUST print these! Remember there are printers in the English and Math hallways for you to use and there are printers in CATS.
IF you missed any of the video sections, look under the 29 October Thursday day--the links to the video are there!
Also, if you want to revise your paper from the Memoir Assignment, the following is the protocol:
--Sign up for a spot on my whiteboard.
--Print your paper from Google
--Come to a 10 minute meeting
--Make revisions I suggest during the meeting
--I will update your paper grade within 1 week of our meeting. I want to emphasize that you should meet with me ONLY to improve your writing; this is not just about improving your grade. If you got a 90% or above on the original assignment, you cannot revise. You did great. Be proud of yourself. :)
2 November 2015--Monday
Today in class, we had a Read In and read, read, read, read. I also tried to confer with as many of you as possible. If I didn't get to you, I will this week! Remember that your HW tonight is to come tomorrow with at least questions 1-5 from your green sheet finished, so that we can do questions 6, 7, 8 easily in class. Also, your CRJ entry is due Wednesday--you need to print 3 copies and bring them to class with you. Let me know if you have questions!
Today in class, we had a Read In and read, read, read, read. I also tried to confer with as many of you as possible. If I didn't get to you, I will this week! Remember that your HW tonight is to come tomorrow with at least questions 1-5 from your green sheet finished, so that we can do questions 6, 7, 8 easily in class. Also, your CRJ entry is due Wednesday--you need to print 3 copies and bring them to class with you. Let me know if you have questions!
29 October 2015--Thursday
Today in class we debriefed the Graffiti Walk from yesterday both in our Writer's Notebooks and in discussion. It was powerful! Afterwards, we watched the first 10 minutes of our film study for the rest of the week, A Class Divided, a documentary about a teacher who did a very powerful lesson on discrimination using her 3rd grade students in Iowa. Tomorrow in class (while I'm visiting with Pat Conroy in South Carolina), you will finish watching 2 more sections of the video. Your homework tonight is to read in your SSR book for 15 minutes! If you missed class today, click HERE and watch "The Daring Lesson" segment (10 minutes). I also handed out these questions which you will use tomorrow in class and will be due on Tuesday.
Also--Your CRJ Entry from Monday (when we did the activity with envelopes and prompts inside the envelopes)--Now that you've written a draft, you need to polish it up, finish it up, type it up, and bring 3 PRINTED copies to class on 11/4 (Wednesday). Click HERE to determine the formatting information for heading, font, spacing, pagination, title, etc!
Don't forget--MONDAY IS OUR FIRST READ IN!!!
You'll need to ensure you have a book (or 2 or 3!) to keep you reading for the entire hour. You cannot use the time to work on other homework or even to write--it's a Reaaaaad In. :)
Today in class we debriefed the Graffiti Walk from yesterday both in our Writer's Notebooks and in discussion. It was powerful! Afterwards, we watched the first 10 minutes of our film study for the rest of the week, A Class Divided, a documentary about a teacher who did a very powerful lesson on discrimination using her 3rd grade students in Iowa. Tomorrow in class (while I'm visiting with Pat Conroy in South Carolina), you will finish watching 2 more sections of the video. Your homework tonight is to read in your SSR book for 15 minutes! If you missed class today, click HERE and watch "The Daring Lesson" segment (10 minutes). I also handed out these questions which you will use tomorrow in class and will be due on Tuesday.
Also--Your CRJ Entry from Monday (when we did the activity with envelopes and prompts inside the envelopes)--Now that you've written a draft, you need to polish it up, finish it up, type it up, and bring 3 PRINTED copies to class on 11/4 (Wednesday). Click HERE to determine the formatting information for heading, font, spacing, pagination, title, etc!
Don't forget--MONDAY IS OUR FIRST READ IN!!!
You'll need to ensure you have a book (or 2 or 3!) to keep you reading for the entire hour. You cannot use the time to work on other homework or even to write--it's a Reaaaaad In. :)
28 October 2015--Wednesday
Today in class we participated in a Graffiti Walk to start discussing race and racism. This will be a significant part of our study for the next 2 days--this activity took place in our Writer's Notebooks. We also took a Pop Quiz over Chapter 5 (open note) and read. If you missed the quiz, it's your responsibility to find me to make it up. I will put a 0 in the computer otherwise. Homework tonight is to complete an Identity Chart for Emmett Till and for the 2 killers, using yours as a model. You need to have 10 "identifiers" for both Till and the Killers. This is due tomorrow.
Today in class we participated in a Graffiti Walk to start discussing race and racism. This will be a significant part of our study for the next 2 days--this activity took place in our Writer's Notebooks. We also took a Pop Quiz over Chapter 5 (open note) and read. If you missed the quiz, it's your responsibility to find me to make it up. I will put a 0 in the computer otherwise. Homework tonight is to complete an Identity Chart for Emmett Till and for the 2 killers, using yours as a model. You need to have 10 "identifiers" for both Till and the Killers. This is due tomorrow.
27 October 2015--Tuesday
Today in class we took a vocabulary quiz, read for about 10 minutes, reviewed Chapter 4 and then read about 1/2 of Chapter 5 for GAWM and took dialectical notes on "WHAT" and "I WONDER". For homework tonight, you need to finish reading Chapter5, ensure you have 6 jots in each column. I would also add anything necessary to my Character Chart. In case you aren't picking up on this, this is a hint....
--Know who Lee Roy Collins is and what happened to him.
--Know whose side Sheriff Strider was on.
--Know who Breland was and who he supported.
--Know what the defendants (Bryant and Milam) were doing during trial.
--Know what the general reaction of the media was around the country (did they care or not care about this trial?)
26 October 2015--Monday
Today in class, I book talked The Shining by Stephen King (fair warning: it's scary and has some mature content. Make sure you know yourself as a reader if you pick this one up!). We read for a good 18 minutes, landing pages, and then worked on Critical Reading Journals using prompts that were scattered around the room. Group brainstorm for the CRJ, then a 15 minute chunk of writing. Homework tonight is to study for your vocabulary quiz (#3) which is Tuesday, and to read for at least 20 minutes. 5th period--I bet many of you need to finish this CRJ entry--take 5-8 minutes to do so tonight; we will use these in class tomorrow and your classmates will read them, so please make sure you have finished it up! Also, make sure your notebook is clearly organized using all the information below! I will be conducting random notebook checks this week to ensure all my 9A bunny rabbits are nice and organized! :)
NOTEBOOK ORGANIZATION CHECK:
Book Talk section?
Next List?
Have you updated it lately?
Books I’ve Read list?
Have you updated it lately?
CRJ section (last 25 pages or so in your notebook?)
Everything tabbed?
30 Book Challenge?
Landing Pages?
Is your bookmark updated for this week?
Today in class, I book talked The Shining by Stephen King (fair warning: it's scary and has some mature content. Make sure you know yourself as a reader if you pick this one up!). We read for a good 18 minutes, landing pages, and then worked on Critical Reading Journals using prompts that were scattered around the room. Group brainstorm for the CRJ, then a 15 minute chunk of writing. Homework tonight is to study for your vocabulary quiz (#3) which is Tuesday, and to read for at least 20 minutes. 5th period--I bet many of you need to finish this CRJ entry--take 5-8 minutes to do so tonight; we will use these in class tomorrow and your classmates will read them, so please make sure you have finished it up! Also, make sure your notebook is clearly organized using all the information below! I will be conducting random notebook checks this week to ensure all my 9A bunny rabbits are nice and organized! :)
NOTEBOOK ORGANIZATION CHECK:
Book Talk section?
Next List?
Have you updated it lately?
Books I’ve Read list?
Have you updated it lately?
CRJ section (last 25 pages or so in your notebook?)
Everything tabbed?
30 Book Challenge?
Landing Pages?
Is your bookmark updated for this week?
23 October 2015--Friday
Your homework this weekend to read for at least 20 minutes in your SSR book and to do 1 Critical Reading Journal entry using your bullet point list. You can use your current SSR book, or, if you're just starting a new book, you can use your last book.
Your homework this weekend to read for at least 20 minutes in your SSR book and to do 1 Critical Reading Journal entry using your bullet point list. You can use your current SSR book, or, if you're just starting a new book, you can use your last book.
21 October 2015--Wednesday
Today in class, we took a Pop Quiz over Chapter 3 and then read about 1/2 of Chapter 4. Homework tonight is to FINISH reading Chapter 4 in Getting Away with Murder and to do the first 2 columns of the character chart (Important Actions and Mental State) for all 5 main characters. For tomorrow, to enter the classroom, this HW must be finished. If it is not finished, you cannot participate in the activity. There is candy involved in the activity....so, please do your homework. :) Your vocabulary sheet is also due Thursday AND your SSR reading goal check is Thursday. It's seriously a HUGE day.
Today in class, we took a Pop Quiz over Chapter 3 and then read about 1/2 of Chapter 4. Homework tonight is to FINISH reading Chapter 4 in Getting Away with Murder and to do the first 2 columns of the character chart (Important Actions and Mental State) for all 5 main characters. For tomorrow, to enter the classroom, this HW must be finished. If it is not finished, you cannot participate in the activity. There is candy involved in the activity....so, please do your homework. :) Your vocabulary sheet is also due Thursday AND your SSR reading goal check is Thursday. It's seriously a HUGE day.
20 October 2015--Tuesday
Today in class we watched the next section of the vocabulary video for our next vocab words (Quiz on 10/27--Tuesday). We also worked on updating and reflecting on our Identity Charts answering the following: Looking at your Identity Chart, choose and circle the MOST important identifier for you. In your WN, under your Identity Chart, explain WHY you chose that identifier as the MOST important one….
¨How did it “win out” over all the others?
¨Is this an identifier that other people see when they first meet you?
¨Is this an identifier you will always have or will it change as you grow up?
¨Do you “like” this identifier as being the most important one? Why or why not?
We also summarized Chapter 2 of Getting Away with Murder using notes.
Homework tonight: READ and TAKE NOTES on Chapter 3 in Getting Away with Murder. Trust me. Do this.
Today in class we watched the next section of the vocabulary video for our next vocab words (Quiz on 10/27--Tuesday). We also worked on updating and reflecting on our Identity Charts answering the following: Looking at your Identity Chart, choose and circle the MOST important identifier for you. In your WN, under your Identity Chart, explain WHY you chose that identifier as the MOST important one….
¨How did it “win out” over all the others?
¨Is this an identifier that other people see when they first meet you?
¨Is this an identifier you will always have or will it change as you grow up?
¨Do you “like” this identifier as being the most important one? Why or why not?
We also summarized Chapter 2 of Getting Away with Murder using notes.
Homework tonight: READ and TAKE NOTES on Chapter 3 in Getting Away with Murder. Trust me. Do this.
19 October 2015--Monday
See English 9
See English 9
12 October 2015--Monday
Tomorrow you have a vocabulary quiz over List 2 (even if you were not here today, I expect you to be ready for the quiz!). You also have your FINAL draft of your Memoir Paper due by 11:59 tonight. It must be submitted using the form on the site (button above). Late papers will receive, at best, a 50%! Homework tonight is to study for your vocabulary quiz and to read for at least 15 minutes! The Self Editing Checklist is also due at the beginning of class tomorrow--Phew! Busy night!
Tomorrow you have a vocabulary quiz over List 2 (even if you were not here today, I expect you to be ready for the quiz!). You also have your FINAL draft of your Memoir Paper due by 11:59 tonight. It must be submitted using the form on the site (button above). Late papers will receive, at best, a 50%! Homework tonight is to study for your vocabulary quiz and to read for at least 15 minutes! The Self Editing Checklist is also due at the beginning of class tomorrow--Phew! Busy night!
9 October 2015: Friday
Today in class, we read for about 15 minutes and recorded page goals and page numbers on our bookmarks (book page goals checked next week Thursday). Then I modeled for students an Analysis paragraph for their paper, then students worked on Chromebooks for their Memoir. Today is the LAST day of in-class work time for this memoir, and from here on out, you'll need to work on it on your own. I am at school Monday until 3:30pm, Tuesday morning starting at 6:45am and Wednesday afternoon until 3:30pm for you to get work done on this paper. If you know you do not have a computer at home, you MUST make a plan for completing it on time. There is also CATS every day in the Fishbowl until 3:45pm. "I don't have a computer or Internet" is not a good excuse and will not be accepted. Make a plan, take ownership of your education, and be awesome!
Homework this weekend: CRJ Entry "How has your reading changed since you began this book? Provide examples and specific details in your CRJ"--due Monday (remember, CRJ's are 15 minutes and must be set up in the format I showed you. Turning in 3-4 sentences will not result in any points. Some of you need to step up your efforts in 9A....)
--Work on your Memoir. If you want me to review it, you must set up an appointment for me to review it with you in person. You can email me to set up this meeting.
--Vocabulary Quiz List 2 is Tuesday and will also have words from List 1 as well.
Today in class, we read for about 15 minutes and recorded page goals and page numbers on our bookmarks (book page goals checked next week Thursday). Then I modeled for students an Analysis paragraph for their paper, then students worked on Chromebooks for their Memoir. Today is the LAST day of in-class work time for this memoir, and from here on out, you'll need to work on it on your own. I am at school Monday until 3:30pm, Tuesday morning starting at 6:45am and Wednesday afternoon until 3:30pm for you to get work done on this paper. If you know you do not have a computer at home, you MUST make a plan for completing it on time. There is also CATS every day in the Fishbowl until 3:45pm. "I don't have a computer or Internet" is not a good excuse and will not be accepted. Make a plan, take ownership of your education, and be awesome!
Homework this weekend: CRJ Entry "How has your reading changed since you began this book? Provide examples and specific details in your CRJ"--due Monday (remember, CRJ's are 15 minutes and must be set up in the format I showed you. Turning in 3-4 sentences will not result in any points. Some of you need to step up your efforts in 9A....)
--Work on your Memoir. If you want me to review it, you must set up an appointment for me to review it with you in person. You can email me to set up this meeting.
--Vocabulary Quiz List 2 is Tuesday and will also have words from List 1 as well.
7/8 October: Wednesday/Thursday:
Today in class we started really working on our Memoir Papers (these are due October 12). We brainstormed, word webbed and also worked on some graphic organizers. Ms. Alt modeled the brainstorming using an incident from her life. I also showed students sample first lines as well as Analysis paragraphs (how this changed me). We set page reading goals for the week too and got bookmarks to help keep track of page goals. Homework is to finish your vocabulary sheet (due Friday), to read for a minimum of 20 minutes each night and to be working on your Memoir paper outside of class. The LAST day we are working on this in class is Friday.
Today in class we started really working on our Memoir Papers (these are due October 12). We brainstormed, word webbed and also worked on some graphic organizers. Ms. Alt modeled the brainstorming using an incident from her life. I also showed students sample first lines as well as Analysis paragraphs (how this changed me). We set page reading goals for the week too and got bookmarks to help keep track of page goals. Homework is to finish your vocabulary sheet (due Friday), to read for a minimum of 20 minutes each night and to be working on your Memoir paper outside of class. The LAST day we are working on this in class is Friday.
5 October 2015--Monday
Today in class we received the Memoir Paper assignment, spent some time brainstorming, asking questions, and working on our next steps in moving forward. If you were absent OR if you have absolutely NO IDEA what you are going to write about, I expect to see you in my classroom tomorrow morning (before class starts) to get on track. Seriously. Do not go through the next few days without any sort of plan....advocate for yourself. I'm here tomorrow by 6:45am.
Tomorrow in class we have our first Vocabulary Quiz for the year. You need to know all your words, be able to use them in sentences too! Study, study, study!!
I Book Talked Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira (add it to your Book Talk list) and our Jump Start was "Who is the most important person in your life and why?"
Today in class we received the Memoir Paper assignment, spent some time brainstorming, asking questions, and working on our next steps in moving forward. If you were absent OR if you have absolutely NO IDEA what you are going to write about, I expect to see you in my classroom tomorrow morning (before class starts) to get on track. Seriously. Do not go through the next few days without any sort of plan....advocate for yourself. I'm here tomorrow by 6:45am.
Tomorrow in class we have our first Vocabulary Quiz for the year. You need to know all your words, be able to use them in sentences too! Study, study, study!!
I Book Talked Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira (add it to your Book Talk list) and our Jump Start was "Who is the most important person in your life and why?"
2 October 2015--Friday
Today in class, we set up our notebooks to have a Landing Page, book talked A Time to Kill by John Grisham, worked on created memory charts using The Things They Carried as a mentor text and briefly reviewed vocabulary. Your homework for the weekend is below (in addition to reading for at least 20 minutes!)
1) Fill in the Part of Speech and the Word Picture section of your vocabulary sheet—due Monday
2) Make sure your Writer’s Notebook is set up with the following section:
¨Book Talks 2015
¨Jump Starts
¨Next List
¨Books I’ve Read List
¨Landing Page (for current SSR book)
¨Critical Reading Journal section
3) Vocabulary Quiz is on Tuesday
Closed note, so you need to study!
Today in class, we set up our notebooks to have a Landing Page, book talked A Time to Kill by John Grisham, worked on created memory charts using The Things They Carried as a mentor text and briefly reviewed vocabulary. Your homework for the weekend is below (in addition to reading for at least 20 minutes!)
1) Fill in the Part of Speech and the Word Picture section of your vocabulary sheet—due Monday
2) Make sure your Writer’s Notebook is set up with the following section:
¨Book Talks 2015
¨Jump Starts
¨Next List
¨Books I’ve Read List
¨Landing Page (for current SSR book)
¨Critical Reading Journal section
3) Vocabulary Quiz is on Tuesday
Closed note, so you need to study!
30 September 2015--Wednesday
Today was a day with the college and career counselors. We went to the Fishbowl. If you missed class for ArtPrize, you NEED to come see me in the morning or after school--you really should have done that before you left for your field trip....
Writer's Notebook homework (was due today, I'm checking it tomorrow when we're back together in class)--see below--those 10 questions, and then 2-3 of them that you expand and flesh out a little more.
Today was a day with the college and career counselors. We went to the Fishbowl. If you missed class for ArtPrize, you NEED to come see me in the morning or after school--you really should have done that before you left for your field trip....
Writer's Notebook homework (was due today, I'm checking it tomorrow when we're back together in class)--see below--those 10 questions, and then 2-3 of them that you expand and flesh out a little more.
29 September 2015---Tuesday
Today in class we read, worked on some CRJ discussions and also heard 2 book talks--Our America and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Due in class today was the CRJ response to the Impossible Knife of Memory text--reading and annotating were 50% of that assignment and then the CRJ entry was the other 50%. Remember, that your CRJ entries need to be at least 15 minutes of writing--I'm noticing several that are CLEARLY not a best effort...errr, keep working hard, English 9A!
We also watched the vocabulary video for our first list. If you were absent, make sure to get it from Ms. Alt, or you can download it here.
Homework tonight (due Wedensday) is to create the following in your Writer's Notebook: Create a list of questions you have about anything (the world, your life, your future, your hopes, your dreams, your fears, your worries). Then, once you have at least 10 questions (total), choose 2 or 3 to expand and further explain in your Notebook--Why are you wondering this? Why does this interest you? Have you always wondered this? Do you think you'll ever know the answer. I recommend spending about 20-30 minutes total on this Writer's Notebook activity tonight.
Today in class we read, worked on some CRJ discussions and also heard 2 book talks--Our America and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Due in class today was the CRJ response to the Impossible Knife of Memory text--reading and annotating were 50% of that assignment and then the CRJ entry was the other 50%. Remember, that your CRJ entries need to be at least 15 minutes of writing--I'm noticing several that are CLEARLY not a best effort...errr, keep working hard, English 9A!
We also watched the vocabulary video for our first list. If you were absent, make sure to get it from Ms. Alt, or you can download it here.
Homework tonight (due Wedensday) is to create the following in your Writer's Notebook: Create a list of questions you have about anything (the world, your life, your future, your hopes, your dreams, your fears, your worries). Then, once you have at least 10 questions (total), choose 2 or 3 to expand and further explain in your Notebook--Why are you wondering this? Why does this interest you? Have you always wondered this? Do you think you'll ever know the answer. I recommend spending about 20-30 minutes total on this Writer's Notebook activity tonight.
25 September 2015--Friday
Today in class, we worked on reading, writing and watched a video of Hank Greene ranting.
We also worked on brainstorming out our events and moments in our lives that we can write about for our longer memoir assignment. Most students left with a good solid brainstorm!
Homework for this weekend is to read the excerpt I gave you in class from The Impossible Knife of Memory and annotate it (NO HIGHLIGHTING) and respond to this prompt in your Critical Reading Journal--due Tuesday
Due Tuesday: In your CRJ: “How does the author use language to reveal the character and emotion of the narrator?”—15 minutes!
Today in class, we worked on reading, writing and watched a video of Hank Greene ranting.
We also worked on brainstorming out our events and moments in our lives that we can write about for our longer memoir assignment. Most students left with a good solid brainstorm!
Homework for this weekend is to read the excerpt I gave you in class from The Impossible Knife of Memory and annotate it (NO HIGHLIGHTING) and respond to this prompt in your Critical Reading Journal--due Tuesday
Due Tuesday: In your CRJ: “How does the author use language to reveal the character and emotion of the narrator?”—15 minutes!
23 September 2015-Wednesday
Ms. Alt is baaaaack! Woo hooooo! Today in class, we started off with a Jump Start--"List the 5 most important things that have happened to you in the past year." Then we read for about 15 minute (are you reading at home? You need to be!!). We also did some reflection and writing about the first 5 Critical Reading Journal prompts that were due today for HW (we are using these tomorrow, so make sure this notebook is with you when you come to class!) Then we watched a Ted Talk about GRIT (that means never giving up, working at something even if you want to quit, being a HARD WORKER!). Homework is your Writer's Notebook and Reading--Take 10 minutes to respond to the Ted Talk. Things to consider/write about:
¨She says that your IQ has NOTHING to do with your level of SUCCESS. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
¨She says that no matter what, if you work hard at something and never give up, you can succeed. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
¨Real Talk: Do you try and try? Do you have grit? Give examples.
Ms. Alt is baaaaack! Woo hooooo! Today in class, we started off with a Jump Start--"List the 5 most important things that have happened to you in the past year." Then we read for about 15 minute (are you reading at home? You need to be!!). We also did some reflection and writing about the first 5 Critical Reading Journal prompts that were due today for HW (we are using these tomorrow, so make sure this notebook is with you when you come to class!) Then we watched a Ted Talk about GRIT (that means never giving up, working at something even if you want to quit, being a HARD WORKER!). Homework is your Writer's Notebook and Reading--Take 10 minutes to respond to the Ted Talk. Things to consider/write about:
¨She says that your IQ has NOTHING to do with your level of SUCCESS. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
¨She says that no matter what, if you work hard at something and never give up, you can succeed. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
¨Real Talk: Do you try and try? Do you have grit? Give examples.
September 21, 2015 (Monday): Ms. Alt is absent; Ms. Host is your sub. Today in class, you had some training from the technology department at Northview. Mr. Stoddard came to make sure you all know how to use Google Docs, create Google folders, use Google forms, access our class website, access StudentVue, etc. The only homework you have tonight is to read in your SSR book for at least 15 minutes. I hope to be back by Wednesday, so make sure your Critical Reading Journal questions are done--don't procrastinate!! Miss you all the way from Minnesota! :)
18 September 2015 (Friday); I'm still absent. Ms. Host is still your sub. In class today, you read and worked in your Writer's Notebook, still referring to the poem we read/watched on Wednesday, Shake the Dust by Anis Mojgani. Homework for the weekend is to get into your CRJ prompts--remember, do NOT procrastinate these, or they will be more painful than they need to be! You've got this! Confidence, my little ones! :)
17 September 2015 (Thursday): Ms. Alt is absent. Ms. Host is your sub through next week. Today in class, you read, read, read in your SSR book and worked on your Writer's Notebook too, using the Shake the Dust poem that we watched on Wednesday. Your HW is to read for 15 minutes tonight and to start working on your Critical Reading Journal questions. Remember, you have 5 questions due on Wednesday, September 23, and you are supposed to write for 15 minutes PER bullet point/prompt. The key to this, though, is to move along in your book too, so you always have new things to say about your book, so think of it as: Read for 20 minutes, then write for 15 minutes. That means you end up with about 35 minutes of homework per night for this assignment. Don't procrastinate until Tuesday night. Trust me!
Also, you are welcome to email me during my time gone, but I do ask that you first check in with your classmates and Ms. Host. I am trying my best to be here for my family, so I will only be able to respond to email in the late evenings, and that might be too late for your questions! Rely on your classmates and on Ms. Host to give you awesome advice and help during my time gone. I MISS YOU! :)
Also, you are welcome to email me during my time gone, but I do ask that you first check in with your classmates and Ms. Host. I am trying my best to be here for my family, so I will only be able to respond to email in the late evenings, and that might be too late for your questions! Rely on your classmates and on Ms. Host to give you awesome advice and help during my time gone. I MISS YOU! :)
16 September 2015 (Wednesday): Today in class we did a jump start "What does it mean to be on the outside? On the inside? How do you know where you are?", we read in our SSR books, and then learned about annotations (NOT HIGHLIGHTING) and watched a spoken word poem using our new annotation strategies. We will use this poem over the next 2 days in class. Feel free to click HERE to watch it again! Homework tonight is to read for at least 15 minutes! Students also got their Critical Reading Journal prompts (list of bulleted questions about your SSR books). You have 5 prompts due on Wednesday September 23. Each prompt should be 15 minutes of writing. You should be writing about no more than 2 books total. It's good and totally fine to write about the SAME book for all 5 prompts. Remember, don't procrastinate. Do a prompt a day, but do your 20 minutes of reading FIRST, then write. Questions? Shoot me an email. Lost the sheet? Click on the document below to download it!
| crjprompts2015.doc |
15 September 2015: Welcome! You made it to the website--woo hoo! Today we are doing a Scavenger Hunt in class. So you should be on Step 3 of your task sheet from your desk if you are reading this. This is an activity that will help me understand your abilities and skills with using Google Docs and Google Forms. Please do the following (just try your best, that's all anyone can ask of you):
1) Create a Google Document titled "Ms. Alt's First Assignment"
2) Respond in 3-5 sentences to this question: What is your familiarity with Google Docs? Have you used them before? On a scale from 1-10, how comfortable are you in Google Docs (1=Not at ALL, 10=You're a pro!)
3) Share with me this Google Doc "Ms. Alt's First Assignment" using this Google Form.
Additionally, in class today (if you were absent), I handed out the Critical Reading Journal assignment overview. Please take this paper home, read it carefully, come with questions on Wednesday. Seriously. Read it. Come with questions. It's a BIG deal. Take 15 minutes to go over it and make sure you come ready to ask questions. Seriously.
Writer's Notebook HOMEWORK: Due Wednesday and must be at least 1 page long
Expand upon your Jump Start from today
¨“Have you ever felt lost? Do you still? Describe how this feels.”
¨I’m looking for some super specific descriptions here, using awesome language and strong details. Consider:
nWhat does lost FEEL like?
nWhat does lost LOOK like?
nWhat does lost SOUND like?
You’re welcome to take this in any direction you’d like, but I would ask that you push yourself towards doing your best work and best writing.
Write HONESTLY, PROUDLY, CREATIVELY and PASSIONATELY.
1) Create a Google Document titled "Ms. Alt's First Assignment"
2) Respond in 3-5 sentences to this question: What is your familiarity with Google Docs? Have you used them before? On a scale from 1-10, how comfortable are you in Google Docs (1=Not at ALL, 10=You're a pro!)
3) Share with me this Google Doc "Ms. Alt's First Assignment" using this Google Form.
Additionally, in class today (if you were absent), I handed out the Critical Reading Journal assignment overview. Please take this paper home, read it carefully, come with questions on Wednesday. Seriously. Read it. Come with questions. It's a BIG deal. Take 15 minutes to go over it and make sure you come ready to ask questions. Seriously.
Writer's Notebook HOMEWORK: Due Wednesday and must be at least 1 page long
Expand upon your Jump Start from today
¨“Have you ever felt lost? Do you still? Describe how this feels.”
¨I’m looking for some super specific descriptions here, using awesome language and strong details. Consider:
nWhat does lost FEEL like?
nWhat does lost LOOK like?
nWhat does lost SOUND like?
You’re welcome to take this in any direction you’d like, but I would ask that you push yourself towards doing your best work and best writing.
Write HONESTLY, PROUDLY, CREATIVELY and PASSIONATELY.
14 September 2015: Today we had a great Monday in English 9A. We started with Jump Start: "What is your biggest fear? Where does this fear come from?" and then moved into 15 minutes of Silent Sustained Reading. Then I Book Talked Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer which is SUCH A GOOD BOOK! From there we learned about the Topic Journals that are used in 9th grade English and practiced writing in those. 9A will use their Critical Reading Journal responses tomorrow in class. Please make sure you are KEEPING UP TO DATE with your homework! Don't fall behind!
11 September 2015: We started off class with a JumpStart in our Writer's Notebooks, responding to the quotation, "We read to know we are not alone." (if you were absent, you should make up this JumpStart in your notebook!). From there, we moved into a Book Talk about 19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Then, we read! Today in class, students had the chance to read for about 20 minutes (a huge luxury) and during that time Ms. S and I chatted with kids about their reading and took some notes on our discussions. After reading, we came back together at our table groups and shared with one another about our books--just informal discussions to start us feeling comfortable talking about books. As a large group we discussed last night's Writer's Notebook homework, created a division in our Writer's Notebook labeled "Critical Reading Journal" (more info coming next week about that!) and then did an exit slip reflecting on the first week of high school. The homework this weekend for English 9A is to read in their SSR books a minimum of 30 minutes and to write a 1 page response to their book in the Critical Reading Journal section of Writer's Notebook (due Monday). Students were instructed to respond to the following questions to respond to for their writing: 1) Consider how your character makes decisions. Do you agree or disagree with how he/she decides? Give some examples. 2) Compare your character to another character from another book you've read recently. What makes them similar and different? Who did you like more? Why? Give some examples. 3) How did you choose this book for your first book of the year? Describe your process of picking it and reflect on how your selection is shaping up--do you like it? Dislike it? Why?
10 September 2015: Today in class we learned the protocol for signing out books from the classroom library, decorated Writer's Notebooks, found choice reading books and organized binders. All students received dividers for their binders as well. I also Book Talked Andrew Smith's novels, Winger and Stick for students. Homework is to have the Writer's Notebook completely decorated and a 1 page (minimum) response to the questions: Why do we read? What does reading mean to me?" in their Writer's Notebook--due Friday! Also, make sure you have your choice reading book for Friday--we are going to read for about 20 minutes tomorrow! Hurrah!
September 9, 2015: Today in class we reviewed procedures and rules and the syllabus. It was sort of boring, but it was really important! If you have any questions about those, please let me know! We also received a Parent Letter about the Choice Reading program. Students need to have their parents sign the letter and return it Thursday. I book talked Laurie Halse Anderson's book Speak, too. Lastly, we discussed Writer's Notebooks (which are due tomorrow in class, as well as your binder), and will be decorating in class tomorrow--bring creative materials to really make your notebook YOURS!
September 8, 2015: Welcome to English 9 and to High School! Wow! What an exciting day! Today we jumped right into work with listening to the words from Baz Luhrman's song Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen and then students wrote letters of advice to themselves for their 9th grade year. We will seal these letters tomorrow and they will be returned to students at the end of May 2016! We also discussed materials that all students need for class--A 3 ring binder, a Writer's Notebook (1-5 subjects that is JUST for English class), pens and pencils and a choice reading book. If you are new to Northview, I recommend coming to see me at some point briefly after school or before school this week to learn more about the Choice Reading Program here. Also, please remind your parents/guardians to come to Open House TOMORROW from 7-8:30pm at the High School. It's going to be a great year!
