5/25/12  First Drafts should be completed as of today.

If students are not done with a first draft at this point, they are behind and need to push themselves to catch up.  First drafts must be printed out; revisions, editing, and proofreading marks should be hand-written on the hard copy and kept as evidence of the writing process. These documents are needed for a student to turn in a final draft.  A final draft without proof of process (1st, 2nd drafts) will be looked at as a first draft, which will have catastrophic grade consequences. 

As students write over the weekend they should. . .

-Integrate quotations and evidence by first introducing background information (who said it, when, the context. . .) and then presenting the quote or evidence using proper punctuation.

-Cite all sources (quotations, all paraphrased information, data, ideas that you didn't know before this unit) using the MLA parenthetical documentation guidelines provided.

-Set up Works Cited page (this is the page at the end of the paper where all of your bibliographies are listed in alphabetical order).

-Purge papers of second person you, your, yours, and first person I, me, my, we, our. . .

-Get rid of contractions.  We do not use contractions in formal writing.

-Read student work out loud!!!!!!  This is crucial for students to begin to understand the content and quality of their work. 

-A second draft is due Wednesday the 30th, including the above updates and other necessary improvements.

*  This paper represents the aquired knowledge for most all of Q4.  I know each student has a great deal of new and compelling ideas and information to share.  This project is designed for students to show off their knowledge, teach the reader something valuable, and maybe even enjoy the process.  Good luck everyone, and have a great holiday weekend!

5/21/12  Students should continue to plan, outline, and begin drafting their paragraphs.  As students further develop their arguments, they should find opportunities where additional non-fiction sources would help to supplement their case.  Students must, beyond using Anne Frank-related sources and their self-selected book as a source, integrate into their essay at least one non-fiction source to support and supplement their thesis.  This source is designed to provide the reader with greater context surrounding the information and ideass within writer's self-selected book.

Heads Up! 

-Periodically print out a hard copy of ALL drafts, including evidence of editing, proofreading, and revisions.  You must have a paper trail showing process for me to accept your final draft.

-  Keep record of all page numbers and bibliographic infomation for sources.  We'll use MLA formatting (lesson to come Thurs./Fri).

-  First draft due Thurs. 5/24 for periods 1 and 5 (Sorry, 1 and 5, double-blocks)

-  First draft due Fri. 5/25 for periods 2 and 4

-  Final Draft due 6/1

5/18/12

Students should be planning and outlining their essay for class on Monday follow these steps:

1.  What points must be argued to prove the thesis true?

2.  What evidence (quotes, examples, data) needs to be presented to prove it true?

3.  How should those points and evidence be organized into paragraphs?  What is the logic behind that organization?

5/16/12  Wednesday's ater school help session has been rescheduled for Thursday after school.  If students are unable to attend due to the change in schedule, please contact me and set up a time during the school day or after school.  It is absolutely necessary for students to seek me out and conference with me over their thesis. 

5/15/12   Today I passed out a step by step handout titled "Create Your Own Thesis Statement (Brainstorming to Pre-write Outline)  It is challenge to determine and formulate a viable thesis statement.  There is a great deal of informal writing necessary to process the information we've studied in class this quarter, as well as the independent reading books students have read themselves.  This is a process of inquiry.  It is designed to require students to ask questions and more questions, until they've found something that really matters.

I'm out tomorrow, so students need to be certain to bring all of their gear to class to be ready to make productive use of their time.  Thesis statements are due Friday, 5/18.  We will  be working on prewriting outlines on Friday in class as I check in the thesis statements. 

My apologies:  I thought I had passed out a rubric for this assignment long ago.  I was wrong. I will leave one on my desk tomorrow for the sub to pass out.  There may be some alterations to the draft I send out, but I'll notify accordingly. 

Final Draft of Anne Frank Essaay Due:  5/31.

* Please ask your student about the Field Day flyer passed out in class today.  We have quite a day planned for June 6th!

5/14/12  Writing Begins!

Now that students have finished their self-selected books, studied the rise of Nazism, read "The Diary of Anne Frank," supplemented that with The Diary of a Young Girl, and watched the movie covering Annd Frank's life before, during and after her going into hiding, they should be ready show off their newly aquired knowledge. 

I have passed out a handout in class today ( Reading Response Idea/Info. Collection Sheet) where students should begin to consolidate, evalutate, and organize the ideas and information from their reading response entries.  The sheet itself is not nearly large enough to hold the many ideas students should have regarding this material.  It is just a starting point.  If there isn't enough room in the blank, attach additonal papers as needed.  The more students put into this, the more they'll get out on the essay, which is where the real points are.

As students fill in the Colletion Sheet, they should continually ask themselves, how are these stories related and why is that relationship important?  In the answer to these questions lies the student's thesis statement. 

Due dates: 

- Reading Response Idea/Info. Collection Sheet, 5/15/12  Also, bring in your books, your diaries with all reading response entries and notes for credit.

- Thesis Statement, 5/18/12

- Final Draft, 5/31/12

Friday the 11th of May:  8:00-11:15,  Anne Frank:  The Whole Story

- We're going to watch this film as a team in the auditorium without intermission.  Bring a sweatshirt; it can get cold in there.  Also, bring a bag lunch.  We will be eating outside together to process the morning and transition back into our 6th and 7th period classes.

5/8/12  This is the last week for students to finish reading their independent reading books for our Anne Frank unit essay. 

Between now and Monday the 14th, students should complete a least 4 more reading response entries (200 words each) in their diaries. Entries should continue to break the story into its literary component parts, examining their individual qualities, and then relating those qualities to the story as a whole.  This analytical approach should also be used to find relationships between the book and the greater story of Anne Frank. 

As students' books wrap up, they must direct their efforts towards finding meaningful and compelling relationships between their stories and (almost) any aspect of the story of Anne Frank.  Students must ask questions, attempt to answer them, then ask more questions, and repeat the process, all the while writing these questions and answers in their response entries.  Students should also be collecting meaningful and compelling quotations from their books that might support or inspire their future thesis statement as they read and re-read.

As students proceed in their analysis and investigations, they will find the need to support their ideas with facts.  These facts will come in the form of primary and secondary non-fiction sources. Students should begin to seek out these primary and secondary non-fiction sources that will support and further develop their argument.

The more information, documentation, and self-generated ideas a student creates now, the easier the writing process will be.  Please, look over the handouts distributed at the beginning of the quarter.  This is a project based on the student's own investigations and ability to identify and explain relationships.  This is not a passive assignment.  

It is up to students to determine their paper's thesis statement, so I encourge parents to engage with their students in this process.  Our students are taking on this higher-order assignment (developing and supporting a thesis statement) for the first time.  They need to feel supported both at school and at home.  Several parents are reading their student's books along with them, engaging them in conversations and investigations.  These and like- efforts are incredibly valuable and serve our students on varied and profound levels. 

5/4/12   Over the weekend students should continue reading their books and writing their 200 word (minimum), reading response entries.  On Monday I will check that students have five new entries representing their work from Tuesday through the weekend.

Today in class we worked together to finish this sentence: 

This is a story about . . .

-war

-relationships (family, friends, community . . . )

-government take-over

-living in fear, living in hope

-growing up, self-realization, development of one's identity

-the destructive potential of discrimination

-the significance and value of each and every individual

-the power of writing

-the importance of the adolescent protagonist/messenger

-courage, strength, determination. . .

Students should begin to see links between their stories and the greater story of Anne Frank.  The above list should be used this weekend as students begin to write about relationships that their book might have with the story we've studied in class.  Remember that students should be looking for not only similarities, but differences, cause and effect relationships, sequential relationships, etc. . .  Ask questions!!!!  Students can't be expected to know all the answers, but aksing questions is an absolutely necessary part of the process. 

Remember, student success on this project is dependent on open and clear communication and conferencing with me, the teacher.  I'm not directly grading students on wheter they do this or not, but it always has a significant impact on a student's final grade. 

-Have a relaxing and productive weekend!

5/2/12  All students should have their diaries/reading response journals back and should be busy with their reading and written responses.  For this week, students should be be reading and writing a 200 word response every night for homework.  While I have not posted on schoolnotes since last week, it has been posted on my board, so students are well-aware of their responsibilities.  I will check in class and provide credit for 5 reading response entries on Monday the 7th, so bring diaries/journals to class 5/7.

Reading Response Expectations:  After reading (amount to be determined by the individual) students should briefly summarize their reading and then begin to break the reading down into its literary componentry (plot and its steps,  conflicts and their impact, characterization [thougts, words, actions, appearance, impact on others], themes, setting [this may require some extra research]. . .   Students should also be closely monitoring how their characters are changing.  These changes are often key to understanding a story's significance.  And lastly, for now, students should be collecting quotations from their books that represent ideas that might hold significance.  Please, note page numbers throughout reading responses so that you can go back and easily find the ideas and information you have documented.

-

4/26/12  I regret that I will not have diaries/reading response journals returned for Friday.  For tonight's and the weekend's homework (due 4/30), students should continue to read their books and write out two, 200 word reading response entries (though they will need to be on loose-leaf paper that we'll literally cut and paste into their diaries on Monday. 

Students should begin to organize their reading responses around the story's literary elements, as we talked about in class today. For example, write about an important character, breaking them down by their thoughts, words, actions, appearance, and impact on others. Look for consistencies and contradictions, and explore their potential significance.  Also, consider the many levels of conflict your characters are experiencing.  Keep in mind that when you look at your story with your aquired knowledge of literary elements and analysis, you will be able to more systematically break your book down and discover how it all works together and relates to our Anne Frank studies. 

Again, please, come and see me so we can begin to get beneath the surface of your book.  Invest time now.  I just took a survey of the calendar, and there are not many days left on that thing. 

4/25/12

Today I collected diaries/reading response journals.  I'll check over these and get them back to students, hopefully by Friday. 

In the meantime, students should be busy reading their self-selected books.  It may be necessary that parents assist in structuring reading time for their students, setting reading goals, and a timeline.

By 5/14, students must not only be done with their books, but ready to express the relationships their book holds with the greater story of Anne Frank in the form of pre-writing notes.  The more notes a student has generated in the form of reading response entries ( or any other notes: freewriting, lists, quotations. . . ), the more prepared they'll be on the 14th to begin writing their paper.

I have had a number of parents and students ask questions about this process and what they should be doing, thinking, writing, etc..  This dialogue is going to be key throughout this process.  Please, have your students come conference with me; and please, email me with your concerns on how to support your student.  I am always happy to help clarify the process.

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had a restful break.  Because of the irregularities that a vacation week can bring about, I am going to allow for two extra nights for students to get caught up on their diary/reading response entries.  On Wednesday the 25th, please bring your up to date diaries/reading response journals to be collected and checked for credit.  The following is due:

- Three, 200-word, reading response journal entries focused on your self-selected book for the Anne Frank essay.  Please focus on basic who, what, where, when, why, and how details, but also look at it with your literary lenses, focusing on characters, plot, conflict, setting, themes, motivation. . .

-  Ten, 200-word diary entries focusing on who and what has been going on in your life, your thoughts on those people and events, etc. . . These assignments/entries go way back into March, and this is the first time I've checked them in for credit.  Hopefully you've kept up, if not, time to grab a pen.

Spring Break Assignment:

Students should be well on their way into hunting for and possessing their self-selected book to be used on the Anne Frank esssay.  On Monday, Mrs. Belanger, our school librarian, introduced a variety of titles and subjects for students to pursure.  The key is that the students go out and find a book (or two or three, because it's nice to have options) and begin to read that book, now. Please, peruse the handout I provided students on Monday.  It will provide a general overview of the project.

Diary writing entries will take a new format as students begin their books over break.  They will, instead of reflecting on their own lives and stories, reflect on the plot, characters, conflicts, themes, settings, ect. . .  of their self-selected book.  There are three, 200 word entries to be written in diaries over break.  These reading response entries require that students begin to make progress reading their books, so on top of the entries, students need to be reading regularly.  Some may need a schedule to structure their reading times.  This is where parents can assist, knowing your home schedule and your student's abilities and engagement level.

Have a great spring break!

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

-  The rock climbing field trip is tomorrow, Wed. 4/11 !!!!!!  Bring your bag lunch, healthy snack, water bottle, athletic leggings (sweatpants), snug, clean low-profile athletic shoes (no boots, no sandals, flip-flops), and lots of energy.  This is going to be awesome!

-  Check out the Poetry Podcasts from Mr. Ritt's Language Arts classes on the school's website.  Go to http://www.hrhs.net/content/library/library.php3  and click on the left-side menu "Mr. Ritt - Poetry."  Find your class, find your poem, find your initials and the initials of your classmates, listen and enjoy!

1.  Three, 200 word diary entries due Friday 4/13.    I will not collect diaries until after break.  Expect another set of diary entries to be completed over break.  The entries students make over Spring Break will be focusd on students' self-selected reading book, using the diary as a reading response journal, preparing students for their impending essay. 

2.  Begin searching for your self-selected Anne Frank Essay book:

- Today in class students were issued an Introduction and Step-by-Step process outline for the Anne Frank essay project, a writing/reading assignment which will constitute the majority of students' Q4 points.  Parents and students should read over this handout, developing questions and a plan that will provide structure to help the student meet the project requirements.

-  Today Mrs. Belanger, our school librarian, gave an introduction to a number of books that could be used for this project.  Students are to sign up for books that interest them and offer potiential connections with the greater story of Anne Frank.  It is the responsibility for students to begin their hunt for this important book NOW!  It is the expectation that students will use Spring Break week to begin their independent reading of this self-selected book.  This book must be completed by 5/14.

Our Anne Frank Unit has begun!  In class, students are answering questions based on readings on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's website at www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/  .  Students will have class on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to complete the 11 prompts.  A quiz over the material is scheduled for this Friday.  I strongly encourage students to keep up on the questions, completing some at home, so there's plenty of time to explore the myriad features offered on this compelling and informative website. 

*  Students were told to bring their diaries home and begin regular entries.  Between now and next Monday, students should complete five, 200 word entries.

Due to MCAS, there has been no official homework as of late.  That will change next week!  :)

***  Please, bring in BLUE WAIVER, GREEN PERMISSION SLIP, AND $20 check for the field trip on the 11th.  It's going to be a blast, but we need to get the paperwork taken care of asap.  ***

Unit 7 Vocab. Quiz tomorrow, March 22.  Use your example sentences, the answers to the activities in the book, the definitions and examples in the book, plus whatever study techniques like flashcards that work for you to prepare for the quiz.

*** BRING IN FIELD TRIP FORMS (GREEN PERMISSION AND BLUE WAIVER) and $20*****

Due Monday, March 19th-  Create a full-page, pre-write T for "The Ninny" and "The Governess" Open Response.  The two dramatic elements to focus on are dialogue and stage directions. 

Due Friday, March 16th-  Unit 7 Voc. Workshop:  Do all activities, p. 87-90

Due Thursday, March 15th-  Unit 7 Vocabulary Workshop: 

word (part of speech)  definition you understand

      -  Original example sentence showing the word's meaning in context.

      -  synonyms, mnemonic devices

For all 20 words (unless otherwise specified)

Due Monday, March 12th-  Revised personal podcast poetry paper.  Also practice, practice, practice oral recitation of poem and essay so your voice on the recording is strong, sure, and expressive.

-Students are to revise their podcast paper to make certain that complete ideas are expressed.  In order to make a complete idea, a claim must be made, specific evidence must be presented, the details of that evidence must be discussed thoroughly and connected to other significant aspects of the poem, and then a clear, logical link to the main idea of the paper must be made.  This all takes time, effort, and thought. 

- Revisions of "Night Journey" open responses will NOT be accepted after 3/23. 

This weekend, students should first focus on perfecting their poem recitation and revise their personal podcast essays so they can be ready to re-record in the library on Monday.  Next priority is revising the "NJ" essay.

Plagiarism Warning!!!!!

Students have done some research on their poems, which is great.  It's worthwhile to learn more about the author and develop a better understanding of the the words and allusions in the poem; however, reading the interpretations and analysis of others is dangerous and not recommended in any way, shape, or form. 

Any student who includes interpretations and analysis written by someone else (e.g., Sparknotes, Answerer.com) will be called out for plagiarism.  Plagiarism is "The practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own."  I will follow the school's plagiarism policy if I find a student has stolen ideas from someone else -- even little ones.  The consequences are harsh.  A low grade is far more desirable than the consequences of even a little bit of plagiarism. 

Remember!  Tomorrow is the last day in class to collaborate on your analysis piece.  Also, please know that reciting the poem requires a great deal of practice that cannot be done in silence.  Read your poem out loud, over and over, until it reads itself and you are mearly a medium through which the poem flows.

Podcast Poetry Project

Students have already begun analyzing their poem, developing their expertise on this one piece of poetry.  This expertise will be displayed via podcast, which will be a digital audio recording of their recitation and analysis of their poem, available for student and parental enjoyment on the school's website.  Below will be a day-to-day rundown on due dates.  It's key that these due dates are met.  Each student has a partner depending on them, so be sure to exchange emails and phone numbers to allow for ease of communication.  We are scheduled to record our podcasts on Thursday the 8th of March in the library. There's much to do between now and then.

First of all, there is no prompt for this analysis essay.  Students must determine what is important about their poem.  This will be their first attempt at a thesis statement.  A thesis statement will represent the main idea of their paper, which must then be supported and proven throughout the essay.  In order to have something to prove, students' thesis statements must be opinionated.  It is the 4th level on their analysis levels handout that addresses this.  If students have not THOROUGHLY analyzed their poem on the first three levels, this opinion will be unsupported, and thus lacking in legitimacy. 

*Students with laptops should bring them everyday this week, if they have them.

** Students must keep all of their paperwork to prove their efforts.  If partners do not "carry their weight,"  it is that paper trail that will prove it.

Due Monday:  Prewrite T with original thesis statement   Once a thesis is decided upon, students are to develop a prewrite T, thick with details and ideas that directly support that thesis.  This will be shared with partners on Monday in class, where pairs will evaluate both of their separate efforts, combining ideas, editing out certain ideas, creating new ideas, etc. . . .

Due Tuesday:  1st Draft  Each partner will use their collaboratively created T to produce a first draft.  That draft will be shared with their partner in class, evaluating the strengths and opportunties for improvement that each paper has.  Those 1st drafts will then be combined to create a collaborative 2nd draft, which must be started in class.  Before leaving class, students should run down to the library to photocopy the collaborative draft, and then each should take it home to finish it. 

Due Wed. 2nd Draft  Each partner should show up with a finished, collaborative 2nd draft.  The drafts will be shared and evaluated again, seeking to further strengthen the paper. From those second drafts, a final must be produced in class and finished at home.  This is where email comes into play.  There's much to do to prepare a final draft, and the responsibility rides with both partners, so sending the one final draft back and forth until it's just right is to be expected.

Due Thurs.  Final Draft and Recitation (Be ready to record your final draft and your recitation of the poem)  One final draft, which will be collaboratively written, is to be printed out for easy reading.  Students should also have read their draft many, many times throughout this process, so they are ready to record with fluency.  One student will record the final draft; one student will record the poem itself.  As for the reading of the poem, it must be read as it is intended to be read, expressing appropriate tone, mood, and meaning.  While it is not required to memorize the poem; it is recommended.  Students have had a long time to prepare and will have a large audience for their poetry reading.  Expectations are high.  Knowing the poem from the inside out is the only way to read it as it should be read. 

I know this is a lot all at once, but take it step by step, and it'll work out great.  Enjoy!  These are great poems from which we have a great deal to learn.

Due 2/29/2012

Students now all have a single poem on which they will become an expert.  To begin developing this expertise, students will use their Analysis Levels handout as a guide to facilitate their learning.  Tonight, students are to fill 1-2 pages of notes in response to the prompts on the handout.  These prompts are generic guides used to approach poetry in general.  If a prompt doesn't exactly work for your poem, think about what it is asking, then modifiy the prompt to address the specific elements within your poem.  Some other questions are mere yes or no questions.  After you answer either yes or no, be certain to ask your own follow up question so that you're continually digging deeper.  The more you put in early on, the easier it will be to produce the final product.

Speaking of the final product, the end result of our efforts will be the oral recitation of the poem followed by an analyisis essay expressing and explaining the significance of the poem.  On Tuesday of next week, students will record and edit their voices on laptops in the library.  Those "Podcasts" will then be available for your listening pleasure on the school's website.  It will be that digital recording that is assessed for a grade, though students must turn in all of their notes, drafts, and analysis papers to show the process that was used to create the "Podcast."  A rubric will be forthcoming.

Due 2/28/2012

Read all poems in your packet several times, determining which ones (about 3 of them)you connect with most.  These selected poems should be chosen because you understand them as poetry and because you feel a connection with them for some reason. 

Also, bring your literature book to class on Tues.. We will peruse our books, further seeking out poems that we enjoy and connect with.  It is key that you seek out a poem that says something that interests you.  Seeking out a poem because it looks simple and easy is very dangerous.  Good poetry that looks "easy" is usually quite complex in its simplicity.

Due Upon Return After Feb. Vacation:  In their journals, students are to write the equivalent of 200 words per day for the nine days over break.  It is not a problem if students don't write for a day or two for whatever reason.  As long as the 1800 word minimum is reached by the Monday of our return.  I'd  like students to keep up with regular, daily entries, avoiding "binge writing" at the last minute. For that reason, I'm getting started on my journal writing right now.  I feel inspired to write about the buttermilk apple pancakes I just made and ate.  Oh, they were good.  They'll be even better when I heat one of the left-overs up in the toaster oven tonight, but that's private journal stuff.

Don't forget you MUST bring your journal back on Monday!

Enjoy the time away from school and the chance to produce a written record of February Break 2012! 

Due 2/17/12  Final Draft of "Night Journey" Open Response. 

Students should check their essays against this checklist:

Be sure your paper . . .

- Repeats the prompt in the opening sentence and weaves the main idea throughout the essay.

- Links ideas together, bundling like ideas and examples into paragrahs that are sequenced in a logical manner.

-  Uses short, potent quotations that are intoroduced, integrated, and explained thoroughly.

-  Uses language that is clear and expressive.

-  Includes very specific details from the poem, showing knowledge and insight.

-  Directly responds to the propmt.  Don't take chances with this.  If you're off on this, you're paper won't work.

-  Uses no 2nd person you, your, yours, or first person I, me, my, we, our. . . Keep it all 3rd person.

*  Don't be afraid to dig deeper and study the poem more.  It is way, way easier to write about something that you have thought about.  If you can't figure out how to say something, your problem is likely that you don't know what to say.  The solution is to read, re-read, and repeat until you are able to form your own ideas.  I know this poem well only because I have read it and thought about it.  There is no magic or super-power at play here.  Just reading and mental work.

Due 2/16/12  Second Drafts of "Night Journey" Open Response. 

Nearly all students struggled to actually respond to the prompt in their first drafts last night.  Instead of writing around the main idea, as so many did, students must answer the prompt directly.  Here's an equation that should work as the foundation of a student's argument:

Specific Knowledge of Poetic Element  +  Specific Knowledge of Evidence from Poem  =  How Roethke Recreates Train Ride with Words

This assignment requires that students show specific knowledge of literary elements, express specific knowledge of the poem, and then articulate how the author accomplished the finished product, which is a poem recreating the speaker's experience riding on a train at night. 

Students are to explain what the author did to accomlish this outcome, so they need to express the process the author followed in their essays.  A process requries a number of steps, so students' sentences should build on each other, forming paragraphs that take the reader through this logical equation.

Due 2/15/12  Pre-write T and 1st draft of "Night Journey" Open Response. 

Today in class we used our homework from the weekend and last night to build our understanding of this poem.  Tonight students should use their understanding and express it in an Open Response. Review your old documents on this writing format, and expect to read the poem several more times. 

You will not succeed at this, or any poetry writing assignments, if you don't read the poems many times, preferably out loud.  Knowing poetry is reading it.  No way around that.  Don't fret -- it's short.

2/13/12  When I checked today, many students did not complete the weekend's homework as assigned.  Tonight, please be certain to pick out a minimum of 5 examples of poetic elements within "Night Journey" and try to express in a couple sentences how those examples impact the poem.

For tonight's homework:  Respond in a short paragraph to the 1st, 4th, and 5th bullet points on the Application Level of the Analyisis Levels handout (one paragraph per bullet) for the poem "Night Journey." 

Use our discussions for "Annabel Lee" as a model for the work you do on "Night Journey."

2/10/12  Our Poetry Unit has begun!  Today students received their Poetry Packet of selected poems, Poetry Devices handout, and Analysis Levels handout.  These papers will be the basis for our studies for the next few weeks. 

In class today I introduced each of the handouts and how they'll be used.  We also read Edgar Allan Poe's poem, "Annabel Lee."  We answered questions about its Surface Level using the Analysis Levels handout.  We then began to pick out the literary elements that help develop the poem.

For homework, due Monday, students are to do the same thing we did in class with the poem "Night Journey" by Theodoe Roetke.  They need to write out answers to the Surface Level analysis bullet points, and then identify 5 key poetic elements that help develop the poem. Students should also try to explain how those devices work to impact the poem. We will use students' findings and ideas on Monday to help us work our way down to the deeper levels of this poem.  Enjoy!  It's a wonderful poem that requires several readings to really "get it."

Due 2/ 6/12  Do all activities for Vocab. Unit 6

Also, every student must have a bound compositon book in class on Monday morning.  We are beginning our Journal Project, and "forgetting" your composition book is unacacceptable, seeing as they were due a week ago.

Due 2/2/12  Vocab. Unit 6:  Write out definitions and example sentences for all words on list six.  Be sure to follow the format so that your work is easy to read, thus easy to use for studying and learning the words.

word (part of speech)  definition phrased in a manner that makes good sense to you

        -  Example sentence showing the word's meaning in a developed context.

        -  Synonyms, mnemonic devices use to jog your memory

Due 1/30 Compositon books!  While this has been on the board for more than a week, I have not yet mentioned it on Schoolnotes.  Please, bring your bound compositions books (no spiral notebooks) on Monday or Tuesday (depending on how your class fits the double block scheule).  We are beginning a long-term journal writing project after our 8 Parts of Speech Test.

Update:  The 8 Parts of Speech Test has been moved to Mon.  (1st and 2nd) or Tues.  (4th and 5th). 

Prior to the test, students must:  Complete Ex. 11 diagrams, (evens only), creat a "cheat sheet" with all content from Chapts. 11, 12, and select parts of Chapt. 10 (regarding diagraming and predicates and subjects), and study until you can prove what you know.  Please, do not rely on what you think you know.  Be able to prove it! 

There will be time in class to work on Ex. 11 (evens) and the "cheat sheets" on Friday.  Please, bring books, and ALL work home this weekend.  Students may use their "cheat sheets"  for the last five minutes of the test only.

Due 1/26/12  Read: The Conjunction and Interjection, p. 327-330;  Do Ex. 15, p. 330, odds; Do Rev. Ex. D, all, p. 330-1; Do Rev. Ex. E, all, p. 331-2

These are some big review activities.  When we correct these on Thurs., you should have an idea of where you stand for the test this Friday.  Yes, the test is this Friday, so please, begin to prepare.  The test will cover everything from Chapters 11 and 12 as well as diagraming and subject and predicate from Chapter 10.  Dig in!

Due 1/25/12  Read: The Preposition, p. 323-327;  Do: Ex. 12, p. 324-5; Do Ex. 13, p.325-6; and Do Ex. 14, p. 327.

Due 1/24/12  Do Ex. 10 and 11 odds, read p. 285 and p. 322 to help guide your diagraming.

Due 1/23/12  Read The Adverb, p. 317-319, Do Ex. 6, 7, 8, and 9, p. 318-321 all

Due 1/19/12  Read Helping Verbs, p. 315, Do Ex. 5 and Rev. Ex. A, p. 316

Due 1/18/12  Ex. 2, 3, and 4 odds only, p.312-14  Read Helping Verbs , p.311-313

Due 1/17/12  Rev. Ex. E and Ch. 11 Rev. , p. 307-8

Sorry about being off-line for the last few days.  This should catch everyone up.

Due 1/9/12  Do:  Ex. 6 (6-10 only), 7, and 8

Due 1/10/12  Do:  Ex. 11, p. 306, read 283-5 and p. 305

Due 1/11/12  Do:  Rev. Ex. E, p. 307 and Chapter 11 Review, p. 307-8 (all, feel free to abbreviate n, pron, adj)

All grammar books must be covered in heavy paper by Wed. the 11th.

All rewritten or late essays must be turned in on or before 1/12/12 (this Thursday).  Late essays turned in at this point in the grading period will not be afforded the opportunity to be rewritten.

1/4/12  Do:

Ex. 3, 1-10, p. 296

Ex. 4, 1-20 (pronouns only), p. 297

Rev. Ex. B, 1-10, p. 298

1/3/12  It's cold and dark.  It must be grammar season!  Cover your grammar books with heavy paper and label with your name, my name, and Grammar (remembering that grammar does not end in er). 

Here's the assignment:  Ex. 2, p. 293-4, Rev. Ex. A, p. 294, and then write five original sentences that include underlined common nouns, proper nouns, and compound nouns.  Please, follow the instructions in the book unless otherwise instructed.

12/23/11  Have a wonderful holiday break!  If you have any essay scores that do not please you or help your grade, use the time out of school to catch up on rewrites.  I'm using my free time over break correcting your "Squeaky's Perception" essays. 

12/15/11  Find an example, either quoted or paraphrased depending on what I noted on the board today, for each of the literary elements we've applied to our short story unit so far this year (see Glossary of Literary Terms handout).  There about 30 terms for which to find examples, so you should do three or four examples from each story so that you cover all stories, further familiarizing yourself with the author and their style. 

Your examples should be a couple lines long, including any necessary explanations so that YOU are clear as to why that example is a good one.  This is your short story exam review.  If you put critical thought into this, you will do better on the exam.  If you shoot through this just to get it done, it will likely burn you come test time.  - Due in class Monday -  Get started now.  Expect about 4 pages of work for this assignment, depending on what you need.  Remember, the more you put in, the more you'll get out.

12/14/11  We are beginning to read the last short story in our short story unit, "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed," by Ray Bradbury.  Students should keep up with this story and work on finding examples of the myriad literary elements found within this story. Because it's not in the literature book and I'm not sending printed copies home, here is one URL that should connect you an on-line version.  There are some slight differences in this version, but they should work for the most part.  There is also another version of the story on-line if you google the title. 

http://raybradbury.ru/library/story/49/11/0/

Students should also spend their time beginning to review the other stories read thus far this year in preparation for the unit exam next Wed. the 21st.  Students will be given many different excerpts from all the short stories read in this unit where they will have to read and analyze the excerpt, identify the title, author, and dominant literary element or elements used by the author in that excerpt.

There is a slight lull in heavy homework and writing over the next few days, so use this time to prepare for the big test and improve essays that need rewriting.

12/13/11  Today in class I passed out a handout titled "Qualities of a Good Open Response."  Students should review their drafts with a critical eye, making sure that all qualities of a good open response are represented in their work.  Students should read their work aloud several times, making sure it not only sounds good to them, but to others as well. 

Due Wed.-  Final draft of "Squeaky's Perception" Open Response, 1st draft with copious editing, proofreading, and revision markings evident, and prewrite T that shows a clear content and organizational link to the final draft. 

This is a chance to show off what you've learned about Open Response writing thus far this year.  You know a great deal about this kind of writing -- now show it! 

12/12/11  Students should have been busy over the weekend rereading "Raymond's Run" and working on their prewrite T's for the Raymond and Gretchen prompt.  Tonight, after several days of prewriting, students are to write out their first drafts.  The first drafts are due in class Tues.  Tuesday in class students will continue to assess their work.  Due Wed. is the final draft with a first draft and prewrite included.  This is a test-essay.  I will not allow rewrites of this essay.  Students should be looking closely at the expectations, the process, the prompt, their past work and applying all they have learned. 

12/8/11  Students are to finish reading "Raymond's Run."  After having finished the story, students are to plan for an Open Response piece to be drafted in class Friday.  The plan should be put together on the two T's that have been set up in class this week (one focused on Raymond, one on Gretchen) . 

Students should write short and potent, yet relevant and specific quotations, examples, descriptions, and analysis of the story in the currently blank section of their prewrite T's that will support their forthcoming essay.  The more students focus on substance and organization during this phase of writing, the easier their writing will be during later stages.

12/6/11  Using the ANSWER process for approaching Open Response reading and writing, create a prewrite T for each of the three pompts passed out today, following only steps A and N. 

Each prewrite T should take up an entire side of a page.  Spread out the structure/subtopics along the left side so that you'll have plenty of space to write in the corresponding details across to the right in the details section (though you aren't filling those details out for this assignment).

12/2/11 

-All Vocab. activities for Unit 5 due Mon.  Quiz over Unit 5 on Tues.  Start studying now!

-In order to guarantee that essay rewrites are included in the progress report grades that are due on Thursday the 8th, I need all rewrites by Tuesday the 6th of Dec..  I cannot be certain that any essays resubmitted after the 6th will be graded in time for progress reports.

11/28/11  "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" reading questions 1-10 due tomorrow.  I'll check vocab. definitions and example sentences for Unit 5 tomorrow. 

11/21/11  Over the weekend students should have created a TCN-style prewrite outline/plan for the Open Response for the reading "Drumbeats and Bullets" about the contributions of drummer boys in the Civil War.  Tonight students are to take their prewrite and use it to draft a response to the prompt.  Students need to be prepared to read their work aloud in class Tues.   Yes, read aloud.  If it meets our stated expectations and sounds good it's likely good.  If it sounds otherwise, then fix it.

11/15/11  Analyze the two primary source documents on the sheet titled, "Shiloh from Both Sides" (1/2 page of notes using the SC3 strategies for each of the two documents, totalling one full page). 

Use your observations based on several readings (you can't be expected to get it all the first time you read it) to either record your observations or create questions.  Use the primary source document introduction and strategies handout to support your work.  Use a dictionary to define words you don't understand fully.

Unit 4 vocab. quiz on Thursday.  Start studying.  Make flash cards, use your corrected homework. . . take action!

11/7/11  FIELD TRIP FORMS!!!!  You won't go if we don't have the permission/medical forms!

-  Vocab. Unit #4 

word (part of speech) definitions

       -Example sentence using the word and showing context and meaning

       -synonyms, mnemonic devices. 

Don't forget the fomat.  It counts!  Do all 20.  Last time I let you choose five to skip, but scores went down on the quizzes, so we can't do that again.  Sorry.  Due Thurs.

11/4/11  Today I passed out a discussed a sheet of transitional words and phrases.  These words and phrases work to connect ideas and information in writing.  Students are required to integrate at least three transitional words and phrases into their final draft of their selected essay.  Please underline each transitional word or phrase in your essay.  Remeber, you must turn in a final draft, a first draft with editing, proofreading and revision marks, prewriting outline and notes.  You must also have with you the two rejected drafts that did not get revised.  I must see that three different essays were drafted so that you can turn in the one final.  Due Monday, 11/7.

Also, PLEASE BRING IN ALL PERMISSION SLIPS AND $6.00 CHECKS TO SCHOOL ON MONDAY!!!!!  The field trip is on for Wednesday and we expect everyone to be joining us.

10/28/11  All students who have completed their "Thank You Ma'm," "Adam and Eve Allusion," and "Flowers for Algernon Choice" papers should have three, ungraded, first drafts in their possession this weekend.  Of those three, students are to select one that they feel can be revised, edited, and proofread into a final draft to be turned in Wednesday of next week (11/2).  I wrote Tues. 11/1 on the board today as a due date, but I've since changed my lesson plans to allow for us to read some Poe on Halloween. 

Students should be busy this weekend marking up their first drafts.  I must see physical evidence showing the student's thought process as the revisions take place.  Please make every effort to type this final draft of your chosen paper.  This will be a test-sized grade, so make sure you display a test's-worth of content knowledge and writing skills.  Enjoy the process!

10/25/11  Students began a working on a new Open Response today for "Flowers for Algernon" in class.  Six potential prompts were provided.  Students were to have written down the prompt of their choice to bring home.  Students had plenty of time to complete pre-write outlines in class and should be finishing their first drafts tonight (due Wed.).  Please, ask your student to show how their pre-writing connects with their first drafts.  This is a key part of the writing equation that is often skipped.

10/19/11  Prepare a full-page, pre-writing outline comparing Adam and Eve's Paradise Lost vs. Charlie Gordon's surgically enhanced intelligence (see prompt).  Use the Open Response format below to organize your outline.

A-  State main idea

B-  Provide evidence (repeat as needed)

C-  Explain evidence in relation to the main idea (repeat as needed)

Include many specific examples and short quotations along with explanations of those fine details and how they support the main idea.  Your writing should be in the form of short, potent notes and original, expressive ideas.  I will not accept an outline made up of full sentenes or paragraphs. 

10/18/11  Prepare one page of pre-writing notes for the prompt that requires you to explain the connection between Charlie Gordon's increased intelligence via brain surgery and Adam and Eve's eating the apple from the Tree of Knowledge and expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

     - Collect quotations, examples, key descriptive words, and ideas that will help you to illustrate your argument that Fanny Girden's allusion is connected to Charlie's surgically enhanced intelligence.

10/12/11  Vocabulary Workshop Unit 3:  word, part of speech, definition, example sentence, synonyms, mnemonic devices for 15 of the 20 words of which you have the least understanding (skip the 5 you know already).  Remember formatting matters! l Due Thurs.

10/3/11  Final draft of "Thank You Ma'm" due tomorrow/Tues.  Revise, edit, and proofread.  When arguing/explaining your evidence double check your work against this basic checklist.

1.  Present a clear and meaningful main idea that illustrates your understanding of the story.

2.  Present evidence that will help prove that main idea (the finer the details, the finer the argument).

3.  Interpret evidence in way that shows a depth of understanding of the details of the story.

4.  Link your interpretation and evidence to the main idea (There will likely be several links to make in this logic chain).

DEAR log #2 due tomorrow 10/4

9/29/11  Based on our activity in class today, improve the depth of your prewrite by collecting several high quality, yet brief quotations and a collection of your own adjectives and descriptive words that can/should be woven into your first draft.  The more specific and focused your examples are, the richer your argument will be.  Remember how in class it took several sentences to present the examples and details and then a number of sentences more to express the greater meaning and the interconnectedness of the elements.

Prompt change alert!  Please select only one literary element in the story of which you will explain its significance.  Check last night's entry below to for prompt's language.

Be ready to read those responses in class!  A strong showing tomorrow might just lesson your homework load over the weekend.

9/28/11  Create a pre-write outline for the following Open Response prompt:  Identify two key literary elements in Langston Hughes's short story, "Thank You M'am" and explain how those literary elements impact the story.

-  Keep up on those DEAR sessions!  The next log is due Tuesday the 4th of October!

9/27/11  Produce a one-page Freewrite exploring which literary elements (found on your new "Literary Terms Glossary"  handout) are most important to the telling of Langston Hughes's "Thank You M'am."  Re-read the story, use your book to further your understanding of the literary elements, do whatever you need to do to explain how those elements interact with eachother, how they stand on their own. . . whatever you'd like to express.  Remember:  It's a Freewrite, and writing is thinking, so just write, don't edit, don't worry, there's no way to do this wrong (except if you don't write/think).

9/26/11  DEAR log #2 due October 4th (Tues.)

9/21/11  - Final Draft of "Charles" Open Response due Thursday.  Remeber the qualities of a well written essay we looked at and discussed today:  purposeful and clear organization,  a strong opening that states the main idea while including all key elements of the prompt, clearly stated and meaningful examples, explanations that address the details in the examples while connecting them to the main idea, a conclusion that ties the key elements of your argument together with the main idea. . . Show off your understanding of the story!  Have fun (it will show through in your writing).

              -  -Do all Vocabulary Workshop Unit #1 activities on pages 24-27, due Thurs. the 22nd

9/20/11  -First draft of "Charles" Open Response due Wedneday the 21st.

              -Do all Vocabulary Workshop Unit #1 activities on pages 24-27, due Thurs. the 22nd

              -Vocab. Unit #1 Quiz Friday the 23rd

9/16/11  Prewrite Outline for "Charles" Open Response due Monday 9/19

9/14/11  Vocabulary Workshop Unit 1

1.  Cover this book with heavy paper by Friday 9/16.

2.  Write out, using the format below, words 1-20 for Unit 1, due Mon.9/19

word (part of speech) definition (s) that you understand

       - Example sentence showing the word's meaning using details that

         relate to the definition.

       -  mnemonic devices (tricks to help you remember the word)

           and synonyms

9/9/11  Getting to Know My Textbook Activity

Complete the activity following the handout's instructions for class on Monday.  We'll correct and discuss the answers/features of the book, then we'll have a short quiz over the book's features on Tuesday that will mirror the questions from the activity.

Don't forget, DEAR Logs are due Friday!

9/7/11 -  Students have been issued a DEAR Log which is due on 9/16. 

Students, please present and explain this assignment to your parents or guardians.  There are five DEAR sessions required for this and all DEAR Logs.  It is up to each student to decide when these sessions will be completed within this nine day window. 

Parents, you are needed to help in finding your student a quiet, distraction-free place in which to read his or her DEAR book.  It may also be necessary to assist your student in finding an appropriate book, as our library is not quite open for business.  No need to buy any books for this assignment.  Instead, I strongly recommend that students begin to dialogue with their local librarian in order to dramatically increase their chances of finding the right book, which is key to engaging reluctant readers.

9/2/11-  Create a minimum of ten interview questions that will help you to develop a comprehensive understanding of your interview partner.  The goal of this assignment is to then use your partner's responses as the basis for a one page paper to be read aloud, creating positive interest in your partner.  

The questions are due Tues. the 6th, and the paper introducing your partner should be completed and ready to be read aloud in class on Wed. the 7th.