Monday, December 22, 2008

Winter Break Reading Assignment

Read & annotate (using stickies or paper) with Level 2&3 annotations chapters 1-15 in The Young Landlords by Walter Dean Myers.

Open Mic!
On Monday 1/5/09 when we return from break we will have a final Open Mic performance for Term 2. If you have not yet performed during Term 2, you must do so for a 20 point grade.

Extra Credit!!! Wooee!!!
For Challenge Credit over the break
, you may do any of the following:
1) Finish The Young Landlords & annotations.
2) Write a missing chapter from The Young Landlords.
4) Create a comic strip of one or more scenes in The Young Landlords, including a beginning, middle, and end so that the comic strip would make sense to someone who hadn't read the book
5) Create a skit/scene from The Young Landlords and film it on a video camera or phone. Make sure it follows the dialogue in the book, but also show some of the deeper feelings and ideas the characters are struggling with.
6) Write a creative short story of any type!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Weekly Calendar 12/15-12/19

Monday 12/15
  • Objective: 1) Begin revision process for publication, 2) Develop Book Group collaboration
  • Activities: 1) double negatives practice, 2) choose essay for publication, 3) begin revisions using sticky notes, 4) SSR & Quickwrite, 5) Book Groups meet
  • Homework: Begin major revisions to your essay, checking for strong paragraph and essay structure and strong, well-developed arguments
Tuesday 12/16
  • Objective: Work at laptop stations to type essays and complete major revisions to essay for publication
  • Activities: 1) grammar practice with double negatives, 2) laptop stations for writing workshop
  • Homework: Finish major revisions to your essay, checking for strong paragraph and essay structure and strong, well-developed arguments
Wednesday 12/17
  • Objective: Complete typing, revisions, and edits to essay
  • Activities: 1) laptop work stations for typing, revision, editing, 2) peer-editing if necessary, 3) set up Turnitin.com account and practice submitting essays
  • Homework: Complete final edits to essay, using lots of Power Words and Academic English grammar
Thursday 12/18
  • Objective: Begin new whole-class novel The Young Landlords
  • Activities: 1) Officer Baxter-Donut, 2) Grammar practice with double negatives, 3) essay submission procedure & expectations, 4) begin The Young Landlords
  • Homework: Read & annotate with Level 2-3 annotations chapters 1 & 2 in The Young Landlords
Friday 12/19
  • Objective: Celebrate essay publication & launch Reader's Theater for The Young Landlords
  • Activities: 1) Open Mic! (last of term), 2) Reader's chair for essays, 3) Reader's Theater for The Young Landlords, 4) SSR & Quickwrite
  • Homework: Read 15-20 pages in your SSR book & annotate with 6-12 Level 2-3 annotations or 3/4 page of Level 2-3 quickwriting.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Weekly Calendar 12/8-12/12

Monday 12/8/08
  • Objective: Review for exam on paragraph & essay structure
  • Activities: 1) exam review, 2) make flashcards, 3) SSR & Quickwrite
  • Homework: Re-create the essay outline on the hot pink sheet for a 5-paragraph essay. Label & define/explain each of the key essay elements.
Tuesday 12/9/08
  • Objective: Demonstrate knowledge on paragraph and essay structure & grammar
  • Activities: 1) exam on paragraph & essay structure, 2) review new writing prompts, 3) free-write/brainstorm on one topic, 4) identify thesis & main ideas
  • Homework: Complete your essay outline
Wednesday 12/10/08
  • Objective: 1) Develop writing practice, 2) Develop book group discussions
  • Activities: 1) WW: write intro paragraphs, 2) grammar: double negatives, 3) SSR & quickwrite, 4) book groups meet
  • Homework: Write first & second fully developed body paragraphs for your essay
Thursday 12/11/08
  • Objective: 1) Develop writing practice, 2) Grammar practice with negatives
  • Activities: 1) writer's chair, 2) grammar: double negatives, 3) WW: 3rd body paragraph
  • Homework: Write your fully developed concluding paragraph for your essay
Friday 12/12/08
  • Objective: Review writing & writing process
  • Activities: 1) open mic!, 2) "Writer's Life" with Ms. Bayerl, 3) writer's chair, 4) highlight key elements in essay, 5) SSR & quickwrite
  • Homework: Read 15-20 pages in your SSR book & annotate with 6-12 Level 2-3 notes or 3/4 pages of Level 2-3 quickwriting

Monday, December 1, 2008

Weekly Calendar 12/1-12/5

Monday 12/1
  • Objective: Develop essay brainstorms into an outline
  • Activities: 1) Grammar study: apostrophes, 2) Practice developed paragraph structure, 3) Develop essay outlines, 4) SSR & Quickwrite
  • Homework: Highlight and fill in the outline for the sample essay on the Apple Factory. Do not copy entire sentences onto the outline; just pick out or paraphrase the key ideas
Tuesday 12/2
  • Objective: Study and develop introductory paragraphs
  • Activities: 1) Finish outlining, 2) Grammar practice with apostrophes, 3) Intro paragraph Lesson Notes, 4) Write introductory paragraphs, 5) Select new SSR books/groups
  • Homework: Write the first two body paragraphs (BODY paragraphs, after the intro) of your essay, developing your ideas fully with several sentences on commentary. Use powerful writing and vocabulary. Use the outline you made in class and your pink Lesson Notes as a guide; use sample essays as models.
Wednesday 12/3
  • Objective: Study body paragraph development
  • Activities: 1) Grammar practice with apostrophes, 2) Highlight first two paragraphs, 3) Writer's chair, 4) SSR & Quickwrite
  • Homework: Finish writing all three body paragraphs of your essay, developing your ideas fully with several sentences on commentary. Use powerful writing and vocabulary. Use the outline you made in class and your pink Lesson Notes as a guide; use sample essays as models.
Thursday 12/4
  • Objective: Study and develop concluding paragraphs
  • Activities: 1) Officer Baxter-Donut!, 2) Grammar practice with apostrophes, 3) Lesson Notes on concluding paragraphs, 4) Write concluding paragraphs
  • Homework: Write sentences (could be a story) correctly using 20+ different apostrophes we've studied. Use both possessives and contractions, but be careful not to use apostrophes to show plurals or in possessive pronouns. Your examples may be used on the quiz!
Friday 12/5
  • Objective: Demonstrate knowledge of essay structure and apostrophe usage in practice
  • Activities: 1) Open Mic!, 2) SSR & Quickwrite, 3) Quiz on apostrophes, 4) Writer's chair :)
  • Homework: Read 15-20 pages in your SSR book and annotate with 6-10 Level 2-3 annotations, or write 3/4-1 full page of Level 2-3 Quickwrite

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Weekly Calendar 11/24-11/26

Monday 11/24
  • Objective: Share learning from first round of SSR Book Groups
  • Activities: 1) Officer Baxter, 2) book illustrations, 3) Book Talks, 4) SSR & Quickwrite
  • Homework: Write a reflection on your first round SSR/Book Group. What do you like and why; what don't you care for and why? What's helping you think more deeply about the book and why; what's not any why? 1 full page.

Tuesday 11/25
  • Objective: Practice outlining for essays
  • Activities: 1) Identify key elements in an essay, 2) sample essay outlining, 3) brainstorm for essay on thankfulness
  • Homework: Highlight and fill in the outline for the sample essay (Lights, Camera...Give Me the Remote!). Do not copy entire sentences onto the outline; just pick out or paraphrase phrases that summarize key ideas.

Wednesday 11/26
  • Objective: Identify thesis & main ideas for essay on thankfulness
  • Activities: 1) Review sample essay outline, 2) Complete brainstorm for thankfulness essay, 3) begin outlining
  • Homework: 1) Do any make-up work needed, including missing homeworks or missing/incomplete SSR letter; 2) Read 20-30 pages in your SSR book and annotate with 10-13 Level 2-3 annotations; 3) Consider Challenge work for extra credit.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Weekly Calendar 11/17-11/21

Monday 11/17
  • Objective: Trouble-shoot with paragraph structure
  • Activities: 1) Grammar practice, 2) Outlining lesson, 3) Sample outlining, 4) SSR & Quickwrite
  • Homework: Write a developed 2-chunk paragraph on the following: What is the hardest challenge you have ever stepped up to, and what made it so difficult? Use pink guidelines.
Tuesday 11/18
  • Objective: Expand writing into "3-chunk" analysis
  • Activities: 1) Grammar practice, 2) Highlight/outline homework, 3) Writing structure game, 4) 3-chunk writing prompt
  • Homework: Read and annotate short story with Level 2-3 notes
Wednesday 11/19
  • Objective: Understand and practice outline for multiple paragraphs
  • Activities: 1) Grammar practice, 2) Multiple paragraph outlining lesson: tie it together with a thesis, 3) SSR & Quickwrite, 4) Book Groups meet
  • Homework: Prepare and outline for an essay on: What is the underlying message of the short story we just read for last night's homework? Your outline should include Main Ideas to start every paragraph, Concrete Details to support every main idea, Commentary to explain each concrete detail for three separate body paragraphs, each with two chunks.
Thursday 11/20
  • Objective: Practice outlining and writing from an outline for multiple paragraphs
  • Activities: 1) Officer Baxter, 2) Quiz on grammar: homophones there/their/they're, too/to/two, know/no, our/are, 3) Multiple paragraph writing workshop
  • Homework: Finish writing up all three body paragraphs, making sure you develop your ideas in detail and use sophisticated, powerful lanugage
Friday 11/21
  • Objective: Self-asses writing structure and practice
  • Activities: 1) Open Mic!, 2) SSR & Quickwrite, 3) Book Talks, 4) Multiple paragraph writing workshop, 5) Creative writing
  • Homework: Read 15-20 pages in your SSR book & annotate with 6-8 Level 2-3 notes.
REMINDER: SSR Response Letter is due Monday 11/24. See guidelines on the peach sheet for the 2-part, 2-page letter.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Bi-Weekly Calendar 11/7-11/21

Monday 11/7/08
  • Objective: Wrap up rhetorical study & begin study of formal academic paragraph structure
  • Activities: 1) Pathos quickwrite, 2) Academic paragraph structure Lesson Notes, 3) SSR & Quickwrite, 4) Writing practice
  • Homework: Write a 2-chunk ¶ on the best (or worst) thing about middle school! Use pink guidelines.
Tuesday 11/8/08
  • No School - Veterans' Day
Wednesday 11/9/08
  • Objective: Connect SSR reading to writing practice
  • Activities: 1) Sample outlining, 2) SSR & Quickwrite, 3) Book groups meet, 4) Develop deeper meaning questions about SSR books, 5) Writing practice
  • Homework: Write a developed 2-chunk paragraph on one of the questions you developed in class about your SSR book but have not yet written about. Use pink guidelines!

Thursday 11/10/08 (Ms. Jones will be away on a field trip with 9th graders today)
  • Objective: Use vocabulary in context & practice writing structure
  • Activities: 1) Officer Baxter, 2) Write a silly story that uses all the Power Words from the entire year correctly, 3) Write a developed 3-chunk paragraph on the following: What is the value of the program Officer Baxter is running?
  • Homework: Write a developed 2-chunk paragraph on the following: Who is the person in your life who you admire most, and why do you admire him/her? Use pink guidelines.
Friday 11/11/08
  • Objective: Refine outlining skills with practice & games
  • Activities: 1) Open Mic, 2) Grammar practice, 3) Sample outlining, 4) Writing structure game, 5) SSR & Quickwrite, 6) Book talks
  • Homework: Read 15-20 pages in your SSR book & annotate with 6-8 Level 2-3 notes, which you will use later as basis for Book Group discussion