Class Dec 21 & 22

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

We started a Short Story Unit that includes reading five short stories and completing an assignment for each.

State Core Walkaway: Compare plot structures in works of literature (e.g., plot within a plot, multiple points of view, stream of consciousness).

Today we read/listened to audio of "SantaLand Diaries" by David Sedaris (short audio version from NPR) and did an assignment that illustrates why this story is an example of "stream of consciousness."

Class Dec 17 & 18

BELLWORK: Guess the Comma Rule 

CRUCIBLE COMPARE/CONTRAST PAPER (last day!)
Comma spotlight--

• comma song
• comma PowerPoint
• comma quiz 

Writing Lab--revise paper for punctuation, print, and staple to the top of peer reviews from last time.This is the last day we're working on the paper in class, but you can work on it at home until next time. If I don't get your paper in before Christmas break, it will be late.

Class Dec 15 & 16

YOUR WRITER'S NOTEBOOK: If you were absent, get a pink "Writer's Notebook Evaluation" form, fill it out, put it inside your Writer's Notebook, and put it in the "Absent" basket so I can give you your points.

THE CRUCIBLE COMPARE/CONTRAST PAPER:

• Peer Reviews
• Revision in the Writing Lab
  

Class Dec 11 & 14

LYRICS PRESENTATIONS--today was the last day to present. Students turned in Words, Words, Words!!! and Lyrics Presentations Log (20 points).

THE CRUCIBLE COMPARE/CONTRAST PAPER--

How do you cite sources in MLA Style? This "MLA Style Information" handout should remind you.

Writing Lab--print 2 copies (before bell rings) for peer reviews next time.

Book chats--10% of your grade

You are required to read 500 pages this term on your own--reading of your choice. When you finish a book, see me before/after school or during Advisory for a five-minute "book chat," and then I'll give you your points for reading this term. Please finish this up as soon as possible. The last week of the term is the week after Christmas break.

Crucible Compare/Contrast Paper Schedule

PAPER SCHEDULE

Dec 9 (A-day) & 10 (B-day) (Wed and Thurs)
Continue drafting paper.

Dec 11 &14 (Fri and Mon)
Finish drafting paper; print two (2) copies for peer reviews next time.

Dec 15 & 16 (Tues and Wed)
Peer reviews in classroom; revision in Writing Lab.

Dec 17 & 18 (Thurs and Fri)
Editing skills in classroom; revision in Writing Lab; print final draft for grade.

Class Dec 9 & 10

LYRICS PRESENTATIONS

CRUCIBLE COMPARE/CONTRAST PAPER

We reviewed the Grading Rubric I will use to grade this paper, and then worked in the Writing Lab on the paper.

Class Dec 7 & 8

LYRICS PRESENTATIONS

If you have not yet presented, you must ready any day the rest of the term. If I call on you and you're not ready, you'll receive a 0. If you still want to present for late points, there may or may not be time at the end of the term--no guarantees!

CRUCIBLE COMPARE/CONTRAST PAPER

I continue to be amazed at how often the tragedy of The Crucible replays itself out in other times and situations. In class, I showed the trailer to the recent movie The Stoning of Soraya M. The movie is based on a true story about a woman who was stoned by her village in 1990 in Iran for being an adulteress. However, her accusers only had a shred of evidence and based their accusations on lies--she was actually innocent. Once Saraya was accused, just like in The Crucible, the men in the village had a hysterical mob-like reaction and anxiously came together to stone her. Here is the link to the trailer. I don't recommend that you watch the entire movie because it's very gory and is rated R, and besides you can get a feel for the situation in the trailer.

For most of the class period, students continued working on their papers in the Writing Lab. Students printed at the end of the hour for participation points (10 points possible).

Class Dec 3 & 4

LYRICS PRESENTATIONS

WRITING SKILLS: CRUCIBLE COMPARE/CONTRAST PAPER handouts (hand-drawn handouts that aren't linked here--get them from me).

• "Smartie" New Moon sample paper organization.
  
• "Smartie" Paper--your paper can be organized like a "Smartie" candy. The twists at the top and bottom represent the introduction and conclusion. The candy in the middle represents the "body" of the paper. The body of the Crucible paper is just two paragraphs in which you compare two things--the Crucible and whatever you've chosen to compare it to. For ideas, check blog post below.
• Hamburger paragraph--each body paragraph should be organized like a double cheeseburger. Start with a topic sentence (bun); add lettuce to introduce your first example/specific detail; the first burger is your first example/specific detail; follow with cheese which is commentary that explains your example to the reader; transition (middle bun) to next example; add lettuce, burger, cheese again ; finish with a bottom bun--concluding sentence. Use your colored pencils to color this hamburger.
  

HIGHLIGHTING ACTIVITY
Highlight sample paragraphs. On the back of this handout, practice finding the parts of a double cheeseburger paragraph by coloring sentences in the same colors you used to color the hamburger above.

PREWRITING
Use blank "Smartie" to outline how you'll write the body paragraphs in your own paper.

WRITING LAB
Write one of the body paragraphs for your Crucible paper, print, staple to the highlighted paragraphs, and turn in (10 points).

Class Dec 1& 2

BELLWORK: The Crucible Act 4 reading quiz

THE CRUCIBLE COMPARE/CONTRAST PAPER:

• McCarthy and the Red Scare (movie trailer--Good Night and Good Luck)
• Paper topic
• Paper organization
• Writing Lab
• choose topic and research (if needed)
• create a Word doc--outline organization
• write a thesis statement
• start writing body paragraphs