Tuesday, December 6, 2011

December 5 & 6

This I Believe Personal Essay--see me for the green packet. Today in class, we did a series of Writer's Notebook writing prompts to help students discover a topic.

Writer's Notebook Prompts:
1. Listen to "Be Cool to the Pizza Dude," "Always Go to the Funeral," and "Grown-Up Barbie," and answer this question for each one: What is this person's belief and why is it important to that person? (You can easily find these essays online.)
2. What person or kind of people do you admire?
3. What is something important that your parents (or some other significant person) have taught you?
4. What childhood toy or activity taught you something that's still important today?
5. (green packet, p. 2) Complete the following phrase--I've learned that _____________.
6. What life lesson have you learned from pop culture? (a cartoon, a TV show, a movie, or a song lyric)
7. Find a quote you like and write it in your WN. Then comment on why you like it.

Review everything you wrote in your WN and write your belief statement: I believe _____________. (5 points)

I collected homework ("Thoreau Thinking Readings," yellow packet)

Monday, December 5, 2011

December 1 & 2

Different Drummer, continued

Advertising--The class watched another clip from the PBS documentary "The Merchants of Cool." What methods do advertisers use to sell to teens? How do advertisers use logos, pathos, and ethos? In class, students worked with a partner to analyze a magazine ad and presented their analysis to the class. (10 points)

Thoreau Project--Complete both sides of the "Thoreau: Marching to the Beat of a Different Drummer" handout, including information about the Thoreau Project you've chosen. (12 points)

HOMEWORK, "Thoreau Thinking Readings" (20 points)

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

November 29 & 30

Focus on Thoreau's "different drummer"
1. YouTube video of uninhibited kid.
2. "Life with Principle" DVD--Different Drummer.
3. Discussion questions 1-7.
4. PBS "Merchants of Cool."

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

November 22 & 28

We watched the DVD Tuesdays with Morrie.

Friday, November 4, 2011

November 4 - 21

Finer Things Clubs

HOMEWORK:
1. Read your 35 pages of Tuesdays or Last Lecture.
2. Bring a newspaper article that connects to the reading.

November 2 & 3

Finer Things Club practice (pink) and Finer Things Club rules (green)--see me for packets.

HOMEWORK:
1. Read 35 pages of Tuesdays with Morrie OR The Last Lecture.
2. Find a newspaper/magazine/internet article that relates to the reading.
3. Bring your book and green packet to class.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

October 31 & November 1 (beginning of Term 2)

Rank the Scenario--Decide which of the three kids is the most "awake, aware, and alive."

Thoreau DVD--We watched a DVD clip that describes what Thoreau meant when he said that to live deliberately we should be "awake, aware, and alive."

Living Deliberately Unit--Overview of assignments.

Finer Things Club--From the TV show The Office. More next time.

Book Choice for Clubs--Choose to read either Tuesdays with Morrie or The Last Lecture. Check out your book from the Writing Lab. Bring your book every day to class.

HOMEWORK
Term 2 Book Chat--read an autobiography or biography (at least 220 pages). This is the only book you have to read this term because in December I'll be giving you non-fiction readings for homework.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

October 5 & 6

Modern Witch Hunt Presentations--click here for the assignment
1. If you don't have a Gmail account, create one. Then on Gmail, click on Documents, then New, then Presentation. Share this presentation document with me (pharline@alpinedistrict.org) and your partner. Now both you and your partner can work on it at the same time.
2. Create Assertion/Evidence slides. Take a look at the presentation I'm creating for example slides.
3. Notice that on my presentation that I've added a MLA parenthetical citation every time I get information from a source. I've also created a Works Cited page. The easiest way to create a citation and Works Cited page is to use a Citation Machine (on the PG webpage, Media Center, Citation Machine).

HOMEWORK: Book Chats are 10% of your grade. You must do a Book Chat for your 500 pages between Oct 5 - 14. Otherwise it will be late.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

October 3 & 4

The Crucible--finished DVD to the end.

Final Project: Modern Witch Hunt Presentation--Writing Lab

HOMEWORK:
1. Book Chats are due October 5-14. Book Chats are 10% of your grade.

Friday, September 30, 2011

September 29 & 30

Vocabulary, Week 24, Days 1-4 and Wordsearchwas due. (10 points)

Vocabulary Test (20 points)

The Crucible, Act 4--we listened to the audio and filled out a Listening Guide. If you were absent, see me for this assignment.

The Crucible Final Project: Witch Hunt Presentation--I'm handing this assignment out next time, but basically students will work in partners to create a PowerPoint-like Presentation about a witch hunt that's taken place over the last 100 years.

HOMEWORK:
1. Book Chats are coming up October 3-14. Finish your 500 pages and bring your book.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

September 27 & 28

Vocabulary, Day 4

Read "Why innocent people confess to crimes" and answer the questions.

Literary Elements and The Crucible

A group activity to review plotline, literary elements, and character traits.

Three handouts today.

HOMEWORK:
1. Study 20 vocabulary words--review and test next time!
2. Book Chats are between October 3-14. Please finish your 500 pages of reading by then.

September 23 & 26

Vocabulary, Day 3

Inquiry Questions(green handout)--If you were gone, please answer all the questions.

The Crucible DVD--we watched up to 1:37.

HOMEWORK:
1. Study 15 vocabulary words, Days 1-3.
2. Read your "book chat" book--Book chats are October 3-14.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

September 21 & 22

Vocabulary--Day 2

The Crucible
1. Writer's Notebook--Write one-page self-to-text connection on one of the following topics:
You or someone you know was judged unfairly.
You asked to be forgiven for a wrong you'd done but weren't.
Jealousy (your own or someone else's) caused a problem for you.
Honesty (your own or someone else's) caused a conflict in your life.
Your emotions in a particular situation clouded your judgment.
2. Finish Act 2 audio.
3. Watch DVD.

HOMEWORK:
1. Review 10 vocabulary words.
2. Read your "book chat" book.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

September 19 & 20

Vocabulary--Week 24, Day 1
We are starting a new vocabulary unit meant to help you practice this walkaway: Students will be able to make educated guesses as to the meaning of words by using knowledge they already possess and clues from a text.

Good Inquiry Questions
If you missed class, you need to get the lemon and salmon handouts that help you understand three different kinds of questions: factual, interpretive, and evaluative. (5 participation points)

Puritan Poem: "Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House"

The Crucible, Act 2
1. Finish Act 2 audio.
2. Write some good questions and turn them in. (5 points)

HOMEWORK:
1. Review vocabulary words.
2. Read your "book chat" book.

Friday, September 16, 2011

September 15 & 16

Lyrics Presentations--final day. Turn in logs for 30 points.

Brandon Davies article--turn in homework.

The Crucible--
1. Writer's Notebook prompt: After reading the "walkabout" theory posters, draw a conclusion about what cultural factors helped bring about the witchcraft hysteria.
2. Analyze cultural clues in these cartoons.
3. Act 2 audio

HOMEWORK:
1. Read your "book chat" book.

Monday, September 12, 2011

September 13 & 14

Lyrics Presentations--Table 6

The Crucible
1. Watch DVD to the end of Act 1.
2. Go over Act 1 questions.
3. Culture is a part of the setting: Learn about possible reasons for the witch hysteria by doing a "walk-around." In your Writer's Notebook, answer this prompt: In your opinion, what are the best explanations for witchcraft hysteria? Write a one-page explanation.

HOMEWORK:
1. Read your "book chat" book.
2. Brandon Davies article and response--you can just write the answer on the back/bottom.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

September 9 & 12

Lyrics Presentations--Table 5

Business
1. "Find the English 11 $10 Mystery Crucible Quote" on the back bulletin board.

The Crucible
1. Finish listening to Act 1 audio.
2. Watch DVD.
3. Answer "Questions for Act One of The Crucible."

HOMEWORK
1. Read your book. When you're done with 500 pages, see me to do a "book chat."

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

September 7 & 8

Lyrics Presentations--Table 4

The Crucible--handout
1. Writer's Notebook entry for Act 1
2. Listened to audio of Act 1

Homework:
1. Read your book. When you're done, see me to do a "book chat."

Thursday, September 1, 2011

September 2 & 6

Lyrics Presentations--Table 3

Media Center --Books Looks activity with reading genres. Participation points for showing me your Reading Log and what book you're reading.

HOMEWORK
Your-choice reading. You have a little longer than a month to finish 500 pages on your own.

August 31 & September 1

Lyrics Presentations--Table 2

The Crucible Webquest

HOMEWORK
1. Have you found a book to read yet? We're going to the Media Center next time.
2. Disclosure Document (late)
3. Writer's Notebook decorated (Late)

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

August 29 & 30

Lyrics Presentations--Table 1

Decorate Writer's Notebook

HOMEWORK:
Finish decorating Writer's Notebook
Get Disclosure Doc signed
Choose a book to read at home

Thursday, August 25, 2011

August 25 & 26

Writer's Notebook: What song did you choose for your Lyrics Presentation and why?

Word Origins notes: See blog entry October 27-30, 2009.

Lyrics Presentations preparation

Bananagrams

Disclosure Document

Monday, August 22, 2011

Welcome--August 23 & 24

This Blog: I write what we do every day on this blog. I include links to assignments that can be printed at home.

First day:
1. Welcome and video.
2. Yearbook photos in student center.
3. Word Origins and Lyrics Presentations.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

May 3 & 4

Speaker in a Poem
Use inference to fill out a "Police Report" for the speakers in the six poems. Inference, or "to infer," means to look for contextual clues and use your background knowledge to make an educated guess about meaning.
Poetry Police Reports
Find the six poems listed on the "Police Report" at Poem a Day for High School Students and online.
"The River-Merchant's Wife : A Letter" questions

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

April 28 & 29

Amazing Race: Day 2

April 27 & May 1

April is National Poetry Month: Poetry Reading Competition (10 participation points)

April 25 & 26

Amazing Race: Day 1

Monday, April 25, 2011

April 21 & 22

Literary Elements Notes
Literary Elements Scavenger Hunt
Short Story Quiz
("You Can't Take It with You")

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

April 19 and 20

Ways to Protest: Pros and Cons
Complete "Ways to Protest: Pros and Cons" (both sides) and staple to "Ways to Protest" notes.

April 8 and 18

Research Stations (14 points): Primary/secondary sources; website evaluation; author/book evaluation. See me for packet.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Bloody Protest in Afghanistan

According to this New York Times article, after a Florida pastor burned a copy of the Koran, protesters overran a United Nations office and killed the staff.

Monday, March 28, 2011

March 29 & 30

Protest Song Wiki
1. Request Access to the class wiki page. You can no longer use my password.
2. Go to the class wiki, create your own page, and start adding your research.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

March 25 and 28

Walkaway: Analyze multiple texts on same topic for conflicting information. Investigate the claim that President Obama is creating a black "Gestapo." To practice evaluating websites, go to the following website entry about an Obama secret security service and fill out a Dupe Detector about it:
factcheck.org


Protest Song Wiki
Work with a partner to find a protest song you're both interested in exploring.
The following links should help you find a song:
Songs about Race
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
Next go to the class wiki page and type your names and the name of the song. Then explain why you chose this song and what you think it's protesting. Then go ahead and start your investigation. Don't forget to use Pioneer Online Library (find the link on the PG website).
Abortion Song--Ben Folds Five, "Brick"
Abortion Project

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

March 23 - April 7: Protest Songs Wiki

Inquiry Walkaways
1. Analyze multiple texts on same topic for conflicting information.
2. Evaluate, use, and cite primary and secondary sources.
3. Select an appropriate format to evaluate and report research results.
4. Gather, evaluate, and organize evidence to support a position.
5. Support evaluation and recommendations using paraphrase, summary, and/or quotations.
6. Use informal and formal citations where appropriate to support inquiry.

Protest Songs Wiki

Grading Rubric

Schedule
March 23/24: Protest Songs Wiki assignment
March 25/28: Dupe Detector (Writing Lab)
March 29/30: Wiki Formatting (Writing Lab)
Mar31/Apr 1: Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting (Writing Lab)
April 4/5: Citations (Writing Lab)
April 6/7: Primary and Secondary Sources (Writing Lab)

Songs about Race

Thursday, January 27, 2011

January 26-27, 2011

Root Word:
"dia"
origin: Greek
meaning: across
examples: diameter, diagonal, dialog, dialect, diatribe

Imagery Lesson:
- Imagery refers to descriptive language that evokes sensory experience in literature.
- Imagery involves one or more of the five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound.
- Imagery is evident in literature through the use of descriptive word choice and dialog to create setting, tone, or mood.

Handout:
Sensory Notes / Five Senses: students wrote down descriptive words that used imagery while reading p. 20-36 in Black Like Me, and participated in a Five Senses activity and Imagery Poster.

January 24 - 25, 2011

1. Root Words:
"demo"
origin: Greek
meaning: people
examples: democracy, demography, demonstrate

Inquiry Question Lesson

Three Types of Questions:
1. Factual: "fact" questions that have one answer which is found in the text.
2. Interpretive: "meaning" questions whose answers you must figure out from evidence in the text.
3. Applied: "real life" questions that make you think about the novel in relation to your won life and the real word; they often involve our own opinion and their answers can't be found in the text.

Handouts:
1. Poem: The Road Less Traveled, by Robert Frost / Questions on back
2. Black Like Me Bookmark - write three questions from the reading (p. 10-20)

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Black Like Me

Root Words:
1. ad
origin: Latin
meaning: to
examples: adhesive, adapt, addendum, addition, addict, advocate, advent, adherent

2. cracy
origin: Greek
meaning: government
examples: democracy, autocracy, aristocracy

If you were absent the week of January 18-23, please pick up a copy of the 20 root words, root tree handout, and Black Like Me study guide from Ms. Lant.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

January 13 & 14

Plagiarism Videos
Rutgers Citation Quiz
MLA Style Guide

Your Crucible Comparison Paper is due today. I will begin grading them Tuesday, Jan. 18, and will finish grading within two weeks (scores will go on Term 3). If your paper is not shared with me on Google Docs, it will be late.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

January 11 & 12

Crucible Comparison Paper Editing and Revision

Attributive Tags activity: Students will be able to evaluate and revise writing for introducing a quote effectively and using attributive tags.

January 6 & 7, Book Reports

Interview with the Author Book Report

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

January 5, A-day and January 10, B-day

Writing Lab--print Crucible Paper

Sentence Walkaway--Students will be able to evaluate and revise for sentence rhythm created through sentence construction.


1. Combine sentences: combine these 7 sentences into 1 sentence.
2. Decombine sentences: take apart this sentence and see how many short sentences you can make.
3. Grammar Girl--"Complex-Compound Sentences." Fill in the blanks.
4. Create complex and compound sentences--put these words strips in two piles (one for independent clauses and one for dependent clauses). Then try making up sentences by combining them. If you were absent, invent your own 5 sentences.

HOMEWORK
Non-fiction book reports next time. Bring your book, a visual aid, and the yellow "Interview with the Author" handout.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Assignments Due by the End of Term 2

1. Crucible Vocabulary
  • 14 cartoon rubrics completed.
  • Crucible sentence written for each word (on the green handout).
2. Book Reports--finish your non-fiction book and bring it to class. Also bring the yellow "Interview with the Author" handout to fill out during class.
  • Jan. 6 (A-day)
  • Jan. 7 (B-day)
3. Crucible Comparison Papers--if you have not yet finished your paper, finish it at home on Google Docs. We will go to the Writing Lab on the following dates to revise, edit, and peer review the papers.
  • Jan. 10 & 12 (A-day)
  • Jan. 11 & 13 (B-day)
4. Various in-class writing activities.

January 3 & 4

Crucible Vocabulary


1. Fill out cartoon rubric for these words: titillate, contemptuous, retaliate, grievances.
2. Find each word in the play and write the sentence in which it's found on the green "Crucible Vocabulary" handout.

perjury: I will tell you this--you are either lying now, or you were lying in the court, and in either case you have committed perjury.

retaliation: If retaliation is your fear, know this--I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law.

purged: Why "must" you say it! Why, you should rejoice to say it if your soul is truly purged of any love for Hell!

titillated, p. 838
deposition, p. 865
vile, p. 865
grievances, p. 834
trepidation, p. 846
conjure, p. 847
abominations, p. 834
daft, pp. 857 or 863
incredulous, p. 885
contemptuous, p. 863
vindictive, p. 835

HOMEWORK
Finish your non-fiction book.