Homework+and+Class+Notes+(current)

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= Class Notes and Homework Tips = =To find today's homework and notes listed by DATE, SCROLL DOWN below the explanation of how to use this page. =

= This page includes a LOT of info so class notes may not be fully updated before 5:30. = = = = HW only will be listed by 4:00. = = = = = Email Mrs Ready at readyd@foxborough.k12.ma.us

= EXTRA HELP ON TUESDAYS =

This is a VIEW ONLY wiki--**you do not need to join** to use all the pages. No need to request to JOIN. I expect students to at least **SKIM** through EACH new entry daily and again before tests and quizzes. Remember that rereading and adding any missing highlighted notes to your own notebook sections will help you practice //"Reread + // Rewrite = Remember". How will I know that you checked? By your test and quiz scores of course!

THIS PAGE GIVES YOU.....
= = = Homeroom reminders: in red =
 * = forms parent should have seen, upcoming field trips, requests for parent involvement... =

== **HOMEWORK**:(in teal) To check on today's homework assignment listing only, check after the "HW" under today's date. Scroll down for homework from earlier in the week. I keep ALL assignments posted for each month to help students know what to review for tests and quizzes. Past units homework are kept in archives for reference and to help you study for the final.==

= DOWNLOAD FILES: No More "I FORGOT IT IN MY LOCKER!" = ==Copies of reference sheets, instructions, and worksheets are almost always posted with the homework to help students who occasionally "forget" to take work home. Click on the file to download and save documents to Microsoft Word. Students may type directly onto the word document they save to their documents file or print and hand-write answers.==
 * ==I am happy to accept emailed homework from students as backup for students who have trouble remembering to put work into a backpack.==

= DAILY CLASS NOTES : ( in blue ) A discussion of key points discussed in class each day is listed beneath the HW entry after the blue "Class Notes" heading. Under Class Notes you may find any or ALL of the following, depending on the day:=
 * ==Daily notes  to print, highlight, or compare to your OWN class notes to fill in missing items in your binder. Review the site often to jot down questions to ask in class LONG before a test or quiz. ==
 * ==Warnings about items that will be on upcoming quizzes, tests... ==
 * ==Explanation of concepts covered and examples given by your peers to help you understand ==
 * ==Models and examples of how to complete work ==
 * ==Notice of work I collected or handouts I distributed. If you are out, this will help you know what to turn in or pick up upon your return. YOU are responsible for turning work in after an absence without reminders from me. ==
 * ==[[image:mrsreadysclasses/father-son-13-14_~WESTF11060.jpg width="96" height="161" align="right"]] Find EXTRA CREDIT options-- I sometimes "hide" them in daily notes to get you to READ the daily Class Notes. I almost always write them in green, however, to call attention to them as like "money in the bank". ==

= Key Concepts =
 * =The final segment of each daily entry is EITHER a bullet point list (black font) of some of the MAIN teaching points from each day or POWERPOINT SLIDES used that day that sum up the key concepts covered.=
 * =These are overarching ideas--without all the details--that I hope students take away from that day's class.=
 * =Review these especially hard to prepare for tests and quizzes.=

= MAY and JUNE assignments!! =

DECEMBER AND NOVEMBER Notes and Assignments
=== have been moved to page titled Archived Unit Nov and DEC 2014, October notes on page titled Archived Unit Oct 2014. Notes from September have been moved to "Archived Unit Sept 2014" page. ===

= Fri June 19 = = We are DONE with work! Field trip Monday--remember lunch, water, bug spray, sunscreen and SNEAKERS! Flip flops are NOT a good idea. =

= = = = = Tues June 16 = = Be ready to turn in //Out of the DUST// books THURSDAY. THey will need to be "desticky-noted" after the end of the Socratic Seminar rounds tomorrow. Then put ONE sticky note with your name on the cover and put on back table under your class color, as you did for the Lit books. = = = = Excellent early rounds for Socratic Seminar. = = If you were shy today, come prepared to say something profound and significant tomorrow!! You now know what to expect. Most students report that they are enjoying the flow of ideas. Your final grade is the average of both day's points. =

= The following people still need to bring back literature books OR they are telling someone at home that they owe $70 for a new replacement text! = = = = Green class: Maddie F, Naveah G-A, Samantha H, Cam H, Andrea K, Robert Y, Shayne H = = Yellow: Kyle M = = Blue Joey Cusack, Grace B, Tim H, Chris S, Richard T = = Red class: Jareth, Edina, Shayne K, Jack B, = = = =ORANGE CLASS has returned ALL books. I will have to think of a reward for that!!!=

= Monday June 15 =

= Bring in Field Trip money and permission slips!! Bring in purple text books! Only a few are still missing. = = ALL classes took math final periods 1 and 2. =

= ELA HW: Finish any notes you want to take for final unit test Socratic Seminar on Out of the Dust. The optional chart you could fill in with quotations and connections is posted in the June 4 and again in the June 12 entries. It would have been a good idea to start filling them in when I first posted them, but if you start tonight--better late than never! = - = Class Notes: = = Groups each presented ONE poem from the climax and falling action/resolution section of the novel. Students SHOULD have taken notes on significant lines and observations to share in the Socratic Seminar tomorrow. =

= = = Friday June 12: = = STILL Missing some Literature text books. Bring them in MONDAY!! = = Field Trip permission slips are due! Almost time to have some fun. = = = = ELA: No new homework. Prepare for Socratic Seminars on Tuesday and Wednesday. = = If you will be out EITHER day let me know ASAP and I will have your group go on the day you ARE here. __This is the final test grade of the term, so if you cannot participate orally, I will have to give a written essay final.__ = = = = You MIGHT want to complete some of the Group Discussion Summaries for 114-180 to fill in notes to have for the Seminar. = = I will not grade them, but it might help you keep track of how the book unfolds. = = Class NOTES: Classes finished small group discussions of the last sections of the novel. Groups then presented significant passages from ONE poem they chose. Some groups will finish their presentations Monday. Groups shared some excellent analysis to help peers prepare for the seminars. =

= = = THURSDAY June 11: = = __Permission slips__ and money are due for Field Trip on June 22 to Camp Everwood. = = = = __Yellow sheets__ to select grade 8 Elective were due today. Anyone NOT taking the math elective must get the SIGNED sheet in tomorrow to have a chance at getting a preferred class. =

= ELA HW: RETURN LITERATURE BOOKS!!! About 3/4 are back. Bills go out next week and you do NOT want to pay $70! = = __Yellow, and green classes__ : = = __Orange, blue and Red__ classes: = = I will give FIVE-10 minutes to complete last one in class tomorrow. If you think you will need MORE time, do some work at home tonight. =
 * = Complete the __Group Discussion Summary for pages 180-206__ and __207-227.__ =
 * = complete __Group Discussion Summary for 180-206.__ =

=__Socratic Seminar is Tues and Wed next week. Prepare!__= =__Final benchmark__ test has been moved from MONDAY June 15 back to the original date on the schedule (June 18 and possibly 19th if more time is needed). There is no way to study for the Benchmark--it is a diagnostic comprehension test.= =Friday and Monday classes will be more final review and whole class discussion of the novel to prepare for the Socratic Seminar. A file with an optional grid to take notes for the Seminar is posted in yesterday's entry. It is NOT required but some students have used it in the past to help them review and have all the quotes they might use in one place.=

= Class NOTES: = = I reviewed the schedule change for the Benchmark test in most classes. All classes had full period to discuss and finish Group Discussion Summaries. Someone in the ORANGE class needs to remind me to share the final water bottle results. = = =

= Wednesday June 10: =

Bring in TEXTBOOKS!
== Bring back signed Field Trip Permission Slips and $15 cash for bus and camp. If this is a financial strain, let the office or guidance know--we want everyone to be able to attend a great last chance to socialize as a group. ==

== Take notes that will help you respond in MORE depth during the Socratic Seminar, if you believe you need more specifics based on the practice Socratic Seminar round we had in class today. I am REPOSTING a file with a chart you could fill in to put all your book notes in one place. == The chart has a row of SAMPLE notes ---one example for each SECTION of the book---done for you. You can (and should) download and save the chart to be one of YOUR documents and add 3 or MORE examples under EACH section for the rest of the book. The boxes will expand as you type to fill them in.

== Students have used this format with success in the past. You do not HAVE to fill this in, but it may help if you did not do the reading logs with enough details or think deeply enough about the Essential Questions for homework. Remember that you will not really have time to flip through ALL your notes during the Socratic Seminar discussion and filling in the chart will be a good review to refresh your memory about the entire book now that we have finished. We will discuss the final sections in small groups tomorrow and as a whole class on Friday. ==

Final ELA benchmark on Monday--nothing you can study for..
= Socratic Seminar will be held next Tues and Wed--Thursday if needed. =

= Class Notes =

= Classes discussed the use of FORM and GRAPHICS in the poem "The Dream" on page 193. = = = = I played the "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven recording that is below and students made connections between the FLOW of the music and the FLOW of the poem. Hesse's poem "On Stage" visually connected with the staccato speed and mood of joy and energy of Billie Jo's jazz piano. "the Dream", about her connection to her mother through the piano is smooth "legato" -- a calming repetition of 3 notes/lines that waft down the page in waves. The words AND the shape of the words in "The Dream" combine for a melancholy, sad but soft effect. Billie Jo's mother would likely have played a classical piece like "Moonlight Sonata" and the poem connects the beginning of the book to the point near the end when she finds some peace. She is finally not haunted by her mother, but instead she finds comfort in the things, like music, that they shared. The memories are less painful. = = Note the piano memory after the accident was "The Nightmare"--and at the end it has softened to "The Dream." =

= = media type="youtube" key="5-MT5zeY6CU" width="374" height="181"

If I had not recycled them, they would have been added to the landfills where they often blow away, into rivers and streams, killing wildlife and polluting. (I did actually recycle them today).
== We all get a little lazy sometimes--but we noted in class that if that is what I collected, if you multiple my 137 times 10 grade 7 classes, and then 10 grade 8, and then ALL the 5th and 6th, and the teachers room, and all the schools in Foxborough, and all the businesses in Foxborough, and all the schools and businesses in Massachussetts 351 citeis and towns, and all of New England....... ==

== The novel is in part a lesson about what happens when we don't think beyond our current convenience and assume someone else will figure out solutions for us down the road. The people who plowed up all the land did not think ahead to the destruction the CURRENT crops' profits might bring--the picture of the old man in the rain showing SHEER JOY reminds us of how miraculous rain and clean water can be. == == Students emptied the contents of the water bottles and found we wasted approximately 9 gallons of water that students would just be pouring into a sewer or adding to trash at a landfill. Again--multiply the waste!!! ==

== Living with the bottles is a little taste of what it is to live with the consequences of our actions. Because taking the garbage away makes it seem like the PROBLEM is gone--we are not feeling pressure to act more responsibly--just as the government did not take action in the novel to help the people find better ways to conserve soil until a dust storm reached the East Coast to give them a taste of what they ignored. ==

== Below are the pictures from this year. We are actually doing a little BETTER than prior years when I did this experiment! Maybe by the time I retire there will be NO bottle left not recycled and MORE folks using reusable containers whenever possible. ==

= = = = = = = = = =

= = = Tuesday June 9 = = = = ELA HW: = = OPTIONAL work for next few days: Most students received summer reading packets with suggestions for the FREE CHOICE book and directions for the REQUIRED book, //Standing Tall//. Since your recommendations to each OTHER may carry more weight than MY ideas for what you may want to read, __I encourage you to go onto the COLLABORATION page of the One-Note notebook for your class and add titles and authors and a LITTLE bit about some of the best books you have read on your own__ this year or last. I will combine ALL the lists and post so all classes can share. This is NOT required, but would be a way of FEELING GOOD by helping others. If you do not remember how to USE the One-Note collaboration page, just send me an email with the book information. =
 * 1) = READ pages 206 -227. Sticky note quotes you might use for the final reading log, which is due THURSDAY. You do NOT need to finish Group Discussion Summary due to lack of discussion! =
 * 2) = Bring back purple literature texts to avoid a $70 bill for replacement. About HALF have been returned. I would like to get them ALL by Friday at the latest. =
 * 3) =__ Suggest Summer Reading options for your peers: __=

= Class Notes: = = Completed pop quiz on last night's homework. If you were out today, show me the homework on Miss Freelander tomorrow at the start of class. =

= Finished watching the documentary on the Dust Bowl Era. Students who did not see the whole movie do not HAVE to make it up, but MAY come after school to watch it tomorrow if they want to. Unfortunately, it is not on-line. =

= I read an excerpt from a non-fiction book that discusses Melt White's family--one of the main figures in the movie. We briefly noted how much more tragic the writing was than what was on screen. It is amazing when words create a more vivid picture than the ACTUAL picture--and I think the documentary is extremely well done. = = =

= Monday June 8 = = ELA HW: = = 1. CHANGE TO READING CALENDAR: __Group Discussion Summary for pages 180-206 is NOT due tomorrow since we did not have discussions.__= = 2. __Find THREE examples of times that Miss Freelander tried to help Billie Joe learn that helping others may help Billie Jo get over her troubles. Miss Freelander also shows her that not feeling alone in our troubles is also a way out of a tragedy.__ These examples can be from ANYWHERE in the book. Put a sticky note near each example so you can share in class tomorrow. = = 3. Remember to bring purple textbooks back! =

= Class Notes: = = We discussed a theme of the book related to HOW to reclaim happiness when life puts obstacles in your way. Ma's example and Ms Freelander efforts to help BJ see that we are all probably more fortunate than SOMEONE, can help us find meaning and contentment by working and helping someone else. = = = = We watched more of the documentary and paused to find and discuss parallels between the real life struggles of the poeple in the Dust Bowl era and the fictional situations in the novel. = = = = I finished checking ALL reading logs and the Group Discussion Summaries for pp 62-84 and 87-114. Anyone who was out today should check in to show me work tomorrow. =

= Friday June 5 = = Read 180-206 and do Daily Reading Log. = = Bring in Purple Literature books--Put a sticky note with your name on TOP of book and put in your class color's pile on BACK TABLE. DO NOT PUT WITH Books on the wall with the sink. I need to check in each text. Lost books will result in bill for about $70!!! so drag it out from under the bed or wherever it is. = = Class Notes: = = All classes took Literary Terms final. You MUST stay after Monday or Tuesday to make up missing tests if you were absent today!!! We are running out of time! = = = = Classes had some time after the test to get started on the homework. =

= = = = = Thursday June 4 = = ELA HW: Study for Literature Terms final!!! = = NO need to finish Group Discussion Summary sheet since very little time was given to discussion today. = -- = Class Notes: = = __Socratic Seminar Preview:__ = = I reviewed HOW the Final Unit Test Socratic Seminar will run and be scored. Below is a blank copy of the scoring sheet. Some students wanted this to better focus note-taking in the reading logs. = = = = = = = = = = I am also posting a __sample chart format for consolidating ALL novel notes__ onto one sheet to prepare for the Socratic Seminar Discussion. The chart breaks the novel into sections and you can type 6 or more examples for each section of the plot so you have something to say if OTHER class mates use up your quotes before you get to speak. Students cannot earn credit for repeating the SAME EXACT ideas and quotes as other students during the seminar. = = = = SCHEDULE CHANGE: The seminar will NOT start until June 16 and will run through June 18. The Benchmark originally planned for the 18th and 19th has been changed to June 15. = = = = I completed lessons on Concrete Poetry and the poems "The Dust Storm" and "Broken Promises" for all classes. Basic points are listed in Class Notes from June 2, Tuesday entry. =

= WEDNESDAY June 3 =

__**In Part A: Connections and conclusions boxes**__ you must do TWO things--
== __**For Part B--style/Craft:**__ YOU MUST __use a"/" to show where the line breaks are__ in the quotations you choose. This relates directly to the FINAL question in that part which asks HOW and WHY Hesse uses GRAPHICS and FORM. __GRAPHICS and FORM ARE the line breaks and other ways the words appear on the page__ that DIFFER from how other types of writing appear. An essay does not randomly start new lines in the middle of phrases or sentences the way a modern poem does. There is a REASON for these breaks and __you HAVE TO EXPLAIN why you think she chose the breaks she did. What is she emphasizing? BE SPECIFIC.__ ==
 * == explain WHAT is happening in the novel __connected to the quote you choose and HOW the quote relates to the essential question__ ==
 * == AND you must give a __brief text to self__ (or text to world or other text) connection to show how the writing helps readers think BEYOND the story to bigger ideas on how to live life happily or in a meaningful way. ==

== IF you answer the questions about figurative language, sound devices and graphics by saying NONE are present--then you did a REALLY poor job of selecting a poetic line and should try to find something better! ==

All classes took required __SRI reading diagnostic__ benchmark. __IF YOU WERE ABSENT YOU MUST make this up ASAP during 20 minutes after lunch.__
== I checked reading logs for MOST students to see if they were completing them correctly and completely as indicated in the bullet points above. EVEN IF YOU RECEIVE a 15/15 completion grade for homework, I STILL expect you to __go back and revise items that were weak, based on the notes I made on your paper__--or the notes above if I did not get to you yet. If you have LESS than what I note above, you will struggle during the Socratic Seminar test in which you have to quickly respond with information in an oral test using your notes. ==

=__Unfinished argument essay benchmarks: SEE ME__ is you are not done with the Argument essay Benchmark. I can grant more time if you are one of the people who stayed after Tuesday--or if you were out during one of the classes we worked on it. If you have a special circumstance that merits more time, SEE ME.

=

= Tues June 2 = = HW: = = 1. __Read and sticky note pages 153-179 Reading Log will be due Thursday.__ = = You do NOT HAVE to complete Group Discussion Summaries for pages 136-151, but might WANT to while today's discussions are fresh in your heads. I will not require it, because we were pressed for time in class and I want all groups to concentrate MORE on meaningful discussion than on filling in a worksheet. If you struggle, however, you might want to fill in the sheet by yourself to have more complete notes for the FINAL test--the oral discussion of details and themes in the book using your notes. =

= 2. Study for Lit Terms final--do it ACTIVELY! Don't just look at the page a few times. =

Class Notes: = Class discussions differed from class to class. I will try to complete all parts of the two poetry lessons in all classes over the next few days--between tests. A numbered list of topics covered is below. Different classes got through different items as noted below. = = = = Green and yellow and blue classes had about 10 minutes to discuss the last section of reading. Orange and Red will have some time tomorrow. Groups that began discussions also Filled in SOME of group discussion summary. =

= Green covered items 1-5-stopeed at Lindbergh reference. = = Yellow did items 3-8. = = Orange did items 1-3. = = Blue did 3-5--stopped at Daddy returning from storm = = Red covered 1-5. =

= Correct me tomorrow if I have your classes' notes wrong! Hard to remember where I left off after Gronk visit! = = =
 * 1) = Full class discussion and lesson on CONCRETE poetry. Showed kid playing Ragtime music to show the energy the music had and the need for being able to have a hand that can stretch wide and move fast would be essential to be as good as BJ was at playing it. =
 * 2) = CONCRETE POETRY discussion: Discussed the poem "On Stage" as example of a setting a baseline for happiness--the passion and life that music gave BJ before the accident makes the problems AFTER even harder to take. We noted the SHAPE of the poem matching the CONTENT and FEELING. Looked briefly at other poems "Hope in a Drizzle" p. 88 and "Broken Promise" p.147, which are shaped a little like single drops and take up so little space on an empty page--the way the rain was almost nothing in the massive expanse of parched land. =
 * 3) = Began discussion of "dust Storm" p142-146. Noted that the LONG poems in the book are NOT that frequent so they MUST be filled with important info--always take notes on THEM. REALLY long and REALLY short usual signal something worth reading twice. =
 * 4) = Read and analyzed "Dust Storm" together line by line to see how it shows =
 * 5) = Sensory imagery--great examples of language that make the reader see and hear and feel and even taste the agony of a slow battle to get home through it for herself and her dad and the way they are beaten and spent when they make it home =
 * 6) = Deep analysis of how the poem shows how MUCH BJ and Daddy care about each other in their actions, and how impossibly silent they are when they need to be supporting each other. They both risk their lives for each other in the storm, but then never celebrate hanging on to life when they are safe--no hugs, no conversation--the space between them is DRY and DUSTY as the atmosphere. =
 * 7) = One student sticky-noted the poem as "The MOST depressing poem." =
 * 8) = We noted that the NEXT poem after the long misery of the dust storm is "Broken Promises" --a short and heart-rending sentence that kills all hope. "It rained/a little/everywhere/but her." THis poem shows FORM--just as the Concrete :on Stage poem did. The way the lines break give false hope and then dash it. After the two poems, it feels like there is nothing positive in store for the characters either physically or emotionally. The little bit of a bright spot that came from "The Competition" and the baby at the school are in the rear-view mirror. =

= - = = Monday June 1 = = ELA HW: = > = =
 * = Complete Reading Log for pages 136-151. No excuses since this has been the only HW assigned since I gave it last THURSDAY. =
 * = Study for Lit Terms final: Below is an OPTIONAL format to do literary terms FLASHCARDS (on-line or by hand if you download and print) Remember that Quizlet.com is ALSO a good study tool for the kids who prefer to use technology. =

= Class Notes: = = Completed Benchmark Argument essays. Any students who were absent or who need more time MUST plan on staying after tomorrow--Tues. If this is not possible, notify me as soon as possible. = = =

= Friday May 29 = = ELA: Same as yesterday! = = Class NOTES: = = Check page 3 of Vocab test in particular--if you missed definitions for Symbolism or Exposition, you that these are terms to focus on as you study for the Lit Terms Final next Friday. =
 * =__ Handed BACK: Grammar review quiz, Act II vocabulary quiz __=
 * = All classes had full period to work on Benchmark Argument Essay =

Students who were out should plan to stay after TUESDAY to finish essay if they do not finish in class on Monday.
= Thursday May 28 = = Final Bookfair day is FRIDAY. Students from my ELA classes may visit the Bookfair after lunch FRIDAY if they were out or if they have a book being held for pickup. =

= ELA: NO NEW homework. See yesterday's entry for HOW to use tonight wisely to be caught up or AHEAD for next week's reading work and Literary Terms Final. = = The Group discussion Summary for pages 115-135 does NOT have to be completed for homework, but you MAY choose to in order to have better notes for the Socratic Seminar. = --- = Class NOtes: = = __Handed BACK and REVIEWED:__ __**Worksheet on the CAUSES**__ of Ma's burns and the __EFFECTS__ of the burns on all the characters. (Orange class will get them tomorrow). = = Student answers for causes were good, but the "effects" responses were not great. Up to half of students noted events that happened BEFORE the fire as an effect--which makes no sense. = = I reviewed the concept of how the burns received in the accident are the INCITING CONFLICT in the book and AFFECT every character's future actions in the book. Students were to correct the sheet to have better notes for the final Socratic Seminar discussion TEST grade. = = = = I __checked Group Discussion Summaries that were to be completed today for pp. 87-114.__ =

=__ Issues to address in FUTURE Group DISCUSSION SUMMARIES __= = THEME: Students are having trouble with THEME. We reviewed that THEME is NOT a sentence that explains events or discusses any specifics from the text. THEME is a GENERAL and timeless statement that is an observation about life or human nature that could apply to other stories. = = = = __NOT__ THEME: //Billy Jo and her Dad are hopeful after it snows a little//. (This is too specific. It is PLOT--not THEME) = = THEME: //People need hope to survive hard times//. OR = =// Even small positive moments can help people keep hope alive to carry on after devastation. //= = = = __Students had 10 minutes to finish discussions of pp 115-135__ and completed at least SOME of the Group Discussion Summary. It does NOT have to be completed for homework. = = = = __I gave directions for Benchmark exam essay test__. Students started reading the article they will respond to in essay form. The classes will have ALL of tomorrow's class and at least some of Monday's class to complete the work. I am allotting 80 minutes of class time. Students need to budget time efficiently. This is a test of how well you can use LIMITED IN-CLASS TIME TO:=
 * =READ ACTIVELY (highlighting AND taking very brief margin notes on WHY you highlighted)=
 * =FInd CREDIBLE evidence to develop and support an opinion, and=
 * =Draft and REVISE 4-6 logical and persuasive paragraphs.=

= Wednesday May 27 = = BOOK FAIR: Green and Red classes will visit bookfair after lunch. Students from other classes who visited the Book Fair on Wed may return after lunch to pay for any books they put on hold. Get a book for summer reading that YOU actually want to read. Buy-one-get-one free. =


 * == Complete the __Group Discussion Summary for pages 87-114__ if your group did not finish it in class. You will have 10 minutes of class time tomorrow to complete the Group Discussion Summary for 115-135. ==

Blank Group Discussion Summary form if you left yours at school:


 * = __Begin reading of 136-151__ and putting sticky notes on poems you will want to return to for writing your Reading Log. The Daily Reading log for these pages will not be due until TUESDAY June 2--due to a break needed to complete an essay benchmark exam over the next 2 days. =


 * == STUDY for final!!!! Use this lighter homework night or two to study for __NEXT Friday's Literary Terms test.__ ==
 * == It is the same day as the science project is due, so do NOT wait until the last minute. If you have been studying for the unit tests with literary terms on them all year, the final should not require much preparation. Copies of the study guide I gave you a week ago are available on the REPRINTS page of this site. ==

= Class Notes: = =__ Ecology lesson: Why sod is stubborn as Dad... __= = I completed discussion of the importance of the LONG, strong roots of native prairie grasses (sod). We looked at the pictures below and saw that many of the plants had roots up to 16 feet long that held the soil during droughts before the Dust Bowl years. This underscores that while the drought was a natural disaster, it was made much worse by the MAN-MADE issues created when we attempted to farm every possible acre to earn every possible profit--not thinking ahead to the destruction the strategy would create. =

== ROOTS poster. Compare root length of these native grasses that once covered most of the Great Plains, to the 1-3 feet long roots of wheat that was grown after the sod was "busted" by plows to create fields for crops. == ==

= Picture showing the long and DENSE roots structures that helped native species survive centuries of occasional droughts. = = = = Students watched a little more of the documentary about the Dust Bowl years. = = = = Students completed small group discussions of pages 87-114 of the novel and worked on Group Discussion Summaries. Some groups began discussions of pp 115-135-- to be completed in class tomorrow. I sat in with groups to check on the depth of discussion taking place. =

= Tuesday May 26 = = BOOK FAIR during 20 minutes. Orange, Yellow, and Blue classes will visit the book fair on Wed. = = Red and Green classes will visit on Thursday. Pick out a title or two for summer reading. Bring cash if you are intending to buy a book. Its BOGO time. =

You do NOT have to complete the Group Discussion Summary of pages 87-114 that you started in class today.
= Class Notes: = = = = Groups discussed Reading Log entries for pp 87-114. Some groups began the Group Discussion summary worksheet. = = All classes watched some more of the movie "Surviving the Dustbowl". Anyone who was absent can watch the movie after school next Tuesday. = = Blue and yellow class had brief overview of what SOD is and how the LONG roots of native prairie grass prevented Dust Bowl erosion--but plowing away all the native grass to farm, led to the massive erosion as topsoil blew away during the drought condiditons of the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s in the central plains of the U.S. = = =

= Friday May 22 = = I was out. Students had 10 minutes of class to complete Group Discussion Summary for pp 62-84. Students had the rest of the period to READ pp 87-114 and complete the Daily Reading Log. Students were to complete any remaining Reading Log work assigned for class over the weekend. = = =

= = = Thursday May 21 = = CHANGE TO HW posted on the Reading Calendar!! = = HW: Students MUST complete the Cause and Effects charts. =

== = __Students do NOT have to finish the Discussion Summary sheets for pp .62-84 or homework.__ = = We will have 10 minutes at the start of class tomorrow to do this since our first discussions needed some instruction. = = = = 30 minutes will be given in class tomorrow to read pages 87-114 AND finish a Daily Reading Log. If you want to some of the READING tonight and sticky note some passages to use for the reading log, that will help you finish everything during class so there is no homework for the long weekend .=

=--= = Class Notes = = __I reviewed what kerosene__ is to help students understand the "Accident" poem. I reviewed HOW to complete the "Cause/Effect" worksheet. No full sentences needed. Just be sure to NAME specific characters and a specific cause or effect. No quotations needed for this assignment--just brief summary of an event from the novel in each box. = = = = __I reviewed how to conduct a small group discussion of the novel.__ = = I discussed how to fill in the Group Discussion Summary sheet and had students write in the page numbers for the day and the definition of theme posted on the board. I discussed examples of correct answers for each of the blanks. = = = = __Students had some time in class to reread the "Accident poem"__ and begin the cause and effect chart as __I checked the Daily Reading Log homework.__ Most of the logs were done well and show terrific insights and close reading. = = = =__ Issues to correct on PArt A answers: __= = I reviewed with the class that a few people need to step it up ONE notch to be sure they have TWO to THREE sentences in the Part A "Connections and Conclusions" box. Refer back to my model to be sure you explain HOW the quote you selected relates to the Essential question topic. THEN relate the events from the book to a real life connection in your own life or to the world and how life works. = = = =__ Issues with Part B answers: __= = A very few students were NOT finding examples of great STYLE for part B. PArt A is about thought-provoking events or ideas in the novel, but Part B is more about word choice and poetic expression. Be sure to find a line that is beautifully or powerfully written. = = = =__ Issues with Part C __= = A few students did not take the time to actually look up the word they found. One student said the work was done in the car so there was no dictionary--That is not an excuse. Use the dictionary on your phone if you have one, or look up the word during homeroom. = = = =__ AWESOME first literary discussions. __= = Students then held their FIRST literary discussions. I was thrilled to hear deep discussion and students helping each other to clarify ideas and to better understand the events of the novel. Students had sophisticated observations about how Hesse used poetic language and a real appreciation for the beauty and power of telling the story in verse. = = = = Some groups will need a little time to conclude review of the notes in their reading logs for pages 62-84 and to finish the Group Discussion Summary in class tomorrow. =

= = = Wednesday May 20 =

= Complete ALL (parts A, B and C) of the Daily Reading Log for pages 62-84. = = = = If ALL parts are not complete, you cannot take part in the group literature discussion and will spend the period finishing the work in the hall for half credit. You will ALSO have to complete the Group Discussion Summary by yourself. YOU MUST come to class prepared for literature circles to work. = = The __files with the instructions AND blank pages you received in class CAN be reprinted from the files I posted in Class Notes under handouts in the MAY 19 entry and on the Reprints page of this site.__ =

= = = = = __The Reading and homework calendar for the REST of the YEAR__ is also in the May 19 entry and on the Reprints page of this site. = = I will not be entering much more on this homework page this year unless there are CHANGES to the schedule. Check quickly each night to monitor for changes. = = Keep the hard copy of the schedule with you EVERY day --at home and at school. = = = = I strongly suggested that students __use a single folder for Out of the Dust related handouts only__. Losing any of the homework make the final Socratic Seminar very difficult. =
 * = REREAD the instructions and look at the model I gave you to be sure you are doing the work correctly. =

= Class Notes: =
 * == Classes viewed short clips of how a Socratic Seminar is conducted. ==
 * == Students reviewed homework requirements for tomorrow. ==
 * == Classes read and discussed 3 definitions of happiness. Small group discussion on which definition STUDENTS most agreed with and which definition HESSE (the author of Out of the Dust) might agree with, using specific examples from the homework done on what makes her characters happy or sad. Half of the class then held a very short Socratic Seminar--running a discussion of the book and the philosophies with no teacher intervention for about 4 minutes. ==

==I accepted some late homework for partial credit. No more credit can be earned for missing Happy/sad quotations homework. Students are still encouraged to complete it to be able to speak intelligently about the first 60 pages of the book during the Socratic Seminar.== = =

= Tuesday May 19 = = ELA HW: Read page 62-84 in novel //Out of the Dust--// and put sticky notes near ideas related to the "Essential Questions" discussed in class today and in handout on how to do Daily Reading Log. Reading log will be tomorrow's homework. = == = Class Notes: = =__ Handed out: __= = __Study Guide for Literary Terms final on June 5.__ = = I reviewed each page of the guide and had students highlight items. = = Study in chunks --you should know most of the material already. I will do not further class review of the study guide. = = =

=__ Handed out: __= = __Reading Calendar of assignments and Reading Log blanks__ (Orange class will get this tomorrow) = = This has the reading, homework, and test dates for the REST of the year. It includes 7 blank Daily Reading Logs for students to complete the remaining written homework. =

Below is a file with the Reading Calendar only
= = =__ Handed out: __= =__ Instructions for completing Daily Reading Logs __= = The first page has instructions for completing Parts A, B, and C of the log for each night's reading. Page 2 has the ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS to think about when choosing 2 significant quotations from the day's reading for Part A of the log. Pages 3 and 4 are completed Daily Reading Log pages for pages 1-61 of the novel for students to use as a MODEL of what I want filled in each night. =

== The file below has all of the instructions and sample language I handed out in class. This file ALSO has a Blank Reading Log to use if you prefer saving it to YOUR documents as a template and filling it in on line each night. ==

[[file:2014 Daily Reading Log instructions and examples.doc]]
=__ Handed out: __= = __Three explanations of philosophies about what makes people happy__; = = We will review these and relate them to the novel tomorrow or Thursday. = = =

= I reviewed the first 3 documents with all classes EXCEPT the Orange class. Orange Class reviewed the Literary Terms Study Guide and the Instructions for the Reading Log only and then watch some more of the documentary. We will complete the review of the Reading Calendar and how to fill in logs tomorrow with the Orange Class. =

= Monday May 18 = = ELA HW: No NEW homework. = = __If you owe ANY portion of the Argument Essay packet that was due today, I will accept late work for a reduction in credit tomorrow--so DO it__. = = Everything that was REQUIRED to be turned in is listed in the Friday May 15 entry below. If you send it to me by EMAIL by 3:30, I will not deduct late points. = = = = __If you were OUT today__--you MUST turn in the work tomorrow, unless you have a note from home saying you were sick over the weekend and could not finish final revisions. Be sure the folks at home know that you were supposed to have finished and revised everything by LAST FRIDAY's class and that the weekend time was to edit the Works Cited sheet. If your weekend was ruined because you were doing the entire project, that was your own poor time management choice. = = = = __For the small group of people who had a sick day or two over the past week__, I discussed that YOU may take as many days as you were out to complete the essay without losing any credit. I If you have a question, I can be reached by email until about 5 pm. =

= Class Notes: = = I collected all essays, Works Cited lists, organizers, and Notes for Argument essay. = = Students were notified of reductions for any work passed in after today and conditions that would allow extra time. = = = = I introduced a documentary on the Dust Bowl period that gives important historical background and helps students understand the real live issues that the writer of Out of the Dust brings to life in the novel. We are ending our year as we began it, noting how FACT fuels FICTION. We reviewed a Word Splash with terms from the movie to listen for. Students had to predict which words might related to each other on the list as a way to focus attention on the terms as they watch. They watched the first 5 minutes or so. = == = HOMEROOM had its pizza party to celebrate submitting the most box tops for education for House B. Many thanks to all the parents and guardians who contributed time and effort to clip and save the box tops and remember to get them in--(Especially Ryanne's family whose final infusion put us over the top!) Jade thought the party was for her birthday--but that was worth celebrating too. Finishing PARCC was worth celebrating as well. =

= Friday May 15 = == Complete final revisions and editing of your argument essays. Turn in ALL final material on MONDAY. BEFORE class, staple ALL of the following together as a packet--be sure your NAME is on the essay. Put the Essay on top and then insert the rest in the order listed below. ==
 * = FINAL revised and edited ESSAY =
 * == 1-4 pages; double-spaced, 12 point font, 5-8 paragraphs must meet ALL FCAs from instructions sheet. ==
 * = 1 page Works Cited list, properly formatted using reference sheet I provided (and posted on Snow Day Argument page) with at least 4 entries =
 * = ONE complete organizer =
 * = FOUR completed Note-taking forms =

=Revising and EDITING checklist:= =A student asked for the file that has the pink and blue revising and editing checklists you used for your research essay writing. If you left yours at school, here is the file.=



__Late submissions will NOT be accepted for full credit__
== unless you have already spoken to me about health or computer issues that allow an extra day. If you were out any days from Thursday May 7 to Friday 15, you have an extra day to make up the work for each day you were sick. ==

__ I will NOT accept excuses that you cannot print or type. __
== If necessary, __you can hand-write the essay if I have a note from home that the computer failed.__ If you have followed 7 days of directions, you would have printed out your notes so that doing the handwritten version would not be a problem. I will accept work that is emailed to me or shared via One-Drive if you have printing issues. == == __I will check my messages SATURDAY__ if you need to send me a passage for feedback or ask a question. I will __NOT be working Sunday__. DO NOT email me questions UNTIL you have reread the directions, the FCAs, the entries from Last THURSDAY until today on this website, and the Snow Days Argument Exercises page on this website. ==

=__ Citing "Snowed Out" article: __= = Since Easy bib does not recognize how to format the citation for the "News Debate-Snowed Out" article and the website is complicated--just copy and paste the citation below. =

= "News Debate--Snowed Out." //ReadWorks//. Weekly Reader Corporation, 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. =

I have ALSO posted a PDF copy of the article News Debate--Snowed out!" on the Snow Days Argument Exercises page in the section with the BLUE heading for Other Sources.

-- =__ Class Notes: __= =__ Review of common issues with Works Cited formatting __= = We looked at Works Cited drafts from students to show common problems and how to solve them. = = = = = =__ DOUBLE CHECK EASY BIB entries: __= = Easy bib helps but it is JUST a non-thinking machine and it makes mistakes. I reviewed HOW ESAY-BIB sometimes puts information in the wrong place in your entry. = = = = __You must CENTER the words Works Cited__--you cannot call it ANYTHING else. Double space between the title and the first entry. = = = = __Works Cited MUST be on a separate page.__ If you do NOT know how to start a separate page, google "How to insert a page break". I = = = = = =__ Reread your essays and check off whether you have met EVERY FCA. __= = Classes had a little time for me to conference with some students as other revised or drafted Works Cited lists. =
 * = __Hanging Indents:__ I showed students how to go to the "paragraph" tab in Microsoft Word to find the "special" dropdown box to click on Hanging Indent to indent the SECOND line of Works Cited entries. Tabbing will not hold the formatting. =
 * == Google "how to create a hanging indent" if you cannot remember what I showed you. ==
 * = Single Spacing problems =
 * = If the formatting will not allow you to single space a two-line Works Cited entry, click on the little arrow by the Paragraph tab and looks for the SPACING drop down and if it says AUTO--or 10pt--click on the arrow to reset it to "0" and you can then single space. =
 * =Google "How to single space when Microsoft Word won't let me"=
 * = __Even if you use Easybib, you still have to look at the reference sheet I gave you and look at EACH tiny detail__ (article title in quotation marks, Web Site title in italics, dates list DAY then Month....) and make corrections if necessary. =

= = = Thursday May 14 = == ELA HW: Finish your draft essay to review and revise in class tomorrow. If you decide you STILL need to make some changes, you can turn in the final drafts on MONDAY. HAve all the information you need about at least FOUR sources you used == == If you use Easybib or another citation website, print it out and I can give you pointers on what to change, if anything. If you just bring the sources--that is OK--we can use some class time to put them into the correct format for a Works Cited page in class. ==
 * == author, ==
 * == title of article or web page; ==
 * == title of web SITE; ==
 * == publisher of sponsoring organization (if known); ==
 * == date of publication ==

Read the first 61 pages of Out of the Dust and finish the "Happy/Sad" quotations worksheet I gave out in class and posted in Tuesday's Homework entry.
---

== Below is a Sample of a FINISHED argument essay and works cited list for you to use as a model. This was used in class today--I have made a few revisions based on class discussions of weaknesses in the draft. ==



The MLA reference sheet I handed out today to help with citing sources is also available at the bottom of the Snow Day Argument Exercises page of this website.
= WEDNESDAY May 13 = = I am NOT planning on staying after to help with argument essays tomorrow. = === I already have stayed Mon, Tues, and Wed to offer help. See me during 20 minutes. I will try to conference with students during classes tomorrow but I cannot help you if you do not have all notes, organizers, and draft information printed! If you do NOT have a printer, you may email documents to me to print. ===

= ELA HW: = = I. **__Continue work on draft arguments. PRINT ALL NOTES AND ORGANIZERS AND DRAFTS__** __at home or in homeroom__--we will NOT have access to computers in class and we will be doing some revision and writing. = = = = You should already have completed: = = In class tomorrow, we will revise HOW you cite sources in the text and what the Works Cited list should look like. If you had trouble introducing the sources in your text, we can fix that tomorrow. =
 * = **__FOUR separate note-taking sheets__** ( one for EACH article you found quotes from) =
 * = __ONE organizer__: that shows what your THREE main reasons are, the 2-3 pieces of evidence you will use for EACH reason (for a total of 6-9 quotations in the essay) from ALL 4 notes charts you will use in your essay, what ORDER you will use the quotes in, your HOOK- and claim statement, and your closing ideas. I posted two DIFFERENT options for you to use to order your thoughts. =
 * = __A COMPLETE DRAFT ESSAY__(Opening - with hook, 3 body paragraphs - one with a counterclaim) and a closing paragraph. =

**__WARNING: Some folks are still not understanding the need to SAVE work done from templates__** to your OWN documents file. You **__cannot just press save after downloading__** from any internet site. It just disappears into the cloud. You have to press SAVE AS and click on your DOCUMENTS and give it your OWN name to find it later. I save all blank templates to my documents BEFORE I start to fill it in so I don't forget later and lose an hour of work. See me tomorrow if you are confused by this.

= __II. Finish reading pages 1-61 in //Out of the Dust//__ = = if you are in good shape on the Argument. If you are one of the many people who NEVER did an organizer or who discovered that you need to do MORE research because your source note-taking was weak, concentrate on the Argument and catch up on the reading over the weekend. The happy/sad Worksheet I posted YESTERDAY and handed out in class is technically due Friday, but I will not check it until Monday. =

=__ III. Novel note-taking tips __= = A few people asked what to take notes on in the novel if you are already using sticky notes to help with comprehension and for the oral test in June--Below are the topics that are ALWAYS worth taking notes on for ANY novel. You do not have take notes on ALL of these topics--they are just suggestions for the kinds of things to notice as you read: =


 * QUESTIONS!!! Historical references that you do NOT understand and want clarified; plot events you don't understand, poems that you don't seem relevant or important**


 * STYLE: Language you like or love**--figurative language, interesting words, interesting poetic format


 * CHARACTER NOTES:** traits shown by characters that might affect how the plot unfolds and where conflicts might spark


 * PLOT EVENTS:** that SURPRISE, that seem clever to you, that seem like they MAY be significant later


 * THEMES:** What big life questions does the action or the characters make you think about? Are there connections to YOUR life? Are there any lessons or examples about how to live a better life in what the characters do or SHOULD have done?


 * POINT OF VIEW:** Does Billie Jo see the world and the events differently than adults? Differently than boys? Differently than if the story were told by a GROWN Billie Jo looking back at her childhood?

No need for notes on every poem--maybe stop to note something every 3-4 poems. That is why just reading it through FIRST to see which poems stick with you BEFORE skim re-reading and taking notes might be a good strategy--especially until you get a feel for where the story is going and how she writes.

= Class Notes: = = = = PARCC testing for first 4 periods. Met with Green and blue classes only and reviewed some common errors found in Argument Essay writing drafts and organizers. Conferenced with a few students per class. Met with more students AFTER school. =

= = = Tuesday May 12 = = I will stay after for the THIRD day this week on WED!! If you need help on the argument paper and have made no effort to stay--do not expect much sympathy if you have trouble finishing on time. 16 people stayed today--which leads me to believe that the remaining 84 House B students are up to date with research and writing and fully understand all directions. =

= ELA Homework: = = __1. READ pages 1-33 in novel--you do not HAVE to take notes.__ = = Read __through p. 61 by Thursday__. You can read further if you want, but do not give away plot to peers! I have NO way of checking this--so you are on the honor system. If you do NOT do the reading, you have dug a BIG hole and will have trouble staying up to date as new written assignments are added. There will be time to read if you finish your PARCC early tomorrow so bring the novel. = = = = 2. __Complete drafts of THIRD body paragraph (with a counter-claim) and your opening (with a hook).__ THESE ARE DRAFTS--they do not have to be perfect. Just get ideas from your organizer into sentences so we can work with HOW to make the ideas more clear and complete during revision. = = = =__ ISSUES with body paragraphs I saw today: __= = MANY students did NOT do an organizer. The problem with this approach was VERY clear when I looked at body paragraphs that had 1) too few pieces of evidence to support a reason -1 quote is NOT proof of a point; 2. Quotes without any info on WHO wrote the words so I do not know why I (the reader) should TRUST that the info is true; 3. evidence that has NOTHING to do with the topic sentence or point of the paragraph. Bottom line: DO AN ORGANIZER or you will just have to REDO the work AFTER you write the draft! =

= GET AHEAD. = = __Worksheet notes on what makes characters in OOTD happy/sad: DUE FRIDAY__ = = but I am __**not going to check until Monday**__--just do it so weekend is more enjoyable. I handed out the following worksheet in class today and explained how to do it. The worksheet has TWO sides!! Do both. = = These will be your notes on what Billie Jo's diary entries imply might make the major characters happy or unhappy. The evidence you choose does NOT have to be about what makes a character intensely overjoyed or miserable--it can be any degree of happy or unhappy from "satisfied or content with" to "annoyed by." = = =

= Class Notes: = = Very busy day--Classes that did not meet due to PARCC yesterday got intro to topics that Out of the Dust novel will help us think about. = = All students __received a novel__ that MUST go home and come back everyday. = = I reviewed the __first worksheet__ and how to complete it. =

== I __looked at a few student argument draft body paragraphs and organizers.__ The biggest issues result directly from kids not doing ANY organizer and just dumping a bunch of quotations together on the page. We will review and revise in class tomorrow--be SURE to print so we have hard copies to look at and work with during class. ==

= = = Monday May 11 = = ELA HOMEWORK = = = =//__ I stayed after today and will ALSO STAY TUESDAY AND WED for students who need access to classroom computers to work on their Argument Essay research and writing. __//=

= __I. Argument essays: Complete TWO body paragraphs of your argument essay.__ These are JUST draft paragraphs, so they do not have to be perfect. You need a clear point in each paragraph--have a topic sentence for each; several pieces of evidence; paraphrase what the quotations say; and explain WHY the quoted lines support the point you make in the topic sentence! = = Bring a print out or hand write so I can check in on progress during class tomorrow. We have NO COMPUTER LAB access!!! drive. = = I would NOT begin with the opening paragraph, because often our core ideas get more clear AFTER we write our body paragraphs. You MAY choose your own way--so long as at least TWO of the 5-7 paragraphs you will need by Friday are drafted by the START of class tomorrow. =

__ **II CATCH UP if you are not done with first steps** __
== **Steps 1-5 from the 4 page Instructions and FCA sheet SHOULD already be done** (Part I RESEARCH and PARt II Organize).We worked on them in class Friday and you were supposed to finish over the weekend if necessary. __DO these BEFORE starting to draft the two body paragraphs__ for homework tonight if you are not caught up. ==


 * == __READ ALL of the Argument Essay instructions sheet including the FCAs__--there are SEVEN FCAs because at the end of the year, you should be mastering ALL of these seven Common Core Curriculum Argument writing standards. Highlight anything you have a question about. ==
 * == [[file:2015 Argument Essay instructions+ FCAs+ schedule tool-3.doc]] ==
 * == __Read the prompt for the Snow Days argument__ on page 2 of the instructions. ==
 * == __If you choose ANOTHER topic, draft your prompt__ for me to OK in class tomorrow so I am sure it is a debatable way to approach the topic. ==
 * == __Complete Note-taking charts for at least FOUR articles-__-separate chart per source. ==
 * ==If you are doing the Snow Day argument, __at least three of your sources__ should relate __specifically to snow day issues in Massachusetts__.==
 * =I posted the results of the survey we took on how students actually use their time on snow days on the Snow Days Argument Exercises page along with "Other sources" -- you MAY use it as one of your Massachusetts related sources.=


 * == Complete an organizer--- the sub gave out one type of organizer in class and I posted two versions you can choose from on the Snow Days Argument Exercises page at the bottom--with the project instructions. ==

=__ III Out of the Dust novel unit __= = Three classes received copies of the novel //Out of the Dust//. The remaining classes will get the books tomorrow. =
 * = Read to page 33 by Wednesday and =
 * = Read to page 61 by Thursday. You do not HAVE to take notes yet--we will go back and do some of that after you have a feel for the text. Sticky note anything you have questions about. =
 * = The pages are short! We will begin the novel AS we finish the argument papers. __You will likely be able to get some reading done after PARCC testing Wednesday and thus may have no novel related homework.__ You MUST bring the novels home to read and back to school EVERY DAY to discuss specific passages. =

= Class Notes: =

We also reviewed the steps on the Essay Argument instruction sheet to clarify deadlines and steps to be done by tomorrow.
= = = =

= Thursday May 7 =

== ELA HW: Students are resuming work on Argument essays. These 5-7 paragraph essays will be due NEXT FRIDAY. We will only have lab time tomorrow and the rest MUST be done at home or with me afterschool during the week. We will be moving on to a novel unit in class by Tuesday. ==

= Tonight's HW is to __FINALIZE your topic choice__ AND to __COMPLETE taking notes using the form I provide below for at LEAST 3 source articles.__ =
 * = Having MORE source articles is fine. You need a SEPARATE Note-taking from for EACH article. **__See ALL the details below, including where to find the NOTE-TAKING blank forms.__** DO tonight's homework to prepare you to use your time wisely to begin DRAFTING an argument in the lab during class tomorrow. =

__**DETAILS**__

Step I: CHOOSE your topic:

 * ==Option 1: Students may choose to continue research on __whether or not to use snow days as work at home E-Learning work days__ __,__ or leave the current snow day policy of making up full days in June. Student already have searched the internet for useful sources and have taken PRO and CON notes on many of the sites. Sticking to THIS topic will save time and effort, since tomorrow is our ONLY lab time until PARCC is done later this month. ==


 * ==Option 2: Students may choose one of the options I have posted possible source articles for on the SNOW DAYS ARGUMENT page of my website. (scroll down to PINK heading) These topics are ==
 * == Should whaling (hunting and using whales) be legal internationally? ==
 * == Are competitive sports good for kids? ==
 * == Is bottled water a clean and convenient alternative or a dangerous source of major ocean pollution? ==
 * == Should pets be allowed in public school classrooms? ==
 * ==The links for these topics on the Snow Days Argument page take you to **MANY possible sites that are considered appropriate**--this should save you some time lost to dead-end searches using google.==


 * ==Option 3: Select your own topic--but you MUST clear it with me before starting research . Some topics may not have reputable sources written at an appropriate level for seventh graders. If you choose THIS option, plan on staying after next Monday and Tuesday for me to check the quality of your sources. Students who choose to start fresh MUST be **__willing to put in the extra time to find and read through about 10 sites--and then narrow the list of sources to take detailed notes from at least FOUR sites.__** ==

==I am excited to have students choose topics they care about, but I also recognize that we have done a LOT of writing this year and there is less time to do lots of homework--especially with 2 days of PARCC testing next week.==

=__ **Step II: TAKE NOTES on at least 3 articles tonight.** __= = USE the FORMAT in the file below. Just copy it 3 or more times for each article you take quotations from. I posted a completed form with quotes from the first snow day article we read--you MAY use this as one of your sources or just as a model of what I am looking for. The sample completed notes page is on the fourth document posted (beneath a red heading) on the Snow Day Argument Exercises page. = == = = = Many of you already have a complete notes sheet on at least one snow day article. You do not have to fill in ALL the boxes, even though there is room for up to 5 PRO and 5 CON quotations and paraphrases. IF you use the on-line form, the boxes will expand to fit what you write, no matter how long it is. Typing the notes will also allow you to just cut and paste some of your notes and paraphrases right into your draft essay. You MAY handwrite the notes, but you will just have to type everything eventually. = = = = I AM GOING TO COLLECT the note-taking forms as part of your FINAL grade with the finished essay, so do NOT skip taking notes!!! =

= Class Notes: = = 1. I gave an __overview of the argument essay requirements__ and the options for sticking with work already underway from earlier in the term, and starting over. =

= 2. I took students through some of the __information on my web site to remind them of where we left off.__ = = = = Orange and Red classes might also want to quickly click through the slide show I added to the Snow Day Argument Exercises page (under the title REVIEW : Checking Sources Slides) for pointers on issues to watch out for as you choose your "Expert" to quote. = = = = Instructions and FCAs for the full essay project are the FINAL item on the Snow Day Argument Ex. page--I will give out hard copies tomorrow and am making some additions to the file tonight so you do NOT need to print these yet. They are just there to help you understand the objectives of the essay and the first few steps if you are totally lost. =
 * = Green, yellow, and Blue classes had review of __how to evaluate a source__. =
 * ==__ EXTRA CREDIT OPTION __==
 * == __Orange and red class members__ might want to click on the following link, quoted in a paper, and read to see if they can identify WHY I would NOT use Paige Osborne and Pro-Con sites in general to find my MOST credible quotations. Anyone from the ORANGE or RED class ONLY who emails me with the problem I would have if you quoted Paige Obsborne will get 5 extra credit points. Other classes MAY NOT do this since we went over it in class. ==
 * == [|Why Paige might not be a credible expert]link. ==

=TIPS IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE FINDING NOTES YOU ALREADY TOOK:= = The following link gives you step by step instructions on how to use the search box in Windows 7--just type a key word you might have used in your file name, such as SNOW, or ARGUMENT or SOURCES.... = = [|http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/find-file-folder#1TC=windows-7] = = = This may not help you if you are using the __ra.foxborough.k12. ma.us__ site to access your school directory, but you can use is at school, as I showed most classes today. = Students ALSO stored files in ONE DRIVE--remember that you get to the one-drive files by going to Office 365 and clicking on the square icon at the top left to get you to the CLOUDS icon for one-drive files. Some students created a SNOW DAY or an ARGUMENT folder to keep the files in. Good luck! =

= Wednesday, May 6 = = = = =
 * Yearbooks sales are open. The cost is $20. Payment made by Cash, check or money order, payable to Ahern Middle School. **
 * Online orders are also available, go to the Ahern Website or directly to **** @https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/Order/SelectJob **

ELA HW: NONE!! We will get back to argument writing tomorrow. Come to class with ALL of your notes on the topic of making up snow days on beautiful June days.
Class Notes:

Students continued essay writing. No more class time will be given. I stayed after for a THIRD day this week and offered extra time. Many of those who stayed used the time to complete the work. Some who had not done FULL organizers did NOT finish and will be graded on what they were able to complete only. A usefull organizer is NOT just a list of quotations and the order to use them. A full organizer sums up the main point of EACH entire body paragraph and what each quotation means or shows. = = = =

= = = Tuesday, MAY 5 =

= ELA HW: Those students who thoroughly prepared for the essay portion of the ELA test--Good for YOU!! You can enjoy a night off from homework! = = = = A surprisingly large number of students, however, had done NOTHING to organize evidence, mark up or sticky note evidence, or plan a hook or a conclusion for the essay questions I gave out DAYS in advance of the test. **__Tonight is your last chance to help yourself succeed with this unit.__** AMPLE information and a planner to help you are posted in yesterday's entry. = = You will have tomorrow's class to finish. If you do not and __if you have NO evidence that you worked at home to prepare, I will NOT allow any extra time to finish.__ =

--
= Class Notes: = = = = ALL CLASSES took a multiple choice comprehension test and began answers to the essay questions. If you were absent, please plan on staying after WEDNESDAY--to catch up--I will stay a THIRD day this week since we are running out of time for make-up work. See me during the 20 minutes to get started on the test if at all possible! =

= ELA HW: PREPARE for ESSAY and COMPREHENSION TEST on Act II (with some essay evidence needed from Act I). = = Clarification: You CAN use quotes from BOTH Act I and II to answer the essay questions. You SHOULD however, have at least 2/3 of your quotes from Act II. =

=Below is a review of some of the pointers I covered in class. At the end is a file with a graphic organizer you CAN use---it is slightly different from what I have given out in class. **You do NOT HAVE to use this organizer—it is just here to help.** I strongly suggest, however, that you do SOME form of organizer to help you finish in a reasonable amount of time when you get to class. We will probably use 2 class periods to complete the multiple choice AND both the long and short essay. I will be afterschool for people who think they will need MORE than two class periods. =

1. Reread the essay topics for TOMORROW’S essay. See Friday’s entry for a reprint of the essay question topics.

2. Review ALL notes and homework—sticky note or take NEW notes on quotations that would support each body paragraph topic.

3. You may also want to SKIM re-read all of Act II to find quotations you may have missed AND to review for the multiple-choice comprehension portion of the test tomorrow.

4. FINISH organizing your ideas and evidence. The file below is a very basic graphic organizer format you can __save__ and then type information into. You do not HAVE to use it--it is just there as an aide to preparation. Typing will give you more space and allow you to move ideas or quotations between boxes. You can even color code ideas in different ways (example: red for MOST important—save for last; blue for “use first”). ==

= Class NOTES: = = = =__ ESSAY organization review: __= = We covered the homework/studying points repeated above. = = __I handed back graded essays and rubrics for students__ to look at and write down what they did well and what they need to work on for TOMORROW's essay. I conferenced with as many people as possible. I asked for students who wanted to conference first and had VERY few volunteers--so I have certainly met with everyone who requested a conference. I offered to meet afterschool with anyone else and one person attended. I had to recollect them for writing folders. I have not yet entered all the grades. = = Good luck tomorrow. If you have been preparing over the past week and weekend as you were advised to do, you should do very well tomorrow. = = = = __Blue class took the grammar review quiz__ AND had overview of how to organize essays for tomorrow. A few students conferenced. =

(excerpted from Joe Rogan)
== I also saw an article that quoted President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a U.S. president in the 1930s and 40s, that connects to timeless themes Dickens expressed about societal problems in England in the 1840s--100 years and an ocean apart. ==

= Roosevelt wrote, "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." = (excerpt from Thomas Faggagher article, 'A Trip Home for Democrats", Boston Globe, May 2 2015)

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= = = = Friday, May 1: BRING BACK BLUE medical screening forms and report card envelopes if you have not already done so. = = ELA HW: ORANGE AND RED CLASS--important change to essay topic sheet!!! I inadvertently copied and pasted the wrong bullet points under Long Essay Topic #2. Reprint the corrected version from the file below. Use the sheet to find and organizie evidence for your responses on next Tuesday's essay exam. I would organize evidence and plan a hook for at least ONE of the essays over the weekend. We will have class time on Monday to organize a second, while I conference with students. I will not GRADE weekend homework--I just encourage you to use the time to get ahead. =

= BLUE CLASS: In addition to preparing for the essay test, review a little MORE for the grammar review quiz that the volleyball assembly postponed for you. = = = = = =---=

Orange, red, green and yellow classes took grammar review quiz.
== Handed out: Essay questions to prepare for next Tuesday's Act II and unit test. I explained the options. READ EVERY WORD of the prompts to be sure you understand and have any questions ready to ask as soon as class starts Monday. I want to spend MOST of the period conferencing. == == Returned: Graded Act II packets with quotes from text and Critical Thinking and Comprehension questions. Blue class did not have time to get critical Comp questions returned, but will have those notes Monday to use to study and prepare essay responses. ==

== If you were absent Friday--Plan to STAY AFTER next Tuesday to make up the quiz. Get the graded homework from the passback folders under the phone on the front table. I will not remember all of the people that need these. ==