Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Eighth Class Period: Identifying Elements of a Persuasive Essay

Students turned in vocabulary worksheet 169 ("Understanding Comics")and reading strategy worksheet 171 (Using Visuals as a Key to Meaning) at the beginning of class.

Mr. Stone explained logical appeals (specific to general and general to specific), appeals to emotion (using positive or negatively charged words), opinions supported by reasons and evidence, examples, facts, statistics,anecdotes, expert opinions, and opposing positions.

Students worked in groups to identify examples of each of these characteristics of a persuasive essay and to explain how it was accomplished in the Scott McCloud's visual essay, "Understanding Comics" (696-704). They recorded their examples on a table (literary analysis worksheet 172).

No homework was assigned.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Seventh Class Period: Visual Essay (Graphic Essay)

Due to the time constraints of the shortened class schedule, Mr. Stone skipped the quiz for today.

He shared numerous examples of graphic/visual literature with the class: Art Spiegelman's Maus, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, Scott Chantler's Two Generals, and Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner's Our Cancer Year.

Mr. Stone went over the spelling strategy for roots ending in a double-consonant, the meaning of several words containing the root -stat-, and selected vocabulary from an excerpt from Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art (vocabulary worksheet 169).

Mr. Stone also discussed how to use visuals as a key to meaning in graphic/visual literature (reading strategy worksheet 171). He directed students to describe how pictures add humor in "Too Narrowly" (698, frame 7)and "Failed Miserably" (698, frame 3). Students should use "The World" (699, frame 1) and one of the "Sequential Art" frames on the left side of page 700 to describe how pictures add details or ideas to the text provided by the writer. To show how pictures can signal flashbacks, fantasies, or imaginative/abstract ideas, students should use "Practice, practice, practice" (698, frame 1)and any of the starry sky frames (698, frame 8 or 9; 701, frame 8).

Homework: Finish reading the excerpt from Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics, vocabulary worksheet 179 and reading strategy worksheet 171 if any of these were not completed in class.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Sixth Class Period: Anaya Quiz & Sustained Silent Reading

Quiz: Rudolfo Anaya's "A Celebration of Grandfathers"

Students read their chosen book for the third quarter book report for forty minutes silently in class. Students who chose to talk during this time will lose points from the forty points given in the in-class assignment and projects category of their grade.

Homework: Read Joan Didion's "Georgia O'Keefe" (675-690).

Note: The third quarter book review will be due on February 27 for periods five and six and on February 28 for periods one, two, and seven.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

In-Class Reading Time

Students should bring the book they have been approved to read for their third quarter book review for in-class reading time. Periods five and six will have reading time on Thursday, January 26. Periods one, two and seven will have time on Friday, January 27.

Fifth Class Period: Singer Quiz & Vocabulary

Quiz: Isaac Singer's "The Washwoman"

We discussed three spelling strategies, the root -nov-, the prefix fore-, and the root -sent-/-sens-.

We also discussed the basics of verbal analogies. Students applied all of these concepts and selected vocabulary from nonfiction works from the unit by completing three worksheets (157, 161, 165).

Mr. Stone lectured on the differences between prose and poetry/verse.

Homework: Read Rudolfo Anaya's "A Celebration of Grandfathers" (662-668).


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Fourth Class Period: Hansberry Quiz

Quiz: Lorraine Hansberry's "On Summer"

Students finished viewing Great Expectations.

Homework: Read Isaac Bashevis Singer's "The Washwoman" (650-655).

Monday, January 23, 2012

Third Period: Johnson Quiz

Quiz: Lady Bird Johnson's A White House Diary (674-679)

Students continued viewing Great Expectations.

Homework: Read Lorraine Hansberry's "On Summer" (656-661).

Note: Don't forget to turn in your parental permission slip for the 3rd quarter book report.

Second Period: Ride Quiz

Students took a quiz over Sally Ride's "Single Room, Earth View"

They continued viewing Great Expectations.

Homework: Read an excerpt from Lady Bird Johnson's A White House Diary (674-679).

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

First Period: Beginning Nonfiction Unit

In class, students continued viewing a video version of Great Expectations.

Homework: Read Sally Ride's "Single Room, Earth View" (636-640). A quiz will be given over the reading at the beginning of the next period.

3rd Quarter Book Report

Students received parent approval forms today (Period 2 on Thursday)for the selection of their book for the third quarter book report. Students should have their books selected and parental approval form signed by Monday, January 23rd (Tuesday, January 24th for Period 7).

Students in periods five and six should bring their book for in-class reading time on Thursday, January 26. Students in periods one, two, and seven should bring their book for in-class reading time on Friday, January 27.

First Semester Grades

The first semester is over. The final form of the first semester grades will be what is posted on Monday, January 28th. Expect changes in the grade as a result of grading until that time.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Sixty-Fifth Class Period: Book Report Peer Critique

Substitute to check completion of book report rough draft. Students complete peer critique.

Homework: Complete final draft of book report.

Mr. Stone will demonstrate how to upload a copy of the book report to turnitin.com on Monday. Period 7 will meet for the optional period.

Sixty-Fourth Class Period: More Book Report Prewriting Time

Mr. Stone further clarified instructions for the book report. Students had the period to continue working on completing the required eight prewriting journal entries for the book report.

Homework: Type the rough draft of the book report.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Sixty-Third Class Period: Book Report Prewriting

Mr. Stone passed out and reviewed second copy of the book report instructions.

Students began prewriting for the book report in their journals. They were directed to write each paragraph as a separate entry in their journal.

Mr. Stone said students should skip the introduction and begin with the first paragraph of of plot summary. He suggested they think of their book as a television show split into two episodes. Begin your two paragraphs of plot summary by thinking of what would be written for a show summary on the television guide if your book was a television program. Then expand your summary. Plot summary paragraphs should between five and ten sentences each.

Students should select four areas to analyze/review: plot, characters, themes, point of view, etc. Each review/analytical paragraph should contain at least ten sentences:

Topic Sentence
Concrete Detail/Example
Commentary
Commentary
Concrete Detail/Example
Commentary
Commentary
Concrete Detail/Example
Commentary
Commentary

Students should then write their introduction and finish with their conclusion.

Students viewed their graded Great Expectations tests.

Homework: Book report prewriting