In case you didn't copy Friar Lawrence Plan off the board . . . .

Rubric for Novel Review

MLA Format (10 pts)

__Yes  __No      Header name

__Yes  __No      Page numbers

__Yes  __No     Student name

__Yes  __No     Teacher name

__Yes  __No     Class

__Yes  __No     Date

__Yes  __No     Title

__Yes  __No     margins

__Yes  __No     spacing

__Yes  __No      Indentions

Introduction (one paragraph only) 15 pts.

__Yes   __No     Is an introductory strategy present.

__Yes   __No     Is the author’s first and last name provided?

__Yes   __No     Is the book’s title present and italicized?

__Yes   __No     Is the genre of the book stated?

__Yes   __No     Did the reviewer explain why they chose to read the book?

__Yes   __No     Did the reviewer describe what others have said about the book?

__Yes   __No     In the last sentence (or next to last sentence if there is a separate preview statement), did the reviewer include a claim of value and a claim of policy?  (This is the paper’s thesis.) [Note:  Each claim is worth 3 points.]

__Yes   __No     Did the reviewer include the title of the book being reviewed in the thesis statement?

__Yes   __No     Is a preview (a list of the paper’s supporting points) provided?  (It may be connected to the thesis or be a separate sentence directly after the thesis.)

__Yes   __No     Is the introduction between five and eight sentences long?

Book Review/Analysis  50 pts.

__Yes   __No     Are there three review/analysis paragraphs? [Ten pts. deducted for each missing one.]

                        

__Yes   __No     Does each analytical paragraph begin with a topic sentence?

__Yes   __No     Does each topic sentence contain a relevant subtopic?

__Yes  __No      Does each topic sentence contain a claim that support’s the primary claim of the paper’s thesis?

__Yes  __No      Does each topic sentence support the paper’s thesis?

__Yes   __No     Does each analytical paragraph contain three concrete details/examples?

__Yes   __No     Are there two or more sentences of commentary connected to each concrete detail?

__Yes  __No      Does each set of commentary include a connecting word to the concrete detail?

___Yes  __No    Does each set of commentary include an explanation of how that concrete detail supports the paragraph’s claim? (likely a repetition/synonym of the key claim word)

__Yes   __No     Are there a minimum of ten sentences in each analytical/review paragraph?

__Yes  __No      Is the paragraph free of irrelevant or fluffy sentences?

Closing (one paragraph) 5 pts.

__Yes   __No     Does the reviewer restate his/her thesis (opinion/viewpoint of the book)?

__Yes   __No     Does the reviewer summarizes his/her reasons for this viewpoint?

__Yes   __No     Does the writer include a recommendation of who would most enjoy/benefit from this book?

__Yes   __No     Does the paragraph provide a solid sense of closure to the report?

__Yes   __No   Does the reviewer bring up any new points?  (He/she should not have brought out any new points in the conclusion.)

Work(s) Cited Page 10 pts.

__Yes   __No     Does it begin at the top of the last page of the document?

__Yes   __No     Is the title centered at the top of the page?

__Yes   __No     Does the title include the words “Work Cited” if there is source cited or “Works Cited” if more than one work has been cited?

__Yes   __No     Does the entry follow MLA format ? (worth 5 points)

__Yes   __No     If the entry is longer than one line does it have a hanging indent?

__Yes   __No     Does the entry match the work(s) cited in the body of the essay?

Parenthetical Citations (10)

__Yes   __No     Is there a citation provided for each concrete detail/example in the essay?

__Yes   __No     Does each body paragraph include the minimum of three parenthetical citations?

__Yes   __No     Do the parenthetical citations only include the page number or the chapter number?

____ Score out of 100

Membean Extra Credit

Don't forget that no drills were required on Membean this week; however, students may receive up to 40 points of extra credit in the vocabulary section of their grade for spending time completing drills on Membean this week.

Romeo & Juliet Test

The test over Romeo and Juliet will be on Thursday, December 14th for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday, December 15th for Periods 1, 2, & 7.  Students should use their study guide to prepare for the test.  Students will need to submit their completed study guide at the time of the test for credit.

Novel Review

The final draft of the novel review is due on Friday, December 15th.  Students need to submit a hard copy as well as submit their final draft to turnitin.com.

MLA Format for Google Docs

Use this link to help you format your paper properly in MLA format.

Use this link to Purdue's Online Writing Lab for formatting your work cited entry for the novel.

Discussing Romeo and Juliet

Thursday 7 December 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday 8 December 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

After finishing viewing Romeo and Juliet, students received a study guide for their upcoming test and began discussing the play using the study guide and consulting the complete text of the script from MIT's Shakespeare site.

Homework:  Complete summary of biography/autobiography for the cereal box project.  (See earlier post for details.)

Viewing Romeo & Juliet & Upcoming Tests

Monday 4 December 2017 for Periods 1, 2, 5 & 6 and Tuesday 5 December 2017 for Period 7

After completing ten minutes of vocabulary practice on Membean, students continued viewing Romeo and Juliet, starting right after the intermission.

Mr. Stone showed students a sample of the cereal box auto/biography project.  This project will be due at the end of the first week after Christmas vacation.

Homework:  Study for tomorrow's test over theatercraft.  Use the study set on Quizlet that Mr. Stone provided and/or your completed study guide.

Cereal Box Auto/Biography Project

Cover or front of box

An empty cereal box is wrapped in paper (wrapping paper/the plain side of a paper grocery bag).


































On the front side a student puts the title of the biography/autobiography they read, a picture of the person who is the subject of the biography/autobiography, and the words "Reviewed by" and the student's name.




On the back of the box, provide a two to three paragraph summary of the book.  Each paragraph should be between eight and ten sentences.

Summary on back of box

Character list with brief descriptions on one side

On one of the slender sides of the box, a student puts a list of the characters in the book with a brief description or identifying phrase.


































On the other slender sides of the box, a student provides information about the setting of the biography:  the geographical location(s), the historical period, the cultural milieu, and any significant weather/natural events.

Setting description on other side

 This project is due Thursday, January 4 for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday, January 5 for Periods 1, 2, & 7.


*hand model, Erin Stone

Short Story Tests Retake Opportunity

Since Mr. Stone was sick at the beginning of this week, the short story test retake opportunity has been moved to next week:

Wednesday 12/6 for Periods 5 & 6
Thursday 12/7 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Theatercraft Test

Tuesday 12/5 for Periods 2, 5 & 6

Wednesday 12/6 for Periods 1 & 7

Mr. Stone is providing a study guide and notes to aid students in preparing for this test.

Students in Periods 5 & 6 should have their study guide completed for class on Thursday 11/30, and students in Periods 1, 2, & 7 should have their study guide completed for class on Friday 12/1.

Guest Writer, Isabel Quintero, to Visit on Thursday, November 17th

I'm so excited to announce that Isabel Quintero will be visiting class on Thursday to share about her latest book, Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide.  Commissioned by The Getty to write the text for this graphic biography/biography in a comic form, Quintero worked with the artist Zeke Peña, who created the cover for Quintero's award-winning novel, Gabi,  a Girl in Pieces.  Quintero also published a book for young readers this year through Scholastic:  Ugly Cat & Pablo.

Book Review Rough Draft

Students in Periods 5 & 6 need to turn in their printed rough draft of their five-paragraph book review on Thursday, November 16th.  Remember that computers will not be available in Mr. Stone's room on  this Thursday to print, so print out ahead of time.

Students in Periods 1, 2, & 7 need to turn in their printed rough drat of their five-paragraph book review on Friday, November 17th.  

Book Review Conclusion Prewriting

Tuesday 14 November 2017 for Periods 2, 5, & 6 and Wednesday 15 November 2017 for Periods 1, & 7

Students spent fifteen minutes completing vocabulary drills on Membean. (A guest speaker is coming on Thursday, so students need to get in more than five minutes of drills on two other days to make up for the time not available on Thursday.)

Mr. Stone distributed a prewriting sheet for the closing paragraph.  He went over it with the class and answered any questions.

Mr. Stone went around the class checking on the completion of the prewriting sheet for the book review's introduction and answering any questions students had.

Students should have typed the introduction to their book review at this point.  They need to turn in to Mr. Stone their complete five-paragraph rough draft of the review before leaving for vacation.

Homework:  Type the first body paragraph of the book review in the same Google Doc as you typed the introduction using the first of the three prewriting tables you decided to include in your paper.

Drafting an Introduction for Book Review

Monday 13 November 2017 for Periods 1, 2, 5 & 6 and Tuesday 14 November 2017 for Period 7

Mr. Stone distributed the prewriting sheet for the introduction of their book review and went through it with the class. (Note:  This is an introduction to your book review that you began writing in first quarter.  It is NOT about the biography you are currently reading.)

Students should review the four body paragraph prewriting tables they have already prepared for this review.  They should pick out the three tables with strongest subtopics and set the fourth aside.  The subtopics from those three prewriting tables will become the three subtopics of the review's preview.  Place them in the order of least convincing to most convincing.  Typically, writers end with their strongest argument.

Look on the upper right-hand side of this website  under "Book Report" for a sample paper.

Students should remember that they are only writing the introduction for now.

Students completed ten minutes of Membean vocabulary drills during class time.

Homework:  Finish filling out the prewriting sheet for your book review introduction and type your introduction in a Google Doc.

December 4 Deadline for Reading Auto/Biography

Students should have spent at least twenty minutes over the last weekend reading the biography or autobiography they have selected.  Students need to be finished reading their book by Monday, December 4th.

Students should set themselves smaller goals so they complete their reading on time.

Renewing Books, Vocabulary, and Biography Reading

Thursday 9 November 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday 10 November 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

 As many students as possible had an opportunity to renew their book at the library.  Those who didn't get it renewed during this period need to get it renewed during the first class of next week or outside of class time.

Students were to complete twenty minutes of vocabulary drills on Membean.

Homework:  Students should spend at least twenty minutes reading the biography/autobiography they have selected.  They should be done reading their selected biography/autobiography by December 4th.

A Conversation on Themes in Ben Stiller's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Wednesday 8 November 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Thursday 9 November 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Students sat in a different seating arrangement to promote conversation:

Period 5 sat around the round table in the back of the classroom.  Periods 2, 6, & 7 sat in a large square formation.  Period 1 met around the large rectangular table formation in the faculty lounge.

Students shared their prepared response about themes in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and received feedback from Mr. Stone on how to improve their response.

Homework:  Bring your library book (if you checked one out) to class to renew it.

Academic Conversations

Tuesday 7 November 2017 for Periods 2, 5 & 6 and Wednesday 8 November 2017 for Periods 1 & 7

Students completed ten minutes of vocabulary drills on Membean.

Mr. Stone lectured on academic conversations.  He discussed expectations of students, expectations of a teacher, ways to contribute, positive behaviors, and negative behaviors.

Homework: 

Prepare for our class conversation of themes in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by copying one of the following theme statements onto a 3x5 card:
 
To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.
 

You already have what you are looking for. 

 Describe scenes of the movie that show the theme you have chosen.  (Provide at least two.)

Is this the theme you selected explicit (words directly used in the film) or implied (a generalization you made from the specifics of the film).  

Your card should have five pieces of information on it.

1. your name
2. class period
3. selected theme statement
4. description of two or more scenes from the movie that show that theme
5 implied/explicit

We will discuss these two themes (and other themes from the movie) in the next class period.


 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Day 4

Monday 6 November 2017 for Periods 1, 2, 5, & 6 and Tuesday 7 November 2017 for Period 7

After completing ten minutes of vocabulary drills and a weekly vocabulary test on Membean, students viewed the last part of Ben Stiller's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Homework:  Write a summary of the portion of the movie watched in class:  1/2 page, double-spaced if typed OR full page, single-spaced if handwritten.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Viewing Day 3

Thursday 2 November 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday 3 November 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Students completed ten minutes of Membean vocabulary drills and had an opportunity to retake their vocabulary test for the week if they had not scored 100%.

Students watched from when Walter Mitty jumped off the helicopter into the ocean until he left for Afghanistan.

Homework:  Complete Mitty Summary #3

Secret Life of Walter Mitty Viewing Day 2

1 November 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and 2 November 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

First, students completed ten minutes of drills on Membean.

Second, students turned in the parent approval form for their second quarter biography/autobiography.  (If a student didn't get it filled out yet, they should print it off from the blog--look up and to the right--and bring it completed to the next class.)

Third, students printed the summary you submitted of your first quarter novel.  Number the sentences in each paragraph.  Turn it in to the chair at the front of the room labeled 1 Qtr. Book Summary.

Fourth, students turned in their summary from their viewing last class period of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Students watched from the fight in the elevator to Walter jumping off the helicopter.

Homework:  Write a summary of today's viewing:  a half page if typed, a full page if hand written.

Begin Viewing Ben Stiller's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Tuesday for Periods 2, 5 & 6 and Wednesday for Periods 1 & 7

After completing ten minutes of vocabulary drills and taking a vocabulary test on Membean, students began viewing Ben Stiller's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Homework:  Write a summary of the portion of the movie viewed in class.  It should be at least one page if it is single-spaced and handwritten or a half-of-a-page long if it is double-spaced and typed.

Picking an Autobiography/Biography

Students met in the library for class.  Mr. Stone reviewed the definitions for autobiography and biography and showed the students the online catalog and where to browse for a biography or autobiography in the library.

Most students checked out books.  When students were done selecting a book, they were to spend ten minutes practicing vocabulary drills on Membean.

Students who did not select a book from the library need to find a book from home, another library, or a bookstore. 

Parent approval forms are due at the beginning of the next class.  (You can find the form on the top right-hand side of this blog.  Students should print it out and get a parent's signature.

Homework:  Complete parent approval form for the next book report.

Homework for the First Day of Quarter Two

For the first class period of the second quarter, students should reread James Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" in preparation for a quiz.

After Membean and the quiz, students will go to the library to select a biography/autobiography to read for second quarter.

Students may get a biography from another library or book store if they desire.  The book should be age appropriate and be at least two hundred pages in length.

Complete Sample Prewriting Table

Essay Topic:  Jack London's The Call of the Wild

Your Claim of the General Topic:  claim of quality--excellent; claim of action--recommend to read

Subtopic: action scenes

Your Claim about the Subtopic:  heighten drama with unexpected obstacles

Topic Sentence (subtopic + claim):  London's action scenes heighten the drama for readers with unexpected obstacles.

Concrete Detail 1:  "Straight at the man he launched his one hundred and forty pounds of fury, surcharged with the pent passion of two days and nights.  In mid air, just as his jaws were about to close on the man, he received a shock that checked his body and brought his teeth together with an agonizing clip." pp. 27-28, Ch. 1

Commentary 1:1:  London sets up readers to believe Buck will win with his description of Buck's size, passion, and launching action.

Commentary 1:2: He heightens reader's sense of drama with the surprise "shock" of the man's club.

Concrete Detail 2: "He did not check himself, but drove in upon Spitz, shoulder to shoulder, so hard that he missed the throat.  They rolled over and over in the powdery snow.  Spitz gained his feet almost as though he had not been overthrown, slashing Buck down the shoulder and leaping clear."

Commentary 2:1:  Words like "drove" and "so hard" lead readers to look for an easy win for Buck.

Commentary 2:2: London creates an elevated sense of excitement by suddenly placing Buck's opponent back on his feet.

Concrete Detail 3: "When he felt him grasp his tail, Buck headed for the bank, swimming with all his pleaded strength.  But the progress shoreward was slow; the progress down-stream amazingly rapid."

Commentary 3:1: London creates surprising drama in action scenes that are not even fights.

Commentary 3:2: Buck's "splendid strength" is put in doubt against the "amazingly rapid" flow of the stream.


The words highlighted in pink (It may look purple on your screen.) are the words repeated from the concrete detail in the commentary that help to make a connection.

The words highlighted in green are repeated words/synonyms of words from the claim in the topic sentence.

Good commentary provides a clear explanation of how a concrete detail/example supports the claim of the supporting paragraph's topic sentence.  It's your explanation of your example.

As much as possible, use key words from the claim and from the concrete detail/example in each sentence of commentary to help the reader of your essay to see the connection.

Using carefully selected synonyms of your claim can help to clarify what you are saying.

At this point, don't worry about highlighting.  Focus on getting your four prewriting tables filled out.

Sample Prewriting Chart with Commentary

Here's the first part to get you started.  I'll add the other two examples after I eat supper.

Vocabulary Test & Finding More Concrete Details

Monday 23 October 2017 for Periods 1, 2, 5, & 6 and Tuesday 24 October 2017 for Period 7

After students drill vocabulary for ten minutes, they took a twenty-question vocabulary test on Membean.

Periods which had not seen both the presentation on claims and the presentation on paragraph construction saw the presentation they had missed.

Mr. Stone emphasized the relationship between the paragraph construction in the presentation and the language for the paragraph construction on the paragraph prewriting sheets.

Students received three more persuasive body paragraph prewriting charts.  They were to write the title of the book they read for the essay topic on each sheet.  They were instructed to highlight the word "Subtopic" blue on each sheet and highlight pink each of the concrete detail labels in the left-hand column of the chart.

Homework:  Fill in the subtopic and the three concrete details on the second persuasive body paragraph prewriting chart.

Turnitin.com & Selecting Concrete Details to Support Your Viewpoint on a Subtopic

Thursday 19 October 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday 20 October 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

After ten minutes of practicing vocabulary on Membean, students set-up a Turnitin.com account and uploaded their typed summary of their two-paragraph summary of the novel they read for their first quarter book review. (If a student missed this period, upon returning to class, he/she should ask Mr. Stone for the correct ID code and key word for their section.)

Mr. Stone spent time discussing the use of Turnitin.com in his class.

In the last part of the period, students turned their attention to gathering concrete details to support their viewpoint of their chosen subtopics.

Mr. Stone asked students to review their t-chart.  Which side had more items listed on it?  Which side was easier to write?  The answers to these two questions will likely lead a student to identify their viewpoint.  Students who had an easier time filling out the "Strengths of the Book/What You Liked" column are likely to want to argue the book is a good book (claim of quality) and that others should read it (claim of policy). Students who had an easier time filling out the "Weaknesses of the Book/What you Disliked" column are likely to want to argue the book is poorly written (claim of quality) and that others should avoid reading it (claim of policy).  If your columns filled up rather equitably, a student may choose either side to argue or argue that the book is mediocre (claim of quality) and determine whether they wish to recommend the book or not (claim of policy).

Students were to highlight in purple the "Strengths of the Book/What You Liked" column if they were recommending the book because of its quality or to highlight in purple the "Weaknesses of the Book/What You Disliked" column if they were arguing others should avoid the book.

Once an overall viewpoint has been established, students should review the list of points listed under the column title they highlighted in purple.  (Mr. Stone requires that they have at least seven points listed under this column and at least three under the column they are not choosing to argue.)  Pick out the four points/subtopics that will be used to support your argument about the quality of the book.  Highlight these four points/subtopics on the t-chart in blue.  Keep in mind that you will need to find at least three examples/concrete details from the text to support each subtopic you choose.

Students received a Persuasive Body Paragraph Prewriting Chart in class.  Mr. Stone directed them to highlight the subtopic line blue and each of the three concreted detail lines in pink.

Homework: Complete the four highlighted portions of the prewriting chart.

Select one of the four points/subtopics highlighted in blue, and write it on the line next to the word "Subtopic" that you highlighted blue.

Find three different examples of the subtopic you chose (e.g. suspenseful passages, descriptive passages, admirable characters, action scenes, etc.).  These are three different examples of the same subtopic.  In other words, all the examples should be examples of one subtopic.  If the paragraph will be about suspense, then all the examples should be of suspenseful passages from the book.  If the paragraph will be about excellence in description, then all the examples should be examples of descriptions.

Write the page number (if you have a print version of the book) or the chapter number (if you have e-text) of your first concrete detail or example under the words "Concrete Detail 1" in the cell where you highlighted the words "Concrete Detail 1" pink.

Quote the passage you are using for your example/concrete detail in the cell directly to the write. Try to quote only one to three sentences. Use ellipsis points to indicate you are leaving out words in the middle if the passage is longer.

Do the same thing for your second and third examples/concrete details.

Will discuss writing commentary in the next class.

Using a T-Chart to Determine a Viewpoint & Introduction to Persuasive Claims & Paragraph Construction

Wednesday 18 October 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Thursday 19 October 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

After fifteen minutes of Membean vocabulary practice, students completed a T-chart about the strengths and weaknesses of the book each student read for their book review.

Students were to attempt of find seven strengths and seven weaknesses.

After students completed the T-chart, they highlighted the top of the column they were choosing.

Mr. Stone shared a Prezi on "The Five Types of Claims" by Jane Davis.  He also shared a PowerPoint on paragraph construction.

Homework:  Type the two-paragraph summary of the book that was completed for last night's homework.  Use Google Docs to make it easy to upload the document to Turnit.com.

Each paragraph of the summary should be between eight and ten sentences.

The Writing Process & Summarizing the Book You Read

Tuesday 17 October 2017 for Periods 2, 5 & 6 and Wednesday for Periods 1 & 7

After fifteen minutes of Membean, Mr. Stone shared a list of four different writing process models.  He discussed with students which model was most like the one(s) with which they were familiar and spent time talking through opening stages of Donald Murray's model, which is the least like the models the students have encountered.

Mr. Stone also shared about the process he was taking to produce his upcoming newspaper column.

Students need to write a summary of the novel they read for their first book report in two paragraphs.  Each paragraph should contain eight to ten sentences.  They should write out their summary by hand.

Mr. Stone warned students about trying to fake whether they had read the book they said they would read.  He informed them that the final draft of their report would be submitted to Turnitin.com, a plagiarism checker that compares students' papers to content on the Internet as well as the company's vast databases.  He encouraged the students to be honest about what they had read and not read and to work out arrangements if they were not done reading.

Homework:  Students should finish writing the two-paragraph summary of the novel they read.


Note:  Period 7 had a study hall on Tuesday, October 17th since they have four periods this week and all the other periods only have three.

More on Short Story Test Three

Short Story Unit Test Three

Thursday 12 October 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday 13 October 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Part One: Literary Terms Applied

Use your story analysis sheet and the Quizlet set for literary terms to study for this portion of the test. Questions will be multiple choice in this section.

Part Two: Literary Terms Definitions

Use the Quizlet set "Short Story Literary Terms" to study for this portion.  Thirteen of the terms will be tested in this section.

Part Three: More Literary Definitions

Use the Quizlet set "Short Story Literary Terms" to study for this portion.  Another thirteen of the terms from the "Short Story Literary Terms" will be tested in this section.

Part Four: Dynamic Character

Describe a dynamic character from one of the eight short stories analyzed in this course.  Include

the name of the short story,

the name of the character,

a clear statement identifying that character as dynamic,

the name of the character trait the character exhibited at the beginning of the story,

the name of the corresponding character trait the character exhibited at the end of the story,

and several sentences explaining the cause for the character's change in trait. 

Use the story analysis sheets to help you prepare your response as well as referring back to the text of the specific story you have selected.  Your looking for a character who we identified as having a dynamic change. 

The example I used in class was a character who had gone from selfish to generous.  These are not the specific dynamic traits of any of the characters in the stories we have analyzed, but rather an example of the type of pair of character traits you should find in the story analysis sheets.

Part Five: Theme

Students will be given moral and theme sentences.  They will need to match each sentence with its corresponding story.  They will also need to identify whether each sentence is a theme or a moral.

Use the "Short Story Themes and Morals" set on Quizlet to prepare for this section.

Reminder of Upcoming Short Story Tests

Short Story Unit Test One
Tuesday 10 October 2017 for Periods 2, 5 & 6 and Wednesday 11 October 2017 for Periods 1 & 7

Part One:  Matching Authors & Titles
Part Two: Listing Basic Elements of a Story
Part Three: Identifying Points on a Plot Line
Part Four: Identifying Quotes
Part Five:  Selected Vocabulary from the Stories

Short Story Unit Test Two

Wednesday 11 October 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Thursday 12 October 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Part One: Listing Elements of Setting
Part Two: Connecting Elements of Setting and Stories
Part Three: More Connecting Elements of Setting and Stories
Part Four: The Function of Setting in a Story
Part Five: Identifying Point of View

Short Story Unit Test Three

Thursday 12 October 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday 13 October 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Part One: Literary Terms Applied

Part Two: Literary Terms Definitions

Part Three: More Literary Definitions

Part Four: Characterization

Part Five: Theme

Test Review

During the last two periods of this week, students continued to review for next week's tests by taking notes on the story analysis sheets and spending time studying the sets on Quizlet for Mr. Stone's English I class.

Mock Point of View Test

After prayer, students spent ten minutes practicing their vocabulary on Membean, students took a practice (mock/imitation) point of view test.  Mr. Stone went over the answers with the class and suggested strategies for identifying point of view in narration.

Mr. Stone discussed the concepts of theme and moral and how to determine the theme and/or moral of a story.

Students spent time practicing study sets on Quizlet.

Homework:  Continue to study for next week's tests.  Work on completing your story analysis sheets.  (Spend at least twenty minutes study for this class.)

Vocabulary Test 2 & Short Story Unit Test Review

Students practiced their vocabulary for the first ten minutes of class and then took their second individualized vocabulary test.  (Students will have a retake opportunity later this week if they are not satisfied with their score.)

Mr. Stone announced the content and format for the first short story test.

Students joined Mr. Stone's Quizlet Class: LLA English Fall 2017.

Homework:  Begin studying using Quizlet sets and notes for the upcoming tests.

Short Story Unit Tests

Students will be tested over the short story unit for three days next week.

Short Story Unit Test One

Tuesday 10 October 2017 for Periods 2, 5 & 6 and Wednesday 11 October 2017 for Periods 1 & 7

Part One:  Matching Authors & Titles
Part Two: Listing Basic Elements of a Story
Part Three: Identifying Points on a Plot Line
Part Four: Identifying Quotes
Part Five:  Selected Vocabulary from the Stories

Short Story Unit Test Two

Wednesday 11 October 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Thursday 12 October 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Part One: Listing Elements of Setting
Part Two: Connecting Elements of Setting and Stories
Part Three: More Connecting Elements of Setting and Stories
Part Four: The Function of Setting in a Story
Part Five: Identifying Point of View

Short Story Unit Test Three

Thursday 12 October 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday 13 October 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Part One: Literary Terms Applied

Part Two: Litery Terms Definitions

Part Three: More Literary Definitions

Part Four: Characterization

Part Five: Theme

The Invalid's Story

Tuesday 26 September 2017 for Periods 2, 5, & 6 and Wednesday 27 September for Periods 1 & 7

Students practiced vocabulary drills on Membean and reviewed "The Invalid's Story" before taking a quiz.

Students graded other papers in the remaining class time and started on their homework.

Homework:  Write by hand half a page on notebook paper explaining how Mark Twain's "The Invalid's Story" is humorous.  Hint:  The story includes multiple examples of mistaken identity and hyperbole.


*Due to a mix-up, Period Two will have their quiz over "The Invalid's Story on Wednesday and will complete the homework over the weekend.

Four Points of View

Monday 25 September 2017 for Periods 1, 2, 5 & 6 and Tuesday 26 September 2017 for Period 7

Devotional Text:  Proverbs 25: 14

Membean:  10 minutes of drill time

Students had the opportunity to retake the first vocabulary test if they missed any questions on the first test.

Mr. Stone read four examples of different types of point of view and made additional examples using students from each class period.

Students graded the "One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts" quiz.

Homework: Read Mark Twain's "The Invalid's Story."

Note:  If you are having trouble viewing the text of "The Invalid's Story," try making the window smaller to realign the text.

Here's another link for the story that doesn't have pictures and may be easier to read:  "The Invalid's Story."

Weekend Homework: September 22-24

Students should spend twenty minutes reading their selected book for their first quarter book report.

Students who scored less than a hundred percent on their first vocabulary test should study for a retake that will be offered during the first class next week.

If a student has not finished their journal entries, they should get caught up over the weekend.  Mr. Stone will be checking journals early next week.

Reading Day

Thursday, Septemeber 21, 2017, students will spend forty minutes in silent sustained reading of the novel they have selected to read for their first quarter book report.

Student need to be sure to bring their book to class and their signed book approval slip, if they have not already done so.

Book approval forms received after September 21st will receive reduced credit.

"The Five Orange Pips" and Journaling

Membean Vocabulary Drills: 10 minutes

Vocabulary Test:  Students took their first individualized test on Membean.  They will be given a retake opportunity on their first test.  The higher of the two scores will be taken.

Quiz:  "The Five Orange Pips"

Journaling:  Students need to complete a journal entry for each of the four stories we've read so far for which they have not already done an entry.

Reader-Response Journal Options:

--Write a mini review (your opinion about whether others would enjoy reading the story and why)

--sketch a scene or a character from the story

--write an alternate scene/ending to the story

--make a list of your favorite quotes from the story and explain why they are meaningful to you

--create a collage of a scen or character from the story

--select five words from the story that are new to you and write out each word and its definition


Remember that each entry should be headed with the title of the story and its author's name.  A minimum of one panel should be completed for each story.

The class has already completed journal entries for Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game" and Saki's "The Interlopers."

Complete entries for the following stories:

"The Man to Send Rain Clouds" by Leslie Marmon Silko

"Our Dead, Your Dead" by Kamila Shamsie

"One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts" by Shirley Jackson

"The Five Orange Pips" By Sir Arthur Conand Doyle

Homework:  Finish any of the four journal entries not completed during class time.

Character Analysis in Kamala Shamsie's "Our Dead, Your Dead"

Tuesday 19 September 2017 for Periods 2, 5 & 6 and Wednesday 20 September 2017 for Periods 1 & 7


Devotional Text:  Proverbs 19: 20/Proverbs 20: 4


Membean Vocabulary Drills:  10 Minutes


Mr. Stone collected book report parent approval slips.


The class discussed conflict in "Our Dead, Your Dead" and broke into small groups to determine the character traits of characters from the story.  They also determined whether  the group's character was static/dynamic and whether the character was round/flat.


Homework:  Read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Five Orange Pips" for a quiz at the beginning of the next class.

Analysis of the Setting in "Our Dead, Your Dead"

Monday 18 September 2017 for Periods 1, 2, 5 & 6 and Tuesday 19 September 2017 for Period 7

Devotional Text:  Proverbs 18: 6-7/Proverbs 19: 2

Students spent ten minutes on Membean.com practicing their vocabulary.

Mr. Stone finished reading any portion of Shamila Kamsie's "Our Dead, Your Dead" not completed.  The class took notes using a story analysis sheet on the story' setting, including each of the five elements of setting and their primary function in the story.

Homework:  Select a novel to read for the first quarter book report.  Complete the parent approval form distributed in class and return to Mr. Stone for approval.

The novel should be finished being read by Monday, October 16th.

More of Kamila Shamsie's "Our Dead, Your Dead"

Thursday 14 September 2017 for Periods 5, 6, & 7 (Devotional Text:  Proverbs 14:1)
Friday 15 September 2017 for Periods 1 & 2 (Devotional Text:  Proverbs 15:1)

Students completed ten minutes of Membean vocabulary drills to get to the forty-minute minimum requirement for the week.  (Students away at the football tournament should complete these ten minutes before Monday: www.membean.com.)

Quiz:  Shirley Jackson's "One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts"

After the quiz, Mr. Stone picked up reading Kamila Shamsie's "Our Dead, Your Dead" where the class  left off last week.

Homework:  Finish vocabulary sheet for "The Man to Send Rain Clouds" if not completed earlier in the week.

Students who did not score a 10/10 on the setting quiz will have a chance to retake the quiz next early next week.  If a student plans to retake the quiz, they should study over the weekend.

Elements of Setting
Geographical location
Historical period
Time of day
Weather
Cultural Milieu

Functions of Setting
Propel the plot/create conflict
Create a mood
Act as a character
Act as a symbol

Review your short story notes to prepare for the tenth question.

Shirley Jackson's "One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts"

Tuesday 12 September 2017 for Periods 7 & 5 (Devotional Text:  Proverbs 12:1)
Wednesday 13 September 2017 for Period 6 (Devotional Text:  Proverbs 13:4)
Thursday 14 September 2017 for Periods 1 & 2 (Devotional Text:  Proverbs 14:1)

Students completed fifteen minutes of Membean vocabulary drills using the classroom set of laptop computers.

Students were to turn in their completed vocabulary sheet for "The Man to Send Rain Clouds."

Students began reading Shirley Jackson's "One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts."

Homework:  Finish reading "One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts" in preparation for a quiz over the story.

Leslie Marmon Silko's "The Man to Send Rain Clouds"

Monday 11 September 2017 for Periods 5, 6, & 7 (Devotional Text:  Proverbs 11:2-3)
Tuesday 12 September 2017 for Period 2 (Devotional Text:  Proverbs 12:1)
Wednesday 13 September 2017 for Period 1 (Devotional Text:  Proverbs 13:4)

Students completed fifteen minutes of Membean vocabulary drills using the classroom set of laptop computers.

After they completed their time on Membean, they began reading "The Man to Send Rain Clouds."

Homework:  Finish reading "The Man to Send Rain Clouds," if not completed during class time, and complete the vocabulary sheet for the story.

"Our Dead, Your Dead"--Remembering 9/11

Thursday 7 September 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday 8 September 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Devotional Text:  Proverbs 7: 1-5

Membean Vocabulary Drills:  10 minutes

Quiz:  Setting Notes

Mr. Stone began reading Kamila Shamsie's "Our Dead, Your Dead" with the class.  The class will finish reading this story after Mr. Stone returns from the senior class trip.

No homework over this weekend.  Get extra sleep in preparation for the Iowa Testing next week.

Elements of Setting

Wednesday 6 September 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Thursday 7 September 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Devotional Text:  Proverbs 6:

Lockdown Drill Discussion for Mr. Stone's room

Membean Vocabulary Drills:  15 minutes

Quiz:  Plot

Notes:  The five elements of setting and the functions of setting

Mr. Stone spent a few minutes discussing notebook organization with the class and distributed story analysis sheets.

Homework:  Study the elements and functions of setting for a quiz.  Review the notes on plot as well.

Six Stages of Plot

Tuesday 5 September for Periods 2, 5 & 6 and Wednesday 6 September for Periods 1 & 7

Devotional Text:  Proverbs 5:1-2

Membean Vocabulary Drills: fifteen minutes (Typically we do ten minutes, but with a short week, we're doing ten to get all of our time.)

Mr. Stone distributed yellow "Genre Focus" sheets and spent time discussing the stages of a typical plot.  Mr. Stone differed from the handouts five stages.  He noted six.

Homework:  Study the material on plot on the "Genre Focus" sheet for a quiz as well as the notes that Mr. Stone asked students to write on the "Genre Focus" sheet.  The quiz will be given at the beginning of the next class period.

If you didn't turn in the critical thinking and vocabulary worksheet from last class period, be sure and complete that for homework as well and get it turned in at the beginning of the next class period.

Thinking Critically About Sequencing and Vocabulary in "The Most Dangerous Game"

Thursday 31 August 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Friday 1 September 2017 for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Devotional Text:  Matthew 6:19-21

Membean Vocabulary Drills: 15 minutes

Mr. Stone collected the signature sheet from the syllabus and checked for completion of the journal's cover and first two entries.

Students identified the correct sequence of events completed a vocabulary worksheet for "The Most Dangerous Game."

No Homework:  Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Membean & Syllabus

Wednesday 30 August 2017 for Periods 5 & 6 and Thursday for Periods 1, 2, & 7

Devotional Text:  Matthew 5:43-48

Membean Enrollment
Students used classroom laptop computers to access www.membean.com/enroll.  A different token code was provided to students in each period.

Membean is an online vocabulary development program.

After students created an account, they completed an initial assessment by following the green rectangular command key labeled "Calibrate Now."

Once a student's vocabulary was determined, they completed fifteen minutes of vocabulary study and drills.

Students are expected to complete 40 minutes of Membean vocabulary training each week (typically during class time.)  Five percent of each student's English I semester grade is earned by completing the minimum amount of drill time on a weekly basis.

An individualized vocabulary test will be given during the first class of each week (Monday for Periods 1, 2, 4, 5 & 6 and Tuesday for Period 7).

Each vocabulary test is worth twenty points and will be included in the test category of the student's grade. The test category makes up thirty percent of a student's English I semester grade.

Quiz
Students took a quiz over the five terms given in the previous class period's notes.

Syllabus
Students received a copy of the class syllabus.

Homework
Read the course syllabus and complete the back page with a parent/guardian.  Return it the next class period for ten points.

More Character Notes

Tuesday 29 August 2017 for Periods 2, 5 & 6 and Wednesday 30 August 2017 for Periods 1 & 7

Devotional Text:  Mark 11:25-26

Quiz:  Notes Quiz #1 (basic elements of a story and character terms)

Mr. Stone gave definitions for the following terms:

character
trait
characterization
indirect characterization
direct characterization

Homework: Study the five terms from today's class for a quiz tomorrow.

Writing Your Own Ending for the Interlopers & First Notes

Monday 28 August 2017 for Periods 1, 2, 5, & 6 and Tuesday 29 August 2017 for Period 7

Devotional Text:  Matthew 6:14-1

Journal Entry 2:  Students wrote an ending for Saki's "The Interlopers."

Quiz:  "The Interlopers"

Mr. Stone gave a brief explanation of Cornell/two-column note-taking and gave notes on the basic elements of a story and characters.  Students should be able to list the five basic elements of a story and be able to identify the following character terms:

Basic Elements of a Story
1. characters
2. plot
3. setting
4. point of view
5. theme

Character terms
protagonist-the central actor of a narrative
antagonist-the opposing force in a narrative
static character-an actor in a story whose traits remain the same throughout the story
dynamic character-an actor in a story who has one or more character traits change during a story
round character-an actor in a story who has many traits
flat character-an actor in a story who has only one or two traits


(Students in periods five and six who did not finish writing out the notes from the board were instructed to take a photo to study for the quiz, but they will need to write out the notes by hand.  Students receive credit for their handwritten class notes.)

Creating an Accordian Book Reader-Response Journal

Devotional Text:  Philippians 1:6

Quiz:  The Most Dangerous Game

Students corrected a classmate's quiz and were able to see their score before leaving class.

Mr. Stone demonstrated how to make an accordian book and shared examples of previous students' work.  Students then created their own accordian book, made a title page, and began their first entry.

Reader-Response Options

--write a mini review ( Your opinon about whether others would enjoy reading the story and why)

--sketch a scene or character from the story

-- write an alternate scene/ending to the story

--make a list of your favortie quotes from the story and explain why they are meaningful to you

--make a list of your favorite quotes from the story and explain why they are meaningful to you

--create a collage of a scene or character from the story

Homework:  Read Saki's "The Interlopers"

First Day of Class: Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game"

Wednesday 23 August 2017 for Periods 1, 2, 5, 6, & 7

Class began with a reading of John 1:1 and prayer.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, He was with God in the beginning."

Students listened to a dramatic recording of "The Most Dangerous Game and followed along with a text.

Homework:  Finish reading "The Most Dangerous Game" and review for a quiz over the story.

Students should consider the basic who, what, when, where, why and how questions as they review.

Students will take the quiz over the story at the beginning of the next class period.

(Thursday August 24th for Periods 1 & 2 and Friday August 25th for Periods 5, 6, & 7)

Research Test Study Guide

Be able to place the six stages of the research process in order.

Be able to match each of the steps of the research process with their corresponding stage.

Be able to identify the parts of a note card.

Be able to list the four steps in integrating source material:

Introduce the source.
Allow the source to speak (quote, paraphrase, summary, short fact).
Cite the source.
Comment.

Ms. Taylor-Johnston's haiku deck is a good review this concept.

MLA is an abbreviation for what?

What is the current edition of MLA?

What website does Mr. Stone recommend for MLA format questions?

What is the relationship between primary and secondary questions?

What two pieces of information go in a typical MLA parenthetical citation?

Who is the intended audience of a magazine?

Who is the inteded audience of a journal?

Research Priorities

1. Complete bubble sheet.

2. Finish note cards (minimum of 10 cards and the sample card).

3.  Begin working on the MLA bibliographic sheets in preparation for writing your works cited list.

4. Write expository paragraph.

5. Write explication paragraph.


Students will critique and edit a partner's paragraphs in class on Monday, June 5th.

During the student's test period for English I students will submit their research paragraphs and works cited list to turnitin.com.

A short test over the research process will be given during the final test period.

Students who wish to retake the vocabulary portion of the To Kill a Mockingbird test will be able to do so during the exam period.

If time permits at the end of the exam period, students will play an Odyssey game.

To Kill a Mockingbird Research Paragraphs

The class is creating material for reader's guide to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird website.  Students signed up in class for topics that a typical young reader might need explained.

Student will write an expository paragraph, an explication paragraph, and a list of works cited.

The Expository Paragraph (8-12 sentences)

Defining the Research Question

The expository paragraph of this assignment should answer the student's primary research question:

Who is _______________________?

or

What is ______________________?

To further define their primary research question, students develop a list of secondary questions using the graphic organizer provided by Mr. Stone.  Students must devlop a minimum of three secondary questions for this assignment.

Developing an Information Search Strategy

Students identify potential search terms from the key words of their primary questions.  They develop a list of alternative (synonymous) search terms.  (These need to be recorded on the graphic organizer/"bubble sheet.")

Locate and Access Information

Students need a minimum of three sources for this assginement.

Students considered along with the teacher the types of sources that would most likely contain authoritative information on their topic.  For this assignment, students may use print sources (books, magazines, etc.), articles from magazines and journals found on Ebscohost (a database to which the school subscribes) or articles from government or university websites (.gov or .edu).

Students may access print sources from the school's library or a public library.  

They may access Ebscohost through a link on the school library's webpage.  (The library page is found under academics on the school's webpage: www.lla.org.) 

Mr. Stone demonstrated to students how to used the advanced search option of Google to locate web pages with .edu and .gov domains.

Evaluate Sources and Take Notes

Students should carefully evaluate each source to determine if it has relevant information and if it comes from an authoritative source.

Students are required to take notes using index cards for this assignment.

Each note card should contain the five required elements:

Source code (an arbitrary letter assigned to each source) written on the top left-hand side of the card's top red line

Key word (the main word selected from each of the secondary research questions) written in the middle of the top red line of the card

Page number/form (Students write a page number if the source is from a print source and "Web" if the source is from an online database or website) written on the top right-hand side of the card's top red line

Note (3 or fewer factual words or numbers) written on the blue lines of the card

Name and period (student's name and class period) written on the blank back side of the index card)

Although note cards may often contain paraphrases, summaries, or direct quotations, for this assignment students should stick to short factual fragments (3 or less words).

Students will likely write two or more note cards for each of their secondary questions.

Synthesize Information

Students will organize their notes using their primary and secondary research questions and key words.  They will sort their note cards into piles by the key word and then organize them in the best order for their expository paragraph.

Students will draft a paragraph of eight to twelve sentences.

The paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that identifies the person or object that is the topic of the paragarph.

The paragraph's body will explain the answer's to the student's secondary research questions.  (Students should not directly quote their secondary questions in their paragarph.  They should use only declarative sentences.)

Students need to introduce each source the first time they use it by providing the name of the author or the title of the source and a phrase indicating what makes this source authoritative:  educational qualifications of the author (position and school of employment), reputation of the publication, etc.

Students should place a parenthetial citation at the end of the last sentence of borrowed materail:

(Burnell 47)

("Entailments")

The parenthetidal citation should contain the author's last name and page number.

If the source does not have a listed author, the students should provide the first key word of the title of the source. 

If the soure is not a print source, the page number is left off.

See Purdue University's Online Writing Lab for details about MLA 8th edtion.

Students will provide a list of the sources used in their paragraphs.  The Modern Language Association (MLA) calls the list bibliographic information for sources used "Works Cited."

Evaluate and Present

Students will critique a partner's paragraphs on Monday, June 5.  They will need to submit the final draft of their paragraphs and works cited lists to turnitin.com during their final test period.

Their work will be presented to world as it becomes a part of the class's webpage.

The Explication Paragraph (5-8 sentences)

In literary terms, explication is the analysis of a text to reveal its meaning.

Once students have researched general information about their assigned topic, they should read back over the passage where their topic word/phrase is located in To Kill a Mockingbird.  (They should have written down the chapter where their topic appears when they wrote down the topic they selected.)

What is the meaning and/or function of the topic in the selected chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Most of the topics students researched function as an element of the novel's setting (geographical location or cultural milieu) or as an allusion (a reference) that is supposed to bring to mind a specific quality or event of the person or event mentioned.

Context and Topic (1-3 sentences)

Students should begin their explication paragraph by identifying the context (who, what, when, where, why, how) and topic of their research.

e.g. In Chapter ______when . . .  (description of scene), Harper Lee refers to ______________ (topic word).

Quoted Text (1 sentence)

Students should quote the sentence from the text that contains their topic word/phrase.

 e.g. She writes, "_______________________."

Function (1 sentence)

e.g. 

In this context the reader should see _______ (the research topic word/phrase) as ______________ (function).

OR

In this scene Lee uses _______________ (the research topic word/phrase) to ________________ (function).

Meaning 2-3 sentences

Explain the meaning and/or significance of Lee's use of the research topic word/phrase.