Forty-Ninth Class Period: In-text Citations and Works Cited Page

Mr. Stone reviewed the use of in-text parenthetical citations (Hacker 120-127)and works cited entries (Hacker127-147).
He emphasized the importance of making as clear as possible to the reader where the student writer begins and finishes using material from someone else.

Research handbook writer Diana Hacker uses the term "signal phrase" to describe the group of words that signal to a reader where the writer begins using material borrowed from another source, whether it is a "quotation, paraphrase, summary, or fact"(120). At minimum, the research paper writer should include the author's name or the title of the source when the author's name is not available. research writer might also present information about the context of the borrowed source: its title, the type of source, the nature of the surrounding content material in its original source.

The The first time a source is used in the student's research paper, they should provide information about what makes this source authoritative: the writer's profession, the name and type of source from which the material comes, etc. The information provided to the reader about the source should make he/she have more confidence in the validity of the facts, explanations, or opinions provided the source.

Whenever possible, the research paper writer will indicate the end of his/her use of another's material by placing a parenthetical citation at the end of the borrowing. The parenthetical citation will only contain the page number(s) if the author's name was was listed at the beginning of the borrowing. If the source is a web source, then no page number should be provided. No parenthetical citation is necessary for web sources if the author's last name was included in the signal phrase marking the beginning of the borrowing.

Mr. Stone reminded students that they should have minimally used two different sources in each of the paper's body paragraphs.

Mr. Stone limits the use of direct quotations to no more than one per page. At least one direct quotation should be present in the paper.

Homework: Bring your research paper as one document with a works cited page (already printed) to class. Also, bring your sources.

Remember that a minimum of five sources must be cited in the paper. Additional sources will count as extra credit.

The final draft of the research paper will be due on Monday, April 30th for periods 1, 2, 5, and 6. Period 7's papers will be due on Tuesday, May 1st.

Forty-Eighth Class Period: Vocabulary Energizers Chapter Six

Students wrote a story using the fifteen words of Vocabulary Energizers Chapter 6.

No homework--Long Weekend

Forty-Seventh Class Period: Research Report Peer Critique

Students peer critiqued a classmate's research report.

Homework: Complete Vocabulary Energizers Chapter 6.

Fourty-Sixth Class Period: Research Introduction and Conclusion

Students peer critiqued a classmate's research report.

Homework: Complete Vocabulary Energizers Chapter 6.

Band Members

Students going on the band trip will have two class periods to make up assignments for each class period they have missed. This does not mean in-class time to complete the work; rather, it means the number of class days within they must complete and submit any missed assignments. If a band member misses two periods of English I, then they will have four days after they return to school to complete their missing work. If a band member misses three periods of English I, then they will have six days after they return to school to complete their missing work.

Forty-Fifth Class Period: Vocabulary Ch. 5 Quiz

Students had twenty minutes to review for the quiz.

After the Vocabulary Energizers Chapter 5 Quiz, Mr. Stone discussed establishing the authority of a source and including signal phrases to indicate the beginning of borrowing material.

Homework: Finish body paragraph five (and six if you have a sixth secondary question) of your research paper. Bring your thesis and all five of your body paragraphs printed out in the same document.

During the forty-sixth class period we will discuss options for a successful introduction and conclusion.

Students will draft the introduction and conclusion of their research paper for the forty-seventh class period.

During the forty-seventh class period, Mr. Stone will spend more time on the MLA format for works cited entries.

Students should bring their Vocabulary Energizer books to the forty-eighth class period.

Note: There is no school on Monday, April 23, 2012.

Correction: Vocabulary Ch 5 Test

The homework for Monday, April 16th or Tuesday April 17th for Period 7th was to study for the Vocabulary Energizers Ch. 5 Quiz instead of completing the fifth paragraph of the research paper. This was announced in all of the classes, but not corrected on the blog.

Forty-Third & Forty-Fourth Class Periods: More on Integrating Sources into Writing & 4th Qtr Book Reading Time

All periods will have the shortened class time on Thursday, April 12th to begin reading the books they have selected for their fourth quarter book report.

On either Wednesday (Periods 5 & 6) or Friday (Periods 1, 2, & 7), Mr. Stone will present a series of suggestions of books for students to read. He will continue to discuss how to integrate source material with a student's writing, including how to set up a quotation, the use of ellipsis points, and brackets.

Mr. Stone informed students that they need to include at least one direct quotation in their report and no more than one direct quotation per page of their current assignment.

Homework for Periods 5 & 6 for Thursday: Bring book report book to class.

Homework for Periods 1, 2, & 7 for Thursday/Friday: Complete body paragraphs three and four.

Homework for Periods 1, 2, 5, & 6 for Monday: Complete body paragraph five (and six if you have chosen to discuss an extra secondary question).

Homework for Period 7 for Tuesday: Complete body paragraph five (and six if you have chosen to discuss an extra secondary question).

Forty-Third Class Period: Avoiding Plaigiarism

Mr. Stone discussed how to avoid Plaigiarism/how to document sources in the MLA format.

Chapter 5 of Vocabulary Energizers was corrected in class. Mr. Stone checked for the completion of each student's thesis and first two body paragraphs.

Homework: Type out a rough draft of two more body paragraphs for your research paper.

Note: Bring the book you are choosing to read for your fourth quarter book report to class on Thursday.

Forty-Second Class Period: Drafting Research Paper & 3rd Quarter Grades

Students submitted Vocabulary Energizers Chapter 5.

Mr. Stone gave an introductory lecture on drafting an expository research report.

Your paper will have a minimum of seven paragraphs. You will begin tonight by writing your thesis and the first two body paragraphs of your paper.


Introduction

* Make the general answer to your primary research question your thesis statement.
(Remember that you are writing an expository paper, not a persuasive paper. Your paper's thesis will not express an opinion; rather, it will express a general answer to your primary research question in one declarative sentence.

*Start with just your thesis.

*Write the rest of your introduction once you have finished writing the rest of your paper (days from now).

Body Paragraphs

*Follow your outline.

*Feel free to make adjustments to your outline as you draft.

*Use a ratio of two sentences of concrete details (CDs) to one sentence of commentary (CM): 2CDs:1CM. We will refer to this combination of concrete details and commentary as a chunk.

*Include three "chunks" in each body paragraph.


Body Paragraph Pattern
TS (topic sentence)

CD
CD
CM

CD
CM
CD

CM
CD
CD

CS (closing sentence)/TrS (transitional sentence)


Commentary in this expository paper is not like the commentary in a persuasive paper, such as your book reviews. The commentary in your book reviews expressed your interpretation/analysis of the book. The commentary in your factual report clarifies the meaning of the concrete details and their connection(s) to the paragraph's topic sentence and other concrete details.

Be sure to provide your readers with worthwhile content. Make your concrete details as specific as possible.




Students received a printout of their third quarter grade.

Homework: Type out your thesis and two body paragraphs of your research report.

Forty-First Class Period: Vocabulary Energizers Chapter 5

Students were given time to revise their haiku and cinquain after they received feedback from Mr. Stone. Students began completing the exercises for Vocabulary Energizers Chapter 5.

Homework: Complete Vocabulary Energizers Chapter 5.

Fortieth Class Period: Theatercraft Test

Students took a multiple-choice test over the Theatercraft video.

Mr. Stone reviewed the conventions of haiku and cinquain.

Homework: Prepare your own typed haiku and cinquain on separate papers.

Thirty-Ninth Class Period: Introduction to Haiku and Cinquain

Students took a pop quiz over the previous day's video.

They received handouts about haiku and cinquain. Students worked in small groups on a corporately written cinquain.

Homework: Finish reviewing for the Theatercraft test.

Thirty-Eighth Class Period: Theatercraft Video

Students viewed the Theatercraft video and began completing a test review over the video.

Homework: Finish test review if not finished in class and begin studying for the Theatercraft Test which will be given in two class periods.