November 21, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Dear students,

There aren't many things that could take me away from you.  Having a baby is one of them.  Watching that baby almost die is another.  The past two days have been terrifying, but Henry is hanging in there.  We will be at Children's Hospital for at least few more days.  I will keep you posted.

In the meantime, please keep working hard and being respectful of the substitute and of each other.  E-mail me if you need help or have questions.

Much love,
Ms. Leclaire

P.S. The substitute will give you the details of the warm-up activity, but please spend at least half of the class doing the fishbowl discussion that was planned for today.  Here are the links:

1st Hour Fishbowl
3rd Hour Fishbowl
6th Hour Fishbowl

HW:
1. Please bring your independent reading book to class tomorrow.

2. Study for tomorrow's vocabulary quiz over List 10.  The quiz will look a little different; you will be given ten of the words, and you will simply be asked to give a definition and a sentence for each.

November 20, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Focus: How can we use our creative talents to learn new vocabulary?

1. Warm-up: Celebrating the best of the blog from yesterday's discussion

2. Reviewing List 10 SAT vocabulary: Circle story time

The rules:

• You must use the word correctly in the sentence; see your packet for sample sentences.
• Don't pass your story until directed to do so.
• You may not write sentences that may offend or insult anyone in the room.

3. Reading A Long Way Gone and checking on annotations

HW:
1. Read and annotate Chapters 11-16 to prepare for tomorrow's fishbowl

2. Start studying for Friday's SAT List 10 vocabulary quiz.

3. Remember to come to your conference.

November 19, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Focus: What does it take to have a strong discussion of A Long Way Gone?

1. Warm-up: Sharing my thoughts about your letters and where to go from here

2. Revisiting your fishbowls of the past and clarifying the grading process

Here's an A-quality discussion on the outer circle:  http://leclaireenglish10firsthour.blogspot.com/2013/09/fishbowl-4-chapters-17-and-18-of-kite.html

Here's a high B-quality comment:
After Amir's meeting with Rahim Kahn will Hassan and Amir see each other again and forgive each each other for what happened

Here's a C/D-quality discussion: http://leclaireenglish10firsthour.blogspot.com/2013/09/practice-fishbowl-chapters-2-6-of-kite.html

D's and F's are largely reserved for people who detract from the conversation or who don't participate fully (for example, you make one comment at the very beginning and one at the very end).

If you use incorrect grammar, I detract a letter grade from what you would have received.  For example, if the content of your comments was A-quality, but you chose not to capitalize, you would receive a B.

What questions do you have about leadership and discusser grades?

3. Passing around the conference sign-up

4. Fishbowl discussion #3: A Long Way Gone, Chapters 7-10

1st Hour Fishbowl
3rd Hour Fishbowl
6th Hour Fishbowl

5. Going around the circle to share feedback, thoughts, and questions from today

HW:
1. Finish your List 10 SAT vocabulary cards and bring them to class tomorrow for review.  

2. Bring your copy of A Long Way Gone; you will be given a little reading time tomorrow (and I'd also like to check your annotations).

3. For Thursday, read and annotate Chapters 11, 12, 13 and 14 to prepare for our fishbowl discussion of A Long Way Gone.

November 18, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Focus: What have you been up to these past two months?

1. Warm-up: Sharing the past two months of my life with you

2. Sharing the past two months of your lives with me (via letter writing)

3. Signing up for conferences:

If you have an overall C, D, or F in this class as of today, you MUST sign up for a conference.

If you earned a C, D, or F on your comparative essay, you MUST sign up for a conference.

If you have an issues with class that cannot be resolved easily through an e-mail or a quick conversation before class, please sign up for a conference.

4. Small groups: Teaching Ms. Leclaire what you've learned about...

The Kite Runner

A Long Way Gone

How to write an essay

How to read analytically and annotate

How to run an excellent fishbowl discussion

HW:
1. Read and annotate Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10 for tomorrow's fishbowl.  I'm excited to see the fishbowl experts you have become.  

2. Complete your SAT List 10 flashcards for Wednesday and bring them to class for some review activities.

3. Remember to come to your conference if you signed up for one. Because our time left together this semester is so limited, there will not be time to reschedule missed conferences.

4. All make-up work, revisions, and grade changes are due December 6th. NO changes to your already-posted grades will be made after this date.

November 15, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

1. Study 15 vocabulary lesson nine words for five minutes.
2. Take the vocabulary quiz.
3. When you finish the quiz, you have three choices:

• Read your independent study book
• Read and annotate A Long Way Gone (Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10 are due Tuesday.)
• Finish the Hand project and turn in your packet of this week's work.

You must remain quietly in your seats today. No noise.

HW--Fish Bowl #3 is next Tuesday. Read and annotate Chapters 7, 8, 9, 10.

November 14, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

1.Fishbowl #2, Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6.
2. Last 15 minutes of class: Finish the Hand project and type your two poems. Packet of this week's work is due at the end of the hour. (2 poems +Hand Project+Dream Reflections+Purple Packet of Poems=30 pts.)

HW--Study for Vocabulary Lesson 9 Quiz, tomorrow. Remember: There are 15 words on the list!

Read and annotate Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10 for Fish Bowl #3 on Tuesday, 11/19. (Please note the new due date.)
Bring your independent reading book to class tomorrow.

First Period Fish Bowl Blog
Third Period Fish Bowl Blog
Sixth Period Fish Bowl Blog

November 13, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Shortened Class Period! But we have much to accomplish...

Today's Focus:

• Making personal connections to A Long Way Gone
• Using poetry to understand the book's themes
• Developing an appreciation of the book's motifs

1. The "Dirty Hand" poem is in your purple packet. Please find it.
2. Assignment: Dirty Hand Clean Hand Project. (Finish it in class today.)
3. If you finish the project, take out a computer. Type and print your two poems from Monday.
4. Staple this week's work together and attach the grading rubric to the top.

Place your annotations and your vocabulary lesson 9 index cards on the desk so Mrs. M. can give you credit.

HW: Read and annotate Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6 for tomorrow. Prepare for Fish Bowl #7.

November 12, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

1. Dream assignment--15 minutes of writing and thinking.
2. Fishbowl #1--Chapters 1 and 2 of A Long Way Gone

Please link to our class blog:
First Hour Fish Bowl Blog
Third Hour Fish Bowl Blog
Sixth Hour Fish Bowl Blog

HW
Due tomorrow: 10 flash cards, Vocabulary Lesson 9
Read and annotate Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6 (5 annotations/chapter). Fishbowl #2 is Thursday, November 14.

November 11, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

1. Meet Vocabulary Lesson 9 Words
2. Reminders--Fishbowl Tomorrow. Let's review the responsibilities for Leaders, Discussers, and Outer Circle.

Today's focus: Using poetry to explore A Long Way Gone and your own life.

3. "Fifteen": Read and analyze the poem together. How might Ishmael Beah from A Long Way Gone write a poem about his 10th year? Reflect back on your past life and--imitating this poem--write about a time when you felt your own inexperience and immaturity. (An alternate assignment--write an imitation of the poem from the perspective of Ishmael. Be sure to select a specific year of his life to write about.)

4. The sun poem. Read and analyze this poem together in small groups (or by yourself). Think about the sun motif in A Long Way Gone. How does the sun appear in this book--as a beautiful force of nature or as a destructive one? What does it symbolize in the book? Write a poem about another natural object that Ishmael Beah is interested in--the moon, stars, dirt, trees, rivers. Imitate the style and pattern of this poem.

On Wednesday, we will write about "The Dirty Hand," a poem about guilt. You will have a chance to revise all poems before handing them in for credit.

HW--Make flashcards for Vocabulary Lesson 9 words. Due Wednesday.
Read and make 5 annotations for Chapter 1 and five annotations for Chapter 2. These are due tomorrow.
Prepare for Fishbowl #1 tomorrow.

November 8, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

1. Study vocabulary list #8 for 5 minutes.
2. Choose a role for your annotations: psychologist, sociologist, outdoors-man/woman, DJ, photographer, astronomer, or storyteller.
3. Sign up for The A Long Way Gone fishbowls: once as a leader and once as a discusser.
4. Take the vocabulary quiz.
5. When you finish the quiz, you may read your independent study book or A Long Way Gone. No talking, please.

Homework:
Read and annotate Chapters 1 and 2. Due Tuesday. If you are a leader or discusser for Fishbowl #1, be prepared to participate in the inner circle next Tuesday.

November 7, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Please sit in your assigned seats today. 

Synthesis Essay is Due. Take a few minutes to read the final draft to be sure it is complete and perfect. If you spot an error, correct it with your pen or pencil.

• Staple the grading rubric to the top of your essay and hand it in.

• Also hand in your peer-edited rough drafts, stapled together. Be sure your peer editor wrote his/her name on top of the paper.

Today's focus--preparing to read and analyze A Long Way Gone.

1. Explanation of the assignment, Journal with a Purpose.

2. We will read the opening of the book together and answer these questions: Why does Beah begin the book as he does?  What effect does this opening create? What questions does it make you ask?


3. Let's read Chapter 1 and annotate it together...

4. Sign up for Fishbowls. You must be a leader once and a discusser once.

Homework:
Due Monday, 11/11: Read and annotate Chapters 1 and 2. Fishbowl #1 is Monday, November 11. Leaders must prepare chapter summaries and questions, just as you did for Kite Runner. Discussers: Be ready to analyze the book!

For each chapter, write five annotations about your chosen motif and questions for fishbowl. That's 10 annotations total.

You may:

• Write directly in your book if you own the book
• Write your comments on sticky-notes
• Write two-column journal entries with the quote on one side and the comment/analysis on the other.

Study for Vocabulary Lesson 8 quiz tomorrow.

November 6, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

1. Complete the web quest for A Long Way Gone.

2. Vocabulary practice: Use this week's ten words in your response to Web Quest question #22. Show that you understand each word's meaning--and also show that you have gained some understanding about Sierra Leone.

Place you index cards on the desk so Mrs. Makovsky can give you credit for them.

HW

• The synthesis essay is due tomorrow, 11/7. No late papers will be accepted. Attach the grading rubric to the top of your final essay.
• The peer-edited rough drafts are also due tomorrow. Staple the two of them together.
• Vocabulary quiz #8 is Friday.

Tomorrow: We begin reading A Long Way Gone in class, so bring your book. You will also sign up for Fishbowls tomorrow.

November 5, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

1. Exchange papers with your peer editor and edit body paragraph 2, using the same rubric you used for body paragraph one. Write your comments directly onto the rough draft.

As you peer-edit, Mrs. Makovsky will give you points for completing the second half of your rough draft.

Staple both of your rough drafts together. The peer editor will get points for editing, and the writer will get points for completing the essay. Turn in the peer-edited essays on Thursday.

A Long Way Gone--Web Quest
2. Write your name inside the book, A Long Way Gone.
3. Background information on A Long Way Gone: Answer all questions on the handout. Work individually, not in groups. The purpose of this assignment is to research information that will increase your understanding of the book. Due at the end of the hour.

HW
Create index cards for Vocabulary Lesson 8--Due Wednesday
Continue perfecting your essay. It's due Thursday, 11/7. No late papers accepted.

November 4, 2013: What's Happening in English 10?

Begin preparing for A Long Way Gone: Slides of Famous Scenes of Violence in America  Free-Writing Assignment

1. How to write a concluding paragraph.
2. Write your conclusion (15 minutes).
3. Print the entire rough draft--all four paragraphs.
4. Exchange papers with your peer editor and edit body paragraph 2, using the same rubric you used for body paragraph one. Write your comments directly onto the rough draft. As you peer-edit, Mrs. Makovsky will give you points for completing the second half of your rough draft.

Staple both of your rough drafts together. The peer editor will get points for editing, and the writer will get points for completing the essay. Turn in the peer-edited essays on Thursday.

HW--Polish and perfect your synthesis essay. It is due Thursday. No late papers will be accepted.
Look for these common errors:

• Italicize the title of a book or a movie.
• Check your capitalization.
• Remove Mrs. Leclaire's bad words (see yesterday's blog for the link)