Fri. 2/27/15

Learning Target:

• Group discussions: Support your ideas using textual evidence cited from the book

Work Collected:

• Checked in class: Row 3 of discussion preparation worksheet + back side ("The Envelope, Please")
• Turned in: Lit. circle discussion #3 participation worksheet (make-up assignment if absent)

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 90 mins.
• Weekly reading goal due Monday
• Note: Final discussion date has changed to Wed. (not Tues.)

Summary of Class:

• Lit circle discussion #3
• Read or work on memoir

Thurs. 2/25/15

Learning Target:

• Add a participial phrase to your memoir for more sentence fluency and descriptive writing
• Substitute weaker verbs with stronger ones

Work Collected:

• Formative assessment: participial phrase

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 30 mins.
• Lit. circle discussion #3 tomorrow (reading + row 3 of worksheet)
• Reminder: 4-year plan for HS classes due tomorrow
• Handouts: 2 "Said Is Dead"sheets

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Participle review
• Formative assessment: on a notecard, write a sentence from your memoir that you could add a participial phrase to
• Memoirs: Thesaurus work
• Identify weak verbs in your memoir (come, do , get, give, go have, like make, take, be...is, are, was, were, etc.)
• Replace these with stronger verbs
• I had the snake in my hands. --> I clutched the snake in my tiny fists.
• See help with using a thesaurus here
• "Said" synonyms (in case you keep repeating "said" in your memoir)
• See handouts on LA website > Units/Materials > Memoir > Revising Your Memoir
• "Said Is Dead" and "Said Is Dead 2": Save these handouts to your LA folder

Tues. 2/24/15

Learning Target:

• Participate in a book group discussion using specific passages from a text to support your ideas

Work Collected:

• Lit. circle discussion #2 preparation (row 2 checked in class)
• Lit. circle discussion #2 observation worksheet (or make-up assignment if absent)

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 30 mins.
• Lit. circle discussion #3 Friday (reading + row 3 of worksheet)

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Lit. circle discussion #2
• When finished:
  

Mon. 2/23/15

Learning Target:

• Use STAR revision to track improvements on your rough draft

Work Collected:

• Weekly reading check-in (orange form) for week 7

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 30 mins.
• Lit circle discussion #2 tomorrow: reading + row 2 of worksheet

Summary of Class:

• Read for fifteen minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Participles: misplaced modifiers
• Notebook: record the incorrect sentence and write two possible solutions to this grammatical error
• "Churning in the Atlantic Ocean, we anxiously watched the weather report for information about the hurricane."
• Finish talking about STAR revision
• Examples of changes in an essay
• Begin revising (and tracking these changes on) the rough draft of your memoir
• Examples of leads and conclusions: click here
• Final drafts will be due some time next week
• Reminder: lit circle discussions tomorrow

Fri. 2/20/15

Learning Target:

• Participate in a group discussion using questions to guide conversation about a text

Work Collected:

• Lit. circle preparation sheet (show row one for credit)
• Lit. circle discussion sheet (absent: turn in makeup work)

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 90 mins.
• Next lit. circle meeting on Tuesday: reading + row 2 of worksheet

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Lit circle group discussions

Thurs. 2/19/15

Learning Target:

• Publish an effective, professional book blog post

Work Collected:

• Book blog post (publish to your book blog)

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 30 mins.
• First lit. circle meeting tomorrow (assigned reading + top row of worksheet)
• Publish blog (if not done in class)
• Handout: STAR revision

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Book blog posts
• Reminders (see board)
• Publish post (graded--see rubric from yesterday)
• Revising memoirs
• Handout: STAR revision
• Next week as you make changes to your memoir, you will track changes with STAR initials
  

Wed. 2/18/15

Learning Target:

• Write an effective blog post: Summarize a book, give your response/opinions about it, and explain who might enjoy it

Work Collected:

• Article of the week (Google Doc in LA folder)

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 30 mins.
• First lit. circle reading due Friday (with the top row of your worksheet)

Summary of Class:

• Turn in your article of the week--make sure it is in your LA folder
• Highlight:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Directions for book blog post (graded assessment)
• See rubric in e-mail (File > Make a copy > Rename the document)
• Helpful videos and documents:

• Type your post in a Google Doc (and listen to it), then publish in Blogger
• Reminder: First lit. circle meeting on Friday (we will finish blogs tomorrow during class)

Tues. 2/17/15

Learning Target:

• Recognize characteristics of dystopian science fiction

Work Collected:

• None

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 30 mins.
• AoW (argument) due tomorrow
• 1st lit. circle reading and top row of worksheet due Friday

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Notebooks: Participles
  
• Introduction to science fiction
• "What if" questions
• What if we developed the technology to determine which genes were passed on to children?
• What if humans developed the ability to foresee or predict the future?
• Two sci fi movie trailers: Gattaca and Minority Report
• Static v. dynamic characters
• Dynamic = A character who changes in the story (i.e. learns something new, takes on a new outlook etc.)
• Static = A character who does not change or develop
• End-of-unit exam question
• Part 1 (The Problem): Describe how this book qualifies as dystopian science fiction and explain the “What if” question that this author explores—what direction does this author suggest humanity is headed in depending on our choices?
• Part 2 (The Solution): Identify a dynamic character and explain how the author uses this character’s changes to offer hope for our society’s future (to avoid a dystopian future).
Work time
• AoW argument or lit. circle reading + worksheet

Mon. 2/16/15

Learning Target:

• Write a well-supported argument in response to an article

Work Collected:

• Weekly reading check-in (orange form) for week 6

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 30 mins.
• AoW due Wed.
• 1st lit. circle reading due Fri. (see your group calendar)

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Fill out a weekly reading check-in (orange form) for week 6
• Participles: 3 sentences to write in your notebook 
• AoW
• Change in format: write up an argument in response to the article (1st paragraph = summary, author's purpose, and your opinion; rest of paragraphs = support/explain your opionion)

• Steps: read and annotate the article (on newsela.com), then write your reflection (summary + argument in Google Doc)
• This week: conferences with Miss Johnson and Mrs. Boyden about your memoir

Fri. 2/13/15

Learning Target:

• Produce an effective draft of your memoir, including a narrative lead, "zoomed in" moments of dialogue and description, and a "So what?"

Work Collected:

• Jamestown reading probe
• Memoir rough draft

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 90 mins. (weekly reading goal due Mon.)
• Start reading lit. circle book

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Jamestown reading probe
• Finalize the rough draft of your memoir: in LA folder, finished by tonight

Thurs. 2/12/15

Learning Target:

• Find evidence in an article to support your opinion

Work Collected:

• AoW

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Memoir draft due tomorrow
• Handout: lit. circle books and calendar, videotaping letter

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• AoW: Read a related article and find evidence to support your opinion
• Work on memoir draft while Mrs. Boyden and Miss Johnson pass out lit. circle materials and videotaping letter

Wed. 2/11/15

Learning Target:

• Dive into a good book

Work Collected:

• None

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 30 mins.
• AoW due tomorrow
• Memoir rough draft due Fri.

Summary of Class:

• Library
• Check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Update your Shelfari account (books read, what you are reading, what you plan to read, etc.)

Tues. 2/10/15

Learning Target:

• Punctuate dialogue correctly
• "Show, don't tell" when writing a story (include dialogue and description for important "zoom in" moments)

Work Collected:

• Dialogue formative assessment (Google form)

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 30 mins.
• Due tomorrow: book permission slips
• Due Thursday: AoW (Assessment: MLA format)

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Dialogue
• Save handout: punctuating dialogue
• Formative assessment: see e-mail from Ms. Johnson
• Work on rough drafts
• Try to "show, not tell" the important moments--zoom in with dialogue and description
• Focus on cranking out your story--try not to edit and just let yourself write
• Work on article of the week
• Due Thursday
• Assessment: MLA format (see handout from yesterday's class)

Mon. 2/9/15

Learning Target:

• Create an effective plan for your memoir
• Annotate a text to illustrate your thoughts

Work Collected:

• Weekly reading check-in (orange form) for week 5 (4-day goal)

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 30 mins.
• Due Tuesday: memoir planning (2 worksheets + 2 storyboarding sheets)
• Due Wednesday: book permission slip
• Due Thursday: AoW reflection

Summary of Class:

• 
  Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Complete a weekly reading check-in (orange form) for week 5 (4-day week)
• Memoir planning
• 4 sheets due tomorrow: 2 worksheets + 2 storyboarding sheets
• Work on I-Plan
• Article of the week
• Assessment: MLA format
• See directions for MLA format here
• Focus question: What do you think should be done about the ISIS situation?  Why?
• Reflection due Thursday

Fri. 2/6/15

Learning Target:

• Make a plan for your memoir that includes a narrative lead, the story's beginning, middle, and end, and a reflective "So what?"

Work Collected:

• None

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 90 mins. (reading goal due Monday for a 4-day week)
• Handout: Narrative leads

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Narrative leads
• Handout: 4 types of leads
• Try each kind of lead for your own memoir (back of worksheet)

• Figure out the order for your memoir (time shifts, sequence of events, etc.)--move squares around until you are satisfied, then number them

• Plan for memoir
• Introduction: Narrative lead
• Beginning, middle, and end of story
• Reflection: "So what?"

• Finish memoir planning
• Finish storyboarding
• Try narrative leads (worksheet)
• Storyboarding--cut out and reorder
• Final plan (worksheet)
• If done early: start drafting memoir

Thurs. 2/5/15

Learning Target:

• Use storyboarding to map out your memoir and to visualize important scenes

Work Collected:

• E-mail Mrs. Boyden a new rate (if you calculated one)

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 30 mins.
• Handout: three-column planner for memoirs (worksheet)
• Handout: literature circle book permission slip

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• If you calculated a new reading rate, e-mail that to Mrs. Boyden
• Brainstorming for memoirs: For your "what" and "So what?", brainstorm the important information:

• Storyboarding: Try to think like a screen writer or movie producer--which are the important scenes you will need to zoom in on?
  
  
  
  
• Bring these sheets back tomorrow.  Handout: lit circle permission slip letter.  Bring the signed slip back by Wednesday, February 11 so Mrs. Boyden can pass out books next week.

Wed. 2/4/15

Learning Target:

• MAP testing

Work Collected:

• none

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• none

Summary of Class:

• MAP testing

Tues. 2/3/15

Learning Target:

• MAP testing

Work Collected:

• Weekly reading check-in (orange form) for week 4

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• none

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Calculate a 4-day goal for this week (week 5)
• Complete a weekly reading check-in (orange form) for week 4
• MAP testing

Fri. 1/3015

Learning Target:

• Identify characteristics of effective memoirs
• Choose a possible topic for your memoir

Work Collected:

• Exit ticket: topic for your memoir and 3 characteristics of memoirs

Work Assigned/Handed Out:

• Read for at least 90 minutes this weekend (reading goal due Monday)

Summary of Class:

• Read for ten minutes, then check in to your reading progress spreadsheet
  
• Introduction to memoirs
• Bad example: click here
• Better example: click here
• Characteristics of effective and ineffective memoirs:
  
• Writer's notebook: Brainstorm some memories and their "So what?"
• WHAT: While on vacation in Colorado with my family, I climbed Mt. Harvard, the fourth tallest mountain in the continental United States.
• “SO WHAT?”: It was the most difficult experience of my life: dangerous, challenging, and exhausting.   (I even vomited off the side of a cliff at one point.)  But it was also the biggest physical accomplishment I ever endured; it taught me what hard work was and I pushed the limit of what I thought was possible for me.
• Note card: Identify a WHAT (memory) and a SO WHAT (significance).  On the back, list 3 things about a memoir from today's lesson.  This note card is your exit ticket today.