Oct 30

Continue with Writer's Workshop

--today students begin typing essays
--double spaced / 12 point font / paragraphs indented

students also recieve a checklist for the final product.  Due Friday. 

notes: 
--students will continue crafting their papers with notes from Mrs. Blackford and I on Thurs 10/31
--students will be able to type their finished drafts on friday Nov 2

Persuasive Essay Checklist:

 

_____  introduction                                        _____  essay in 3^rd person 

_____  body                                                    _____  2 secondary sources 

_____  conclusion                                           _____  sources cited 

_____  3 rhetorical strategies                                    _____  double spaced typed 

_____  thesis statement                                             _____  12 point font 

_____  topic sentence                                                 _____  paragraphs indented 

_____  title

 

Note:  the left column is from the Informal Persuasive Essay that we have already written, so the only new requirements for the revision are the right side.

Oct 29

continue with Writer's Workshop

--students continue to work on revisions
--choose 2 quotes to use in revisions
--create sentences involving quotes to insert in appropriate discussion paragraphs. must include 3 sentences minimun:  an intro to the quote, the quote itself, and an explanation of the quote
--also, be sure to include revisions to Point of View, and Topic Sentences as explained by Mrs. Blackford and Mr. Schappert

--goal for today in order to remain caught up:
----have 2 quotes chosen and written into 1st draft
----have point of view completely in 3rd person (no 1st person) and to have Topic Sentences clear and in statement form.

Oct 28

Beginning of Writer's Workshop Week

--students work with Mrs. Woolfolk to choose an article to suit their topic on Persuasive Essays (due 10/18)
--students will revise those "informal essays" into Formal Persuasive Essays
--today, read 2 articles and find 2 quotes from each article that relates to student's topic
--for homework, choose the best 2 to use in your essay as part of your revision

Oct 25

students take Reading Assessment for Performance Matters reading data.

see Mr. Schappert to make arrangements for make-up

students finish text dependent questions on "Declaration" if necessary.

Oct 24

Students take Common Assessment II today.  See Mr. Schappert to make arrangements for make-up test. 

Also, continue working on the Text Dependent Questions for "Declaration of Independence" outlined on the 10/22 post.  Due Friday, 10/25

Oct 23

DOL

--during the 2 day sale at furnishers my Parents bought a victorian style Table who was discounted 25 percent

Class Activities

--review day for Common Assessment II to be given tomorrow, Oct 24
--Text Dependent questions assigned for "Declaration of Independence" due on Fri, Oct 25 to be handed in. 

Oct 22

DOL

--watching the savory circus at memorial hall the elephants were enjoyed the most by children

Class Activities

--review reading of Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence"
--create a thesis statement re: Jefferson's thesis in "Declaration"
--answer the following text dependent questions for "Declaration":  1-8 on p. 245

Oct 21

DOL

--at the trading post in santa fe dad couldn’t find the write size of navaja rug consequently he visited other stores until he found them

Class Activities

--use the following handout to help Annotate "The Declaration of Independence" beginning on p. 240.
--create 10 annotations while reading the text; use each of the following guidelines for Active Reading (annotating).

Annotating A Text           Underline, star, highlight, box, circle whatever words, phrases, or sentences that catch your attention.  Write brief comments in the margins. ·         Observations about what is being said and done ·         What you are reminded of ·         Questions you have ·         Ideas that occur to you ·         Things that you agree or disagree with ·         Any connections you are making ·         Summary ·         Identify themes being developed ·         Any words you don’t know ·         Any literary devices being used

Oct 17

DOL

--yes senator donovan supported the equal rights amendment but his position was not popular with some of the people in nebraska


Class activities
--the following activity was introduced on 10/16 and will be due today, 10/17

****** students must be sure to include the following in the speech/essay
1. an introduction, body, and conclusion to their writing
2. include 3 of our rhetorical strategies discussed in class
3.  include a title
4. have at least 3 different arguments for your speech/essay topic


Informal Persuasive Speech/Essay Topics

Below are some categories with various topics.  

 

Remember: these are informal, so formal research will not be required; therefore, choose a topic that you have enough knowledge and opinions about in order to intelligently write. Be sure you can think of at least 3 different points for your topic.

Physical Education and Sports

• Should physical education be mandatory for all students every day of the school week?
• Should students on sports teams be required to carry a certain grade point average [GPA] in order to play?
• Should coaches be required to give equal playing time to athletes at the secondary school level regardless of skills (middle and high school)?
• Are sports athletes role models?
• Is mandatory drug testing of all athletes on a secondary, collegiate, and professional level necessary?
• Are spectator sports overemphasized in America today?

The First Amendment

• Controversial T-Shirts – If a student wears a controversial T-shirt, does the school board have the right to ban offensive and controversial clothing or does the student have the right to wear it under the first amendment?
• Cyber Bullying Statutes – If a student is bullying someone do they have the right to claim they have freedom of speech to say what they wanted?
• Posting Videos Online – Is This a Right & Your Freedom of Speech? – Does anyone have the right and freedom to post videos online even if the person taking the video does not have permission and the videos are of people in personal or compromising actions – a school fight, personal encounter.

National Security and Civil Liberties

• Does the US federal government have the authority to either detain without charge or search without probable cause?
• Should a wall be built between Canada and the US and Mexico and the US to keep out all suspected terrorists entering the US illegally?

Technology and Education

• Should students be allowed to use mobile devices in class?
• Should there be a filter on the internet in school?
• Are textbooks obsolete?
• Should teachers friend students on Facebook?
• Should schools provide technology devices (i.e. tablets or laptops) for all students?

School & Educational Issues

• School cafeterias should be transformed into food courts with fast food companies supplying meals.
• Students should be required to wear school uniforms.
• Schools should shift from a nine month school year to year-round schooling.
• Video cameras should be put into all classrooms to record student and teacher interactions at all times.

Oct 16

DOL

--ann landers a syndicated columnist is very popular throughout the country her success is due to her common sense solutions to everyday problems

Class activities
--the following activity will begin today, and students will hand in their writings on thurs 10/17

Informal Persuasive Speech/Essay Topics 

Below are some categories with various topics.  Take a few minutes to read through them.  You may make notes, underline, or highlight anything you like.  

Goal for today:  Choose a topic that you can write about based on personal interests that you have previously read about, heard about on the news, or had conversations related to the topic. 

Remember:  these are informal, so formal research will not be required; therefore, choose a topic that you have enough knowledge and opinions about in order to intelligently write.  Be sure you can think of at least 3 different points for your topic.    

 

Physical Education and Sports

• Should physical education be mandatory for all students every day of the school week?
• Should students on sports teams be required to carry a certain grade point average [GPA] in order to play?
• Should coaches be required to give equal playing time to athletes at the secondary school level regardless of skills (middle and high school)?
• Are sports athletes role models?
• Is mandatory drug testing of all athletes on a secondary, collegiate, and professional level necessary?
• Are spectator sports overemphasized in America today? 

The First Amendment

• Controversial T-Shirts – If a student wears a controversial T-shirt, does the school board have the right to ban offensive and controversial clothing or does the student have the right to wear it under the first amendment?
• Cyber Bullying Statutes – If a student is bullying someone do they have the right to claim they have freedom of speech to say what they wanted?
• Posting Videos Online – Is This a Right & Your Freedom of Speech? – Does anyone have the right and freedom to post videos online even if the person taking the video does not have permission and the videos are of people in personal or compromising actions – a school fight, personal encounter. 

 

National Security and Civil Liberties

• Does the US federal government have the authority to either detain without charge or search without probable cause?
• Should a wall be built between Canada and the US and Mexico and the US to keep out all suspected terrorists entering the US illegally?

 

Technology and Education

• Should students be allowed to use mobile devices in class?
• Should there be a filter on the internet in school?
• Are textbooks obsolete?
• Should teachers friend students on Facebook?
• Should schools provide technology devices (i.e. tablets or laptops) for all students?

 

School & Educational Issues

• School cafeterias should be transformed into food courts with fast food companies supplying meals.
• Students should be required to wear school uniforms.
• Schools should shift from a nine month school year to year-round schooling.
• Video cameras should be put into all classrooms to record student and teacher interactions at all times.

Oct 15

DOL

--i cannot believe irregardless of what was stated by prof shanahan that our economy is not very stable these days

Class Activities

--read Patrick Henry speech "Speech in the Virginia Convention" beginning on p. 230
--answer questions 1,2,3,4,6, and 7 on p. 325

Oct 14

DOL

--miss mercado will visit mexico this summer to improve her spanish her visit to mexico should deepen her understanding of the culture as well as helping her in spanish

Class Activities

--read "The Crisis" by Thomas Paine beginning on p. 250
--find 3 examples of Rhetorical Strategies (listed on the Oct 11 entry)
--also, write the quote from the Paine speech that relates with a brief explanation

Oct 11

Crucible test

Class Activities

--after test, students read pages 226 and 227 and create definitions and examples for each of the following terms:

--logical appeal
--emotional appeal
--ethical appeal
--rhetorical question
--antithesis
--repetition
--parallelism
--circular reasoning
--hasty generalization
--non sequitur

Oct 10

DOL

--we are to read the chapter the rise of cities in the text book perspectives in history for next wednesdays assignment

Class Activities:

review for Crucible test on 10/11

Things to Study for The Crucible Test

·         The relationship between Reverend Parris & Abigail

·         How Elizabeth Proctor is accused

·         How people decided if they would confess to being a witch

·         Rising Action, Climax, & Resolution of the play

·         Themes of the play

·         How Setting creates Mood in Act I

·         Internal and External conflict of John Proctor (specifically in Act IV)

·         Know character traits of the following people:

o   Reverend Hale

o   Reverend Parris

o   Abigail

o   Judge Danforth

·         Know what the following terms mean:

o   Dynamic Character

o   McCarthyism

o   Mob Mentality

o   Hysteria

·         Informative Paragraphs

o   Topic sentence a complete sentence that answers the question and incorporates the main idea of the question

o   Supporting details that reinforce the topic sentence

Oct 9

DOL

--the weather was extremely humid us 3 decided not to go to the game we went to the museum instead

Class Activities

• Vocabulary:  objective, subjective, biased, unbiased.  provide examples for each word
• Read “McCarthyism” on p. 217
• activities “A” and “B” on p. 217     
• Read “Timebends” on p. 220
• comprehension questions on p. 221