Since I was absent today, Tuesday, 29 September, you will turn in your Chapter 4 Dialectical Journals on Thursday, 1 October. And "Yes," you will have that surprise quiz on Chapter 4.
The Dialectical Journals for Chapter 5 will be due on Monday, 5 October. You will write a "40" word response for each quote. We will spend time discussing what is required. Too many of you have not visited the sites that I have provided on this blog.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Vocabulary Quiz: Unit 2
Since the week of 28 September is a "short" week, we will postpone that quiz until Friday, 9 October. Start reviewing those words NOW.
Of Mice and Men Journals
Chapter 4 Dialectical Journals for Of Mice and Men are due on Tuesday, 29 September. Too many of you are failing to comply with the guidelines for writing the dialectical journals. I have provided you with "models" on two separate links that can be located on this blog. In addition, I have provided you with "verbal" instructions on what to do. Unless you follow instructions for my assignments, you will NOT do well in this class.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Vocabulary Quiz
Level D-Unit One Vocabulary Quiz: Friday, 25 September. Click on the vocabulary link below and begin reviewing the words. (You may have to click on "older posts.)
Tutoring
Parents! Parents! Parents! Please be advised that LMGHS has a unique daily schedule for students offering a 371/2 minute tutoring session Monday-Thursday (held after the last class of the day). Remind your child that this is the time to get help on assignments.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Dialectical Journal Instructions/Sample
http://campus.gpisd.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=zbQpazJctWI%3D&tabid=3391&mid=7875
For those still experiencing difficulties with this assignment, read the directions and model that is provided. I was NOT pleased with the quality of the dialectical journals submitted for
Chapter 1! Furthermore, a model was provided prior to this assignment that we discussed in class. Scroll down and click on that link.
For those still experiencing difficulties with this assignment, read the directions and model that is provided. I was NOT pleased with the quality of the dialectical journals submitted for
Chapter 1! Furthermore, a model was provided prior to this assignment that we discussed in class. Scroll down and click on that link.
"To A Mouse"
http://www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/translations/554.htm
Read the poem by Robert Burns (translated version). We will discuss the "connection" with Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" soon.
Read the poem by Robert Burns (translated version). We will discuss the "connection" with Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" soon.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Banned Books Week Readout
http://bannedbooksweek.org/read-out.html
September 26th-October 3rd 2009 Click on the link and discover banned books-"newly banned" as well as the "old" ones. Read the "Manifesto" and about the events planned for the week.
September 26th-October 3rd 2009 Click on the link and discover banned books-"newly banned" as well as the "old" ones. Read the "Manifesto" and about the events planned for the week.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Dialectical Journal Sample
http://www.pkwy.k12.mo.us/west/teachers/gerding/djs.pdf
The above link will provide a model of a dialectical journal for To Kill A Mockingbird. There are other variations that I will share with you shortly.
For Of Mice and Men, you are required to complete FIVE entries per chapter with at a minimum a Thirty-word response for each entry.
Chapter 1 is due on Thursday, 17 September.
Chapter 2 is due on Monday, 21 September.
Chapter 3 is due on Thursday, 24 September.
Starting with Chapter 3, each entry must
now have a minimum of 45 words.
I would prefer that you type (word-process) your response.
The above link will provide a model of a dialectical journal for To Kill A Mockingbird. There are other variations that I will share with you shortly.
For Of Mice and Men, you are required to complete FIVE entries per chapter with at a minimum a Thirty-word response for each entry.
Chapter 1 is due on Thursday, 17 September.
Chapter 2 is due on Monday, 21 September.
Chapter 3 is due on Thursday, 24 September.
Starting with Chapter 3, each entry must
now have a minimum of 45 words.
I would prefer that you type (word-process) your response.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Of Mice and Men
For several of the chapters, we will conduct a Socratic Seminar. I will not stand up in front of the classroom asking you one question after the other over the assigned chapter you read the previous night. This is NOT instruction, but rather assessment. You will gradually learn the intricacies of the Socratic Seminar since this method of instruction will become a classroom ritual.
For Chapters 3 and 5, you will be assigned to a Collaborative Learning Group. Please be advised that the questions all require Critical/Analytical Thinking. (The answer can not be found on the printed page in front of you.)
Group members will change-regardless of how well everyone worked together.
For Chapters 3 and 5, you will be assigned to a Collaborative Learning Group. Please be advised that the questions all require Critical/Analytical Thinking. (The answer can not be found on the printed page in front of you.)
Group members will change-regardless of how well everyone worked together.
Socratic Seminar Guidelines
A Socratic seminar is one where we examine a text for a deeper understanding of the ideas rather than “right” answers. It requires knowledge of the text and using the text to support your thoughts. The questions are mostly open-ended—they invite discussion. When working as a member of a Socratic seminar, the goal is not to prove other people are wrong but to understand the ideas from more than one point of view. It asks you to be open-minded enough to change your mind rather than to prove you are right.
We will look each other in the eye when listening and speaking, we use each other’s first names, and we acknowledge what others said before adding our opinions. You need to assume that everyone has a part of the answer and listen to each person carefully. You will probably notice many of the questions and skills in the Socratic seminar are similar to those we use in literature circles. Think of the Socratic seminar as a whole-class version of the literature circle with everyone playing all of the roles. Remember that in both the literature circles and the Socratic seminar the focus is on analysis, or breaking the text down into parts and examining how the parts work together. BEFORE THE SEMINAR The seminar requires you to prepare in advance. This is not the time to “wing it.”
To prepare for a Socratic seminar, you need to:· Read the text completely, using sticky notes if it’s a textbook or annotating the text to highlight the most important or key passages. I may ask to see your "sticky notes." Look over the text to consider the preparatory questions that you have been given. Mark places in the text or take notes on your ideas about those questions.
Create a list of “big ideas” or themes you think the book discusses. Remember that a theme is not a topic, but an attitude about a topic (not “friendship,” but “friends will always be there for you,” or “family is more dependable than friends,” or “your earliest friends are the best”).· Create a list of key characteristics of the main characters in the book. Use the 8 elements of character to guide your thinking (background, personality, physical description, relationships, words and actions, conflict, motivation, change).· Create questions for the discussion (I will provide a separate handout on Bloom's Taxonomy." Develop at least three questions, with no more than one from each of the following categories:Closed-end question (these usually have a “correct” answer and help to clarify what happened in the text literally).§ Example: Why does ... ?o Open-ended question: an insightful question that requires thinking, referring back to the text for proof or support, and a discussion of the possibilities.§ Example: Who is the ... this story?o World connection question: a question that draws a connection between the text and the larger world.§ Example: How do ... ?o Universal theme or “big idea” question: a question that talks about the “big ideas” of the book outside of the book.§ Example: Why is it important for .... ?o Literary analysis question: a question that deals with the choices the author made in writing the book—this usually focuses on style choices.§ Example: Why do you think the author chose to ...?
DURING THE SEMINAR:It is okay to “pass” when asked to contribute as long as you don’t pass each time you are called upon. If you are not prepared, do not participate. Please do seat work (to be assigned) quietly. The seminar is not effective if participants are making things up—it’s not a session to hear your voice by contributing meaningless thoughts..Ask for clarification if you are confused by something someone says or by a question. Stick to the point we are discussing. Make a note of other ideas that come to you and we will come back to it later. We don’t raise hands; take turns speaking. Watch the speaker and if you are unsure, ask if the person is finished before beginning to speak. Diedrich's "function" in the class is to serve as a referee.
Make sure everyone has an opportunity to speak before you add your opinion again on the same topic. Listen carefully and look at the person speaking. Speak loudly enough that the entire group can hear you. Talk to all the seminar participants, not just the teacher or leader. Discuss the ideas of the text rather than opinions—don’t get sidetracked on whether people do or don’t agree; instead, focus on why there is disagreement.
Sleeping, putting your head down or resting on your desk, distracting others, or doing other work/reading other material will earn you a zero for the seminar. When I evaluate your participation, I consider whether you:· Spoke loudly and clearly· Cited reasons and evidence for your ideas· Used the text to find support· Listened to others respectfully· Stayed on topic· Spoke to each other and not just to the teacher· Paraphrased the text accurately· Asked for help or clarification· Supported others in the group· Avoided hostile exchanges· Questioned others in a civil manner· Came prepared· Acknowledged the ideas of others when speaking (Examples: “I agree with Ben, and I also thought that….”; “I am not sure if I agree with Lisa’s reasons because the book also says…”; “I would like to add to what Tanisha and Jose said….”)
Rubric for participation in Socratic Seminars and Literature Circles: Level of ParticipantCriteria for that levelA- level· Offers solid analysis, without prompting, and moves discussion forward· Demonstrates deep knowledge of text and the question· Comes with a marked or annotated text and notes· Shows, through comments, that he or she is actively listening to other participants· Offers clarification or follow up comments to extend the conversation·
Refers back to the text often in making comments or answering questionsB-level· Offers solid analysis without prompting· Demonstrates a good knowledge of the text and the question· Comes with a mark or annotated text and notes· Shows, through comments, that she or he is actively listening to others·
Refers back to the text occasionally when making comments or answering questionsC-level· Offers some analysis, but needs prompting from the teacher or leader of the seminar· Demonstrates a general knowledge of the text and the question but does not know a lot of specifics· Few notes and an unmarked or unannotated text· Actively listens to others, but does not offer clarification or follow up comments· Relies on his or her opinion and not on the text to drive comments.
Developing or Emerging level· Offers little commentary on the text· Comes to the seminar without much preparation: few or no notes, little understanding of the text, and an unmarked or unannotated text· Does not demonstrate active listening to and offers little or no commentary on what others have said.
We will look each other in the eye when listening and speaking, we use each other’s first names, and we acknowledge what others said before adding our opinions. You need to assume that everyone has a part of the answer and listen to each person carefully. You will probably notice many of the questions and skills in the Socratic seminar are similar to those we use in literature circles. Think of the Socratic seminar as a whole-class version of the literature circle with everyone playing all of the roles. Remember that in both the literature circles and the Socratic seminar the focus is on analysis, or breaking the text down into parts and examining how the parts work together. BEFORE THE SEMINAR The seminar requires you to prepare in advance. This is not the time to “wing it.”
To prepare for a Socratic seminar, you need to:· Read the text completely, using sticky notes if it’s a textbook or annotating the text to highlight the most important or key passages. I may ask to see your "sticky notes." Look over the text to consider the preparatory questions that you have been given. Mark places in the text or take notes on your ideas about those questions.
Create a list of “big ideas” or themes you think the book discusses. Remember that a theme is not a topic, but an attitude about a topic (not “friendship,” but “friends will always be there for you,” or “family is more dependable than friends,” or “your earliest friends are the best”).· Create a list of key characteristics of the main characters in the book. Use the 8 elements of character to guide your thinking (background, personality, physical description, relationships, words and actions, conflict, motivation, change).· Create questions for the discussion (I will provide a separate handout on Bloom's Taxonomy." Develop at least three questions, with no more than one from each of the following categories:Closed-end question (these usually have a “correct” answer and help to clarify what happened in the text literally).§ Example: Why does ... ?o Open-ended question: an insightful question that requires thinking, referring back to the text for proof or support, and a discussion of the possibilities.§ Example: Who is the ... this story?o World connection question: a question that draws a connection between the text and the larger world.§ Example: How do ... ?o Universal theme or “big idea” question: a question that talks about the “big ideas” of the book outside of the book.§ Example: Why is it important for .... ?o Literary analysis question: a question that deals with the choices the author made in writing the book—this usually focuses on style choices.§ Example: Why do you think the author chose to ...?
DURING THE SEMINAR:It is okay to “pass” when asked to contribute as long as you don’t pass each time you are called upon. If you are not prepared, do not participate. Please do seat work (to be assigned) quietly. The seminar is not effective if participants are making things up—it’s not a session to hear your voice by contributing meaningless thoughts..Ask for clarification if you are confused by something someone says or by a question. Stick to the point we are discussing. Make a note of other ideas that come to you and we will come back to it later. We don’t raise hands; take turns speaking. Watch the speaker and if you are unsure, ask if the person is finished before beginning to speak. Diedrich's "function" in the class is to serve as a referee.
Make sure everyone has an opportunity to speak before you add your opinion again on the same topic. Listen carefully and look at the person speaking. Speak loudly enough that the entire group can hear you. Talk to all the seminar participants, not just the teacher or leader. Discuss the ideas of the text rather than opinions—don’t get sidetracked on whether people do or don’t agree; instead, focus on why there is disagreement.
Sleeping, putting your head down or resting on your desk, distracting others, or doing other work/reading other material will earn you a zero for the seminar. When I evaluate your participation, I consider whether you:· Spoke loudly and clearly· Cited reasons and evidence for your ideas· Used the text to find support· Listened to others respectfully· Stayed on topic· Spoke to each other and not just to the teacher· Paraphrased the text accurately· Asked for help or clarification· Supported others in the group· Avoided hostile exchanges· Questioned others in a civil manner· Came prepared· Acknowledged the ideas of others when speaking (Examples: “I agree with Ben, and I also thought that….”; “I am not sure if I agree with Lisa’s reasons because the book also says…”; “I would like to add to what Tanisha and Jose said….”)
Rubric for participation in Socratic Seminars and Literature Circles: Level of ParticipantCriteria for that levelA- level· Offers solid analysis, without prompting, and moves discussion forward· Demonstrates deep knowledge of text and the question· Comes with a marked or annotated text and notes· Shows, through comments, that he or she is actively listening to other participants· Offers clarification or follow up comments to extend the conversation·
Refers back to the text often in making comments or answering questionsB-level· Offers solid analysis without prompting· Demonstrates a good knowledge of the text and the question· Comes with a mark or annotated text and notes· Shows, through comments, that she or he is actively listening to others·
Refers back to the text occasionally when making comments or answering questionsC-level· Offers some analysis, but needs prompting from the teacher or leader of the seminar· Demonstrates a general knowledge of the text and the question but does not know a lot of specifics· Few notes and an unmarked or unannotated text· Actively listens to others, but does not offer clarification or follow up comments· Relies on his or her opinion and not on the text to drive comments.
Developing or Emerging level· Offers little commentary on the text· Comes to the seminar without much preparation: few or no notes, little understanding of the text, and an unmarked or unannotated text· Does not demonstrate active listening to and offers little or no commentary on what others have said.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
“Of Mice and Men” Novella Assignment
BOOK RESPONSE: - Of Mice and Men
Complete the following and submit by _________________________.
Character Diaries:
You must compose three diary entries. Each entry should be written from the point of view of three different characters and should be 300 - 500 words. This work should be word-processed and not handwritten.
Theme: the theme of each entry is loneliness / relationships – central themes in the novel.
Each entry must briefly reflect on the character's situation and then discuss his/her views on loneliness or relationships. As you read the novel, you will notice that each character is shaped by his or her relationships. In many cases, the relationships the characters forge with others are somewhat lacking or dysfunctional. It is these situations through which Steinbeck develops his analysis of loneliness and conversely relationships.
Your discussion of the theme should be introduced by revealing the character's situation and then through introspection. Focus on observations about life that the character may make as a result of his/her situation. Reflect on the character's motivation. DO NOT FORGET to analyze the theme of loneliness. Have the character comment on and make observations about relationships and/or loneliness. The characters' opinions will not necessarily be directly stated in the novel; you may have to make assumptions.
CHECK: A quick way to check if you have successfully discussed theme is to assess how much of your entry is devoted to the following:
- A Re-telling of the plot
- B Emotional reactions
- C Intelligent observations about life and people.
* While A and B are important to introduce the character, a minimum of 60% of the entry should be intelligent analyses of the theme from the character's perspective. This should be your own work and not taken from other sources.
Evaluation: is based on understanding of the character and theme and the competency, tone and style of the writing.
Reading schedule:
I will post the schedule in the class. A prudent student will always read at "least" one chapter ahead of what has been assigned.
* Daily quizzes will also be given to make certain you are keeping up with the assigned readings. If you have read the novel, the quizzes will be quite easy.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Vocabulary Workshop Level D Practice Tests
Unfortunately, funds were not available to purchase the Sadlier-Oxford Book F. Therefore, you must prepare for each quiz by clicking on the link provided by the publisher of this text. All vocabulary quizzes will be multiple choice and cumulative. For example, quiz 2 will contain vocabulary words over both lessons one and two. You should review "learning definitions" and the "vocabulary completion" section since both will appear on your quiz. If time permits, we will review the words at the beginning of the week and you will be tested on these words at the end of the week. http://www.vocabtest.com/vw/leveld.htm
Internet Classroom Assistant
This site http://www.nicenet.org/ will be used for conferencing, providing links for documents, and other resources. When you visit the site, click on "Join a Class" then enter our "Class Key," 9256624EZ and sign-in using your name (no nicknames).
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