Presentations Begin Today

Grade Presentations Here

END OF THE YEAR SURVEY HERE

Write a letter to yourself in September with futureme.org

Embed your presentation on your blog.

Working on presentations

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.  Your two book reviews are due Thursday. All books are due back to Mrs. R by Thursday also.

Today you get time to work on your final presentation.  See posts below for requirements and tips.  Ask if you need help. Remember words are for you and they go on your note cards. Your audience prefers images.

I will be at a training tomorrow. You will keep working on your presentations.

Your Work is Due When?

Good morning,

A quick recap of things we talked about today and due dates. 

• 5/31 Friday: Your feature article is due in Google docs. (You do not need to print it.)
• Revisit THE ASSIGNMENT SHEET if you need to. 
• We drew numbers for your presentations that begin Wednesday 6/5 next week. If you weren't here be sure to ask Mrs. R what your number is. Students will present in the order of their numbers regardless of the date. Be ready to present when your number is called. (Unexcused absences will lower your grade.) We will finish presentations on 6/11 during our final block.
• We will return textbooks as a class on Tuesday 6/4.  Bring all of your textbooks to school that day. You may keep any books you need to study for finals. 
• Book reviews are due on Thursday 6/6. Be sure to submit links to both of your book reviews via the BOOK REVIEW FORM. 
• If you have any late work outstanding the very last day I will even think about accepting it is 6/6. 
• Return any books you have borrowed from Mrs. R. 

Today we also reviewed the presentation criteria that you will use for scoring presentations. 

1. Presenter clearly and enthusiastically presents about his or her topic for 3-5 minutes.
2. Presentation includes strong visuals (with minimal text) or a creative representation of the material.
3. Presenter is a credible expert on the topic speaking knowledgeably, citing references and other experts, including relevant statistics and informative facts. 
4. Presenter engages the audience with eye contact, questions, and humor, while educating them about the topic of the presentation. 

I also showed you this presentation with tips for presentations. Remember minimal text. 

If you wish to use a slide based presentation strategy please use a Google Presentation (shared with Mrs. R) or a Prezi (set to public and email a link to Mrs. R.). If you wish to make a video or another form of project check with Mrs. R and good luck. 

Amazing Progress and Fabulous Infographics

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

I have another quick survey for you. Please fill out THIS FORM. Your data (aggregated) will become part of our lesson in a moment. (Wondering what aggregated means? Google it.)

Today I will attempt to demo http://piktochart.com/ If you are ready to play with infographics great. If you are still trying to get a draft together then focus on that.

Progress and Infographics

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

Then complete this form regarding your progress on your article.

Then some of you can begin playing with infographics.
46 Tools for Making Infographics

Draft Due Thursday Before Class

Feature Article Prep

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

This week we have looked at a second example of a feature article and annotated it to see into the author's work more deeply.  Are you prepared to do the same work with regard to your expert project?

• Are you prepared to write an article that includes both narrative and expository?
• Do you know enough specific stories related to your topic?
• Do you know enough about the past, present, and future of your topic? 
• Who can you interview to get some quotes related to your topic that could become part of your article? 
• Have you done enough research on your topic? 
• Will you be able to blend stories and examples about your topic with expository information for the reader?

Expert Project Feature Article Prompt

Time Sequencing in Feature Articles

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

One of the qualities of a good feature article is that the writer can give the reader a "big picture" of the topic he or she is writing about. Being able to write about the past, present and future of the subject is an important part of this.

Look again at the article you read yesterday. Find and label the places where the article is talking about the past, present and future of passwords. Notice how the author transitions between those sections.  How does he sequence them in the article?

Do you know enough about the past, present, and future of your expert project topic? Write a list of questions you still need to find answers about. Do some research on those tonight.

Reading today with the Say Something Protocol

We will read at the bell.

Today you will read an article called "Kill The Password". You will read with a partner and use the protocol below. We are looking at an example of an expert project here.  (If you are absent start reading the article on your own. The link goes to the online version.)

Getting Newsy With It

Good morning,

Palm Beach Post, July 27, 1969

Testing is over and we have reached the final six week grading period of the year.  By now you should have selected your last recommended book for independent reading, returned your Gatsby book to the library, and begun some more serious research into your expert project.

We will read at the bell.

Yesterday (or Wednesday for period 3) I showed you how to use the Google News Archive.
Today I would like you to use it to find a source related to your topic and blog about it. Use the snipping tool to add an excerpt picture from your news article. Include a caption and a link back to the original article.  Or use Google Scholar to find academic research about your topic.

The Palm Beach Post - Jul 27, 1969

Images added from At Last Man Enters The Moon Age, The Palm Beach Post  July 27, 1969

Using the Google News Archive

Good afternoon,

We read at the bell.

Our lesson today is about how to use the Google News Archive to find information about your topic from a long time ago.

Here is a video about how to do it and you can watch it again at home if you need to.

Becoming Experts

Good morning,

CC Attribution License Tribe Sports

We will read at the bell.

This week we will get back to working on our Expert Projects intensely. This will be our primary focus for the end of the year as you prepare to wrap up your project and present about what you learned. Don't worry there is still time to learn more.

Today I will show you some examples of great expert project notes and a great blog.
The point is not just to find information on your topic, but to be writing about what you found and how that affects your thinking about the subject.

Your post for today on your Expert Project Blog should be about a person of interest related to your research question. This could be a person related to your topic or another expert on the topic.

Grades are posted. Check Zangle. The grade you see there is the grade on your progress report. Progress reports go home on Friday.

Catch up day

Good afternoon,  (Wow I almost never get to say that, but we are meeting after lunch because of our testing schedule.)

We will read at the bell.
I have an important GearUp announcement for you.
You will get to work on
    Your essays (due Tuesday 4/23)
    Your book reviews (due Thursday 4/25)
    Any other work you are missing or need to make up.

Write a Gatsby essay in 12 easy paragraphs...

It's been a busy week and it's only Tuesday.

Yesterday, we watched most of the second half of The Great Gatsby movie.
Today we learned a strategy for planning a complex essay.

Tonight you should be working on the central paragraphs of your essay. Do not worry about introductions yet. Skip to writing about the characters and their moral issues.

Need to see the prompt again? (Yes, you do.)
Note due date changes.  Draft now due THURSDAY 4/18 and Final draft now due TUESDAY 4/23.

BOOK REVIEWS DUE THURSDAY 4/25
Write one about your choice book and one about The Great Gatsby. 

Watching The Great Gatsby

Good morning,

Today we have been watching the first half of The Great Gatsby film. I gave you a sheet to keep track of the immoral actions of the characters as you prepare for your essays. If you prefer I have shared the organizer with you as a Google Doc in your view only folder.  We will finish watching the film Monday.

Gatsby turned out all right in the end...

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

Yesterday, we finished reading up through chapter 8 of The Great Gatsby, but some of you weren't finished with seven. You should now be finished with both chapters and it's time to take those quizzes. If you are here you take the quiz. (You can also take the quiz if you aren't here.)

Chapter 7 Quiz
Chapter 8 Quiz

When you finish the quizzes find a partner to read Chapter 9 with you.  Stop every few pages and ask yourselves the "teacher" questions I would ask you. Pay attention to what Nick learns from Gatsby's father and also to how people treat Gatsby now.

You must read the article of the week AND write about it in your English Journal BEFORE class begins tomorrow if you want to be able to watch the film.  See the post below this one for more info on that.

Lets go to town..

Good morning,

We will read at the bell and then continue with Chapter 7.
Pay attention to which people are riding in each car.

You also have an Article Of the Week (AOW) this week about the American Dream again.
Read it carefully. What do you notice. Do you think things have improved or gotten worse since this was written?  Quantifying America's Decline

Let's go to town...

Welcome back,

We will read at the bell. I expect a lot of you have books to return and need new ones too.

Today we will take on chapter 7 of The Great Gatsby.  Before we do, I want to introduce you to the process prompt we will be writing about very soon.  I want you to know what it is as we finish the novel so you can begin to think about it.

PROCESS PROMPT

Class and the American Dream

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

CHAPTER 6 QUIZ

Today we will be discussing the article of the week that you read and wrote about. We will use m.socrative.com. Enter room number 6867.

Hopefully we will have time for the beginning of chapter 7.

Party at Gatsby's

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

CHAPTER 5 QUIZ

Reminder see the post from yesterday about your AOW. Read it. Write about it and be ready for a quick quiz about it tomorrow.

Chapter 6

Ch 4 Quiz, AOW and Chapter 5

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

Last night your homework was to finish reading chapter 4
We will begin today with your CHAPTER 4 QUIZ.

You have an Article of the Week this week.  It is an editorial from the New York Times.
Class and The American Dream
Read and respond to the article in your English Journal before class on Thursday.
When you respond explain the point the author is making and explain the extent to which you agree or disagree with the author and why.  Also explain how this article relates to The Great Gatsby.

Today we will begin chapter 5.

HOMEWORK: Finish reading chapter 5

Continuing Ch 4

Good morning,

We will read at the bell. Make sure you have your book out when it rings.

Today we will be continuing with chapter 4.  Please have a tab open to m.socrative.com and join 6867 to get the questions I will be sending you.

If you need to read chapter 4 online you can find it here. CHAPTER 4.

You got these questions for chapter 4 last week. Here they are again. You quiz will include these and a few more.

1. Who is Klipspringer?
2. What does Gatsby tell Nick about himself?
3. What "matter" did Gatsby have Jordan Baker discuss with Nick?
4. Who is Wolfshiem?
5. What does Wolfshiem tell Nick about Gatsby?
6. What does Jordan tell Nick about Daisy, Gatsby and Tom?

Taking the EAP today...

Good morning,

Today we will be taking the first portion of the EAP test.  EAP stands for Early Assessment Program.  This test will assess your readiness for college level writing.  Based on the work you did on your Civil Disobedience essays and your performance overall on the essay on your final in January, I think you are all very prepared for this assessment.

Your essay will be scored according to the same scoring guide you used to evaluate your Civil Disobedience essay, which is also the same scoring guide I used to assess your final. Overall, you did well on both of those and so I expect you will do well on this test too.

Performing well on this test (and some extra multiple choice questions when you take the CST in April) may qualify you to be exempt from some college placement exams for English next year.

For more information about the Early Assessment Program please visit http://www.calstate.edu/eap/about.shtml

Chapter 4 of The Great Gatsby

Good morning,

If you did your homework then you need to take the CHAPTER 3 QUIZ.
If you did not do your homework then you will be getting a paper version of the quiz from me.

Questions for chapter 4:

1. Who is Klipspringer?
2. What does Gatsby tell Nick about himself?
3. What "matter" did Gatsby have Jordan Baker discuss with Nick?
4. Who is Wolfshiem?
5. What does Wolfshiem tell Nick about Gatsby?
6. What does Jordan tell Nick about Daisy, Gatsby and Tom?

Starting Chapter 3

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

When your computer is ready take your CHAPTER 2 QUIZ.

Today we will start on chapter 3.

1. Describe Gatsby's Wealth?
2. What kind of people come to Gatsby's parties?
3. Why did Nick Carraway go to the party?
4. How does Nick meet Gatsby?
5. What are some of the stories about Gatsby?
6. Is Gatsby a "phony"?
7. Describe Nick's relationship with Jordan?

Homework: Read the end of chapter 3 and write a half page summary in your own words about the events at the end of the chapter. (This summary is your ticket to the online quiz tomorrow. Without it you will have to take the quiz on paper, without your notes and without multiple choices.,)

Chapter 2 Questions

Good morning,

We will read at the bell. I am very glad to be back with you.  I learned so much at CUE that I can't wait to try in our class. 

Open another tab on your browser and go to m.socrative.com and join room 6867. Enter your first name and last initial. 

Get these questions for chapter 2 into your English Journal.  We will answer them as we read today. 

1. What is the "valley of ashes"?
2. What are the "eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg"?
3. Who did Tom take Nick to meet?
4. Who are George and Myrtle Wilson?
5. What does Myrtle (Mrs. Wilson) buy when she was out with Tom and Nick?
6. Where did they go? What was at 158th Street?
7. Who is Catherine? Who are Mr. and Mrs. McKee?
8. What does Catherine tell Nick about Gatsby?
9. What reason did Myrtle give for marrying George Wilson?
10. What did Tom do to Myrtle when she mentioned Daisy's name?

Friday, Expert Project Day

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

Today you return to your expert project. I know many of you have been thinking about it because you have been asking me some great questions.

Begin today by starting a post about your questions on your topic. Hit "new post" on your blog and make a list of as many questions as you can about your topic. Aim for at least five.

Then do some searching to see if you can answer one or more of those questions. Add your findings to the post. Include links to the sources of your information and add those sources to your expert project notes doc.

Remember to keep looking at your topic from all directions, consider all the aspects of it.

Thursday-Quiz and Research

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

Then you need to take your Gatsby Chapter 1 Quiz.  You can use your notes and the book, but no talking.

When you are done with your quiz use THIS PAGE to learn more about the 1920's and report your findings on the adjacent form.

Finishing Gatsby Chapter 1

Good morning,

We will read at the bell while your computers warm up.

Today we will finish reading chapter 1.  The part we do not finish in class will be your homework. You have a quiz tomorrow on chapter 1, so make sure you finish reading it.

Yesterday, I gave you the first six questions about chapter 1. Here are the next four. Add them to your English Journal and keep taking notes.

7. What kind of person is Daisy?
8. What did Jordan Baker tell Nick about Tom?
9. When asked about her daughter, what does Daisy say?
10. How is Gatsby introduced in the novel? When do we first "see" him?

Gatsby Chapter 1

Today we begin reading The Great Gatsby. You have explored key questions related to the novel. You are ready.

We will start with Chapter 1. This link goes directly to it. When you are absent you need to use that to catch up on your reading.

Open your English Journal now and copy and paste the questions below into it. We will answer them as we read chapter one.

1. How does the narrator describe Gatsby?
2. From where does the narrator come and why?
3. Describe the narrator's house.
4. Describe the Buchannans' house.
5. How does Nick know Tom and Daisy?
6. Describe Tom. What is our impression of him in chapter 1?

Question Circles

Good morning,

We are reading at the bell.

You won't need the netbook today.

You WILL need:

• Your independent reading book
• Your copy of The Great Gatsby (to show me that you have checked it out)
• A pen or pencil (No, you are not taking an essay test yet.)

We will be exploring some larger questions today as we prepare to read The Great Gatsby.

Catch up day...

We will read at the bell.

Today I want to give you a catch up day to finish submitting book reviews, catch up on expert project blog posts or anything else you need to do to improve your grade.

I haven't finished grading all of your Civil Disobedience essays, so that is still a blank score in Zangle. (Don't panic unless you know you didn't finish the paper, then you can panic and get it done.)

Book review links are due now.
You should have at least THREE posts on your expert blog FROM THIS WEEK.

CHECK TO SEE IF I HAVE THE LINK TO YOUR EXPERT BLOG.
Don't see it there? Add it here.

Make sure you check out a copy of The Great Gatsby by Monday.

Expert project, two more sources

We have another expert project day today. You have become very comfortable finding materials related to your topic.  Try today to find at least TWO MORE sources related to your issue for yet another angle. Post links to both on your blog and write a summary of both.  If the resources are very similar you can write about both in one post.  If they are very different you may prefer to write about them in separate posts.

Expert project day 2

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

Today I want you to begin by re-reading your last blog post.  Then continue searching for information on your topic.  This time try to find an article or resource that presents a different view of your topic from the last article.

Post a link to what you find today on your blog and use the rest of the post to summarize what you found out. Be specific and detailed. You will thank yourself later.

Also, use the link below to leave a comment on a post by one of your peers. To comment on a post click the link at the bottom of the post where it says “comment”. Comment nicely.

If you haven’t already shared the link to your blog please fill out this form.
Check out blogs being written by your peers.
Don’t forget to add a citation for the material you found today to your Expert Project Notes.

Expert project day

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

Coming back to your expert project...

You probably have not been keeping up with your expert project research. That’s okay, but it is time to get back to it.

Today you will be doing some searching on your topic. Destiny.Sandi.net

• Find an article or resource closely related to your research question.
• Post a link to what you found on your blog in a new post. (Forgot your blog address? Go to blogger.com and login.)
• Use the rest of that blog post to explain and summarize what you found in the article. Do yourself a favor and be through, you will want to refer to this post later.
• Add a citation for what you found to your expert project notes in Google Docs.

If you haven’t already shared the link to your blog please fill out this form.
Check out blogs being written by your peers.

Essays Due

Good morning,

We will read at the bell and then work on your final drafts.

Today you will score your essay using this SCORING GUIDE.

At the end of your essay add a section called "Reflection".
Start with, "I believe the score for my essay should be a ____ because....."
Make sure you explain your score using language from the scoring guide.
Then answer two or more of the following questions:
* Was it difficult for you to write this essay?  Explain why or why not.
*  Did you learn more about the subject of civil disobedience as you gathered your ideas and composed your essay?
*  What was a particular challenge in writing this essay?  Be specific about this challenge/difficulty.

Lots to get done soon

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

Yesterday you met with your writing groups to share the draft of your Civil Disobedience essay.  You should have a complete draft by now.  I will assign draft grades today.

The final draft of your Civil Disobedience essay is due on Friday 3/1.  I will grade it in Google Docs so be sure it is shared with me.  You must use MLA format and your paper should look as good as it would if you were printing it out. (Turning in work online is not an excuse for turning in sloppy or incomplete work.)

Your two book reviews are due Friday 3/8.  Write them in GoodReads and use the Book Reviews tab above to send me the links to your reviews.

Starting on your essays...

Good morning,

We are reading at the bell.

I want to give you time to begin drafting, but first lets take a look at some of the evidence that you suggested yesterday.

YOUR SUGGESTED EVIDENCE

Collecting Quotes

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

On Tuesday I briefly introduced you to your next writing process prompt.   ESSAY PROMPT

To support your writing process you will need lots of evidence from the writings of Emerson, Thoreau, Gandhi and King.  Today we will work on gathering that evidence.  You will all contribute quotes and commentary about them and you will all be able to use the results of today to help you write your essay.

Use THIS FORM to get started.

Finishing Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Good morning,

Today is the last day we will spend on the Letter from Birmingham Jail.  If you haven't already finished reading the rest of it you will need to do that and respond to the questions on THIS FORM.

You may work alone or with a partner.  Your answers will be graded.

Health Survey and Process Prompt

Good morning,

Today you will be taking the California Healthy Kids Survey and then we will discuss the process prompt for your next writing assignment.  We call this a process piece because you will work on it over multiple drafts. We will also work together, starting tomorrow, to create some shared resources that will help you with the essay.

Essay Prompt 

Letter From a Birmingham Jail

attribution: National Archives

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

When your computer is ready please go to your view only folder and find the document called Letter From a Birmingham Jail.  Make your own copy. (Add period number and your name to the title.) Please share your copy with me.

We will read through this today.  Today we are looking to understand what Dr. King is writing about. Later we will look again at the structure and logic of his thinking.

A Stride Toward Freedom

 We have seen how Thoreau's ideas on civil disobedience influenced Gandhi. Today we will see how those ideas were used during the American civil rights movement.

"Prior to reading Gandhi, I had about concluded that the ethics of Jesus were only effective in individual relationships. The "turn the other cheek" philosophy and the "love your enemies" philosophy were only valid, I felt, when individuals were in conflict with other individuals; when racial groups and nations were in conflict a more realistic approach seemed necessary. But after reading Gandhi, I saw how utterly mistaken I was."  -MLK

We will read an excerpt from Stride Toward Freedom by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. You will work with a partner to read the text and answer the questions on this form about what you read.

Learning from Gandhi

Good morning,

We will read at the bell and then your will need your English Journal.

Yesterday you read the words of Mohandas K. Gandhi to understand his perspective on non-violent resistance. Today we will watch some clips from a film about his life. You will need your English Journal to write about what you see and think after each segment that I show you.

Examples of Civil Disobedience

Good morning,

We will read at the bell.

We have been reading Thoreau in detail to learn about his concept of civil disobedience. As you know this is a huge part of what makes America the country that it is today, but did you realize how often civil disobedience is still happening? 

Below are five examples of situations that may or may not be forms of civil disobedience. Alone or with a partner, please review all five articles. Then choose three that you would like to write about.


UC Fee Hikes
Cindy Sheehan
Nuns Arrested
Blue Shield
Seattle Teachers

Use this form to explain the details of the situations you read about and also to explain why you think they are or are not examples of civil disobedience.

Semester 2!

Good morning,

Welcome to second semester.

We are reading at the bell.

Then I want to show you a quick video.

Then we read some more, Thoreau this time.  You will need your English Journal open.

Final Preparation

Good morning,

Your final is Thursday.  To prepare for your final copy and paste the quote from Emerson below into your English Journal.  Then explain what Emerson is saying and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree. Give examples from your life or literature to support your position.

"What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude..."

Emerson - Self Reliance

Good morning,

Read at the bell.

When your computer is ready open your English Journal and answer this question. "How do you decide what is right and what is wrong?"

 Today we will read excerpts from "Self Reliance" by Emerson. These passages are in your textbook, but I shared a digital copy with you in your Writing Group Folder.  As we read through the text you will have time to "discuss" each section of the text with your group using the chat window on your shared document. Use the Insert/Comment feature to document your understanding of the text as you discuss it.

In other news:

• Your final is one week from today. I will tell you more about it in class today. 
• All work MUST be turned in by 11:45 am on 1/24/13.  This includes your links to your TWO book reviews which you need to give me on this form. 
• If you have a question about your grade I will be available at lunch to discuss it with you Thursday, Friday or Tuesday.
• No school Monday for Dr. Martin Luther King Day. 

Last full week of the semester!

Good morning,

Today you will be presenting your poet research to a group.

Tuesday I will give you time for your expert project research.

Wednesday we will meet in the back of the library with GearUp, so get your college research sheets done before then.

Thursday and Friday we will be reading Self Reliance by Emerson, but more about that later.

Your FINAL for our class will be Thursday 1/24.  ALL work is due before the final, this includes any late work and your TWO book reviews. Make sure you share the links to the book reviews here. 

A Psalm of Life

Good morning,

We are reading at the bell.

Click on the picture to see it larger.

When your computer is ready go to your English Journal and write about the image to the right.

Today you will be reading "A Psalm of Life" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with a partner.

After reading and writing about the poem on your document, use this form to turn in the paragraph.

Fireside Poets: Mini Research Project

Welcome back

We will begin with some reading and then I have some minds-on questions for you to ponder.