Social Norms

Good morning,

Yesterday you read, "The Sadness of Conformity" and wrote a response to it in your English Journal.

Today you will share your response with your group and discuss this question. be prepared to share your group's answer with the class.

Are social norms constructive or detrimental to a society?

 I will have to be out on Wednesday and Thursday. Please use the blog to guide your work on those days. I will see you on Friday. 

The Sadness of Conformity

Good morning,

The article of the week for this week was chosen to fit with several other readings we have coming up. It is shared with you in your "view only" folder. Please find AOW 3: The Sadness of Conformity.

1. Make your own copy to read and annotate (File/Make a copy)
2. As you read add questions and notes to the column on the right.
3. Use comments (Insert/Comment) to mark the parts of the text that reveal the things in the rhetorical square below.  You don't have to make a square, just comment on where you see those things in the article.
4. Please reflect on the article in your EJ when you finish reading.

Click on the square to see a larger image of it.

Writing assessment

Good morning,

You get to take a writing assessment this morning. You will need paper a pen and your book to read in case you finish early. 

If you were absent today the make up for this assessment is Thursday 9/20 at 2:15. 

Homework: Make like tomatoes and catch up! You should have two AOW reflections in your EJ and a review in Goodreads. This is the end of the second week of school. You should be 2/3 done with reading your chosen book. 

Expert Project: Research Questions

public domain image

Good morning,

We will begin with 10 minutes of silent reading.

Now that you have had a few days to think about your expert project it is time to get started on really figuring our what you really want to know more about.  Today we will work on, "How do I choose a research question." 

1. Determine a topic that interests you.
2. Ask a question related to your topic.
3. Make sure your question is not too narrow (remember the polar bears). It needs to be big enough to learn about all year long. 

• Too Narrow: How is global warming affecting polar bears?
• Just right: How is global warming affecting endangered species?

By the end of class today you should have your research question written at the top of your "expert project notes" page in Google Docs.

Assemblies and catching up...

Good morning,

Today is our day for grade level assemblies. I'll be in the big gym with my period 3 class, so there is separate info below for each period.

Period 3: We are in the gym this period listening to important information. You will find your Article of the Week #2 shared with you in Google Docs. You have until Friday to read and annotate it and then reflect on it in your English Journal. Make sure to see the suggested topics at the end of the article and date your entry.  See also the "to do" list I am sharing with period 4 and make sure you are caught up on all of that.

Period 4:  
Today is our catch up day.  See the list below and do anything you haven't completed. Some of these things are new.
1. Send me a friend request on Goodreads.
2. Review (write paragraphs) about a book you have read in the last year. See an example of a good review.
3. Finish your response to Article of the Week #1 in your English Journal.
4. Read the full description of the expert project that I told you about yesterday.
5. Begin reading Article of the Week #2, now shared with you in your "view only" folder. Make a copy and begin annotating.  Reflection is due in your English Journal by Friday.

Complete Expert Project Exit Slip

Let the Expert Projects Begin...

Good morning,

Lets begin with a bit of independent reading. While your computer is booting up get your book out and read.

English Journal Quick Write: Put this ABOVE the response you wrote to AOW1.

What makes someone an "expert" on a subject? How does a person become an expert?

I want to show you part of a video. As you watch notice the way he breaks his talk into three parts. Also, ask yourself how he knows so much about the things he is talking about?

After the video:   Time to learn about your own Expert Project.


I'm going to show you the video in class, but I'm embedding it here in case you want to watch it again later.

Getting Started with Google Docs Today

Good morning,

Today we will be using Google Docs together for the first time to read an annotate an article. You will also create your English Journal document and share it with me.  Follow the steps below closely.

1. If you did not complete the student data form, or get a Google account yet. You need to do those two things now.  (See the blog post below from yesterday.)

2. If you did not join Goodreads, or send me a friend request, or review a book yesterday you must do those things by Monday.  (You should NOT be on Goodreads now.)

3. Go to Docs.google.com and login.

4. Click the red "create" button and make a new document. Name the document "3 Your Name English Journal"

5. Click the "Share" button on the upper right. Share your English Journal with me by adding my gmail address. Make sure you share it as "can edit".   Put a heading at the top of your English Journal.

6. Return to your Google Docs List.  Click on "Shared With Me" on the left and look for a view-only folder. I will often share documents with you as view-only.  While viewing the document you can go to "File / make a copy" to create your own version of the document. (Note: If you did not give me your gmail address yesterday then you do not have this folder yet.)

7. You are looking for the document that begins with AOW 1. Make your own copy of it using "File / make a copy"  You can now begin to read and annotate this document in Google Docs.

8. When you are done reading, return to your English Journal and write a one page reflection about what you read.  (See the EJ suggestions at the bottom of the article.) This is homework if you do not finish it during class.

Netbooks and Expectations

Good morning, If you are reading this on your screen then you have made it to the blog. Congratulations.

1. BOOKMARK this page now.
2. Review the course syllabus. 
3. Review the student netbook agreement (When you pick up a netbook you are agreeing to these items.) 
4. Complete the student data form
5. Join Goodreads  Hint: you can login to Goodreads with your Google account information. This will make your life easier. 
6. Send me a friend request by searching for my gmail address.
7. Rate five books in Goodreads by searching for books you have read and giving them a star rating.
8. Read this review by my former student. 
9. Review one of those books that you rated in step 7. 

Homework: Bring your independent reading book. We will be reading a bit in class on Friday. 

Who are you as a reader?

Good morning, Later this period we will be going to the library to check out textbooks. Before then we have some work to do.

Welcome back