Tuesday, October 4th

Unfortunately, I have to be out for a district meeting today.  I know you will be awesome for our guest teacher, and I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow

1)  Finish text-dependent questions for "Rikki Tikki" and SHARE with me. 

2)   Mentor Sentences-Analyze the use of punctuation in each sentence.  Try to explain the rules. Then, your group will create a poster modeling the same type of sentence.

The Grimes family arrived in a body, always a little late, usually in the middle of Sunday school, which began at nine o’clock.

James Baldwin-Go Tell it to the Mountain

The house was a real family house, large and sprawling.

Katherine Graham, Personal History

He was a young farmer, in his late twenties or early thirties, thin as a grasshopper.

John Hersey, White Lotus


3) Work on AOW if time

TO DO AOW DUE FRIDAY. Please print and staple BEFORE class.

Monday, October 3rd

I can't believe it's October already!  This is our SIXTH week of school!
Goals: Practice applying our knowledge of plot elements to the story we read.  Focus on analyzing passages in a short story.

AGENDA:

1)Review plot diagram for "Three Little Pigs" (Five minutes)

2) Plot diagram for "Rikki Tikki" (Table Groups)
List of Events

3) Analyze passages from story

Here are the passages:

Rikki Tikki Passages

TO DO

AOW DUE FRIDAY
You may turn it in early :)

Friday, September 30th

Goals: Practice writing a personal response to an article.  Learn academic vocabulary related to plot and apply our new knowledge while completing a plot diagram.

AGENDA

1)  Practice personal response to AOW
2)  Notes on AOW
3) Slideshow on plot elements-I will give you a sheet to take notes on
Click here to see the slideshow













TO DO

Here is the AOW due ONE WEEK from today.

AOW #1

Step 1-Read and annotate
Step 2-Summary (you may use template)
Step 3-Personal response (see my suggestions under Article of the Week)

Steps 2 and 3 do NOT need to be labeled on your paper.

You must PRINT out your work and article and turn it in at the BEGINNING of class on Friday.
Remember, I do not take late work.  You may turn it in early.  You get one "free" pass each semester.

Thursday, September 29th

Happy Thursday!  

Goals:  To analyze the effect of certain literary elements on a literary work.  To practice writing an academic summary.

AGENDA

1)Continue to practice the Article of the Week process with the article I gave you on Tuesday.
Today we will practice writing an academic summary.  

Please note that you may need to make changes to the template.  It is just a template!

2) Define and explain:
metaphor and simile
onomatopoeia
foreshadowing



3) Watch this cool clip

Mongoose vs Cobra

4) Begin reading "Rikki-Tikki Tavi"

Click here to read the story

TO DO

Finish reading the story.  It is available in this blog or you can ask to check out a book

Wednesday, September28th

Happy Wednesday!

Goals: To practice close reading strategies and writing an academic summary.  To learn new vocabulary words.

Agenda:

1)  Finish annotating yesterday's article.  Share/discuss annotations

2) Practice writing an academic summary of the article using a template.

Summary Template

3) Quizlet Vocabulary game

To Do:

Get the final draft of your chunk paragraph on "Three Skeleton Key" submitted by 10PM TONIGHT!

Tuesday, September 28th

Happy Tuesday!

Goals:  To revise our paragraphs using feedback from our peers and teacher.To practice close reading strategies.


1)  Peer Feedback on paragraph of "Three Skeleton Key"
I will give you a copy of these questions to refer to as you read your classmate's paper.  These are also great questions for YOU to use when evaluating your own work.

Read the first sentence.  It should have the following:

Title of story IN QUOTES and capitalized properly-  “Three Skeleton Key”

Name of author (capitalized correctly)

ONE element (imagery or foreshadowing) that the author uses to create suspense

Read BOTH quotes.  Are they both EXCELLENT examples of the selected element?  Do they create suspense?  Could the writer have chosen a more powerful example?

Are PAGE #s in parenthesis after each quote?  Remember-it should like like this:

“...and then he raced down the street as fast as he could” (16).  

Does EACH quote have a lead-in that provides the CONTEXT of the quote?  In other words, it explains WHAT is happening in the story when the sentence appears in the story.

Is each quote followed by a MINIMUM of two sentences of commentary?  Do these sentences explain HOW the writer creates suspense by using the sentence?  

Read over and look for fragments, run-ons, and other errors. Let writer know if you find any errors.

 Summarize your thoughts of the paragraph

2)Article of the Week #1

• circle key words/underline author's claims
• annotate/write in the margins

TO DO

Bring your completely annotated article tomorrow.

Your revised paragraph is due to TURNITIN.COM by 10PM TOMORROW night.

Friday, September 23rd

Happy Friday!

Goals: To learn how to seamlessly integrate quotes into an essay.  To apply our knowledge of the two-chunk paragraph to writing a literary analysis.

Agenda:

1) Check homework

2) Watch blending quotes video and look at handout

Blending Quotes

3)  Use template to write a literary analysis of how the author creates suspense in "Three Skeleton Key"
4 Essay Template- We will be using this as a model.

TO DO-Bring rough draft on Tuesday.  It must be typee