November 19:

M1: Your first narrative portrait is due on Friday.

November 18:

T1, T2, & T3:

Fiction Journal #1:  (At least 1/2 page in length)

Option A: Tell me about something interesting, exciting, or unusual that has happened in your book so far.

Option B:  What was the first chapter about?

November 17:

M1, M3, & M4: Finish your House on Mango Street chapters and questions if you did not finish in class.  Nice job on your tests today.  (Most of you.)

 

November 14:

T1, T2, & T3:  Make sure to haveyour books next class.

 

November 13:

Sorry for the absence--I was out of town the past few days.

M1:  Study for your test.  Fill out your "memoir brain-storming survey"--don't forget!

M3: Study for your test.

M4:  Study for your test.  Fill out your "memoir brain-storming survey"--don't forget!

***The test is on finding and indentifying imagery, sensory details, similes, and metaphors.  Pick a book and see what you notice.  Remember: imagery is a picture created with words; sensory details are details that evoke the five senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, hear); similes are a comparison of two unlike things to show similarity using the word "like" or "as"; and a metaphor is a comparison of two unlike things without using "like" or "as"--usually it states that one thing IS the other one.   If you have questions, come study after school on Friday.***

 

November 7:

T1,T2, & T3: Start reading your books.

 

November 6:

M1:  Finish your "Where I'm From" Poem.

M3: Fill out your "memoir brain-storming survey"--don't forget!

M4: No homework.

November 5:

T3:  Everything must be done by Friday.  Make-up test on Thursday, after school.

 

November 4:  Happy Election Day!  No School!

November 3:

M1:  Finish your portrait if you have not already.  Finish reading the chapter in House on Mango Street, looking for similes and metaphors.

M3:  Finish your "Where I'm From" poems if not already done. 

M4:  Finish your "Where I'm From" poems

 

October 30: No homework

October 29:

T1 &T2: Test make up after school Thursday.

T1, T2, & T3:  Spooky Speak Up, Speak Out on Friday.

 

October 28:

M1:  No homework.

M3:  Finish your portrait if you have not already.

M4:  Write a one page portrait focusing on an item.  Use the first two chapters of House on Mango Street as a guide.  You can use one item and explain the item or use one item and explain it in a variety of ways.  The portrait should reveal something about you or your family.  Be sure to use imagery and sensory details.

 

October 27:

T1:  Speak Up, Speak Out make-up on Wednesday.

T2:  Speak Up, Speak Out make-up Wednesday.

T1, T2, & T3: Halloween Speak Up, Speak Out on Friday.  Be prepared with a spooky piece.

If you would like to retake your test, you may do so Thursday after school.

October 24:

M1:  Finish your letter to Ishmael.  Due Tuesday.  Remember: first paragraph you introduce yourself and why you are writing; second-fourth paragraphs are about any three of these topics: what you thought of the book, parts that stuck out, questions for him, or ways you connected with the book; last paragraph is a final summarry or thought as well as what you would lke Ishmael to do--keep writing books, write back to you, come to Rhode Island, whatever.  Make sure to use proper letter format.

M3:  Write a one page portrait focusing on an item.  Use the first two chapters of House on Mango Street as a guide.  You can use one item and explain the item or use one item and explain it in a variety of ways.  The portrait should reveal something about you or your family.  Be sure to use imagery and sensory details.

M4: No homework.

 

October 23:

All classes: 

• Make sure you finish a read-180 book by October 31.
• When you finish, take the quiz and fill out a note card review.
• Test Monday on finding the topic, thesis, and supporting details in an article. 

T1:  Speak Up, Speak Out make-ups on Wednesday.  2 minutes.  We'll work on pacing that day too.

T3:  Speak Up, Speak Out make-ups on Wednesday.

T4:  Speak Up, Speak Out make-ups all next week, after school from 2:50 to 3:00.

 

October 22:

M3: No homework

M4: Finish your letter to Ishmael.  Due Friday.  Remember: first paragraph you introduce yourself and why you are writing; second-fourth paragraphs are about any three of these topics: what you thought of the book, parts that stuck out, questions for him, or ways you connected with the book; last paragraph is a final summarry or thought as well as what you would lke Ishmael to do--keep writing books, write back to you, come to Rhode Island, whatever.  Make sure to use proper letter format.

 

October 21:

T1:  Next Speak Up, Speak Out:  Halloween or scary theme.  1 minute.  Work on pacing.

T2:  Next Speak Up, Speak Out:  Halloween or scary theme.  One minute.

Next Speak Up, Speak Out is OCTOBER 31: Halloween!

 

October 20:

M1: No homework.

 

October 17:

T3:  Next Speak Up, Speak Out, on October 31: you must BRING A PIECE IN.  Since it is Halloween, the piece should be something spooky, sexy (but school appropriate), or about Halloween.  Still 1 minute.

 

October 16:

M3: Finish your letter to Ishmael.  Due next Wednesday.  Remember: first paragraph you introduce yourself and why you are writing; second-fourth paragraphs are about any three of these topics: what you thought of the book, parts that stuck out, questions for him, or ways you connected with the book; last paragraph is a final summarry or thought as well as what you would lke Ishmael to do--keep writing books, write back to you, come to Rhode Island, whatever.  Make sure to use proper letter format.

M4: No homework.

 

October 15:

Literact Stratagies Reminders:

T3: Speak Up, Speak Out: be prepared to read.  1 minute on Friday.  No Read-180 books allowed!

T1 & T2:  Your "Speak Up, Speak Out" has been rescheduled for Tuesday.  Both classes are 1 minute now.  T1, you are not allowed to use read-180 books; T2, your piece must be funny.

 

October 14:

M1: No homework.

M3: Finish journal #4: How did Ishmael manage to "come back" and recover from his hellish situation to have a "normal" life? What/who helped him out?

M4: Finish reading chapter 17. Quiz Thursday.

 

October 7: 

T3: No homework.

 

October 6:

M1: Finish chapter 17 for homework.  Quiz Next Tuesday.

M3:  No homework.

M4: No homework.

 

October 3:

Nice job on Speak Up, Speak Out.

October 17: T3: 1 minute.  I'll post the theme when I remember it. 

The other two classes will be rescheduled for October 21st.

t1: 1 minute.  no Read 180 books allowed.

T2:  1 minute.  Your piece must be something funny.

 

October 2:

M1: No homework today.  Nice jon.

M3: Finish journal #3. 

How has Ishmael changed since the war began?  Think about how he was in chapters 1-11--look at your chart if you forgot.  Use examples from the book to support your answer.  This entry should be AT LEAST half a page.

M4: No homework.

 

September 29:

T1, T2, & T3:

Speak Up, Speak Out on Friday.

Bring in something to read, and be sure to practice ahead of time.

 

T1: 30 seconds

T2: 1 minute

T3: 30 seconds

 

Everyone will be graded on fulfilling the time requirement and projecting appropriate volume.

 

September 22:

M1:  No official homework, but start thinking about your UNICEF project.  How are you going to help these kids?

 

M3:  Choose one method the army used to recruit children into the army during the Sierra Leone civl war and write a paragraph about it.  Your paragraph should include:

• one sentence introducing the book and the war
• one sentence identifying which method you are talking about
• one to two sentences giving examples from chapter 12
• two sentends that answer the question: was your method effective?  Was it moral?

M4:  No homework

 

September 19:

T1, T2, & T3:  Great job on your first Speak Up, Speak Out.

For our next session, we will be working on volume.  T1 & T3, your time requirement is 30 seconds.  T2, your time requirement is 1 minute.  Great job.

 

September 18:

M1: No homework.  (Except the two of you who need to finish your paragraphs.)

M3: No homework.  Make sure to bring your chapters, worksheet, and chart back on Monday.

M4:  Finish reading your chapter and filling out your worksheet.  BE PREPARED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR CHAPTER.

 

 

September 17:

T1 & T2: No homework

 

 

September 16:

M1: No homework.  Fantastic job today.

M3: Finish reading your chapter and filling out the worksheet if you didn't finish in class.

M4: No homework.

 

 

September 15:

T1, T2, & T3:

No homework.

 

 

September 12:

M1: Finish reading your chapter and fill out your worksheet.

M3: No homework

M4: 

Journal #1

Do you consider yourself a child or an adult?  Why?  (In your journal, be sure to include what YOU consider to be a "child" and an "adult"--and use examples from your own life to show how you are a child or an adult.)

Your journal entry should be at least 1/2 a page, but I would like to see you try to write a page.  Due Tuesday.

 

 

September 11:

T1, T2, & T3: No homework

 

 

September 10, 2008

M1: No homework.  (But I BETTER see an improvement in future homework assignments.)

 

 

September 8, 2008

T1 & T3: No homework.

T2: Finish your slang flashcard.  On one side should be the slang word.  The other side should include: a definition, synonyms, the word in a sentence, and a picture to go along with the sentence.

 

September 5, 2008:

M1 & M3:

Journal #1

Do you consider yourself a child or an adult?  Why?  (In your journal, be sure to include what YOU consider to be a "child" and an "adult"--and use examples from your own life to show how you are a child or an adult.)

Your journal entry should be at least 1/2 a page, but I would like to see you try to write a page.  M1 is due Wednesday.  M3 is due Friday.

 

M4: No homework.  (Or play red light, green light)

 

September 4, 2008:

T1, T2, T3:

No homework

 

September 3, 2008:

M3 & M4: No homework.  Nice job today guys.

Advisory: Keep working on your assignments for the agenda/assignment notebook.

 

September 2, 2008:

T1, T3, & T4: No homework. (If you were not here last week, be sure to write your letter to Ms. Thoma--see below for more information.)

 

August 29, 2008:

No homework.  (Finish your maps if you didn't finish in class.)

 

August 28, 2008:

T1, T3, & T4: No homework. (If you were not here on Tuesday, be sure to write your letter to Ms. Thoma.)

 

August 27, 2008:

M1: Finish your index cards.

 

August 26, 2008:

T1, T3, & T4: Finish your letter to Ms. Thoma.  Your letter should include proper letter format and four paragraphs:

• an introduction that introduces who you are and shares interesting information about yourself
• a second paragraph about you and reading. Do you like it? What are your reading habits?  When do you read?  What sorts of things do you read?  What types of books do you like?
• a third paragraph about a specific reading experience.  For example, you could talk about your mom reading to you when you were a kid or a time you gave an awesome book report in third grade.
• a concluding paragraph about what you're hoping to get out of this class--besides just a passing grade.  What do you want to learn?  Why?  What motivates you?

(Due thursday, August 28)