Happy Thanksgiving!


Today we worked on revising the introduction of our thematic essays. We did this by looking at the techniques the author used in the mentor text titled, "Teacher Writing Exemplar: Theme Based Essay." We discovered that the author starts with a statement about the world, then leads into the title, author, and a few details about the main character. We noticed the author used an appositive statement. Then, the author ends with stating the theme.

Be thinking a quote or favorite line from a song, poem, book or anything else that connects to your theme for your story. We will use this in our conclusion Monday.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend! Yay!!

Hello everyone!

Today we reviewed the guidelines for Thematic Literary Essay, and then students wrote...and wrote...using the same format of the Character Literary Essay. Piece of cake! Because theme is a universal statement the author is sharing through his/her characters, theme can be a confusing skill to tackle. We are beginning with an essay about lessons the character learned, and then, using the essay, students will fine-tune and develop their claim into a theme.

Here is the format we used:
Intro: Story background sentence (title and author)
          Claim; _______________learns_________
Paragraph:
          Topic sentence
          Evidence (quote from story) which supports claim
          Explanation
          Concluding sentence
         

I am working with a group of students during lunch who have been absent. If you have been absent and feel a little lost, please bring your lunch and join us!

Confused about theme? Look under links, and watch a cool new video to help you understand.

H/W:

• Open up your composition book to the Thematic Essay you wrote today. 
• Get out the document that is titled " Teacher Writing Exemplar - Theme Based Essay
• Find one strategy the author used that you didn't use. Some ideas are : word choice, transitions, background information, examples..
• Set the timer for 10 minutes, and add that strategy to your essay using index cards or writing in a different colored pen. Tape your index card over the part of the essay where you want to add it.
• If you didn't finish your essay, please do that tonight instead of the above instructions.
• Now go help your mom or dad get ready for Thanksgiving!

See you tomorrow!

Happy Friday!

Today all classes began finding evidence to write a theme based literary essay. Classes have different mentor texts and differing support when using the text. After a review on theme, students partnered and made a chart to write about the characters' wants, problem and lessons learned from experiencing their problems. From looking at the list of lesson, they should be able to arrive at a theme for their story. We remembered that a theme is a universal statement, so it doesn't include the names of characters.

H/W:

• Looking at the lessons you think the character in your mentor text learned, write a theme for your story ("Gift of the Magi" or "Long Walk to Freedom). Use the format _____________ (character name) learns__________________. The second part of this sentence is actually the theme (after "learns").
• Write the theme in your composition book.
• Next, find evidence from your mentor text to support the theme. Find two pieces of evidence from the beginning, middle, and end of your story to support your theme.
• Write these under your theme in your composition book.

Have a good weekend! Thank you for a wonderful week.

Hello!

Today was a beautiful language arts day! Students were able to enjoy the presentation of Jessica Brockmole, published Random House author. She lead a wonderful session on what it is to be a writer and an author, and she also shared her writing process and secrets of persevering through the tough times as a writer. We all connected with the common language she used throughout her presentation - revising, tone, character motivation, sensory writing. Students asked well developed questions and showed such high interest. We all look forward to reading Letters from Skye, her first published novel.

And if that isn't enough.. Ms. Snyder put together an intriguing video of book trailers. It was fun to see books come to life! Students wrote down the names of the books they want to check out when we go to the IMC tomorrow. I felt like I was at the movies!

H/W:

• Periods 1 and 5: Finish "Gift of the Magi" and annotate where you see a problem or where you have a question.
• Periods 2 and 6: Read "Robben Island" and annotate where you see major conflicts in Mandela's situation.

See you tomorrow!

Hello!

Today students worked on finalizing their literary essay. They self-edited and revised, then a partner red their paper aloud to them and also edited and revised. After that, each student highlighted their claim and strongest paragraph. All students turned their papers into the LA turn in folder.

We also started new stories to use as mentor texts for our new writing bend, theme essay writing. I have pulled away from the Caulkins' mentor texts to use excerpts that are aligned to differentiate between classes and challenge students at their reading levels. Differentiation will also appear in the level of support the students receive from me.

H/W:

Periods 1, 5: No homework. Read a good book for 20 minutes! We will start a new mentor text tomorrow!

Period 3: Read "The Gift of the Magi" and annotate when you have questions and where you see conflict. This is a powerful story!

Periods 2,6: Research Nelson Mandela and write 10 interesting facts from multiple sources. Your facts are well- developed and from different sources. We will be using his autobiography excerpts as mentor texts, and I am so excited!

Stay warm! See you tomorrow!

Delay Day!   

Today students continued typing their character literary essay argument papers. We reviewed the Self/Peer checklist, and I also told students the items on that checklist are what I am using to grade their papers.

H/W: Finish typing your character essay. Then, do the first column of your editing sheet. Write down evidence of of the specific skills in the boxes...even if it is just a few words. Come in tomorrow with your paper completely typed and the first column of your editing sheet completed. You will then be ready for a peer edit.

See you tomorrow! Thank you!

Snowy Monday!

Hello! Today we had a discussion about explaining evidence in the literary essays. I gave students the following sentence starters which will lead them into an explanatory sentence. Students practiced using these and putting them into their paragraphs.

Ways to Analyze Evidence:

• This shows...because
• It is important to notice...
• ______means_________, therefore
• This is significant because
• Even though...

After using these, students shared with a partner how their explanations more strongly supported their evidence. Students continued typing their essays.

H/W:

• NoRedInk "Punctuation with Quotes" assignment AND quiz due tomorrow. Remember to take notes when you do the assignment! Complete the assignment first, and then complete the quiz using your assignment notes.
• If you finish NoRedInk in under 30 minutes, spend the rest of the time typing your literary essay. Stop when you have spent 30 minutes on your LA homework,

Thank you! See you tomorrow.

Welcome to Winter!

Today we began class by reviewing the argument mentor text from "Raymond's Run." Students were to complete text coding it for homework and thinking about the strategies they could use in their text. The text coding sheet is under "Links." The majority of students noticed the introductory sentence in the beginning, transition words, how evidence was always followed by explanations and/or examples, and most of all, a counter-claim! We also notice the interesting final sentence: Was it the author showing a softer side, or was she anticipating how others could find fault in her her argument? 

Students began typing their paper, and we will finish it in class Monday. If you want to make your paper stronger, revise it in your composition book over the weekend.

I also spoke with students about an assignment on noredink.com to practice punctuating dialogue. They should have this completed by Tuesday and apply what they learn to their essay.

H/W:

• go to NoRedInk.com
• log in the same way we did in class - if you forgot, see instructions under "Links"
• Click on "Punctuating Quotations" assignment (NOT QUIZ) - 25 questions
• Complete the assignment and take notes. Do more practice if necessary. 
• Click on "Punctuating Quotations" Quiz and complete, using notes to help 
• This is due Tuesday, Nov. 18
• Now go to your essay and correctly punctuate your evidence!

Thank you! Enjoy the crisp weather :)

Thursday!

The learning goal today was to annotate a mentor essay to ask "What did that writer do in her essay that I can do in mine?" We annotated as a class, then students had partner work to share ideas in annotating. Students also were given new homework partners today. Make sure you hold onto the homework peer paper!

For a link to the annotating paper, look on the right side of this screen under "Links."

H/W: Using the annotating paper under Links, annotate to remainder of the mentor essay that we started in class. You may use colored pencils or highlighters. Try to go beyond the list and look at other ideas you might find in her writing. Spend 15 minutes revising your paragraphs with ideas from the mentor text, especially transition words (in the paragraphs and at the start of paragraphs). Do your revisions in color.

Thank you!

Hi there!

Things were a little off in the morning because of the science field trip, so if you weren't in class, please read carefully and try to follow what we did in class and work on what is due tomorrow. The field trip is not an excuse to not TRY to do what is expected.

Today we looked at students examples of claim and body paragraphs to support it. We looked at what the students did well and where they could improve. We checked for following details for each paragraph based on students' CLASS NOVELS:

1. Claim was written as _____________ is __________ because of A, because of B, and because of C. We made sure A, B, C, were all connected to the descriptive word. For example, if you wrote Tom is adventurous because he is caring, takes risks, and doesn't follow rules, you can see that caring doesn't support that he is adventurous; just because someone is caring doesn't mean they're adventurous.
2. Topic sentence for each paragraph. Let the reader know what the paragraph will include.
3. Evidence- These are the words from the book, enclosed in quotes. These support your topic sentence. 
4. Explanation - Every piece of evidence should be followed by an explanation. In your own words, explain how the evidence supports your topic sentence.
5. Examples - Use examples from other parts of the book to support the topic sentence. These can be paraphrased, or put into your own words. 
6. Concluding sentence - End your paragraph by writing a sentence that refers back to the topic sentence. Ex: This shows that...

H/W: So, now that you have the basic format, it is time to start building your paragraphs. Spend 20 minutes tonight adding evidence, explanations, or examples to each paragraph; try to balance your paragraphs by having some of each of these. Tomorrow is a "homework check for grade" day. You need to show evidence of your original paragraphs and where you added more (you can use index cards or paper taped on top of your paragraphs, or you may rewrite).

Thank you so much!

Hard workin' Tuesday!

Today students worked on refining their literary claim so that it reads: ___________ (name of character) is __________________ (descriptive word) because of Reason A, Reason B, and Reason C. Each reason is a brought statement that supports their claim. Then, they began writing paragraphs that show how each reason supports their claim. Each reason is a body paragraph which includes:

• topic sentence (reason A, B, or C)
• evidence (direct text from your novel, enclosed in quotes)
• explanation of evidence (how does it relate to your claim)
• concluding sentence (This shows how...) You refer back to your topic sentence

The green sheet was helpful in having students decide how they are going to weave their evidence into the paragraphs. We looked at three different samples. If you don't have you green sheet, there is a link to it - look under "Links" for Green Sheet for Evidence Writing.

H/W: I know this is hard, but continue what you started in class. Writing on every other line, write your three body paragraphs using one of the styles we discussed on the green sheet. Remember, use the TEEC format I used above in the bullets for a paragraph. Do your best. Try to weave in your evidence by looking at how the writers on the green sheet did it. Make sure everything you write supports your claim! Give this a try. We will be partner checking for 3 paragraphs tomorrow. Ok?
Do your best!

P. 1: Food Drive! Canned Food!

Thank you for being wonderful listeners today!

Welcome back!

Today we had a different kind of class because I introduced NoRedInk.com. This is an interactive, personalized grammar/punctuation website that helps students learn skills that I don't necessarily have time to teach but feel are critical. Students got set up and logged on today. If you were absent, we will get you caught up.

If you look under "links," you will see reminders of what to use to log onto NoRedInk.. You may work on the assignments at home. I tailored assignments to weak areas that I saw through student writing.

Two grades were entered on HAC this weekend. If you see a blank instead of a grade, it means I didn't get that work from you. If your homework partner was absent, that means they didn't pass in your grade. This means you need to follow up with them!

H/W: Make sure you have a strong claim and 3 pieces of powerful evidence. from your novel (some students will be using "Raymond's Run"). Evidence is EXACT quote and page number.

See you tomorrow!

Friday!

Today students tweaked their claims for their Literary Essay to include the format of  __________ is _________ because of A, because of B, and most of all because C. We also discussed and looked at examples of "good" vs. "powerful" evidence. Don't go with your first piece of evidence...make sure you have picked the strongest one.

H/W: Come in Monday with your revised claim and three strong pieces of evidence to support it - if you didn't finish this in class today. Remember, evidence is the exact words from the book. Write down the page number, also.

Period 1 - Food Drive!

Enjoy your weekend!

Hello Claim Writers!

Period 1: Let's keep bringing in canned food come in for the food drive!

Today students worked in groups crafting claims for their essay, which they will write tomorrow. They learned and practiced that a claim shows more than one side of a character, and they also learned that a claim needs to be broad enough that you find evidence to support it from the beginning, middle and end of the text. As a class we practiced writing claims from Raymond's Run, and then students got into novel groups to write claims from their class novels. I want to remind you that when you are writing a claim, choose information that is true and important. GREAT job today!

H/W:

• Using the box and bullets structure, write a claim for a character in your novel. On My Honor students will use "Raymond's Run" instead of the novel. 
• Write the claim, box it in, and then use three bullets. Beside each bullet write the exact evidence and page number from three different parts of the book to support your claim.
•  For Tom Sawyer, you might want to look at chapter summaries online that can help direct you to a specific part of the text. This link will help:

 http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/tomsawyer/section1.rhtml

See you tomorrow! Thank you for a great day!

Hi there!

Period 1: Don't forget the food drive! Please bring in your canned food!

Today we discussed what motivates a character. We looked at the external goals of a character, and used prompting to figure out why a character does what they do. What does a character really want from people? from life? We used Squeaky from Raymond's Run and practiced writing about why she really runs. An author wants us to see there is more than meets the eye!

H/W:

• Find a spot in your classroom novel where a character wants something. What is a goal they have? Ask yourself what the character really wants, and go deep - peel the layers. When they want something, it is for a reason. Usually it is related to wanting a certain feeling or relationship.
• Write a fully developed paragraph. Make a claim stating what the character wants, Then, using your prompt papers from yesterday and today, write about what you think the character really wants. Use examples from your book (beginning, middle, end) to support your reason about what you think the character REALLY wants. Here is the example from "Raymond's Run."

Hello!

Today students did a partner check for homework, and then we delved into a topic I love...character analysis. This prepares the students for the Literary Essay and also immerses them in close reading. We began by using character details from "Raymond's Run," and then used a list of thought prompts to help guide us through the analysis. Our goal was to answer why the author included these details. Students found that when they started answering the first prompt, by the end of the prompts they arrived at a completely different reason as to why the author chose the details about the character.

Here is a sample from page 1 of "Raymond's Run,"using the prompts on your paper:

I notice that when people say mean things about Raymond, Squeaky reacts by saying, "I much rather just knock you down..." Maybe the author included this  to show that Squeaky is really angry about how people treat her brother. On the other hand, perhaps the author is showing us that Squeaky really loves Raymond-she loves him so much she is willing to fight for him. Or could it be that she is trying to show that Squeaky thinks it works better to find than talk about things. So, what I am really trying to say is, Squeaky may lack the confidence to talk seriously with people.

See how my beginning thought is so different from the end? This is your goal.

H/W:

• Write two Character Analysis essays. Use the Thought Prompts paper. Make sure you end up with a different thought than where you began. 
• Use one character detail from your class novel. Find a good detail about a character, and do a paragraph analysis. Do the same with a book you are currently reading. You should have a total of two paragraphs.

Thank you! See you tomorrow!

Happy Monday!

I hope you are thawed out from trick or treating in the snow!

Today I handed back "Theme" papers to students completed after the Three Little Pigs video. If I spoke with you, it means you need to pass your paper in tomorrow. If you need to view the video and/or get the paper, go to my blog post of Oct. 28. Some students said the video didn't link, but mine does. If not, any basic Three Little Pigs video will be ok to watch.

Today I introduced "Literary Essay/Argument" writing. For now, we are relating this to Three Little Pigs. I taught the structure of the essay, and the job of the students is to fit their content into the structure. This topic revolved around the most admirable of the pigs, which we decided was the third. Here is an overview:

1) Thesis/Claim: The third little pig is an admirable character because A, because B, and most of all because C.

       We decided A was he was a hard worker, B was he is brave, and C is that he outwits his enemy.

2) For the first body paragraph, we wrote a topic sentence. After that, we came up with three pieces of evidence which proved he was a hard worker. After each evidence statement, we followed it with an explanation of how it supports the topic sentence. We wrote an outline for this paragraph that looked something like this: (Evidence is bold, explanation is in italics.
 
        Topic Sentence:  The third little pig is admirable because he was a hard worker.

• Evidence: He used bricks to build his house, and bricks are heavier than sticks or hay.    
• Evidence: He carried the bricks to his building site, which means he was willing to do the work by himself even thought it was tedious.
• Evidence: The pig took the time to decorate his home. The pig used perseverance to make his home comfortable and safe.                                                       

        Concluding sentence: This evidence shows the third pig worked very hard to build a secure even
                though it took longer than the homes his brother built.

H/W: Write an outline for each paragraph. After the outline, write it as a paragraph. After that, write the essay as a whole (5 paragraphs). Your thesis statement and conclusion are short...just one sentence for now. Period 1: Canned Food Drive!

Thank you for your attention today!