Monday, March 28, 2011

Homework 3/28 and 3/29

Please complete a second draft of your Cinderella story.  Remember that second drafts:

 

  • Are an IMPROVEMENT over the first draft
    • add dialogue
    • beef up sensory details
    • be sure all the elements are there for the Cinderella storyline
    • address coherence (ie: it has to make sense throughout)
  • Are typed, double spaced, so there is room for proofreading and editing

Friday, March 25, 2011

Get TEST signed / Cinderella

Homework:

 

Get test signed.  Make corrections if you wish to raise your grade.

 

Complete first draft of original Cinderella story.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Cinderella stories due March 28

Students had lots of time to work on their original Cinderella stories today in class.  Ideas are shaping up and students seem excited about writing.  Please complete full first drafts, either typed or handwritten, by Monday. 

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Review Homework

Homework tonight is to study for tomorrow’s test.  PART of that means students will complete a review worksheet for word parts, but they should also do other studying such as reviewing flashcards, creating sentences, looking over notes, et cetera.

 

Also, begin to think about what details could be used to make the “traditional” Cinderella story unique when students write their own tomorrow. 

Monday, March 21, 2011

homework 3/21

Tonight there is no “homework,” per se.  It would be wise to get started on studying for the test on Thursday, however.  Fun and Useful Words, L/A Terms, and Prefixes/Suffixes/Roots.

 

 

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Help Kino and Juana!

Tonight’s homework is to prep/plan/organize/list/brainstorm for the essay you will be writing in class tomorrow.  I don’t want students to come to class with the essay already written, but they should have thought about it and preferably jotted down some notes and ideas to help them through tomorrow.  A graphic organizer would be a great idea.  Each class was given at least 10 minutes to get started today. 

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Ridiculous Rules

Tonight’s homework is to finish the letter begun in class today, if it was not finished by the end of the period.  The letter must be three paragraphs (intro, body, conclusion), and address reasons why the city council SHOULD enact one of the ridiculous rules/laws/ordinances we listed in class.  Some of the crazy laws are:

 

Wearing shoes indoors is prohibited

No citizen may watch TV on Fridays

Walking will require a license

If you miss one day of school, you must serve one day in prison (I like this one!)

School will be held 7 days a week

Only electric cars will be permitted

If a citizen allows his/her toenails to grow too long, those toes will be severed

 

Some are even crazier than these.  The point is to, in a tongue-in-cheek manner, practice the variety of persuasive techniques we have been working on in class.  Some of these techniques (some more ethical than others) are:

 

Lying

Bribery

Precedent

Facts

Emotional appeal

Statistics

 

Have fun!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Marking Period 5 Independent Reading Project

Independent Reading Project 5 – Mystery / Crime / Detective novel

 

Choose a MYSTERY, CRIME, or DETECTIVE novel.  This is a work of fiction in which the main character(s), sometimes a detective by trade, is involved in trying to solve a riddle, crime, or mystery.  The character(s) is on a search – sometimes for the “truth”, but more often than not, for the perpetrator of a crime.  The main action of the novel is focused on turning up clues, following leads, investigating possibilities, and interviewing suspects. As the novel unfolds, the reader is invited to consider the solutions and even possibly solve the mystery before the “detective”.  The novel does not end until the mystery, riddle, or crime is solved. 

 

The first “detective” story, “Murders in the Rue Morgue” was written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1841.  The first writer of mystery / crime / detective novels was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote the Sherlock Holmes books.  Popular detective novels for young adult readers include the Nancy Drew series, the Hardy Boys series, The Westing Game, and From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. There is also a well-written series of mysteries in the National Parks.

 

Read the novel, and complete one of the projects below by APRIL 26TH. All projects need to be clearly labeled with your name and the title of your book.  The project will be worth 100 points, with 10 points off per day late (you may buy one day with a late pass).

 

 

BOOK IN A BAG:

1).  After reading a book, each student selects a book report container.  This container can be a plastic bag, a manila envelope, a can, a shoebox or any other object that can hold items

2)  The students decorate the container to convey major details, elements, or themes found in the book.

3).  Students will then work on the contents of their container.  They will need to include the following:

  • Questions-Write ten questions based on the book.  Write five “right there” questions and five questions that require some more thought
  • Vocabulary-Create a ten word glossary of unfamiliar words from the book.
  • Things-Include five things (objects) that have a connection to the story, and a written explanation of each connection.

 

INTERVIEW WITH THE CHARACTER:

1).  The student composes eight questions to ask a main character in the book.  The students write the questions and the character’s response to each question.  The questions and responses should indicate the student’s knowledge of the story without giving away the most significant details.

2).  On the day the assignment is due, the student will either dress up as the main character or use props to depict what the character has an interest in, and will pose as he character for an “interview”.

 

IN THE NEWS:
1).  Each student creates a front cover of a newspaper that tells about events and characters in a book just read.  The newspaper must include:

  • Title-That is appropriate for the book, but not simply a copy of the title
  • Major Story-This is where the student writes a summary.
  • Comic Strip-Illustrating an event from the story.
  • Editorial-Students write an opinion about the book.

 

DEAR DIARY:

1).  The students will write at least six 100-word-minimum diary or journal entries that might have been written by the main character in the book just read.  The entries should share details about the story that will prove the students read the book.  (Note:  the easiest way to do this is to write the entries as you are reading!)

2).  The students will then make a cover for their character’s diary, and include all entries.

 

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Homework Block 3 ONLY

Tonight’s homework for block three only:

Come up with a list of 10 ways to persuade a _______ to _________.  This is meant to be a little silly, but do be creative and try to use the multitude of techniques we talked about in class today.  Our model was 10 ways to get our 5 year old brother to eat dirt.  Your list has to be different from our model, obviously.  Try something like 10 ways to get a librarian to tear a book, 10 ways to get my father to root for the Yankees, 10 ways to make my grandmother serve ice cream for dinner, et cetera.