Unit 14 Quiz Tuesday

(Accept for section 6.  We will review a little bit more tomorrow.  We got hung-up in the grammar notes and had to spend a little extra time.)

Today all classes did grammar lessons and reviewed vocabulary.

Sections HB and 3 had time to make flashcards.  The cards should be completed and used to get ready for the quiz Tuesday.

I entered a few grades in each class this morning.  Please check the HAC.

-MrBoZ

Television ad sample: The Stick

(Click here to view video.)

I finally decided I would post one example video from the TV ads we made before break.  Hopefully the video will load and play on your computer.  Give it some time to load.

This ad is the result of 20 minutes of crazy filming and some major editing.  The ad really gave this class a behind the scenes looks at what goes into making a commercial.  Before filming, we watched the reality show Pitchmen featuring Billy Mays.  (The bloopers at the end give you some idea of my amused frustration!)

Math DCAS testing Friday

Today was just more of the same.  The students worked well in class.  There is no need for homework.

Students should go to bed early and eat a good breakfast.  Even though it may seem like just another test, these DCAS tests certainly are NOT just a test.  The scores of the students matter very much to the teachers, the school, the district, and the State of Delaware.

Block scheduling day

Today I did not see section 6.  I will get that class up to speed Thursday when I have them for a block period.

The other classes are rolling along.  We did vocab and grammar.

Homework:  Choosing the Right Word Unit 14 will be checked Thursday. (I will not see section 4 Thursday.)

Math DCAS testing in Friday.  The students should come to school rested and ready to go!

Some grades have been added to the HAC

Sections 3, 4, 5, HB have pictionaries unit 14 for homework. (Section 6 did them in class.)

Today was just more of the same.  We did vocab and subject/verb agreement.

And so begins a new week

Sections 3, 4, and 5 have vocab quiz 13 Tuesday.

All classes will be starting unit 14 soon.  Look for this e-mail for the homework schedule.

I told the students I will not tolerate being unprepared for class; they should have a vocab book, notebook, and a pen.  The first time, the student will get 20/25 for that week's participation.  On the next time, 18/25 (D).  There were some days last week where I wasted so much time getting students ready to learn.  That is their job, not mine!  Grrrr.

There are three block scheduled days this week, so things will get weird again.

Wow! Kids love the block classes! (sarcasm!)

The crazy schedule is throwing us all off, but I am trying to keep us organized.  Here is where each class is.

Notes from class here.
(No class is farther than the prepositions.)

HB- The methods student collected their pieces today.  She should have them graded early next week.  The class took unit 13 quiz today. They will catch up to the other classes who have been doing subject-verb agreement over the course of next week.

3- This class is the farthest along in their work.  They have been taking notes on grammar and working on vocab.  They will have their unit 13 quiz on Tuesday.

4- Just a little behind 3.  Quiz Tuesday.

5- Same as 4. Quiz Tuesday.

6- Has done a lot with vocabulary this week!  We will do one last review on Monday and take the quiz on Monday.  The class is a little behind in the notes.  HOWEVER, students need to bring a notebook every day!  There is a notebook check at the end of May on these notes. (We are only up to lesson 2.)

The schedule gets crazier!

Section HB students will have their unit 13 quiz Friday.  They also have a 350 word piece due by the end of class Friday that they have been working on with my methods student from the University of Delaware.  They are allowed to type the piece tonight.

Sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 are now all on different schedules for vocab and the grammar unit.  The notes can still me found on my webpage.  These classes will have the unit 13 quiz on Tuesday... as far as I know.  I don't like to give homework over the weekend, so we will review on Monday and test Tuesday.  

DCAS testing for today was postponed due to state-wide computer problems.  My homeroom got a chance to watch Bedtime Stories with Adam Sandler.  That is such a good movie!  One of these years I want to have students write a bedtime story like those in the movie.  We all need a hero in our lives... or at least a happy ending to some challenging situations we face.  The main character realizes that life has challenges, and he needs to write the ending to those challenges where he is the hero.  Maybe we have the solutions to our own problems if we just dream a little.

Let the scheduling nightmare begin!

Parents of students in sections 3, 4, 5, and 6,  (HB see below)
I will do my best to keep you up to date on what is due, but honestly, the next two weeks will be a little strange.  If you look at my calendar, you will see Block and No.  Because of DCAS testing, I will see some students for two periods (Block) while some days I will not see them at all (No).

To make things go smoothly this month, I have decided we will do grammar and vocabulary.  Students will be kept up to date on their class's progress on a chart in the room.  If I don't see them one day, we will just pick up where we left off.  This goes for vocabulary too!  Not every class will have their test on the same date!

By the end of May, we need to cover three units of vocab and take the final.   We will have also studied a subject/verb agreement unit and other small grammar ideas, taken notes for a notebook check, and taken a cumulative test.

Parents of students in the HB period,
I have a methods student from the University of Delaware.  This week she is responsible for teaching a series of connected lessons.  In other words, I have turned my class over to her for a week.  While I am still in the room, she is responsible for the lessons and running the class.  The HB class is organizing a comparison piece comparing the Barney classroom idea posed in the beginning of the year to what the classroom has looked like since.

If you have read this far, you can see that things are pretty hectic around here!  But I will do my best to keep the students organized.
-MrBoZ

These are the magazine ads students made.
(click to view larger)

Grades are updated on HAC

Parents,
I got caught up on my grading.  I entered grades for the print ad and the 200 word piece that went with it.  For section 6, I also entered the vocabulary we did the week before the break. If you have any questions, please e-mail me.

As I look over the grades in sections 3, 6, and HB, I see that the grades are slipping.  Some students never made up the work from the chorus or band trip.  Other students are just not turning in work.

I will accept work for late credit, but I had reminded students many times about their missing work.  Interims are coming up soon.

On Monday, we will be continuing vocabulary.  We have three units and a final to get done in May.  I hope the students can keep up!  We will also be starting a piece of writing.  More details will follow.

-MrBoZ

Have a nice spring break!

We wrapped up the commercials.  Over the past two days, I have spent about 6 hours editing and producing the videos we filmed in class.   Today I showed the results to the students.  We had some really good laughs.  As much as I would like to post these for parents to see, I am wary of putting videos on the Internet.

I did tell the students that they can get a copy of their video if they bring in a memory stick. I would give them a copy, but they would have to assure me that their groups members are ok with it.  I never want a child to be humiliated on the Internet by something they did inside my class.

I hope the students come back rested!  We still have some writing to do before the end of the year!  We will be revisiting the Barney classroom idea we started the year with.  (Yep!  He's baaaaaack!)  We will be finishing up units 13, 14, and 15 in the vocab book.  We have a vocab final.  We have DCAS testing.  And I am sure we will be doing a little bit more grammar.  See?  We have plenty to do!

Rest up!  I know I will!
(But I do plan to update grades and get caught up.)

We are filming ads in class. Grades are updated on HAC.

Section 6:
Students should be done the Choosing the Right Word for Unit 12.
They can also write a script to perform an ad on Thursday.

All Classes
I added many grades to HAC today.  Please take the time to look them over.

Today:
We are filming ads in class.  It is going well enough.  Some groups have better scripts than others.  I will be thinking about the best way to publish the ads so students can keep a copy for themselves.

Section 6 schedule and The filming of the ads has begun!

In sections 3, 4, 5, and HB, we are starting to film the commercials.  I showed the students what I expect to see before they go up to film.  They should have a script and storyboard that looks like this.  There is a Word document of this on MrBoZ.com in the middle of the page.

Section 6 schedule for this week.
Monday:
   Pre-test on unit 12
   Listen to the words
   Make pictionaries in class.  Homework if not finished.
   Homework: Students can make a script for their ad to present on Thursday for extra credit.

Tuesday:
   Review the words
   Do the synonyms
   Do the Choosing and enter for a grade
   Homework: Students can make a script for their ad to present on Thursday for extra credit.
   I also suggest making flashcards.

Wednesday:
   Review the words
   Work on the completing the sentence and the rest of the unit
   Study for the quiz using online resources
   Homework:  Students can make a script for their ad to present on Thursday for extra credit.

Thursday:
   Quiz Unit 12
   Students can present their ad
     or
   Watch TV show called The Pitchmen

Sections 3, 4, 5, and HB ads for next week

Sections 4 and 5 have formed their own groups.  They are working on their scripts.  They can use the outline below.

Sections 3 and HB were supposed to be ready to present their products today.  The ad and the paragraph were due, but too many students did not have them.  Because I cannot count on them to be ready, I do not feel it would be fair to make groups for the ad presentations next week. These two classes will be writing their OWN ad scripts.  

Here are the requirements:

So, you have to do the ad for your product alone now. Here is what you need to be ready for your taped ad next week.

• The ad will be a minimum of 1 minute long.
• You should have practiced so it is reasonably smooth.
• You may have two camera shots (if you need them).
• You must have a printed script.

Show us your product and explain what it does. (maybe 2 sentences)
Convince us that we NEED your product. (maybe 2 sentences)

Now play on our emotions to convince us to buy the product. Use the ad techniques.
(Try to use as many as possible! They will give you things to say!)
1. Technique (1 sentence)
2. Technique (1 sentence)
3. Technique (1 sentence)
4. Technique (1 sentence)
5. Technique (1 sentence)
6. Technique (1 sentence)
7. Technique (1 sentence)
8. Technique (1 sentence)
9. Technique (1 sentence)
10. Technique (1 sentence)

Wrap up your ad with a direct pitch telling us to act.
(You are not telling us all this stuff for your health!)

Section 6 paragraph requirements

Section 6
The students designed the ad Wednesday, we made the ads in class today, and they will explain the ads on Friday.

This is the paragraph that the students will be typing in class tomorrow.  If they want to write the piece at home, then they can use the time for other things.

Requirements for the 200 word Print Ad Explanation
Goal: Explain your strategy for the ad.
1. Explain what the product is and why people would want it.
2. Explain the audience of your ad/product. Why sell it to that specific audience?
3. What magazine has an audience that you think would buy your product? Why?
4. Explain each technique you used to sell your product.
     a. Name the technique
     b. Explain the technique
     c. Explain why the technique will work with the audience
5. What type of person did you draw in your ad? Why?
6. Make sure you have explained why you think your ad is the best way to sell your product.

Times New Roman size 12 font
Single spaced
Introduction sentence and conclusion sentence needed.
Grammar counts, so take time to edit and make perfect.

Magazine ad and 200 word piece due tomorrow

There is also a quiz on unit 12.
(Section 6 will take the quiz next week. We are working on our ads in class.)

Today we looked at the ShamWow! ad (I think this is the link.).  The main focus of the lesson was to show that it is basically a towel; however, how can the ad run for two minutes and get us to buy a towel?  The answer is artificial means of persuasion.  We call them the ad techniques.  In most classes, we found all 19 techniques that I have posted on my board.  That means that, even though it is just a towel, if you can play on the emotions of the audience and avoid talking about how ordinary it is, you can wow people just long enough for them to pick up those phones and dial.

Ask your child about the ad.  I bet he/she remembers some of the silly arguments Vince uses to sell his towel.

Here is the script of the ad if you are interested.

ShamWow Ad

[Vince, the salesman, is standing behind a table with the towel in his hand and a bowl of water. He is talking to us through the camera.]
Vince: Hi, it’s Vince with ShamWow.

Vince: You’ll be saying “Wow” every time you use this towel. It’s like a shammy, it’s like a towel, it’s like a sponge. A regular towel doesn’t work wet; this works wet or dry. This is for the house, the car, the boat, the RV. ShamWow holds twenty times it’s weight in liquid. Look at it! It just does the work! Why do you want to work twice as hard?

Vince: Doesn’t drip, doesn’t make a mess… wring it out. You wash it in the washing machine. Made in Germany - you know the German’s always make good stuff.

Vince: You can cut it in half - use one as a bath mat, drain dishes with the other one, use one as a towel.

Vince: Olympic divers use it as a towel. Look at that - completely dry [wipes arm].

Vince: Put a wet sweater [on it], roll it up - it dries your sweaters. Here’s some cola. Wine, coffee, cola, pet stains…

Vince: Not only is the damage going to be on top - there’s your mildew - that is going to smell.

Vince: See that? Now we’re going to do this in real time. Look at this - put it on the spill, turn it over - without even putting any pressure, fifty percent of the cola - right there. You following me camera guy?

Vince: The other fifty percent - the color - starts to come up. No other towel is going to do that. It acts like a vacuum, and - look at this - virtually dry on the bottom. See what I’m telling ya? ShamWow - you’ll be saying “wow” every time.


[People talking about their ShamWows at a fair]
Person: “I can’t live without it! I just love it!”
Person: “Oh my gosh. I don’t even buy paper towels anymore.”

Person: “If you’re going to wash your car or any type of vehicle, you’d be out of your mind not to own one of these.”
Person: “All I can say is - Sham-WOW.”

[Back to Vince]
Vince:You’re going to spend twenty dollars a month on paper towels anyway.

Vince: You’re throwing money away.

Vince: The mini ShamWows are for everything - everyday use.

Vince: This lasts ten years, this lasts a week [holds up sponge]. I dunno - it sells itself.


(Some more here. I ran out of time to get this ready.)
[Ordering information]

Ad techniques in the ad:

Sections 3, 4, 5, and HB this week

Homework:
Here is the current assignment we are working on until spring break.
Quiz on Unit 12 on Thursday

Grades coming up this week and next:
(Quiz Unit 12 on Thursday)
(25 points) Created a print ad that is not a piece of junk.
(50 points) The 200 word piece on your print ad explains how you have designed the ad to work with your audience. Typed, size 12 Times New Roman, good grammar.
* Possible assignment (50 Points) The 200 word piece on your proposed script for your TV ad explains how you have designed the ad to work for a TV audience.
(25 points) Group grade for the TV commercial: Everyone must appear in the ad, the ad MUST be 1 minute long, you should be ready for filming, your effort will be scored by each person in the group.

Section 6 entry

Section 6 is not doing vocabulary this week.  We will begin the unit when we have finished the ad assignment.

Please check the grades on HAC.  

Section 6
We are making an ad in-class.  I have asked the students to pretend that they have invented a product that fills a need.  I have given them an item that they need to sell.  They are not selling what the product is for real.  They are selling the product that they invented.

1. Decide on what your device is.
    Here are pictures of the objects I have given the students.
    Make a list of what your device does or is used for.
2. Define your intended audience.
    Who would buy your device?
     Age Range:
     Male/Female
     Interests/Hobbies:
     Family situation: (Married, single, with kids?)
3. Sketch an ad that include the following:
    The ad must have a person in the ad.
    There should be at least three clearly identifiable ad techniques (found in this packet).
    The ad should be eye-catching and colorful.
    Will your ad include people who are Powerful or Powerless?

On Wednesday, I will be asking the students to present their devices to the class. If they have thought about the above questions, they should sound convincing, like they would want me to buy the product as well.

By Friday, we will be making an ad and then explaining in 200 words why this ad is the best way to sell the product to the audience.

Media Literacy Paragraph is due Friday

Homework:
The media literacy paragraph is due Friday.  We were in the writing lab today.  Many students were able to finish the piece, print it, and hand it in.  The problem for some students is they did not bring in a rough draft as I instructed.

(Section 6 is just beginning this piece in class.  We will be in the lab Friday.  We will start unit 12 in the vocab book next week.)

We also read two sample paragraphs.  Each one had something not quite right.  The purpose of the paragraph is to explain how they have personally observed the lessons in their own lives.  The first one is very personal, but it needs more explanation.  The second one is well written, but it is not very personal.  I told the students to think of this like a test.  Prove to me that you have learned the lessons I have taught.  Don't just repeat back what I have listed on the assignment sheet.

Sample 1
Sample 2

Rough draft of the 350 word paragraph due Thursday

Homework:
Choosing the Right Word Unit 12
Rough draft of the media paragraph

We are going to be in the writing lab Thursday.  I would like students to use the computers to type up their pieces, edit them using Word, and get an accurate word count.  I think 350 words is just enough to prove they have learned some of the ideas I have taught.  I am looking for depth.  I would like to see that they understand one idea fully rather than skim over many.

Here is a sample paragraph with some comments for improvement:

Sample of 2011 Media Literacy End of Magazine Unit 350 Word Paragraph
(This could use some improvement, but it is a good start.)

     To start off, I’m going to be completely honest. I forgot my paper in my locker, so I will go off what I remember from what you were saying in class. In class, you had taught us about the different types of advertising. To start off, my favorite would have to be card stacking, and the example was pretty funny. Some of the things that remind me of that is when I watch TV and see the commercial when the sharks are saying how much they like how the one who has just had the Sinkers. I bet you know what I’m talking about. [um.. no I don’t] I also see some other things you have been taking about, for a long time, droning on and on (ha ha). I have been noticing fear of the enemy in one of my least favorite commercials. It makes me cry when the doggy… awwww. I have definitely seen hype and symbol in many commercials if you must know. One is the Tech Deck commercial and all of the female bathroom products, if you must know what I am saying. I have also seen some name calling and many testimonial. But, personally, just because a famous person is using the product doesn’t make me want to go out and buy. I mean seriously. Get a life! On the other hand, I have seen and heard many bandwagon ads for gyms. Some are group dynamics, but not many. Personally, I think that every commercial has nostalgia in it, but that’s just me. But like you said, you don’t want us to give your lesson, so I think that this is where I say goodbye. Bye.

Comments
1. The paper is too conversational and informal.
2. The paper needs a better introduction sentence.
3. There are some good observations here, but the piece is 278 words. I would like 350. Those extra words would have given me more examples to read.
4. The last sentence does not sum up the main lesson of the paragraph.

Early 4th MP grades on HAC

Homework:
Synonyms unit 12
Paragraph due Friday (Chorus trip students: Wednesday night)

**Section 6 has not started the vocab unit yet.  We also have some presentations to do.  They are listed as "excused" on the HAC.**


Today:
We finished the magazine presentations.  I gave them a questionnaire to help them process some of the data the students collected.  Somewhere during the presentations, the students should have found out something interesting. Maybe that moment could be worked into the paragraph that is due Friday.

Here is the paragraph assignment that is due Friday!

Tonight's Homework:
Sections 3, 4, 5, and HB: Pictionaries unit 12
Section 6: Be ready for the magazine presentation.  You saw what is needed today in class!

Paragraph due Friday:
I know some students are going on a trip at the end of this week.  I see no reason that this paragraph can't be completed by then, especially since I said I would be posting this online today.  ** If necessary, e-mail the paragraph to me Wednesday night. **

I have taught you lessons, you have watched the presentations of your classmates, and you have completed the research chart from their data. How do you feel about advertisements now? Write a paragraph of less than 350 words explaining how you have observed some of the following lessons in your own life and/or in your magazine. (I would like this neatly written or typed.)

Ads have a purpose.
    Show new products
    Persuade you to buy
    Change your thoughts to affect your behavior

Why do magazines and TV sell ads?
    To pay for the production of the content.

Why make good content like shows and interesting magazines?
    The more eyeballs you bring, the more money you can charge for ads.

Can you recognize an ad?
    They are still obvious most of the time.
    Product placement in movies and TV shows.
    Some magazine ads look just like the magazine.
    Are you even aware of when you are being sold to?

Where do we get our values from?
    Parents, community, society, church, school, friends?
    Do you get your values from the media: TV, movies, ads?

What is the intention of the magazine?
    To attract eyeballs and make money.
    If they make a product that people want, they can sell the ads space.
    Who is making the decisions for the content of the magazine? Editors.

What is the intention of the advertiser?
    To sell their product.
    Who is making the decisions for the ad content? Someone who knows it will sell product.

Every ad uses identifiable techniques of persuasion.
    The ads usually do not sell the product based on logical reasons.
    The ad techniques are artificial means of persuasion that play on the emotions.

Core Concepts
    1. All media messages are constructed.
    2. Creative techniques are used to attract my attention.
    3. Different people experience the same message differently.
    4. What lifestyles, values, and points of view does the ad show?

Be sure to start your paragraph of with a focusing statement.
Be sure to include transitions.
End the paragraph with a conclusion sentence.
Be sure to have NO GRAMMAR ERRORS!

The magazine presentations are going well

Sections 3, 4, 5, and HB
We did not get through as many presentations as I would have liked, but the ones I heard today were pretty good.  I guess those who did not present get a little extra time to prepare.  That's ok.  Now they know exactly what I am looking for, so I will have high expectations for Monday.

Section 6:
On Monday, I expect them to be done the packet we have been working on in class.  They are to take the questions on the last page of the yellow packet and write down the information.  They should also include lots of pictures to explain what they are trying to say.  Once I see that they have prepared the information, they will present their information to the class to tell us what they found.  (I have explained this assignment thoroughly for the last three days.  Some students are just dragging their feet.)

The magazine project is due tomorrow.

Sections 3, 4, 5, and HB
I told the students to think about the presentation like it is a test.  I have spent 2 1/2 weeks teaching them about advertising using their magazines and TV ads.  Now it is time to show me what you have learned.  The magazine was supposed to be one that they found interesting.  This way, as they learn about the lessons I taught, they can see how advertisers target them in their magazines.  However, too many just brought in any old magazine.  I do not think they got as much out of this as possible.  I do hope their eyes have been opened to a few things that advertisers do to manipulate them.

The magazine presentation should be detailed and organized.  The students should deliver the answers to the questions on this page in order.  I also recommend a poster board so they do not have to flip lots of sheets around.

Section 6
We will work on the projects in class for one more day.  Then they must be done over the weekend.

Media Kits

Homework:
Quiz Unit 11 Thursday
Magazine Presentation due Friday

Today:
We are continuing to study the audience of the magazine.  Unlike the other day where I was asking them to figure out the audience of their magazines, today we went to the computer lab to find out the exact audience of the magazine.  Here is an example from US Weekly.  If you look around, you will see the information the magazine gives to potential advertisers.  The media kit shows the advertisers why their magazine is the best choice for their product. The media kits can go into great detail about the audience.

I expect to hear some of the information from the media kits in the presentations on Friday.

I guess the shortest goal I could say for this part of the media unit is that I want the students to understand that they are an audience and the advertisers craft messages specifically for them.  Those messages appeal to the emotions, not logic.

The application of this knowledge will take place in the next two weeks when they design their own ad campaign, both print and video!

Here is the basic information students should know about their magazine

Homework:
Quiz Unit 11 on Thursday

Today:
I am continuing to direct the students towards the final presentation of their magazines which is due Friday.  Here is one way to think about what they should know.

Magazine Presentation Basic Idea

You should know your magazine well enough to explain what it contains.
     Articles and features?
     Product reviews?
     Stories?
     Picture spreads?
     Why does your audience buy the magazine week after week?


Your good magazine creates an audience…
     Make a collage from some of the people in the ads.
     (In ads aimed at us, we see who we are or who we want to be.)
     What is the age range of the readers?
     What gender are they (male/female ratio)?
     What race are the readers of the magazine? Does it matter?
     What are the interests or hobbies of the readers?
     What are the hopes and dreams of the readers?
     (The ads offer the readers what they want!)

The magazine then opens their audience up to advertisers.
     The more readers the magazine has, the more they can charge for ads!

     Examine your magazine and explain how advertisers sell to your audience.
     What techniques seemed to be used the most?
     Maybe you need to see some other magazines that have the same products but sell to a different audience. For example, Hot Rod Magazine would have different ads for McDonald’s than Seventeen Magazine.

Friday's magazine presentation should look like this.

Flow of magazine presentation.

This is a collage that shows the audience of Ebony Magazine.

Advertisers target the specific audience of a magazine

Homework:
Completing the Sentence Unit 11
The magazine presentations begin on Friday.

Today:
We had some VERY interesting discussions in class today.  If you look below, you will see the categories that I asked the students to identify regarding the audience of their magazine.  As adults, we are aware that we are not the center of the Universe.  My students, however, found it interesting that a magazine could actually have an audience that is racially identifiable, Ebony for example.  We spent time today being frank about the ethnicity of the people in the ads in our magazines because, as I said before, in an ad, we see who we are or who we want to be.  We like to see ourselves in ads.  That being true, we are not all white, which means we like to see ads with people that look like we do. 

Magazines bring an audience together so that advertisers can sell to them.  I am asking the students to identify that audience.  Then I am going to ask them how advertisers sell to that specific audience.  What techniques do they use?  This becomes clearer when the same product is sold to different audiences.


Find the Audience of your magazine

Age Range: (youngest) (oldest)
Male/Female ratio:
30 % Men IIIII IIIII IIIII
70 % Women IIIII IIIII IIIIIII IIIII IIII IIIII IIII IIIII
Race: (Is it identifiable?)
White- IIIIII
Black- IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Hispanic- IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Other- IIIII

Interests/Hobbies:

Cost of the products advertised: (cheap, middle, expensive)

Family situation: (Married, single, with kids?)

Mega Logo Day

Homework:
None.  There will be a magazine presentation this coming week.  We did not get as far as I hoped.  I will let you know exactly when it is due.

Grades:
I will be entering the last few grades of the MP today or tomorrow. We took a techniques quiz on Friday, there was some classwork, and there was some vocab homework this week.

Friday was Mega Logo Day:
The goal was to wear clothes that had as many logos on them as possible.  Either students do not have clothes with logos, which would be great, or they really didn't try. (I think it was the latter.)

Funny story.  I was not going to count the logos in section 5 because we were running out of time.  Then one student showed me her sweatshirt.  I didn't think it would matter.  I was wrong!  Her sweatshirt alone won for her class!  It had approximately 2200 logos on it!  We did not even count the other students' logos in the class.

Section     logos per student
3                55
4                17
5                124 (2200 logos on one sweatshirt!)
6                20
HB             31

No Logo Day!

Today was No Logo Day!  Students were supposed to dress with as few logos showing as possible, excluding the H.B. logo because that is one logo we want to show.  Logos are free advertising for the company.  We did not want advertising on our outfits, so we covered them up with tape.  (And then proceeded to tape everything else in sight!)

The goal was to have no logos, but some students did not realize how many logos they actually had on them.  Some shoes had the tread design using the company's logo over and over!  That did not help the class to achieve the lowest ratio of logos per student.  Here are the results:

Class     logos per student

  3           30.6

  4             9.3

  5           21.0

  6             8.6

 HB           7.7

Tomorrow is Mega Logo Day.  Students are to choose clothing that has lots of logos.  Since there is a dress code, students who have shirts or other items that are not code must bring the items to class in a bag.  I told them to be responsible with their items!

Don't forget about the tread design!

One student had 180 logos on one shoe!

The buttons have the company's name on them.

Logos are everywhere!

This shoe will be great for Mega Logo Day on Friday!

Thursday is No Logo Day!

Homework:
Choosing the Right Word unit 11
20 stickies in the magazine
Techniques quiz on Friday

No Logo Day:
On Thursday, we will be placing tape over any logos that are showing on our clothing.  Today we discussed how the logos are a form of free advertising for the companies.  However, we all know that we sometimes buy things with logos because we want to say something with what we are wearing.  We want the logo to say we buy quality stuff.  I pointed out that this is group dynamics- we buy something to be a part of a group that others are not a part of.  We will count the logos to see which class has the least logos per student.

Mega Logo Day (Friday):
Students were told that they should try to wear clothing that has lots of logos if possible.  We will count them up to see which class has the most logos per student.  I told the students that they could bring a shirt or whatever in a bag because our school has a dress code.

Ads Ads Ads

Due:
Synonyms Unit 11
Find the 20 ad techniques in the magazine and label with a yellow sticky note.
There will be a quiz on the 21 ad techniques on Friday.  Students should know what each one is.  We are studying these each day.

Each day the students are getting better and better at identifying how they are advertised to. By the end of this unit, students will look at ads in a whole new light!

THURSDAY will be No Logo Day.  Students should wear clothes that have no logos on them.


FRIDAY will be Mega Logo Day.  Students should bring in clothes (as if they could wear them) that contain lots of logos.  That includes purses.  I do not want to deal with hats because students will try to wear them.

Continuing to teach advertising techniques

Homework:
Pictionaries Unit 11
Text/ad ratio
List of products in magazine
Students should start finding ad techniques in the ads in the magazine.

All media messages are constructed.

Homework:
None, but this coming week should be busy.
Unit 10 Quiz is on HAC.

Today:
Today we had quite a lesson.  I had the students explore why we buy one product over another.  We think that we use logic to make our decisions.  To certain extent, we do.  One product offers a better quality or price or contains something we want.  However, there are techniques that advertisers use that do not appeal to logic.  They appeal to our emotions. They convince us through artificial means of persuasion: hype, fear, repetition, to name some.

The other topic we explored was how a media message is created. There are a few videos we watched from YouTube.  We watched the video for Gwen Stefani's perfume.  We watched the ad, but then we watched the behind the scenes to show how much effort goes into creating the 30 second commercial.   (It was the best I could find in the time I had.  I made sure to keep the discussion appropriate.  I had Dr. Carmack's approval to use the ad.)  We also watched a Pantene video that shows the behind the scenes.  Even though the hair styles looked natural and easy, the video showed us otherwise!

(I wish I had the links, but I cannot access YouTube from school.  I downloaded the videos from home. I think I have the links, but I can't test them.  Better safe than sorry.)

We are continuing our study of ads

Today we discussed the first eleven ad techniques.  They are in the yellow packet.  By now, students should have completed the text/ad ratio and listed all the products advertised in their magazine.  I also suggested they start to find examples of the techniques we studied today.  Soon, they will need to find one example of each technique in their magazine.  Each of these small assignments will help them with their big magazine presentation.

We also took unit 11 quiz today.

Unit 10 quiz Thursday

Students can practice for the vocab quiz using this site.

We are continuing our work on the magazine presentation that is due around March 28.  The students should be finishing up finding the text/ad ratio of their magazine.  They should also be listing all the products that are advertised in their magazines.  This unit has a series of small tasks that the students need to accomplish to be ready for the presentation.

Here is the magazine presentation web page.

For students who did not have a magazine today, I gave them one.  (Coincidentally, many students came into class with a magazine today.)

Students MUST have a magazine for this two week project.

For two days now, I have been asking students to bring in a magazine for a project.  I do not believe that this many students have absolutely no access to a magazine!  I have made my frustration clear to the students, and I will give them one more day.  I will give them a magazine if they need one, but that is not the point.  I wanted the assignment to be meaningful to them.

Homework:
Finish Unit 10 in the vocab.
Bring a magazine.

*** Grades are updated on HAC  ***

Students MUST have a magazine Tuesday!!!!!!

Homework:
Completing the Sentence Unit 10
Bring a magazine Tuesday

Today:
We started our Media Literacy unit.  I discussed the following questions (below).  Then we watched ads from the first commercial break of Pretty Little Liars that I had recorded.  The ads showed the things we discussed in the questions.  There is too much to discuss, and I don't have time to write it all here.  The students who are in class will receive more because I discuss ideas in detail.

I gave students a packet that we will use for the two week unit.  It they lose it, they must buy a new one for a quarter.  This is their book for the next two weeks.

I will put a link to the assignment web page soon.  I have many things I am trying to get done, including reading all the sci-fi pieces from sections 5 and 6.  One paper took me 15 minutes just to read!

Notes:
What are ads? What is their purpose?
    Show
    Persuade you to buy the product.
    Show you the need for their product. (real or imagined)

Why does a magazine or TV channel have ads?
    To make money from the commercials. (sell time)

Why does a magazine or TV channel create great content (shows)?
    The more people that watch, the more ads you sell, more money charge.
    Not to entertain you!!!!

When you watch an hour-long TV show, about how much of the hour is ads?
    20 min
    NASCAR is 100% ads- show and ads!

    Pretty Little Liars episode I have= 28% ad   72% show

How do I know I am watching an ad?
    Cut off

Sections 6 and 3's sci-fi pieces have been graded. Check HAC.

**** Note: Sci-Fi grades for sections 4 and 5 ****

I am trying something different.  I am giving these two sections a temporary score for the sci-fi stories.  This is a score based on 3 or 4 student assessments of the piece.  I dropped the lowest score and averaged.  I feel that my score may be a little bit higher, but it might not be.  The score the students gave is in the ballpark.  It will take me until the end of the marking period to get through all the honors pieces.  Some are five pages long!  I will revise the scores as I finish scoring them.  This way you can at least have an idea of what the marking period grade looks like.  There are two weeks left!  Again, I am trying something new because I know how important up to date grades are on HAC.  Plus, I do have some scores for the pieces.  If the scores end up way off, then I won't do this again.  


There is no homework for tonight.  We spent the day typing in the lab.

Here are the notes we discussed in class.

Homework:
Choosing the Right Word Unit 10
Students should have an outline or a rough draft. (We will type in the lab tomorrow.)

Here is the transition handout I gave them today.

Start by trying to explain this to a partner:
        You talked with your parents about your future.
        What did you find out? Explain your findings to us.

Lame topic sentences
     My parents and I share the same goals for my future.
     My parents and I don’t share the same goals for my future.
     Even though we share many of the same goals, my parents and I have different ideas for my future.


A better topic sentence will contain a purpose for comparing.
     What did you learn from the comparison other than different or same?

     Example
    “My parents must hate me because their goals for my future are terrible!”


Outline
      You talked with your parents about your future.
      What did you find out? Explain your findings to us.

(Point by point)
TS: My parents and I share the same goals for my future.
        Me Family Parents
        Me Job Parents
        Me Education Parents
        Me House Parents
        Me Religion Parents
Conclusion: It is true that my parents and I share the same goals!

(Block)
TS: My parents and I share the same goals for my future.
      Me Family
      Me Job
      Me Education
      Me House
      Me Religion

      Parents Family
      Parents Job
      Parents Education
      Parents House
      Parents Religion
Conclusion: It is true that my parents and I share the same goals!

We are studying compare contrast organization.

Today we looked at the examples on this sheet.  We used markers to show the pattern of back and forth used in the point-by-point and the block organization methods.  Then I gave them time to continue working.

Students MUST have their brainstorming done for Wednesday.  I want to talk about outlining and using transitions. 

Students should also be done the synonyms for unit 10.

Parents, please supply answers to these questions.

Your child has brought home a questionaire.  Please take the time to answer as thoroughly as can. (see below)  The clearer the picture your child has of your goals for him/her, the better he/she can compare his/her goals to yours.

Compare/Contrast Paragraph Assignment

      Students, right now, your parents are trying to raise you the best they can. They have goals for you. I am sure they have even told you those goals, either directly or through the choices they make for you.
     Parents, what are your goals for your child's future? Imagine he/she is about 35 years old. Use the list of topics I have provided.  Try to give us a clear picture of what you hope for your child's future. Try to be as specific as possible.

    What is his/her job?
    What type of education has he/she received?
    What type of family does he/she have?
    Do he/she have children?
    What type of house does he/she live in and where?
    What type of community does he/she live in?
    Who are his/her friends?
    What are his/her values? (open ended)
    What is his/her lifestyle? (open ended)
    How involved is he/she in government and politics?
    What role does religion play in his/her life?



We are writing a compare/contrast paragraph with the following requirements.  The students will have two days in the lab this week to complete this.  It is due Friday.

Requirements for the compare contrast paper
(Y | sort of | N) Your paragraph should start with a clear topic sentence
                         with a purpose.
(Y | sort of | N) Word count must be between 250 – 300 words.
(Y | sort of | N) You must have 15 transition words underlined.
(Y | sort of | N) There should be no spelling errors.
(Y | sort of | N) You should have no more than two grammar errors.
(Y | sort of | N) Your paragraph should end with a clear conclusion sentence
                         that makes a statement. Don’t just say, “… and now I have
                         shown you the difference between…”

The science-fiction writing unit is done. Quiz 9 scores posted.

 To wrap up the science-fiction writing unit, we watched an episode from Ray Bradbury Theater called "The Long Years."  The video comes with the book series  Mrs. Watson and I teach from. This website gives a nice summary of the story.

The episode is uploaded on YouTube if you would like to see it.

Here are some of the questions we discussed.

Author's purpose: What are we supposed to get from the story?

We discussed this exchange:
    Captain: You have been living with your memories for 20 years.
    John: That’s all we have. Is that such a bad thing?
    Captain: I don’t know.

We discussed how the wife reacted when her husband died:
    Captain: Do you feel OK?
    Cora: The worst thing for anyone to feel is sad or lonely.

What does the movie tell us about what it means to be human?

What is Bradbury saying about holding onto our past?

 We all have had someone leave us.  What if we could recreate that person from our memories and live with him/her?  Would that be satisfying?  In the movie, we see that the main character is still lonely.

Next week, we write a 300 word compare/contrast paragraph.

Here are the winners of the science-fiction judging we have been doing in class:

Today we read the winners from yesterday.  Each paper was scored by two students.  The two scores were averaged together.  The highest average could be a 5.


Winners!

4.8   Jared S.

4.7   Jackie D.

4.7   Emma B.

4.6   Cynthia H.
4.6   Nick M.
4.6   Gabe O.
4.6   Emma S.
4.5   Matt C.
4.5   Shannon M.
4.5   Erin W.
4.5   Shirley H.
4.5   Matt Mc.

There is no homework tonight.  (I'll be watching American Idol.)

The first round of science-fiction story scoring is done!

Homework:
Quiz Unit 9 tomorrow

Grade slips were given to sections 3, 4, 5, and HB.  My printer ran out of ink for section 6.

The students read two stories and picked the best one.  Here are the names of the students who are going onto the second round!  Tomorrow, we cut this list in half.

Chandler A.
Mike A.
Emma B.
Carley B.
Samantha B.
Matt C.
Marissa C.
Naikerra C.
Ameena C.
Andrew C.
Delaney D.
Pheobe D.
Jakie D.
Taylor D.
Mike F.
Wilson G.
Brianna G.
Joey G.
Michelle H.
Shirley H.
Cynthia H.
Orion H.
Raniya I.
Rachel J.
Sarah J.
Katie K.
Joy L.
Ariella L.
Ryan M.
Gabby M.
Shannon M.
Nick M.
Marissa M.
Robert M.
Matt M.
Gabe O.
Sean R.
Emma S.
Sean S.
Charlie S.
Jared S.
Joel T.
Adam U.
Luis U.
Ashley V.
Erin W.
Gabe W.

We start judging the stories tomorrow!

Interims were entered today based on the grades on HAC right now.  I will enter more grades soon.

Today we read a story and applied the rubric (see a few days ago).  We agreed that it would score a 4.0 or a 4.2 (4.5 being an A-).  One category that it lost points in was the dialogue.  The stories were supposed to have 15 exchanges. (I would have given it a 4 in dialogue because there were 11, and they did help establish the characters.)

Homework:
Students should be finished unit 9 and be studying for the test on Thursday.

Good drafts of the sci-fi story were handed in today.

I collected the stories today.  I will need a few days to organize the class readings of the stories.  We will spend our week preparing for the unit 9 vocab quiz and starting a compare/contrast paragraph to study transition words.  More details will be on the assignment page when I get it up.

Interims are entered based on the grades in HAC as of today.  More grades will be entered this week. 

There is a lot going on in my class... as always.

Homework:
Choosing the Right Word for section 6

Completing the Sentence and Flashcards for sections HB and 3

Completing the Sentence for sections 4 and 5.

The good draft of the sci-fi story is due Monday.

Handing in the essay on-time is not only important, it is a grade. 
I need the essays in so I can start pairing them up for the competition.  I am going to have students read the stories and decide which ones are the best.  By the end of the week, we will have some winners!

I really like this piece because it is one of the few pieces that allows imagination.  Where do the fiction writers on the best-sellers list come from?  Well, after reading some of my writers, I would like to think that maybe I helped the process along.  :)

Have a nice weekend.

I will be entering some grades this weekend.  I will enter the interims by Tuesday.  I hope to give students a grade slip by Wednesday.

I updated the rubric for how the essays will be scored.  Please see the entry on 2/23.

Are you up for a challenge? 
Check out this piece of writing.  Can you find the errors?  In class, we divided this into five paragraphs and found around ten corrections.

The other hovercrafts arrived, and twelve soldiers came together and nodded to Asad. “OK”, Asad said fiercely, “Let’s get this over with, just talk with them, no shooting or stealing, got it! A loud, “Yes, Sir!” rose up from the group. Asad second in command Khalil came up to him and asked in a quiet voice why he seemed so angry. Asad looked at him and said, “You know I hate this job” “Yeah well I sometimes feel the same, but orders are orders, so just kept it together for a little while longer.” Asad nodded and he and the rest of the men including Khalil marched up to the savages.

Sci-fi rough draft due Thursday

Here are some notes I discussed today.


Science-Fiction Story Rubric

Read the story from start to finish before marking any of these.

Story Telling
5(a) = Gripping story, developed characters, action moved to a climax.
4(b) = You were curious about the end, some characters, conflict present.
3(c) = It was a story, had characters, some conflict.
2(d) = It was barely a story. It did not go anywhere.
1(f) = Unacceptable

Was it a science fiction story? (Author's purpose was clear.)
What is the writer’s purpose/lesson about technology? Will science be the savior or the destroyer? What do we need to be doing right now to attain or avoid this?

5 = The writer made you really think about the future of some science idea.
4 = The story contained some type of science idea and its future.
3 = There was some science thing in the story.
2 = It was just a story.
1 = Unacceptable.

Dialogue
5 = Excellent use of dialogue for effect and character development.
4 = 15 exchanges with mostly correct indenting, punctuation, paragraphing.
3 = Not enough exchanges and/or incorrectly punctuated.
2 = Barely used dialogue and/or totally incorrect punctuation.
1 = Unacceptable

Sensory Details and Thoughts
5 = Vivid setting and details. You feel immersed in the story.
4 = Many sensory details like feel, see, smell, and some thoughts.
3 = Some sensory details like feel, see, smell, and some thoughts.
2 = Not very descriptive. The story was mostly just plot details.
1 = Unacceptable

Grammar
5 = Almost perfect. Very few errors
4 = Some errors. They were minor and did not distract. Writer proofread.
3 = A few too many errors. Many should have been caught.
2 = Proofreading appears to have been skipped. Distracting errors abound.
1 = Seriously?

Total: ________ divided by 5 = average
4.5 = A
3.5 = B
2.5 = C
How do you punctuate thoughts?
        “That will be $31.04.”
        Maddie dug through her purse, hoping to find the four pennies. Since when did feeding sandwiches to three kids end up costing over thirty dollars, she mused as she gave up on the pennies and handed over two twenty dollar bills to the cashier.


Use italics sparingly to indicate thoughts
       Maddie dug through her purse, hoping to find the four pennies. Since when did feeding sandwiches to three kids end up costing over thirty dollars? she mused as She gave up on the pennies and handed over two twenty dollar bills to the cashier.

Punctuating thoughts is not totally necessary.
        “That will be $31.04.”
          Maddie dug through her purse, hoping to find the four cents. Since when did feeding sandwiches to three kids end up costing over thirty dollars? She gave up on the pennies and handed two twenty dollar bills to the cashier, continuing her musing as he got her change.

(You don't need to punctuate thoughts like you would actual dialogue, especially when you're writing from the individual's point of view. It doesn't matter if it's first person or third person, you are obviously writing from Maddie's perspective. Because of that, things like "The sky was really blue that day" or "Since when did feeding three kids sandwiches get so expensive?" are both her thoughts and are just additions to her perspective of the world around her.)

The whole goal of punctuation is to help the reader follow what you are trying to say! If it is obvious that it is a thought, then just write the thought. Your reader will follow you.

Save “Quotes” for spoken dialogue. Use thought cues (He thought…) for thoughts.
(http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123312)


Start a new paragraph…
           every time you switch speakers.
          when you switch what you are talking about.

Think about television. 
          When a character is speaking, the camera is on him/her. All the action and dialogue that concerns that character is in that camera shot, including description of what is going on around him/her. If a new character speaks, the camera focuses on the new character. When people speak, there is a natural back-and-forth. Your written words have to show this back-and-forth visually using new paragraphs.

           Don’t be afraid to use too many paragraphs. It is when you use too few that the back-and-forth gets lost and the reader looses focus.

Interims are approaching. The rough draft MUST be turned in on-time!

There are only a few grades in the book right now due to the weather and other interruptions.  Right now we are spending our time focusing on how to write a sci-fi story.  We are not doing vocab, nor are we doing activities that are graded.  The grade on the story will be very big for this marking period.  If a student does not hand in a rough draft, the early grade will be affected greatly.

(The rough draft should be closer to a good draft than to a bunch of scattered notes and half-written pages.)


If you would like to help your child be prepared for a good grade, you could help him/her with a few things before the rough draft is handed in.  There should be at least 15 dialogue exchanges which are punctuated correctly.  The story should be a reasonable length with no grammar errors.  Ideally, the story should be gripping with a strong beginning and a clear author's purpose.  You can see examples of great stories at the bottom of the assignment page.

We continued to discuss how to write the sci-fi story

I discussed the idea of adding sensory details, dialogue, and thoughts to the basic storyline.  We read half of an example story which demonstrated the ideas I taught.  In one class, I showed them how they could make a chart.  The middle column is the main story in a skeleton form.  The other columns add details.  Instead of one short sentence about the main story, there are now multiple sentences that make each section more vivid.

Students should be working on their science fiction stories

Today we reviewed the answers from their brainstorming sheets.  (See the previous blog post.)  In some classes we paired up, and students had to present their story idea like a movie producer.  In some classes we discussed ideas as a class.  Then I gave the students time to write.

I was discussing how students could get started if they could not figure out a story.  I asked them to write down all the things they do from waking up to going to sleep.  Then inject their new technology into that day!  How would the modern technology change the way they do things normally?  Well, that is kind of what a sci-fi story does. We get to see ourselves in a setting that is not our usual. 

By now students should have some sort of an opening scene.  The opening to the story establishes the main character and his/her motivation.  I told them it was like a curtain opening on a stage.  As the audience rests their eyes on the stage, the story begins.  For a a paragraph or so, the audience is being introduced to a setting or a character. 

We will discuss more ideas as the week goes on.  I expect students to work on their pieces at home.

We have DCAS Wednesday, so I will not see sections 4 and HB.

We did not present our technologies today, but...

I would like to hear story ideas tomorrow.  I realized we were not where I thought we should be, especially in section 6.  Here are the questions I had them complete today.  We will spend lots of this time writing.

Science Fiction Story Brainstorming
Describe a problem that you want to make us think about or offer a solution for.
Describe the technology in your story.
   What is it?
   How does it work?
   What are the current uses of your technology?
How is technology the solution to the problem (or cause the problem)?
What is your story idea:
What is the setting? (Year, location)
Who is the main character?
What is his/her goal or hope or motivation?
How is he/she being kept from his/her goal?
What is your (author’s) purpose?
What do you hope we will do as a result of reading your story?
How are you going to draw us into your story quickly?
(Start in the moment? Ask us a question? Other?)
 How much time will your story cover? How will you deal with it? Watch out, it could jump around too much! Shorter amounts of time will work better. Try to have your story about some incident… or two. (You can give details in flashbacks if needed.)



Here are some suggested writing topics for those who are struggling.

Sucked into a computer
You have been physically sucked into your computer. Not only can you see everything being done on your computer, you are also able to leave your computer and travel through the Internet and view what others are doing on their computers.

Portable communications devices and use in future
This piece will be a mirror for us to examine what we do on our computers today. Do we need to worry about where our habits will lead us to in the future? Is there something we need to change before it is too late? Do you want to show us that we have nothing to worry about?


City of the future
Find a picture on the Internet of someone’s vision of how we will be living in the future. Stare at it! Imagine living there. Now think about the city and how it functions, how it is constructed. How is this city different from what we have now. Why is it designed like it is? What problems do we have today that you imagine they have solved in the future?

“Think different”
Imagine something we don’t have today that you hope we will have in the future.

Write a story about a computer that dreams.

Monday's Technology Presentation

Monday’s Presentations: Make us dream!
You will be presenting the technology that will be included in your science fiction story.

Maybe you want to start by explaining a problem that your technology will fix.
     Then go on to explain the solution and the technology.
         What is it?
         How does it work?
         What are the current uses of your technology?

Maybe your setting is the main focus of your science fiction story.
     Describe the setting in detail.
     Why that setting?


For both of these, you might want to discuss your idea for your story.
     What is your author’s purpose?
      Do you want to offer us hope or make us rethink what we are doing now?

Here is the story I am writing:

Virtual Burial, Inc.
Problem: We are running out of room to bury physical bodies.

Technology: Digitizing a body (digitizing physical objects)

Solution: We could send the physical body by network to be buried on another planet or location on Earth, or we could store the digital body on a server somewhere, like a file, so we could visit it- like opening a Word document. There would be a virtual cemetery, like a Facebook.

Story idea: The idea is being implemented. Things are going along well for a while. Then bodies start showing up incomplete. Data is being lost somewhere. You might think no one would care because the people are dead anyway. However, the company made a promise to its customers to bury the bodies in soil. Later we find out that data is being intercepted and organs are being harvested and sold. Parts of the bodies are being undigitized and the organs reused!

Author’s purpose: I want us to think about the vulnerabilities of our current system of data transportation. It would also have us think about the value we place on the dead after life has left the body.

I got the idea for this from a variety of sources. 

• The story combines ideas like digital transport from movies like Star Trek.   
• Traveling through the Internet is from movies like Lawnmower Man and an episode of Fairly Odd Parents where Timmy goes into the Internet.  
• The problem of burial space is from Japan where space is a premium.  
• The idea of having to bury a body is from the Jewish religion that believes the body must be returned to the ground intact.  
• The error idea comes from packet sniffing, which is capturing data packets on a network.  

Trying to come up with an original idea is hard.  That is why I am combining technologies into a story that is like a modern day grave robbing scheme.

Do you remember this?  I had one back in the early 80's.  At the time, these cassette players were revolutionary.

Check out the rest of the walkmen devices here.

Now look what we have!  Thirty years later, the iPhone is the ultimate communication/ entertainment device.  As I explained to the kids today, 30 years from now, their children will be laughing at the iPhone4 that we thought was so awesome!

I am asking the students, then, to dream up the ultimate device.  They are to overcome the limitations of the iPhone: holding it in your hands, touching it with your fingers, looking at a small screen.  They need to show me the perfect device, which means they will have to make it up!  That is exactly what sci-fi writers do.

If you want to giggle, look at this video as if you are in the future.  Listen to how "revolutionary" they make the phone seem.  Trust me, this device will be a blip in the history of phones!

Sci-Fi setting

Today we discussed how the setting of a sci-fi story can be just as important as the storyline.  We looked at two scenes from Wall-e.  The storyline of Wall-e is pretty straight forward: Wall-e wants to get EVE back.  Where the story takes place and what the setting says about us as humans living on earth now is almost more important than what Wall-e is doing!  The setting is earth 700 years in the future.  We have exhausted our resources and have been living a useless life of luxury on a spaceship.  The author's purpose is to show us that if we do not change how we are living now, there will be some serious consequences.


Here is the worksheet we did in class today.

Here is a picture of a future world.  I asked the students to dream.  What is this?  Where is it located?  Why was it built?  This place could be the setting of hundreds of storylines!

 

What if...?

Science Fiction Writing
The question I am getting the students to think about is What if...?

Today we watched two quick (appropriate) scenes from the movie the Matrix.  Here is what we discussed:

Up until now, the main character, Neo, felt like there was something bigger than this world. He had this idea of the Matrix in his head, but he did not know what it was. Before this scene, he was violently flushed out of his living chamber, he has been revived physically, and now he is going to be told the truth about his life.

All the technologies in this scene exist in some form now. The movie just asks What if…? How does the story give us a glimpse of how our present-day technologies could turn out?

What if… we allow Artificial Intelligence to have self-rule?
What if… we could live inside a computer?
What if… we needed to scorch the sky?
What if… we are living in a computer right now? Would you know?

The students need to be thinking about a technology that they will include in their science fiction piece.
On Monday, the students will need to discuss these questions:
Explain the technology.
What does it do?
How does it do it?
What are its current uses?
What problem does this technology solve, or what problems might this technology create?
What if ...?

We also went to the Book Fair.

A few grades are in HAC and we have started the sci-fi piece

Friday:
We were in the library trying to find a technology that will be worked into the science fiction piece.  We also took the Unit 8 quiz.  We will take this coming week off from vocab.  We have the book fair Tuesday and DCAS one day. 

Homework:
The main assignment due now is a presentation on Monday January 14.  Students will present some futuristic technology to the class and give us an idea of how they will work the technology into a story.  I will make the assignment clear throughout this week.  Students should be researching cool technologies.  I have links on the assignment page.

Here is the science fiction assignment page.

Due Dates:

February 14- Present your technology to the class

February 23- Rough draft of the story is due

February 28- Final draft is due

Classroom judging begins!

Winners will be determined!

Unit 8 vocab quiz Friday

If you would like to have your child practice for the vocab quiz, please go to this page.  There are flashcards and a practice test there.

We have started the science fiction unit.  There will be more information in the following week.  But you can check out the assignment web page.  There is lots of information there.  I will finalize the due dates soon.  At this point, students should be thinking about a really cool technology that they can work into a fiction story. 

Today we read an article on a technology that can get an image out of the reflection in an eyeball from a photograph.  Another technology in the article explained how they can use a camera and a computer to track the exact direction someone is looking.  I then asked them to brainstorm a few questions.  We will finish this activity up tomorrow.

Eye tracking technology:
1. It can recreate the picture found in someone’s eye.
2. It can track the exact direction someone is looking.

How could this technology be used?
Advertisers?
Game developers?
For handicapped people?

What are some ways these technologies could be used for good? Evil?
What about world domination?

Combine this technology with another technology. Now what?

If this technology becomes successful, what might the future look like in 50 or 100 years?

The punctuation unit is over!

Homework:
Completing the Sentence Unit 8
(Flashcards for section 6)

Today:
Since we have come back from winter break, I have been trying to get through a punctuation unit from our book.  Today we reviewed the practice test we took on Monday.  We discussed the answers, and I reviewed the rules.  Then we took the test.  We are done!

The test scores are on HAC. 

There will be a quiz on unit 8 on Friday.