December 23, 2008

Sorry I have not blogged lately.  I have been pretty busy.

I updated the grades today before I left for the break.  Over the break I plan to organize and possibly grade the DuPont Challenge essays.   I have a feeling I am missing a few, but I have not had time to check them all in.

As of now, all classes have finished watching The Ant Bully.  They have a general idea of the next unit, which is a debate.  I have paired up the students for their debates.  You can read about the assignment here and see the match-ups.

I am looking forward to a restful break.  I plan to come back charged and ready to go.  I guaruntee the ant debates will be memorable!

December 17, 2008

Real quick

Sections 1 and 2 have pages 79 and 80 to do in the vocab book.
Section 3 has no homework.
Sections 6 and 7 should finish up the worksheet I gave them in class.

Today was basically more of what I did in the classes yesterday.  Sections 3,6, and 7 are not as far as I thought they would be by now, so we have to work one more day on sentence structure.

December 16, 2008

Sections 1 and 2
Today:
Daily Buzzword and reviewed the vocab homework.
We started watching the movie the Ant Bully.  I am showing the movie as part of the ant debate the students will be participating in.  I have done this debate for years.  It really gets the kids thinking.  I will have a web page up when I am finished with the work I need to get in the book.

Homework:
Pages 76-78 vocab

Sections 3,6,7
Today:
We did not do a daily drill.  We are running out of time to finish the sentence structure unit.  Today was an intense day.  We covered a lot of ground.  There will be a test on Thursday.  Then I plan on showing a movie that we will work into our next writing assignment.  I will let you know what that will be soon.

Homework:
Sections 6 and 7 had a worksheet on predicate nouns and adjectives. 

December 15, 2008

Real fast.
Homework:
Sections 1 and 2- Pages 72-75 in vocab book.
Sections 3,6,7- Sections 6 and 7 were given a worksheet to complete.  I forgot 3.

Today:
Sections 1 and 2- I collected the DuPont Challenge essays.  I will get them organized during the folowing week.  We began our next assignment which will be a debate.  I have done this project for years. 

Sections 3,6,7- There is no vocab until January.  We don't have time. I plan to finish up the sentence structure unit we are doing and have a quiz on Thursday.  Then we will watch a movie that will tie in with our next writing piece.  I am still deciding what we will do next.

December 12, 2008

Real fast:

Sections 1 and 2: The final draft of the DuPont Challenge is due Monday.  There are numerous requirements that we have reviewed in class.  Please make sure you have done this perfectly.  I will be grading the paper based on the requirements and the content.  Please go here to check off what must be done for Monday.  Please hold off on submitting the papers until I give the go-ahead. 

Sections 3,6, and 7: No homework.  Enjoy the weekend.

December 11, 2008

Sections 1 and 2
Today:
Daily Buzzword
Vocab quiz on unit 6
I reviewed the exact requirements for the DuPont Challenge.
We finished peer editting the essays.

Homework:
I want a perfect draft tomorrow.  This way, after someone reads it over Friday, it will be more than perfect!  The final draft is due Monday.

Sections 3,6, and 7
Today:
Daily Drill
Vocab quiz on unit 5
Continued our lessons on sentence structure.  There are notes at MrBoZ.com.

Homework:
None tonight.  We start a new vocab unit next week.  There will be a quiz right before the winter break.

December 10, 2008

Real quick:
Both classes have a quiz tomorrow.
Sections 1 and 2 have unit 6.
Sections 3,6, and 7 have unit 5.

All classes did more of what we did yesterday.

December 9, 2008

Sections 1 and 2
Today:
Daily Buzzword
Reviewed vocab
Handed out a grade slip to be signed.
Discussed the future of the DYPF 2008
Students began peer-editting their DuPont Challenge essays

Homework:
Finish Unit 6

Sections 3,6,7
Today:
Daily Drill
Section 3 got a grade slip that needs to be signed.
Reviewed vocabulary.
Continued working of Sentence Structure, subject and verbs.  We are on lesson 4 of 10 for the unit.

Homework:
Finish Unit 5
There is a quiz on Thursday.

December 8, 2008

Sections 1 and 2
Homework:
Completing the Sentence unit 6

Today:
Daily Buzzword.  Reviewed Unit 6 vocabulary.  Then we continued to discuss the sample essay so the students will know how to comment on each other's essays when they peer edit tomorrow.

Sections 3,6,7
Homework:
Completing the Sentence unit 5

Today:
Daily Drill.  Reviewed unit 5 vocabulary.  We continued to discuss sentence structure.  The notes are on MrBoZ.com. 

December 4, 2008

Sections 1 and 2
Homework: None
Today:
Daily Buzzword- If you are absent, copy it from mrboz.com.
We reviewed the choosing the right word and discussed the context clues.
The big thing we did in class today was review the feedback from the Delaware Theathre Company!  The plays have been returned, and the students were the first to see what they said.  I am going to take some time to review the feedback and compare it to how I scored them.  I also want to think about our next steps based on what they suggested the students improve.  I took a few pictures of the kids looking over the comments.  I will say that I found it kind of exciting.  When I gave back my comments, the students knew I wasn't so sure about what was a good play.  These people know, and now they are seeing how they did.

Sections 3,6,7
Homework: None
Today:
We finished all 5 daily drills for the week and handed them in.  I will grade two of the five pages for accuracy.
Then we played with the words from unit 5.  I had them divide them into nouns, verbs, and adjectives.  Then, trying to tie the vocab into the sentence unit we are doing, I asked them to use the word fugitive as a subject and use the five verbs from the unit to make sentences.  Then they were to add some of the adjectives from the unit to the sentences.  The goal was to show them that sentences are made up of words that have a purpose.  The vocabulary we study is there to improve the quality of the words they use in their sentences.

December 3, 2008

Sections 1 and 2
Homework:
Choosing the Right Word unit 6

Today:
After doing the Daily Buzzword and checking the vocab homework, we began studying an essay so they will be prepared to help each other improve their DuPont Challenge Essays.  This way they have some direction when the begin reading another's essay.  Students tend to look only for the grammar mistakes.  While finding all the mistakes is important, right now we also have to see if the essay is up to the standards of a national essay contest.

Also, the good draft will not be due on Monday, December 8th.  I am pushing it off until the 15th.  We will need to spend more time peer editing.  There might even be another draft due next Thursday or Friday.

Sections 3,6,7
Homework:
Choosing the Right Word unit 6

Today:
We did a daily drill.  I also handed back the checked daily drills.  I am finding that students are not taking their time when we do the drills.  Many students received low grades on these because they are not even copying the correct answer from the board as we review it.  I use the daily drill to review grammar.  They need to pay attention.

From there we went on to discuss simple subjects and simple predicates.  We finished lesson 2 of a 10 lesson chapter on sentences.  Students are expected to keep a notebook which they will use for a test later. The notes are found at www.mrboz.com.

December 2, 2008

Sections 1 and 2
Homework:
Pictionaries 11-20 and Synonyms unit 6
Good Rough Draft of DuPont Challenge essay due Wednesday

Today:
Daily Buzzword
Listened to words 11-20 unit 6
I lectured on MLA format, citations, and works cited.

Sections 3,6,7
Homework:
Pictionaries 11-20 and Synonyms unit 5

Today:
Daily Drill
Listened to words 11-20
Finished lesson 1 on sentence parts- complete subject and complete predicate

December 1, 2008

Sections 1 and 2
Today
We started a new daily drill that we will use for at least the month of December.  It is called Daily Buzzword.  The actual activity is located on the Merriam-Webster website called Word Central.  Each day they post a word, give a definition and a sentence, and ask a question.  Most times the questions require some thought.  We discuss the possible answers then check the site.  The site then gives a lengthy explanation.  I am into words and their derivations, so I find it fascinating.  The students are required to keep track of each day's word.  I will quiz them on the words later.

Homework
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 6
They also have a good rough draft of their essay due on Wednesday.  Today we looked at the winning essay from last year.  Tomorrow we will study how to use citations.

Sections 3,6,7
Today
Daily Drill
We started unit 5 in vocabulary
We also started a unit on sentences.  For the next two weeks, we will be doing grammar.  The students are expected to keep notes in a notebook which they will use for the test at the end.  We took a diagnostic test today, and they didn't know much! 

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 5
MANY STUDENTS did not turn in BOTH poems before Thanksgiving.  I informed those students of their missing work today,

November 20, 2008

Real quick today-

Sections 1 and 2 should continue to research for their DuPont Challenge essays.
Sections 3,6, and 7 should be working on their poems.  It would be good if they came in with something tomorrow so we can make it sound like a poem.  I will show them a few more things to help them write their poems tomorrow.

November 19, 2008

Sections 1 and 2:
I collected the DuPont Challenge progress reports.  Those who did not have it today will receive a score of two grades lower because it was not on time.  We spent the whole period listening to progress reports. We will need two more periods I am sure!  After each presentation, I asked questions or gave suggestions.  I want the whole class to hear my suggestions because I am sure there are many others who have the same problems or concerns.  I also want the whole class to hear the topics each student is working on.  I love hearing about scientific discoveries.  When I hear something I have never heard or, I ask lots of questions.  Those questions help the students figure out what else they need to research.  For homework, the students should be continuing to research for their essays.

Sections 3,6, and 7:
We did a daily drill.  Then I handed out a sheet that explains the poem project.  (I made a web page that explains it.)  Then I led the classes through various exercises to help focus their poem writing.  The better students will be working on this outside of class.

November 18, 2008

Sections 1 and 2:
Today we read examples of what the presentations should look like.  If you go to the DuPont Challenge section of MrBoZ.com, you will see the handouts we used today.  The students were taught exactly what they need to have in their presentation.  They were also told to have two copies because I would like to collect them that day.  I might read them if I have time.  I will have already have listened to them anyway.  I might use them in the future.

Sections 3,6, and 7:
We did a daily drill.  Then we continued to read and discuss an example of the poem I would like them to write.  I am calling the poem, "Thanksgiving in Six Pictures."  The subject of the poem is Thanksgiving.  The poem will be a series of six very descriptive sections that use imagery to give a feeling of Thanksgiving.  It will be between 75 and 100 words and have a line that repeats but changes throughout the poem.  It should resemble the same poem I linked to above.  If I have time, I will make a web page for the assignment.  The homework this week would be to work on this poem and possibly a second poem if we have time.

November 17, 2008

Sections 1 and 2 have a sheet due Tuesday and a presentation Wednesday.  I have a lot to do, so I don't have time to explain.  The students know what they are responsible for.

Sections 3,6, and 7 do not have vocab this week.  Each day in class, we will be doing a daily drill.  These will be on a slip of paper.  At the end of the week, we will organize all five, and I will give them a grade.  If they are absent, they should get the make up sheet.  I do not have time to scan these in an make a web page. They are available in class.

To all parents, I will try my best to have stuff on-line, but I want to dedicate my time to getting grading done this week.  I will try to keep you updated.

November 14, 2008

Sections 1 and 2
Today we spent time watching a show called Wired Science, by the magazine Wired.  We discussed cross-referencing facts in stories to check the validity of statements made on web pages.  I also used one segment to show the students a great example of what their DuPont Challenge essay should sound like.  I gave them a paper that requires them to think about different aspects of their topics. 

They do have homework.  By Tuesday, they should have written answers to the questions on the sheet on their topic.  And on Wednesday, they will present their topics to the class.  I will explain those requirements on Tuesday.  In short, they need to find an appropriate topic to write on soon.

Sections 3, 6, and 7
The students do not have homework.  They took a quiz on Unit 4 today.  Each class did something different, but I am winding down the speeches.  Next week we will get back into daily drills, vocab, and start a grammar unit on sentences so they can begin to improve their sentence structure in their essays.

Have a nice weekend.

November 12, 2008

I have been so busy lately.  Basically, section 3 has been doing all their vocab in class, so they have no vocab homework.  Sections 6 and 7 have to finish unit 4 in the book for Thursday, with flashcards due Friday and a quiz on Friday, too.  Sections 1 and 2 have been starting the DuPont Challenge.  There is a web page on MrBoZ.com.  There are no firm due dates for that assignment yet.  They do not have vocab this week. They should be searching for a topic to write on.

I have grades ready to be inputed.  I will get to that ASAP.
-MrBoZ

November 7, 2008

I have to get out of here, so I will make this fast.

Sections 1 and 2 took quiz 5 today, and I introduced them to the next writing topic, the DuPont Challenge.  We reviewed the topic and read part of the winning essay from 2007.  I will put a web page up on MrBoZ.com next week which will explain everything.  If you want to know more about it now, just do a Google search, and you will find it easily.

Sections 3,6, and 7 finished up the first three vocab assignments for unit 4.  Then we continued on with the presentations.  That's about it.

It is a new marking period, and I do have some grades I need to put in the book.  I should have a grade update by Nov. 12.  The year is rolling right along!

Have a nice weekend.

November 6, 2008

Homework
1,2:
Study for unit 5 quiz on Friday
Finish one side of the cartoon sheet I gave for vocab review

6,7:
Choosing the Right Word unit 4 with context clues

3: None

Today
1,2:
Checked vocab bookwork was done and reviewed answers.
Handed back the plays so they could read my chicken-scratch comments.

6,7:
Daily Drill focusing on vocab review
Reviewed vocab homework
Scored 2 speech competitions

3:
Daily Drill
Did Choosing the Right Word in Class and handed in.
Listened to two speeches.

November 5, 2008

Homework
1,2:
Completing the Sentence Unit 5

6,7:
Synonyms Unit 5

3:
None (some need to finish their essays)

Today
1,2:
We reviewed words from unit 5 vocab,
We watched the rest of the videos.
We chose winners.  You can see the names of the winners here.

6,7:
Daily Drill- vocab review for units 1-3.
Sections 6 and 7 did a neat activity!  I wanted them to practice getting up in front of the class, so I assigned them a vocab worb.  They were to read the word and definition with lots of emphasis as if they were reading their inspirational speech.  To make it interesting, I paired them up.  Two of them stood in front of the class and competed to see who could do the best job.  Then the class and I (mostly me) made a decision as to who won.  The kids were nervous, but I wanted to challenge them.  Tomorrow we begin reading the inspirational speeches.  (I do not have time to record them.  Sorry.)

3:
Daily Drill, synonyms in the vocab book in class, listened to one student give here speech.  We will begin our speeches tomorrow.

November 3, 2008

The marking period grades are done. I already have some grades for the next MP.  When I get time, I will enter them.  I am looking forward to the next marking period.  It is a fresh start!

Homework
1,2:
Pictionaries, synonyms, choosing with context clues Unit 5

3,6,7:
None (except too many students did not hand in their essays!)

Today
1,2:
Began unit 5 words
Continued to watch plays to determine a winner.

3,6,7:
Warm-up (vocab review)
Checked who was finished essays and collected.
Began unit 5 words.  I tried something different in class today.  I had the students do the pictionaries to start learning the words.  Instead of talking at the students about the words, I had them wrestle with them a little and teach them to each other.  

October 31, 2008

Homework
1,2:
None

3,6,7:
Speeches start on Monday.
Good draft due Monday.

Today
1,2:
Took quiz 4
Began watching other class's plays to pick a winner.
I e-mailed the user name and password to the videos on my website.

3,6,7:
Discussed the presentations of the speeches.  I will explain that more Monday.  I have to go.
Gave students time to work on their good drafts using peer editing.

Have fun trick-or-treating!  Stay safe.

October 30, 2008

Homework
1,2:
Finish Unit 4
Quiz unit 4

3,6,7:
Good rough draft of the Fight the Good Fight essay is due

Today
1,2:
We finished up the recordings.  I will be processing the as quickly as possible so we can watch them and begin the voting! 

3,6,7:
We had a little competition.  I gave the students one minute to persuade the class.  The winner was the one who could engage us for a full minute with good voice and good facts.  In all classes, the competition was close.   We even had a speak-off in one class!  The point of the exercise was to get the students to see that you have to speak with enthiasium if you are to be persuasive. 

Today's exercise inspired me.  Next week, when we give our speeches, students will be put head-to-head with another student.  The speaker who is the most dynamic and persuasive will win.  And yes, I do think it is fair.  An inspirational speech IS a competition.  You are competing for the hearts of the listeners.  By having the class actively engaged in the speeches, there is a greater incentive to perform well.  Most time when I get students in front of the class, they read like it is a terrible duty they have to do.  They want it over with.  Today showed me that the kids will put a little extra into their speaking when the can see who it is they need to beat.  They won't be reading for some vague rubric.  When they hear the other person speak, they will know what they are up against!

The format will go like this.  First, each student will give a 30 second taste of their paper, showing the other person what he/she is up against. Then we will flip a coin to see who go first.  Then it is on.  The students will have a rubric.  When the class has finished their scoring, I will get the results one by one, put them in a spreadsheet, and see what the total is.  (I have done this for years with another assignment.)

October 29, 2008

Really quick today. 
Sections 1 and 2 have Completing the Sentence in the vocab book and a quiz on Friday.  We are still performing the plays.  I am looking into how I can post them for friends and family to see.  I might password them.  I am waiting for an e-mail from district office.

Sections 3,6,7: I discussed the 4th paragraph of the essay where you have to address the opposition to your viewpoint.  I will post an outline on the assignment page as soon as I finish typing this.  The "good rough draft" will be due Friday.  On Friday I want them to choose which one they will bring to a good draft.  We will go over the requirements.  They will begin presenting the essays next week.

October 28, 2008

Homework
1,2:
Choosing the right word unit 4 with context clues.

3,6,7:
No vocab
It would be a good idea to be working on the current essay, Fight the Good Fight.

Today
1,2:
We reviewed the vocab homework.
I taped two performances.

3,6,7:
No Daily Drill
We did an exercise on adding details.
I gave them time to apply the lesson to their current essay.
SSW time to work on the essays.

October 27, 2008

Homework
1,2:
Pictionaries and synonyms unit 4

3,6,7:
The better students will be working on the new good rough draft that is due Thursday.
There is no vocab or daily drill this week.  We will be working hard on writing.

Today
1,2:
We reviewed the words for Unit 4
I gave them practice time for their plays.  We will begin performing them tomorrow.
I will post the rubric we will use to judge each other's plays.  I want the students to pick the best play as a winner.

3,6,7:
The next topic page is up on MrBoZ.com
No vocab  or Daily Drill
Each day this week I will start the day off with a writing or revising lesson.  That will leave about 30 minutes of work time each day.  I figure we have done 7 weeks worth of Daily Drills.  We have learned 6o vocab words as well.  We can take a break from that and focus on the writing.  I want detailed essays so the speeches will be good.

October 24, 2008

Homework:
None

Today
1,2:
I collected all the plays.  Every single student was prepared with the right amount of copies.  Awesome!  We went to the cafeteria so they could practice for Tuesday's performance.  Monday we will start vocab again.  Next week will be dedicated to finishing up the plays.  We won't work on them again until December.

3,6,7:
Daily Drill
We began brainstorming our next prompt, "fight the good fight."  I will make the prompt page next week.  I have a lot of work to do for sections 1 and 2 this weekend. 

In class we are watching some scenes from Speed Racer and Malcolm X.  In both of those movies, the lead character has something important to fight for. I am trying to get the students to think about something they would like the class to start caring about. 

October 22, 2008

Homework
1,2:
I explained to one section that I need THREE copies of the play on Friday.  I forgot about the one copy for me so I can score them.  Besides that, keep on working on the play.

3,6,7:
Students owe me a "good rough draft" of their inspirational essay.  Tomorrow we start our second topic: what is something worth fighting for?

Today
1,2:
We watched a play called 1-900-DESPERATE.   We scored it using the rubric we discussed yesterday.  We thought it had a weak ending, so we discussed what could have been done to improve the story.  I wanted them to apply that lesson to their own plays.

We also looked at a section of dialogue from a student's play that sounded unrealistic.  We gave some suggestions.  Then I gave them some time to look at each other's essays for unrealistic dialogue.  I will give them one more day to work together Thursday.

3,6,7:
Daily Drill
We read a sample essay from TeenInk.com .  The essay had most of the things I am looking for in their essays.  I like to show samples so students can see the big picture.  I plan to read more samples.  I am stressing the 5 paragraph essay this year. Today I focused on the introduction.  It should lead us into the paper and tell us exactly what the essay will be about.

October 21, 2008

Homework
1,2:
The play is absolutely due Friday!  Please follow the format required.

3,6,7:
I think the more responsible students will come in with a draft of the first topic tomorrow.  I plan to read two examples with them.  When we are done, they should look at what they have written and think about was to improve their writing.  They can't do that if they have not written anything.

Today
1,2:
First, we read through the rubric from the Delaware Theatre Company.  It is the same one they will use when we submit our plays.  We discussed what each section means and how it could apply to their plays.  Then we started looking at each other's plays using the rubric.  Since the students don't have much of a background of plays, I figure their scores will be a little off.  This rubric is used for 12th grade plays as well.  However, it gets them thinking.  I would like to examine Right Hand Man using the rubric.  I do not think it would score excellent.  (I will have to scan in the rubric so you can see it.  I will post it on the page soon.)

3,6,7:
Daily Drill
SSW time for writing.  Here is an outline I gave the kids to start thinking about one of the inspirational speeches:
How do we lift people up?

Introduction:
Grab attention!
Show them the need to be inspired.

P2
Set the stage!
There is a need for a change.
There is a solution.

P3
What are the sources of strength?
Family, friends, loved ones, pets, professionals, religion

P4
How do you know that this is true? Make the essay personal.

Conclusion
Remind the person of the clear need to change.  You believe in them.
By now you should have said your main ideas

October 20, 2008

I had to leave school quickly for an appointment.

Homework
1,2:
I asked for all the plays to be written for Monday.  Some did not have it with them.  If MUST be ready for Tuesday.  However, the typed version MUST MUST MUST be handed in on Friday or before.  The deadline for the contest is Friday, no exceptions!

3,6,7:
There is no vocab homework this week; however, I there is a draft of an essay due on Thursday.  I am having the students write two essays.  Each one will be written as a rough draft.  Next week we will choose one to be taken to a good draft.

Today
1,2:
I checked off that the rough draft was finished.
We read over each others plays a little.  I explained how important Friday's due date was.
We read the early draft of Right Hand Man.  It had a character named GIRL.  We looked at why the writer eliminated her. (Basically, she was replaced by the body in the bag on stage.  We saw some reasons why she was eliminated.  First, she was treated like a "girl."  We thought that was condescending.  Second, by having her crying so much, it made the play darker.  Finally, by having another person captive, it took the focus off the main character who was tied up.  The play was about the two of them, not Jerry.)

3,6,7:
Daily Drill
SSW time to work on the essays.
Here is the topic the students have been working on for a few days.

October 17, 2008

Homework
1,2:
The rough draft of the play is due Monday.  There are some useful links on www.mrboz.com 

3,6,7:
None

Today
1,2:
We reviewed the formatting of the typed play.  We did not go into too much detail because there is a template on the DYPF page.  We also looked at a few minutes of a finalist from last year from the DYPF.  The lesson for the day was to try to get the dialogue to be more than just a quick back and forth.  I play to post some videos of what some students have written so far.  I hope to have that up today if possible.

3,6,7:
Daily drill.  I got them started on the next writing topic.  I will have a formal page up on the web site Monday or Tuesday.  There will be no vocab next week because I want to dedicate out time next week to lessons on writing and giving them time to write.  Students need large chunks of time to organize their thoughts, so there will be plenty of SSW time.
 :)

October 16, 2008

No time to write today.  We have conferences. 
1 and 2 should just keep working on their plays.
3,6,7 have no homework.

October 15, 2008

Homework
1,2:
I would like the students to have 4 pages of the script done for Thursday.  I forgot to tell section 2, but I did send them an e-mail.  If not, no big deal.

3,6,7:
Flashcards
Study for the unit 3 quiz

Today:
I have to leave school right away today.  Sorry.  I do not have time to write down a lot.

Sections 3,6,7 did Daily Drills.  You can always make them up from www.mrboz.com .

October 14, 2008

Homework
1,2:
I want two pages of the play written.  It is an arbitrary number, but it is something.

3,6,7:
Finish completing the sentence, vocab in context, and antonyms unit 3


Today
1,2:
We acted out the beginnings of some of the plays.  I wanted them to see what they sound like when people are speaking the lines.  Since most of us have not written plays, I think is is difficult to picture how to move a story along with just dialogue.  We have a ways to go, but I am working hard to help them be successful.

I was speaking to one class today trying to explain their grades.  It is going to be challenging, but I am going to have to grade their plays.  The plays are due October 24, and the marking period is over October 29.  I think I will have time. I have never graded a play before; however, I have a rubric provided by the Delaware Theatre Company.  I need to give a grade that reflects the quality of the students' work.  You might have noticed that there have not been a lot of "classwork" grades lately.  And if there are grades, I have been pretty easy with giving full credit.  I have to say that their "classwork" part of their grade is NOT indicative of anything more than the ability to get something in on-time.  Therefore, I will be encouraging the students to do the best they can with the plays.  By next week I will have a better idea of how I will score them, and I will let them know on Monday or Tuesday so they can meet the standard by Friday.

3,6,7:
Daily Drill
Finished any recordings
Read scored essays and discussed the rubric so they know what my scores mean.
3 and 6 have received their essays back.
We are starting the next essay soon.  More information will follow.
The grades are updated.  I will hand them out tomorrow.

October 13, 2008

Homework
1,2:
No vocab for the whole week.
I asked that they be done blocking out their play into scenes.
I wanted them to begin writing the play tonight.  I want them to have something, even a little something, written for tomorrow.  They must have the rough draft of the play written by NEXT MONDAY!  We are going to spend this week discussing how to use dialogue to move the story along.  This will be something new for me as well.  Today we read through the script of "Right Hand Man."

3,6,7:
Completing the Sentence Unit 3
Quiz on Unit 3 this Thursday

I don't have time to write what we did in each class.  I will just say that the essays are graded.  I want to explain what I expect in an essay and then I will give the essays back to the students.  Section 3 got theirs back.  Sections 6 and 7 are finishing the readings.  They might get them back tomorrow.  However, the grades are posted on the on-line grades if you are interested.

October 8, 2008

Homework
1,2:
Pages 49 and 50 in vocab
Quiz on 1-3 Thursday (tomorrow)
!!!I am asking that students have a blocked version of their story for Monday.  We are running out of time!  What I need is a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th breakdown of the play, sort of a bare bones sketch of the play. we have been going over the story ideas in class.  Almost every student has a workable play idea.  I helped them think about what they might look like on stage.  Now it is time for the students to build the play.  Next week we will focus on dialog and writing the play.  I will want the play written in a draft form by Monday October 20th.  THERE WILL BE NO VOCAB ALL NEXT WEEK!

3,6,7:
Choosing the Right word unit 3

Today
1,2:
We reviewed the vocab and finished going over the play ideas.  That's it.

3,6,7:
Daily Drill
Reviewed vocab work
Finished most of the readings in all sections.  On Monday I will finish all classes.  I will not post the recordings until I have finished grading the essays.  Those grades are more important.  Plus it will take some time to process all the recordings.  Please be patient.  I will send out a mass e-mail when they are posted.

October 7, 2008

Homework
1,2:
Pages 46,47,48
I am encouraging students to really get started on writing the play.  I explained that they should be blocking out the play.  I am posting the script for the play we watched in class as an example to start with.  Since we have seen the play, I hope that reading the script will help the students think about staging their play.

3,6,7:
Pictionaries 11-20 and synonyms unit 3

Today
1,2:
We reviewed the homework for the 1-3 review unit
Another set of students presented their play ideas and we discussed the staging.
I asked them to do a sketch of the opening of the play.  In other words, the lights have just gone up.  What does the audience see when your play begins.  I am going to keep encouraging the students to work hard to get their plays written.  I feel like the October 24 deadline is approaching too fast!

3,6,7:
Daily Drill
Listened to 11-20 unit 3
Continued to record the students reading their essays. 
We still have at least one more day of reading, possibly two.
I plan to start reading their essays soon since I have to start planning the next essay!

October 6, 2008

Homework
1,2:
Pages 42,43,45 in vocab book
I want the story of the play down by the end of the week, more than just the three sentences.  We will work on this all week.

3,6,7:
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 3


Today
1,2:
We watched a one act play.  I do not have time to give the address, but it is called "Check Please," and I found it on Vimeo. 
Then I had half the students present their play ideas.  The we discussed the idea trying to figure out what it might look like on stage.  Most of the stories sound good, but I can't picture what they would look like as a play.  That is our goal for the week.

3,6,7:
Daily Drill
Listened to words 1-10 unit 3
Continued to read the essays and record
I will be posting the recordings within a week.  They take time to process.  I also hope to grade the essays this week.  They will be scored on a 4,3,2,1 scale like the DSTP.  I need to give a quick grade with one clear suggestion for next time.

I can't write a detailed account of today.  I have to get home.

October 3, 2008

Homework
1,2:
They are to have a full character description of their main character for Monday.  I gave them a sheet that asks a lot of questions.  I also wanted them to make a picture of this person.  It can be a picture from the Internet or a magazine, or even a compilation of various pictures to make one person.  I want them to be able to know this character well so we can put two or three characters together to see how they will react based on their characteristics.  We will explore this on Monday.  I have not been giving a lot of grades, but this is one thing that is due.

3,6,7:
None

Today:
1,2:
We took quiz 3
We read the answers to some questions we had for the writer of Right Hand Man.
I explained the homework.

3,6,7:
Daily drill
Handed out grades in 6 and 7

We began reading the essays to the class.  I will post some examples soon.  I will make a page so you can download or at least listen to your child's reading... I hope.

October 2, 2008

Homework
1,2:
Quiz on Unit 3
Have all vocab work done
Think about some of the ideas Matt gave us in class

3,6,7:
The good draft of the picture essay is due!

Today
1,2:
Matt from the Delaware Theatre Company came in to help us with our plays.  He began by getting the kids on stage to experience some improvisation.   You can see some pictures on this page.  Then he helped the students to flesh out the stories from their three sentence proposals.  I will be reading through those ideas soon.  It was nice to hear from Matt that we are farther ahead than many classes.  Good, because I feel like we don't have a lot of time to finish!  I am using the proposal as a small grade.

3,6,7
Daily Drill
We discussed the requirements for the essay due tomorrow.
SSW time to write

I told the students that they will get 100 points for the essay long enough and handed in on time.  Then they will get 50 points to record the essay in front of the class (I will post these later).  Then I will score the essay as a DSTP essay: 4,3,2,1.  Each of the scores will represent a letter grade on a 100 point scale.  My essays are big grades.  They must be include the ideas we have been covering: introductions, 5 senses, dialog. This is the first essay, so they are still learning what I require.

October 1, 2008

Yesterday I had a sub.  I did not have time to post a blog entry.

Homework
1,2:
Pitch me your play.  E-mail me your three sentence pitch.  See the explanation on MrBoZ.com
Finish Unit 3 vocabulary
There will be a person from the Delaware Theatre Company tomorrow to help us with our plays!

3,6,7:
The good draft of the picture essay is due Friday.  It can be typed.

Today
1,2:
Reviewed vocabulary
Discussed how to pitch the play. 


3,6,7:
Daily Drill
Checked that all vocab homework was complete
Reviewed for the Unit 2 quiz
Quiz unit 2
work time on the essays

September 29, 2008

Homework
1,2:
This class now has it's own calendar.  Please see the main page on mrboz.com.
Do Pictionaries and synonyms for unit 3
On Wednesday, all students should have the elements of a play sheet filled out for their play idea.  We will discuss them in more depth then. 

3,6,7:
Do Completing the Sentence to be reviewed tomorrow.
Rough draft of the picture essay is due Wednesday.  The good draft is due Friday.  Students will be reading their piece to the class.

Today
1,2:
Listened to vocab unit 3 words
I looked over the elements of a play sheet and then gave suggestions for their completion.

3,6,7:
Daily Drill
Discussed ways to improve the picture essays
SSW time to work on the essay

September 26, 2008

Homework
1,2:
I asked that they have a rough idea for their play on Monday.  They should not kill themselves trying to get every detail.  they should be ready to discuss and start mapping it out next week.

3,6,7,:
None
I will say that these students should be ready to read their picture pieces on Wednesday with the good draft due on Friday.

Today
1,2:
Review the vocab answers and prepared for the quiz.
We took vocab quiz unit 2 and a notebook quiz.
I gave them a little time to work on the play
I also got in touch with the man who wrote Right Hand Man.  We are going to send him some questions about his play.  I will post his reply on our page on mrboz.com when I get the answers.

6 and 7
We reviewed the vocab and did our weekly drawing.  If the students are in the drawing, that means all their homework is done.  If they were not, that is the indication that they need to get me something.
We took the notebook quiz.
We watched an inspirational video.  You should see this young man!
I told the students that they should prepare for the spotlight because they will be in it!

3
We reviewed the vocab and did our weekly drawing.  If the students are in the drawing, that means all their homework is done.  If they were not, that is the indication that they need to get me something.
We took the notebook quiz.
Then we worked on some worksheets so they could stay focused.

September 25, 2008

Homework
1,2:
Completing the Sentence with context clues
Quiz on Unit 2
Get grade slip signed

3,6,7:
Choosing the Right Word with context clues Unit 2
Sections 3 and 7 should get their grade slips signed
Students should be working on their picture essays at home
I think we will begin reading to the class on Wednesday October 1


Today
1,2:
No daily drill
Reviewed vocabulary
Continued to review the elements of a good play sheet and watched Right Hand Man again
Handed out grade slips

3,6,7:
No daily drill
Reviewed vocabulary
Read a good example of the narrative for the picture (example is on assignment page on mrboz.com)
SSW time for writing

Daily Drills explanation
I am rethinking how I do the daily drills.  As much as I like them, they are taking up too much time.  I must give students quiet writing time, yet they need instruction.  In the past, most of the writing was done outside class.  This year, the students would benefit from more in-class time.  That is why I have not been doing daily drills this week.

September 24, 2008

Homework
1,2: Choosing the Right Word, Antonyms, Vocab in Context Unit 2
3,6,7: Finish the pictionaries and synonyms Unit 2

Today
1,2:
No Daily Drill
Reviewed pictionaries
Read through most of the Elements of a Good Play handout (located play page at mrboz.com)
Began watching Right Hand Man again using the handout to analyze it.
I suggested they have an idea for their play by Friday or Monday.  I will ask them to write it up for credit soon.  I want to figure out an assignment worthy of a grade.

3,6,7
No Daily Drill
Listened to words 11-20 Unit 2
Handed out a suggested outline for the current writing piece (located on the assignment page on mrboz.com)
Gave students 30 minutes to write.  I want the piece mostly written in class.

September 23, 2008

Homework
1,2:
Pictionaries and synonyms unit 2
Be thinking about ideas for your play

3,6,7:
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 2

Today
1,2:
No daily drill (no time)
Handed back the quizzes so they could see how they did.
We listened to all of unit 2 words
We watched an example of a one act play called "Right Hand Man." You can watch it on YouTube.  If you do, I muted one inappropriate word.  Besides that one word, the play is good for showing students the basic idea of what they will be creating.  We discussed a worksheet I gave them on the different parts  of a play like title, character, setting, etc.  I only got through discussing the title and how important it is.  We will watch the play a few more times.

3,6,7:
No daily drill (no time)
Handed back the quizzes so they could see how they did.
Listened to words 1-10 unit 2
Gave them work time on the next essay.  They are to explain how there is a story behind every picture.  Sadly, many students still did not have a picture.  I guess they will have to write the story without it.  The topic will just have to be to write about a moment in their lives.  That is not as much fun.

September 19, 2008

Homework:
Sections 1 and 2 should always be thinking about story ideas for the play.  My goal for the coming week to to get them to begin a story and flesh out the details. 

Sections 3,6,7 were to bring a picture by today.  Unfortunately, most did not.  Please send in a picture with your child on Tuesday.

Today:
We did Photography Friday.  In all classes, we focused on what the photographer was trying to say with his picture.  We started by trying to explain the picture without knowing the story.  Then we looked at the caption that accompanied the picture.  In some cases, we were correct.  In other cases, there were not enough details in the picture to know exactly what the photographer was trying to convey.  For sections 3,6,7, this discussion related to their assignment: there is a story behind every picture.

For sections 1 and 2, I related today's pictures to the intention of the photographer.  I explained that whenever a photographer takes a picture, he realizes that someone is going to view the picture.  That knowledge affects what he photographs.  The students need to be aware of their audience as they conceive their plays.  I told them that they should be thinking about how they want to affect the audience.  What do they want the audience to go aways with when the play is over?

September 18, 2008

Homework:
Sections 3,6,7 should have a picture from home.  We are starting the prompt in earnest tomorrow.  I want them to explain the story behind the picture.  I will be taking the pictures home and scanning them so they can be displayed behind the students as they read their pieces to the class.  I will make sure the pictures stay safe... as long as they are labeled with the students' names.

Sections 1 and 2 should be thinking about their plays.  I am trying show students how they can be thinking through possible ideas for a play.   I am having students present ideas for plays based on some pictures I found.  As a class, we explored the possibilities. 

Today:
All classes did a daily drill
All classes took Unit 1 quiz

Each class did something different after these.  Too much to write.

Homework:
All classes have the unit 1 quiz tomorrow.
Sections 3,6,7 have flashcards to make to study for the quiz.

Today:
Sections 3,6,7
Daily Drill
Reviewed vocabulary
We began making flashcards in class. They were to finish for homework.

Sections 1,2
Daily Drill
Reviewed vocabulary focusing on the parts of speech.
Listened to some ideas for plays based on the pictures we have been looking at. Both classes have some neat ideas. Students read their ideas to us while we looked at the picture. Then we tried to fill in some details or ask questions. Since I have the spotlights, I hope the students are starting to think "play." I need them to picture a stage and not a movie set. They need to think dialogue, not narrative. I will post an example of what one person wrote when she e-mails me her copy.

September 16, 2008

Homework:
All: Finish Unit 1 in the vocabulary book

Sections 3,6,7
Bring in a picture for the next writing assignment.

Sections 1 and 2
Students should have a somewhat detailed story to accompany the picture they were writing on in class. Section 2 listened to an example of what I am looking for. Basically, I want the background of the main character and the story line that goes with the picture, as if the picture is a scene from a larger play. I want to be able to sit down, look at the picture, and hear a nice story about it. Who knows? This could be the storyline of their play.

Today
Sections 3,6,7
Daily Drill
Checked Completing the Sentence for credit
Then we started discussing the steps for starting to write their next essay: Every picture has a story. We practiced by looking at the for pictures you can see on the assignment page at www.mrboz.com. I will post the steps for brainstorming tomorrow after we use them in class. Basically, it is the 5 w's, why did the photographer take the picture? and describe what happened before and after the picture was taken.

Sections 1 and 2
Daily Drill
Reviewed homework but did not put in book
We continued to practice developing characters that have talents but also have limitations.

Homework:
Sections 3,6,7-
Completing the Sentence 1-20 unit 1
Bring in a picture you will use for the next writing assignment

Sections 1 and 2
Finish up the vocab unit (We will be switching over to a unit a week schedule next unit.)
Finish the story idea we began in class.

Today:
Sections 1 and 2 spent time discussing pictures and ideas for plays. We were discussing characters and story plots focusing on conflict. You can see the pictures on the writing assignment link in the homework section above. The students were asked to be ready to discuss their pictures Tuesday.

Sections 3,6,7 did 1-10 Completing the Sentence in the vocab book. I stress context clues for determining the correct answer. Then we started discussing the next writing assignment. I showed them a picture I could use of me when I wrestled in high school. I would like them to find a picture they could write about for Tuesday. This essay will take some time to write. I have told them that they will be reading this to the class, and they will be recorded. That did not make them happy. :)

September 12, 2008

Homework:
None

Today:
Sections 3,6,and 7
I focused on making sure the students understood their vocabulary responsibilities. I had a little drawing. Those who had all three exercises done were entered into a silly drawing. There was a corner of a sheet they used for their answers. I told them, if your sheet did not get cut up, you were missing some work. They need to make up that work.

Then they took a practice vocab test. I called it a scrimmage. Since we are halfway through the unit, they only needed to get about a 60% on the test. This way they know if they need to focus a little harder next week.

Sections 1 and 2
We reviewed the Completing the Sentence in the vocab book discussing context clues. Then I handed out the student guidelines for the Playwrights Festival. We read the first page which was clarifying character and conflict. We had fun discussing ideas. We used the Photography Friday exercise to practice coming up with an idea for their play. I will explain this more as the days go by.

September 11, 2008

Homework:
Sections 1 and 2- Completing the Sentence 1-10
Section 3- have the pictionaries, synonyms, and choosing done on the sheet I gave you today
Sections 6 and 7, finish the Choosing on the sheet and enter key words

Today:
Daily Drill
Sections 3,6,7- I spent extra time today making sure the students understand what I want when we do the Choosing the Right Word. They must identify the context clues. It is not a guessing game. There are words in the sentence that give clues to the right answer. I would like them to write that down on their sheet. Also, I gave these students a sheet to keep everything organized. The students who borrowed the book have their work all over. I will post the sheet in the future, but it has a space for me to sign off that they have completed all their work. This way they will know what homework assignments they have completed. On Friday, those students who have completed all three assignments can cut off the bottom to have a drawing for something small. I hope it motivates some to get organized.

Sections 1 and 2
I briefly introduced the Young Playwrights Festival to them today. I want to have the students begin brainstorming ideas tomorrow. We also did vocab and listened to a few students read their pieces.

September 10, 2008

Homework:
Sections 1 and 2, Choosing the Right Word with context clues
Section 3, Choosing the Right Word 11-20 with context clues
Section 6, none
Section 7, none

Today:
Daily Drill for all but section 7. We had an assembly.
I am taking the students through how I expect them to do the vocab homework.
We put the pictionaries on the board and guessed them. Then I showed them how I would like them to do the Choosing the Right Word. Basically, there are two words that they can pick from. However, the choice should be easier because there are clues in the sentence. The hardest assignment is the Completing the Sentence. I will help them with that tomorrow.

I also collected the diagnostic essays. We did not get to share the essays because we ran out of time. I did get to share my essay with two classes. I will read it to the others tomorrow.

September 8, 2008

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 1

Today:
Daily Drill
Enter the week's homeworks into the agenda
Handed out vocab books
Began to study unit 1

Today we began our study of 300 vocabulary words. The students have already received their scores on the pre-test (which is actually the vocab final), so they can now begin increasing that score! I plan to give the same test in January.

I study each unit over the course of two weeks. The first two days consist of listening to the words and drawing pictionaries. These pictures should not have numbers, words, letters, or symbols. On Wednesday, we put the drawings on the board and try to guess the vocab word. I try a variety of exercises to help the students learn the words.

Another thing I discussed with the students today is grades. Vocab counts for 30% of their grade: 15% is homework, and 15% tests. If you are interested in the math, let me know, but I explained that a student who does all his homework yet fails every vocab test is able to earn a C+ for vocab. I am more interested in students being exposed to and working with a variety of vocabulary words. Some students are better at incorporating words into their lexicon than others. Therefore, I reward the effort of doing the work over the score on the quiz. It's just what I do.

September 5, 2008

Homework:
None

Today:
Photography Friday
Work time on their essays

Today we started Photography Friday. I will give a longer explanation at another time. Basically, I use the Week in Pictures from MSNBC.com. I do various activities with the pictures trying to get the students to do higher order thinking. It is also like art appreciation. I am trying to get them to appreciate what good photography looks like. Photographers view the world through its details. I hope by showing students how photographers compose their shots, they will pay closer attention to the details around themselves.

The essay is due at the end of class Tuesday. Some students want to write the draft at home. The piece must be turned in hand written. Those who are finished will work on something else on Tuesday while we have a writing time.

I will hand out vocab books Monday. Students will have vocab homework most nights from now on. The homework schedule will be posted on the calendar on my website.

September 4, 2008

Homework:
None

Today:
Daily Drill
Work time on the in-class essay

Today I discussed the idea of a barf draft, so if your child says we discussed puke in class, he is right. The barf draft technique is used when you feel like there is something to say, but you don't know what it is you want to say. So, you barf it up. Then, just like when we throw up, you stand back and look at it. However, in a barf draft, you pick out the parts you like and use them. That is where the analogy breaks down. :)

September 3, 2008

Homework:
None

Today:
We finished the vocabulary pre-test and started a diagnostic essay. I spent some time making web pages that explain what we have been doing during the first two weeks. If you are interested, please take some time to read the three pages listed under "current assignment" on MrBoZ.com.

September 2, 2008

Homework:
Sections 3,6, and 7 are still missing many Internet permission forms. I will inform the students who are missing them tomorrow. This was their first small grade. Also, many students in the same classes have not turned in their vocabulary book money.

Today:
Daily Drill (Please see www.mrboz.com for archive.)
I have explained to the students a few times now that raising their hands during the daily drill counts towards their participation grade. Students must be prepared, behave, and participate to receive the full participation grade. I also explained that these daily drills must be kept in order, in a notebook, because I will have a notebook checks.

Vocabulary pre-test
Before we start each year's vocabulary units, I like to give the students the final exam. Yes, the exact same test they will take in May. A student explained that he barely knew any of the answers. Good! That is the point. He isn't expected to know them now. Therefore, when they take the same test in May, they will see their scores have improved! It is 100 questions and includes part of speech, spelling, definition, and synonyms.

August 28, 2008

Homework:
Bring in vocab book money on Tuesday
Some students still need to get in their Internet permission form

Today:
We practiced our Daily Drills. I will be using a book called Daily Language Review. Each day the students will be required to do the grammar activities in their English notebook. I will explain this more in a future blog or at Parents' Night. For today's blog entry, I just want to tell you that all the daily drills will be archived. If your child misses a day, he/she can go to MrBoZ.com, do the drill, and get the answers.

Today we also finished up the Barney discussion. We did a worksheet where we looked at what qualities I need to have as a Barney teacher and what qualities they said they need to be Barney students. They took the two columns and filled in a Ven diagram. What I hope they see is that we both have to do basically the same things to have a Barney classroom. It's the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. I will post the worksheet in the near future. They are also making small Barney's that I will hang up as a reminder of how we should act in my class. I will post a picture soon.

August 27, 2008

Homework:
Bring in vocab book money
Bring in Internet permission slip
Please have an English notebook for Tuesday

Today:
It may seem silly that I am spending the first week of school studying Barney the Dinosaur. But setting a tone for the rest of the year is important. By the end of this week, I want the students to know my expectations for them. They may be seventh graders and think they are above Barney, but the lessons taught on the show are ones that we should all follow no matter how old we are. And when I say all, I mean that. In each discussion about creating a Barney room, I am included. I am not beginning my year telling my students what THEY need to be doing. I want us to think about what WE need to be doing. I may be older and more mature than the students, but I am equally imperfect.

My goal for these lessons on Barney is that we can refer back to the lessons from the show throughout the year. When students are not behaving properly, I can remind them, not of the rules of the classroom, but of the perfection I would like us to strive for. Likewise, when I say or do something that is not Barney-like, I want them to politely point it out. Together we will make an enjoyable classroom environment.

August 26, 2008

The first day of school is here! I was ready for the school year to begin.

I did not blog yesterday because I honestly forgot. The first day is crazy, but there is no way around that. Today, Tuesday, we are beginning to learn about my expectations for our classroom experience. You may have heard that we are studying Barney the Dinosaur. You have heard correctly! I want to have a Barney classroom.

In years past, I have explained this idea in general. But this year I want to examine what it really means. I am finding that by watching an episode of the show, the students are seeing how perfect the children on the show behave. In fact, I am seeing how perfect Barney is on the show. To say that we should have a Barney classroom is an unrealistic expectation. But we can shoot for it.

You should have seen an internet permission slip and a vocab book letter by tonight. Please have your child return these as soon as possible. The vocab books are $8.50.

June 3, 2008

The grades are finalized and submitted. Today we watched educational films... really! Three classes saw a film on the Mars rovers. One film was on the parrots of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco. One class watched a film on the nuclear tests at Bikini Island. They might not have been the most exciting, but we learned something!

May 29, 2008

Not much to write. We finished up the movie today and handed in the review sheet. It will count for a few points.

I will not be in school Friday. I am having the students write a brief review of the movie. They will look at how to write a movie review and examine a sample review of the new Narnia movie. Again, this assignment will count for a few points. The grades are almost done.

May 28, 2008

I have not been writing much here because there isn't much to write. We have finished the big grades, and now I am just wrapping up the year. The magazine presentation is NOT due tomorrow because we are watching High School Musical 2. This is not wasting time. We first read over all the writing prompts we used over the course of the year, reminding them of what we have covered. I wanted the year to be a study of the themes from the movie. Now, as we watch the movie, we are examining the songs again and exploring the theme of the movie overall. We will finish the movie tomorrow and wrap the year up with a small reflection on the movie, which will count for a small grade. With whatever time we have, we will focus on magazines. I figured it was more important to get the movie in than finish the magazine study. As long as they get a basic idea behind the messages in ads, that will be fine.

May 21, 2008

Homework:
Study for the vocab final

Today:
Finished the FMT in the vocab book. That is the last work the students will need the book for.
We finished Text/Ad ratio and defining the audience of their magazines. We have now discussed three of the five things required for the magazine presentations due next Thursday.

I handed back work and grade slips today. The students should know how they are doing at this point.

May 19, 2008

Homework:
Bring vocab book and magazine every day
Sections 1 and 2 should have their charts and product lists done for Tuesday

Today:
Reviewed for vocab final
Continued text to ratio part of the magazine presentation.
Here is the packet I will eventually give to the students when we get paper.
Here is the web page of the new assignment.

May 16, 2008

Homework:
None
Have a magazine for Monday

Today:
We took the notebook quiz.
I collected the good drafts of the Monsters essay.
We began our work with the magazines. I have done this unit for years. The kids will get a lot out of this. In fact, they will start pointing things out to you soon enough. I will have a web page that explains the next project up early next week. I have a packet for them, but we are out of paper at the school. I will copy it when I can.

Have a nice weekend.

May 15, 2008

Homework:
Have a magazine for Friday
The notebook quiz is Friday. (See list on www.mrboz.com)
Good draft of Monsters essay is due

Today:
We read over a good example of the Monsters essay and discussed unity and details. Some classes discussed introductions as well.
We barely began to discuss the last project of the year, a magazine presentation. More details will be posted soon.

May 14, 2008

Homework:
Bring a magazine tomorrow
Revise the essays base on today's discussions

Today:
Buzzword
Discussed introductions in some classes
In some classes we discussed the ideas that should be contained in the essay

I have written my essay for this assignment: Faith and Fear in "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street"

May 12, 2008

Homework:
Rough draft of the Monsters essay due Wednesday

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed calendar
Handed out grade slips. Absent students made up quizzes.
(Sections 3 and 7 will get the quizzes tomorrow.)
Work time on the essay.

I explained what I expect for a magazine on Thursday. Mainly it should have ads and articles, be age appropriate, and be something they are interested in learning more about.

May 8, 2008

Homework:
Study for unit 15 quiz on Friday
I would like to have a discussion about the Monsters essay tomorrow. Students should be ready to discuss what the technique was and if it is good. Would it work in real life as it did on the TV show?

Today:
No Buzzword
Reviewed vocabulary
Sections 3,6,7 made flashcards
Sections 1 and 2 read about the Red Scare and McCarthyism
I gave the students a suggested outline to guide their brainstorming
Writing time in class

I have a detailed page about this assignment online.

May 6, 2008

Homework:
Choosing the Right Word unit 15 and context clues
Quiz on Friday

Today:
Buzzword
Discussion
Work time from discussion ideas.

I asked the kids if humans really do scapegoat. Would we really react the way Figure One says we will react in the story? I asked them to explain three questions. The questions go from a scientific answer to a superstitious answer. When we are faced with something we don't know about, we feel compelled to find an answer, even if we have to make one up. We move into the realm of imagination.

Three levels of questions:

What we know- Why does the sun move across the sky?

Sort of know- How does weather work? Why do we get rain and hurricanes?

Don’t know- Why do bad things happen to good people?


What types of answers do we give?

This is Rod Serling's intro to The Twilight Zone:

"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone."

May 5, 2008

Homework:
Pictionaries unit 15
Quiz Friday

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed calendar
Discussed words for unit 15
Handed out the next writing prompt (I will make a web page soon.)
Watched the end of The Monsters are Due on Maple Street again now that they have the prompt.

I am curious to see how deeply the students will think about the topic. As a 39-year-old, I see some truth in what the aliens were saying. There is a strong record of humans acting just like they do in the episode. But I also know the technique will not work totally. It never has. I will write the essay as well. Each year I see different meanings in pieces of literature. We bring our own lives to a piece of art. We interpret the piece in light of our current understandings. For a 12-year-old, their current understandings are limited. I will try to help them think deeply, beyond the 2 seconds they usually take to think something through. :)

May 1, 2008

Homework:
None

Today:
Buzzword
Discussed "Scapegoat"
Watched the "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street."

Today's discussion was quite interesting. I wanted to explain the origin of the word "scapegoat" because the idea is central to the show we watched. The source of the word is Leviticus in the Bible. I explained that the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, used two goats as part of the ritual. Two unblemished goats were chosen. Lots were thrown, and one goat was chosen to be sacrificed, and the other was the scapegoat. The priest would place the sins of the community onto the goat, and the animal was sent into the wilderness. On Yom Kippur today, that ritual is read about during the services. The sacrifices are not done today.

But before I told them all this, I did a little activity which they thought was pretty weird. I didn't tell them what we were doing, but I had them write their name on a card. Then I asked them to think about some dark fear or bad thing in themselves that they wish could be taken away. We all have them. Wouldn't it feel great to have it removed? I told them to think about that and symbolically place that fear onto the card. (I did not want it written down.) I put the names in a bucket and asked if they felt better. Most did not.

Before that, though, I had two students put on t-shirts. One was red and the other was orange. They flipped a coin to decide who would get what color. With the fears in the bucket, I then told the class that we would be "sacrificing" the red t-shirt animal. They had not learned about the scapegoat yet, so they were confused. The student just sat down, but the bucket was still there with our fears in it. Then I gave the bucket to the orange shirt animal and sent him away. I pointed out that our fears were gone. They were confused, but the demonstration made the idea of the scapegoat clear.

Then I showed them this picture and explained the history of the word as I said above. We then watched "The Monsters...," and I had them watch for the idea of scapegoat. The people in the movie were scared, and they wanted an explanation for the events. They wanted a scapegoat to remove their anxiety. One person was killed out of irrational fear. Steve says, "You're standing here all set to crucify- all set to find a scapegoat- desperate to point some kind of finger at a neighbor." He has it right. They will either kill something or place the blame on someone, just like the scapegoat: one is killed, and the other is sent away.

I see the idea of the scapegoat all over, especially in a society like we have now where someone else is always to blame. I will be thinking about where this next unit will go over the weekend. I want to explore the idea of misplaced blame. One idea I am thinking about is bullying. Students this age are so worried about fitting in that they will often make a scapegoat of another student. They place their anxieties on the weakest of those around them.

I would not talk about all of these with the students, but I am also thinking about the economy. Everyone wants to know why it is going down hill. What about education? Surely there is plenty of blame to go around. What about our own relationships, families, marriages? Do we ever scapegoat someone for things that we should be figuring out about ourselves? What about larger horrors like the Holocaust and Rwanda? Can we even escape from scapegoating as human beings? Is it just in our nature? I will be thinking about this over the next few days. I also want to explore if the piece will be written or some kind of public service video.

April 30, 2008

Homework:
None

Today:
Buzzword
We finished the quotations unit and took a brief, open-book assessment.
I handed the proverb pieces back to sections 6 and 7.

Tomorrow we will start our next unit: Scapegoats
(I have a general plan, but the springboard piece is "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" which they read in reading class recently.)

April 29, 2008

Homework:
None

Today:
Buzzword
We are almost finished quotation marks. I will have a small assessment Thursday.
Grammar is a little boring, but it has to be done. They do not know all the rules.

We will start our next unit soon.

April 28, 2008

Homework:
None

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed calendar
Continued to discuss quotation marks
Gave grade slips to sections 3,6,7

Sections 1 and 2 reviewed the grades I gave them for their proverb pieces. They will get grade slips tomorrow.

April 23, 2008

Homework:
Finish Unit 14
Grade slip must be signed

Today:
Buzzword
Vocab
Grammar

We are just plugging along. The goal is to finish the vocab book soon. I spaced the units out earlier in the year to place the emphasis on writing. Now I have time to focus on vocab and grammar while I finish grading the proverb papers.

For those students who are on the trip, I hope to post the work we are doing in class on my site. If not, I will have a copy of the grammar book pages for you when you come back. We will have an assessment for the quotations unit.

April 22, 2008

Homework:
Finish the synonyms
Choosing the Right Word unit 13
Get in the signed grade slip

Today:
Buzzword
Pictionaries on the board
Continued our discussion of using quotation marks. I will post the bookwork soon as a pdf.
I am grading the proverb discussion essays. I am reading them as extended responses.

April 21, 2008

Homework:
Pictionaries unit 14
Get the grade slip signed

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed the schedule for the week
Listened to words for unit 14 vocab
Continued the lessons on quotation marks from grammar book

The goal for this week is to get the proverb pieces graded by Friday.
Students should have a notebook so they can keep the Buzzwords and grammar notes organized.

April 18, 2008

Homework:
None

Today:
Buzzword
Quiz 13
Quotes and Underlining in titles

The grade are updated, and slips will be handed out on Monday. Have a nice weekend.

Two more units to go in the vocab book!

April 17, 2008

Homework:
Quiz 13 Friday

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed vocabulary
Made flashcards in 3,6,7
Studied for quiz

April 16, 2008

Homework:
Finish unit 13
Quiz on Friday

Today:
Buzzword
Lots of vocab
Began a short unit on the use of quotes.
I am finding that students are using quotes inconsistently on their proverb papers. I want to teach some lessons so they will understand the comments I make on their papers. I will post the worksheets as we do them. I will post the grammar rules as well.

April 15, 2008

Homework:
Choosing the right word unit 13
Section 3 must have a good draft of the proverb piece in tomorrow.

Today:
Buzzword (I will post soon)
Pictionaries on the board
Some students read their pieces to us as we sat at their feet.

I have a meeting to go to. No time to write more.

April 14, 2008

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-20 Unit 13
Good draft of the proverb piece due Tuesday

Today:
Buzzword
Spelling Notebook Quiz
Discussed words 1-20 Unit 13
Discussed sample proverb essay
Handed out grade slips to sections 1,2,3,6

I posted pictures of the proverb t-shirts. Check them out!

My proverb explanation

"Pride comes before a fall."

Pride is listed as one of the Seven Deadly Sins. When we think about the Seven Deadly Sins, though, we usually think about the extremes. However, there are some philosophies/theologies that see the inclination to do bad things as the beginning of doing something good. For example, gluttony is destructive when one eats to excess constantly. Obesity and health problems result. Yet, we do have a very strong desire to eat. Likewise, sloth is when someone has no motivation to do anything. The result is nothing gets done. Yet if we work hard, we have a strong desire to rest. It is the same way with pride. Pride motivates us to do a good job. A job well done feels good. However, the extremes of pride are arrogance and an insatiable quest for praise. Pride taken to its extreme is destructive. In other words, the Seven Deadly Sins contain both the good and the bad. The good happens when the inclination is controlled.

It’s like a car. The engine drives us, and the front wheels steer us. If the steering is weak, the car goes out of control. Remembering the proverb “Pride comes before a fall” is one way to keep those wheels pointed in the right direction. Left to my own devices, I will focus on increasing the power of the engine and forget that it is more important that my car goes in the right direction! When pride gets out of control, the results for me are a swelled head and sullen resentments. My arrogance will push people away, and I will not get the praise I feel I deserve. I recently became too prideful about my skills as a photographer.

Before spring break, I led the students through a unit on portraits. The final product of the lesson was a color portrait taken with professional lights and background. The results were wonderful. They were the best pictures I have ever taken of someone indoors! For the students, the experience was daunting, but the results were rewarding. After I showed them the results of our hard work and some students learned their pictures were among those I chose as the best, I felt satisfied. I had achieved my goals and produced some quality portraits for my students. My skill as a photographer produced nice results. I was proud of what I had accomplished.

But I wanted praise, not just the feeling of a job well done. But not enough came to satisfy my swelled ego. Only two parents thanked me by replying to my e-mail suggesting they view our results. I got one complaint which subsequently resulted in the removal of all the pictures from my website. And one student even demanded that I print out her pictures for free and complained that there were not enough pictures of her in the slideshow. Yet what happened to the satisfaction I felt when we had finished? It was swallowed up in the desire for more praise! Once again, pride comes before a fall, and I fell hard… again.

April 11, 2008

Homework:
Good draft of the proverb piece due Tuesday
Notebook Quiz on Monday- See spelling words on my website

Today:
Took Quiz 12
I took pictures of all the proverb t-shirts, and the students stood up and said their proverb. I will make a gallery of the shirts after I have finished cropping out the faces.
In most classes I read my example and discussed a possible outline. Most classes had time to read someone else's. Section 3 did not.

The basic outline is an introduction that states the proverb, an explanation of the proverb, and the anecdote that gives an example of the proverb in the student's life. I will post my piece when I finish proofreading it. I have a few changes to make.

I will be handing out grade slips on Monday. Have a nice weekend!

April 10, 2008

Homework:
Quiz 12 Friday
T-shirt with proverb due tomorrow. I will photograph them all and post the best on the assignment page. (I will ensure privacy but chopping heads off or blacking out the eyes.)
Rough draft of proverb explanation due

Today:
Last spelling list!
Discussed vocab
Sections 3,6,7 made flashcards
Gave the classes some time to write.

I should have my piece written by class time tomorrow as an example. I told the students I expect them to be able to teach us something tomorrow. We will sit on the floor as they tell us a proverb and explain its meaning to us. We should be so much wiser by the end of class!

The students were complaining about 500 words being too many. Honestly, I find 500 words limiting. I will grade their pieces based on how well they explain their proverb. The more detailed the answer the better. I do expect the pieces to have some flow to them. They should not be the answers to the questions placed one after another.

DuPont Challenge Winner from H.B.

Eighth grade student Claire Yang won the Junior Division of the DuPont Challenge, a nationwide contest that received thousands of entries. As you remember, I had all my students write essays for that writing contest in January. Even though none of my students won, I am still hoping for some honorable mentions. What really matters, though, is that a student from H.B. won! We have many outstanding students at our school! I am very blessed to be teaching at such a great school.

April 9, 2008

Homework:
Finish Unit 12
T-shirt due Friday
Written piece due Friday

Today:
Spelling
Reviewed vocabulary
Discussed the proverb card they submitted yesterday for approval.
Explained the written piece.

Here is the rough introduction I am using so far for my piece:

A student was wearing a t-shirt today that boldly asked, "Got Pride?" When I looked on the back I learned that the pride the shirt was asking about was for A.I. High School. If you went there, I guess the correct answer would be yes. But that's not how I read the shirt. I took the phrase as an excruciating condemnation. Yes! I have pride! And too many times in my life pride has been my biggest source of frustration and pain!

April 8, 2008

Homework:
Chosing the Right Word Unit 12
T-shirt due Friday
500 word piece

Today:
Spelling
Put the pictionaries on the Board
Did the Synonyms together
Handed out the requirements for the t-shirt and written piece
Students wrote their proverbs on index cards for comments by other students. I will review them before class tomorrow so we can have some discussion about the truth of their proverbs. Tomorrow I will give the students time to start writing their pieces. I will begin my own as well.

April 7, 2008

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-20 unit 12
Must have proverb for class discussion tomorrow.
T-shirt and written piece are due Friday

Today:
Spelling (notebook quiz on this next Monday)
Reviewed schedule for the week
Discussed words 1-20 unit 12
Continued our discussion of proverbs.
Here is the sheet I will give them Tuesday.

The proverb they chose must be...
1. Important to them
2. Meaningful enough that they think others should study it
3. Universally true, not just to one group of people
4. Appropriate

April 4, 2008

Homework:
Students should be finding a proverb that fits them.

Today:
Spelling
Vocab Quiz on Unit 11
Discussed proverbs.

Each section is at a different stage of the discussion. Basically we are discussing what a proverb is and what I expect them to chose. Today in section 1, we stumbled upon some proverbs that are really not worth discussing. (Reading the list would have helped, and I changed the list for the rest of the classes, but we did have to question the "wisdom" of some proverbs! -Live and learn. Hey, that's a proverb!) As a result, the lesson I began to teach in each class had to do with the audience of the proverb and the appropriateness of statements.

We will look at how some proverbs on the list were clearly aimed at teaching their own cultural group ideas they would find important. We discussed how the students' own proverbs can not be specific to one group of people. Their proverbs must have a universal truth. The wisdom must be something we can all agree is true and worth knowing.

April 3, 2008

Homework:
Study for the Unit 11 Quiz
Begin thinking about a proverb for the next writing piece

Today:
Spelling
Reviewed vocabulary
Sections 3,6,7 made flashcards in class
Sections 1 and 2 began our discussion of proverbs. You can see the handout here.

After too much struggle, the next writing assignment is finalized. The students will pick a proverb that is important to them and important enough to share with others. They will write the proverb on a t-shirt to be worn in class next Friday. They will write a 500 word piece explaining the relationships and/or life events that have helped them to understand the truth behind their proverb. The written piece will be shared with someone, whether it is for the whole class or in a small group.

Students should have their proverbs chosen by Monday. We will discuss each one to see if it is really worthy of proverb status. The proverb does not have to be famous, but the idea has to be universally true.

April 2, 2008

Homework:
Finish unit 11 in vocab

Today:
Spelling
Reviewed vocabulary
Continued to discuss the lessons from HSM2

After struggling to get a topic from the last song of the movie, I have decided on a shorter piece instead of a full blown essay. Just when I think I know how students will react to something I create, the first class I give it to always gives me a reality check. What I thought would be easy to write apparently was not. The proverbs from the song were not as easy for the students to explain as I thought they were. Many students did not know the characters and the story of the movie as well as I thought, even though we have studied all the songs throughout the year! So, with the feedback of one of my classes, I have decided upon the following project.

The students must find a quote that is important to them, one that represents how they understand or feel about how to live life right now. An example from the song is, "There's more to life when we listen to our hearts." The quote should also be one that they would be willing to wear on a t-shirt. I say this because t-shirt slogans are usually an outward expression of some inner idea that we want to proclaim to others. Therefore, the quote should be something they feel is relevant to how they feel about life yet important enough that others should read it and think about it.

The writing part of this will be a 500 word piece that explains why the quote is important to them. The enduring understanding for this month is, "Relationships and life lessons continually mold an individual's character." The piece should explain how relationships and/or life experiences have influences them to believe that this quote is an expression of how they feel about how to live life.

I am mulling over ways to publish the pieces. I would love to make actual t-shirts, even if they use markers and an old shirt. Maybe we could tape paper onto shirts for the period. Ideally, I would like to see them wearing the shirts around school. (Yeah. Like that will happen!)

The writers of the movie had some messages they wanted the viewers to go away with. As writers, we, too, want people to leave our pieces with a message. This assignment is pretty much just what message do you want to tell other people? There's no poem, song, or narrative. Just tell me what you understand in a short message. After that, explain to me why that short statement expresses how you see life and how you came to that understanding.

April 1, 2008

(Sorry. I did not get to enter this at the end of the day.)

Homework:
Choosing the Right Word unit 11

Today:
Spelling
Reviewed vocabulary
Watched the last song of High School Musical 2

The next writing prompt is almost done. I will post it on the website within the next day. It has been a little while since we have written an essay, so I want this last piece to be meaningful. The last song of the movie, however, contains very little meaning besides having a good rest of the summer for the characters in the movie. Because the last song is so shallow, I showed the end of the movie to get it over with. Now we can begin our last topic.

The song "Every Day" has many nuggets of wisdom in it. The characters have grown as a result of their experiences, and the song sums up what they have learned. The last piece we will write will be a discussion of one of those nuggets. We will explain one of the lyrics from the song and discuss what it means for the characters and what it means to us. We will give examples from the movie, our lives, and other sources that support why we agree with the lyric. Basically, the essay will be explaining a statement we can use to explain how we live our lives. Here is an example: "No matter where we're going, it starts from where we are."

March 31, 2008

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-20 unit 11
Quiz Friday
(We will be doing a unit a week for the next four weeks.)

Today:
Spelling (I will have a notebook quiz April 14.)
Reviewed the schedule for the week.
Listened to the words for unit 11
Discussed what a proverb is and looked at the lyrics for "Every Day" from High School Musical 2. The song has many pearls of wisdom that might make good writing topics. Over the next few days we will be deciding what the last writing piece from the movie will be. I will post the assignment when it is ready.

Special note:
The galleries of the portraits have been removed. Dr. Carmack advised that it would be better to not have the pictures available for download. If you would like to see your child's portraits, e-mail me. I would be happy to show them to you. They turned out great, and the kids had a lot of fun.

March 20, 2008

Dear parents,
I am sure you have been hearing that we have been taking portraits in English class. Well, they are done, and I have posted the results of our efforts in galleries located at the link below. On that page you will see many galleries. Ours are located a few rows down. If you are not sure which class you child is in, you can roll over the pictures to see what the gallery contains. (There is also a video if you want to view a slide show of the best pictures. I don’t know how to delete the other videos on that page.)

I will warn you, the page has lots of graphics. Be patient. Also, you may get a page that says you need an updated browser. You can just use what you have. If you have an older computer, you might have trouble viewing these.

When you are in the galleries, you can download the pictures two ways. If you so desire, you can download the whole gallery. Click the download button on the first page of the gallery. The site will zip the pictures for download. Be warned. The pictures are about 300KB. The whole gallery will be huge.

You can also just download the pictures of your child by downloading from his/her picture. You will get one picture at a time.

These pictures are great quality. I used my Canon Rebel XTI and Dr. Carmack’s professional lights and background. The downloaded files should make good 8 X 10 pictures if you want. I have used this site for prints. I pick them up at the store by Christiana Hospital: http://www.ritzpix.com/ .

The pictures in the galleries are organized by shot. The first shot of the student is the pose he/she picked. Today I had the students write down what they are trying to say in their poses. The rest of that child’s shots are what I was able to get them to do. When they stood there, I would get a feel for who they are. Some would say I took the picture I wanted, or I posed them the way I see them. Some kids were hard to work with. Others were great!

I loved working with the kids. Like most of my projects, I tried to get the students to examine themselves and others through different lenses. In this case, that lens was mine. The pictures I produced are a result of the interaction I had with them as they posed, and for some, with the whole class as they offered suggestions! It was challenging but rewarding.

-MrBoZ

Link : http://gallery.mac.com/bozmd

P.S. During each class I explained and had written on the board that if they want their pictures removed they had to put it in writing. I had two students do that so far. If you have an objection to your child's pictures being posted, I will respect your wishes and remove them. These pictures will be up for a few weeks. Then I will remove them.