We have started our next literature study.

Homework:
Pages 52 + 53 in vocab.

Here is the basic idea of the next assignment.  We are going to read O. Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief."  We could stop there and write another response to literature.  Instead, I would like to address one of the Common Core Standards- CC.8.R.L.7 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.  

I am going to have the students study the written story first.  Then we are going to watch two versions of the story: the 1952 version on O. Henry's Full House DVD and the 1998 version staring Haley Joel Osment.  I want them to use the adaptations of the story as a way to critique the written story.

The assignment is a work in progress.  Today we watched the biography of O. Henry found on the Full House DVD. 

I do not know when it is due because I am not sure how long it will take me to prepare the students to write.  I will announce the due date in the future when I am convinced I have taught the students the skills they need to know to be successful.

I handed out grade slips today.

Homework:
Pages 49, 50, and 51 in the vocab book.

Today:
I discussed the schedule for the week. (See my website: www.mrboz.com)
I handed out grade slips so the students know what they are missing.
(I still have to enter the unit 4 quizzes from Friday.)

We started Achieve 3000.  
Most students are familiar with the program from last year.  I, however, am not.  I am being trained on how to best use the program.  Today, we only got through the placement test.  As of now, my only requirements are that students DO the work that is assigned.  

We will be having 45 minutes for Achieve on Monday and Wednesday. 

Do not forget that AR is due next Wednesday!

Have a good weekend

I updated HAC with all that I have. 
Don't forget that AR is due October 31.
I will enter HWK grades next week.
I have to score Section 4's Stop the Sun pieces.  I am trying so hard to get to them. 

:)

October 17, 2012

Homework:
Vocab pages 44 + 45
We will have a pronoun quiz tomorrow.

Here is what we discussed in class.

Lesson 10: More Pronoun Problems

Copy these notes.  Trust me, you need to take your time and think about these.

Linking verb: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, appears, seems, feels

Use the subject pronoun I, she, he, we, or they in a compound subject or with a predicate noun or pronoun. (see page 61)

Greg and she decided to learn more about Sacajawea.

The researchers are Polly and I.

Is this Brad? Yes, this is he.

Use the object pronoun me, her, him, us, or them in a compound object. (see page 63)

Her story has always fascinated Polly and me.

The research was divided between Greg and her.

Phrases that interfere

Don’t be confused by the words in between.

Page 82

1.   Meriwether Lewis is a favorite topic for Polly and (I, me).

2.   In 1803, President Jefferson sent (he, him) and William Clark to explore thousands of acres of wilderness.

3.   Lewis and Clark me Sacajawea, a young Shoshone woman in 1804; (they, she) hired her as a guide.

4.   They had first hired her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau, as an interpreter.  Both Sacajawea and (he, him) translated their conversations with Native Americans.

5.   Lewis, Clark, a band of soldiers, and (she, her) headed west when she was around 17.

6.   She survived near starvation and illness as (she, they) accompanied the explorers.

7.   Gre, Polly, and (I, me) learned that she was very important to the expedition.

8.   The baby on Sacajawea’s back made (her, it) much less threatening to Native Americans than the white soldiers alone would have.

9.   At one point, she, Lewis, and Clark visited (her, their) people’s summer home.

10.               The expedition, short on food and medicines, was able to restock (its, their) supplies from her tribe’s stores.

B.

Polly and me read Lewis and Clark’s journals.  Sacajawea and them met at Fort Mandan, near present-day Bismark, North Dakota.  Several months later, Lewis described how their supplies were washed overboard as he traveled by boat.  Sacajawea’s quick thinking saved journals, instruments, and medicines.

Sacajawea introduced Lewis and Clark to their tribe, the Shoshone, in the summer of 1805.  Lewis had left she, Clark, and most of the other men behind while he scouted ahead, looking for the Shoshone villages.  Finally, he met a Shoshone leader named Cameahwait.  When Clark and Sacajawea rejoined Lewis, she recognized Cameahwait; he was her brother!  Now Lewis and him could be friends.

Error in page 83

Polly and me read Lewis and Clark’s journals.  Sacajawea and them met at Fort Mandan, near present-day Bismark, North Dakota.  Several months later, Lewis described how their supplies were washed overboard as he traveled by boat.  Sacajawea’s quick thinking saved journals, instruments, and medicines.

Sacajawea introduced Lewis and Clark to their tribe, the Shoshone, in the summer of 1805.  Lewis had left she, Clark, and most of the other men behind while he scouted ahead, looking for the Shoshone villages.  Finally, he met a Shoshone leader named Cameahwait.  When Clark and Sacajawea rejoined Lewis, she recognized Cameahwait; he was her brother!  Now Lewis and him could be friends.

Ex. 10 page 615

1.   When our teacher asled Jason and (I, me) to do a presentation on an explorer, we chose the Frenchwoman Alexandra David-Neel.

2.   David-Neel, the daughter of French parents, made (her, their) way into the forbidden city of Lhasa, becoming the first Western woman to do so.

3.   Jason and (I, me) read about David-Neel’s great interest in Buddhism, the religion of Tibet and other countries in Asia.

4.   David-Neel, who spent much time away from home, still enjoyed a strong and lasting relationship with (she, her) husband.

5.   In 1912, David-Neel met the Dalai Lama, leader of the world’s Buddists; she and (he, him) became friends.

6.   While living and studying in a Buddhist monastery in the Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim, she met a boy named Aphur Yongden, who became (her, his) adopted son.

7.   (He, Him) and David-Neel explored Tibet and its capital, Lhasa, which was forbidden to Westerners.

8.   One winter, freezing temperatures forced Aphur and (she, her) to seek refuge in a mountain cave, where they had a dinner of shoe-leather soup!

9.   Disguised as a Tibetan peasant, (she, her) and Aphur spent two months exploring the secret city.

10.               The current Dalai Lama, the 14^th leader to hold the title, and many of (his, their) followers live in India, far away from the city of Lhasa.

Work Work Work

Homework:
Pages 42 +43 in vocab book

Today:
We discussed the vocab words again and reviewed the homework.
We reviewed the pronoun lesson from yesterday and did another lesson.  See work below.
I am having students use the responders to get formative grades.  I am looking at the scores to see which concepts I need to cover before I test them.  The test will be Thursday. 

Today's sentences 

Page 614 Ex. 8

1.   Has anyone ever read about prehistoric cave paintings in (their, his or her) trips to the library?

2.   No one who has ever seen prehistoric cave paintings will forget the powerful impression they make on (them, him or her).

3.   Many have written about (his, their) impressions of prehistoric paintings of horses, deer, bears, bison, and aurochs, an ancient breed of cattle.

4.   One of the horses in a cave in Chauvet, France, tosses (their, its) mane proudly while others watch.

5.   Several are so skillfully painted that it looks as if (it, they) could stampede right off the cave walls.

6.   Some of the animals are shown making (its, their) way across the cave walls in large herds.

7.   Another raises (its, their) head to challenge a rival in battle.

8.   All of the prehistoric artists who left (his or her, their) drawings on the cave walls are unknown.

9.   None of the artists were able to sign (his or her, their) names to the paintings because written language had not been developed.

10.               However, each has left (his or her, their) mark through the beauty and power of the paintings that have survived for more than 30,000 years.

Lesson 9: Pronoun Problems

Copy these sentences:

We humans don’t always appreciate trees.

Trees can feed and shelter us humans.

Sara and Anne want to become tree farmers.She works after school at an orchard.

Use the subject pronoun after linking verb: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, appears, seems, feels

“Is this Brad?”

“Yes, this is he.” 

(# 9 on 615.  Use subject.)

A.  Page 80

1.   For decades, (we, us) carpenters used wood from chestnut trees to build houses and furniture.

2.   Chestnuts were a nutritious food for both (we, us) country dwellers and wildlife.  The trees provided bushels of them.

3.   Then in 1904, a fungus began killing (them, the trees).

4.   Now scientists are crossbreeding American chestnut trees with Chinese chestnut trees.  (They, Chinese chestnut trees) resist blight.

5.   (They, Scientists) hope the new hybrid trees will survive for centuries.

B.

Us chestnut trees are very generous.  We give you boards for building and nuts for eating and even flowers in the spring.  They make furniture.  They taste sweet and crunchy.  However, a fungus is killing us.  What do we ask you to do for we trees in return?  Just help us fight it.

Tell Me Something Good!

Homework:
Pages 40 + 41 vocab.
Please see the calendar for all this week's due dates.

Tell Me Something Good
Do you spend too much time thinking about the things that are going wrong in your life?

Take a look at this list and see if you can find some good!  Sometimes, being happy for others is OK.  The world is not all about us!

Check out this page for the list we compile each day.  It is on my website www.mrboz.com .

Indefinite Pronouns:
Here are the sentences we studied today.

Lesson 8: Indefinite-Pronoun Agreement

Copy these sentences:

·     Everyone added his or her favorite item to the capsule.

·     One of the girls put her soccer ball in the box.

·     Many contributed their favorite CDs or video games.

·     Few realized that their electronics may become completely outdated.

·     Some of the time capsule looks like it is very old.

·     Some of the time capsules list their contents outside.

Ex. A page 78

1.   Everyone likes to think that (he or she, they) will leave a mark on the world.

2.   We all want to create something, and we hope (it, they) will outlive us.

3.   Some take an unusual approach; for (him or her, them), a time capsule is the answer.

4.   Anyone who assembles a time capsule hopes that (he or she, they) can send a message to the future.

5.   Each of the people who planned the time capsule at the New York World’s Fair in 1939 had (his or her, their) opinion about what should go in it.

6.   What did all of those experts finally agree on?  (He or she, They) put nineteen items in the capsule.

7.   Most of the items would be familiar to us today.  (They, IT) included an alarm clock, a safety pin, and a dollar bill.

8.   However, none of the people knew at the time that (his or her, their) slide rules would become outdated in just a few decades.

9.   One of California’s tar pits acts as a time capsule because (it, they) contains people’s throwaways.

10.               Although time capsules often remain sealed for decades, few are meant to keep (their, its) treasures hidden for as long as the Crypt of Civilization.  Completed in 1940, it is meant to last until the year 8113!

Grades have been updated on HAC

As of now, I have added the first AR test results.  I also added a grade for handing in the response to Stop the Sun on-time.  It is a small grade, but I want everyone to know if a big assignment is in on-time or not.  It may take me a week or so to grade these.

We had a little going away ceremony for the six students in my Section 1 who are leaving the class.  Each student wrote a little positive message and deposited it in each student's box. Then the boys took the messages out and wore the box on their heads for the rest of the day.  (I don't know why.)

On the flip side, there are a number of students who are excited that their friends are coming into the class!  I have to prepare a welcoming ceremony for them. 

Buy, guys!  You will be missed.

I will put the first AR grade in HAC Friday.

The final draft of the Stop the Sun response to literature is due Friday.

"Hawk Man" by I. Brock

Good draft is due by Friday

FYI: I added the AR scores to Section 1 on the HAC.  I will add the other two sections on Friday.

The good draft of the Stop the Sun response to literature piece is due Friday.  Today we looked at the rough drafts.  Section 4 typed in class and submitted their pieces.  (Some will finish by Friday.)

Here is the best outline I have come up with for those few students who are still not quite seeing the big picture.  You will also see an example of a B-/C+ piece at the bottom if you are curious what the paper should sound like.  

This will be on my blog today.        www.mrboz.com

Start with a focusing statement (focus of critique/connection)

Summarize story to give context for your commentary

         Quick summary of the story

         Main conflict

Mention the characters to pique our interest

         Story leads to theme

Critique and connect to the text

         Critique, explain, example from text.

         Critique, explain, example from text.

Choose two: Exposition | Characters | Setting | Conflict | Rising Action | Climax | Resolution | Theme | Flashback | Choice of characters | Use of dialogue

                  Connect, explain, example from text.

                  Connect, explain, example from text.

                           Text-text | Text-self | Text-world

Finish with a strong conclusion (You proved your focusing statement.)

 Sample

I did not like this story.  I did not connect with it at all.  None of my family members have been in the war and I do not think they used good description.  I could not picture a lot of the story and it made me confused.

            I did not like the story because in the first place Terry was trying to figure out what caused his dad’s problem.  Mr. Erickson was in the Vietnam War and was diagnosed with Vietnam Syndrome.  This caused him to have random freak-outs and he would stare out into space.  Not saying a word.  This process made Terry very worried for his dad and he wanted to figure out the issue.

            One reason I did not like the story was because I didn’t have anything in common with it.  Terry was told not to ask about his dad’s scary syndrome and he was worried.  I have never been told anything that would make me want to fix it.  And, like I said, none of my family members have been included in the war.

            Another reason I did not like this story was because I do not think the writer used enough description.  He used small words to describe what things looked like, so I could not picture the setting.  The only thing I could imagine was when Mr. Erickson told the story about his experience at war.  I also did not like how the story was laid out and organized.  To me it was confusing and hard to read.  They would talk about one thing and then jump over to another subject.  I think some things could have been taken out of the story.

            In conclusion, the author’s short story did not impress me.  If I could change one thing, it would be the description.  I think it is important for the reader to picture the story in their head and I did not have that effect.  I know the author could have written the story better and more organized than he did.

339 words

I will check off the Good Rough Draft Wednesday

I would like the students to come in with a finished draft that follows the brief outline below.  The better the draft, the better the feedback can be.  We will continue to discuss how to shape the final draft.

We are also doing a four lesson unit on pronoun/antecedent agreement.  I listed some notes below.  Tomorrow I will review what we did today and start another lesson.  I do not want these lessons to be huge.  I just need to cover the basic idea.  I plan to use responders to assess their progress.

Response to literature:

Start with a focusing statement (focus of critique?)

Summarize story to give context for your commentary (Can you summarize in three sentences?)

Critique and connect to the text

Give examples to prove your focus

Finish with a strong summary

Lesson 7: Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

The antecedent is the noun or pronoun that a pronoun replaces.

The Hopi people made their homes in the desert.

The Hopi people settled what is now Arizona. They have been here for more than ten centuries.

Mrs. Jamison teaches the class.  Mrs. Jamison is great!

Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number, person, and gender.            

Number

Hopi culture, in all its forms, is alive and well.

Traditional members keep cattle on their farms.

Person

Tribal elders tell the myths of their people. (3^rd person) possessive pronoun

We like to listen to our grandparents’ stories. (1^st person)

Visitors realize you can learn…NO

Visitors realize they can learn…

Gender

Derrick Davis performs his hoop dances.

Laurel Mansfield teaches her students.

Each dancer has his or her favorite dance moves.

Dancers have their favorite moves.

Critique and connect to the piece

Homework:
Ideally, students should have their rough drafts Tuesday so we can revise them for content. 

Today:
We discussed one last way to think about a response to literature for those who are not quite seeing the big picture.  We read through the sample pieces so they could see the difference between a D and an A.  I showed them the rubric that I posted on my blog last week.  Then we looked at another video for "Somebody that I used to Know."

When we looked at the second video, I wanted them to think about the theme of the song.  The song is about a break-up from two perspectives.  The theme of the song, then, might be something like We don't always see things the same way as the other person in a relationship.

Which video best portrays the theme of the song? What choices of craft did the creators make?  How did those choices influence the viewer, us? We agreed that the first video portrays the perspectives of the two people better than the group singing.  But we did agree that the group was creative and kept our attention.

Response to literature:

Start with a focusing statement (focus of critique?)

Summarize story to give context for your commentary

Critique and connect to the text

Give examples to prove your focus

Finish with a strong summary