The short story is due by class time tomorrow or it will be two grades down

No excuses.  Students have had plenty of guidance and time to write their stories.

Grades:
1. Hand the story in on time with basic requirements- MP1
2. Contains all the required elements from the list- MP2 large grade
3. Score based on the book's rubric: MP2 smaller grade

Students can e-mail the Word document.
They can use this form to submit their Word document to me.
They can print it out and put it in my hand. (I do want a digital copy if they can.)

Short Story is due Thursday in my hand!

Homework:

Section 1: Pictionaries unit 3
All: The short story is due Thursday in my hand! 

Today

Objectives:

Section 1 students will be introduced to Unit 3 vocabulary

Students will understand the requirements for the KBAR this week and their short story

Students will have made progress on their KBAR and short stories

Agenda:

Review the calendar

Section 1: Review unit 3 vocabulary

Quick lesson on dialogue punctuation (Page 111 in Close Read)

KBAR time with the focus on dialogue

Short story work time: fill in the story map for your story

You can get a 100% by having all of the following in your story.

You will get an A if you do the following:

(Notice these are things you must DO, not how great your story is. I am expecting you to apply the lessons we have learned.  The quality of the story will be a smaller grade.)

Short Story Requirements

___ Story has a title with hint of lesson

___ Introduction of some sort

___ Pause between start of story

___ Characters and setting are established

___ Background for conflict is established

        (Main character physical description and issues presented)

___ Event happens which starts the rising action

___ Events happen to build tension/conflict

___ Climax: Conflict is resolved

___ Resolution: theme is made clear because main character has changed

Writer’s Style

___ All five senses are somewhere in your story

___ At least one simile

___ At least one metaphor

___ Uses dialogue for various purposes

___ Does not use “said” every time

Your grade will be lowered if the grammar is not perfect.

Grammar and Mechanics

___ Dialogue is punctuated correctly

        Indent when new speaker

        John replied, “I am happy.”  (Notice correct punctuation)

___ No grammar errors.  This is being handed in for a contest!

Don’t say I never offer extra credit!

Extra Credit

___ The main theme is “The world would be a better place if…”

___ You must have a printed copy

___ You must complete the entry form for the PTA Reflections Contest

When I have everything, you will receive 2% extra on your grade for MP 2 (Calculated at the end.  However, I guess you could always just mentally add it in as you go.)

This is what we did in class today

I made my website cleaner with organized links. 
(Hopefully it will make it easier to find what you need.)

Objectives:

Students will understand that there are various ways writers start their pieces.

Students will start to think about how they want to start their short stories.

Lessons:

1. Examine the introduction for Esperanza Rising
2. KBAR time
1. Enter your idea for the introduction to your story here.
3. Quiet typing time.
1. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR BOOK REVIEW IN TODAY
2. Sample Sample
3. Requirements for the book review
4. Submit the Word document here.
5. You can also just tell me to take it from your wiki page.
4. Type up your introduction to your story on your wiki or wherever.
1. Here is an interesting article about introductions.
2. This article looks interesting too.

      We looked at the intros for Tom Sawyer, One Last Time, and Esperanza Rising
       The introduction leads towards the final scene
                How to Write a Juicy Short Story Introduction
               Seven Types of Short Story Starters
                     Options for Introduction
                     1. Set the Scene
                     2. Establish the Conflict
                     3. Mystify the reader
                     4. The Third Person Narrator speaks to you
                     5. The First person Narrator speaks
                     6. Interesting Quote
                     7. The Puzzler

Major grade update on HAC

Good grammar matters!

Section 1

• I graded the book reviews that I have. I made it worth three summatives because it is the culmination of the lessons I have been teaching for weeks.
• I entered a vocabulary grade as a formative.  We are still acclimating to the book.

Sections 2 and 3

• I entered some Achieve grades.  They are small formatives.  A few too many students are not using the tool seriously.
• I entered the grades for the book reviews that I have.  A few say "EXC."  That means I have the review but I need to grade it. Students will have some time in class Thursday to finish the reviews... which were due Monday.  :(

Put it on your calendar: December 1
Another book review for a new book should be completed before November 25.  (That is 5 weeks from today.) But if they really want to work over Thanksgiving, it can be due December 1. 

There will be some new academic vocabulary that I will want them to use, but it will basically be the same format.

The link for the book review list was wrong

Book Review List

If you are not on this list, I do not have your book review.

If your book review is not on this list...

then I do not have it!  They were due today. I also entered a small temporary grade into HAC as well.

Here is the list.

If you would like to e-mail me the text of your book review, that will work too.

I have made a page for each book review so we can decide if we want to read your book next.  

Objectives:

Students will understand the plan for writing their short stories.

Students will practice how writing a story starts by writing the last scene.  The theme must be clear. THEN start writing the beginning to lead towards the end.

Lessons:

Section 1 will review the vocabulary words and do some Completing the Sentence.  Finish for homework.

Tell Me Something Good

Warm up: Grammar

Review the schedule for the week

Lecture: Write your final scene

Theme: The world would be a better place if...   (+ 2% on grade)

(You can have more than one theme.)

Work time

The book reviews page is coming along!

Book Reviews List

As the reviews are submitted, I am making links so we can all read your review.  My goal for the January is for you to choose a book from the book review list, read it, and add to the review.

The next book review will be due in the beginning of December.  By January, there should be a list of about 160 books to chose from!

The book review is due by Monday

When you are finished with your book review, please send me your Word document using this form.

Fill in your First and Last name
Upload the file, which is like attaching a file to an e-mail.
Hit send at the bottom of the page.

Next week we start writing our short stories!

Have a good weekend.

I will try to score some of the book reviews.

We are in the homestretch for the book reviews

Homework:
Students should be finishing up their book reviews at home as well.
Section 1 should be done synonyms and antonyms for unit 2 vocab

Thursday, October 16, 2014

posted 8 hours ago by Bradford Bosler   [ updated 6 hours ago ]

Objectives: Over the next two days, students will have entered their complete book review on the class spreadsheet. Students will also have pasted all of their book review sections into one document on their wiki which will function as the complete book review which others can read straight through. Section 1 will have made progress on their vocabulary unit 2. Today: You should use Word to type up each section of the book review. Use the Word Count tool to make sure you don't have too many words. (Highlight the section you want and use Tool/Word Count) Paste the completed section into this spreadsheet. Do not worry about wrapping the text. Double click the spreadsheet box to see your complete text. Do not type in the spreadsheet.  Use Word to type. Paste each completed section into your Wiki page. Label the sections Make it look like one complete review. Hopefully we can print these out. When you are done, you can help other students by using the comment feature of the spreadsheet. Assessment: Much of the book review is a summative grade.   Students are demonstrating how well they have applied their KBAR close reading skills. The students are expected to be using the vocabulary we have been discussing in class. Students will be doing another book review second marking period.   I will be grading that one harder than I grade this one. MAX Words Focus Hook 100 See sheet of 52 types Summary 250 Setting, Plot Summary, Characters, Theme, did not give away the end/ Writer’s Style: Feature 1 200 Feature and the effect 3 examples explain Writer’s Style: Feature 2 200 Feature and the effect 3 examples explain Writer’s Style: Feature 3 (Optional) 200 Feature and the effect 3 examples explain Text to Self Connection 150 One part I connected with in the book was…  Explain the section in book.  Explain your connection. Text World Connection 150 One part of the book that I see in the world is … Explain the section in book.  Explain your connection. Text to Text Connection 150 One part of the book that reminds me of another text is … Explain the section in book.  Explain your connection. Rating (4,3,2,1) Just the number Explain your rating 150 Could summarize the things above. Final Thoughts 100 Anything that might not have been said above. 1650

Text Connections and Writer's Style

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Homework:
Students will spend the next two days entering their book reviews onto the spreadsheet and printing a complete copy.  The book review is a huge summative grade which must be completed!

Objectives:  Students will better understand how to write the writer's style and connections parts of their book review. Students will have work time so that they can be sure to have their book reviews done by the end of the day Friday. Lessons: We will watch two YouTube videos.  (They are not the most exciting, but they do contain the information students need to know.  Students can also review these videos on their own time so they can better understand the ideas.) Author's Style, Tone, and Mood BORING, but has notes Text Connections Text Connections Text to Self Text to World Text to Text Example from the text connections video: Text to Text When I stopped reading today, Harry was in a real difficult situation.  He had just had a big argument with his friend Ron.  I think Harry will do his best to work things out with Ron because Harry displays loyalty to his friends.  I was in a similar situation once.  Although we were mad at on another, we figured out that an argument wasn't worth ruining a long friendship.  I think that Harry and Ron will realize that they will have a better chance of meeting their goals if they get over their disagreement. (94 words) This could be longer.   The connection needs to be explained better.  This is also only on one small section of the story.  I think it could cover a little more than just this.  How does it fit into the big picture? Another connections example: Text to Text Frankenstein's monster is similar to the villain Syndrome from the movie The Incredibles. As a child, Syndrome is neglected and made fun of by everyone. Even Mr. Incredible, the one person the villain looked up to, thinks he is freaky. As a result, Syndrome dedicates his life to killing all heroes, including Mr. Incredible. In Frankenstein, the monster is made fun of as soon as he comes alive, especially from his "father", Victor. As a result, the monster takes his negative feelings out on the one who he thought would care for him, his creator Dr. Frankenstein. Both characters take revenge and use violence because of being isolated and hated during their youth. Writer’s Style Notes: When writing about the writer's style, think about this order of explanation: Text, Technique, Impact First, find a sample text that demonstrates the writer's style. Use a direct quote from the text. Be sure to include the page number. Then identify the technique that the text demonstrates. Then explain the impact that writer's technique has on the reading of the text. (I need to develop a list of impacts.  For example, how does using a 1st person point of view impact the delivery of the story compared to using a 3rd person point of view?) State your Claim Support with EvidenceExplain why it matters for the reader  Example I noticed that Susan Cooper wrote the first half of this book from a first person’s point of view to let the reader see things as the main character, Little Hawk, goes through them.One example is when Little Hawk was hunting while on his manhood journey. The text says, “I scrambled down through the snow to look for my arrow.” (p. 42). Another example is when Little Hawk died. The text says, “I never heard the sound of the second shot that blasted a great hole in my chest and killed me.” (p. 128). A third example is when Little Hawk is a ghost and he is watching his tribe prepare for war. The text says, “I watched, and I listened, with dread.” (p. 300). Using the first person’s point of view, the reader is able to see things as the main character goes through them from his point of view. The reader gets to know Little’s Hawk’s thoughts and feelings about things. After Little Hawk dies, the author changes the narration to a third person limited point of view. Little Hawk is still narrating the story, but now the reader can also see John Wakeley’s thoughts and feelings. It is better than having a third person story teller that is not part of the story. Example I noticed that this book uses good imagery to paint vivid mental pictures for the reader. One example is when Little Hawk killed a deer. The text says, “Then I shifted the deer so that he was tilted downward on a snowbank and I cut his neck in the proper place to bring the blood out.” (p. 44). Another example is when Little Hawk is stuck out in a storm. The text says, “Overhead, the big trees began to creak and groan. The wind howled into my fire bringing icy snow with it.” (p. 50). A third example is when Little Hawk is dead. The text says, “The boy stood shocked into silence, staring aghast at my shattered chest and the bright blood, and at my face with the wide open eyes that could no longer see.” (p. 133). These uses of imagery are important because the reader gets to know exactly what is going on and gets to see with great detail what is going on. That way the reader fully understands what is going on.

Writer's Style section of the book review

Homework:

1. Students should be working on their book reviews!
2. I moved the date up only because students  will have computers Thursday and Friday, and there is no reason why they can't get all their work typed in before the weekend.
3. I will discuss the requirements for the poster next week.

I tried to come up with a formula for the students to use when they talk about the writer's style.  The hardest part is explaining why the writer chose to do something.  What is the effect of good word choice?  Why use a 1st person point of view as compared to a 3rd person limited? How does the writer's use of figurative language add to the experience of the piece?

I would like students to give this a shot on the book review.  We will be talking about writer's choices all year, and this is not the only book review students will be doing.

Requirements for Writer’s Style

1. Pick TWO writer’s style topics to discuss.
2. 150- 200 words each (use Word to count)
3. Claim- 1 sentence
4. Cite- 3 examples with page number
5. Explain- 2 sentences of why it matters

Enter the two paragraphs on this spreadsheet.
Cite evidence and explain your claims about Gary Soto’s writing style.  Choose 2 or 3 to explain.

1. Imagery    Gary Soto use imagery in his story to…. (Claim)

Find examples in the text and use line numbers. (Cite)Some suggested talking points:    The five senses    Creates an image in your mind’s eyeExplain how the writer’s choice of imagery matters. (Explain)

2. Figurative Language    Gary Soto uses figurative language in his story to…. (Claim)    Find examples in the text and use line numbers. (Cite)        Some suggested talking points:            Simile –comparison using like or as            Metaphor- comparison where one thing is another        Explain how the writer’s choice of figurative language matters. (Explain)

3. Choice of narrator    Gary Soto uses (Narrator choice) because he … (Claim)    Find examples in the text and use line numbers. (Cite)        Some suggested talking points:                1^st Person Point of View                3^rd Person Objective                3^rd Person Omniscient                3^rd Person Limited Omniscient        Explain how the writer’s choice to lead the reader through the story

        matters. (Explain)

4. Sentence Structure    Gary Soto’s sentence structure is…        Some suggested talking points:            Smooth and Expressive Sentence Fluency (Claim)            Variety in Sentence Beginnings (Claim)            Variety in Sentence Length and Structure (Claim)            Easy to Read Expressively; Sounds Great When Read Aloud (Claim)            Rhythm, Rhyme, Alliteration, and Other “Sound” Effects (Claim)            Sentences are Structured so They’re Easy to Understand (Claim)            A Short Note on Sentence Structure (Claim)     Find examples in the text and use line numbers. (Cite)    Explain how the writer’s choice of sentence structure matters. (Explain)

5. Word Choice       Gary Soto’s word choice matters because he is trying to …            Some suggested talking points:                Specific and Memorable Word Choice (Claim)                Strong Verbs That Tell How Actions are Performed (Claim)                Adjectives and Adverbs That Make Things More Specific (Claim)                Words and Phrases Readers Remember Long After They’ve
                      Finished Reading (Claim)                Words and Phrases Used Accurately and Effectively (Claim)                Language That is Appropriate to Purpose and Audience (Claim)                5 Cent words compared to 50 cent words (Claim)

Find examples in the text and use line numbers. (Cite)Explain how the writer’s choice of word choice matters. (Explain)

ExampleI noticed that the way this book was structured was in a very conversational way. It had very good imagery. One example is when he goes to the place where Londell works and the text says how the houses were all boarded up and smelled of rotting carpets, and  how he felt he was in a ghost town. It also shows how his grandmothers Band-Aid on her leg was very brown from pus, and when Harold sees Londel it shows how big and muscular he was. This imagery helps place me in the story. It also allows me to understand the ambience and setting of the story.
This example is not the best, but it works for now.  It is only 107 words and the wording is a little rough.
The claim is unfocused.  Is it conversational or imagery?
There needs to be more evidence for the claim in the middle.
There should be specific quotes and page numbers from the book.
This is a start.

Assessment:

Students are to enter their Writer's Style Paragraphs on this spreadsheet by the end of the day Friday.

Book Review due by the end of class Friday!

HWK: Section 1 has pictionaries and synonyms for unit 2 in the vocabulary book.

ALL: NO KBAR this week.
The book review is due by the end of the day Friday.
The book review will be entered into the same page as their hook and summaries.




I spent a lot of time creating these pages to help the students:
Monday's Lessons
Tuesday's Lessons

Please use the links from Today In Class on my webpage when you are absent.

We are doing a lot of hard work this week.  We are putting together ideas we have been discussing all marking period.

Grades are updated on HAC

I graded the Hook and Summary for the book review.  The writer's style section is due Wednesday.  We will be discussing it this week.

I also added Achieve for sections 2 and 3.

(I did not look at their KBAR for 10/6 -10/10 yet.)

The writer's style part of the book review is due Wednesday.

The rest of the book review is due on Monday October 20th.  I have a page where students can enter their work. 

Section 1 took a quiz on Unit 1 of the vocab.  I am not entering those scores because I wanted students to see the type of quiz they would be taking.  Most did well anyway, but taking a score would be unfair.

The goal for this coming week is to teach students how to discuss writer's style.  We will be looking at the Tom Sawyer piece and the Gary Soto piece as examples. Students will be expected to use the academic vocabulary to review their books.

I made this Big Picture to show students how everything fits together.  This same chart is on my front board at school.  I hope it students them to see what is due when and why we are doing it.