Sections 2 and 3 are on schedule...not section 1.

Homework:
Sections 2 and 3 
       They should have their final draft of their conflict analysis in on Friday.

       I am thinking about having a literary terms quiz on Friday.  We will see what we get done tomorrow.

Section 1 has no homework. Today we spent most of the period scheduling for the activity period.  .


Requirements for the conflict analysis piece in sections 2 and 3:

• Must have seven literary terms (see below) bolded or underlined.
• Length should be between 300 and 500 words.
• Use size 12 font in Times New Roman with normal margins.
• The piece should start with a clear point that will be proven with examples from the text.
• The piece should end smoothly.

Terms you need to know for Unit 1

Fiction

Short story

Novel

Dialogue

Theme

Irony

Plot Stages

Plot

Exposition

Rising action

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

Linear Plot

Conflict

External Conflict

            Character vs. Character

            Character vs. Society

            Character vs. Nature

Internal Conflict

            Struggles with emotions

            Struggles about a decision

            A problem to be solved

            Struggles with thoughts and desires

            A battle within a character’s heart or mind

Characters and Conflict

Character traits can influence the resolution

Characterization

            Description

            Dialogue

            What others say about

Setting

General

Specific

Time and Place

Establish the mood

Setting can influence conflict

One Day at a Time

Homework:
Sections 2 and 3 should have their ROUGH draft for tomorrow.  We did not get to them today.
Section 1 has no homework.

Busy Busy
Things have been a little crazy with the schedule for my classes.  We were supposed to do DCAS testing this week, but there was a mistake with my training, so the testing is postponed until sixth grade is finished in a few weeks.

I also have to get the Achieve Level Set test completed ASAP as part of my Component V for teacher evaluation, so I used today's class time to make sure all students were done.  We did an Achieve article and experimented with a new graphic organizer.

Tomorrow, students are choosing their activity periods, which will require a good amount of time out of Section 1.

Basically, I am plowing ahead trying to get into a rhythm.  We are doing lots of good stuff, though. Grades will be coming soon.

"The Elevator" analysis assignment

Homework:
Sections 2 and 3 should come to class ready to discuss the assignment below.  I am thinking the final draft will be due Wednesday, but it might be Thursday.  

One focus of Common Core is proving your analysis with details from the piece.  I am teaching them what they are expected to do, so this first piece is more like practice.  They will get a formative grade.

Section 1 has no homework.


Vocab:
We will start the orange vocabulary sometime this week.

(I gave students their online books today.)

“The Elevator” analysis

In 300 words or so, identify and discuss the source of conflict in this story. 

Think about the following:

Describe the conflict from start to finish using the stages of plot.

In your opinion, is this conflict real or in Martin’s head?

Describe how the characters contribute to or cause the conflict.

Does the setting contribute to the conflict?

Final Form

Use a clear topic sentence to state your position.

Use specific examples from the story. 

            Dialogue? Description? Events?

Be sure to use many of the academic vocabulary we have studied. 

Type up, triple check your grammar, print, and submit.

The grades are submitted.

I have taken over 10,000 pictures during my time at H.B.

Did you know that I do photography for the school? 
Did you know that I was the yearbook coordinator for five years?
Well, over the 15 years I have worked at H.B. du Pont Middle School, I have collected a lot of pictures of our students performing at public events. 

If you are interested in seeing what I have done, or maybe you have never seen the pictures I have taken at your child's sporting event, check out the links below. 

However, if you want to see the pictures I took in school, you will have to find an old yearbook. 

Enjoy.

Sports Galleries Older
Sports Galleries 2010-2011
Sports Galleries 2011-2012
Sports Galleries 2012-2013

H.B. Band

Best Men

Homework

Section 1 should be ready to present their skits to the class Thursday.

Sections 3 and 4 should come to class ready to enjoy literature.  :)

Memorial Day: Grades are updated on HAC

Section 1:
I graded the two close reading responses you handed in (most handed in).
Be ready to present your skit on Wednesday.

Sections 3 and 4:
Mrs. Jamison is done grading your research piece.  She just finished them now.  Give her some time to enter the grades into HAC.

For many teachers, a three-day weekend is a blessing.  We actually get two days off and one extra day to get our work done.  :)

Grades have been updated

Vocabulary is finished in both classes!
All AR tests should have been taken by today.  They knew about this!


Section 1:
Over the break, I must grade two assignments:
    Two questions for Pit and Pendulum
    Close reading question on the Cask of Amontillado
On Wednesday, the students have a skit they must perform.


Sections 3 and 4:
We took a quiz on Anne Frank today.
Mrs. Jamison is still grading research papers.

Make-up work needs to get in.

See last blog entry :)

Homework

Sections 3 and 4:
AR due Friday
Pages 158 and 160 in the vocab book

Section 1:
Finish units 20 and 21 in book.
AR is due (I have put the second AR on the grade to inspire them to get it done.)
The last little piece of writing is due by the end of class Friday.  See below.
I am practicing the close reading method that the Common Core requires.

Name __________________________

How would you explain Poe’s writing style to someone who is about to read him for the first time?

Mood Tone Visualization Figurative language Sentence structure Vocabulary Dialogue

Choice of topic Setting Plot structure Foreshadowing Suspense

Read The Cask of Amontillado. 

On the first read, establish the plot, the characters, and the setting. Read straight through to the end.  Maybe you want to underline or circle words or phrases that tripped you up. 

On the second read, take the time to look up the words you don’t know.  Read section by section making sure you understand what is going on.  If you understand the story, this second read can be used for some examination of the writer’s techniques.  Start looking for sections that will help you support your explanation of Poe’s style.

The third read should be focused on those sections you want to study in depth.  Are there lines of dialogue or a lines of description that embody Poe’s style?  Are there things about this story that you have seen in other stories we have read?  Start looking at the notes you have made in the margins.  What connections are you making? 

I would like the piece to be about 300 words, typed, single spaced, Times New Roman size 12.  It is due on Friday or e-mailed soon after.

Homework:

Section 1:
  Two answers on The Pit and the Pendulum are due tomorrow.
  Vocab pages 225, 226, 235, and 236
  AR due Friday
  Skit due May 29th


Sections 3 and 4:
  AR due Friday
  Pages 157, 158


We are almost there.  Just a little more.

Homework

Section 1:
Pages 223, 224, 233, and 234 vocab
Answer two questions from the sheet I gave them in about 250 -300 words each question.
Performance as a group next Wednesday. (More details will follow. It will be fun.)

Sections 3 and 4:
Pages 155 and 156 vocab
There will be a quiz Friday on Anne Frank.  Students should know the following:

Know each of the characters:

Physical description Relationship to others Personality
Identify quotes said by each

Explain the conflicts

External- between other characters and world

Internal- Struggles to understand self

Plot the story

Flashback,
Important events that add tension

Identify the climax, Explain the resolution

Know the background and setting of the play:

In World War II, how Jews were persecuted, and what was the outcome?

I forgot the questions

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
1. The story never explains why the central character has been thrown into the pit. Why does Poe not inform the reader of his crime?
2. There are many details in the story which suggest the state of sleep, such as references to dreams and occasions when the character himself falls asleep. How is it possible to think of this story as a fictional account of a nightmare?
3. The primary dilemma of the narrator is that he is caught between the seemingly bottomless pit and the slowly descending pendulum. What do these two horrors represent?
4. What kinds of methods does the protagonist use to try to save himself? How successful are they?
5. Why is the protagonist finally rescued by some force outside of himself rather than by his own efforts?
6. What is it that keeps the protagonist from simply giving up?
7. Some critics have suggested that the story is an allegory of the basic dilemma of human life, for all the major elements of the story correspond to the universal human dilemma. Can you explain how this might be true?
8. How would you characterize the basic personality of the protagonist? Consider not only his actions, but also how he describes those actions.
9. This story seems to be set outside of any social context and to be devoid of any significant social theme. If this is so, then what kind of basic human theme or message about the human will does it express?
IDEAS FOR REPORTS AND PAPERS
1. Many short-story writers in America in the nineteenth century said that they wanted to write a story that seemed like a dream or a nightmare. Show how “The Pit and the Pendulum” is such a story.
2. In some very basic ways, the situation of the narrator in the story suggests that it is a universal human dilemma and that he is a figure representing everyman. Explain how this allegorical reading of the story can be supported.
3. Although the story deals with a horrifying dilemma and makes use of violent actions, it does not seem as shocking as many horror films today. Why not?
4. There is only one character in this story, and all we know about him directly is that he is caught in a horrifying dilemma. Describe what we can infer about his personality from his behavior; discuss how he attempts to cope with his situation.
5. How would you characterize the kinds of fears and anxieties that the protagonist faces? In what ways are they like fears and anxieties that all of us have?

Homework:

Section 1:
Students should have reread The Pit and the Pendulum and answered the questions below.
Vocab quizzes 18 and 19.

Sections 3 and 4:
Vocab quiz 13
Research paper is due.

Homework

Section 1

1. Pages 201, 202, 215, 216 in the vocab book
2. I had also asked them to finish The Pit and the Pendulum for today, but most didn't.  They have a chart due.  I gave them time to work in class today.
3. Each student was assigned a paragraph to rewrite into regular English so we can understand the story.  They are to type it up and submit it using this page.  (If no internet access is available, they can hand write it.)

Sections 3 and 4

1. Pages 147 and 148.
2. The research paper is due Friday.
3. AR due May 24.

Upcoming grades and homework

Section 1
The students should have finished The Pit and the Pendulum for tomorrow  They are to summarize each paragraph in the story (short) and write down two words per paragraph that were challenging.  I am using this piece to challenge the class.  We are exploring Poe's sentence structure.  It is complex!

Students should also do vocabulary pages 199, 200, 213, and 214 for tomorrow.

The second AR test is due May 24th.


Sections 3 and 4
We are finishing up the research paper this week.  Students had 1 hour to work in class today, and they will have 1 hour Tuesday.  Then they are on their own.  The piece is due Friday.

Students should do vocabulary pages 145 and 146 for tomorrow.

From Wednesday on, we will be continuing our study of Anne Frank.

I have been lax in posting.

I have spent my time planning lessons for The Diary of Anne Frank for sections 3 and 4.  I am also experimenting with a slightly different style of studying a piece of literature called close reading in my section 1 class. 

I am entering interims for section 4 tonight.  The make-up work should be in.

Interims are entered for sections 1 and 3

Section 1:
We took the vocab quizzes today. I entered the grades in HAC.
We also took a quiz on Ann Frank. I curved the bottom end of the scores.  With all the testing, I just wanted to wrap up that unit.  Monday we start Poe.

Sections 3 and 4:
We took quiz 11 today.  I entered the scores from this week's vocabulary exercises.
The students have to have a rough outline of their research paper by Tuesday.

(Section 4 still has some make-up work that needs to be entered before I enter their interims.)

The first AR test of MP 4 is in HAC

Section 1:
Quizzes 14 & 15 tomorrow

The grades on HAC are basically what I will enter for the interims.

Sections 3 & 4:
Quiz 11 tomorrow

I looked at the grades for these two classes and gave them a long work period today to get in some make-up work.  There are too many students who have not handed in their required work.  Many students have given Mrs. Jamison and me make-up work today and yesterday.  I anticipate the grades will be entered by Monday. 

Regardless, please check HAC to see if your child has completed the first AR requirement.  The next AR book is due by May 24th.

Grades were given to students in sections 3 and 4

Please check HAC to see how your student is doing.  Interims are Friday.

Sections 3 and 4 have pages 117, 118, and 119 for homework tonight.

I did not see section 1 due to DCAS testing.

What do I need to complete by the end of the school year?

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What do I need to complete by the end of the school year?

Sections 3 and 4:

Mr. Bosler

___ AR 1^st test was due April 30 (50 points)

___ AR 2^nd test due May 24^th (50 points)

___ Unit 11 Vocab and Quiz May 3 (25 points)

___ Unit 12 Vocab and Quiz May 10 (25 points)

___ Unit 13 Vocab and Quiz May 17 (25 points)

___ Unit 14 Vocab and Quiz May 24 (25 points)

-->

Starting May 2

___ Anne Frank story map, relationship map, conflict map, and Test (100 points)

Mrs. Jamison

___ Complete research book & outline due May 6 (25 points)

___ Research Paper due May 17 (100 points)

___ Win your debate starting May 20^th (50 points?)

Section 1:

___ AR 1^st test was due April 30 (50 points)

___ AR 2^nd test due May 24^th (50 points)

___ Units 14 & 15 Vocab and Quizzes May 3 (25 points)

___ Units 16 & 17 Vocab and Quizzes May 10 (25 points)

___ Units 18 & 19 Vocab and Quizzes May 17 (25 points)

___ Unit 20 Vocab and Quiz May 24 (25 points)

This is all I know for section 1.  We have been disrupted by DCAS testing, the band trip, and the chorus trip.  The rest of the school also has DCAS testing, so computer and lab time is sporadic.

We will continue reading stories from the literature book.  Poe will be next!

Vocab quizzes tomorrow

Section 1:
Lessons 12 and 13

Sections 3 and 4:
Lesson 10 with 17 for extra credit.  We did three pages of 17 in class today.  All pages of 17 must be done for the opportunity to get extra credit.  Students must score a 7/10 on the 17 quiz for extra.)

DCAS Round III and choir trip Friday

Now things get interesting.

For Wednesday and Thursday, the first period will be dedicated to testing for all 8th grade teachers.  Groups have been made, and the students have been informed.  This means that I will not see section 1 until Friday.



Section 1
Homework: Complete units 12 and 13.  Quiz on Friday.

Sections 3 and 4
Homework: Pages 109 and 110 which will be scored on the responders.

Homework- (Let's try that again)

Section 1:
Vocab pages 127, 128, 145, and 146
Finish conflict and relationship chart. (See below.)
How are those conflicts resolved?
Here is a link to the play online.

Sections 3 and 4:
Vocabulary pages 107 and 108


In section 1 we are studying The Diary of Anne Frank.  I am exploring the ideas from this essay on the controversy of studying the Diary of Anne Frank.  The gist is simply studying the journal or the play alone is not enough.  The story should be used as a stepping stone to studying the Holocaust.  The play, especially, does not contain enough depth about the true horror of what happened to the Jews and others.  For that reason, we are studying other sources.  Today we read an excerpt from story told by a girl who knew Anne in the concentration camp. Today's story focused on the concentration camp aspect of Anne's story that is not in the diary.  We have also begun watching the Masterpiece Theatre version of the Anne Frank story.  It is a BBC production with a great web page!  Read are reading the interview with the screenwriter bit by bit.  There are some interesting production notes.  Today we read how this production was one of the few that has the endorsement of the foundation representing the diary.  The TV story is different in many ways from the play. The notes say that this productions is the truest portrayal of Anne yet.  The video is online.

Videos

Masterpiece Theatre Anne Frank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGNRXZpZe8g&list=PLD87EE2A8BC9D71B7

Dear Kitty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmAa2eN7wFY

Play

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQLhyQZNGEU

 This is the relationship chart and conflict chart.  A diary is a series of narrative.  You can't simply act them out and call it a play.  The same goes for a TV movie.  There needs to be a story with characters.  There needs to be tension with a rising action.  We will be discussing the conflicts between characters.  What decisions did the playwrights and the screenwriter make as they created their versions of the story?

Sections 3 and 4 have an essay due Monday

The students have been learning citations and organization for a short research project.  By Monday they should have written a 500 word piece comparing one character from the movie Gettysburg to the real man whom they researched in class using the computers.  The paper does not have to be comprehensive.  The lessons learned during this assignment will be applied to a research project they will start next week. 

Vocab homework

Section 1:
111, 113, 121, and 123
Quizzes Friday

Sections 3 and 4:
Pages 97 and 99
Quiz Friday

Section 3 parents...

I graded the long answer pieces handed in before break.  Please look at HAC to see how your child is doing so far this MP.

Vocab Homework

Section 1:
Pages 109, 110, 119, 120

Sections 3 and 4:
Pages 95 and 96

The grades for the Human Spirit essay are on HAC (Section 1)

Section 1
There are five students who have not given me the essay yet.  I am getting tired if the excuse, "I sent it.  You didn't get it?"  If I got it, why would I be asking for the essay?  I have even asked some students three days in a row for the late work.  The assignment is late at this point.

(I will weight the grades as the MP goes on.  For now, just look at the percentages please.)

Homework: Vocab and AR

(Sorry.  I hit enter.)

Section 1:
pages 107, 108, 117, 118

Sections 3 and 4:
pages 93 and 94

In section 1 we looked up the prefixes, root, and suffixes that our words are composed of.  Here is what we found.  We looked at how the suffix can change the part of speech of the word.

Lesson 10

E limin ate:  eliminare, from e- (variant of ex-)‘out’ + limen, limin- ‘threshold.’

Ap parel: ORIGIN Middle English (as a verb in the sense ‘make ready or fit’; as a noun ‘furnishings, equipment’): from Old French apareillier, based on Latin ad- ‘to’ (expressing change) + par ‘equal.’

Stifle: ORIGIN late Middle English: perhaps from a frequentative of Old French estouffer ‘smother, stifle.’

Negat ive: ORIGIN late Middle English: from late Latin negativus, from negare ‘deny’ (see negate) .

Dura tion: ORIGIN late Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin duratio(n-), from durare ‘to last,’ from durus ‘hard.’

Re ject ed: ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin reject- ‘thrown back,’ from the verb reicere, from re- ‘back’ + jacere ‘to throw.’

Feeble: ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French fieble, earlier fleible, from Latin flebilis ‘lamentable,’ from flere ‘weep.’

Intrinsic ally: ORIGIN late 15th cent. (in the general sense ‘interior, inner’): from French intrinsèque, from late Latin intrinsecus, from the earlier adverb intrinsecus ‘inwardly, inward.’

Positive: from posit- ‘placed,’ from the verb ponere. The original sense referred to laws as being formally ‘laid down,’ which gave rise to the sense ‘explicitly laid down and admitting no question,’ hence ‘very sure, convinced.’

Se cure: (in the sense ‘feeling no apprehension’): from Latin securus, from se- ‘without’ + cura ‘care.’ Insecure= not without care

Lesson 11

Ex clu sion ary: Latin excludere, from ex- ‘out’ + claudere ‘to shut.’

Pre clude: from Latin praecludere, from prae ‘before’ + claudere ‘to shut.’

Pro gress: ORIGIN late Middle English (as a noun): from Latin progressus ‘an advance,’ from the verb progredi, from pro- ‘forward’ + gradi ‘to walk.’ regress, digress,

In clude: from Latin includere, from in- ‘into’ + claudere ‘to shut.’

Con clude: from Latin concludere, from con- ‘completely’ + claudere ‘to shut.’

Stereotype: from French stéréotype (adjective).

Ex ploit: ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French esploit (noun), based on Latin explicare ‘unfold’ (see explicate). Latin explicat- ‘unfolded,’ from the verb explicare, from ex- ‘out’ + plicare ‘to fold.’ ??????

Crisis: Greek krisis ‘decision,

In sight ful: related to Swedish insikt,Danish indsigt,Dutch inzicht, and German Einsicht .

At tainable: from Latin attingere, from ad- ‘at, to’ + tangere ‘to touch.’

The vocabulary grade for the week was entered.

Each week, there are three activities per unit that can be scored using the responders.  This means that I can take a quick grade on their homework effort, and we can check where students might have had problems.  With plenty of time and the book, students should get good scores on those three activities. 

The test on Friday is the fourth activity for vocab that can be scored using the responder.  That means that there are four grades that can easily be averaged to produce a vocab score for the week.

(Section 1 has two units per week.  Yes, they feel lucky!)

Right now I am using the 100 point score, but that will be weighted as the marking period goes on.  I don't think I want 700 points of vocabulary balanced against essays and such.  Maybe I will.  I have to see.  I feel that vocab should count for around 30% of the MP grade.  Essays and projects should make up the majority.

Just know that I am always fair when it comes to grading.  I try to make the grades accurately reflect the students' efforts and performance relative to the importance of the task.

This post is long, but it tells you about the units we are studying.

Section 1:
Finish all pages for units 8 and 9.
Be ready to take the two quizzes.

Right now we are studying The Diary of Anne Frank.  We are reading the play and watching a documentary called Dear Kitty, which is an interview with Miep, one of the people who helped hide Anne and the others.  The goal is to think like a playwright and a director.  How does one transfer lessons from the Holocaust?  There are so many mediums?  We will start with a play and a documentary.  We will be doing more later.

Sections 3 and 4:
Finish all pages for unit 8.
Be ready for the quiz.
Don't forget the students can earn 3 extra credit points for doing unit 15 and getting a 75% or better on the quiz.

Right now we are watching the movie Gettysburg.  The purpose of the movie is threefold.  First, the information about the battle and the Civil War is cross-curricular. When the students study the unit in Social Studies, they will have great background knowledge.  Secondly, we are preparing for a research project.  Mrs. Jamison is having the students pick a character from the movie to research.  The students will then write a brief paper using proper citations and bibliography.  Third, I want to look at the movie as a piece of historical fiction.  We will discuss plot elements along with characterization.  The movie is based on the book The Killer Angels.  The book was created from detailed research.  However, the movie is not a documentary.  The events of the battle are presented in story format.  Like the movie Titanic, not everything in the movie is meant to be accurate because, again, the movie is not a documentary.

The movie is long- four hours!  The movie is tedious at times.  The plot moves along slowly.  It reminds me of Lord of the Rings in a way, but it's not that good.  :) 

The movie does have battle scenes, and it is rated PG, but I assure you that the battle scenes are tame in comparison to the realism available today.  The battles are recreated by Civil War reenactors.  There is little blood and no gore.  Men who are shot merely fall down.  The emphasis of the movie was on what happened, not to show the true horror of war in the way Saving Private Ryan did.  The movie looks like it was created so that everyone could know what happened on those three important days in our country's history.

As a side note, Mrs. Jamison's dad worked on the production of the film.  He is a Civil War expert who helped make sure the sets and the battles were accurate.  Mrs. Jamison knows a lot about the battles because of her dad.  

Vocab Homework

Section 1: pages 85, 89, 95, 99
I am in the process of grading the Unit 3 projects handed in before break.  I regret that I did not start them over break.  Instead I took time preparing for the current unit on the Holocaust. 


Sections 3 and 4: pages 85 and 89
(Section 3 and 4 can do an extra credit quiz on unit 15.  All work due Friday.)

There is vocab homework tonight.

It's been quite a while since we did vocabulary; however, we are going to finish the book by the end of the marking period.

Section 1 will take two quizzes a week.  This Friday they will take units 8 and 9.  Tonight the students should be sure to complete pages 84, 86, 94, and 96.

Sections 3 and 4 will take one quiz a week.  This week they will take the quiz on unit 8.  The homework for tonight is to be done pages 83, 84, and 86.  There is extra credit available each week.  This week, students can take the quiz on unit 15 as well.  As long as the students complete all the book work and score above a 75% on the quiz, I will give them three extra credit points.  That could add up to 21 extra points!

We are back from break...

I have a plan through the end of the year, but it's not quite ready to be put down.

For now, students have vocab quizzes on Friday:
Section 1 has units 8 and 9
Sections 3 and 4 have unit 8 on Friday with an extra credit quiz on 15 (I will explain later)

AR is due April 30th

Lots more to come.