I collected the essays in class. We continued the debates. Two classes are finished. One class is almost finished. The two honors classes, because they are so large, have about 5 more debates to go. We will have to finish them after the break.
After the break we will begin a new essay. I think it will be a compare contrast essay. The topic will not need to be studied so much, so we will have time for sentence diagramming... for real this time. We will have time to work the whole period, not just the little daily drill time. I mentioned the essay topic in an earlier blog. I THINK it might be something comparing what goals parents have for their children and how the children think they are measuring up to those goals, or something like that.
I will grade the ant debate essays after the break. They will be quicker to grade because I will just score them based on the lessons I have been teaching about organizing persuasive essays.
Have a nice break (students). I will not be blogging over the break. If you have a real desire to know what I am up to, you can check out my mobile blog: http://mrbozmobile.blogspot.com/ . I post pictures from my cell phone.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
December 19, 2006
Homework: pages 80-83 in the vocab book
Quiz on units 4-6 tomorrow
Ant essay due Thursday
Vacation has not started yet! The debates are rolling along now. The first ones are so hard, but now that we have scored a few, it is getting quicker. The idea behind having the debates it to see the strategies needed to effectively persuade. When they are in front of the class, they see how strong (or weak) their arguments are, especially when they see their scores. My hope is they will use that experience to strengthen their essays. There is so much that could be used in the essays. Unfortunately, too many students are only using a fraction of what was discussed.
Quiz on units 4-6 tomorrow
Ant essay due Thursday
Vacation has not started yet! The debates are rolling along now. The first ones are so hard, but now that we have scored a few, it is getting quicker. The idea behind having the debates it to see the strategies needed to effectively persuade. When they are in front of the class, they see how strong (or weak) their arguments are, especially when they see their scores. My hope is they will use that experience to strengthen their essays. There is so much that could be used in the essays. Unfortunately, too many students are only using a fraction of what was discussed.
Monday, December 18, 2006
December 18, 2006
Homework: Pages 78 and 79 in vocab
Be ready for the debate (which too many are not!)
Have the essay written by Thursday
I had too many students not ready for the debates! Even when we have had three weeks to prepare, too many students are standing in front of the class like they have no idea what to talk about. I am disappointed.
The essay has a format that I am asking them to follow. It is the standard format for a persuasive essay:
p1 Introduction
p2 Discuss your position fully
p3 Discuss the opponent's position
p4 Rebut the opponent's position point by point
p5 Maybe have a final strong paragraph
p6 Conclusion
The essay should have some passion to it, unlike too many of the debates.
(I am just frustrated. Oh, well. It is their grade.)
Be ready for the debate (which too many are not!)
Have the essay written by Thursday
I had too many students not ready for the debates! Even when we have had three weeks to prepare, too many students are standing in front of the class like they have no idea what to talk about. I am disappointed.
The essay has a format that I am asking them to follow. It is the standard format for a persuasive essay:
p1 Introduction
p2 Discuss your position fully
p3 Discuss the opponent's position
p4 Rebut the opponent's position point by point
p5 Maybe have a final strong paragraph
p6 Conclusion
The essay should have some passion to it, unlike too many of the debates.
(I am just frustrated. Oh, well. It is their grade.)
Friday, December 15, 2006
December 15, 2006
The debates are in full swing! Some are amusing, while others are disappointing. I can't emphasize this enough: be prepared! I suggest students deliver their presentation to someone beforehand. When they are ready to present should NOT be the first time they have spoken their research to someone! If you are interested, here are some things to consider about the scoring:
You get extra points for a proper introduction. (5 points total)
You should have four main reasons for your side with two explanations each. (12 points minimum)
You get two points for each rebuttal. If the other side said four points, that is 8 points.
There is another round for rebuttals (maybe 6 more points)
A good conclusion that incorporates the opponent's weaknesses gets 5 points
Visuals can give you three points
Eye contact can give you five points.
Here are the grades:
30 = A
20 = B
15 = C
14 + 13 = C-
How could one even get a D?
If you look above at the way they get points, it is hard to see how a student could not get an A! Only the winner gets the A, though. The winner gets 5 points for winning. That can push the grade up to the next grade.
You get extra points for a proper introduction. (5 points total)
You should have four main reasons for your side with two explanations each. (12 points minimum)
You get two points for each rebuttal. If the other side said four points, that is 8 points.
There is another round for rebuttals (maybe 6 more points)
A good conclusion that incorporates the opponent's weaknesses gets 5 points
Visuals can give you three points
Eye contact can give you five points.
Here are the grades:
30 = A
20 = B
15 = C
14 + 13 = C-
How could one even get a D?
If you look above at the way they get points, it is hard to see how a student could not get an A! Only the winner gets the A, though. The winner gets 5 points for winning. That can push the grade up to the next grade.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
December 13, 2006
Sorry I did not blog yesterday. I guess I forgot.
Homework: pages 76 and 77 in the vocab book
I assigned an outline for the essay in sections 3,6,7
They should be working on their debate presentations and essays
By tomorrow, all classes will be in full swing with the debates. They are fascinating to see, really. Some students are good at presenting their position. Others come up unprepared. Still others don't really turn it on until the rebuttals. But when the class gives me the results, we see who won.
The debates teach the students lessons for writing. I stress good introductions and conclusions. Debate after debate forces the students to observe good organization and bad. They also evaluate the effectiveness of the supports given. It is like every student gets to be the teacher; they give the scores for the debates. For all the time this takes, I think the lessons learned are great. Look for the winners and losers off of the ant debate page on MrBoZ.com.
Homework: pages 76 and 77 in the vocab book
I assigned an outline for the essay in sections 3,6,7
They should be working on their debate presentations and essays
By tomorrow, all classes will be in full swing with the debates. They are fascinating to see, really. Some students are good at presenting their position. Others come up unprepared. Still others don't really turn it on until the rebuttals. But when the class gives me the results, we see who won.
The debates teach the students lessons for writing. I stress good introductions and conclusions. Debate after debate forces the students to observe good organization and bad. They also evaluate the effectiveness of the supports given. It is like every student gets to be the teacher; they give the scores for the debates. For all the time this takes, I think the lessons learned are great. Look for the winners and losers off of the ant debate page on MrBoZ.com.
Monday, December 11, 2006
December 11, 2006
Homework: pages 72 and 73 in the vocab book
work on the debate
maybe they want to start writing the essay that is due next week
The debates are getting closer every day! Today I discussed how the debates will be scored. It's hard, really, to explain how they will be scored until they see it in action. I wanted to show them, though, that they need to have a lot to say. They get points for each good reason and/or explanation of that reason. The more they say, the more points they get. They also get points for a unique introduction, eye contact, visuals, and solid conclusion. They will need to listen during the debate to earn points during the rebuttal round where they refute what the opponent has said.
The essay will be a written version of the debate format. There will be an introduction, a discussion of the main reasons they have for their position, a discussion of the opposition, rebuttal of that opposition, and a strong conclusion. The essay and debate should show depth of thought and a consideration of both sides.
work on the debate
maybe they want to start writing the essay that is due next week
The debates are getting closer every day! Today I discussed how the debates will be scored. It's hard, really, to explain how they will be scored until they see it in action. I wanted to show them, though, that they need to have a lot to say. They get points for each good reason and/or explanation of that reason. The more they say, the more points they get. They also get points for a unique introduction, eye contact, visuals, and solid conclusion. They will need to listen during the debate to earn points during the rebuttal round where they refute what the opponent has said.
The essay will be a written version of the debate format. There will be an introduction, a discussion of the main reasons they have for their position, a discussion of the opposition, rebuttal of that opposition, and a strong conclusion. The essay and debate should show depth of thought and a consideration of both sides.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
December 6, 2006
Homework: Keep researching for the ant debate.
Use the sheet I gave you to organize rebuttals for "Hey, Little Ant."
Today we finished the movie in all classes. I had them finish the sheet I created to go along with the movie. I see three themes discussed in the movie: education eliminates prejudice, the world we live in varies as a result of our perspective, and what would the world be like if we discovered "the ant with-in?" I do not have time to write a paper on how each of these is seen in the movie. Like many children's movies, though, this one has plenty for adults to think about. The children will not catch the deeper, spiritual quest that is encourage throughout the movie. This self actualization and guidance is realized through a supernatural belief that the ants have.
Interestingly, the "religion," if you will, of the ants resembles many world religions all in one. Sure, the boys learns that ants are not just stupid. But if you enjoy looking for deeper meanings in a movie, check this one out! (I did not spend much time at all on the religion part. I merely mentioned that the ant religion seems to be comprised of many ideas from many world religions.)
Use the sheet I gave you to organize rebuttals for "Hey, Little Ant."
Today we finished the movie in all classes. I had them finish the sheet I created to go along with the movie. I see three themes discussed in the movie: education eliminates prejudice, the world we live in varies as a result of our perspective, and what would the world be like if we discovered "the ant with-in?" I do not have time to write a paper on how each of these is seen in the movie. Like many children's movies, though, this one has plenty for adults to think about. The children will not catch the deeper, spiritual quest that is encourage throughout the movie. This self actualization and guidance is realized through a supernatural belief that the ants have.
Interestingly, the "religion," if you will, of the ants resembles many world religions all in one. Sure, the boys learns that ants are not just stupid. But if you enjoy looking for deeper meanings in a movie, check this one out! (I did not spend much time at all on the religion part. I merely mentioned that the ant religion seems to be comprised of many ideas from many world religions.)
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
December 5, 2006
Homework: Flashcards sections 3,6, and 7
Study for quiz 6
Continue researching for the ant debate
Most of the classes are finishing The Ant Bully. I look forward to seeing how the movie will be used in the debates. I see many ways to argue whether the ant should be squished. In some ways, the factual information can help. But since the book is fictional, and the ant is more human, the details from The Ant Bully will help. However, those aren't the only angles that can be discussed. What about bullies? What about morals and ethics? What about laws, both human and in the movie? What about larger guiding ideas, sort of univeral laws?
No, I do not have one specific answer that I want to hear. What I do want to do for the students is teach them how to write a well thoughtout piece that not only proves their position but explains how they are more correct when both sides are considered. It is a big task, and the debates help them to see the many positions. In their minds, they are right. Once they see how many ways this can be argued, they will have to rethink their positions.
Oh, I forgot. The essay position DOES NOT have to be the same position they took during the debate.
Study for quiz 6
Continue researching for the ant debate
Most of the classes are finishing The Ant Bully. I look forward to seeing how the movie will be used in the debates. I see many ways to argue whether the ant should be squished. In some ways, the factual information can help. But since the book is fictional, and the ant is more human, the details from The Ant Bully will help. However, those aren't the only angles that can be discussed. What about bullies? What about morals and ethics? What about laws, both human and in the movie? What about larger guiding ideas, sort of univeral laws?
No, I do not have one specific answer that I want to hear. What I do want to do for the students is teach them how to write a well thoughtout piece that not only proves their position but explains how they are more correct when both sides are considered. It is a big task, and the debates help them to see the many positions. In their minds, they are right. Once they see how many ways this can be argued, they will have to rethink their positions.
Oh, I forgot. The essay position DOES NOT have to be the same position they took during the debate.
Monday, December 04, 2006
December 4, 2006
Homework: Finish Unit 6 vocabulary
I checked the progress of the students today. As expected, some are doing just fine with the research, but too many don't really have much to show. Many had a proper bibliography, but they were lacking abundant notes.
I told the students that they would be standing in front of the class delivering a speech. I don't know how else to put this. If they do not have research, they will look pretty silly! We are watching The Ant Bully examining prejudice and "the ant within." I look forward to how this movie will be incorporated into their debates. Although the movie shows what ants do, not everything is true to life. There are many ways to attack the opponent in the debate. I hope by showing them multiple angles of attack, they will produce a thought out debate with and equally impressive essay that follows.
I checked the progress of the students today. As expected, some are doing just fine with the research, but too many don't really have much to show. Many had a proper bibliography, but they were lacking abundant notes.
I told the students that they would be standing in front of the class delivering a speech. I don't know how else to put this. If they do not have research, they will look pretty silly! We are watching The Ant Bully examining prejudice and "the ant within." I look forward to how this movie will be incorporated into their debates. Although the movie shows what ants do, not everything is true to life. There are many ways to attack the opponent in the debate. I hope by showing them multiple angles of attack, they will produce a thought out debate with and equally impressive essay that follows.
Friday, December 01, 2006
December 1, 2006
Homework: Be finished taking notes. Have a bibliography ready to show me that you have been researching. Use http://www.easybib.com to format your sources.
All classes are in the middle of watching The Ant Bully. I have created a worksheet that goes with the movie. If you are interested, you can look at it from the assignment page for the ant debate. The goal for the coming week is to finish the movie, do more sentence diagramming, and develop strategies for organizing their essays and debates.
All classes are in the middle of watching The Ant Bully. I have created a worksheet that goes with the movie. If you are interested, you can look at it from the assignment page for the ant debate. The goal for the coming week is to finish the movie, do more sentence diagramming, and develop strategies for organizing their essays and debates.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
November 30, 2006
Homework: Completing the sentence unit 6
We spent time researching in class. The honors classes started watching The Ant Bully. More discussion on the movie will follow. When I was doing this debate last year (I have done this for many years), the movie trailer was out. Now that the movie is out, I am figuring out how I will use it with the lesson. Everything I am doing with the kids now is to get them to think critically. They don't just do it naturally. Each day is like doing thinking push-ups. The momentum builds slowly. But once it kicks in, watch out! Wait until it is full steam during the media literacy unit!
We spent time researching in class. The honors classes started watching The Ant Bully. More discussion on the movie will follow. When I was doing this debate last year (I have done this for many years), the movie trailer was out. Now that the movie is out, I am figuring out how I will use it with the lesson. Everything I am doing with the kids now is to get them to think critically. They don't just do it naturally. Each day is like doing thinking push-ups. The momentum builds slowly. But once it kicks in, watch out! Wait until it is full steam during the media literacy unit!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
November 29, 2006
Homework: Choosing the right word unit 6
Continue researching for the ant debate
Note: I am not getting the feeling that the students are really taking the research part of the debate seriously. Maybe it is due to the fact that the debate is far off. However, the research is due Monday. I want to see all their notes and a bibliography.
I will be giving them class time to research Thursday. Hopefully they will not waste it talking. I am leading the horses to water, so to say. On Friday, I will show them how to do a bibliography.
Sometime soon we will be watching a little bit of the movie The Ant Bully. Even though it is rated PG, there is nothing that I found objectionable. I watched it with my 9 and 5 year old children. I want some of the students to argue more about the story than just the facts about real ants. There are many angles they can come from.
Continue researching for the ant debate
Note: I am not getting the feeling that the students are really taking the research part of the debate seriously. Maybe it is due to the fact that the debate is far off. However, the research is due Monday. I want to see all their notes and a bibliography.
I will be giving them class time to research Thursday. Hopefully they will not waste it talking. I am leading the horses to water, so to say. On Friday, I will show them how to do a bibliography.
Sometime soon we will be watching a little bit of the movie The Ant Bully. Even though it is rated PG, there is nothing that I found objectionable. I watched it with my 9 and 5 year old children. I want some of the students to argue more about the story than just the facts about real ants. There are many angles they can come from.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
November 28, 2006
Homework: 11-20 pictionaries and synonyms unit 6
Finish the handout from class
In class we discussed an article about the cow killer ant, which is actually a wasp: http://lancaster.unl.edu/enviro/pest/Articles/CowKillerAnt.htm . We read the article to show how as they gather facts for the debate, they should be getting information on both sides. The article had reasons to squish this ant, and there were reasons to not bother squishing the ant. Ultimately, though, we concluded that the information was not even needed for the debate because the ant in the story was NOT a cow killer ant. Since the debate is on the ant in the story, not ants in general, it would be useless to bring up the information in the article. I want the students to become more critical of their resources as they research. The goal of the whole unit is to get the students to think more critically. The reasoning is that a persuasive essay is only good if it has something intelligent to say. Organization and grammar won't matter if the essay says nothing.
Finish the handout from class
In class we discussed an article about the cow killer ant, which is actually a wasp: http://lancaster.unl.edu/enviro/pest/Articles/CowKillerAnt.htm . We read the article to show how as they gather facts for the debate, they should be getting information on both sides. The article had reasons to squish this ant, and there were reasons to not bother squishing the ant. Ultimately, though, we concluded that the information was not even needed for the debate because the ant in the story was NOT a cow killer ant. Since the debate is on the ant in the story, not ants in general, it would be useless to bring up the information in the article. I want the students to become more critical of their resources as they research. The goal of the whole unit is to get the students to think more critically. The reasoning is that a persuasive essay is only good if it has something intelligent to say. Organization and grammar won't matter if the essay says nothing.
Monday, November 27, 2006
November 27, 2006
There is calendar for the month of December at http://webdav.venuecom.com/calendar/bozmd/month.php?cal=classroom
Tonight the homework is to do pictionaries 1-10 unit 6. That is pretty easy. I also expect them to be researching for the ant debate.
I sent out a grade up-date e-mail this morning. I also gave the students their grades in class. As usual, students are encouraged to get in the make-up work.
I am getting to the scoring of the essays. They should be done in two weeks or so.
Tonight the homework is to do pictionaries 1-10 unit 6. That is pretty easy. I also expect them to be researching for the ant debate.
I sent out a grade up-date e-mail this morning. I also gave the students their grades in class. As usual, students are encouraged to get in the make-up work.
I am getting to the scoring of the essays. They should be done in two weeks or so.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
November 21, 2006
No homework. We took quiz 5 today. We also began researching. Please see the requirements for the ant debate at this address: http://www.mrboz.com/school/assignment_ant_debate.html
You can also see the match-ups for the debates.
You can also see the match-ups for the debates.
November 20, 2006
Sorry I did not post this yesterday. I had to leave school suddenly to pick up my son.
The homework for Monday night was to finish unit 5 and be ready for the quiz Tuesday. Sections 3, 6, and 7 were to make flashcards.
In class, but not in section 3, we started the next assignment: ant debate. We read the book Hey Little Ant by Judith Viorst. The story ends with the question, "What do you think that kid should do?" Basically, the students will debate each other about whether the boy in the story should squish the ant in the story. I have been doing this assignment for years, and it goes very well. It is a research project that ends with a debate and an essay. The essay will have a bibliography. It will also be citing the location of the facts mentioned in the essay. If you would like to see the assignment page, it is here: http://www.mrboz.com/school/assignment_ant_debate.html .
The homework for Monday night was to finish unit 5 and be ready for the quiz Tuesday. Sections 3, 6, and 7 were to make flashcards.
In class, but not in section 3, we started the next assignment: ant debate. We read the book Hey Little Ant by Judith Viorst. The story ends with the question, "What do you think that kid should do?" Basically, the students will debate each other about whether the boy in the story should squish the ant in the story. I have been doing this assignment for years, and it goes very well. It is a research project that ends with a debate and an essay. The essay will have a bibliography. It will also be citing the location of the facts mentioned in the essay. If you would like to see the assignment page, it is here: http://www.mrboz.com/school/assignment_ant_debate.html .
Friday, November 17, 2006
November 17, 2006
I changed the due date for the essay. It is due Monday. I wanted to spend some extra time revising the essays.
I also sent out grades by e-mail. Furthermore, I sent home the grade slips to be signed.
We are now finished studying "The Highwayman." I have a new project that we are going to start next week. We will be reading a children's book called "Hey Little Ant." From that story, we will be having debates where the students try to convince the class to choose them as the speaker with the most persuasive argument. It is a great project to do before the winter break.
But I am also thinking about having them write a quick piece. I am reading a book on parenting, and it is asking my wife and me to write what we expect our children to be like on the other side, when we are done raising them I guess. That way we can make all of our decisions based on the final goal. I wonder... What would your children write if they were asked to explain what they think your vision for them is and how close they are to fulfilling it? I am curious. It could spark some interesting discussions.
I will think about this more over the weekend. I love the ant debate, but I am just so tempted to write this piece because they would make great recordings. Also, the next enduring understanding is, "By reaching out to people who are different from themselves, human beings relate to new experiences, ideas, and emotions." I wonder how either the ant topic or this topic relates to the enduring understanding.
I also sent out grades by e-mail. Furthermore, I sent home the grade slips to be signed.
We are now finished studying "The Highwayman." I have a new project that we are going to start next week. We will be reading a children's book called "Hey Little Ant." From that story, we will be having debates where the students try to convince the class to choose them as the speaker with the most persuasive argument. It is a great project to do before the winter break.
But I am also thinking about having them write a quick piece. I am reading a book on parenting, and it is asking my wife and me to write what we expect our children to be like on the other side, when we are done raising them I guess. That way we can make all of our decisions based on the final goal. I wonder... What would your children write if they were asked to explain what they think your vision for them is and how close they are to fulfilling it? I am curious. It could spark some interesting discussions.
I will think about this more over the weekend. I love the ant debate, but I am just so tempted to write this piece because they would make great recordings. Also, the next enduring understanding is, "By reaching out to people who are different from themselves, human beings relate to new experiences, ideas, and emotions." I wonder how either the ant topic or this topic relates to the enduring understanding.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
November 15, 2006
Today is my son's 5th birthday!
We reviewed words 11-20, checked the synonyms, and put the pictionaries on the board. It is fun to try to guess what the pictures actually represent. The students have choosing the right word for homework tonight.
We spent the rest of the class discussing the use of quotation marks. I figure I will review the rules before I get the essays. We only got through half of what I wanted to cover. I might push the due date of the essay off until Monday. I want to spend time getting the essays perfect before I read them. When the students get the papers back they do not study my corrections. I want to teach the skills and have them apply them in the paper.
We reviewed words 11-20, checked the synonyms, and put the pictionaries on the board. It is fun to try to guess what the pictures actually represent. The students have choosing the right word for homework tonight.
We spent the rest of the class discussing the use of quotation marks. I figure I will review the rules before I get the essays. We only got through half of what I wanted to cover. I might push the due date of the essay off until Monday. I want to spend time getting the essays perfect before I read them. When the students get the papers back they do not study my corrections. I want to teach the skills and have them apply them in the paper.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
November 14, 2006
We were in the writing lab. I took the computer score today. There are six scores returned by the computer. I made each worth 10 points for a total of 60 points. When I score the essays, I will give them another 60 points. The students should have their essays in class Wednesday and Thursday. I want to discuss a few ideas for revision so the final drafts do not have as many grammar mistakes as last time.
Due Wednesday: All the pictionaries and the synonyms.
Due Wednesday: All the pictionaries and the synonyms.
Monday, November 13, 2006
November 13, 2006
We read examples of essays that ranged from 3 to 6. The six paper was amazing. It showed that they should give supports for the author's message, and they should also use lots of quotes. In addition to the quotes, we saw that the quotes needed to be explained thoroughly.
We will be in the writing lab tomorrow. At the end of the lab time, the students will print out their essays, and I will take the grades from the GoMyAccess scoring. On Wednesday and Thursday we will revise the essays and look at how to punctuate the quotes. On Friday, the students will hand in the good papers.
The homework is to have all the pictionaries and synonyms done by Wednesday. I would also like students to work on adding more details to their essays.
We will be in the writing lab tomorrow. At the end of the lab time, the students will print out their essays, and I will take the grades from the GoMyAccess scoring. On Wednesday and Thursday we will revise the essays and look at how to punctuate the quotes. On Friday, the students will hand in the good papers.
The homework is to have all the pictionaries and synonyms done by Wednesday. I would also like students to work on adding more details to their essays.
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