All Boys, All Blogged: September 10, 2014

PLC: Shortened Class

Focus: What background information do we need build before we start Of Mice and Men?

1. Warming up with photos from the Great Depression

Browse through photographs in each of the categories, examining them closely (boot camp style).

On today's class blog, please post the following:

• Three observations/inferences you can make about the Great Depression based on these photos.  Describe which photo specifically led you to each observation/question and how.

• Three questions that these photos raise about the Great Depression.  What do you want or need to know?

2. Offering you two reading options for Of Mice and Men: The journal vs. annotations

The journal: Please fill out one side per chapter.

Annotations: Please include at least five per chapter.

3. Improving your mastery of the English language: Apostrophes, Part 2 (www.noredink.com)

HW:
1. Finish Apostrophes, Part 2 if you did not finish in class.

2. Pick one question from today's class blog, perform a little research on the Great Depression, and answer the question right on the blog (reply directly to the comment you're addressing). I've included some good websites below to help you streamline your research.

http://www.history.com/topics/great-depression
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1930s/p/greatdepression.htm
http://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/teachinger/glossary/great-depression.cfm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/dustbowl-great-depression/

All Boys, All Blogged: September 9, 2014

Focus: What writing skills are you bringing to the table?

1. Warming up with a quick recap of your old Greek friends, Daedalus and Icarus

2. Understanding the rationale behind the sophomore writing pre-assessment and taking it


Please create a new Google doc that has your last name and "Writing Pre-Assessment" in the title.

Share it with me immediately at kleclaire@lps.k12.co.us


HW:
1. Independent reading (one month left to finish your book).

2. If you have your own copy of Of Mice and Men, start bringing it to class tomorrow.

All Boys, All Blogged: September 8, 2014

Focus: How have our reading strategies grown over the past three weeks?

1. Warming up with a quick analysis of Batman Begins and a time in which you faced your fear

The short movie clip from Batman Begins is linked HERE.

a. The visual: Important images, colors, movements, postures, clothes, facial expressions, etc.
b. The music: How would you describe it? What tone does it help create?
c. The voices: What words are spoken out loud?  Why are they important?
d. The central character: What can we infer about him and how?

2. Returning to your Reading Boot Camp tests and trying to improve upon some of your reading skills

"Roll Away Your Stone"

Visa Commercial

3. Turning in your post-tests and your reading journals on Batman Begins

HW: 
1. Please finish your Reading Boot Camp post-test if you did not finish in class.

2. Independent reading (remember that books must be finished by Oct 10, which is one month).

All Boys, All Blogged: September 5, 2014

Focus: How can we become better readers (and grammarians)?

1. Testing your mastery of apostrophes: Taking Quiz: Apostrophes, Part 1 on www.noredink.com

Important:

• The first answer you submit will determine whether your answer is marked correct or incorrect.

• Once you have completed the quiz, please go back through your incorrect answers and rework them until you come to the right answer and you understand why it's the right answer.

• Quizzes will go in the "Growth" category; once a month, you will have a cumulative test that will go in the "Mastery" category.

2. Relaxing into the world of independent reading

3. Finishing yesterday's activity on analyzing commercials; applying those same skills to analyzing a film clip (click HERE for a new reading journal)

HW: 
1. Independent reading

2. Please watch the short movie clip from Batman Begins linked HERE; fill in at least one side of the reading journal to unravel the layers of this clip.  Here a few things to keep an eye (and ear) out for:

a. The visual: Important images, colors, movements, postures, clothes, facial expressions, etc.
b. The music: How would you describe it? What tone does it help create?
c. The voices: What words are spoken out loud?  Why are they important?
d. The central character: What can we infer about him and how?

All Boys, All Blogged: September 4, 2014

Focus: How do we "read" commercials?

1. The results are in!  Revisiting a few items from NoRedInk that daunted you...

2. Manipulating your customer with color

In advertising, what emotions do you think the following colors are meant to evoke?  Try to think of a brand that utilizes each of these colors in their ads:

Red

Green

Blue

Purple

Black

Yellow

Orange

Pink

Brown

3. Analyzing the complex little worlds of commercials

Please click HERE for the reading journal and dedicate one row to each of the following "layers":

Layer 1: The visual (What images do you see?)

Layer 2: The music (What kind of music/background noise do you hear?)

Layer 3: The voiceover (What words are being spoken? What kind of voice is speaking them?)

Layer 4: The text (What words appear on screen? Does this commercial have a slogan?)

Layer 5: The product (What is being advertised? To whom? What aspects of this product are being emphasized in this commercial?)


4. Trying out our newfound skills with your favorite commercials

HW:
1.  Prepare for your mini apostrophe QUIZ tomorrow by revising yesterday's assignment.

2. Bring your independent reading book to class tomorrow.

3. If you're planning on purchasing your own copy of Of Mice and Men, you will need it next Monday.

All Boys, All Blogged: September 3, 2014

Focus: How does building background knowledge help us understand a tough story?

1. Warm-up: Sharing research with partners

• What did you learn?

• Which parts of the story did it help you understand?

• What larger understanding of the story does it help create?

2. Finishing "bigger picture" statements and posting the best of the best on the blog

3. Introducing you to the world of noredink.com

• Setting up your accounts: Our class code is 7ckhedcd

• Playing around on the website

• Time to start your first assignment: Apostrophes 1

HW:
1. Find your favorite commercial (that's appropriate for class) and "bring" it class tomorrow; in other words, be prepared to quickly pull it up on youtube. 

2. Start working on your first NoRedInk assignment (Apostrophes 1), which is due Thursday (tomorrow!); the QUIZ is on Friday.

3. Bring your independent reading book to class on Friday.

4. If you're planning on purchasing your own copy of Of Mice and Men, you will need it next Monday.

All Boys, All Blogged: September 2, 2014

Focus: How can reading strategies help you understand a tricky text?

1. Warming up: With your "I Like People" group, share some of your best questions from "The Yellowpaper" and try to answer them; remember to jot down some notes on your grid

2. Sharing with the large group your best question and the best comment you had in your group

3. Returning your green reading charts from the Auden poem and explaining grades

4. Practicing a little more with asking great questions

• Modeling a sample page from the middle

• Trying it out with the second half of the story

5. Activating your background knowledge

• What should we research?
• The rest cure
• Weir Mitchell
• Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• Postpartum depression
• Anything else?

• How does our research help inform our understanding of "The Yellow Wallpaper"? Select ONE topic to research, then find at least THREE places in the story that your research helps you understand.  In the margins, explain what new understanding you've achieved thanks to this research.

HW:
1. Finish today's research activity (see directions right above in blue).

2. Independent reading.