Hello all :) Night of the Notables research should be in full swing at home! We have some classtime for research - but due to the variety of resources being used and variations in pace - much of it will need to be done on the student's own time.
Today: We are writing timed/in-class essays to a common prompt being used in all English classrooms 6 - 12. This essay is part of our collaboration with the high school. We are hoping to increase our knowledge and understanding of skills and weaknesses along the 6 - 12 continuum. We will then be adding that knowledge to our conversations about Common Core Standards. These essays will be read by myself and other district teachers, but they will not be scored (meaning they will not be a part of their grade for English). I did however ask that they take the activity seriously and attempt to do their very best writing. It was an interesting prompt - I encourage you to ask your student what they had to say!
Tomorrow - a check of the Night of the Notables "fill in the blank" worksheet
In Civics - We are continuuing work on understanding the timeline of significant events in American history - there will be a quiz on this next Wed. This in leading us into the Bill of Rights and our next lit. circle (all books will include characters with exceptional needs/talents) We will look at the American Disabilities Act in conjunction with this study.
Monday, February 6, 2012
February is upon us and so is our preparation for Night of the Notables. I know it seems like a lot of time is being allowed for this project - but it's sort of like a wedding....a lot of thought should go into selecting a Notable - initial plans for the future event are put in place - some work takes place along the way - and then the last few weeks are crazy and hectic right up to the big day. Night of the Notables is very much this way. Please look for updates on due dates --- each student has a packet with an check list of sorts. Our first due date is this Friday - I will simply be checking with each student to make sure they have found a variety of resources and that they are documenting their sources and taking notes as they go.
We are in the mix between WSH and Civics right now. The Bill of Rights will be covered as we finish up Japanese American Internment. Ch. 10 and 11 will be fairly quick - and the state govt. info will be covered later on in Civics.
Ch. 10 questions are due this Th. and the quiz will follow on Friday.
We are in the mix between WSH and Civics right now. The Bill of Rights will be covered as we finish up Japanese American Internment. Ch. 10 and 11 will be fairly quick - and the state govt. info will be covered later on in Civics.
Ch. 10 questions are due this Th. and the quiz will follow on Friday.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Another MLK Jr. day is around the corner - and since we finished To Kill a Mockingbird before break, watched a bit of Eyes on the Prize with the sub and are currently drafting personal essays modeled after the NPR This I Believe series - I think students are well prepared to take part in the assembly and make an effort to embrace the call for A Day On (on Monday). Today we listened to essays read by Jackie Robinson and Harry Truman that were recorded in the 1950s and also heard a modern essay written by a Nobel Peace Prize winner on ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The students have been more than receptive and my hope is that they ponder why they believe what they believe --- this is fantastic preparation for the start of our Night of the Notables project. Students will soon begin the process of selecting a person to research and impersonate - someone who is notable for their strength of character, amazing talents, work efforts, personal sacrifices etc.... As always, I am looking forward to the amazing job the students always do with this thought provoking project.
Other points of interest:
1. By now I'm sure you heard I was absent following break - not perfect, but Jim Johnson held down my fort and we were in close communication throughout the week
2. Grades should be updated by next Tues. (I apologize for the delay in the update - but I did not anticipate being gone for so long)
3. They took a quiz (actually 2) on Tues. - they were given the chance to take 2 quizzes in 2 different formats and select the score they were most pleased with.
4. Ch. 8 WSH Graphic Organizer is due on Tues. after the long weekend for blocks 1 and 3
5. This I Believe essays are due on Wed. 1/18 (can't wait to hear them!)
6. Please remember that while the Skyward shows WSH as the 1st sem. class and Civics as the 2nd sem. class - there is overlap since we have covered pertinent Civics items throughout 1st semester --- your student will know by the end of 3rd q. if they have passed WSH (probably sooner)
Other points of interest:
1. By now I'm sure you heard I was absent following break - not perfect, but Jim Johnson held down my fort and we were in close communication throughout the week
2. Grades should be updated by next Tues. (I apologize for the delay in the update - but I did not anticipate being gone for so long)
3. They took a quiz (actually 2) on Tues. - they were given the chance to take 2 quizzes in 2 different formats and select the score they were most pleased with.
4. Ch. 8 WSH Graphic Organizer is due on Tues. after the long weekend for blocks 1 and 3
5. This I Believe essays are due on Wed. 1/18 (can't wait to hear them!)
6. Please remember that while the Skyward shows WSH as the 1st sem. class and Civics as the 2nd sem. class - there is overlap since we have covered pertinent Civics items throughout 1st semester --- your student will know by the end of 3rd q. if they have passed WSH (probably sooner)
Monday, December 12, 2011
Let the frenzy of the final week before break begin! This week will in fact be a flurry in regards to finishing up novels, projects, videos etc...
Blocks 1 & 3: Students should be through ch. 24 (and the packet questions) by today. Through ch. 27 and ?s by tomorrow (12/13) and through ch. 29 by Wednesday (we will finish up the book as a group in class)
They also have a Plot Tree due Wednesday at the beginning of class (this was introduced last Thursday 12/9) and paper/specific directions were available 12/10) - today and tomorrow are also available for working on their tree and their reading.
Thursday is our FINAL EXAM - questions will be collected that day as well and we will follow with the TKM movie :)
*** Frontier House will continue after break
Block 2:
Ask them about thier progress with Al Capone Does My Shirts -- and the video series Frontier House. We will be working on a book project in class - and if a student has been absent, they should check out a book in order to make up their missed reading.
Blocks 1 & 3: Students should be through ch. 24 (and the packet questions) by today. Through ch. 27 and ?s by tomorrow (12/13) and through ch. 29 by Wednesday (we will finish up the book as a group in class)
They also have a Plot Tree due Wednesday at the beginning of class (this was introduced last Thursday 12/9) and paper/specific directions were available 12/10) - today and tomorrow are also available for working on their tree and their reading.
Thursday is our FINAL EXAM - questions will be collected that day as well and we will follow with the TKM movie :)
*** Frontier House will continue after break
Block 2:
Ask them about thier progress with Al Capone Does My Shirts -- and the video series Frontier House. We will be working on a book project in class - and if a student has been absent, they should check out a book in order to make up their missed reading.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Happy Early Thanksgiving! Just an FYI - Jerry Harms will be subbing for me on 11/17 &18 as well as 11/28 & 29 while I fly to Regina, SK to be with my husband. He had knee replacement surgery this past Monday and he needs me with him as he recovers and to accompany him on his flight back to the states. The kids are in terrific hands and I trust they will do just fine!
In English - In the standard blocks we started To Kill a Mockingbird -- they have a question/character log/vocabulary packet to work on as we go through the book. We have already started the book this week (they should be through ch. 3 by Friday) and they are expected to read through ch. 8 by the Monday following break (this is about 10 pages a day).
Block 2 is reading Al Capone Does My Shirts - ask them what they are learning about the depression, Alcatraz, Autism, etc...
Blocks 1 and 3 took their WSH ch. 6 quiz today --- we will be working on ch. 7 when I return
Block 2 - finished work on ch. 5 WSH - ch. 6 will be covered after break
All blocks are continuing to watch Frontier House - very fun supplement to our study of the frontier :)
No new grades will be entered until I return from Canada --- to hard to carry papers with me all that way. Thanks for your understanding! kw
In English - In the standard blocks we started To Kill a Mockingbird -- they have a question/character log/vocabulary packet to work on as we go through the book. We have already started the book this week (they should be through ch. 3 by Friday) and they are expected to read through ch. 8 by the Monday following break (this is about 10 pages a day).
Block 2 is reading Al Capone Does My Shirts - ask them what they are learning about the depression, Alcatraz, Autism, etc...
Blocks 1 and 3 took their WSH ch. 6 quiz today --- we will be working on ch. 7 when I return
Block 2 - finished work on ch. 5 WSH - ch. 6 will be covered after break
All blocks are continuing to watch Frontier House - very fun supplement to our study of the frontier :)
No new grades will be entered until I return from Canada --- to hard to carry papers with me all that way. Thanks for your understanding! kw
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Well - 1/2 days came and went --- conferences went well --- I enjoyed meeting with those of you who dropped by :)
In our standard blocks:
English - we finished, "Shakespeare's Secret" and turned in our final literature circle prep page and questions. Following this, we delved in the world of E. A. Poe -- quite suitable for the Halloween season. The Tell Tale Heart is in our lit. book, and the sampling of a few other works really left an impression on the students. They completed an in-class writing that detailed what they had learned about his life and a paragraph on the opinion of him as a man and an author. The vast majority of kids found him fascinating and would like to read more of his work in the future!
History - we have now completed 5 chapters and are currently working on the 6th. Ch. 5 and 6 deal with the settlement of the PNW by "whites". We have covered Lewis and Clark, the fur trade, missionaries, settlers, Chinook Jargon in addition to how this leads into the Indian Wars. We are watching the series Frontier House to supplement these chapters.
Next up: To Kill a Mockingbird --- look for this at home within the next week.
FYI - Jerry Harms will be subbing for me on the 17th, 18th, 28th, and 29th while I am in Canada for my husband's knee surgery.
In Essentials - we did a 2 week unit on the genre of Horror. We read the Legend of Sleepy Hollow (and watched the Disney version as well) - we read an essay by Stephen King on whether or not children should be exposed to horror and read a short story of his as well (from a previous lit. book. We culminated this unit with a few other short stories and E.A. Poe. Much writing was done - and the students were very engaged!
WSH - we are finishing up group presentations for ch. 5 and will begin watching the series Frontier House.
Next up - Al Capone Does My Shirts :)
In our standard blocks:
English - we finished, "Shakespeare's Secret" and turned in our final literature circle prep page and questions. Following this, we delved in the world of E. A. Poe -- quite suitable for the Halloween season. The Tell Tale Heart is in our lit. book, and the sampling of a few other works really left an impression on the students. They completed an in-class writing that detailed what they had learned about his life and a paragraph on the opinion of him as a man and an author. The vast majority of kids found him fascinating and would like to read more of his work in the future!
History - we have now completed 5 chapters and are currently working on the 6th. Ch. 5 and 6 deal with the settlement of the PNW by "whites". We have covered Lewis and Clark, the fur trade, missionaries, settlers, Chinook Jargon in addition to how this leads into the Indian Wars. We are watching the series Frontier House to supplement these chapters.
Next up: To Kill a Mockingbird --- look for this at home within the next week.
FYI - Jerry Harms will be subbing for me on the 17th, 18th, 28th, and 29th while I am in Canada for my husband's knee surgery.
In Essentials - we did a 2 week unit on the genre of Horror. We read the Legend of Sleepy Hollow (and watched the Disney version as well) - we read an essay by Stephen King on whether or not children should be exposed to horror and read a short story of his as well (from a previous lit. book. We culminated this unit with a few other short stories and E.A. Poe. Much writing was done - and the students were very engaged!
WSH - we are finishing up group presentations for ch. 5 and will begin watching the series Frontier House.
Next up - Al Capone Does My Shirts :)
Friday, October 14, 2011
It's blue day today - the last day of our first spirit week - which means we have a spirit assembly as well :)
This week in English we discussed the presentation by Dr. Delahoyd --- most students really enjoyed his thoughts on the conspiracy theory and some even plan to view the movie, Anonymous when it comes out in theatres. (I believe it will be PG-13) --- We started our first novel (Shakespeare's Secret) and we are working with abreviated Literature Circle packets in small groups. We only have 32 books, so the reading is done in class. If students need more time (or if they are absent) they may check a book out overnight but it is VERY important they return it to my room before school starts the next day!
In WSH we are completing a quick read and the questions at the end of ch. 3 - this material is a review of information already taught in 4th grade. We will spend more time on the chapters that address the changes in Native culture that evolved after the arrival of "white" settlers.
Questions are due in class today!
Book Reviews will also be returned today and Monday - many students need to work on minimizing their summary of their stories and focus more on providing their opinion/analysis --- we'll continue to work on this skill throughout the year :)
This week in English we discussed the presentation by Dr. Delahoyd --- most students really enjoyed his thoughts on the conspiracy theory and some even plan to view the movie, Anonymous when it comes out in theatres. (I believe it will be PG-13) --- We started our first novel (Shakespeare's Secret) and we are working with abreviated Literature Circle packets in small groups. We only have 32 books, so the reading is done in class. If students need more time (or if they are absent) they may check a book out overnight but it is VERY important they return it to my room before school starts the next day!
In WSH we are completing a quick read and the questions at the end of ch. 3 - this material is a review of information already taught in 4th grade. We will spend more time on the chapters that address the changes in Native culture that evolved after the arrival of "white" settlers.
Questions are due in class today!
Book Reviews will also be returned today and Monday - many students need to work on minimizing their summary of their stories and focus more on providing their opinion/analysis --- we'll continue to work on this skill throughout the year :)
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