Archive+of+Oct+2012+classnotes+and+homework

= OCTOBER ASSIGNMENTS AND NOTES =

Test will be broken into two separate quizes--the first will be **NOV 8** and include the **5 vocab words from "Seventh Grade" as well as the affixes** con, tion, ity, and ly. This will count for term 1. **Nov 9 will be short answer,multiple choice and an ORQ test** on the plot, theme, and the literary device TONE as used in the story "seventh Grade" It will be your first grade for term 2.
 * OCT 31, 2012 ** TEST DATES changed due to missed class time.

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**__No NEW HW:__** I know its been a really challenging academic week so far. If you have time before getting your sugar overload, chunk studying for the upcoming vocab test by reviewing the **3 nouns on the list**--know the definition and be able to use them in your own sentences. ======

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Remember, these **abstract nouns are easier to use in sentences if you pair them with the word __"with" "show"__ or a possessive like__"His""hers","its", "thier")__** ======

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//He **__showed__ ferocity** by baring his vampire teeth at the princess trick or treater.// ====== // She kicked him __**with**__ **conviction**, certain that she was right that he should not be scaring little girls. // // He decided **__his__ elective** at school next term would be self defense, so no little girl could attack him ever again //.

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**The new official due date for the "Seventh Grade" homework packet (prereading, paraphrasing, and questions) is Monday Nov 5.** It is probably a little over an hour of work, so plan out how much of it you need to do each night if you do NOT want a lot of weekend homework. I will discuss the story more tomorrow and Friday to clarify some points. __**Follow all directions VERY carefully to receive full credit.**__ ======

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Class Review No complete review today. You aren't reading this anyway, right? --too anxious to go celebrate your inner ghoul. I will post a sheet that summarizes the review we did of the suffix" ly" below and the prefix "con/com/col" tomorrow. Different classes did different parts of this lesson today. All will complete both parts tomorrow.

File below has quick version of notes we took from board in most classes today on how to use "ly" ending to from adverbs and what adverbs are and why you should care.

**OCT 30**
=== **No NEED to do homework I had posted on board as tentatively due Tues. We need to review paraphrasing in class before finishing "7th Grade" homework packet so no one wastes time doing work incorrectly. It will be due Thurs or Friday. Test may need to be postponed until NOv 8.** ===

**No new Homework**
Class NOTES Students took poetry benchmark tests all period. A portion of this benchmark will count as a 50 point quiz. This portion involved reading 2 poems and identifying and labeling 2 kinds of figurative language in each poem. If students have been paying attention in class and applying what we review tin class as they do homework, they should have had no trouble with this. All of the terms we have been using (with the possible exception of "hyperbole") are terms that are supposed to been mastered by the end of grade 6.

The second portion of the benchmark, which asked students to write 1-2 paragraphs explaining each poet's theme or purpose, is NOT going to be graded as a term 1 grade in Powerschool. This portion is being used to measure how well student's can read for abstract meaning. I will use this to determine which skills students need help with to get meaning out of poetry independently.

A second poetry benchmark in the spring will measure whether they have developed greater abilities to infer deeper meanings beyond the literal events and images in poetry. There is no penalty if students did not complete this portion of the test.

**Oct 25:**

 * HW: ** Complete Part I ("Prereading notes") and Part II ("Active Reading NOtes" ) UP TO THE entry for p125 of the homework and classwork packet distributed in class today for the story "Seventh Grade". The ** file below contains a copy of the handout **.


 * [[file:///file/detail/HW+and+classwork+instructions+for+Seventh+Grade.doc|Details]]
 * [[file:///file/view/HW+and+classwork+instructions+for+Seventh+Grade.doc|Download]]
 * 46 KB

REMEMBER!!! ** PARAPHRASES MUST include character name and a verb-- ** but do not have to be in complete sentences. Jot down 1 or two events per column of text you read.
 * Most students completed Part I in class--if you did not, you should do so for HW.
 * We modeled how to paraphrase using pages 122 and 123. The file above has the notes we took in class. Students will do the paraphrase AND the "How Author Uses Real Life" columns for p124 and 125 of the story.

Class Notes: Handed out: "Seventh Grade" homework packet
 * I. Orange class reviewed 4 figurative language types ** and handout that other classes reviewed yesterday. Marked up the handout with a few cues to help remember how to use each type of language. Students put sheet in POETRY section of binder for future reference.


 * II. Most classes reviewed student work projected on the board to review how to use similes, metaphors, hyperbole and personification. **

Students filled in blank at top of packet that a TEST on the story is scheduled for Nov 7. Tomorrow I will post specifics about test on Looming Deadlines page. I warned students to do a great job on tonight's paraphrasing because it MAY be used for an open NOTE (not open book) essay to be written as part of the test. HINT!! HINT!!
 * III. I reviewed the "Seventh Grade" homework packet handout. **

We ** read the first two short pages out loud in class and modeled HOW to paraphrase ** to jot down significant events but not EVERY event. A ** great paraphrase should have just enough information so that you could read it to someone who has never read the story and the listener would understand the plot. **
 * Paraphrasing **

I showed students the kind of magazine ad the author refers to on p123, in which male models "scowl" to impress beautiful women. We discussed that the mention of a Book Mobile (traveling library) is a clue from which we can infer that the characters live in an area that is not wealthy or in a place where fewer people have cars to get to a library.

The second column of the hw is for students to note how the author uses details from real life to make the story more believable. TAKE THESE NOTES CAREFULLY. I will PROBABLY ask you to use these notes to answer an ORQ on the unit test about whether SOTO is a good writer based on how well REAL seventh graders might relate to the story. We looked at a map and discussed differences between Fresno, CA (where the story is set and where the author is from) and Foxborough. We highlighted how the author's real life experience as a Mexican American is woven into the plot. We noted that ** the author has "Ethos"--believability **. The small details that he uses from his own experience make the story ** more "real" and that is a trait of good writing. **
 * Using real details in fiction **

In one class we talked about ** WHY incorporating reality makes writing stronger **. I noted that even a writer creating a fantasy with two dragons would use traits from real life that the reader could connect to--a Dad dragon probably lectures a kid dragon, or the flashy dragon thinks he is getting the girl. We noted that in the Wizard of Oz--a highly imaginative story--the author's experience with tornados in Kansas add believable touches. IF our students wrote a story they would probably have more convincing details if the story is set in New England than in Germany. (except for Sven)

Class NOTES: **Collected:** Orange and Red classes vocab cards for quality check. Checked all leaf figurative language hw and "fib" drafts Handouts: For red, yellow, green and blue classes--Distributed copy of the "10 WAYS" reference sheet for Figurative Language and Sound Devices" posted yesterday on line. All students should keep this sheet in the Poetry Section of their binders as a reference. Color version can be printed from yesterday's entry and may be more useful for visual learners. Orange class will receive hard copy tomorrow.
 * Oct 24: **
 * NO NEW HOMEWORK. **

**I. Review of definitions and examples of similes, metaphors, personifications, and hyperbole.** We identified that most students struggle with writing metaphors. Students are least familiar with hyperbole. We reviewed common examples and had some fun talking about homework, gum chewing and other topics using hyperbolic comparisons.

When you say, **//"I have TONS of homework,"//** you are using **hyperbole (extreme exaggeration). A literal ton is 2,000** pounds and **even I do not assign 2,000 pounds** of paper for homework.

**II.** **Students shared their 8 examples from last night's homework with each other**. Students put a **"?" next to any item that one student believes another student may have misidentified**. Some classes also gave a check plus next to any item that was not only correct, but creative and would be a fresh way to make a reader think about qualities of a leaf.

The writer then **rechecked the definition of what makes a simile, metaphor, personification and hyperbole and revised** the example as necessary. We then discussed any examples students still had questions about.

We discussed that writers who use **real details and real memories are more convincing than those who make EVERYTHING up. Great fiction still needs to be grounded in some reality** to effectively make the reader see, feel, hear etc. the moments described in a story. I mentioned that **Louisa May Alcott tried writing violent murder mysteries**, which were not published, before her editor told her to try writing what she knows. The result, //Little Women,// was based on her life with her sisters, and became the first of 9 novels that sold in huge numbers.
 * III. Writing from REAL LIFE matters **

I asked **students to use REAL details to recreate a moment when they fibbed or were fibbed to**. This year we will write from reality repeatedly, before we move to more creative writing. We will **also look at how authors weave REAL details from their own lives into thier fictional (imagined) stories.**

**REAL DETAILS in GARY SOTO's Poetry:**

Many classes read Gary Soto's poem "OCTOBER". We noted he paints a very bleak picture of an October Day from a memory of a time with his family in October in his native California. The scene had small details like a broken fence, a flock of birds rising up and leaving the field, an old owl with a lizard in its beak and a crouching coyote. Nothing much happens in the poem, but the SMALL details (like the small details we took time to observe in leaves yesterday) combine to create a dark mood, and get the reader to FEEL October as a symbol of how we feel loss as time passes.

CLASSES THAT DID NOT DISCUSS THE POEM "OCTOBER" today, will do so tomorrow.

**Soto sets a grim TONE with his word choice and the details he chooses to include. TONE will be the next literary tone we learn. I will give formal definition later this week.**

In most classes we **took some notes on GARY SOTO's life, the theme that "Young people generally feel a strong need to "fit in", and paraphrased what "TONE" is**. Classes that have not completed this prereading will do so tomorrow. We will FINALLY **begin reading the story "Seventh Grade" together in class** tomorrow. We will **look for ways he included real details from his own life in the story, and judge whether he has "ethos" and paints a convincing picture of the early days or seventh grade and the common feelings and interactions of real middle school students.**
 * IV. PREREADING Notes on SOTO short story **

**Oct** **22 and 23**
SOME students had not finished this OR had not read and followed directions to include 7-10 sentences, at least 3 details, emotional reactions, and a conclusion. ** FIX any drafts that do not meet the minimum requirements clearly spelled out in the prompt sheet EACH student received yesterday **. Below is a file to reprint the prompt if you "lost" yours. KEEP the prompt language in the JOURNAL section of your binder as a reference. If it is NOT there when I collect journals once a term, you will lose points.
 * I was out yesterday so this is entry for BOTH Monday and Tuesday **
 * HW: **
 * __I. Due TODAY--assigned yesterday____STudents were to finish the journal prompt tititled "What Harm Could A Little Fib do?" started after the Benchmark exam given Tuesday. **
 * [[file:///file/detail/fib+journal+draft.doc|Details]]
 * [[file:///file/view/fib+journal+draft.doc|Download]]
 * 25 KB

== **II. Due Wednesday (Oct 24) : Use TWO leaf pictures and the detailed SENSORY observations you made in class about how each leaf looked, sounded, smelled and/or felt to develop __one example of EACH of the following types of figurative language description for each leaf (Finish the observations and pictures if you did not do so in class)__ :** == === This will **produce a total of __EIGHT examples__ of the figurative language to describe the leaves. (4 per leaf).** === === **IF this were done for observations of a desk at school, your homework might look like the following:** === // Desk one: // // Desk 2: //
 * **a simile**
 * **a metaphor**
 * **a personification**
 * **a hyperbole**
 * EXAMPLE: **
 * //simile--It is as grey as a stone in November//
 * //metaphor: The desk is a friend to lean on while I work//
 * //personification: It's shiny silver legs stand perfectly still for long class periods.//
 * //hyperbole: It hides the discarded gum of generations of sneaky slobbering students.//
 * //simile--Pencil scratchings criss-cross the desk's surface like waterbugs skittering across a pond.//
 * //metaphor: The desk is a temporary home for the piles of paper and books students drag from class to class.//
 * //personification: THe desk is a soldier, standing at attention while the chair sneaks under it.//
 * //hyperbole: The desks seemed to multiply in pods to 4, reproducing to occupy every available floor tile in the room.//

IF YOU DID NOT FINISH OBSERVATIONS IN CLASS --you can grab a couple of leaves from your yard and redo the steps we did to draw (trace) the leaf shapes and then add a few details to your pictures (veins, stems, any holes, black spots etc. and then write observations of at least 6 details about the leaves. Full review of the process we followed for making observations will be added to CLASS NOTES by 4:30. Still Unsure of what each type of figurative language is?  The file below is a ** GREAT REFERENCE SHEET ** to add to the notes you took Friday to help ** identify and give examples of types of Figurative Language and Sound Devices. **
 * The lines do NOT have to relate to each other ** . They are sample lines to show you can use different kinds of figurative language. We will later choose only 1 or 2 of the best of these lines to rework into a poem or a short essay.
 * [[file:///file/detail/Big+10+Ways+poets+use+Language+Devices+(Autosaved).doc|Details]]
 * [[file:///file/view/Big+10+Ways+poets+use+Language+Devices+(Autosaved).doc|Download]]
 * 34 KB

Class notes: CHECKED VOCAB CARDS AND "FIB" journal prompt draft (in all but red class) COLLECTED ORANGE CLASS VOCAB cards for quality check.


 * I. HOW Poetry separates us from lobsters or amoebas or rocks…. **

I reviewed that poetry is the written practice of the philosophy that we should all ** “TAKE TIME TO SMELL THE ROSES” **. In general, non- human organisms cannot and DO not ** stop and think and APPRECIATE things—or pause and let one thought lead to an insight about what is REALLY important in life. ** Poets and ** writers are like scientists—they take a magnifying glass and ZOOM in on the little moments in life ** to find meaning or just “wonder” at them.


 * **Some poetry has the PURPOSE of just making us notice and enjoy or think.**
 * **Some poetry goes even farther and has a THEME—meaning looking at something as simple and common as leaves MIGHT lead us to an insight or TIMELESS TRUTH ABOUT LIFE OR HUMAN NATURE.**


 * II. Finding THEMES in leaves… **

In most classes we ** titled a blank page in our JOURNAL binder section “Themes about life and or human nature from leaf observations”. ** We looked at actual leaves through the projector.

Students then worked with groups to come up with ** simple THEME statements, finding truth about life and human nature connected to observations about how the leaves look or how they function in nature. **

THEME STATEMENT // Samples included: //


 * 1) //“The different shapes and sizes are like different types of people—We all may look a little different but we have more in common than we think and are part of a big family.”//
 * 2) //“Some of us are flashy and some may be more drab, but we all serve a purpose.”//
 * 3) //“Youth, like the beauty of fall, is to be enjoyed to the fullest and treasured because it passes too quickly. “//
 * 4) //“The large green milk weed leaf provides shelter and food for caterpillars that become beautiful butterflies—We are all part of an interdependent chain—you can never tell just by looking who is making sacrifices so others may shine.”//


 * __Note that some of the thematic statements above are “morals” or lessons, while others are just OBSERVATIONS about how life and human nature work.__ **


 * __III. A. Students then traced or penciled over an actual leaf to get an impression of the leaf.__ AFTER ** __ GETTING AN OUTLINE of the shape __, students were to __ add at least 2 or three details observed by looking very closely at the leaf. Writers ARE scientific in the way they ZOOM in on small details __ to convey BIG truths. Students added shapes of holes in the leaves, or added some color to show the different colors –even different shades of brown—in a single leaf. Students drew in veins and stems and noted black dots and other imperfections.


 * III. B. Students created a CHART of written observations on the FACING page in the binder. One WHOLE page should be devoted to the two leaf sketches and ONE WHOLE PAGE is to be used for a chart of sensory observations. ** Students were to write observations ** using at least 2 or three of the senses; and then ZOOM IN and add TWO more precise levels of description ** after thinking more deeply about the observed details. We modeled HOW to fill in the chart with student examples during class.

Curled edges || Blood red, cranberry red Tips have fine points at edges of curls, 7 points to leaf || Show-off red; glowing deep crimson Curls roll through leaf like waves; graceful looking ||
 * **Sensory **
 * Description **
 * Of Leaf 1: **
 * Japanese Maple Leaf ** || **General Observation ** || **ZOOM in more to be MORE precise and detailed ** || **ZOOM in AGAIN to be EVEN MORE precise and detailed ** ||
 * **SIGHT** || Red
 * **SOUND** ||  || Quiet, gentle || whispery ||
 * **TOUCH** || Soft || Velvety, moist || Ridged, pliant, supple ||
 * **SMELL** || “Perfumey” || minty ||  ||

long || Pink brown fading to dull brown 6 rounded “fingers” stubby || Hard working, plain Curls roll through leaf like Uneven, unsymmetrical, Reaching in different directions ||
 * **Sensory **
 * Description **
 * Of Leaf 2 ****Scrub Oak ** || **General Observation ** || **ZOOM in more to be MORE precise and detailed ** || **ZOOM in AGAIN to be EVEN MORE precise and detailed ** ||
 * **SIGHT** || brown
 * **SOUND** || crackly || Crunchy, stiff || Like nails on a keyboard ||
 * **TOUCH** || Rough, dry || Like cardboard, ridged, “frozen” “freeze dried” || Edges are not sharp or pointy. Sturdy ||
 * **SMELL** || earthy || Like pumpkins, Like Halloween || Like it holds a lifetime ||


 * Students will use the observations in the charts to get ideas for the similes, metaphors, personifications and hyperbole examples for homework tonight. **


 * CLASS NOTES FROM OCT 22 **


 * ALL STUDENTS TOOK BENCHMARK reading comprehension multiple choice exam. Many students finished within 20-30 minutes and used the remainder of the period to begin work on the “FIB” journal prompt response. **


 * Students who were out will finish benchmark over next couple of days during independent work sessions in classes and 20 minutes after lunch. **


 * HANDED OUT: Copy of Journal prompt “What HARM COULD A LITTLE FIB DO?” **

Class Notes ALL STUDENTS MUST maintain a poetry journal section of thier binder. ** I will collect these once a term and large deductions will be taken for ANY missing poems. ** If you have been sneaking by--not using a binder with 5 sections dividers AND notebook paper in EACH section --you must get on the ball or you'll get a failing journal grade.
 * Oct 19: HW **
 * Finish the 5 vocabulary cards assigned yesterday following exact format listed in yesterday's entry. ** ALL instructions, a template, and a sample finished card are reprintable from yesterday's entry. Text book SHOULD have come home yesterday to do the work. Text STAYS at home all year. We are NOT READING the story yet.
 * We introduced Poetry: **
 * Why it is cool, how it compresses a LOT of meaning into a little space, how we will learn to"decode" it.
 * We also reviewed and made charts in the poetry section of our binders to review the 10 types of poetic Figurative Language and Sound Devices we will need to know this year. I will insert chart later this weekend.
 * Completed exercise that showed how much could be expressed through the metaphor : "Student A is the sun and students B and C are the planets in the classroom solar system. "
 * Groups also developed lines using different types of figurative language to describe the skunk smell we had in the room yesterday.
 * **Per 1 only** : marked up the first poem to go in poetry journal--noting Poetic devices used and taking a stab at what the meaning of the poem is.

Use exact format distributed in class today and posted in file below to ** finish 5 Vocabulary words for "Build Vocabulary" ** ** box words in the story "Seventh Grade" ** in purple Literature text.
 * Oct 18: HW (staff meeting so short entry) DUE MONDAY!!! **

Text was sent home today and STAYS home. (I now have a few extra copies (very few) for students who need a second copy. I did not have them earlier today. Students who need a second copy should see me Friday for one.)
 * *NEW CARD FORMAT ADDS STEPS from prior cards so do not use old templates or directions for this assignment. This will be the format for all words assigned from the purple text readings. **
 * (You will still use other card formats for future affixes or Literary Terms. ) **

THERE ARE ONLY 5 CARDS SO FAR, so do some tonight--chunk the work--don't dig a whole for yourself.
 * VOCAB instructions and template below ** . All students received hard copy and LONG review of how to use it in classes today. REREAD ALL directions as you work--especially for the first few cards. I will deduct points for lack of focus leading to mistakes. I was VERY clear that doing every step correctly is important for test preparation. Sharp focus will help you retain the words--not just learn them for the next quiz. If I didn't expect you to refer back to directions, I would NOT have given them to you and put them on line. USE THEM OR LOSE POINTS.


 * [[file:///file/detail/voc+card+instructions.doc|Details]]
 * [[file:///file/view/voc+card+instructions.doc|Download]]
 * 45 KB

Below is a sample COMPLETED card. You MAY NOT use the same picture and sentence as the student uses--It is here for you to see format only and level of detail I expect. Class Review Handed out Literature text books II. BORING review of ** all steps ** in doing the cards and learning the vocabulary from the stories. I won't bore you again--so read the directions. If you were out, see me during a 20 minute period for a review so you will be set for the year. Students SHOULD have highlighted some of the things I told them to be SURE to notice in the directions.
 * [[file:///file/detail/sample+7th+grade+vocab+card.doc|Details]]
 * [[file:///file/view/sample+7th+grade+vocab+card.doc|Download]]
 * 38 KB
 * I. Texts STAY HOME all year. No excuse for not having them for homework. Enjoy! **
 * Reviewed parts of the text **
 * All classes looked at table of contents, glossaries and indexes in the text to see how to help themselves find information. I am supposed to teach you how to USE elements of a text independently, so I will not give page numbers--you will find the info as we did in class today.
 * I also showed classes that there are useful glossaries with Literary Term definitions connected to examples of stories and poems that show how the terms are used in actual writing.
 * Another glossary helps as a quick reference for common grammary and punctuation errors, and there are pages on how to organize and write papers. Students are encouraged to use these pages when they are stumped or stuck on homework as another way to understand what we are covering.

III. Classes had ** time to finish ORQ portions of yesterday's quiz **. Makeups for absent students will be during 20 minutes on odd days and/or after school NEXT WED. Students done with ORQ had time to begin cards.


 * Oct 17: No new HW **
 * All classes tood test today. No notes. 10 minutes more for ORQ in most classes tomorrow. **

Class NOTES: **Handed back:** all classes except per 1 received magazine drive homework. Per 1 will be able to USE theirs on the quiz because I neglected to hand it back. **Handed out:** transcript of "Frst Day of School" speech we watched in class. **Checked:** I checked the paraphrasing and summarizing for all but the red class yesterday. Red class students should be sure to have theirs available tomorrow for me to check off during the quiz.
 * October 16: HW **
 * Study for QUIZ/TEST tomorrow. ALL topics are on Looming Deadlines page if you "lost" the study guide. **

====__**A GREAT way to use the chart in the file as a study tool**__ would be to print it out and review, then make a copy of the file and ERASE all the underlined portions and see how much you can fill in without referring back to notes. HINT!!!!THis MAY be the EXACT test format!!! ====
 * SUMMARY SAMPLE **
 * **I showed ALL classes the color-coded summary of the "Truth About Grit" speech posted as part of yesterday's class notes.** The color coding **should help with SOCIAL STUDIES if you are having trouble seeing how you set up a claim and 3 reasons.** (Remember though that the format for this ENGLISH assignment was to write a SUMMARY, while Mrs. Clough is having you write a more extended form and include a hook--summaries don't have hooks they just restate the most important elements of longer pieces.)
 * **If you do not think you understood the MOST significant portions of the a"Truth About Grit" article** when you wrote your OWN summary, double-check your summary against this sample. In many classes, **students checked off which elements they had on their summaries and wrote in the margins what may have been missing.** Students who wrote even more than the **11 sentences I used to summarize the 13 paragraphs** should take a look to see what they would trim out to have an effective summary.
 * FAP REVIEW **
 * **AWESOME chart to help you study FAP :** Yesterday, I suggested that students review notes by creating their OWN charts to visualize and organize points in your notebooks. The file below is a reworking of the chart one student did on her own, which I shared with classes. The student who DID this work obviously got the MOST learning out of it, but you all can benefit by reading it. I encouraged you to copy some of it during classes, but the file below is a slight revision of what you copied. (Thank-you O. D. for doing a great job.)
 * [[file:///file/detail/fap+chart.docx|Details]]
 * [[file:///file/view/fap+chart.docx|Download]]
 * 30 KB


 * RHETORICAL TRIANGLE--FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL speech **
 * **We watched the video of the "First Day of School" Speech.**Students also have a hard copy transcript to review. We watched instead of read in part to show how a verbal argument works differently than a written one. Students noted some differences, including
 * a speaker might tell more __stories__ to make points to keep attention from wandering and create empathy and connections
 * a speaker might use fewer facts and statistics that would be hard for a listener to keep track of while listening
 * a speaker has the advantage of eye contact and tone of voice to help make points
 * a speaker is more likely to use humor to engage the audience to make a point than a formal written article like "Truth About Grit"

EXTRA CREDIT--SORT OF If you write down a paraphrase for two examples from pages 1 and 2 of the speech that support his main point that "it takes grit to succeed", you can bring the paraphrased notes with you to use during the test. You may NOT copy directly from the speech, you have to put it into your own words.
 * Students NOTED that the "Truth ABOUT GRIT" article and the "first Day of School Speech" HAVE THE SAME PURPOSE/CLAIM. They both argue that "Grit, not giving up in the face of obstacles, and keeping a sharp focus, are MORE ESSENTIAL to success than being born "smart" or "lucky".
 * The speech and the article DIFFER because they each state that claim using different FORMATS, for slightly different AUDIENCES, using different reasons.
 * Students were to take notes on T-charts in thier notebooks to record **the reasons** Obama used in the speech and think about**HOW he used the reasons** to back up his main point. Students noted for example that he began with a HOOK about being tired on the first day of school, just like the kids. THis is intended to build empathy, or a connection to Hook readers to keep listening.
 * On the TEST TOMORROW, I will include one or two passages from the speech and ask you to apply what you have learned about WAYS of arguing to tell me whether the passage uses Logos, Ethos, or Pathos to persuade the listener. You do NOT need to know every detail from the speech--but you need to have at least two examples from page 1 or two of the speech. You should have taken notes and we went over these notes in class. **

Be sure to try to REWRITE the rhetorical triangle figure on the handout I gave you from memory--you will have to do this on the test and I warned you study this way!!!!

Lastly, there will be **a short ORQ about which argument you found more persuasive--the "truth about Grit" or the "First Day of School Speech."** You will be asked to give a few reasons to support your choice. .

I have moved the quiz to WEDNESDAY so we have more time to discuss FAP and the rhetorical triangle. ** CHUNK your studying. No new written work. ** I suggested to all classes that they ** review the last test to see if they can still givve both my defintion AND a paraphrase and example for the definitions for //a__lliteration__, __theme__ and __plot__//__.__ ** MY definitions are on the study guides for the last test (still on the Looming Deadlines page of this website.) Maybe write each three times, say out loud three times, say with hand movements three times, explain to a parent over dinner. ALSO be sure you know what the affixes // **__in, super, sophos__** // and ** phile/philo ** mean and can ** list two words that use each affix. ** For __ //**in**// __ you must have words that use the prefix to mean ** //entering// ** or // **into** //, (not the alternate meaning Not as inaction meanig no action.) For __ //**phile--**// __ you MUST ** cannot use BOTH philosopher and philosophy ** --find a DIFFERENT word as your second word. LOOK IN THE DICTIONARY!!! If you review these tonight, tomorrow you can review notes on what the F, A, and P in FAP stand for and examples of each, as well as the names for the parts of the Rhetorical Triangle and examples related to the "arguments' we have looked at (including the "Grit" article, the 'brush your teeth 2 minutes campaign; the first day of school speech you will watch tomorrow, and the magazine drive assembly). If you are s on the material from the last test, start reviewing the FAP and argument notes. Can you close your notebook and write the most important points from each page of notes you have taken in the "Writing Tips" section? Explain some of them to someone?
 * October 15: HW **

Class Review: Below is a file with a sample summary of the "Grit" article. It starts with 2 sentences that state the "CLAIM" (also know as the THESIS or the PURPOSE of the article. All written "arguments" should start with a clear STATEMENT of how the author would ANSWER the BIG QUESTION in a piece.

In class we discussed that this is similar to the way a scientist starts with a hypothesis--which is the educated guess answer to a problem that a scientist is exploring. In your recent science lab, you began with the question "What is the best material for making a paper airplane that flies far?" Your "big answer" or "Hypothesis" might have been "The longer the body of the plane and the wider the wings, the farther a paper plane will fly." (A hypothesis, like a claim or thesis in writing, is expressed as a complete statement about a topic. (It is not just the topic "planes" )

The summary in the file below begins with a statement of the main claim in Lerher's article, which is "Grit is necessary for success." The claim extends the statement to add "Without grit, talent and genius are not enough to achieve exceptional success." The sample summary below shows that after the "claim" or "pupose" of the article is stated in the opening line(s), the summary makes a sentence or two out of each of the paraphrased paragraphs to complete the summary. After I wrote this summary, I went back and trimmed out any extra words to leave JUST the most significant portions of the article. Note that the summary includes only one or two specific details--enough to make the points clear, but not EVERY fact, statistic, or description in the original article.


 * [[file:///file/detail/summary+color+coded.docx|Details]]
 * [[file:///file/view/summary+color+coded.docx|Download]]
 * 155 KB

When you WRITE arguments, you will also state a CLAIM and then provide 2-3 reasons (using logos, pathos and ethos) to PROVE that your claim/thesis is correct. This is similar to the scientific method in which you use your experiements and observations to PROVE that your hypothesis is correct.

=== **Oct 12: HW** === === Complete all FOUR (4) Steps on the handout or you do not get credit. === All classes already had at least 25 minutes in class today and most classes had 10-15 minutes to read the article the first time during a prior lesson. Students should spend up to 30 minutes on this over the weekend if they have not yet finished.
 * **Read "Truth About Grit" article and follow ALL instructions for marking up the article**
 * **highlight MOST important ideas and examples that PROVE the ideas**
 * **paraphrase specifc paragraphs**
 * **and summarize (on separate lined paper) the 6 paraphrases into a summary of between 6-9 sentences.**
 * READ ALL directions on the worksheet. Do not depend on the short bullet points above. **
 * Below are files to reprint the article and the worksheet with complete instructions. **
 * The worksheet file below ALSO contains the model language we developed in class for the paraphrase of paragraphs 3 and 4. You can use my sample language on your homework. **
 * [[file:///file/detail/Grit-Article-Revised.docx|Details]]
 * [[file:///file/view/Grit-Article-Revised.docx|Download]]
 * 29 KB


 * [[file:///file/detail/worksheet+with+sample.doc|Details]]
 * [[file:///file/view/worksheet+with+sample.doc|Download]]
 * 187 KB

Class Review: Students eligible for a retake of the last quiz had 20 minutes of class to take the quiz. So far the retake grades are far better than the first attempts.

I explained the homework and we modeled how to read, highlight, and paraphrase one of the sections of the article. Students had the rest of the period to keep working and should finish for homework.

This ACTIVE reading is ** PART of the studying for Tuesday's quiz **. This paraphrasing and summarizing work should ** help students more easily identify what the MAIN CLAIM or purpose ** of the "argument" is in the article ** and the kinds of PROOF ** (mostly Logos-logical examples) that the author Lerher uses to try to convince the reader of his points.

Review FAP or the rhetorical triangle if you have time tonight and that will chunk studying for next TUESDAY's quiz.
 * OCT 11 HW ** Study ACTIVELY if you are taking retake of last Friday's quiz.

Classnotes: Handed out: copy of study guide for Tuesday quiz and Rhetorical Triangle review sheet that are also on line. Collected: Magazine Drive bullet points

Students added the picture that would be the best PERSONAL CONNECTION for them.
 * I. ** Classes reviewed handout about upcoming quiz topics and the ** Rhetorical Triangle overview. ** We added a ** visual to the Triangle to represent __ETHOS__ since that is the hardest concept of the three ways to make an argument. ** Students had great ideas to represent the idea of TRUST in the speaker of writer as important for an argument, including:
 * a picture of "HOnest ABE" Lincoln
 * a picture of ELMO or Mr. Rogers (trusted by toddlers and adults everywhere)
 * a picture of currency with "in God we Trust"
 * a picture of two hands doing a "pinky promise"
 * a picture of a government stamp for quality or approval like the USDA GRADE A type stamp on food
 * a padlock--showing safe ideas---

We discussed that the ** AUDIENCE affects the format **. ** We reach KIDS by throwing cheap toys ** around. ** Adults would probably want more info on how much time and effort the drive requires and strong examples of HOW the money helps kids **. Kids listen if there are smelly pencils and pig race pizza parties.
 * II. All classes reviewed Format/audience and Purpose ** and applied the concepts to the magazine drive speech.
 * FORMAT= interactive assembly **
 * Audience= 7th and 8th graders **
 * Purpose= kids should sell magazines **
 * III. Students shared homework. Some great answers included **
 * Main CLAIM/Purpose of presentation was to get kids to sell magazines. She communicated that message using the following REASONS **
 * You will win prizes if you sell. Example of using pathos--appeal to emotion--there will be personal gain. ALSO logos--it is a fact--logical cause and effect. IFyou sell, THEN you get.
 * The school will benefit and it is the only fundraiser--Logos--a fact
 * She gave out sample prizes (ethos--you can SEE for yourself that there are prizes and kids actually get them.)
 * Same program as other years (ethos--you can trust that the program is legitimate--its familiar)
 * There are recognizable major magazines to buy (Ethos--it is believable)
 * There are hundreds of magazines to choose from (logos--fact about options for selling)
 * You can have MOM sell them for you at work (Logos--information about HOW to sell and PATHOS--makes you feel more optimistice about it being more work for someone else and less for you.
 * You can have MOM sell them for you at work (Logos--information about HOW to sell and PATHOS--makes you feel more optimistice about it being more work for someone else and less for you.


 * A student suggested she SHOULD have said, "Imagine on lonely class of seventh graders plodding through more work when they could have been enjoying the fun and educational field trip that kids in OTHER towns took because they sold enough magazines...." This shows you can use the SAME fact (drive benefits field trips) in very different ways to make a point stronger or more clear. REMEMBER THIS when you write essays--make reader see and feel and hear with your words to drive a point home. **

All classes got to see "brush your teeth" campaign items and discuss how the arguments were made and how the audience affected the choice of FORMAT AND the SPECIFIC content used to support the CLAIM/Purpose of the argument.


 * IV. HOOK ** We used the examination of the "tooth brushing" ads to show ** the importance of a great hook or lead to introduce an argument. **__ The ads were all MOSTLY hook __ . An opening that gets and keeps attention lets the message be heard. So ALWAYS spend time crafting a great hook or lead to get your audience (teacher, other kids) to pay attention to your ideas.

Most classes began analyzing a speech about the first day of school. Students are keeping a chart of important points and HOW they are made. Most classes have already observed that the President ** begins by EMPATHIZING--saying he hates getting up early and knows how THEY FEEL. ** His first point is made ** by telling a story about himself not being the best student. The story makes the listerner imagine the scene at 4:30 am with a tense Mom and bored kid. Students noted that this makes you focus MORE than if he had simply stated, "Like you, I had a mom that wanted me to work harder." ** Using a few specifics to set a scene and make it "Real" adds power and credibility to the message.
 * V. Using SENSORY DETAILS AND EMPATHY help Facts and messages carry more weight. **

Oct 10 notes on retake:

Many students stayed for a review that allows them to retake the last quiz during class on Friday. Good for you for trying to help yourselves. It became clear from the review that most (not all) of those who struggled are still thinking that "studying" is rereading notes the night before a test. We practiced strategies such as OPENING A Dictionay to find words that use the roots--SEEING them and DIGGING for them yourself helps you learn more than just googling (though some did not even do that). We practiced repeating words WHILE doing hand movement to remember connections to meanings. We showed how to use vocab cards with a partner to practice a PORTION of the list and sort the cards into categories different waysWe color-coded for parts of speech and then found the pattern that 6 were the same color--noun--and put those aside working ONLY with the three that weren't nouns---this is CHUNking a big list to a manageable 3 and focusing on just those three gives you everything---less time and more results. NOW you all have to do all these things ON YOUR OWN if you want to succeed. You have the tools--use them. I do not need to ASSIGN flash cards or color-coding and making songs or rhymes to remember. I do not know which of these works best for you--you do. Or you WILL know once you try the strategy out and succeed. You will never know until you try! Extra credit Option due by Oct 19 for 5 or more points (up to 15 points depending upon how good it is) Turn __ **one** __ of the following Study Skills Slogans into a poster. (kids in classes came up with many of these before the last test.) __ **STUDY SKILLS Slogans** __
 * 1) Do more today and there's less left in your way
 * 2) Use it or Lose it--Just DO it!
 * 3) Be an ACTION HERO--don't just sit there, Make your BRAIN DO something!
 * 4) Study MANY ways over MANY Days
 * 5) Break it down to Build Knowledge up!
 * 6) Work it from the First Day or You're Throwing it AWAY!!
 * The POSTER ** __ MUST __ include
 * a visual that helps get the message across
 * the slogan CORRECTLY SPELLED and large and clear enough to be read halfway across a class room
 * 3 bullet points that help explain how to APPLY the specific study strategy the slogan is expressing
 * (for example, the Many days, many ways poster might have a calendar with words or pictures every other day such as "Connect terms to learn with songs, rhymes or sounds" or practice hand movements that connect to meanings of 5 HARDEST things to learn for next test" ...


 * Attach a paragraph about 3 DIFFERENT ACTIVE strategies that have worked for you. ACTIVE does not include rereading notes or listening in class or doing the HOMEWORK on time--Although these are perfectly necessary **they do not WORK if no other strategy is used to learn for the long term**.

== NEXT quiz Oct 16 on Argument and affixes and Lit terms--Start studying NOW. See Looming Deadlines page for topics. ==

Oct 10 HW: There are two options
== OPTION 1. Write down 4 reasons (in bullet point form) that were used at the magazine drive assembly to try to sell magazines. == ===Next to each reason identify whether the reason appeals to the brain (using "logos"--a logical fact) or appeals to the heart/emotion (using PATHOS--trying to get you to feel something to sympathize or empathize with the speaker); or tries to get you to accept the speaker as a trustworthy source (Ethos--an appeal to the credibility or believablity of the speaker.)===

=== OPTION 2. Write down 4 reasons that I ( Mrs. Ready) should buy a SPECIFIC magazine from the packet for the room. === ===Next to each reason identify whether the reason appeals to the brain (using "logos"--a logical fact) or appeals to the heart/emotion (using PATHOS--trying to get you to feel something to sympathize or empathize with the speaker); or tries to get you to accept the speaker as a trustworthy source (Ethos--an appeal to the credibility or believablity of the speaker.)===

Write this on notebook paper and put name on it. I may have you hand it in tomorrow.

=== If you cannot remember how the presenter tried to persuade you, think of your own reasons. You do not have to actually believe that selling them is important--you just have to show you know how to ARGUE for that viewpoint. === Had student in room until 3:40. Will post class notes that might help shortly. This homework should fill about 4 to 8 lines tops--no need for full sentences. Just list specific reasons AND identify the kind of reason (logos, pathos, or ethos). Failure to at least TRY to label the reasons as logos, pathos or ethos will result in NO CREDIT.

Class Notes:
=== Handed back tests to students who finished late. If you did not get yours, SEE ME!!! === === What is __FAP__ and what do you need to know about __FAP for the next Quiz__? === We added discussion of salesmanship to our ** "Introduction to Argument" unit. ** We discussed that a good argument begins by first establishing ** FORMAT, AUDIENCE, and PURPOSE. Students were to write these terms in the Writing Tips section of their binders. ** FORMAT ** is the "package" the argument comes __delivered__ in. It does not refer to the topic or reasons, but instead has to do with the WAY you get the message. **
 * Formats include: speeches, songs, stories, essays, news articles, posters, interactive meetings and assemblies....TOday the magazine drive people used an ASSEMBLY format with audience participation. Most classes have viewed the "Brush Your Teeth" ad campaign that used video and on-line posters.
 * AUDIENCE ** **refers to who the message is packaged for.** The magazine drive people picked an assembly as the best way to get kids to listen. They try to reach adults through different formats--such as the printed brochures in the magazine packet and through the website. They know that they have to get your attention before you will listen to the message, so they don't put info about prizes or who the sale helps into notices home and hope you read them.

The brush your Teeth ads we viewed used video of "Wiggles" type characters to reach and audience of parents of toddlers, while using a poster showing text messages to reach middle schoolers.

**PURPOSE**: refers to the main CLAIM or main point of the argument. For the magazine drive speaker the point is "Buy magazines." For the dental ads the PURPOSE is to convince people to "BRUSH TEETH 2 minutes twice a day." FAP First: then find REASONS that use Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. Once a writer or speaker picks a format that best suits the audience and the purpose, then he or she can begin to develop the __**REASONS**__ that support the main claim or purpose of the argument. We all wrote PUPOSE/CLAIM in the center of our rhetorical Triangle diagrams in our notebooks. We use the three different KINDS of reasoning to support the main claim. If we were examining the ads for brushing the way we are **to do tonight's homework**, **it might look like the list below.** The homework could also be done as a T-chart with reasons on one side and //logos/ethos/pathos// on the other, or you could make a triangle and write the arguments on it in appropriate corner labeled //logos. ethos, pathos//. **CLAIM/Purpose:** **//Brush teeth 2 times a day for two minutes//**
 * **Reason 1:** It saves children from the SEVERE pain of cavities (**Pathos**--**appeals to a parent's emotions-**-makes them FEEL for the child)
 * **Reason 2:** Kids waste 2 minutes doing plenty of things so there is no excuse to not find time to do something that helps them. (**Logos--appeals to brain**--this is logical reasoning using facts and numbers.)
 * **Reason 3:** The posters had official looking logos in the corner that made them look like they came from a government health organization, rather than a toothbrush manufacturer. (This **creates ETHOS--the message seems to carry authority and be trustworthy**. It is not tied to profit)
 * **Reason 4:** The ads use more space in the posters and more time in the video to "HOOK" the reader (with the silly Ants in Yur Pants dance, the i-phone picure- the Gerbils on a train....) than they spend on the actual "brush your teeth" message. (THis adds **ethos and pathos**---They knew that little kids parents would be curious about the Wiggles group--and that middle school kids are more likely to stop and look at an i-phone than a toothbrush. **People are more responsive when they think the speaker identifies with them and understands them**. This also uses **pathos--as an appeal to happy emotions--it entertains**. We often listen to messages that are humorous for longer than we put up with a lecture about the exact same point.


 * This shows that FORMAT suited to the AUDIENCE matters in an argument--its not just what you say--its how you say it! If you do not HOOK your audience, it doesn't much matter how significant your message is. Remember this when you write about FARMING for Mrs. Clough next week. **

QUIZ is Tues. Oct 16-- See last item of today's class notes entry for discussion. More information will be on the Looming Deadlines page. == Oct 9: HW Anyone who did not do Literary Term vocabulary cards before last Friday's test, MUST now do the cards. This is no longer extra credit. DO cards for //Alliteration, Plot,// and //Theme//. MY definitions are on the study guide you used for last week's test (Remember don't throw ANYTHING out--there is a final in June for this course.) If you "misplaced" the guide, go to the Looming Deadlines page and look in section II. == I reviewed a format for these cards in class. Click on the file below for a sample of what a filled-in Lit Terms card would look like for the term "simile". The file ALSO has a blank card you can copy into a document file to make your own cards.
 * [[file:///file/detail/Lit+Term+Flash+card+format.doc|Details]]
 * [[file:///file/view/Lit+Term+Flash+card+format.doc|Download]]
 * 32 KB

Class Notes: Handed out: "Truth About Grit" reading. Students in many classes had 10 minutes to read this in class. Students used Active Reading steps 1-5 from green sheet to REACT to the text with symbols in the RIGHT margin only. Students WERE NOT to begin paraphrasing yet. This will be done in groups in class in the LEFT margin. ** THis is NOT homework. **

Handed Back: Tests from Friday. DO NOT THROW THESE OUT. SHow to parents/guardians. KEEP to know what kinds of examples you struggled with to better prepare for future tests as necessary. If you did not do as well as you would have liked, ** you MUST BRING THE MARKED TEST back to an AFTERSCHOOL session this Wednesday during which I will meet with students to help you identify how you could have studied and prepared more successfully. ** Some students put in time but not in ways that helped their learning style. Some students just didn't review often enough or in enough ways. NO one who took time to do the extra credit Literary Term cards did poorly on the test. This probably means that all that is necessary to succeed for MOST students is a little more time and effort chunked into many sessions the whole week before a test.

=== __**How to get to take a retake**__ if you do not feel your grade truly shows what you can do..... === 1. You MUST review what you did and jot down HOW you prepared and which sections of the test you were weakest on. // 2. // ** If you received less than an 80, you must attend an afterschool session this Wednesday to ** work on how to study more effectively for all future exams. If you received ** above an 80, you do not HAVE to attend the session ** if you want to retake the test. If you absolutely cannot make this session, a parent/guardian needs to confirm this in a note. I cannot review Thursday afterschool because I have a meeting.
 * //**Ex: I quizzed out loud the night before the test and did the homework. I did not do well on the grammar, alliteration, or on the words tht used the affixes.**//

3. You must review a little each night between now and Friday. The retake will be IN CLASS friday. It will be shorter than the original (good and bad--fewer items means each counts more.) There will be NO extra credit items on Friday's test. Anyone not retaking on Friday will be given the time to start some weekend homework. Those doing the retake will have to do the work over the weekend--but not a bad deal if you get to drop a poor grade by ACTIVELY learning the stuff you should have learned for last Friday.

4. ** Just this once, I will completely drop the first grade and give you the second if it is better. ** In the future, if I give a retake opportunity (which I do NOT always offer) the two grades will be averaged. Study a lot the first time and it is much less painful later.


 * Some classes discussed ARGUMENT for part of the class ** . File below summarizes class explanation an diagram copied by students.
 * [[file:///file/detail/2012+Rhetorical+Triangle.doc|Details]]
 * [[file:///file/view/2012+Rhetorical+Triangle.doc|Download]]
 * 507 KB


 * There will be a ** brief quiz NEXT TUESDAY, OCT. 16 ** on the three parts of the Rhetorical Triangle ** --which we copied in notebooks under Writing Tips. The quiz will ask students to discuss an article and a speech we will review and be able to identify parts of the argument in both that appeal to the head(logos), the heart (pathos) , and explain how the speaker/writer establishes credibility (ethos). ** The quiz will also RETEST on alliteration, theme, plot and the affixes //philos//, ** // **sophos, in** // and // **super** // . This is to see what you RETAIN after a week if you did not CRAM for the first quiz. You should only need very brief review for these if you did the hard review last week.

Oct 5: NO HOMEWORK. HAPPY WEEKEND!!!
Class Notes: All students took the first test. If you missed the test due to illness or extended long weekend, you MUST plan to stay next Wednesday to take the makeup.
 * Early grades are in the A range for kids who studied ** a little every night for a week, and used multiple ways to review (not JUST rereading, or JUST quizzing out loud). Those who did all the homework noticed that about 80% of the test was exactly what they had done for homework and reviewed in class. THose who bothered to make the OPTIONAL 3 flashcards for literary terms did better on those questions than those who did not. ANY INFERENCES you can draw from that?

ALL students had a full class period (about 30 minutes after directions review) and up to 20 minutes minutes more after lunch or during a Social Studies class while others completed a worksheet. My period 5/7 class (blue class) has a few students who did not receive the extra time. ** These students will have 15-20 minutes at the start of class Tuesday to complete the work if that is needed. **

Any student who scores in the D or F range will probably have learned that they have to use more varied study strategies and invest more time to prepare for future assessments. A small number of students fall in this range. (I assume many of you regret not doing the 3 cards that would have added 5 extra credit points AND helped you learn.) Learning HOW to prepare for grade 7 material was the ENTIRE point of this unit.
 * The small number of students who do not do well (scored in the D or F range) will be able to RETAKE the test IF they stay for help after school next WEDNESDAY to discuss HOW they prepared and what they now know will work for them. ** The __ retake is ONLY available to kids who invest this extra after school time __, unless I have a parental note explaining why attendance after school is a problem. The retake will be offered during a 20 minute period after lunch on Thursday or Friday.

Oct 4
(Hope Kelli continues to have a good BD as she studies. ) As one student suggested in homeroom, if you have been working with the material each night and did all the homework with focus, the "Curve of Remembering" suggests you only need to study "2-4" minutes tonight! If you did flash cards for the 3 literary terms (alliteration, plot, theme) bring them to staple to the test tomorrow for extra credit. --- Class Notes Most classes at least began working in small groups on bullet points they might use in an argument to get a cell phone or some other device from a parent or grandparent. We will finish reporting out and categorizing the kinds of evidence used in these arguments on Monday (test tomorrow). Period 1 had already been introduced to the Rhetorical Triangle and FLOORED me with their mastery of how it worked after only one class on it. They watched some video and saw an advertizing campaign and identified how the "author" tried to persuade and what the target audience was. All classes will do this Monday.
 * HW: Study! test tomorrow. **
 * We started new unit on Argument. ** Students drew the Rhetorical Triangle into notebooks. We discussed how politicians, sales people, and kids trying to get treats from adults ALL use argument. In English class, an argument is not a CONFLICT. We will discuss argument as a way to use words to persuade others to understand YOUR thinking, using evidence and by making a connection with the listener/reader.

Reread the GREEN portion of my entry under class notes for Oct 1. This explains the method I showed in class for searching for a particular term on this website to get explanations I have in the class notes dating back to the second week of school.
 * How to help yourself with last minute questions before tomorrow's test **

October 3
Class Notes: I met with students after school to review again. THey have SECRET knowledge and a little extra credit for having taken the time and the ACTIVE learning step required to excel on Friday' test. We are moving on to new material--finally--tomorrow. If you bothered to read this, write the word "EXCELS" next to your name on the test Friday and I will know you are doing the REQUIRED step of reading the website every night. This will earn you 1 extra credit point on the test. == **Oct 2** After School Review WEDNESDAY for Friday Quiz and for ANYONE who did not turn in homework on the assigned day this week. ==
 * HW: No new homework. Apply the many study strategies you have learned to prepare for the Study Strategies test this Friday. **
 * We finished review of what will be on Friday's test. ** Students worked in small groups to share insights on how they might answer questions from the study guide and worked with flashcards to practice and share sentence and picture ideas. I answered remaining student questions on HOW to use words properly in sentences and on the concept questions from the review sheet.

NOTE: I am taking item __**IV from the study Guide (Reading and Writing Check) off of this week's test.**__ We will do it separately next week. Some classes have already marked up their study guide to reflect this.

HW: Design your own homework.
== I will not check anything new tomorrow, but you KNOW you need to chunk studying over several nights. And you know you need to connect in many different ways, many times, for the repetition to help you learn. I will know by Friday's test score whether you DID tonight and tomorrow's "homework". ==

=
**OPTIONS:** The test this Friday is on ways to study and learn and WHY these ways work. So APPLY what you have learned for homework tonight and tomorrow. Ideas of how to apply these study strategies include: =====


 * I. Make flashcards for the Literary Terms //Alliteration//, //Theme,// and //Plot//. ** (Flashcards use the study skills of visualizing, repeating, writing, and chunking) As we modeled in class today, these cards should not be exactly the same as the other general vocabulary cards--there is no purpose in using the terms in sentences. Instead cards might include
 * **term**--spelled correctly
 * **Mrs. Ready's Definition** (provided on study guide.) Memorize the UNDERLINED words in the defintion. We did hand motions to help with learning the longest one in most classes today.
 * **PARAPHRASE my definition** into your own words
 * give **examples or draw a picture** to help connect to the meaning of the term. We did some in many classes today for allitertion and for theme.

II. ** Read the questions ** I wrote on the study guide in the first section ** (I. Concepts to be able to Explain ** ) Draft ANSWERS to each question in writing. This is better than just answering out loud, because many kids who think they can explain something have trouble finding the right words when under test pressure. If I have time, I will check any written students took the time to do for tomorrow and give you feedback about whether the answer will work for the test.


 * III. ** ** USE the vocabulary flashcards you have already made ** . Play a game with them--sort them to ** find patterns ** that connect the meanings of words or the sounds of the words or the parts of speech. MOving them around is using ACTION to help you learn. QUIZ each other--maybe even via text messaging if your plan allows--(Ask a parent first). Make it fun--Let your dog pick which card to practice with if you can't find a person to work with. The value of flashcards is MORE in using them to repeat than in just writing them once and putting them in a binder.


 * IV. ** Review your study guide, your notes for this unit, and your flashcards and ** highlight or make a list of questions you still have ** . Be prepared to ask the questions tomorrow (don't wait until Thursday--I will have to move to new material then. )

CLASS NOTES: I checked homework in some classes but did not finish. I will finish tomorrow so you BETTER have it with you.

In class we reviewed the following topics:
 * **How to have done the homework currectly**
 * What the main point of the "Curve of Remembering and Forgetting" is and difference between a paraphrase and a summary. Also developed a hand motion to help remember the "curve" handout.
 * We **reviewed vocabulary words and cards students had questions on.**
 * We discussed HOW to write sentences that truly show the MEANING of the word. Students suggested BETTER sentences with CLEARER clues to meaning.
 * POOR SENTENCE ** : // I know a **philosopher.** //
 * Sentence showing meaning: ** // THe **philospher** chose to teach in Foxborough where he enjoyed the helping students think through issues to solve tough problems. //
 * Second sentence shows that a philosopher LOVES WISDOM and THINKING. ** FIrst sentence could just as easily be about a cat--I know a cat.


 * We all tried to write the 11 ways to train the brain list from memory. Most kids couldn't. Then students were asked to think about the ways they used to learn from last night's homework.. Then most could list that they used
 * 1) Make a **__P__ersonal Connection** --by writing their Own sentences and choosing OWN pictures
 * 2) Finding **__P__atterns--(similarities and difference) --**some students grouped vocab cards to do the ones that had to do with thinking deeply separately from the affixes or did them by Part of Speech.
 * 3) **__P__Araphrasing and summarizing**--(Had to be done to understand the "curve" reading at a deeper level than if you had just read it once. )
 * 4) **Visualizing** by making pictures of word meanings and looking at graph in "curve" reading to help understand it
 * 5) **SOund--**used if kids used cards to quiz out loud.
 * 6) **Action/Experience it (**Used if kids Sorted and Quizzed with cards) MArking up text of reading was ACTION.
 * 7) **Writing** definitions, sentences, summary--all writing engages the brain to focus more and repeat
 * 8) **Repeat (** by COPYING a definition you have already read, or Drilling with cards)
 * 9) **CHunking (**Doing a few cards a night--Doing reading in three steps--reacting with symbols after first reading--then paraphrasing each section--then summarizing MOST important parts of the paraphrase. (A SEQUENCE of study.)
 * 10) **FOCUS!!!** Kids who had done copying of definitions NOT in front of TV in period 3 remembered more than those who admitted doing work in front of TV. THe multitaskers NOW have to spend even MORE time studying the definitions
 * 11) **Eat and Sleep--Hopefully you slept PEACEFULLY last night--secure that you knew 100% more after all your hard work on the homework.**

TRY TO WRITE THE LIST WHILE THINKING ABOUT how you have used EACH of these strategies (which taps into EXPERIENCE and FINDING PERSONAL CONNECTIONS) and it is easier than just trying to recall a random list. Also ** chunking the list into sections helps **
 * 3 strategies begin with "p" ;
 * 3 have to do with the senses (visualize, use sound, use Action-sense of touch);
 * Writing goes with Action and Repeating;
 * Repeating and Chunking are similar; and
 * EAT and SLEPP are DIFFERENT fromt he rest of the list--you have the whole list.

If you are JUST starting tonight, this will take about 45 minutes to an hour--that is why ** I gave you 3 nights to do it ** ! ** No notes from parents ** that you spent MORE than 20 minutes on HW ** if you did not CHUNK ** this over 3 days as you were TOLD to do. PRINT OUT the appropriate ** templates I gave you in the Sept 27 ** entry if you do not know how to set up the vocab cards for the 9 words or the 4 affixes.
 * OCT 1 **
 * HW: **
 * 1. Complete any of the 13 vocabulary cards you put off until tonight. **


 * 2. ACTIVELY READ the Curve of Remembering and Forgetting HAndout. **
 * For this assignment **you will need the "Curve of Remembering" handout** which SHOULD be in your binder as part of the 3 page packet that had the 11 "Ways to Train YOur Brain to Retain" study strategies list. If you did NOT file it in the binder, you can download the file and reprint it from the Reprints page. It is the second item down.
 * You will also need the **ACTIVE READING strategies** sheet --the **GREEN handout** from last week which I also told you to file in the Lit Notes section of your binder. It can be **reprinted from the entry dated Sept 24**-when I first handed it out.
 * We reviewed in class today that the first 5 steps on the Active Reading strategies sheet ask you to quickly REACT to what you read. Steps 1-5 are (`1. Happy face to show aggreement; 2. angry face to show disagreement etc. )
 * **Read the Curve of Remembering and Forgetting page through ONCE and mark it up using those first 5 symbols listed in steps 1-5 of the Active Reading sheet.** You may put ONE or TWO of the 5 symbols next to each paragraph. This is just to make you stop and REACT but not think too deeply the first time you read through. You slow down and focus, but don't yet have to understand EVERYTHINg.
 * **REREAD the page. NOw in the LEFT-hand margin, do step 6 in Active Reading; which is to PARAPHRASE**. AN explanation of ways to paraphrase is on the Active Reading handout. If you do not have enough room in the margin, we modeled in many classes how you can use a sticky note for a little more space next to each paragraph. In a reading as short as the "Curve" piece, you should briefly paraphrase one major point and a detail that helps make that point for each paragraph--5 paraphrases in all. A paraphrase is NOT a sentence--it is usually a bullet point or even a picture that "explains" a SECTION of a longer piece of writing in your own words.
 * AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO PARAPHRASE shared in class for the first paragraph might be **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"New topic in class--at 8am you know NOTHING--by end of class you know %100 more." **
 * O**n a SEPARATE piece of paper, you will complete Step 7 of the Active Reading Process. Step 7 is to SUMMARIZE the main idea(s) of what you read.** A summary is SHORTER than paraphrasing. **The summary should be a sentence or 2** that explains **what is most important** about the "Curve of Remembering" handout. A Summary should NOT include a lot of detail--it is just "the bottom line" on what you read. Make NO MORE than 2 (or 3 points at most) in the summary. This is too short a reading to have a longer summary.
 * We discussed in most classes that just the way **in math the SUM is what all the parts in an equation add up to**, **in ELA, the__SUM__MARY is what all the paraphrases** (or sections of examples and details) **add up to.** What was the main idea or message the writer wanted you to come away with.

Class Notes: Handed out: "Start Studying for Assessment...." Handout. This is a guide to what to prepare for on Friday's quiz. It is a reprint of the LOOMING DEADLINES page of this website.


 * I. ** In classes we ** modeled HOW to do tonight's assignment to ACTIVELY READ the "Curve of REmembering and Forgetting" ** handout. I will test students on the main ideas in the handout on Friday, so this is part of the test review. YOu are all ACTIVELY working with the material to learn it. You are not just PASSIVELY reading it quickly.


 * II. ** We also ** talked about the Rule of 8 and 28 ** . Students who did not yet understand this rule were ** directed to take notes as other students explained it. ** This is another way of learning. Students who did not know, but who just sat and listened probably will not remember it as well Friday as students who ACTIVELY processed the information by paraphrasing a definition into their own notes or adding an explanation to the Study Guide. If you did NOT take notes, search this page for mentions of the Rule and that ACTION will help you learn it. When you WORK to discover knowledge it is clearer to you and stays with you longer.

=== ** III. HOW TO USE THIS WEBSITE TO STUDY FOR TEST>>>>>DID YOU KNOW you can FIND TERMS I might have mentioned ANY time in ANY entry? ** ===
 * click on "edit" in the task bar at the top of this page
 * click on "find on this page" at bottem of that pop-up list
 * Type in a word or phrase, (such as Rule of 8 and 28)
 * it will highlight the first mention I made of that phrase and take you to that entry
 * Press "next" and you will go to the next mention---keep going until you have the defintion and ALL information I have given on that topic and take whatever notes you need for the test.
 * In this way, if you MISSED taking the notes on the day I discussed something, you can revisit MY notes.


 * IV. ** We looked at HOW MANY of the things we are doing on the vocabulary cards use several of the strategies on the "11 Ways to Train You Brain... " handout. you need to know these 11 ways by heart for Friday's test. Repint the list from the Sept 18 homework entry if you "misplaced" it after I told you to put it in your binder.


 * V. ** Some folks complained they could not find the definition of the roots // **philos** // or // **sophos** // . HELP YOURSELVES___DON'T GIVE UP so easily. You could:
 * Ask through GOOGLE
 * Use a COLLEGE level dictionary
 * **REREAD my "Welcome" Expectations Letter (dated Sept 13** and **reprintable from the bottom of the "Mostly for Parents" pa**ge of the website. **Paragraph 2** of that later GIVES you the definition and also should explain why these roots connect to the other words on this week's list. You all SIGNED a page saying you understood and read the letter and the TOP of that signed page told you to KEEP the letter in your binder--DID you?
 * VI. ** In one or two classes we began to talk about how to make a card to help you ** study the LITERARY TERMS for the upcoming test (Part II on the Study guide ** ). We discussed these terms during our // **Crash** // project work. We will go over the terms briefly in all classes tomorrow.