Archive+of+Feb+Mar+2013+ClassnotesandHW

SCROLL DOWN for today's assignments........

__This page includes a LOT of info so class notes **may not be fully updated before 5:30.**__ __**HW only will be listed by 4:00.**__

__**Video Tutorials: Click on links below for 5 minutes videos on:**__ __[|Part I: How to use this page for homework help]__ __[|Part II How to use this page for Homework help]__

__[|Part I how to use CLASS NOTES entries]__ __[|Part II How to Use CLASS NOTES]__

__Email Mrs Ready at readyd@foxborough.k12.ma.us__ This is a VIEW ONLY wiki--**you do not need to join** to use all the pages.I am not accepting requests to JOIN because you would only need to join if I wanted you to edit the site. I expect students to at least **SKIM thr**ough every entry for the week **at least once a week** and again before tests and quizzes. Remember that rereading, and adding any missing highlighted notes to your own notebook sections, will help you practice //"Reread + Rewrite = Remember" .// How will I know that you checked? By your test and quiz scores of course!
 * __Extra Help __ ||
 * __Wednesdays __ ||

For **homework assignment listing only** (without tips or exampes ) check after the "HW": under that day's date. Longer instructions may be in a separate file you access by clicking on the files.

For much more detailed **Class notes,** s croll down and click on icon with DATE to find:
 * Daily ** notes ** to copy
 * Warnings about items that will be on upcoming quizzes, tests...
 * In depth explanation of concepts covered and examples given by your peers to help you understand
 * Did class get any hand-outs? (Many are viewable/printable from ** Reprints ** icon)
 * Did I collect work that you need to pass in to get credit? (I won't ask for it!)
 *  **Links to Journal prompts** (Responses not finished in class become homework due the next day. If you are out you are STILL responsible for ALL Journal entries.)
 * List your questions LONG before the quiz/test/project due date....
 * Get **Homework Help**


 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[[image:mrsreadysclasses/father-son-13-14_~WESTF11060.jpg width="97" height="162" align="left"]]Read DETAILED directions I reviewed orally in class
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Get tips to avoid common problems kids have with homework assignments[[image:mrsreadysclasses/father_son_success.jpg width="150" height="101" align="right"]]
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Click on **Reprints** if you "forgot" handouts you need at home
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Find<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> **EXTRA CREDIT** options--I ** "hide" ** them in daily notes to get you to READ the daily notes.

FEBRUARY And MARCH ASSIGNMENTS AND CLASS NOTES I HAVE archived November, December, and Jan notes to a separate page. Click on "Archive of Nov, Dec, Jan link to get to that page.

Class Review: We did a **quick run-down of tips for success on Reading Comprehension portion of the MCAS.** Students seem to be prepared and have retained strategies for success. Below is copy of handout I gave out yesterday on the differences between planning and writing ORQs next week and the Long comp writing you just completed. I would **review the sheet Monday to refresh your memory on tips for success before Tuesday's test.** Students spent a portion of the period in most classes using the notes taken last night to draft ORQ responses to the fiction excerpt they chose from yesterday's MCAS packet. (Orange class had less time for this writing and will be given time in class Monday.) This practice should help solidify writing skills and familiarity with how to format an ORQ response. I circulated and helped students who had trouble organizing or drafting.
 * Mar 28:**
 * HEY guys worked hard these past two weeks! Enjoy long weekend and be prepared to DESTROY the competition on the Tues and Wed MCAS.**
 * No homework unless you feel compelled to finish the ORQ for the //True Diary...// or //What the Moon Saw// excerpt.** If you are nervous about next week's MCAS, finishing at home where it is quiet and you have time might help you gain confidence. Otherwise, we will work a little longer on these on Monday--peer review to find any problem areas to remember to correct for Tues, and move on.

In Orange class, we spent more time discussing some challenges in responding to the question for the //What the Moon Saw// excerpt.

Hints:
 * Mar 27:**
 * HW: Choose EITHER //The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian// OR the //What the Moon Saw//** reading from the packet I gave you today. Do NOT do anything with the poem at the end.
 * Mark it up exactly as you marked up the "Panama Canal" selection. We will write the ORQ in class tomorrow-just do markup and note-taking.**
 * 1) Read the multiple choice questions and **circle any paragraph** **numbers** printed in the reading that the question refers to
 * 2) **In the margin, near the paragraphs you circled, write a word or two from the question** so you know what to focus on most as you rea the entire excerpt
 * 3) **Read the ORQ question** and underline key topic words.
 * 4) **AS you read** the excerpt, **highight any lines you might use as evidence** to answer the ORQ
 * 5) **Under the ORQ, take notes on details** you might use to answer the question. **Include paragraph numbers** to look back at to use as quotations to support each point you make.
 * The **"True Diary" excerpt is longer, but for most of you, it will probably be easier to use** to find examples to answer the ORQ.
 * **Set up the notetaking with a chart that compares the character's feelings and attitudes at the BEGINNING; MIDDLE: and END of** the excerpts. Include the paragraph numbers that could be used for evidence for any point you make.

Class Review: I. Handed out a **packet of MCAS fiction excerpts.** I explained homework steps. Also handed out **notes on the differences between writing a long-comp and answering ORQs.** The biggest things to remember is to get to the point quickly in an ORQ and provide LOTS of details (including Quotes from text) and CLEAR explanation of the what you think the quotes show. A long comp is meant to show you can write with style and think creatively. The ORQ is NOT creative--it is focused on a specific reading and how well you can analyze content presented to you. It is shorter.

__II. Students then evaluated what they wrote last night to see if they had ALL of the elements required__ for a thorough ORQ response. They followed the steps below

1. Write a “T” over the title, “A” over author (if one is given in excerpt), and “G” over the sub-genre (“article”, excerpt, play, poem…)

2. __Underline__ ANY topic words from prompt or synonyms for prompt topic words.

3. highlight in pink : any details, specific evidence that shows you read the article

4. Put a Q in margin next to any quote

5. put a # in margin: if there is a reference to a paragraph #.

5. Highlight in yellow: EXPLANATIONS of what the details/quotes show —“This shows…” “This means” or paraphrases. Explanations should explain WHY the detail helps answer the prompt. No “So what?”

6. __UNDERLINE__ prompt key words or synonyms in final lines

III. Common problems and solution for ORQS A. TOO short-- B. TOO LONG More students now find they are writing more than will fit into the limited one page of space that the MCAS gives you. This is a good problem to have!! Here are TEST taking strategies JUST for MCAS ORQs---they are not ALL great writing strategies--but they do help with MCAS This trims the writing from 7 lines to 5, and repeats less.
 * if student had lots of pink but no yellow, it shows **you need to expain more**. Add sentences after quotations that start, "This shows..." This is a problem because..."
 * Some students had explanations and details but **NO Quotations**! If you realize this after completing your answer in the ANSWER booklet, go back and add the explanations to the end and draw arrows to where they should be inserted. If you already filled all the space, squeeze a line in above with a carrot. It is better to have all the information than to worry about neatness.
 * Be sure you have **examples from differenct sections of the text**--unless the question specifically limits you to one section of the reading. MANY students had too little because they only used examples from the first third of the reading and gave NOTHING from the middle or end sections.
 * ANSWER ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION! Some students had too little because they explained the PROBLEMS, but left out the solutions--which was the second part of the prompt.
 * **If you have more than 2 quotations to support __a single point__ in your answer, choose the best.** YOU SHOULD have 3 points to use to support your answer, with a detail or two to support each point. For example, you did not need 4 different quotations to show that mosquitos cause malaria and getting rid of mosquitos solved the problem. You needed to move on to the other topics--such as the technical engineering problems with digging deep and wide enough to build locks and a lake to get giant ships from one ocean to another, or having enough workers stay on the job.
 * Trim! Combine short repetitive sentences. Use the most significant PART of a sentence for your quote. DOn't repeat the exact same words of the quote in your explanation.
 * DO **not write**
 * "There were lots of problems. There were also wonderful solutions. THe human beings who built the canal suffered from diseases. The diseases included yellow fever and malaria.THey needed to find a solution. A researcher named Dr. Gorgas was called in. He figured out that mosquitos carried the diseases. They had to kill the mosquitos to solve the disease problem. He learned that draining swamps and getting rid of vegatation would get rid of places for mosquitos to lay eggs. In paragraph 7, the article says his team, "drained swamps, cleared vegetation, sprayed oil on standing water, released minnows to eat mosquito larvae and bred spiders, ants and lizards to feed on adult insects."
 * Condense to
 * "For every problem there was a solution. Diseases, including yellow fever and malaria, killed thousands of workers. A researcher, Dr. Gorgas, realized that lowering the mosquito population would halt the spread of disease. He "drained swamps, cleared vegetation, sprayed oil on standing water, released minnows to eat mosquito larvae...." (par 7) to prevent mosquito breeding. He also released species, including spiders and lizards, that fed on adult mosquitos.
 * No need to use phrases like //"In paragraph 7 of the article, it says...//Just write //"The article says," ......" and// **put a parenthesis with paragraph number //(par. 7)//** after the quote. It saves a little space and IS MLA format.
 * ALthough it is usually a great idea to start new paragraphs when you introduce a new topic, **keep the entire ORQ in one block as one paragraph.** This saves the space you'd otherwise lose to indenting or skipping lines to start a new paragraph.
 * Write small, but legibly.
 * PLAN AHEAD in question booklet! know how many quotes you are going to use and how long they are before you begin.


 * Mar 26:**
 * HW: Write the ACTUAL ORQ response to the ORQ question at the end of the "Panama Canal" article in the packet. Use the notes and highlighted quotes you prepared by doing LAST night's assignment on the "Panama Canal" reading.**
 * **If you are celebrating a SEDER tonight**, you have an extra day.
 * Follow the format we have discussed before--which we reveiwed in class again today. See Class Review below for details. If your response does not have ALL of the elements in the format, you are not doing the work correctly!
 * **IF you did last night's work thoroughly and correctly, tonight should not take more than 20 minutes to finish**. The work will take MUCH longer if you did not do the HARD part of last night's work, which was taking bullet point notes of points to support your response and highlighting quotations to us as evidence.

Class Review: THis is a copy and paste of info reviewed MAR 5 on this page. It should NOT be new!!! Learn it!

To write a solid ORQ response remember:

 * T =(TAG and TQA **--**topic sentence should include __**T**__itle of piece you are writing about, __**A**__uthor, sub- __**G**__ENRE (story, poem, play etc) and key words from prompt (TQA=**T**urn the **Q**Uestion **A**round)
 * 3 D = reminds you to include **3 specific details from the reading--preferably DIRECT TEXT QUOTATIONS** as evidence to support your main answer.
 * 3 E = **EXPLAIN all three details/quotes you use as evidence**. __Set up the quote__ by EXPLAINING where and how the quote fits into the passage or story; __PARAPHRASE__ the quote into your OWN words to show you truly understand what you have quoted. __Explain HOW the quote supports your point-WHY the language in THIS quote is solid PROOF__ that you are correct.
 * KEY = sum up **at the end** by **repeating __key topic__** __words__ from the prompt
 * = 3/4 MEANS you should have **about 3/4 of a page to a page of single-space handwriting** (if you write a reasonable size) or you probably don't have enough CLEAR, SPECIFIC information in your response.

Diabolical test writers want us to show we understand the HARD parts too
 * Following the formula above does not guarantee you are correct, but it helps tell you HOW to get ENOUGH. You also have to use precise, vivid GRADE 7 vocabulary, and obey grammar, spelling, and punctuation conventions.**
 * What to look for in "Panama" piece.** Most kids had LOTS of details about the obstacle and solution involving malaria and mosquitos. As we saw when we reviewed responses graded by the state last year, this was NOT enough!
 * **EXPECT an emphasis on engineering and/or technology in at least ONE of the excerpts you get on next week's MCAS. You SHOULD have highlighted some details to you use in your response related to TECHNOLOGY and ENGINEERING--not just to the Biology part.** We can all relate more easily to disease and bugs, but the diabolical test writers want us to show we understand the HARD parts too.
 * **IF your prewrite bullet points did NOT include any of the examples about the engineering obstacles (size of canal; special design of "locks and lakes"; issues with digging and disposing of materail....) you BETTER go back and reread.** It is HARD to understand and put into words--that is why they give you the charts. Your answer is supposed to show that you **understand those charts and could explain them to someone else**. That **shows TRULY DEEP comprehension. THat is a 4 out of 4 score.**
 * **Stopping with** the malaria examples in the **beginning section of the article MIGHT be interpreted** as showing you **DID NOT READ the rest.**
 * There should be highlights and margin notes on EVERY page of the reading--as in my example photocopied from the Rico article. There should be **a margin note paraphrasing a main concept under EVERY main heading.**

We looked at sample essays from last year's MCAS that scored a 2,3, and 4. **At first the "2" looked pretty good--it had LOTS of details spit back from the reading** (we counted 9 or 10). Upon closer reading though, students noted that the writer
 * WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE "2" -- DETAILS ALONE are not proof you understand!! **
 * did **not** EXPLAIN what the details had to do with obstacles and solutions to building the Canal;
 * used **NO quotations**;
 * **gave only a partial answer to prompt;** responded mostly to the "problems" part of the question with **very little on solutions;**
 * Used **no references** to specific paragraphs;
 * limited MOST of the discussion to information given on the **first** of 3 pages of text;
 * had **no TAG** at start or summary of **key topic words at the end**;
 * and was **NOT** at least **3/4** of a page.

**The "4" followed the** TAG+TQA+3D+3E+Key=3/4 format
When we looked at the answer earning a "4" we saw **it did EVERYTHING noted in my goofy formula**. I am not saying you could not get a 4 if you make a single omission, but WHY TAKE A CHANCE?!!! We ALSO noted that the 4 we looked at managed to **use high-level vocabulary, transitions, and a little figurative language to make LOGICAL, clear points effectively.**

One MCAS down--two days to go next week. Students appeared to take a lot of time and care to show their best work. Congratulations.
 * Mar 25**
 * HW: Homework is to complete the markup of the Panama Canal article assigned last Thursday.** Last two day's entries explain what is required and give examples of how to markup the reading.
 * If you are celebrating a Seder tonight** and did not do the necessary planning to do this work over the weekend, you can have more time IF you **send in a note from a parent or guardian.** If you are NOT celebrating the Jewish Holiday, there is no reason not to have the work completed properly for tomorrow.

I. The checklist and VERY lame reminder poem I handed out are in the files below. Read them once on Sunday--then about 15 minutes later try to write down as many as you can remember as a last review.
 * Mar 22:** MCAS LONG COMP MONDAY!!!! REMEMBER
 * Finish any homework BEFORE Sunday!!
 * Get a little exercise, and sleep 8 hours before test.
 * EAT breakfast! (NOT cookies!) drink water.
 * __** Bring water and a snack for break time during the test **__
 * Bring a positive attitude, and a mental checklist of writing tips you want to put to USE.
 * DON"T get frustrated during writing! Don't give up--**just give it your best!**

**II. DUE TUES!!** **I will check ALL classes for proper markup of the Panama Canal selection** using the specific directions given in class yesterday and given in writing in yesterday's entry.

 * I was dissapointed in the level of detail in HW I checked today.**
 * **ANSWER the multiple choice for the Panama reading! Do NOT write the ORQ paragraph yet.**
 * Please **REVISE any misdone homework! Below, I have posted a visual the "Rico" selection marked up the way you should mark up the "Panama Canal" article. (You will need to click on VIEW and zoom in to read the notes)**
 * Circled in RED : Paragraphs numbers that multiple choice questions tell you to go back to.
 * NOTES in RED : paraphrases of the topics asked about in multiple choice questions.
 * Highlights: Text to use as possible evidence quotations to answer ORQ
 * Written in green: Notes to use and paraphrases of text to help answer ORQ.


 * This is how your notes should look to prewrite and organize your ORQ. After taking these notes, you would choose the two or three BEST pieces of evidence to use in your written response. You WON'T use every note you take.**
 * You don't need to copy the quotations here--just note which paragraph to go back to while writing and then you copy the quotation from what you highlighted in the text.**


 * Mar 21:**
 * HW DUE FRiday for ORange and RED classes**
 * DUE TUESDAY for Yellow, blue and green classes:**
 * I. Markup and highlight the __Panama Canal__ article in the MCAS packet I distributed. using __the following MCAS test taking strategies__. (YOU MAY want to read the RICO piece as well for more practice, but it is not required. )**
 * 1) READ the italicized introduction that comes BEFORE the article and highlight the words that seem to sum up the purpose and main idea of the piece. READ the title.
 * 2) READ the multiple choice questions. As we did in class, Circle the paragraphs numbers that that the questions focus on in the reading to remind you to pay special attention to these paragraphs as you read. Note in the margin, the topic of the question. For RICO, we circled paragraph 1 and wrote "purpose?" in the margin because the first multiple choice question is about the purpose of paragraph 1. Do this for ALL of the multiple choice questions that direct you to specific paragraphs.
 * 3) READ the ORQ question and highlight the key topic words and box the task words.
 * 4) THEN FINALLY begin your first reading. AS you read, pause and highlight ANY lines that you could use as quotations to support your ORQ response. EVERYTIME you highlight a line in the text that MIGHT be great evidence to include in your response, flip to the workspace under the ORQ question and write down a NOTE. //**For example**, in the RICO article we highlighted the line, " **Rico recongnizes the nmaes of about 200 objects and can retireve them on command."** Then in the space under the ORQ question we wrote "**knows 200+ words-Q par 1"** to tell ourselves to go back to pargraph one to copy the EXACT quote IF we decide to use this evidence in the final ORQ... You might take notes on 5 or 6 good quotes, but don't waste time copying them all--when you are done reading and highlighting, you will go back over ALL the options for evidence and choose the 2-3 best pieces of evidence to use. Remember that ORQ answers are only a paragraph or so--NOT 5 paragraph essays.//
 * 5) Double check the paragraphs that the multiple choice questions send you back to--usually there is at least one VERY strong piece of evidence to use in the ORQ in one or more of these paragraphs. In the RICO sample we saw that question #3 sends you to paragraph 6 to see how Rico learns like a human being--This is a good example of how Rico is " a special dog"--which is the ORQ topic.
 * 6) THEN answer the multiple choice questions.
 * 7) You do NOT need to WRITE the ORQ paragraph yet. Just have notes for a prewrite and the markup and highlighting of the text you will use to answer. I STRONGLY suggest organizing your prewrite for the Panama Canal ORQ question as a T-chart--listing "obstacles" on one side and "Solutions" on the other--as I showed you in class.


 * HW for GREEN YELLOW and BLUE classes DUE FRIDAY:**
 * We will try to do this in class for Orange and Red classes IN class tomorrow**
 * 1) Write down (in bullet point format) 10-12 things you have learned are EXTREMELY important to remember to score a 5 or 6 on Monday's MCAS. These should include pointers about the writing process, best ways to begin, what to remember to put into a draft, and what to revise and edit for.
 * 2) STAR 3 or 4 of the items on the list that are things YOU most need to remind yourself to do on MONDAY.

Class Review I collected the revised opening and closing paragraphs students have worked on all week. THese will count for a quiz grade. We modeled these strategies using the "Rico, a Dog of Many Words" selection. Students do NOT have to answer the questions from the RICO piece unless they want a little more practice. Students WILL read and answer the "Panama Canal" selections multiple choice questions. We **watched a video of SpongeBob trying to write an essay. Students took notes on typical behaviors that got in the way of his success.** We noted how **emotions can prevent a productive writing** session. Students noted that he started with a positive attitude, but then did not get down to work. **He did not PREWRITE,** so he had writer's block, and **let himself get distracted**. He paid for putting off any actual writing by getting anxious and angry and tired. We noted that **postponing the agony by frequent trips to the water fountain, fidgeting in the chair, looking at the clock or out the window---all increase stress**. It is better to __**breathe deeply and sit up straight**__ and **focus by WRITING SOMETHING. Get notes down for a prewrite**, and THEN you can add or delete ideas. Organize ideas BEFORE trying to write sentences. We saw that by rushing at the end, after not focusing for most of his writing session, he only succeeds in spewing out LOTS of details that DON'T answer the question AND he has no time to revise.
 * WE reviewed strategies for reading MCAS non-fiction selections and answering multiple choice and ORQ questions.**


 * Mar 20: HW: Revise openings and closing for a quiz grade! No new homework, but I want students to use today's review of student work to use as a guide for further improving your openings and closings. In many classes, we saw that students NOW have most of the basics--**
 * **topic words and introduction to subtopics**
 * **a Quote that CLEARLY and logically connects to the topic, introduced in complete sentence form, with the speaker identified**
 * **OR a sensory description that builds interest or suspense.**
 * **a conclusion that reviews and connects to all of the above, but does not simply repeat the same language**
 * STILL spotty in many student's work were the following:**
 * **upgrade vocabulary!!** Insert at least one or two **ACTIVE verbs**, and a phrase with **figurative language (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification**)
 * ADD **SOUND if possible --dialogue, onomatopoeia, an alliteration**
 * insert a **transition** ("//most imoportantly, not only this but also...,, Although, As a result...)//
 * **CORRECT fragments and run-ons.** Tell-tale signs of a fragment include **sentences that start with //But, Which, For example//...**
 * if you have **a list withoout a subject and VERB you have a fragment**. If you **start a sentence with an "ing" verb, it may lack a subject** ("**//running on the beach, relaxing in the waves"// is a fragment. "**//**A carefree girl runs down the beach, and then relaxes on the sand watching the ebb and flow of the waves**.//"--That is a **sentence.**
 * **Insert commas!** before quotations after the speaker is identified ---"Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living."
 * **Insert commas after introductory phrases and clauses.** "// While I ran, the competition crept up on my heels."//
 * CAPTIALIZE NAMES!!!!!!
 * Correct EVERYDAY spelling errors (too/to/two their/there/they're whether/weather....realize/a lot/ business until
 * Tried, cried, NOT cryed--
 * double consonant before adding ending to words with a short vowel (I //STARRED in the play//, not //stared//. I //was dropping hints//, not //droping.//
 * **Make final changes and submit tomorrow.**
 * Class Review:**
 * We went over 2-3 students samples as a whole class to identfy the common errors outlined above.**
 * We went over 2-3 students samples as a whole class to identfy the common errors outlined above.**


 * Mar 19: HW: See last night's entry. If you DID the work last night, but did not include a sentence to EXTEND the main idea in your essay in your conclusion, __FIX IT!!!__**

Most students were doing a good job with the following steps for writing a CONCLUDING paragraph:
Another student shared her conclusion that **extended her essay about why she would love to live in Paris for a year by saying she could return and SHARE what she learned with others and open THEIR eyes** to new experiences too.
 * Begin concluding paragraph with **some reference that ties back to the quotation or the sensory image** you used in your opening.
 * Include key words from the prompt and a reference to your main topic. (In the first sample, we highlighted that the writer used the words "Proud" and "Lefty-layup"--the main topics of the essay.)
 * Include reference to the sub-topics reviewed in the body paragraphs of the essay to support the main topic (In sample the writer explained that he was __proud to learn the layup__ by showing "**//effort", "Overcoming doubts of friends" and "Trying new things."//**
 * //I. MOST STUDENTS STILL need to add a sentence that EXTENDS the idea and shows WHY the details in the essay MATTER.//** The samples essay explains that learning the layup was actually a small thing that few others even noticed. He **added to his concludsion that the achievementt helped him "Realize that I took on a challenge and was successful. "** This **extends the final thought because readers can connect to the idea that it is important and rewarding to set challenges of ALL sorts for ourselves and not be afraid of new things.**
 * II. ALSO--if you did not mark up TWO of the openings and closings in the sample essays DO SO TONIGHT!!**
 * We did ONE together in class--so just add a second opening and closing** to show where the writer returned to the sensory image or quotation; repeated key prompt and topic words; and summed up the SAME sub-topics in the opening and closing WITHOUT using the exact same words and phrases.

CLass Review: WE marked up one opening and closing together in class to model how the homework should be finished. We also reviewed student openings and closings in classes where students had already done the assignment. I reviewed what a great concluding paragraph should look like. Period 1 (orange) had a very brief period due to storm and red class did not meet at all.


 * Mar 18: Due to expected snow and icy road conditions that COULD affect schools in some parts of MA tomorrow, the MCAS LONG COMP test has been rescheduled by state officials for NEXT Monday, Mar 25. **
 * HW: ** **Blue and red** classes met AFTER the change for MCAS was announced so the following homework is due TUESDAY (tomorrow) for them.
 * Other classes will have this work due WED. I would advise doing the work TONIGHT if you can, since it is likely you did not get as much homework in other subjects during periods 1-3 today. I KNOW many teachers assigned things today that are due WED, so get something out of the way to avoid being SLAMMED tomorrow night.
 * HW: ** Using what you learned by looking at the effective conclusions in today's packet of essays, **write your OWN concluding paragraph for whichever prompt you wrote the opening for over the weekend. Write only ONE.** As in the BEST of the samples, __**your concluding paragraph should:**__
 * **tie back to the quote or sensory hook you used.** (**Sample A** in the packet __begins describing taking a shot__ and the concluding paragraph __ties back to that by stating, " As the ball went through the net..."__
 * **Use key words from the prompt,** just as you did in the opening, but do **not write the exact same sentences**. Use some synonyms or new ways to phrase the same basic ideas. (Key words used in the opening AND conclusion __in sample A are "pride", " Proud" and "Left-handed layup"__
 * **Recap the KEY SUBTOPICS (to be explored in detail in the body parag**raphs) used in the opening. In sample A the writer refers to "__//Overcoming doubts from others//__;" "//__effort and determination__//"; and "__//Step out of my shell to try something new."//__ THese phrases echo the OPENING, however they are phrased a little differently. In the opening the writer wrote about doubts and effort, but __instead of saying //"tried something new"// he used figurative language //"stepped out of my shell".//__
 * **EXTEND the idea.** **WHY do the details or topic of your essay MATTER in the big scheme of life?** Include one sentence that __explains how the specific topic of your essay might apply to other parts of your life, or other lives, or your future.__ In **the sample**, the writer notes that learning this single trick of a **left-handed layup** was personal and not something the whole team cared about. It **did not win a championship, or make him a hero.** Yet, the writer says __**it MATTERS because it taught him what effort and risk-taking CAN achieve beyond basketball**__.

Class Review:

** Openings and Closings as the WRAPPING PAPER and bow on the thoughts contained in your essay **
If you think of your essay as a package of related and valuable ideas, the **opening and closing paragraphs are like the wrapping paper and ribbon. A great opening, like a beautifully wrapped package, makes you curious and lures you in. The shape of the box is like the opening paragraph that hints at what is inside, but does not reveal the details.** (The opening words should be metaphorically screaming, "Unwrap me FIRST!") The **ribbon ties all the ideas within together** --like a great conclusion. Your final lines, like the ends on the bow, point out and suggest NEW directions--extending from the central "knot" of ideas.

During class we exchanged our two versions of opening paragraphs (One using a sensory lead, and the other using a quoatation to HOOK in the reader.

Students looked at comments and then LEARNED. If topic or subtopic words were missing, students were to add them in. Students SHOULD have written down one or two things worth remembering about writing an effective opening to keep in mind on MCAS day, learned from their own work OR from the one they evaluated.
 * I . Read each others’ TWO leads **
 * Grade each hook with a √- √ or √+
 * Underline where student used key word(s) from prompt
 * Circle 2-3 sub-topic words.

** Working with New packets to look at CONCLUDING paragraphs. **
Classes THEN reviewed a packet of essays on the prompt asking for a moment the student was proud. All followed the directions below. **The directions below should be finished for homework if you did not finish in class.**

No need to highlight in detail. (You may want to put a check mark next to things that are great.) Rate each essay on a scale of 3-6—(There are 2 that score a 6, and none below a 3. ) Choose TWO essays and highlight key words and ideas that are repeated in the OPENING and CLOSING paragraphs. Note whether and how the writer EXTENDS and does not just repeat the opening in the closing. (For example, in the first essay, the writer explains how learning to do a left-handed layup was MORE than just a basketball triumph—it taught him about himself. A single move in basketball taught him that he could use his the traits of believing in himself and taking the risks to help him with LOTS of life challenges beyond basketball. )
 * II. Then read packets of essays on a PROUD MOMENT. **

Very LONG week! For homework, practice for Tuesday's MCAS by writing TWO different opening paragraphs for ONE of the 16 sample MCAS prompts I gave you to work with (reprintable from Mar 1 HW entry). It is probably easiest to use the prompt you already outlined for the Tuesday night body paragraph HW.
 * MAr 15: HW**


 * ONE of your opening paragraphs should begin with a SENSORY lead, similar to the ones you read in on the "6" rated MCAS sample essays about being Harry Potter, or about Brianna Scurry as a hero.
 * The SECOND opening paragraph should begin with a QUOTATION.
 * BOTH paragraphs will THEN flow into the main topic, using key words from the prompt AND refer to two or 3 subtopics you will write about in the body paragraphs (if you WERE to finish the essay.)

You are using the SAME prompt for both paragraphs, so while the first 2-3 sentences will differ, the last two -three sentences in the paragraph can be the same for both. I will enter an example under class review.

Class Review
 * I handed out a two sided handout with familiar quotations often used in social Studies and English Essays. Students MAY use one of these quotes or find one of their own. Even if you do not use these quotes for this assignment, review them and choose one or two to memorize for future prompts when you CAN"T look up a quotation. These will come in handy throughout highschool. I went through pages and pages of poor quotations with missing words, or attributed to the wrong speakers on the internet to TRIPLE check these and pull out quality quotes.


 * To be a GOOD quote choice,**
 * the quotation should be at least a little familiar to a lot of people (" penny saved is a penny earned" "Winning isn't eveything" "there is no place like home"
 * or the SPEAKER or writer who first said the words should be someone famous as an authority (Shakespeare, Einstein, Socrates...)

You may also use familiar references to song lyrics or well known commercial tag lines---if it matches the tone of the topic. **If the topic were on reaching goals** you might use the following commercial line or song lyric. // Nike ads push us to "Just do it!" That is also great advice to get motivated to reach any goal in school. We have to believe and begin, not wait for the perfect conditions to start down a better path." // // The Beatles used to sing, "I can get by with a little help from my friends." Friendship makes teamwork possible and reaching a personal goal often requires the support of others who care. I have a great "team" of friends and family that prop me up when I want to stop trying on the way to reaching my goals." // ALWAYS use a COMPLETE sentence to introduce a quote. Do NOT just write the quote with a dash and a name. // ("To be or not to be" --Shakespeare) // Instead write, // "Shakespeare wrote the famous lines, To be or not be," to show a character at a moment when he had a difficult choice to make. I have asked myself at times whether I have the courage "to be" a person who makes the moral choice, even when it is not the popular choice." // In class students practiced by writing an opening to the prompt "What did Scrooge learn from the ghosts?" They were given the quotation // "Every man is guilty of the good he did not do." --Voltaire. // A GREAT student opening using this quotation properly is : // The philosopher Voltaire once wrote, "Every man is guilty of the good he did not do." If Voltaire was correct, then Dicken's character Scrooge would be the guiltiest man in London at the beginning of Dickens' novel __A Christmas Carol.__" //
 * Sample Quotations uses:**

AFTER your quotation or sensory hook, you STILL need to get to the main point and sub points of your paper. Below are two versions of an opening if yiou had to do the HERO prompt again (whiich is NOT one of your options for this weekend.) My outline would have had "**Lincoln" as my main** topic, and "s**trength"** and "**compassion"** as the two qualities I would give lots of details about in the body paragraphs.
 * Adding key words from the prompt and introducing sub-topics.: **

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." A great hero of mine is Abraham Lincoln, who governed at a time of great challenge and controversy. He is my hero because of his determination and strong sense that the nation depended on him to save the union and eliminate the tragedy of slavery when so many leaders before him had chosen more "convenient" and "comfortable" options. Lincoln has been a personal hero to me since I was 12 years old on a family trip to Gettysgurg. Lincoln had unshakeable moral strength balanced by gentleness. He had deep compassion not only for the lot of slaves, but also for the human beings who suffered on both sides of the Civil War. He is a hero to many because he was an exceptionally sagacious and capable leader at an exceptionally complex time. I can never hope to have his impact on a nation, but I believe I can be a stronger friend and more compassionate family member by reflecting on his approach to tackling the toughest of challenges.
 * Notice that the** final section in blue covers the topic and subtopics **of the essay and is THE SAME for both example paragraphs below. The only thing you need to change for the two options is the HOOK (** pink quotation hook **in sample one and** green sensory hook **in sample two.)**
 * // Quote sample: //**

//**Sensory Language sample:**// His lanky frame lumbers down a White House hallway at midnight, solitary in the shadows cast by dim whispers of gas lamps. Abraham Lincoln held the highest office in the land, but his shoulders slumped under the weight of a nation at war against itself. I imagine him stroking that famous beard and shaking his head dejectedly as he read a letter from a distraught mother of a wounded soldier. Each letter brought fresh grief, even after four years of cannon fire and bayonets. Beneath the letter might wait a military dispatch, telling the Commander-in-in-Chief of the latest battle lost. He would close his eyes against the mental image of another farmer's field soaked in blood instead of spring rain. Yet the weary Lincoln would meet the next sunrise, resolute and plowing forward toward a solution to reunite the nation without collapsing to those who would have him allow the continuation of slavery just to end the war. Lincoln has been a personal hero to me since I was 12 years old on a family trip to Gettysgurg. Lincoln had unshakeable moral strength balanced by gentleness. He had deep compassion not only for the lot of slaves, but also for the human beings who suffered on both sides of the Civil War. He is a hero to many because he was an exceptionally sagacious and capable leader at an exceptionally complex time. I can never hope to have the impact on a nation in the way he did, but I believe I can at least be a stronger friend and more compassionate family member by reflecting on his approach to tackling the toughest of challenges.

Be prepared to discuss SIMILARITIES between the 6 in the first packet and the 6 in the second.
 * Mar 14 HW**
 * I. Read all 6 hero essays in packet you received Tuesday. Read them through once--you do not need to mark them up yet. Then Grade each on a scale of 1-6. There is only one of each grade, according to how the State of Massachusetts graders graded them.**
 * II. for the sample essays you graded as a 4 and as a 6, do ALL the highlighting you did on Tuesday night for the "best Day" samples. Mark any sample lines that YOU think the graders might show good or GREAT** CONTENT **,** ORGANAIZATION **,** Word Choice **, or** Sentence flow. See full instructions for mark up in the entry for Mar 12.


 * II.** If you did not produce a 5 or 6 for the body paragraph you wrote LAST night, **revise that paragraph based on the feedback you got in class,** to MAKE IT a 5 or 6.

Class Review:

//**Keep ALL the plates spinning in the air when you write**//
We talked about Mrs. Forrest's metaphor that writing well is keeping LOTS of plates spinning in the air at once. I noted that students were SO focused on improving and adding lots of sensory and figurative language to their body paragraphs that they forgot to mention some key words from the prompt in the first or second sentence to PROVE they are organized and on topic.

REcheck for topic words in Topic Sentences! Students Examined their OWN paragraphs and inserted topic words, by referring BACK to the TNT and seeing the topic words they underlined. This is a great MCAS strategy. **When you are done with a draft, go BACK to the TNT and then highlight every place you used a topic word in your draft. If you do not have a topic word, or synonyms for them in the Topic sentences and clinchers of almost EVERY paragraph, go back and insert them**.
 * MCAS strategies practiced in class.**

Students traded papers and marked them up for COWS. (COntent, Organization, Word choice, Sentence Flow If you don't see ONE of the colors in your paragraph, you can go back and ADD the missing "plate" that you might have dropped while concentrating on something else. This is what revising is for! Maybe you need a transition (blue) or MORE GREEN--sensory language and vivid vocabulary!
 * Highlight finished draft for Content, Organization, Word Choice and Sentence flow using the 4 colors we used in class if possible.**

Students began revising their paragraphs in class after seeing peer comments and colors.

Sometimes we worry so much about adding great language we forget that we STILL need to write in complete sentences, should NOT use "you" and should capitalize proper nouns! One very common error today was that, in an effort to be poetic, many students started writing in fragment phrases instead of complete sentences. It is still poetic, but now it is also a complete sentence.
 * Don't forget to do the EASY BASIC STUFF!!**
 * **You can repair poetic fragments by inserting a SUBJECT before any poetic phrases that start with an "ing" verb.**
 * The genre and format of an MCAS is ESSAY not poetry, so we can be poetic but STILL must complete thoughts.
 * **Example of INCORRECT fragment:** **//"Sitting on the beach, counting sailboats that melt into the sunset"//**
 * **Example of CORRECTED complete sentence**: "I imagine myself //sitting on the beach, counting sailboats that melt into the sunset." or "// I relax //on the beach, counting sailboats..."//

I conferenced with a few more students. We wrapped up classes by sharing a few student samples and showing the best writing strategies students used and where to improve work.

Mar 13: HW
 * Step I. Choose ONE prompt from the 16 MCAS** sample prompts you looked at when you did the TNT the prompt homework. Reprintable from March 1 HW entry. You **MAY NOT choose the first one --the 2012** prompt on who you'd trade places with and how it would be a great day.
 * Step II. PREWRITE TWO different ways you might answer the prompt.** You can use a web, chart, or outline, just plan out the topic and possible sub-topics you would write about to answer the question 2 DIFFERENT ways. The prewrite should go to 4 levels- The example below would show ONE of the two prewrites if we used the **2006 make-up prompt about picking a new mascot to represent the Ahern.** (this was modeled together in class)
 * 1) Main topic choice---TIGER as new mascot
 * 2) subtopics---tigers are __ferocious and strong__;
 * Our teams are stronger need to be physically and mentally strong. Mention football, AND cheerleading examples.
 * Students are ferocious and hungry for knowledge; mention algebra challenges--picture fighting through an MCAS
 * We need to be ferocious and strong to fight for others and our beliefs: Ahern as a place that stands up to bullies
 * Represents persistence all students and athletes should have in a package kids can relate to

2. Tigers __survive against tough odds--use intelligence and cunning__; 3. Tigers would be __fun for kids to watch__ as mascots on the field
 * We at Ahern try to win, even against higher ranked teams
 * we work together to survive-like tigers hunt in groups; Band program is great example of team off the field
 * we may be quieter than more showy schools like Mansfield with its sports programs or Weston with off the charts MCAS scores--but we silently get the job done year after year
 * Represents fact that we use ALL our talents to succeed and can someday RULE our own jungles as adults
 * mascot could have traditional stripes, but in blue and gold school colors
 * could wear a leather jacket to show he's is cool and confident and has "swagger"
 * little kids would like him because he's an animal, and teens would like that the jacket shows he is cool.
 * represents school well as combination of fun, confidence and ability.

This is the level of detail I want you to outline to. THEN do the same **for a SECOND topic**. Some classes explored using a CANNON, or a Leprachaun as another OPTION to answer the prompt. NO ONE SHOULD USE THE EXAMPLES DONE IN CLASS


 * STEP III. THEN select ONE of your subtopics and write a single body paragraph using the three to four details that support your subtopic.** For example--if you used the example above-you would pretend you already had an introcution and then write ONLY using the ideas you had for a paragraph on why tigers would be fun to watch (third item above) as mascots. **USe a clear topic sentence that refers back to topic words from the prompt; and include specific relevant details, sensory images, some figurative language. USe ALL of the strategies you noted that the student used to score a 6 on the Harry Potter essay you evaluated last night.**

Work for 40 minutes--then get a note if not done. Does not have to be perfect, but should be pretty good.

In class Students HIGHLIGHT and mark up the BOTH MCAS sample essays in the "Best DAy" packet you received in class. Mark up EVERY paragraph of BOTH Best DAY essays (labeled Best Day A and Best Day B). (DO __**NOT**__ DO THE PACKET THAT SAYS "PRIDE"in upper left corner.) Use the following directions. Finish following ALL of the steps we modelled for the second paragraph of "Best Day A" --directions from board are reprinted below.
 * Mar 12:** HW:

Look for the following **4 elements of effective writing**. √+ = 5 or 6 √= 4 √- = 3, 2, or 1
 * <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">How to highlight to support your opinion about YOUR grade on an MCAS Long Composition **
 * 1.** Highlight any words, phrases or lines that you could point to as PROOF that the writer has :
 * complete and correct CONTENT ;
 * clear ORGANIZATION;
 * effective and appropriate WORD CHOICE; and
 * smooth SENTENCE FLOW.
 * 2. After highlighting**, in the margin next to **__EACH Paragraph__** put a √+ √ or √-next to each element to indicate how well each is done (Great content = **C √+,** poor Organization = **O√**-, Solid Word choice= **W√**; moderate Sentence Flow = **S√)**
 * 3. After highlighting and marking** ALL paragraphs, give the piece **an overall grade**, on a scale of 1-6.

Content (highlight in pink) :
 * topic words and/or synonyms for topic words from the prompt
 * specific and relevant examples
 * explanations of what the examples and details SHOW
 * answer ALL parts of the prompt

Organization (highlight in yellow)
 * Are there at least 5-6 paragraphs for entire essay?
 * Clear opening and closing paragraphs with at least 3-5 sentences each
 * Topic sentence for EACH body paragraph
 * Unity: Content in body paragraphs must all be on ONE single topic—do not transition to NEW topic within or at end of a paragraph.

Word Choice (highlight in green)
 * Vivid and precise word choice (no 3rd grade or repetitive words or slang)
 * Use of Figurative Language or sensory description
 * Variety in word choice

Sentence Flow (highlight in blue)
 * Transitions used to connect ideas and show how they relate to each other
 * NO fragments or run-ons
 * Variety of sentence structure—not choppy

Below is file with copy of Best DAY samples A and B. I could not add labels A and B due to file types. First 2 pages are A and last 4 are essay B.

Dealing with car towing so no time for Class Review today.

Mar 11: No HW Class finished ORQ portion of last week's test.

Mar 8 snow day

Class Review All students took test on ACT I. Plan to stay after to make this up next Wednesday if you were absent today. **Students will complete ORQ portion on Monday. We have special lesson in computer lab on researching sources tomorrow.**
 * Mar 7: No new homework.**


 * Mar 6: Read yesterday's entry about the best ways to study for tomorrow's exam on Act I.**
 * You **will be able to use your notes and homework packets for the ORQ portion** of the test
 * you will **NOT BE ABLE TO USE NOTES for the definitions of //characterization, connotation, and denotation//**//;// NOR for the **comprehension multiple choice questions.**

I will **not be asking about the vocabulary words "Implore through benevolence"** for this test. If you read the play and thought about it EACH time you had to find quotes for homework, you will be fine. If you did not READ and think about the text when you were finding quotes for homework--you have a long night ahead of you. CLass Review
 * Students performed scenes and we highlighted important plot points and dialogue that MIGHT be good to know for the test.**
 * I briefly reviewed what to study for tomorrow. I returned last set of ORQs.**


 * Mar 5:HW:**
 * 1. Remember to bring in any prop or simple costuming for the scenes from Act I you will perform in groups tomorrow.** You may borrow things from my bin. Simple costuming or props might include a scarf or a candle to show Cratchit is cold as he works, a suit jacket or pile of play money for Scrooge; a baseball hat for Scrooge as a boy; a stuffed shirt for the Portly man--be creative. This is a quick exercise, not a major production.)

Class Review: **I.** We reviewed sample responses to the LAST set of ORQs we wrote for the Tone and Mood test. Students should review their graded ORQs and see what they do well and what elements are still missing from a great ORQ. We shared a pretty good response (33 points out of 40) with an advanced response (40 out or 40). The 40 point response is below. See if you can find all the elements that make this a solid answer--just as we did in class.
 * 2. Study for Thursday's Open-NOTE (not open-book) test: CHUNK some tonight and some tomorrow.**
 * **Reread (at least skim) Act I completely and bring in any last minute questions** about WHAT happens, or WHY a character acts as he or she does **by TOMORROW.**
 * **Read the questions (Check Comprehension and Critical Thinking) at the end of Act I. If you can answer these, you will have no problem with the multiple choice reading comprehension portion of the test.**
 * **Make flash cards for the literary terms __//characterization, connotation, and denotation//__.** MY exact definitions are in your notes, in past entries on this site, and in the document with Literary Terms for the year on the Reprints page of this site. These cards earn 5 points if you have them on test day AND if they follow the specific requirements for Literary Term cards--(Directions for Term cards are DIFFERENT from other vocab cards so print out __correct__ directions from Reprints page if you no longer have them in the Vocab section of your binders.)
 * **Revise any of the work you did on the Packets for Act I.**
 * **Double-check you have a great list of trait word options** in your notes and have **at least 3 traits** AND **evidence** (quote with page nuimber) from the text **for young Scrooge, Old Scrooge, Cratchit, Fred, and The Ghost of Christmas Past**
 * **Attend after school session tomorrow** to ask any last minute questions.
 * **Reread the FCA sheet for the ORQs**


 * We reviewed a simple (slightly silly) formula for remembering to include all the parts of a great ORQ response: T+ 3D +3E+Key = 3/4**
 * This rhyme (yeah it rhymes if you say it out loud) is to remind you to "add" together a**
 * **T =(TAG and TQA--**topic sentence should include __**T**__itle of piece you are writing about, __**A**__uthor, sub- __**G**__ENRE (story, poem, play etc) and key words from prompt (TQA=**T**urn the **Q**Uestion **A**round)
 * **3 D** = reminds you to include **3 specific details from the reading--preferably DIRECT TEXT QUOTATIONS** as evidence to support your main answer.
 * **3 E** = **EXPLAIN all three details/quotes you use as evidence**. __Set up the quote__ by EXPLAINING where and how the quote fits into the passage or story; __PARAPHRASE__ the quote into your OWN words to show you truly understand what you have quoted. __Explain HOW the quote supports your point-WHY the language in THIS quote is solid PROOF__ that you are correct.
 * **KEY** = sum up **at the end** by **repeating key topic** words from the prompt
 * **= 3/4** MEANS you should have **about 3/4 of a page to a page of single-space handwriting** (if you write a reasonable size) or you probably don't have enough CLEAR, SPECIFIC information in your response.
 * Following the formula above does not guarantee you are correct, but it helps tell you HOW to get ENOUGH. You also have to use precise, vivid GRADE 7 vocabulary, and obey grammar, spelling, and punctuation conventions.**
 * If you look at the sample above you see the writer has**
 * **included ALL the elements,**
 * **clearly understands the topic of the question (MOOD is the effect on the READER);**
 * **uses precise vocabulary and specifics ("//narrator//" not just "man" or Guy"; words like "//options" "decency//" vocab words like "//corpse//" )**
 * **uses 3+ significant quotations, and for the final quote, she focuses the reader on the significance of the word "it" within the longer quotation to explain why she selected it to prove her point.**
 * **Sets up the quotes and paraphrases them into her own words**
 * **Sums up at end**
 * **no fragments, run-ons and correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.**
 * II. I checked TNT homework in some classes. Will complete later. Did a few writing conferences as time permitted.**
 * III. Students chose scenes from ACT I to read out loud with a few dramatic effects (a simple costume, sound effect, or prop) during class tomorrow as a plot review for the test.** Students had some time to assign parts and practice reading their section. Each group will do no more than a 2-3 page section -about 2-3 minutes per group. All groups should be prepared to answer any class questions about what is happening in the scene they do and why the action or dialogue is significant to moving the plot forward or developing characterization.


 * Look at yesterday's entry for Extra credit option in GREEN. **

The sheet is a REVIEW of writing tips and strategies I have already taught, so I will NOT be reviewing these in class UNLESS you bring specific questions tomorrow (Tuesday). The first section covers the defintion of characterization you will need. You will ALSO need to know the definitions of connotation and denotation. The basic FCAs I will grade on are in the box. The SPECIFIC elements required to MEET each FCA are spelled out on the rest of the sheet.
 * Mar 4: HW:**
 * 1.** Do first four steps on "**Decoding Long** **Composition Prompts" TNT worksheet. READ ALL prompts even though you only need to dissect and mark up 5 of them.**
 * 2. Read the "FCAS FOR NEXT WEEK's Characterization ORQs" study guide. Note that the ORQ test is THIS THURSDAY, MAR 7. (It was "Next Week" when I typed this up and went over pieces of it with some classes.) READ the whole sheet and mark up ANYTHING you want me to review in class. Otherwise, I will assume you are all set to write.**

Below is a file with the journal entry directions. **EXTRA CREDIT: For 5 points on Thursday's test--**__write down and attach a familiar quotation from a famous, recognizable source that could connect to one of the 16 MCAS prompt topics__ you have from past years' tests. The quotation CANNOT be a random, googled connection--it must be from someone that you or your parents have actually heard of (A famous writer, world leader, poet, or inventor/scientist--not just someone who happened to say something quotable that got put up on the internet. ) To be a useful hook, a quotation needs to be something you and your reader can connect to, that is at least VAGUELY familiar so it is a shared connection.
 * 3. COMPLETE answers to the FOUR questions on today's journal entry on the line,"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."** Your answers needed to be in COMPLETE sentences and include words from the question so that the reader does not HAVE to reread the question to understand your response.
 * Class Review:**
 * Discussed quotation "To strive, to seek..." Students are to think about how famous lines such as this can be used as "hooks" to introduce LONG COMPOSITIONS like the MCAS essay you will write on March 19. A common weakness that STILL remains in your long compositions is that many of you are not risking writing a hook, before your basic topic sentence. We have reveiwed that one of the best kinds of hooks is the "quotation hook". We will review a few VERY famous quotations prior to MCAS to get you some options to think about and include in future writing as appropriate. (No "hooks" needed for ORQs). Students discussed the journal entry questions and completed SOME or all of their responses in Poetry journal section of notebooks.**
 * INCOMPLETE entries need to be completed at home.**
 * INCOMPLETE entries need to be completed at home.**


 * March 1**
 * HW DUE TUESDAY given out today. Do first four steps on "Decoding Long**
 * Composition Prompts" TNT worksheet. READ ALL prompts even though you only need to dissect and mark up 5 of them.** We will be drafting paragraphs later next week based on the 5 prompts you mark up, so choose prompts you would be most interesting in answering.
 * File below has homework handout:**

CLass REview: I will hand out a full list next week now that classes have all reported out.
 * We shared lists of words to use to describe Scrooge, Fred, and Cratchit and discussed the connotations of the words shared.** We tried to identify which words are most often used so students can prioritize which are most worth retaining and knowing without looking at a list in the future.


 * **All students SHOULD have made their own lists for future reference.**
 * Students **should update the packets they will use for next week's character traits ORQ--and have 2-3 different synonyms to use to describe at least 2 traits for Scrooge, Cratchit, Fred and the Ghost of Christmas Past.**
 * You should **also update packets to be sure you have a Quotation that supports each trait and page numbers**. I saw quotes **copied incorrectly, with spelling errors, punctuation errors** and missing words--SInce you have time to get this right I expect you to **double check that your quotes are correct in your notes BEFORE next Thursday's test.**


 * Feb 28 No new homework. Staff Meeting--no daily notes.**


 * Feb 27**
 * HW: No new homework**
 * Class Review:**
 * I. In Yellow class** we caught up on **mini-lesson about how to use Wikipedia correctly as a source**. There will be a followup lesson next week.
 * II. In green class** we caught up on the above AND we reviewed the passage about the Ghost of Christmas Past's appearance and how to use it to support an **EXCELLENT answer about how Dicken's uses a character's appearance to show characterization: which is the technique to show a character's traits and motiviation.**

Some points to reference about Ghost of Past's appearence:

 * Ghost is described as having "muscular arms" but "delicate legs and feet" (655 col 1) : The traits shown are **//strength and gentleness//**. The Ghost FIRMLY forces Scrooges to face things from his past he wants to avoid, but is gentle in explaining why he should look and what he should notice. This is unlike the PRESENT ghost who scolds him more forcefully, or the cruel FUTURE ghost who just points and shows him that NOONE will care when Scrooge dies.
 * The Ghost of PAst wears white with flowers: this symbolizes **//innocence//** and purity of youth. It shows //**hopefullness**// of things growing and changing-- the Ghost's motivation is to get Scrooge to change and rediscover the heart and life he once had.
 * The Ghost is old, yet young "like a child, yat at the same time like an old man; white hair, but unwrinkled skin" (655 col 1) --he connects old Scrooge to his younger self.

We began "collecting" the best of our trait words from the homeworks we have completed on characterization. Students are sharing examples in groups and putting best NEW vocabulary to use in future essays onto chart paper. Examples are classifed by the usual **CONNOTATION of each trait word--does it carry positive, negative or neutral connections and feelings** when you read it. Words like "egotistical" are always negative, while "timid" might be something we are sympathitic to, or something we might find a weakness--so it would be classified as "neutral". An important, yet hard to understand, aspect of connotation is that the "feeling" a word gives often depends on the context in which it is used. **DENOTATION,** (**the dictionary definition) does not change**, but connotation is variable and is what gives life and personality to writing.
 * III. Other classes: Collecting and Sharing** Trait Words to Improve Future Writing

Class review: How to Research In several classes we **looked at a phrase from the current Mayor of London that was in the news yesterday**, and saw how to analyze the difficult sounding line to find the funny insult beneath. Mayor Johnson called his advisory council //**"great supine protoplasmic invertibrate jellies."**// Taking it apart we learned some **new vocab (supine means to sit slouched--almost like an invertebrate, proto is a root meaning"first" of its type, plasma is related to the root "plastic" which actually means changeable-shapeable--which is why the current day products that have been shaped from molds are called plastic--and we learned that we could easily figure out that the words in front of "jellies" were all meant to be negative and have something to do with being shpeless and spineless--even if we do not understand every word**. This is the same approach to use when reading Dickens, Poe or Shakespeare. Don't be scared by strings of long words- there is often a pretty simple and entertaining meaning to be found and enjoyed if you slow down and think a minute.
 * Feb 26**
 * HW: Revise LAST night's homework as necessary. Be sure you did ALL 4 steps listed in bullet form in yesterday's entry. DOuble check CLAss REVIEW section from yesterday for example of format to follow to complete the work .**
 * **ADD more precise trait words,** so you have additional options when you use this homework to help you write a great ORQ response. For example, if you wrote that Cratchit was "nice" or "sweet"--then add a SECOND trait synonym that is a higher level vocabulary word--such as "Benevolent" or "Generous". Use a thesuarus OR the list of trait words you SHOULD be compiling as we trade answers in class.
 * **Add Quoations AND page numbers and col numbers** if you skipped this CRITICAL step last night. You will ALWAYS use text evidence to back up points you make about a character.
 * **If you were vague in your choice of animal or furniture--get more specific. If Scrooge is like a dog, what KIND of dog? A noisy Beagle? a Rottweiler?** (NB--in Rottweiler the e precedes the i because it is a GERMAN name and follows their spelling rules, not the American one!)
 * **If you compared 2 characters to furniture, but one to an animal, add to be sure you have THREE comparisons that work with the SAME kind of comparison.** Don't erase the old work, just add something. This way you can use an extended metaphor to compare characters. **EX: //"Scrooge is a closed, greedy person, a little like a dresser that shows a blank face to the room and holds everything in to itself. Cratchet, on the other hand is a well-worn carpet, used by Scrooge and barely noticed underfoot, while Fred is more of a bright-colored comfy chair, a bright spot, friendly and welcoming."//**
 * In many classes we used the Wikipedia page on the "i" before "e" rule to show how to use natural curiousity to find out more after a class discsussion. We looked at how facts are referenced on the Wikipedia page so you will know how to use the site wisely and double-check sources on a future research project in ELA.** We also looked at some common Old English words to marvel at how the language has evolved, what ancient words we still use, and explain why spelling is so challenging**.**
 * How to approach a scary long sentence.**

We shared the very clever comparisons (in all but red class) that students developed to dig deeper into the characterization in the play. This is a thrid way of revisiting the text and involved creative and critical thinking. Most students reported enjoying this level of thinking--even though it is hard. Buidling on our first assignments that gave you broad understanding of the basic plot, we see that going back to the text multiple times and slowing down deepens undererstanding.Students will be able to use the comparisons to add a line or two of figurative language to future essays on characterization.
 * REview of comparisons to furniture or animals**


 * Feb 25: Welcome Back!**
 * **HW: I did NOT recheck packets for Act I scenes 4 and 5 today** which gives you another day to repair answers that were not quite complete or which could be improved.
 * **NEW assignment: Compare Scrooge, his nephew Fred, and Cratchit EACH to an animal OR to furniture to show a trait that each has.**
 * 1) Write the **name of the animal/furniture**,
 * 2) a **WORD or TWO for the traits** you think are shown,
 * 3) a brief **explanation of WHY you picked whatever you picked**, and
 * 4) find a **quotation in the text that is EVIDENCE** to support your point. (Example will be provided in Class Review Section)

CLass Review: In class we reviewed the following spelling rule after a student brought up an internet "Fact" that questioned why we teach the rule, when there are so many exceptions to it: the internent source which I cannot say is correct or incorrect suggests that there are more than 290 exceptions vs. 44 times the rule applies.
 * Critical THinking about spelling:**

or when sounded as "A" as in "neighbor" and "weigh"
I will DEDUCT 2 points for ALL future spelling errors caused by NOT following this rule.

After discussing in small groups in most classes, students got beyond the numbers to what is REALLY important about this supposed "data". IF it is true, (and I have no reason to think it is not--especially if the writer was excluding the "neighbor" and "weigh" type exceptions that are actuall PART of the rule), students determined that the numbers themselves may not be what is important. They noted that **the rule matters because the 44 words using the rule may be more common and frequently used than the hundreds of exceptions, so the rule helps the average person appear to have at least grade school spelling skills. I can add EVIDENCE that among the MOST commonly MISSPELLED words I correct** on grade 7 papers--many would easily be correct if the student HAD applied the rule. Students (probably you and I included) often misspell **"__//receive, believe, friend, and piece//__."**

Among **the exceptions are "their" and "Weird"** I explained that these two words come from Old English which is more like German, than like the Latin and Greek rooots of a lot of English, so these exceptions follow Old English rules. We determined that in Spanish (which has LATIN but NO GERMAN/ViKING influence-- they just use the construction "sus libros" = "thier books". In Old English, "Their books would have been "Theira bocen" --which is CLEARLY closer to our modern English for Their Books. If Enlgish had fewer influences, spelling and Grammar would be simpler--but less interesting.

If the example for homework were to compare the three Characters to a vegetable or fruit, your answer might look like the following. Feel free to use this **__forma__**t (but not these examples) for your homework.
 * HOMEWORK EXAMPLE**
 * In class, students worked together on the following example to practice how to think more critically about traits to make deeper connections.**

Your HOMEWORK MUST __compare Scrooge, Cratchit, AND Fred to EITHER an animal or furniture__. If you choose an animal for one, you MUST choose **different animals for all 3.** If you choose furniture, you must choose furniture for ALL three. **BE SPECIFIC!!** Do not just say //Scrooge is like a cat and Cratchit is like a reptile//—say WHAT **KIND of dog or reptile (Doberman? Yorkie? Lizard? Snake?)**

Furniture is harder but may be more fun—Think of how Disney gave personality to the **friendly candelabra and the comforting tea pot** in **//Beauty and the Beast//**. You can do the same with a comfy old leather couch vs. a stiff dining room chair or a worn student desk.

// “Nephew! You keep Christmas in your own way and let me keep it in mine”. // // Scrooge is tough when pushes away Fred when Fred invites him to simply share a meal. // || **__Cratchit__** // “The clerk {Cratchit} in the tank applauds, looks at the furious Scrooge and pokes out his tiny fire…” // // “”I want nothing from you: I ask nothing of you: why cannot we be friends?” //
 * **__Scrooge__**
 * Fruit or veg : ** //green apple//
 * Trait: ** // sour, bitter, tough //
 * WHY: **// Scrooge is sour in how he speaks and acts, like a tart apple. He is tough on others, and a green apple has a tough skin that keeps you from getting to anything good underneath. //
 * Quotation to support trait choice: **
 * P# // 647 //col // 1 // **
 * Fruit or veg : a pear **
 * Trait: ** // sweet, sometimes even “mushy”, plain, simple, thin skin //
 * WHY: **// Cratchit is generously sweet, giving money to the charity workers when he has so little himself. He is so quiet though, he is hardly noticed and tries to blend in. He is emotional—“Thin-skinned” and easily swayed to display emotion, such as when he finds himself clapping for Fred when Fred explains that Christmas is something to be blessed and loved, even if it “never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket.” //
 * Quotation to support trait choice: **
 * P **// #647 //** col **// 2 // ||
 * || **__Fred (nephew)__**
 * Fruit or veg : ** pineapple
 * Trait: ** **// Sweet, welcoming, outgoing, out of the ordinary //**
 * WHY: **// Fred is always asking Scrooge to come to Christmas dinner, and the pienapple is a symbol of hospitality. Fred is softer and sweeter than Scrooge. He is a little showy, like a pineapple that is unusual, not quiet and in the background like Cratchit. //
 * Quotation to support trait choice: **
 * P# // 648 //col // 1 // **
 * // Fred welcomes Scrooge to his house, and is “sweetly” unselfish, asking nothing back. //** ||

These are the notes you will use to plan an essay and the trait words will be important for your topic sentences.
 * Feb 15: Revise packets IF you did not have single adjectives or nouns.** As we discussed in class, use "sympathetic" "Appreicative" etc instead of just phrases like "he showed he cared about his sister" or "He liked his old boss"--The trait is the single word, the phrase is evidence in the plot.

Also repair if you made errors that we pointed out in class. Class Review We will do MUCH more of this after break--(I know you just can't wait) and at that time I will post some examples.
 * Otherwise--no NEW homework.**
 * Enjoy.**
 * Reviewed content of packets and shared examples** of trait words that SHOULD have been used and good examples of quotations that would strongly support the traits.
 * Some classes had time for review of how to improve a body paragraph of your social studies essay** by adding a **specific quotation from your research**. We also showed the **DANGER of using slang in a formal essay, and problems with justing listing a detail without explanation,** or choosing a detail that does NOT support the reason your body paragraph is trying to prove.

We reviewed questions students had about the homework during class. Good for you if you started yesterday. No excuses if you DONT finish because you left it all for today.
 * Feb 14: HW: FINISH PACKETS!!! Read ALL directions on pg 2 of the packet for the charts. Also read my notes from yesterday and the day before for hints on how to do the packet EXTREMELY well so you have great notes for the open - note test we will eventually have.**

Class Review

In several classes we **reviewed a portion of a student's draft essay for Social Studies and discussed HOW to approach revising.**
**FIRST we checked for CONTENT and ORGANIZATION**
 * Does the paper have opening with hook, claim, reason 1, reason 2, concluding sentence?
 * Does the paper have TWO body paragraphs that each begin with a CLEAR topic sentence that states the REASON that will be the topic of all of the details and evidence in the paragraph?
 * Does the paper have at least **3 pieces of evidenc**e that is **CORREC AND CLEAR to** support EACH of your TWO main reasons?
 * Are there **SPECIFIC names, dates, and explanations in the evidence**? Are terms like "6 Day War" just thrown in with no explanation? Instead of saying "//a long time ago"// be specific--//Seven centuries ago? 2000 years?//
 * ** One paper had great specific details, but they did not support the reason--TRIPLE check for logic!!! **

We noted whether the argument included logos, ethos, and pathos ( appeal to mind and logic; credibility of tone; and appeal to heart/emotion. We noted that __**for Social Studies the logical details are more important that the emotional ones**__, but **having a little more emotion in the HOOK and connclusion would be totally appropriate.**
 * THEN we analyzed for how we would improve the WORD CHOICE and SENTENCE FLOW **
 * We noted that ETHOS is especially important--To sound convincing--like you are an expert- you must **keep a formal TONE.**
 * We scanned paper to circle words that were INFORMAL (slang and tired third-grade vocabulary choices) and suggested trying to **REPLACE those words and phrases before finalizing the paper.** (phrases we found in different papers included "//a couple people" "Back in the Day" "Basically kicked out..."//
 * We then looked at the **FCAs that state you MUST eliminate fragments and run-ons**--which means you ABSOLUTELY should have someone read it back to you. Most of the papers we have looked at have 3 or **4 lines without A SINGLE comma or period---That is almost a SURE SIGN that there are run-ons.**
 * ** Circle any word you repeat more than 5 times in the paper--SUrely you can find a synonym or a more specifc word. Otherwise the flow is boring and repetitive. **

CLasses also did more work with connotation vs. denotation. Students worked in groups to develop and share examples of words that have similar DENOTATIONS--(meaning) but very different CONNOTATIONS (positive or negative associations).
 * //COnfident//** means believing in oneself and has the same DENOTATION as //**conceited** or **self-assured**//, but clearly conceited is a negative trait and self-assured is positive.

Retailers use our associations (conotations) all the time. even though BOTH words have the same literal meaning of having more weight than necessary for survival.
 * Clothing for shorter women is for "petites."
 * Clothing for larger children is "husky".
 * A FAT baby sounds like and insult, but
 * a "chubbly" baby is cute,


 * Feb 13: Homework DUE FRIDAY Read Act I, scenes 4 and 5 and do packet handed out and explained today.** File can be downloaded below. Page numbers on file and in handout.
 * **Doing this right should take about an hour, so work BOTH tonight and tomorrow for about 30 minutes. Read COMPLETE and DETAILED directions for charts A. B. C. and D. on page 2 of the handout. DO NOT just read the charts because directions are NOT on them.**
 * If you print downloaded file, change page orientation setting to landscape from portrait or it will print oddly.
 * **Added helpful hint for Part B:** In scene 5, Old Scrooge talks about young Scrooge. You may use OLD Scrooge as the "Other Character" who gives a trait for young Scrooge. Also, the "young Scrooge" goes by three different names in the dialogue. **Young Scrooge is __//"Boy"//__ in the scene with Fan, Scrooge's sister; he is "__//Young Scrooge//__" in the scene with Fezziwig; and he is __//"Man"//__ in the scene with his fiance**, (Belle), who is referred to as __//**"Woman**//__" at the end of scene 5.

Class Notes: See yesterday's notes--For most classes we reviewed ANYTHING from yesterday's notes that had not been covered for SOME classes yesterday. The MAJOR exception is that no class EXCEPT the red class had the mini-lesson on partiples and gerunds. I know the rest of you are deeply dissappointed to miss the grammar fun, but that will have to wait until after break.

BLUE CLASS still needs last few paragraphs of "Black Cat"

All classes have now copied the defintions of CHARACTERIZATION, CONNOTATION, and DENOTATION into notebooks. I also showed where to find definitions on website in Reprints (see yesterday's entry.) Orange and Green classes looked at final paragraphs of "The BLack Cat" and we analyzed for phrases and words that are "loaded"--that is we have feelings or associations connected to the words that give them a negative or positive connotation. We will do this with other classes tomorrow I hope.


 * Most classes had brief example of the difference between __//connotation//__ and __//denotation//__.**
 * DENOTATION is simply the literal DICTIONARY DEFINITION, while connotation goes beyond denotation to give a clearer shade of meaning. The words __**//thrifty//**__ and **//__cheap__//** BOTH have the same dictionary defintion : a tendency to save money.
 * They have different CONNOTATIONS, however. We think of **//thrify// as a POSITIVE trait**--someone who thinks ahead and save for the future. **//CHEAP,//** has a **NEGATIVE connotation**--someone who cares too much about saving money and who may not even be able to enjoy an occassional treat.
 * In "The Black Cat" calling his dead wife a "corpse" definately has a negative connotation--and create the tone. Calling the cat a "beast" instead of a "pet" has a negative connotation--yet the DENOTATION of both beast and pet are the same to an extent. They both literally refer to "an animal".

__**We also worked on TWO MORE ways that authors create characterization**__. The last set of worksheets focused on the way writers use
 * 1) a characters' own words
 * 2) actions, or
 * 3) direct description of a character, to help the reader understand what traits the character has or what motivates him or her. Today we added that writers also use a character's
 * 4) Appearance and
 * 5) What other characters SAY or THINK about the character (a little like "gossip" ) to make an impression.

When a writer chooses not to directly TELL us what to think about a character, we INFER from all the other clues to get a full picture of the character.

We discussed that great writers introduce us to characters the same way we meet and make judgements about people. **If a writer has done characterization well, the reader should be able to imagine this completely fictional creation in different times and settings and PREDICT how the character would react.** Students talked at tables and came up with the following ideas for how Scrooge might behave in an interview with Mrs. Abrams based solely on the EVIDENCE of how he acts in the pages of the play we are reading.
 * What if Scrooge came to the Ahern to seek a job?**
 * Scrooge would be rude and critical of the school and of Mrs. Abrams and not even care what she thought
 * Scrooge would definately ask about pay FIRST and then probably demand a higher salary
 * Scrooge might try to increase lunch prices and pocket the extra.
 * Scrooge would institue even stricter school rules than we have and be much less jolly and forgiving than Mr. Danella!
 * Scrooge would probably dress very formally and in dark colors and might institute a dress code so everyone else was as miserable as he is.

Using the black and orange Cat toy (Amos) and the dishevled crow puppet (Penelope) we acted out how we use clues in literature to INFER and use CRITICAL THINKING to make judgements about characters. **Without the benefit of ANY direct description, Penelope entered as a "new student" and pecked at people repeatedly, begging them to be her friend, talked in a high, frantic voice, flitted from person to peron, said, "I had no friends at my old school, will you be my friend?" and then turned her back on one of the people she had just ASKED to befriend.** Students easily deduced that she has the following traits from her words and actions. She is //nervous, hyperactive, irritating, a little desperate, and not patient//. SHe might even be a little //crazy// and is certainly an //oddball--eccentric.//
 * Penelope and Amos--puppets teach characterization**

Then we compared her __messy__ **appearance** to Amos's __well groomed look__. Even though both are black and orange animals, we judged that **Amos might be more organized and less eccentric** and out of the ordinary than Penelope--purely based on his appearance. While we know judging a book by its cover is not always fair, it is human and SOMETIMES we are right. We noted that a **good author would certainly try to make some of how a character looks consistent with their personality. We would expect Scrooge to dress like a business man in sensible, not flashy, dark suits and maybe walk hunched over.** We would not expect him to dress like a Goth--or wear red velvet blazers.

I then had **Amos tell students that Penelope was a little odd and annoying, but harmless.** This is like an author having **another character help us make up our minds about a charac**ter. In one class **Amos then whacked Penelope--showing us that looks CAN be deceiving** and that HE may be the one to watch out for. In the same way that you can't trust rumors and gossip, always remember that third party characters may NOT ALWAYS be reliable sources to make judgements about other characters.


 * Feb 12: No new hw UNLESS** I have already had a writing conference with you and told you what to revise. See writing conference note in Feb 7 entry below.

Class Review: A BLIZZARD of different items covered in each class as we try to recover from 2 lost days. In MOST classes: I checked homework (red class needs this tomorrow) and we discussed common errors--such as
 * Students needed to list an ACTION, not dialogue for the right hand column of page 2 of the homework. We reviewed that in plays, the ACTION is indicated graphically--it is in italics and set off in brackets. That is something unique to WRITING a play. If you did not use evidence from stage directions for an ACTION, you need to REDO.
 * Students did not list **single words for traits**--instead they gave phrases. Writing a phrase such as "This shows he hates people" or "He is not very nice" was adequate to get homework credit, but will NOT be acceptable when you use these notes to write an ORQ response about traits Scrooge shows early in the play.
 * Some students identified MOODS not traits. A TRAIT is something that is part of the person's personality, where a mood is a temporary emotion. Scrooge may occasionally show fear, but he is NOT generally a fearful person--he is actually quite fearless--and challenges the ghosts. Scrooge is, however, an ANGRY and BITTER man--He does not snap out of this mode much so anger is a character TRAIT for him. YOu, as a student, may occassionally get angry, but for most of you, that is a passing mood, not a character trait.
 * A VERY few students did not READ DIRECTIONS and therefore did not record traits for SCROOGE only.

Students were to record the best TRAIT words we shared on their homework sheets. Remember, these will be available for you to use on the eventual open-note ORQ, so there will be NO excuse for not having precise words to describe Scrooge's traits AND evidence to support the trait you choose. I will eventually print a LIST of the trait words that ALL classes develop--but YOU should be taking notes in class!!!

This grammar fact applies to our reading. Dickens DESCRIBES Scrooge as "**//a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, cluthcing, covetous, old sinner!"//** __**In most classes we finished reading "The Black Cat"** **:**__ We concluded the reading and in SOME classes had time or a brief discussion of the questions Poe leaves unanswered at the end. We will finish these discussions tomorrow. We used our final pages of reading to discuss possible answers students gave to last week's ORQ questions on mood and tone.
 * In RED CLASS only**--we learned about **gerunds and participles as an extension of lessons on the critical role that VERBS play in effective writing.** All classes will EVENTUALLY get this mini-lesson.
 * GERUND:** A verb (ending in ing or ed) used as a NOUN
 * PARTICPLE:** A verb (ending in ing or ed) used as an ADJECTIVE
 * The root form of most of that description uses verbs" //to squeeze, to grasp, to clutch//...these are actions. WHEN, however, you place add the ing and put the words in front of the NOUN "sinner", the words are working as adjectives. They are then called "Participles". It sound complex, but it is JUST a fancy word.**
 * We practiced "morphing" some of our own verbs into participles. Tables reported out some of the following**
 * **Verb form** //"I// //__**googled**__ to find facts"//
 * **Participle (verb used as ADJ to describe a noun):** The **__//googled facts//__** were all cited in my source list.
 * **Verb form: //"The cat __meowed__ loudly."//**
 * **Participle: " The __//meowing cat//__ annoyed me. "**
 * GERUND:**
 * **Verb form** //"**__The boy walks__** miles each day."//
 * **GERUND (verb with ending used as NOUN)** "//**__WALKING__** is great exercise."//
 * **verb form:** "//**He eats**// a ton of hot dogs each year."
 * **GERUND (Verb with ending used as noun/subject of sentence)** "//**__Eating__** too many hot dogs gave him indigestion." EATING is now the noun and used as the subject of the sentence. The Verb in the new sentence is GAVE--Eating Gave....//
 * The most important thing to take away from this grammar lesson is that EVEN when describing (which usually involves adjectives) finding adjectives that have a verb (action) root makes the writing more lively, precise, and compelling.** If Dickens had just said//, **"Scrooge is greedy"**// it would be less interesting, vivid, and memorable than saying //"**Scrooge is a grasping, clutching sinner".**//
 * IF this confuses you, look** it up on line or in **green grammar text** for more explanation and examples(if you have not been issued a green grammar book and want one for reference, see me.)


 * ONE CLASS ONLY (YEllow) COPIED definition for the Literary Term CHARACTERIZATION from the board.** Others will do this tomorrow. The defintion is listed on a handout titled 2012 Lit Term Study Guide Revised" which is the fourth document down on the REPRINTS page of this website.

__**What is OSK? : In a FEW classes we discussed the fact that homework is really a KEY to SUCCESS.**__
I mentioned that in France, the government proposed making homework illegal--not becuase it is not worthwhile, but because it gives kids who do it thoughtfully an ADVANTAGE over kids who do not. Since the last homework I assigned is REALLY your "Cheat SHeet" to use for quotation evidence and trait words on the next exam, it is an ADVANTAGE for kids who do it and do it well. The RED class suggested calling homework "Overnight Success Key or OSK" to make the effort sound more like a critical competitive leg up--rather than busy work. We are going to see if the power of language can affect ATTITUDE--which might affect results. We ALL (including teachers) enjoyed a few days without work hanging over our heads, but since we have only 180 days together, lets use them as productively as possible to prepare for the future.

SNOW DAYS!!!!


 * Feb 7**
 * HEY--You KNOW it will not be acceptable to say "I didn't do my homework because I expected a snowday." SO FINISH tonight--then you will be free from ELA work for the weekend. Assignment is explained and reprintable from last night's entry.**
 * **DO this homework CAREFULLY. It will become part of the notes you will be allowed to use on an OPEN-NOTE test that will REQUIRE quotes as evidence to show how Scrooge changes from beginning, to middle, to end of the play.**
 * HW: for those with whom I have already met for writing conferences:** You have 3 school days from the day I conference with you to make revisions and resubmit. I tried to write the date on your papers or your grade sheet when we met. For most of you, I have written on the cover of your Final what you need to revise. For most of you, the direction is to entirely rewrite a couple of paragraphs and TAPE the new version as a flap over the old, so I can lift the flap and see the original language. If you retype the entire piece, highlight changes. A few of you were off-topic and you need to rewrite a whole new TYPED essay.

CLass Review: First 2 periods: we spent time **reviewing how to TNT a prompt, breaking down the Topic words that SHOULD appear in the essay you write; CIRCLING numbers to keep in mind ("TWO qualties"); and putting a box around TASK words like "Describe" and "Explain".** Many essays did not show the student had dissected the prompt this way--and many essays were therefor OFF topic--or listed MANY qualities but did not get into depth on two specific ones; or explained without ever DESCRIBING--or Described without explaining. You have to read prompts MUCH more CLOSELY than you did in the lower grades to show FULL understanding in your answer. Hitting SOME of what is wanted is no longer enough.

In all classes I reviewed how to do the homework and modeled some examples. A major portion of the homework is meant to show you the ways authors bring a character to life--the literary term for this is CHARACTERIZATION. THREE of the ways are in the homework: Authors show a character's traits through ACTIONS and SPEECH of the character, and sometimes the narrator/writer directly TELLS the reader what a character is like. In the blue and red class, we had a mini-**lesson on characterization with "Penelope" the annoying bird.** More on that tomorrow.
 * Characterization introduction and HW TIP**
 * HW tip:** In the box that asks for the **character trait shown by the action or dialogue, try to include some ADJECTIVES that sum up the trait--not just explanations.** These adjectives will give you vocabulary for topic sentences you will later write about Scrooge, using the homework as your notes.
 * **EXAMPLE:** In addition to writing **//"THe fact that Scrooge keeps SAYING "Good Afternoon" every time Fred invites him to dinner, instead of actually considering it or talking about it, shows Scrooge does not even want to THINK about spending time with others to celebrate. THis shows Scrooge is "STUBBORN" "ANTI-SoCIAL" "Bitter" etc.//**

Classes had a few minutes and the 20 minutes after lunch to work more on ORQs about Tone and Mood. These will wrap up for real tomorrow during the 20 minutes. Anyone who stayed after to finish will get more time in addition to the 20 minutes. If you did not stay, I assume you did not think you needed more than another 20.
 * ORQs**

Students should read from “Scrooge and Marley” starting on page 644 in the purple text books. They should read **Act I, Scenes 1, 2 ,and 3—stopping at the bottom of column one on page 654.**
 * Feb 6 HW**


 * You MAY begin the following, which is due in class on FRIDAY, Feb 8. I will explain it more and give a little time in class tomorrow. The worksheet that goes with the following directions is reprintable from the file below.**


 * As students read (or after) they should be filling out the attached sheet.** The sheet has two parts:
 * 1) They should **record at least 3 words that seem difficult or unfamiliar and trying to guess the meanings AND part of speech from** the context of the sentence the words appear in. DO NOT do words that you already made vocab cards for OR the words that are footnoted at the bottom of a page. Select “new to you” words, or words you find interesting. Students do NOT have to look up these words yet.
 * 2) They should use the chart to write down examples of writing the author uses to show Scrooge’s personality traits as follows:
 * write the **Scene #, page and column number** in which they find a quote that shows a trait
 * **Quote at least 2 examples of ACTIONS Scrooge** does on stage that show his personality.
 * **Quote at least 2 examples of dialogue from a character** (not Marley) that ** SHOWS a personality trait** that Scrooge has
 * **(something Scrooge says himself, or something Cratchit or some character OTHER than the narrator, Marley, says about Scrooge**
 * **Quote at least 2 examples of dialogue in** **which the narrator (Marley) directly** ** TELLS ** the audience about a personality trait of Scrooge
 * **For each quote, student will name the trait shown AND explain how the quote they chose shows the trait.**
 * Trait words are words to describe what a person is like—not just a mood—Trait words include “selfish, cruel, unfeeling, kind, talkative, conceited, generous, outgoing, social, shy, modest, humble, arrogant, pushy….’**
 * Class Review:**
 * I continued writing conferences. I will do more during upcoming classes. Students worked on ORQs.**
 * I continued writing conferences. I will do more during upcoming classes. Students worked on ORQs.**

Class Review Students **turned in Mood and Tone extra credit flashcards**. All classes have ALSO turned in Act I vocabulary cards that will count as //**vocab/following directions**// quiz grade. Glad to see so many kids helping themselves to learn.
 * Feb 5: HW: No new homework**

Students took quiz/test on mood and tone. Most are doing very well so far. All completed portion I within the class period and most began the ORQs. More time to complete ORQs tomorrow. Reminders about what I will grade them on appear in yesterday's entry.

I am meeting with each student individually to discuss writing progress.
 * Writing Conferences and RESUBMISSION of essay for TEST GRADE **
 * Students who do not earn an A on the "HERO" benchmark, will use notes from our conference to revise and resubmit. All students will revise UNTIL they earn an A.
 * I will give **3 nights** from whichever day I meet with you for you to take it home and revise.
 * If you TYPE a new version, HIGHLIGHT all changes before resubmitting.
 * If you make changes directly on your packet, create a FLAP--with rewritten wentences and paragraphs taped OVER the first version so I can flip to see the original.

HW **Study for Quiz on Tone and Mood**. I have given these definitions to you and we have practiced them out loud many, many times---AND I told you where to find them in former website entries---but I am breaking down and handing them to you AGAIN--so use them. 50 points per defintion.
 * Feb 4:**
 * //__<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">Tone: __//**__<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;"> The author’s attitude toward the plot events and characters in the story. __

Change the tone to **show a disgusted attitude.** To develop an answer, think about words or phrases that would show the ATTITUDE, you, as the "author" have toward the CHARACTER (mouse) and the EVENT (eating through a wall.) Your answer might be:
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">Mood: //**__<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">The feeling or atmosphere created for the reader. __
 * Memorize the underlined portions of my definition. DO NOT JUST PARAPHRASE. I will not give credit for partially correct definitions. I will give the usual 5 points extra if you made flashcards using the format for LITERARY TERM FLASHCARDS that should be in your binder. The directions are reprintable from reprints following the directions I gave you on FRIDAY's entry on this site because none of you would leave this step for the night before a test, right?
 * THEN you will apply the defintions to passages I give you. You will identify the mood or tone in multiple choice formatted questions like the ones we practiced with in class today.
 * THEN you will CHANGE the mood or tone of a neutral statement, as we did in groups Friday and today.
 * EXAMPLE: //The mouse ate through the wall.//**

//**The evil rodent gnawed ravenously all the way though a thick wall.**// //**The little beast chomped through the barrier that used to seperate human from vermin.**// Students will get up to 6 points for each answer--changing a verb or a noun (which is harder, but more effective writing) will earn 2 points. Adding adjectives and adverbs earn 1 point each.

__**The BASICS of a good ORQ;**__ __**Look at the rubric for "The Elevator" Orqs that I returned.**__ The items on that rubric are what is necessary for ANY solid, grade 7 ORQ. **The final should be about one and a quarter pages double-spaced handwritten--or one or two paragraphs at most.** An ORQ is **NOT an essay.** Pack a lot of meaning and focus into the examples you choose. **Make sure the answer uses the BEST evidence, not the FIRST evidence you notice. You also don't need to include EVERY item that might possibly be evidence. You only have about a paragraph.**
 * **The final segment of the test, which you will begin tomorrow and complete on Wednesday, will be TWO ORQs, one discussing the mood and another discussing the tone of passages from "The Black Cat."** I will give you a paragraph or two from the story and you will identify the mood or tone, and then QUOTE specific words and phrases and explain WHY and how the word choice creates the mood or tone you identified. We have done this orally as I have read passages. You can only study for this portion by reviewing what is REQUIRED for a good ORQ response. When you wrote ORQs about External and Internal Conflict last month, you had lots of directions and FCAs. THIS time you have to show you can write an ORQ without training wheels and days to revise.
 * You CAN"T study "The Black Cat" to prepare for this, because you do not know what passages I will choose. **You CAN, however, study what makes a great ORQ! See Below:**

Class Review: //We went over ALL of the above in each class and read aloud from "The Black Cat" to model what kinds of words and phrases you might write about to identify and explain mood or tone.//
 * Start with TAG (title author and genre) and TQE (Turn the question around to show you know the TOPIC of the question) EX: **//In the short story, "The Black Cat, Poe creates a mood." NO HOOKS for ORQs--these are not like the long essays. Just give facts that PROVE you understand the MAIN focus of the question and that you read the passage carefully.//**
 * **//Include 3 points from the text to PROVE your point. THREE direct quotes. THREE explanations of the quotes (i.e. This shows...) .//**
 * **//Use transitions,//** between the three points (look these up on the "transitions" sheet in the Writing Tips section of your binder or download again from the Reprints page.
 * **//Use effective vocabulary--//**//no slang; use words we have LEARNED this year if they fit the topic, no TIRED words like "good" "bad" "mean" "Stuff" ...//
 * **//Use a few POWERFUL verbs//** //instead of neutral linking verbs and forms of be (a////m, are, is was, were, have, do.)//

HW: I reviewed what to look for in ALL classes. Despite my ranting and raving about the need to work with directions in front of you, many of you missed steps!! And, to keep an infamous streak running, at least 7 of you did the entirely WRONG set of words --wasting hours of effort because you did ot bother to double check the directions that included a page number, the fact that the list begins with "implored" AND goes with Act I. Sigh.
 * Feb 1**
 * 1. Repair any vocabulary cards that did not EXACTLY follow format. Monday I will collect and grade as 70 point "Reading and following directions" quiz.**
 * Because I am extremely benevolent, **you have over the weekend to do what you should have done in the first place**.
 * Because I want you to learn how to follow directions--prooving you CAN and DO read CLOSELY--I will count the redo NOT as a 10 point homework, but as a **70 point quiz--10 points per word**. I will **deduct 10 points for each error** that is merely NOT following directions. If you do not use the word in the sentence as the correct part of speech, I will not deduct points, but I will give you a set of worksheets to refresh your memory about how to use a noun, verb, adjective or adverb and have you come after school for some help with basic grammar. We do not have time to reteach this during class.

2. **STUDY for Mood and Tone quiz Tuesday and Wednesday**. Literary Term Flashcards -which have **a different format** than the ones you did for vocabulary from the purple text--will earn 5 extra points on Tuesday's portion of the quiz. The Literary Term card format SHOULD be in your binders, but if it is not it can be reprinted from the Reprints page--FIRST file down.

In addition to defining the terms EXACTLY as we did in class today, you will also have to reword neutral sounding sentences to specified tone as we modeled in small groups in class today. I will write more under class Review later this weekend. **The definitions can be found in the Jan 4 entry --now in the** Archived NOv, Dec, Jan page of this site. I could just give it to you again here, but that would mean I am doing the work and you are not working to learn. **Working to learn makes the learning take longer--but last longer.** You MUST use **the underlined portion of each definition** as given on that page. A **COMPLETE list of all Literary Terms required this year is also on the Reprints page**.