November 30 - December 4

It's December this week!

I'm excited to continue our argument unit - finishing the Grapes final essay this week, and beginning The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  The last three weeks of 2015 are going to be full of activities.

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Grapes outlines self check, gallery walk.  Work on making the outline the best it can possibly be.  Fallacy notes - 3 more with original examples from class teams.  Intro to issues in Huckleberry Finn - perceptions of race in modern-day America - watch short version of ABC News video "Bike Thief."  Next, watch discussion about modern, censored version of Huckleberry Finn without the use of the "n" word and how different classrooms approach the language of the novel.  Class discussion and guidelines for reading aloud in class.

Due: Grapes essay outline, fill in all lines of Argument Essay Outline format

Homework:
Begin writing out draft of essay. Keep your outline to turn in with your rough draft.

Study for vocab quiz which will contain these three newer fallacies.

WEDNESDAY: (1st and 2nd period only) Most of the class period will be spent in Junior Conferences Sessions about scheduling.  We will pick up Huckleberry Finn in the remaining 20 minutes of class.

Homework:  (1st and 2nd period only) Read the article "The Coddling of the American Mind" from the Atlantic for our current events discussion on Friday. Note how the authors craft their argument. What do you think?

THURSDAY: (5th and 6th only) The first hour will be spent in Junior Conferences.  You'll pick up Huckleberry Finn, warm-up and take the vocabulary quiz with fallacies during the final hour.

Due: n/a

Homework:
A. Read chapters 1-3 of Huckleberry Finn and answer the following questions on a sheet of paper for next class:

1. How does Huck show his age?  
2. How does he relate to the African American character Jim in these earliest chapters?  
3. How is the novel NOT politically correct?  Does this make it a little painful to read?

B. For Monday, December 6 - rough draft of Grapes essay, hard copy.

FRIDAY: (1st and 2nd period only) Journal warm-up.  Vocab quiz with fallacies.  Current event article, SOAPS, and discussion.

Due:  Atlantic article read (click here for link) 

Homework:
A. Read chapters 1-3 of Huckleberry Finn and answer the following questions on a sheet of paper for next class:

1. How does Huck show his age?  
2. How does he relate to the African American character Jim in these earliest chapters?  
3. How is the novel NOT politically correct?  Does this make it a little painful to read?

 
B. For Tuesday, December 7 - rough draft of Grapes essay, hard copy. 

   

November 23-25, Thanksgiving Week

It's Thanksgiving week - we've finished our longest novel of the year (The Grapes of Wrath), and accomplished quite a bit in twelve weeks.  This week, we'll enjoy a lively roundtable-style class where students will talk about their views/responses to the discussion questions.  Everyone will have a chance to share their views and the answers will be used as a basis for the final Grapes assignment: the argument essay.   There will be NO QUIZ this week!  Here's our schedule:


MONDAY/TUESDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Receive and go over prompt choices for final Grapes of Wrath essay.   (An outline will be due on Monday or Tuesday of next week.)  Move desks and go through the discussion questions in a roundtable-style conversation. 

Due: Completed discussion questions (this is your ticket into the roundtable). 5th and 6th - journals collected today.

Homework: Complete an outline using the argument outline format in response to one of the prompts on the handout for Monday, November 30/Tuesday, December 1.

WEDNESDAY: (5th and 6th only) Current event/issue day: the terrorist attack in Paris.  Read and discuss differing opinions about allowing Syrian refugees into the United States.  Whole class outline.

Due: n/a

Homework:  (same as Monday/Tuesday) Complete an outline using the argument outline format in response to one of the prompts on the handout for Monday, November 30/Tuesday, December 1.

Have a wonderful and well-deserved Thanksgiving holiday.  I appreciate the opportunity to teach such interesting and exceptional students.  Thank you!

November 16 - 20

This week, we'll finish The Grapes of Wrath and begin brainstorming for another end-of-the-unit argument essay.  Over the next two weeks, we'll also read articles about the Paris attack and read differing opinions about what the United States' role should be in fighting terror.

MONDAY/TUESDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Read aloud from Chapter 28 of Grapes.   Summarize the rest of the Chapter and discuss Chapter 29 (the last intercalary chapter).  Healthy Kids Survey.

Due: Final version of argument essay uploaded to Turnitin.com

Homework: Please read Chapter 30, the final chapter of The Grapes of Wrath.   Study for the quiz on Thursday/Friday, which will have two Grapes of Wrath questions.


WEDNESDAY: (1st and 2nd only) Current event/issue day: the terrorist attack in Paris.  Read and discuss differing opinions about what the role of the U.S. should be going forward. Whole class outline.


THURSDAY/FRIDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Vocab/grammar quiz.  Discuss the themes in The Grapes of Wrath, activity.  Discuss the ending.  Watch the final 30 minutes of the movie version and compare the two endings.  Which is more effective?  Which do you prefer, and why? Next, we'll watch a more modern student version.

Due: Read Chapter 30 of The Grapes of Wrath (we'll finish the book). 1st and 2nd - journals collected.

Homework: Read and answer the discussion questions on the handout.  Be ready to discuss/debate them next week.  You'll also be using the answers as a basis for the final (argument) essay about The Grapes of Wrath. 

The completed discussion sheet is your ticket into the roundtable discussion; please finish all of the questions.  

November 9-13

Welcome!  This week we'll take drafts of the first full argument essay and participate in a Writer's Workshop, then revise and polish and turn them in.  We'll journey into Chapters 26 and 27, some of the remaining chapters of The Grapes of Wrath (we'll finish the book next week).   

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up, share.  Writer's workshop - personal review and peer review in rounds.  Hooks/Intros.  Read aloud from Chapter 26 of Grapes of Wrath.  More of the "How I Came to Be in California" presentations.

Due:  Printed out draft of argument essay - typed or neatly handwritten.

Homework: For Thursday/Friday - finish Chapter 26 of The Grapes of Wrath, study for quiz.

If you want to get ahead: 
1st and 2nd period - by Sunday, November 15 at 10:00 p.m. - upload final draft of argument essay to Turnitin.com

5th and 6th period - by Monday, November 16 at 10:00 p.m. - upload final draft of argument essay to Turnitin.com

WEDNESDAY:  Veteran's Day - no school. 

 
THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up.  Vocab/grammar quiz. Characters in Grapes of Wrath exercise/activity. MLA formatting overview.  More of the "How I Came to Be in California" presentations. Read Grapes of Wrath out loud.

Due:Grapes, Chapter 26.

Homework: Finish Chapter  27 of The Grapes of Wrath.

1st and 2nd period - by Sunday, November 15 at 10:00 p.m. - upload final draft of argument essay to Turnitin.com

5th and 6th period - by Monday, November 16 at 10:00 p.m. - upload final draft of argument essay to Turnitin.com

November 2-6

It's November!  This week we'll strengthen up your choice of an outline, then begin writing our first persuasive (argument) essay.  We'll also continue studying logical fallacies as they pertain to evaluating and writing arguments.
 
MONDAY/TUESDAY: Journal warm-up, share.  Go through outlines, choose your best.  You'll work on this one to turn in by the end of the period for a grade (all 3 were counted as a completion grade).  Go through Grapes reading (through page 419) and continue with Chapter 22, including some summary.  Read selections from Chapter 23.  Review fallacies notes and learn 2 more.   NOTE: There will be questions about logical fallacies and Grapes reading on the quiz this week.

Due: Grapes through page 419.

Homework: For Thursday/Friday -

Read Grapes, Chapter 24.

Study for the quiz - note: there will be questions about logical fallacies and Grapes reading on the quiz this week.


WEDNESDAY: 5th and 6th only - Journal warm-up, NOISES OFF preview performance.  Follow-up discussions about current events/issues.

Due: n/a

Homework: Finish Grapes, Chapter 24.  Study for the quiz - note: there will be questions about logical fallacies and Grapes reading on the quiz this week

 
THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Journal warm-up.  (1st and 2nd only - NOISES OFF preview performance.) Vocab/grammar/fallacy/Grapes quiz. Receive outlines back with notes.  Begin writing essay with rubric on laptops.

Due: Grapes, Chapter 24.

Homework: Finish persuasive (argument) essay and print out draft for next class (Monday for periods 1 and 2, Tuesday for periods 5 and 6). Click here for the rubric that will be used to grade the final draft (not this rough draft, but that's where you're headed and it should be used for a guide).