Monday, 8 November 2010

SSR Today

Sustained Silent Reading:

Timer is set for 30 minutes.

Students read silently for the full time. They may read any BOOK of their choosing.

BUT it is suggested that they read their Independent reading books for their assignment.

Last 10-18 minutes of class

Continue to read and/or do Reader Response Journal. 

Friday, November 5th, 2010

The plan for today was to discuss symbolism and finish reading "The Minister's Black Veil."

I wanted to the students to brainstorm a variety of things that the veil could symbolize and pick one that made the most sense to them and write a bit about it.

I also had a vocabulary workout for them with words from the story.

However, I was absent today and the sub merely handed out the worksheets and let the students do them on their own.

Thursday, November 4

Literature Day!
Today we are begining to read "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

I began the class with a Freewrite.
I gave the students two options for writing today
1. Does sin exist? If so, what is sin? And, should it remain hidden or be revealed through confession or punishment?
2. Is humanity primarily evil or good? Why?

I asked them to choose to write about one topic or the other.

After the students write for 5 minutes. We discuss both questions as a class.
I use the discussion to segue into the story on page 71 of The American Tradition textbook.
The students decide as a class whether they want to read alone or popcorn. 

Wednesday, November 3

Writer's Workshop

Mini-Lesson 5 Purpose
Be sure you have your FODP handout from Mini-Lesson 3

Look at the purpose column of your handout for specific questions to guide thinking for writing

Autobiography: Narration,  Description, Illustration

Persuasive Essay/ Editorial: Persuasion

Tuesday, November 2

Writer's Workshop Day
Mini-Lesson 4 Focus

Topic Selection: Student's have one chance to change their topic now. After today they need to settle and stay with one topic for their Second quarter paper.

Student's also have time to work on revising their Editorials.
The FINAL copies of their Editorials are due on Friday, November 5.

Thursday, October 27, 2010

Freewrite: Life change is a heart issue not a legislative issue.

Lesson: The Crucible Discussion
    1. Discuss the Freewrite. Compare to The Biggest Loser. Unless change comes from the inside it doesn't last even when it's something as simple as losing weight. .
       The Puritan life revolved around their religion. Isn't the main point of religion to cause "life change?"
   2. If so, then why didn't it change the lives of those involved in the witch trials?
   3. If the religion that the Puritans enforced so religiously was supposed to create pure life then why were so many sins evident in Salem: adultery, vengeance, hate, lying, stealing, greed, and pride?

4. Read pages 1252-1256
Talk about how societies that legislate pure living foster rebellion.
Communism, religious societies of various creeds, and so on.

SSR Today! Monday November 1

Lesson:

Sustained Silent Reading:

Timer is set for 30 minutes.

Students read silently for the full time. They may read any BOOK of their choosing.

BUT it is suggested that they read their Independent reading books for their assignment.

Last 10-18 minutes of class

Continue to read and/or do Reader Response Journal.