Movie/Work Time

 Today we continued the work time/ film watching from yesterday. After the film, students who watched the film responded to the questions below in their warm ups. Research papers due tomorrow!
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Consider the novel and the movie, and answer the following questions:

• What changes did the film director and writer make? Be specific.
• Why do you think they made these changes. In your opinion, were the changes effective?
• In general, did you like the film? Why or why not? Was it better or worse than the book? Explain.

Work Time

Today was either work time for students who needed or wanted it or movie time for student who were finished with the research paper and wanted to watch Speak.
Research paper with complete in-text citations and a works cited page are due Wednesday.

In Conclusion...

Today, after a quick check of in text citation in body paragraphs, we worked on the conclusion paragraph of the research paper. Students spent the rest of the day working and should have a complete rough draft (minus the works cited page) in class tomorrow.

Accelerated English & More Research Writing

Today we began the day briefly discussing registration for next year, especially focusing on the process to apply for Accelerated Sophomore English. After I collected finished brochures, we spent the rest of the day writing the body paragraphs for the essays. Students should be ready to write their conclusions when they walk into class tomorrow.

Welcome to the Research Paper

Today we began outlining the next major paper. Because this paper will be based on the same information students researched for the brochure project, they should be ready to go with notes, research questions, etc. At the end of the period--by which time most students had completed their outlines--we went over the basic format for the introductory paragraph, which students started in class. Students who had not completed their outlines or who were struggling were advised to come in for extra help at lunch or after school.
HW Outlines and Introductory paragraphs should be complete at the start of class Wednesday.

Final Brochure Day

Students had one final day to work on their brochures in class. Students who were finished with rough drafts did a pair evaluation activity and then had some time to work on their final drafts.


Coming Up

• Final Brochures due Wednesday
• Research Paper this week. Due date TBA, but will be collected with research notes, outlines, and rough draft.
• Speak Timed Writing next week. Dialectical journals and symbol/motif assignments will be collected at the same time.

Challenge Day

Most students were at Challenge Day today. The few who were here spent the period researching. Students should be ready to begin the brochure in earnest tomorrow.

More Research

We continued the research today after a short MLA citation warm-up. Students should be ready to start their brochures on Thursday. Remember Challenge Day tomorrow!

Work Time

Students spent the period researching. By the start of class tomorrow, they should have Cornell notes with complete works cited information for at least two sources. This is homework.

Research Time...Almost

Today we did a little more research preparation, talking about citation, note-taking and eLibrary. Students chose research topics for the brochure project and should get started researching this weekend.

The Brochure Assignment

Today, after a brief warm-up on sentence structure, symbol and theme, I introduced the brochure assignment and we got started thinking about topics (from the green sheet). The brochure handout (given out in class) is also available at Global Classroom.

Analyzing Symbol

Today we began with a short sentence structure warm-up and then talked about the end of the book. The rest of the period was spend on the activity below.

1. Choose one quotation from your dialectical journal. Explain how it demonstrates or illuminates one of the themes of Speak. Themes should be on your green paper, or you may come up with a new theme now.
2. Choose one of these motifs (repeated symbols)—seeds (see pages 66-7, 125-6, 133, etc.); mirrors (pages 17, 40, 50, 82, 123-24, etc.); trees (pages 12, 54, 66, 78)—or choose another that you noticed.

• Explain the importance of this symbol.
• What does it have to do with Anderson’s story and themes? 
• Include and explain at least one strong quotation in your response.

Monday

We began the day with a reflection about Friday's Spare Change presentation. After a brief quiz on the reading, we talked about readings seven and eight, particularly the symbolic importance of Melinda's yard work on page 166 (students wrote about this in their journals).

HW: Tonight students should finish the book and do their last DJ assignment.

Spare Change

Today we had a presentation by  members of Spare Change on some of the issues brought up in the novel Speak. Students took notes for use in the teen-issue research papers and brochure project we'll be working on next week.

HW Remember that yesterday you were assigned TWO readings over the weekend, so you should be through reading 8 (through page 184) and have two DJ entries on Monday.

Work Day

Today we went over returned Of Mice and Men essays and added them to the portfolio. The rest of the period was spent finishing up the coat of arms assignment, adding quotations to the forum at Global Classroom, and doing reading 6 (through page 137).

Reading 5

Today, after a short quiz, we talked about reading #4, I checked homework, and we read some of reading 5 aloud in class. Finish reading #5 (through 116) for homework tonight.

Reading 4

Today we began by reviewing the sentence types we looked at last week. We then discussed reading three for a bit and had some time to start on reading #4.
HW Reading 4 (through page 92) with journal entries.