Agenda, September 30

Due Dates 

• Due Now: Bookmark #1, front and back completed

• DO tonight: Read for 15 minutes AND record it on your bookmark as you finish.

• Due Now: Bring your personal reading book to class.  
• Late: Final Draft of short story, plus drafting materials (original freewrite, rough draft, plot pyramid, three openings, mood paragraph). Thursday is your last chance to turn this in for full credit.
• Test Make-ups (if you were absent): Wednesday, 9/30, after school in B105. You will need to arrange your own transportation.
• Test Re-takes (if you want to raise your grade): Wednesday, 10/7, after school in B105. You will need to arrange your own transportation. 

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can read for pleasure.
• I can infer the meanings of unfamiliar words and appreciate good writing.
• I can use prefixes, suffixes, and roots to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words.
• I can correctly punctuate TOE sentences.
• I can use a quickwrite to generate ideas.
• I can analyze a text to determine the author's purpose.

Agenda

1. Independent Reading
2. TOE Review: Write a TOE sentence about your book
3. Purpose in "Sanctuary"
4. Descriptive Writing in "Sanctuary"
5. Quickwrite #6b: Describe your sanctuary. Pay attention to the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

Agenda, September 29

Due Dates 

• Due Tomorrow: Bookmark #1, front and back completed

• DO tonight: Read for 15 minutes AND record it on your bookmark as you finish.

• Due Now: Bring your personal reading book to class.  
• Late: Final Draft of short story, plus drafting materials (original freewrite, rough draft, plot pyramid, three openings, mood paragraph)
• Test Make-ups (if you were absent): Wednesday, 9/30, after school in B105. You will need to arrange your own transportation.
• Test Re-takes (if you want to raise your grade): Wednesday, 10/7, after school in B105. You will need to arrange your own transportation. 

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can read for pleasure.
• I can infer the meanings of unfamiliar words and appreciate good writing.
• I can use prefixes, suffixes, and roots to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words.
• I can correctly punctuate TOE sentences.
• I can use a quickwrite to generate ideas.
• I can analyze a text to determine the author's purpose.

Agenda

1. Independent Reading
2. TOE Review: Write a TOE sentence about your book.
3. Quickwrite #6a: What's your sanctuary? List your favorite places to be / favorite things to do
4. "Sanctuary," by Lynda Barry
5. Quickwrite #6b: Describe your sanctuary.

Agenda, September 28

Due Dates 

• DO tonight: Read for 15 minutes AND record it on your bookmark as you finish.

• Due Now: Bring your personal reading book to class.  
• Late: Final Draft of short story, plus drafting materials (original freewrite, rough draft, plot pyramid, three openings, mood paragraph)
• Due Wednesday, 9/30: Bookmark #1
• Test Make-ups (if you were absent): Wednesday, 9/30, after school in B105. You will need to arrange your own transportation.
• Test Re-takes (if you want to raise your grade): Wednesday, 10/7, after school in B105. You will need to arrange your own transportation. 

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can read for pleasure.
• I can infer the meanings of unfamiliar words and appreciate good writing.
• I can use prefixes, suffixes, and roots to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words.
• I can correctly punctuate TOE sentences.

Agenda

1. Independent Reading
2. Wondrous Words
3. Affixes: Define 5 words
4. TOE Sentences
5. Quickwrite #6a: What's your sanctuary? List your favorite places to be / favorite things to do

Agenda, September 24

Due Dates 

• DO this weekend: Read for 30 minutes each day AND record it on your bookmark as you finish.

• Late: Conventions Quiz for people who were absent.
• Due Now: Bring your personal reading book to class.  
• Due Today: Final Draft of short story, plus drafting materials (original freewrite, rough draft, plot pyramid, three openings, mood paragraph)
• Due Wednesday, 9/30: Bookmark #1

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can develop an idea generated in a freewrite into a story.
• I can improve a rough draft.
• I can use technology to improve my writing. 

Agenda

1. Typing Time
2. Independent Reading

Agenda, September 23

Due Dates 

• DO TONIGHT: Read for 15 minutes AND record it on your bookmark.

• Late: Conventions Quiz for people who were absent.
• Due Now: Bring your personal reading book to class.  
• Due Tomorrow: Final Draft of short story, plus drafting materials (original freewrite, rough draft, plot pyramid, three openings, mood paragraph)
• Due Wednesday, 9/30: Bookmark #1

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can develop an idea generated in a freewrite into a story.
• I can improve a rough draft.
• I can use technology to improve my writing. 

Agenda

1. Independent Reading
2. Bookmarks
3. Typing Time

Agenda, September 22

Due Dates

• DO TONIGHT: Read for 15 minutes. 

• Late: Conventions Quiz for people who were absent.
• Due Now: Bring your personal reading book to class. 
• Due Now: Rough draft of a short story 
• Coming Tomorrow: Laptops to type final drafts

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can show what I know on a quiz.
• I can develop an idea generated in a freewrite into a story.
• I can improve a rough draft.
• I can use a variety of precise words.

Agenda

1. Quiz / Independent Reading / Testing your google account
2. Explode the Moment
3. Word choice exercise

Short Story Quiz Review

What are the elements of the plot pyramid?

Do you know how to spell them? Review the plot pyramid for each of the stories we’ve read (“Jump Away”, “Initiation”, “The Bet”, “Just Desert”).

What is the definition of setting? What are the five conflicts?

What are the settings in the stories we’ve read (“Jump Away”, “Initiation”, “The Bet”, “Just Desert”)? What are the conflicts in the stories we’ve read?

List the protagonists and antagonists in the stories we’ve read (“Jump Away”, “Initiation”, “The Bet”, “Just Desert”). Is each character flat or round? How do you know? Is each character static or dynamic? How do you know?

What is the definition of theme?

What are the themes of the stories we’ve read (“Jump Away”, “Initiation”, “The Bet”, “Just Desert”)? What are the themes of other stories or movies you know? What is the theme of the story you are writing?

AWUBIS REVIEW-BIS

List as many AWUBIS words as you can remember:

In an AWUBIS sentence, how do you know you put the comma in the right place?

Agenda, September 21

Due Dates

• DO TONIGHT: Read for 15 minutes. 

• Late: Conventions Quiz for people who were absent.
• Due Now: Last chance to turn in Non-fiction Friday Handout (or your revision)
• Due Now: Bring your personal reading book to class. 
• Due Tomorrow: Rough draft of a short story 
• Coming Tomorrow: Quiz on our short stories and our literary terms.

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can read for pleasure.
• I can develop an idea generated in a freewrite into a story.
• I can use a graphic organizer to structure my ideas.
• I can write an inviting introduction.
• I can work with a group to prepare for a quiz.
• I can create a powerful mood in a story.

Agenda

1. Independent Reading
2. Carousel Brainstorm
3. Feeling Moody

Agenda, September 18

Due Dates

• Late: Conventions Quiz for people who were absent.
• Due Monday: Last chance to turn in Non-fiction Friday Handout (or your revision)
• Due Monday: Bring your personal reading book to class. 
• Have you finished "The Bet"?
• Due Tuesday: Rough draft of a short story 
• Coming Tuesday: Quiz on our short stories and our literary terms.

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can develop an idea generated in a freewrite into a story.
• I can use a graphic organizer to structure my ideas.
• I can write an inviting introduction.
• I can practice the skills good readers use.

Agenda

1. Drafting / Plotting Time
2. "Just Desert," by M.T. Anderson
3. Three Openings

Agenda, September 17

Due Dates

• Late: Conventions Quiz for people who were absent.
• Late: Finish Non-fiction Friday Handout
• Due Monday, September 21: Bring your personal reading book to class. 
• Due Tuesday, September 22: Rough draft of a short story 
• September 22: Quiz on our short stories and our literary terms.

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can fix ineffective topic sentences.
• I can practice the skills good readers use. 
• I can identify the qualities of good writing.
• I can develop an idea generated in a freewrite.

Agenda

1. Book Talk
2. Topic Sentence Triage
3. "Just Desert," by M.T. Anderson
4. Drafting Time

Agenda, September 15

Due Dates

• Late: Conventions Quiz for people who were absent.
• Late: Finish Non-fiction Friday Handout
• Due Monday, September 21: Bring your personal reading book to class. 
• September 22: Quiz on our short stories and our literary terms.

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can correctly punctuate a sentence with an introductory clause. 
• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can practice the skills good readers use.

Agenda

1. Book Talk
2. What Does AWUBIS stand for?
3. 10 more minutes on "The Bet"
4. Freewrite #5: "The crack in the mirror ..." OR Tell a story about a meal that went badly wrong.
5. Mood
6. "Just Desert," by M.T. Anderson

Agenda, September 14

Due Dates

• Late: Conventions Quiz for people who were absent.
• Late: Finish Non-fiction Friday Handout
• Due Monday, September 21: Bring your personal reading book to class. 
• September 22: Quiz on our short stories and our literary terms.

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can correctly punctuate a sentence with an introductory clause.
• I can practice the skills good readers use.
• I can compare and contrast my thoughts with the author of a short story.

Agenda

1. AWUBIS Notes Review
2. What Good Readers Do
3. "The Bet," by Anton Chekov

Agenda, September 14

Due Dates

• Late: Conventions Quiz for people who were absent.
• Now: Gimme your name tags!
• Now: Finish Non-fiction Friday Handout
• September 22: Quiz on our short stories and our literary terms.

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can take useful notes.
• I can correctly punctuate a sentence with an introductory clause.
• I can participate actively and positively in a whole class discussion.
• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.

Agenda

1. AWUBIS Notes
2. Philosophical Chairs (Agree or Disagree: Life imprisonment is a worse punishment than the death penalty)
3. Freewrite #4: "Searching for a way out ..." OR Write about a time you won or lost a bet.
4. "The Bet," by Anton Chekov

"Initiation," by Sylvia Plath

Here's a link to a copy of "Initiation," by Sylvia Plath, in case you need to reference it this weekend.

Enjoy!

Agenda, September 11

Due Dates

• Late: Post a friendly comment to the Blog
• Late: Conventions Quiz for people who were absent.
• Now: Gimme your name tags!
• Monday: Finish Non-fiction Friday Handout
• September 22: Quiz on our short stories and our literary terms.

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can identify the qualities of good writing.
• I can apply my understanding of literary terms to a story.
• I can actively read non-fiction.
• I can work with a partner to compare a piece of fiction with a piece of non-fiction.

Agenda

1. Does anybody know what day it is?
2. Elements of Literature Review (Quiz on September 22)
3. Finish "Initiation," by Sylvia Plath
4. It's Non-fiction Friday!

Agenda, September 10

Due Dates

• Late: Post a friendly comment to the Blog
• Late: Conventions Quiz for people who were absent.
• September 22: Quiz on our short stories and our literary terms.

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can identify the qualities of good writing.
• I can apply my understanding of literary terms to a story.
• I can compare and contrast two stories about similar events.

Agenda

1. Freewrite #3: "After the storm ..." OR Write about a time you wanted to join a group / organization.
2. Elements of Literature Review (Quiz on September 22)
3. "Initiation," by Sylvia Plath

Agenda, September 9

Due Dates

• Tomorrow: Post a friendly comment to the Blog
• September 22: Quiz on our short stories and our literary terms.

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can show what I know on a quiz.
• I can apply my understanding of literary terms to a story.
• I can analyze a story for theme.
• I can compare and contrast two stories about similar events.

Agenda

1. Conventions Quiz
2. Elements of Literature Review (Quiz on September 22)
3. Theme in "Jump Away," by Rene Saldana, Jr.
4. "Initiation," by Sylvia Plath

Agenda, September 8

Due Dates

• Late: Parent/Guardian Signature on Syllabus
• Late: Completed Name Tag
• Late: "11 Things We Know ..." 
• Tomorrow: Post a friendly comment to the Blog

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use a freewrite to generate ideas.
• I can review familiar literary terms.
• I can apply my knowledge of literary terms to analyze a short story.

Agenda

1. Freewrite #2: "Everything changed when ..." OR Write about a dare
2. Elements of Literature (Quiz on September 22)
3. "Jump Away," by Rene Saldana, Jr.
4. Simple Sentences
5. AWUBIS

Agenda, September 3

Due Dates

• Now: Parent/Guardian Signature on Syllabus
• Now: Completed Name Tag
• Now: "11 Things We Know ..." 
• Wednesday, September 9: Post a friendly comment to the Blog

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can take useful notes.
• I can write a well-developed paragraph.
• I can work with a group to infer the rules for a correctly punctuated simple sentence.
• I can evaluate my own work. 

Agenda

1. +, -, *, !, ?
2. Name Tag Paragraph Notes and Models
3. Name Tag Paragraph Writing Time
4. Simple Sentence Analysis 

Agenda, September 2

Due Dates

• Tomorrow: Parent/Guardian Signature on Syllabus
• Tomorrow at the start of class: Completed Name Tag
• Wednesday, September 9: Post a friendly comment to the Blog

Today's Learning Targets:

• I can use symbols to capture my personality.
• I can read actively and annotate a non-fiction article.
• I can apply information from an article to my daily life. 

Agenda

1. A Brave Volunteer Posts to the Blog
2. Name Tag Work Time
3. Read with a purpose: "11 Things We Know ..." 

Name Tag Directions:

• Fold your name tag like a book cover.
• Write your name large enough for me to see it from across the room.
• Include at least three symbols that represent your personality.
• Use color

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