Archive for 'freshmen english – 8'
Monday & Tuesday 13/14-Feb-2012 Freshmen English Block 8
In Class
Over the last two days in class we completed the following tasks:
- I started class on the 13th with distributing the first and second drafts of my “What Bugs Me” essay.
- Working in groups, students analyzed my writing using the context of the STAR Revision methods.
- As a group we discussed what methods I used and whether or not those methods were effective.
- Students worked in groups and individually on revising their essays. Meanwhile, I worked with individual students on revising their essays.
Homework
- The final draft of each student’s narrative is due on Friday 17-Feb-2012
- Students also need to complete a critique, a self grade, and a reflection.
- Instruction on content and how to submit the documents is located here
Thursday: 09-Feb-2012 Freshmen English Block 8
In Class
Today in class we completed the following tasks:
- At the beginning of class we talked about how at the end of last class, students discussed that they were not very comfortable with the revision techniques we covered.
- To help students see how to revising a draft, I began revising my own draft using the revision methods we discussed. I talked aloud about what was going on in my head as a modeled revision for the students.
- This draft can be seen here.
- Next, students began revising their own “One thing that bugs me essay” using the techniques we discussed.
- We spent about 20 minutes in the middle of the class period reviewing the following
- What is a subject?
- What is a verb?
- What is an independent clause?
- What is a dependent clause
- What is a FANBOY?
- How can a comma and a FANBOY be used to fix a run-on sentence?
- Next, we covered using a comma to separate an intro clause and a sentence.
- Lastly, students spent time revising their second personal narratives.
Distributed Materials
Homework
- On Monday 13-Feb-2012 Students should have the following completed by the beginning of class
- A draft of their second narrative
- Revision, using the STAR method, of their second narrative
- Draft should be in their shared collection on Google Docs.
Tuesday: 07-Feb-2012 Freshmen English Block
In Class
Today in class we completed the following tasks:
- First students spent 15 minutes writing a brief piece on the topic Something that bugs me is.
- I wrote alongside the class and displayed my writing on the SMART Board
- We briefly discussed the writing choices I made and why I made those choices and not others.
- We will be working with this piece over the next few weeks.
- Next, we talked about Google Documents. The following topics were covered.
- All writing, from now on, should be completed in Google Documents.
- If something is typed in Microsoft Word, it must be uploaded and placed in each student’s shared collection as soon as possible.
- Students are responsible for using Google Documents as directed in class. Students are responsible for placing all working documents into a shared collection.
- Today, rough drafts were due. Any rough drafts that were not placed in a student’s shared Google Collection, received no credit.
- We spent twenty minutes today talking about how to revise an essay us the STAR Revision method
- The document we built together in class can be found here.
Distributed Materials
Homework
- On Thursday 09-Feb-2012 Students should have the following completed by the beginning of class
- A draft of their second narrative
- Revision, using the STAR method, of their second narrative
- Draft should be in their shared collection on Google Docs.
Thursday: 02-Feb-2012 Freshmen English Block 8
In Class
Today in class we completed the following tasks:
- We began the day be reviewing the Independent Reading Assignment
- How to access Google Groups
- The difference between a summary and a reader response
- Why most students are not completing this assignment.
- Next, we wrote for 10 minutes on the following topic.
- Grammar. The very word strike fear and dread into the minds to students, parents and adults.Why? Why do most people (including myself) not like grammar? Why are they afraid? Why do you not like grammar?
- As a group, we discussed the purpose of grammar, the baggage we have with grammar instruction and the reasons why we did not learn a lot of grammar previously.
- Next, we reviewed the following grammatical principles
- Sentence = Subject + Verb
- Subject = Noun (person, place, thing)
- The person, place or thing that performs the action
- Verb = Action (what is done in the sentence
- Sentence is also know as an Independent Clause
- Dependent Clause, also known as a sentence fragment, does not have either a subject or a verb
- A run on sentence is a sentence that does not properly connect two independent clauses
- A run on sentence can be fixed by using a comma and a coordination conjunction (FANBOY)
- One of the four proper uses of a comma
- Students ended the class by inserting sentence that used a FANBOY into their narratives
Distributed Materials
Homework
- Continue independent reading assignment
- Keep up with the reading log
- First draft of narrative is due on Tuesday 07-Feb-2012
Full Story
Monday: 30-Jan-2012 Freshmen English Block 1
In Class
Today in class we completed the following task:
- Some students, last week, struggled to submit their essay and/or develop a critique, self grade, or reflection. As a result, I met each student at the door and provided them with specific instruction in regards to what they needed to complete during the first thirty minutes of class in order to be successful
- During the second thirty minutes of class, some students read their narratives with the class. Students were trained how to provide constructive feedback using the “sandwich” technique.
- For the last portion of class, we discussed what students can do during the next three weeks in order to master all 12 narrative standards.
Distributed Materials
Homework
- Reading Logs and Reader Response: Due 01-Feb-2012
- Continue working on personal narrative essays.
Tuesday: 24-Jan-2012 Freshmen English Block 8
In Class
Today in class students completed the following tasks:
- First all students took the STAR Reading tests
- Next, we discussed the 6 things students need to do in order to complete and submit their narratives by the end of the day on Thursday.
- Write a 1/2 page reflection
- Identify the standards their draft is trying to meet. Grade themselves on each standard using the three point scale discussed in the Writer’s Workshop handout
- Write a 1/2 page critique of your pieces that analyzes its strengths and weaknesses
- Email a final draft to freshenglish8@justinboyd.net
- If your draft is not shared on Google Docs, place hard copies of your draft in your folder
- Put brainstorming in your folder as well
- Students spent the rest of the block working on their narratives
Distributed Materials
- None
Homeowork
- Reading log and reader response due 26-Jan-2012
- Narrative due 26-Jan-2012
Tuesday: 17-Jan-2012 Freshmen English 8
In Class
In class today, students completed the following tasks.
- First student completed the following freewrite.
- Are you making progress with your current narrative? Explain.
- What standards is your current narrative designed to meet?
- Next we spent the block studying internal monologue.
- First we defined internal monologue
- After showing students several examples, of internal monologues, students worked to create internal monologues for specific images.
- Lastly, students worked at including internal monologues into their own narratives
Distributed Materials
Homework
- Continue working on personal narratives
- By 26-Jan-2011 students need to submit one or more personal narratives designed to purposefully meet 6 of the 12 personal narrative standards.
- Students need to plan their time accordingly in order to meet this deadline.
- Complete the self assigned homework
- Work on reading logs and reader responses. Due: 19-Jan-2012
Thursday: 12-Jan-2012 Freshmen English Block 8
In Class
In class today, students completed the following tasks.
- First student completed the following freewrite.
- Are you making progress with your current narrative? Explain.
- What standards is your current narrative designed to meet?
- Next we spent the block studying metaphors and similes.
- First we defined a metaphor.
- Next, I showed students several examples of a metaphor.
- Students then worked in groups to create metaphors.
- Finally, students worked individually to create metaphors and insert them into their personal narratives.
- Lastly, similes were used and we went through the above process again.
- Each student needed to assign themselves homework to be complete between today and Friday. Students wrote their assignment on a sheet of paper and handed it to me before walking out the door.
Distributed Materials
Homework
- Continue working on personal narratives
- By 26-Jan-2011 students need to submit one or more personal narratives designed to purposefully meet 6 of the 12 personal narrative standards.
- Students need to plan their time accordingly in order to meet this deadline.
- Complete the self assigned homework
Tuesday: 10-Jan-2012 Freshmen English Block 8
In Class
In class today, students completed the following tasks.
- First student completed the following freewrite.
- What is your goal for today?
- What will you be working on?
- What standards is your current draft designed to meet?
- Next, I spent 25 minutes teaching students about the setting description and flashback.
- Students spent the last part of class working on their Personal Narratives.
Distributed Materials
Homework
- Continue working on personal narratives
- By 26-Jan-2011 students need to submit one or more personal narratives designed to purposefully meet 6 of the 12 personal narrative standards.
- Students need to plan their time accordingly in order to meet this deadline.
- Reader Responses and reading log are due on Thursday 12-Jan-2012
Monday: 09-Jan-2012 Freshmen English Block 8
In Class
In class today, students completed the following tasks.
- First student completed the following freewrite.
- Are you making progress with your current narrative? Explain.
- What standards is your current narrative designed to meet?
- Next, I spent 35 minutes teaching students about the Blocking and Dialoge.
- Students spent the last part of class working on their Personal Narratives.
Distributed Materials
Homework
- Continue working on personal narratives
- By 26-Jan-2011 students need to submit one or more personal narratives designed to purposefully meet 6 of the 12 personal narrative standards.
- Students need to plan their time accordingly in order to meet this deadline.
