Theme Paragraphs

This is a link to the Theme Paragraph Outline 1-page handout from class today.

And here's how students set up the reverse of this page, for collecting evidence:

This became a document for collecting the information that will become Assertions 1, 2, and 3.

Here's a link to the Powerpoint File.

HW:

• Draft of Theme Paragraph Due WEDS. 9/2
• Membean practice in class tomorrow.

1795 Original Text: To A Mouse

Follow-Up Friday Post:

You thought that the poem I gave you was hard to read?

Haha, get real.

Here's the poem as it was originally written:

I dare you to try to read it out loud without laughing.

I bet you can't.

Mice. Men.

Students today brought their notes on the poem To A Mouse to a class discussion analyzing the poem.

Here is a link to the powerpoint I used to facilitate discussion. It mirrors almost exactly the questions from the document.

Despite my technological facility, there's no way I can post the discussion my classes had. If you missed today, you better ask a friend* for the answer to number 4.

*And you better be friends with Jocelyn in 6th.

Because she really knocked it outta the park.

This is the .pptx from class today.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Yes it's a new one.

To A Mouse - Robert Burns

After students finished their diagnostic tests, they picked up a copy of a poem.

I INSIST that this poem connects with one our summer reading texts.

The HW became to respond to Q1-5 on the sheet for discussion tomorrow.

This is a link to the copy of the poem.

Freshman Diagnostic

Students began taking a beginning-of year Diagnostic Test.

As it is a Diagnostic test to gauge students' incoming level of aptitude, it will not count as a grade in Gradespeed.

The vast majority of students did not finish, so we will devote some of tomorrow's class time to finishing the test.

SRA: Summer Reading Assessment

Today students did two things:

• Submitted their Summer Reading Annotations
• Took their Summer Reading Assessment
• Multiple Choice & Short Answer

If you missed either of these details, see me ASAP.

Lit Terms & SR Review

• This is a link to the blank Plot Diagram document.
• This is a link to the Ender's Game plot-sequencing activity. (This is the one with review questions.)

HW:

• SR Annotation due tomorrow
• SR Assessment tomorrow

A New Day; A New Year

Welcome, MLK Freshmen!

For many of you, I mean, Welcome Back!

Today was a half-day for students. As such, classes were only about 20 minutes long. Give the constraint on time, there are many class resources and documents that will be delivered on Friday (our first full day) 8/7.

So what did students do today? After I stumbled through my new rosters, I introduced my website (if you're reading this, you already know.)

Also, we had a brief discussion about this: 

Some students could correctly identify this as a QR code. Fewer could competently elaborate on what this artifact's function is, and how it works.

The point is that, if a student possesses a smartphone, I encouraged them to seek out an app (free) that would let their cameras decode the information in the square.

• Android Users: Look for the program QR Droid in the Google Play Store. It might be easier to open the Play Store in your mobile device.
• Apple Users: A student recommended the app Qrafter, which appears to do basically the same things, and is available in the App Store.

Over all of today, only one student actually scanned and decoded this QR in class. Surprise: it's a link to the 9th grade Supplies list. Which I will have hard copies of on Friday.

Word on the street is that this is Tax-Free Weekend.

Finally, as class wound to a close, I asked students to take out their Agendas and write down their HW. Almost no one had an agenda. It was depressing. So get one.

HW:

• First Day Packets are due back to 1st period teachers ASAP.
• Write Tidyman an Introductory Email