Membean Information Sheet

Today, after a brief walking-tour review of a day's worth of thematic ideas, students all received a hard copy of the

Membean Information Sheet

And just for good measure, here's a link to Membean's main site.

Please do not attempt to sign-in, or Enroll in a class.

This is a link to the ENGL Department Guidelines

All Freshmen will Enroll in their teacher's classes on

Tuesday, 9/4.

Bonus Repost! Membean Payment Online Link!

A handul of students asked about Dubious Minutes.

What does 'dubious' even mean, brah?

So here is a screenshot of what a teacher will see:

These minutes will be subtracted from a student's studying, "Trained Minutes". Clicking on these minutes will yield a more detailed report of the reason for why such minutes were flagged:

And finally, here is the method students may use to view their own Dubious Minutes:

Thank you, Sarah, wherever you are.

HW:

• Pay for Membean on or before 9/4.
• The link is already on here.
• Obtain a copy of Speak
• A link to Amazon is already on here. Scroll around and find it.

Membean Online Payment Link

Click Here to Pay For Membean

10.00

Theme: Gallery of Gold Stars

Today, I checked students' HW to make sure that they had completed the 3 Theme Application slides from over the weekend.
This was for a HW grade, so please see me if you were absent and want to make the assignment up.

Then, students divided up into small groups to collect statements of thematic ideas onto large pieces of poster paper around the classroom. 90% of students informed me that they were familiar with Gallery Walk activities, and most classes had no problem navigating through the day.

But before students were completely finished with the activity, their final task was to rotate through the Theme Posters once more, and to award a Gold Star (⭐️ ) to the theme statement they believed to be the best.

Thanks, students, for the new wallpaper:

HW:

• Pay for Membean
• Bring Cash or Check for 10.00 to class tomorrow
• Or pay online!
• Obtain a copy of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak (scroll down for a link to an Amazon order page.)

THEME: Notes and Examples

Link to today's Powerpoint Notes
(3rd period: this does not include our extended discussion of Reason vs. Instinct)

Link to The Weekend HW:

Theme Application Slides 2-4

Writing Workshop: Paragraph Feedback

Today, students provided feedback regarding 3 student-authored samples from yesterday's in-class Compare and Contrast Paragraph activity. The passages were anonymous when examined.

Each of the 3 sample passages featured several strengths and weaknesses. Students identified these and provided commentary, marking their notes with a + for Strengths and a - for weaknesses.

Here is a .pdf of the sample passages, with the student names removed. I cannot tell you what the exact notes were that students too, as each class provided a unique perspective. If you missed today, please read these passages, and then ask to see a classmates notes from your class period.

Link to the student sample passages

HW:

• Bring Notes notebook back to class tomorrow, for Theme Notes
• Membean can be paid for starting MONDAY 8/28, and up through Labor Day
• Please obtain a copy of Speak by 9/5 (see below for handy Amazon.com link.)

STEAL: Compare and Contrast

After attendance, today's classes enjoyed a brief excursion outside for a mini-lesson on what to do, an where to go, in the event that we have a fire drill during that class period:

If there is ever a Fire Drill during our class:

Meet Me By The Light Post

(the first student to correctly connect that instruction to the Narnia books will receive 3 bonus* points)

Once re-settled in class, students retrieved their S.T.E.A.L. Charts on Rainsford and Zaroff. This was last night's HW. And I checked it, for a grade. You can find it in IC right now.
If you were absent yesterday, and didn't complete the HW, scroll down to find the document. Or see me and ask me to print it out for you. Either way, bring me a completed piece of work to receive credit.

Students then began to think about both characters at the same time using this Venn  Diagram.

After a few minutes of individual brainstorming, I invited students to chat with an elbow partner (a classmate sitting to the right or left) about character comparison ideas. Just a bit of a sounding board moment, before jumping in to this writing prompt: (see slide 2 for the prompt, and slide 3 for the BONUS question from 3rd period.)

Here's a link to a helpful website with contrasting and connective transitions to use, as well as several sample Compare and Contrast writing samples!

That was it; students had the rest of the class to draft their responses. The BONUS was not required. HW for tonight was just to be aware of information, which is here below:

HW:

• Bring $10 for Membean between 8/28 and 9/4
• We begin using the program after Labor Day
• Order, or otherwise obtain, the book Speak by Labor Day
• This, for example, would be a great place to start.

The Most Dangerous Quiz

What a neat eclipse! I hope everyone kept their eyes safe and had a ton of fun in the dark sun!

As students returned this morning for the beginning of our short week, my expectation had been that they read "The Most Dangerous Game", linked below.

In order to check that students had, in fact, read the story, they all took a little quiz. 16 Questions -  see me if you missed it. That was the first thing.

After that, I shared some (informal) feedback with students about the STEAL presentations from last Friday. They were mostly OK, and generally better than last year's crew did on their first time around.
My notes going forward:

Then I invited students to give me some feedback of their own, by filling out the Peer Evaluation Sheet:

Link to the Document

(not required)

Finally, students got their HW: a document to STEAL the two main characters from MDG:

HW:

• USE THIS DOCUMENT to STEAL Rainsford and General Zaroff for tomorrow
• Note: you only have to do 1 quote per acronym letter
• You do have to complete both characters.

WKND HW: The Most Dangerous Game

Read This 

Short Story

For Tuesday

It's The Most Dangerous Game

by Richard Connell

No, you don't have to annotate it.

But you should be able to apply your skills from the first two weeks of class to it -- plot diagram, conflict, climax, character analysis, etc.

Also -- be safe during the Eclipse!

S.T.E.A.L. Project Docs

Here are digital copies of almost everything I shared with classes today about:

• Making the STEAL Poster
• Presenting Character Analysis Information

LINK to Project Rubric

Sample Poster:

Not Uploaded: Sample Presentation Video.

HW:

• Finish Character's S.T.E.A.L. Poster
• Prepare to present Character Analysis tomorrow
• Remember, the best presentations will focus on answering the question, "What is this character like?" and the worst will read off the poster like a script.

S.T.E.A.L: Summer Reading Application

Today, armed with notes about the STEAL Character Analysis Framework, students got into groups and chose a character to STEAL from the summer reading books. Students chose blindly the names from 3x5 cards.

Each group had the following:

• 2-3 Freshmen
• Access to the Summer Reading books
• An assigned character

All they needed was a place to start collecting character information. So at this point, each Freshman got a copy of the STEAL Character Chart.

The first task was for students to work with their group to complete the chart. Completing the chart means we can move on to the next step of the project: creating a poster of the information and presenting it.

HW:

• Finish any parts of the Character Chart that your group didn't finish in class.
• Groups will receive poster-paper from me when they show me a completed Character Chart, for tomorrow's Poster work day.

S.T.E.A.L. Character Analysis Framework

After attendance and a brief stretch, students recorded several notes on the S.T.E.A.L. Characterization Framework into their Notes composition notebook.

This is a link to the powerpoint, with attached Image Examples from class.

Special shout-out to 5th Period for analyzing (in and one instance, over-analyzing) The Runaway Bunny himself from yesterday's group reading. I really appreciated this moment.

HW:

• Bring summer reading books to class tomorrow, for S.T.E.A.L.ing a character from one of those texts.

Reinforcement: Identifying Literary Climax

After attendance and a little beginning-of-class stretch, here's how the day unfolded:

• Written Reflection (just an invitation, not an assignment, trust me)
• Review of the Hidden Figures Plot Point Questions
• Identifying Climax

A handful of students demonstrated some confusion last week when asked to identify the respective climaxes of the two summer reading books:

-Some students thought that Russia launching Sputnik was the climax of Hidden Figures

-Some students thought that Ender killing Bonzo was the climax of Ender's Game.

These ideas are somewhat misguided, and we clarified why today:

Everything leads up to the climax

Every detail points towards it

For a quick in-class practice, we read Margaret Wise Brown's The Runaway Bunny.

Students' job was to listen closely, and to be able to identify the story's climax.

It's when the little bunny decides to stay, and not run away. (Looking towards tomorrow, It's also the only moment of dynamic characterization. But more on that tomorrow.)

HW:

• Bring Ender's Game tomorrow, if possible
• Bring NOTES composition notebook for Characterization notes.

Hidden Figures Plot Points

Link to the Plot Points Document

And Questions

from class today

HW: 

• Finish Hidden Figures Plot Point Questions (if not finished in class)
• Email me!
• Emails due by Midnight Sunday - click link above for details

Ender's Game Plot Points

Link to E's G Questions and Plot Points

from class today.

HW:

• Finish Ender's Game Plot Point Questions in classwork composition notebook
• Bring Hidden Figures to class if possible tomorrow
• Syllabus Signature sheet due tomorrow!
• This includes 6th period PLT as well

Agendas; Notes; Plot Diagram Notes

Well, 2nd period got a pass on today's class, as Freshmen had to report to the MLK Auditorium for the Grade Level Expectations meeting with our Administrators.

All the rest of the Freshmen were issued an official MLK Magnet Agenda (a.k.a. assignment book.) Students signed off on a roster to verify their receipt of said agenda.

Then classes set up and labelled their NOTES Composition Notebook for class. The label on the front should look like this:

(Student Name)

NOTES

Tidyman (class per.)

Then, with the help of several enlightened contributors from each class, students reviewed the classic Plot Diagram (occasionally called a Plot Chart)

Here is a link to the skeleton of what we covered today.

Each class then added unique contributions and explanations based on their prior experiences with the diagram. Ask a classmate to see theirs if you didn't get the specific notes in class.

HW:

• Bring Ender's Game tomorrow, if possible
• Class Syllabus Signature Sheet due Fri 8/11 (scroll down for link from Monday) 

Summer Reading Assessment

Today, Freshmen took their Summer Reading Assessment. It was a test over both summer reading books.

See me to make it up if you missed today.

First Day of School!

First, I took attendance. Tons of beautiful names across my rosters this year, now I just have to learn to say them correctly.

Then students got put into their Q1 seats. Yeah, you guessed it, it's alphabetical by last name. It'll help me put names with faces and take attendance quickly.

Finally, students received the ENGL - I Course Syllabus. Click the link for the .pdf file.

Study Hall was interesting. Lunch was even more interesting. Shaping up to be an interesting year.

HW:

• Summer Reading Test tomorrow. Study
• Course Syllabus Signature Sheet due by Friday, 8/11. Click for .pdf.

Gearing Up for the New Year

Link to the Powerpoint Slides from Freshman Orientation