Monday, 10/21 - 10/25

Monday

Classwork: 

Read lit circle novel for 10 minutes.

Finish Edmodo post and respond to at least two classmates' posts

Review the Utopian Project Guidelines and Expectations Document and Rubric: Utopia

Work with your groups on Steps 5, 6, 7, and 10 of the project process

Homework:

Work on final draft of writing territories task. Due Friday, 10/25

IF YOU HAVE NOT COMPLETED YOUR INFOGRAPHIC, MAKE SURE YOU FINISH AND SUBMIT IT BY FRIDAY!

Tuesday

Classwork: 

Meet in Connect 2 School Lab.

Read lit circle novel for 10 minutes.

Work with your groups on Steps 5, 6, and 7 of your project process

Homework: Word on final draft of writing territories task. Due Friday, 10/25

Wednesday

Classwork:

Discovery Ed video clip - Constitution

Work with your groups on Step 8 of your project process.

Conduct Constitutional Convention and answer all questions regarding convention rules. Begin creating constitution.

Homework: Work on final draft of writing territories task. Due Friday, 10/25

Thursday

Classwork:

Quarter 1 Common Assessment has been pushed out to early November so we will work on our utopia projects today. (Make change to project packet calendar.)

Read lit circle novel for 15 minutes.

Work on Step 8 of Utopia project. Make sure to answer all questions when creating your constitution. Use this resource to view the Constitution of the United States: Constitution. Try to come up with a Preamble for your Constitution. 

Homework:

Finish writing territories task. You must either send it to me electronically before class starts or hand it to me at the beginning of class. If you do not print it out prior to class, it will be considered late.

Friday

Classwork:

Final draft of writing territories task due.

Read lit circle novel for 15 minutes.

Work on Steps 8 and 9 on your utopia project. Make sure to read the United States' Bill of Rights before you begin your work: Bill of Rights

Homework:

Get a head start on your vocabulary Cornell Notes for prefixes: hello, hydro, hypno, magni, mono. these are due Monday, 11/4.

This week

Friday, 10/18
Get a computer and log in to Msgrinnell.blogspot.com.

Sign into your Edmodo account. On your lit circle novel page you will see a prompt for a Lit Circle Reading Comprehension #1 quiz. Follow the directions and respond to the prompt. You may use your novel and your Thinkmark to answer the question. IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT SET UP YET, LET ME KNOW!

When you have completed your quiz response, go to your small group Edmodo page (your name should be listed in the group title). Read the prompt and write a post with your response. You must read and reply to at least two other prompts by class time on Tuesday, 10/22.

When you are finished, work on your biome sheet. This will add three point extra credit to a major previous assignment.

biome worksheet

1. http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/index.htm

2. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/

3. http://www.worldbiomes.com

4. http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/our-faves/types-of-biomes-2/



Thursday, 10/17
Explore testing

Wednesday, 10/16

Get a computer and your lit circle novel.

Log in to ms.grinnell.blogspot.com.
Go to  absolute power quote analysis
 and type in a response. Make sure to type in your name so you get daily participation credit.
FYI: a synonym for absolute is total.

Read your lit circle novel for 7 minutes.

Complete the Who Rules? Mind Map (on handout). come up with as many types of governments and leaders as you can. Remember to use your Greek/Latin roots:
archy, theo, mono, auto, an, etc.

Read the Who Rules? article individually, and complete the associated activities on the handout. You may work with people in your group to complete the activities. Write the activity answers on the back of the mind map half-sheet.

Discuss with your group the type of government that would be most fitting for your society. Use evidence from the text and real-world evidence to justify your answer.

Individually, you the ACE writing method to answer the question below. You can use a Google Doc or Microsoft Word document. You may also choose to handwrite your answer. If you do not finish this in class, it will be homework. I need a completed copy emailed, shared, or submitted to me at the beginning of class tomorrow. Do not wait until class to email or Google share it with me; it will be considered late.

Describe the type of government that would be ideal for your utopian society. Use at least two examples from today's article or movie clip. Also include a real-world example.

ACE
A = Answer the question (make sure to restate the question in your response)

C = Cite evidence (According to "Who Rules" an article published by iCivics.....)

E = Explain the significance of your evidence and elaborate

*You will be graded on quality of response, evidence, and conventions of writing.

Here is a template in case you need some structure: ACE template


Tuesday, 10/15

Sit with your Utopia groups.
Log on to www.edmodo.com.
Enter your group code for the dystopian novel you are reading.

Lord of the Flies - n9m9nt
The City of Ember - 2bgzze
The House of Scorpion - piik47
Life as We Knew It - ggcnxg
The World Without Us - 4w6qsw
The Giver - q6piip
The Hunger Games - nw9kap
Rash - 7k7n3k
The Last Book in the Universe - q4dsgw
Fahrenheit 451 graphic novel - ztubmh
The Hobbit - td2im5
Ender’s Game - cswij3
Seedfolk - bqivqm
Among the Hidden - j3cj7y

Complete the biome sheet with your Utopia group:
biome worksheet

1. http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/index.htm

2. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/

3. http://www.worldbiomes.com

4. http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/our-faves/types-of-biomes-2/

Gearing up for Utopia

Step One: What is a Utopia?Use the following website to research the concept of “utopia.” Research thoroughly and write down the most important points about the concept. As a group, come up with your own definition of utopia. Tell what utopia means to your group. Write the definition at the bottom of your research sheet.
http://www.reference.com/browse/utopia
Step Two: Research UtopiasVisit three sites of perceived “utopias” that exist today. Pick two that your group likes and, using a Venn-Diagram, compare and contrast two of the utopias. Write 5-8 facts about each community and their “utopian visions.” Remember you are looking for main ideas relating to their vision of society.Later you will be writing a one-page essay detailing your comparisons. 
The Acorn Community- www.acorncommunity.org
The Farm in Tennesee- www.thefarm.org (Go to Frequently Asked Questions)
Twin Oaks Community- www.twinoaks.org
Victory City- www.victorycities.com
East Wind Community- www.eastwind.org
Sandhill Farm Community- www.sandhillfarm.org
Emma Goldman Finishing School- http://egfs.org
Dancing Rabbit Village- www.dancingrabbit.org

Step Three: Choose a Type of GovernmentSince your land is not owned or under the rule of a nation, you must decide on the type of government under which you wish to live. View the following websites in order to research the major forms of government: Dictatorship, Oligarchy, Direct Democracy, and Representative Democracy.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-types-of-governments.html
After you have examined the information on each form of government, your group must decide the form of government that you wish to have. You may mix various aspects of different forms of government and create something new. Later you will be writing a one page description of your government/

Monday, 10/7
Classwork:
1. Free-write for two minutes to the following prompt: What do humans need to be happy?

2. Answer true or false for each question. Then, provide your reasoning for your opinion of each statement.
a. Having a lot of material things always leads to more happiness.
b. Happiness is genetic. You can't change your level of happiness any more than you can change how tall you are.
c. Happiness is the result of good events that happen to people.

3. Answer based on your own experiences and your observations of the world:
Is our own happiness something we can control or is it out of our hands.

4. Discuss: What ways to people find happiness? Have you noticed any cultural practices?

5. Watch and practice: Laughter yoga

Tuesday, 10/8
Classwork:
1. Word choice activity: In a given amount of time (2 minutes max) come up with as many synonyms for 'happy' as you can. Compare your answer to your teammates' answers and compile one big list. Do the same thing for the antonyms. Boys vs girls challenge

2. View first 16 minutes of Happy, the documentary. Look back at the opinion statements from Monday (see #2 above), and determine if the movie changed your opinion. I would strongly recommend you watch the rest of this movie if you have Netflix. There are some segments further in the movie that show sad things and are a bit difficult to watch, so you should ask your parents before viewing.

Homework: Read 30 minutes from independent reading novel/

Wednesday, 10/9
Classwork:
1. Active/passive voice practice and direct/indirect object practice. Complete both sides of the worksheet. Read the directions and talk to your peers. Ask Ms. Grinnell when you need clarification. These are part of the curriculum so please be sure you can identify them when asked. If absent, look in the blue binder for the worksheet. For extra grammar practice, try the quizzes on this site: Softschools quizzes
Here is a good site that addresses many common grammar errors: Grammar

2. Review all books for dystopian society lit circles. Rate your interest for each book on a scale of 1-10.
Scale: 1=Blah, 5=Hmmm (maybe), 6=Yes!!!
I will try to put you in a lit circle for your choice with the highest rating.

Thursday, 10/10
Classwork:
1. Grammar practice with verbals.
2. Discuss utopia project and receive instructions and group assignments.
3. Receive group assignments for lit circles. Decide with your group your reading schedule. How many pages a day will you read through if you have 20 minutes to read each day in class?

Homework: Read independent reading novel for 30 minutes.

Friday, 10/11
Classwork:
1. Begin reading lit circle books.
2. Review template for utopia project and begin brainstorming with your project group.
3. Review your grammar worksheets for a brief mini-assessment Monday morning on active/passive voice, direct/indirect objects, and verbals.

Homework: Review grammar worksheets. Read for 30 minutes. Brainstorm ideas for utopia project.

Incorporating Quotes:
quotes video part 1
 quotes video
Integrating Quotes Gracefully: handout for binder
"The Moth and The Star": fable
Accountability questions for video and fable: Do you get it?