January 27th - January 31st

Watch this video on counterargument and rebuttal: Video

Friday, 1/31
So…we've been out for a couple of snow days. I hope you've still been diligent with completing your vocabulary Cornell Notes and reading your independent reading good for 30 minutes each day. I am going to extend the due date for the Cornell Notes to Monday, February 3rd. We will also have our quiz on Monday. 
Classwork:
Complete a Platonic dialoge worksheet in order to solidify your most compelling counterargument. Type your Counterargument/Rebuttal paragraph. We will complete the Conclusion paragraph and Works Cited next Monday, and we will do final revisions to the paper on Tuesday. Your paper will be due by the end of class on Wednesday. If you have finished, you will create a Glogster, Prezi, or Google presentation to accompany your paper.

Homework:
Complete your vocab Cornell Notes for terra, thermo, anti, auto, bene, circum, and contra. Study for your quiz. Read your independent reading novel for 30 minutes.
Cryptic advice: If you haven't been reading, I would strongly suggest you read quite a bit over the weekend.


Monday, 1/27
Classwork:
1) Click on this link: No Red Ink Grammar Assessments. Enter the username on your index card and the password 1234567 to access your No Red Ink account. Set up your profile and choose your interest options. Complete the apostrophes assignment. If you get an answer wrong on the first attempt, click on the "Show hint" button for a clue about the grammar rule. When you are finished with your grammar assignment, keep the tab open so I can consult with you individually during class.
No Red Ink class codes (if needed) P1=4f9xmkvk, P2=43dfxed7, P3=vdh8ffx9, P6=x778hve8, P7=af4cv38x

2) Open up your technology paper template. Find a partner. (If you are uncomfortable with finding a partner, or cannot find a partner, let me know.) Get your peer editing sheets at the front of the class. Review your partner's paper, complete your peer editing sheet, and make constructive comments using the Comments feature on the Google Doc. Review your partner's comments, make necessary changes to your paper and continue working on Body Paragraphs #2 and #3. 

Body paragraph #2 must be completed by the end of class.

Homework: 

Continue working on your vocab Cornell Notes. Make flash cards to help you understand the meaning of each prefix.

Read your independent reading novel for 30 minutes.

Helpful hints and extension opportunity:

Having trouble remembering the meaning of the prefix "terra"? Check out these links to give you a visual image of China's Terracotta warriors. I was lucky enough to have seen them during a visit to China when I was younger. If you ever have a chance to go to China, make sure to see this exhibit! It is amazing!

Terracotta warrior article

Terracotta warrior video

Research paper timeline for this week:

Monday: Peer edit and complete body paragraph #2

Tuesday: Complete body paragraph #3 and discuss counterargument paragraph ideas during peer planning.

Wednesday: Complete counterargument paragraph and peer edit.

Thursday: Complete conclusion, peer edit, and complete works cited.

Friday: Make revisions and submit final.

Extra credit for early finishers/weekend workers: Create Glogster or Prezi to accompany your paper. Give examples of pathos, ethos, and logos used to deliver your message to your audience.

Monday, Jan 22

Monday, January 22nd

Classwork:
Today we will identify the similarities and differences of summarizing, quoting, and paraphrasing. We will incorporate these techniques in our technology paper.

Warm-up: Passage with questions
Take notes regarding summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting while viewing these videos.
Video #1
Video #2

Time permitting, work on tech paper template, incorporating effective quoting and paraphrasing.

Homework:
Cornell notes for terra, thermo, anti, auto, bene, circum, contra
(See me if you need a graphic organizer to complete the vocab notes)
Cornell notes are due next Friday, January 31st! We will also have a quiz that day, so make sure to study the prefixes and their meanings!
Read independent reading novel for 30 minutes.
Always bring your independent reading material to class!

January 13th - January 17th

1/13 - 1/17

Don't forget! There will be a test on vocabulary prefixes this Friday. Study the prefixes we've defined so far. I strongly encourage that you make flashcards. 

Monday
Warm-up: Read 7 minutes. Bring an independent reading book each day this week.
Review tech paper requirements: Technology Research Project
Review Pathos, Ethos, and Logos: video 1 and video 2
Discuss how we can use these appeals in our technology project.
With a partner, discuss your video notes and help talk each through creating a thesis.
Thesis = claim and reasons

Homework

Study vocab prefixes: astro, bio, cardio, chromo, demo, derm, dyna, agri, helio, hydro, hypno, magni, mono, ortho, psycho, pyro.
Read an independent reading book for 30 minutes. If you've been reading a lot of fiction, think about mixing it up with some nonfiction. 

Tuesday

Warm-up: Read your independent reading book for 7 minutes.

Begin Technology Research Project. Look over the rubrics and template to make sure that you are clear on the expectations. Start by creating your thesis statement. What is your take on the topic? What are the three main reasons to support your opinion? 

Homework

Study vocal prefixes
Begin News Report. Choose an article that will interest you! You don't have to choose an article about technology. Think sports, science, music, travel, dance, etc.!
Read an independent reading book for 30 minutes. 

Wednesday

Warm-up: Read your independent reading book for 7 minutes. 

Mini-lesson on Integrating Quotations Gracefully

Work on Technology Research Project. Today we will focus on finding two credible sources for facts, evidence, and statistics to support our claims. We will also use a graphic organizer to find the strongest counterarguments to our claims.

Homework

Study vocab prefixes.
Work on News Report.
Read an independent reading book for 30 minutes

Thursday

Warm-up: Read your independent reading book for 7 minutes.

Mini-lessons on comma usage and smooth transitions.

Work on Technology Research Project. We will focus on filling in our essay template and using transitional phrases to help our paragraphs flow.

Homework

Study vocab prefixes.

Finish News Report. 

Read an independent reading book for 30 minutes.

Friday

Vocab prefixes test

News report due!

Work on Technology Research Project.

Time permitting, mini-lesson on run-on sentences.

Homework

Read your independent reading book for 30 minutes.

Enjoy your weekend!

FRIDAY!
Warm-up: Credible sources
Do Kids Do Better in Year Round School?

Using the Credible Websites Checklist, Rate the following websites' credibility.
Year-round Schools Don't Boost Learning, Study Finds
Year Round School Foes Challenge Numbers, Threaten Suit
Summer Matters
Extended School Year Facts

Thursday, 1/9/13

Warm-up: Short response

Wednesday

Wednesday, 1/8/14

1) Click on this link to access the warm-up: Technology short response

2) As a class, watch brief news story: Japan developed robotic seals to comfort the sick and elderly
Is this presented as a positive, negative, or neutral news story? What is your evidence? What are the positives to this technology? What are the downsides?

3) Frontline Digital Nation videos Continue pro/con video background viewing/analysis. (Continue independently if you have earbuds.)

4) Discuss research project.

Homework:
Words To Live By - due Friday

Tuesday

Tuesday, 1/7/13
Click here for warm-up: Warm-Up

Classwork
Read "What May Happen in the Next 100 Years"
Complete graphic organizer and answer questions.
Continue technology videos

Monday, 1/6/14

Welcome back! I hope you had a great break.

Do This First!
Warm-Up: Read the following passage. After reading, click on the Question link to answer a comprehension question about the author's claim.

Give Praise for Hard Work, Not Intelligence

     Americans want to know what is wrong with the U.S. education system. American children consistently score lower on tests than students from many other countries. One possible reason for this failing is that Americans put too much emphasis on intelligence. American students are taught that if a person is intelligent, he or she does not have to work hard to succeed.

     Psychologists Claudia Mueller and Carol Dweck have performed studies to determine the effects of praise. In one study, a group of fifth graders were given a challenging test. After they took the test, some of the children were praised for being intelligent. The other children were praised for working hard. The children were then given a choice. They could take another challenging test, or they could take an easy test. The majority of the students who were praised for being "intelligent" chose to take the easy test. Conversely, the majority of the students who were praised for being "hardworking" chose to take the more challenging test.

     Personal accounts from teachers also support the idea that praising students for their intelligence does not encourage success. Some teachers reported that students tried to conceal how hard they worked and how much time they spent studying. According to the teachers, the students did not want to be seen as unintelligent for putting too much effort into their schoolwork. 

     These findings show that when adults praise children too much for being smart, the children receive the wrong message. The children mistakenly believe that schoolwork should be easy for smart kids. Another effect is that students who believe they are smart will not try as hard. The best way to solve these problems is to put the focus back on hard work. 

Click to answer the Warm-up question.
Once you've answered the question, read your independent reading book for the remaining warm-up time.

Classwork

We are going to begin our research project by doing a little background research about the positive and negative effects of technology. Today you will be viewing several videos from the PBS series: Frontline: Digital Nation. While viewing the videos you will type or write pros and cons associated with technology. Use this graphic organizer (either copy into a new Google Doc or create one in your Reading Response notebook): Frontline Digital Nation Notes. You will use these notes for our technology research paper which we will discuss more tomorrow.

Homework
Work on your Words To Live By. This is due on Friday, 1/10/14.
Also, start studying your Vocabulary Prefixes: astro, bio, cardio, chromo, demo, derm, dyna, agri, helio, hydro, hypo, magni, mono, ortho, psycho, and pyro. You'll have a brief quiz on these on Friday, 1/17/14.  If you need a new prefix/definition list, come see me at lunch.