1/30/08 8th

Day two in the computer lab. We finished our newspapers and turned them in. You turned in some creative stuff today. Nice job. We'll have a newspaper show-and-tell tomorrow.

1/30/08 9th

We are reading like crazy today. We'll discuss as we read. Expect a recap tomorrow.

1/29/08 8th

We worked in the computer lab for the entire class period today.

1/29/08 9th

Today I handed back your graded persuasive essays. To recap, here is a list of prevalent problems I saw:

• Your transitions were weak or non-existent (refer to the list of common transition words and phrases I gave you a couple of weeks ago)
• You had trouble with homophones such as: there/their/they're; you/you're; are/our (which is only a homophone in Utah **bonus** if you can explain this joke to me, you get 5 extra credit points)
• You had trouble with parallelism. If you are using a list, you need to list each part in parallel form. For example, if you include a verb in one of the phrases in the list, you must include a verb in all three phrases. Most problems with parallelism were found in the first paragraph of the essay where you stated your three arguments.
• You didn't support your arguments with examples.
• Your arguments were emotional rather than logical.
• Using fewer instead of less and/or amount instead of number. Use fewer and number when referring to a quantity of items or people that is numbered. Use less and amount when referring to the volume of matter. There were fewer computers but there was less popcorn. The number of books increased while the amount of water decreased.

The good news is the overwhelming majority of you scored 3 or higher on the rubric used to evaluate the Utah Direct Writing Assessment. You all have room for improvement, but overall, you're doing very well.

We didn't get as far in Act II in Romeo and Juliet as we hoped to yesterday. We are currently in the middle of the balcony scene. Pay close attention to the light symbolism Shakespeare uses. How many times does he mention light? What kinds of light does he mention?

We will continue reading Act II tomorrow.

**bonus #2** find my failure to use parallelism in this post! 15 extra credit points for the first to report. :)

1/28/08 8th

I hope you had a great day off on Friday. I'm sure you all spent the entire weekend reading a good novel. How pleasant.

We've finished part 1 of Touching Spirit Bear. We're taking a little break from reading for the next three days. We are going to write instead. What a surprise, huh?

This is the assignment:

“Front Page” assignment

Your group will collaborate (that means work together) to create a “front page” of a newspaper all about the first half of Touching Spirit Bear. We will work together in class on Monday to gather ideas and do some pre-writing. On Tuesday and Wednesday we will be in the writing/computer lab where you may write articles, research on the internet, create graphics, etc. On Wednesday I will give each group a large sheet of paper for you to display your front page.

You may include articles, advertisements, obituaries, weather forecasts, reports, pictures, graphs, or anything else you would be likely to find in a newspaper. You must include at least three articles with a word count of 300 or higher. Be sure to format your writing to look like newspaper articles.

Be creative. Create a name for your newspaper, and design an attractive layout of your content. You may want to split up the work between individuals, or you can work collectively as a group.

The assignment is due at the end of class on Wednesday, January 30. I will have some markers, colored pencils, scissors and glues sticks for you to use in class. If you need additional art supplies, you may bring them from home.

This project is a group assignment. You will be evaluating each other based on a rubric I provide. You may not all receive the same grade. You will receive a grade based on the final product, your group members’ evaluations and your self evaluation. Please have all names of the group members written clearly on the back along with your class period.

I will be grading on creativity, content (information that shows me you know all about the book), and the overall appearance of your front page.

Remember, this is a newspaper about the book. Everything you include should tie in to the book in some way.

Good luck and have fun!

1/28/08 9th

I hope you all had a great day off on Friday. Two three-day weekends in a row! What lucky children you are.

Your first learning activity is due today. I hope you had some fun and learned something new.

Your first vocabulary squares are due next Monday. Be sure to plug right along and add a couple of words every time we read. Remember, your literature books are checked out to you, so you can take them home any time you want. Just don't lose yours or you'll owe the school a chunk of change at the end of the tri.

Today we are continuing to read in class. On Thursday, we discovered that Tybalt is hot-headed and short-tempered. He discovered Romeo crashing the Capulet party and immediately asked the head Capulet if he could draw his sword on Romeo. Mr. Capulet said, "Nah, I've heard that Romeo isn't so bad--for a Montague. Let's leave him be and enjoy the party." Tybalt fumed and sputtered and boiled, but he left Romeo alone.

We also discovered that Romeo falls in "love" rather easily. He goes to the Capulet party to see Rosaline. As soon as he sees Juliet, he immediately forgets Rosaline (who he was pining for earlier that day) and focuses on getting Juliet's attention instead. We were a little disgusted that Romeo and Juliet say only 15 lines to each other before they kiss. Sheesh!

Romeo discovers that his new "love" is a Capulet. He is a bit upset. But not so upset that he abandons his wooing. What will happen today? One of the most famous scenes from all of Shakespeare's plays--the balcony scene. While all of this love and adoration may seem hasty to us, the language is quite poetic. Today we will exercise our temporary suspension of disbelief and embrace our lovers' poetry.

We are reading Act II, scenes 1 and 2.

1/24/08 8th

We read chapters 12-13 in Touching Spirit Bear today. You were to find examples of these literary devices in today's reading:

• imagery
• simile
• metaphor
• inference
• irony
• foreshadowing
• symbolism

Yesterday Cole had an epiphany (see definitions 3 and 4). During this epiphany, he realized that life was all about choice. During the following chapters, we follow his changing understanding of who he is and what he wants to do with his life. This is a gradual change (as real change tends to be).

Today Cole touched the spirit bear. What does this symbolize? How has his interaction with the bear changed? Is this foreshadowing? What does it tell us about Cole's future?

Also in our reading today, Garvey and Edwin came to the island and rescued Cole. As they were leaving the island in the boat, Cole noticed that the blanket covering him is not the at.'oow. He wonders where it is. Keeping in mind what the at.'oow represents and that Garvey has come to the island and discovered what Cole has done, why is this meaningful?

1/24/08 9th

Yesterday's discussion centered on Romeo's obsession with Rosaline at the beginning of the play. Romeo is pining away for Rosaline when he meets Juliet. He immediately falls in love with Juliet instead. We wondered how many times Romeo may have repeated this pattern in the past. It seemed quite hasty to us.

This led to an excellent discussion about the difference between love and infatuation. Infatuation may happen in an instant (and may leave just as quickly, i.e. Romeo's infatuation with Rosaline). Real love takes time to develop. We are more than a little skeptical about the idea that this play is about true love . . .

I handed out the learning activities yesterday. In case you lost yours, here is the list:

Romeo and Juliet
Learning Activities

Choose one activity per week during our study of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. Each Monday, starting with January 28, you will turn in one completed activity. You may choose your activities from this list, or you may propose one of your own. You must have teacher approval if you use your own activities.

• Perform a scene from the play. This can be a soliloquy or it may include several characters. Each student involved must deliver a total of 30 lines to get full credit. You should memorize your parts. Do not rewrite the dialogue. You may use props, costumes, lighting, music, etc. This can be a lot of fun for you and for the class—so make it fun!
• Rewrite the ending of the play. Do with it what you will. You must write three pages double spaced Times New Roman 12 pt. font.
• Write an original song based on the play. Perform it for the class.
• Make a diorama of one of the scenes of the play. Use your creativity, but be sure to make the scene recognizable with your images.
• Make a model of one of the theatres Shakespeare would have used to present his plays. You can find information about each of these theatres at http://www.shakespeare-online.com/theatre/.
• Write a three page (Times New Roman 12 pt. font, double-spaced) character analysis about one of the following characters: Romeo, Juliet, Friar Lawrence or Juliet’s nurse. Delve into the character. Find meaning. Make connections. Think on paper.
• Write a three page (Times New Roman 12 pt. font, double-spaced) epilogue to the play. An epilogue usually revisits the main characters of the play, but after a significant amount of time has past. You may focus on the resolution of the family feud, Paris’ reaction to Juliet’s suicide, what happened to Juliet’s nurse, how Friar Lawrence’s life may have changed, or any other ideas about significant characters in the play.
• Watch West Side Story. Write a three page (Times New Roman 12 pt. font, double-spaced) compare and contrast paper about Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story.
• Write an original story based on Romeo and Juliet. It should have all the basic elements of the story, but you should create your own original characters, setting, time period, etc.
• Write a sonnet. It must be 14 lines—3 quatrains (4 lines each) and a couplet (2 rhyming lines.) The rhyme scheme should be a, b, a, b, c, d, c, d, e, f, e, f, g, g. Write in iambic pentameter (ten syllables per line, alternating between unstressed and stressed). Here is an example of one of Shakespeare's best known sonnets:
  
  
  Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
  Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
  Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
  And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
  
  Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
  And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
  And every fair from fair sometime declines,
  By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;
  
  But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
  Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
  Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
  When in eternal lines to time thou growest;
  
  So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
  So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Extra credit: The first person to tell me Shakespeare's birth place and the name of his wife gets 5 extra credit points.

1/23/08 8th

We read and discussed chapters 10-11 in Touching Spirit Bear. What would you do in the name of survival? What would you eat? Would you have the will to survive if you were severely injured and all alone?

1/23/08 9th

We are reading Act I of Romeo and Juliet. A huge part of understanding this play is through participating in class discussions. I will try to include some of the important things we discussed in my posts here.

Yesterday we talked about socially acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. Many of the things Romeo and Juliet do in the name of "love" would be things we consider socially unacceptable. Yet, it is considered a timeless love story by many. We hope to make distinctions between romantic ideas and reality in our discussion. We will also talk about why we think the play is romantic.

As part of our study of Romeo and Juliet, you will be assigned to do one learning activity outside of class each week. I will hand out a list of possible activities for you to choose from today. You should use our daily discussions and reading in class to guide you in your work at home on the activities of your choice.

You will also choose your own vocabulary words. There are dozens (if not hundreds) of words that may be unfamiliar to you. You will choose the ones you want to learn. I will give you a blank form each week. You will need to fill the form with words you choose to learn from the play. We will discuss this in class. Please come to me if you have questions.

1/22/08 8th

We read chapters 7-9 in Touching Spirit Bear today. I also handed out your new vocabulary list.

1/22/08 9th

We are starting Romeo and Juliet. by William Shakespeare. Today we had a bit of an introduction. I handed out a study guide for Acts I and II. You should have your guides out on your desks whenever we read so you can fill them out as we go along. They will also give some hints and suggestions about what is meaningful in our play. We will read as a class, like we're performing a play. I will assign roles every day.

I also handed out a learning activities assignment. I've given you ten suggestions for learning activities for you to complete during the next few weeks. I expect you to complete one per week. Mondays will be your due dates, starting next Monday, January 28. These activities will help you to better understand the play. If you choose to perform a scene for the class, please schedule your performance with me.

I will list some good websites for additional learning resources tomorrow.

Let's have fun with this!

1/08/08 8th

The spoken word can be amazingly effective when a person is trying to persuade others to do or believe something. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave many highly effective persuasive speeches. His most famous speech is the "I Have a Dream" speech delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963.

Listen to his speech here. Pay close attention to his use of repetition, articulation, word emphasis, and emotion. Also try to identify metaphors (he used dozens), allusions (to specific people and to literature), and parallelism. To point you in the right direction, I will identify some of the more obvious examples.

• In the second paragraph of the speech, MLK says, "Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation." He never names the American, but we know it is Lincoln because the speech is delivered from the Lincoln Memorial. The allusion here is to a speech Lincoln gave a hundred years earlier--"The Gettysburg Address"--which began "Four score and seven years ago."
• In the second paragraph alone, MLK compares the Emancipation Proclamation to a beacon of light, injustice to fire, captivity to a long night and freedom to a joyous daybreak. There are dozens of metaphors throughout the speech.
• MLK repeats the phrase "One hundred years later" four times in the third paragraph. This is an example of parallelism. Take it a step further and find the parallel paragraph that give a solution to the problem presented in the "One hundred years later" paragraph.

Write one to two pages in response to the speech. Find your own examples and make as many connections as possible.

1/18/08 9th

Group SEOPs today.

Extra credit: The first person to tell me an interesting fact about Martin Luther King, Jr. when we come back to school on Tuesday will get 5 extra credit points.

1/17/08 8th

We started our day with an overhead journal entry. We talked about avoiding overused adjectives and adverbs--like really, very, nice, etc. Some words are used so much that they lose their meanings, or they become boring. Let's spice it up and use interesting adjectives. Find a decent online thesaurus here.

We discussed the worksheet from yesterday. We focused on the last question about Cole's name. What literary device is it an example of? Have you ever heard of a homophone? That's when two words sound the same but they are spelled differently. Cole's name is also a homophone. Cole, coal. What is coal? It's a mineral used as a fuel. Specifically, coal is burned for a heat source. When you burn coal, it doesn't flame up like wood. It glows and smolders and puts off a substantial amount of heat. Cole's anger is often referred to as a lit fuse, or as a smoldering fire. What color is coal? It's deep black. Black generally symbolizes something dark, unwelcoming, evil or repulsive. So it would seem that Cole's name is not random. It is a symbol. Let's take it a step further. What happens to coal when after it has undergone a large amount of heat and pressure deep in the earth? It turns to diamonds (it is more complex than that, but you get the general idea). So we can expect that Cole will also go through some sort of a transformation in our book. We can expect that the symbol of Cole's name is also a little bit of foreshadowing.

We read chapter 6 in the book today. If you missed, please catch up during reading time tomorrow.