12/21/07 8th and 9th

Merry Christmas! We're watching a Christmas video today. No need for a make-up.

12/20/07 8th

Research papers are due today.

I gave an extra credit opportunity to those who wanted to take it. The requirement was to give a one minute summary of the research paper. This was on a volunteer basis.

12/20/07 9th

A Christmas Carol final test is today. Your service paper is due today.

12/19/07 8th

Today is our last working day on the research paper. Please have your paper and all the parts that go with it compiled in this order:

• score sheet (blue)
• outline
• first draft
• self evaluation (green)
• 2 peer evaluations (gold)
• second draft
• parent evaluation (green)
• title sheet with title, name, class period, date
• final draft (1000 words, doubles spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font)
• Works Cited page (typed in correct format)

You will be graded on:

• Thesis statement (20 points)
• Subtopics (30 points)
• Content and documentation (30 points)
• Conclusion (10 points)
• Works Cited page (20 points)
• Format--length, structure, all parts are included (40 points)

This makes a grand total of 150 points! (That's a big chunk of change, folks!)

Do a good job. I know you can do it.

12/19/07 9th

Quiz on Stave Five. Review for test.

The test will be open book--but it is difficult. That means you have to know your book quite well in order to do well on the test. I know you can do it!

12/18/07 8th

We finished up the second draft today. You will have a parent read your second draft and fill our an evaluation on your paper. Your parent will help you to find the last minute changes you need to make. Remember you need a title sheet, your paper (Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double-spaced), and a separate Works Cited page. Follow the correct format throughout. You will be turning in your outline, drafts, evaluation sheets and final draft on Thursday.

See me with any questions.

12/18/07 9th

We took the quiz on Stave Four today, then we finished reading the book. There will be a quiz on Stave Five tomorrow. We will also have a review tomorrow to get ready for the final test on Thursday. Remember your due dates.

12/17/07 8th

Today we worked on making changes to our first draft. Revising and editing are important steps in the writing process. Make sure you make changes the will improve your paper. Specifically, be sure to document your sources. Every time you have a fact you learned from your research, you need to tell me which source provided that information. Do your best!

12/17/07 9th

Today we finished reading Stave Four. We also worked on the study guide. Make sure you pay attention to your dues dates.

12/14/07 8th

Revise and edit! Revise and edit!

Today we worked on peer evaluations in class. You should have two (2) of your peers read and evaluate your first draft. See me for evaluation forms. You will be required to turn these completed forms in with your final research paper. You will use these evaluations as a guide for making changes when we go back to the computer lab on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

I passed out progress reports today. Please have your parents sign them and bring them back on Monday.

12/14/07 9th

We had a great discussion on Stave Three yesterday. Today we start reading Stave Four. Be sure to keep up on your journal entries and study guides.

Have you donated your act of service yet?

12/13/07 8th

Plagiarism! Don't do it! We had a discussion on the common cut-and-paste method of "writing" a paper today. You will get caught if you do this. You will also get a 0 on the paper and an office referral. Don't do it.

We practiced writing information in our own words today. See me for the worksheet.

We also started a self-evaluation on our first draft. See me for the worksheet.

Remember, you must document your sources whenever you use information you learned from your research in your paper. See the section about citing sources in the handout I gave at the beginning of the research paper assignment. It is easy to document your sources (which means to tell me where you got your information) using the MLA format. All you have to do is put the author's last name and page number in parenthesis after the facts you've included in your paper.

See http://www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citmla.htm for a good website about MLA format.

Keep working hard!

12/13/07 9th

Quiz on Stave Three. Discussion on Stave Three.

Bonus: Tell me the real definition of ignorance (not the Utah definition!!!!) for 5 extra credit point.

12/12/07 8th

First drafts are due tomorrow. Don't forget. We will be revising and editing in class.

Remember, your first draft should:

• be double-spaced, typed in 12 pt. Times New Roman font
• be at least 1000 words
• include a works cited page
• document sources for facts in the body of your paper

Please refer to the handouts I have given to help you meet all the requirements of this assignment.

12/12/07 9th

We read the second part of Stave Three today. Tomorrow we'll have the quiz on Stave Three along with an in-depth discussion.

Visit http://dickensfordummies.homestead.com/carol.html for a good analysis of symbols and themes of A Christmas Carol.

12/11/07 8th

We are working on the first draft of your research paper. Please refer to the multiple handouts I have given you to ensure that you follow the correct format. These handouts also give ideas about writing a first draft.

Many of you don't know how to start. When you are stuck with an introduction, skip it and go to the body. That way you won't waste lots of time trying to think about what to write.

The preliminary works cited page is due tomorrow.

The outline and first draft are due on Thursday.

12/11/07 9th

We read the first part of Stave Three today. We learned all about the Spirit of Christmas Present. Again, we have some obvious symbols associated with this Spirit, including the throne of food he sits upon when Scrooge first meets him. The main focus of this Stave is joyous celebration of families. Even very poor families celebrate with good food. The food represents joy and celebration.

Be sure to keep up on your study guide and journal entries. These will be due before you know it. Also, have you given your act of service yet?

Keep on plugging away!

12/10/07 8th

After our spelling test today, we worked on an outline and started our first draft. I will post a detailed description of the process tomorrow. Watch this space!

12/10/07 9th

Today was a busy day. We had a spelling quiz, a quiz on Stave Two, we looked at our drawings of the Spirit of Christmas Past, we read "The Chimney Sweeper," by William Blake, and we read a couple of pages of Stave Three.

We also talked about our Quarters for Christmas drive. You can buy paper chains to decorate my tree--five for a dollar or one for a quarter. Let's collect some money for children who need shoes!

12/7/07 8th gathering facts, citing sources

Today we went over the citation worksheet. It is important to understand how to cite your sources. We will go over this process again on Monday. I hope you've kept your MLA guidelines handout. It will help you to cite your sources properly.

We also spent some time in the library researching out topics. We will write our outlines on Monday and then start on our first drafts.

We're moving along nicely. Remember it is MUCH easier to keep up than to catch up. Make sure you stay on top of your deadlines.

Have a happy weekend.

12/7/07 9th The Spirit of Christmas Past

We finished reading Stave Two today. Hope you all enjoyed it. We also had a little art project going on with group drawings of The Spirit of Christmas Past, based on his description in the book.

I gave some literary terms today (this is a rerun from last year for most of you). The assignment was to find examples of the following literary devices in Stave Two:

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

This is an easy-as-pie assignment. Please do a good job and show me you know what these terms mean and how they are used.

I hope you are working on your study guide and your service project. My family is also doing the service project assignment. I'll let you know how it goes.

Look forward to a quiz on Stave Two as well as a spelling quiz on Monday.

12/6/07 8th Searching the World Wide Web

Today we searched the internet for sources of information for our research paper. You are allowed to use only ONE internet site. That site must end with a .org, .gov or .edu. No .com or .net sites for this assignment.

Remember, you must use at least one book, and no more than one internet site.

We talked about the MLA format of citing our sources today. A preliminary Works Cited page will be due on Tuesday. This is a list of the sources you are using in your research paper. I handed out a chart that shows how to format your citations. I also assigned a practice worksheet. The worksheet is due tomorrow.

Be sure to work on the pre-writing questions and big question (thesis) worksheet. This will be due on Monday.

We are spending today and tomorrow in the computer lab doing some research and taking some notes. Gather your facts now, for we will be writing our first draft on Monday.

Chop, chop!

And good job!

12/6/07 9th Ding, Dong!

Stave Two, The First of the Three Spirits

We read the first half of Stave Two today.

Be sure to work on your study guide, book report and service project. All are due two weeks from today.

Bonus: What part of the Ghost of Christmas Past was glowing? Tell me in class and I'll give you some extra credit.

12/5/07 8th The Research Paper (dun-dun-DUUUUN!!!)

We're starting our research papers. Today we were off to the library in search of good non-fiction books to use as sources for our research. Our goal was to choose a topic and get going! Remember, you must use at least ONE book and no more than ONE internet source. That might be kind of tricky, but I know you can do it.

I handed out a packet with some information about deadlines, writing guidelines, citation guidelines and a sample research paper. I am including part of that information here, but be sure to see me if you didn't get a packet.

Important deadlines/things to remember:

Find 3-5 reliable, usable sources. You are required to use at least one book. You may use only one internet source (it must be a .edu, .gov or .org site). Be careful to choose only the best sources including primary sources when available. Preliminary Works Cited page (sources you plan to use in your paper) is due Tuesday, December 11. Follow MLA format when listing your sources (see handout “MLA Guide for Listing Sources”).

Take notes on your research. You may take notes on note cards or in a notebook. I will be checking notes at the end of each research day. You will need a minimum of 5 notes for each day we spend in the computer lab or library. (Wednesday, December 5, Thursday, December 6, and Friday, December 7). I will also require you to turn your notes in with the finished research paper.

We will learn to write an outline in class on Monday, December 10. Your outline and your first draft of your paper will be due at the beginning of class Thursday, December 13.

We will work on revising and editing in class on Thursday, December 13 and Friday, December 14. A second draft will be due on Tuesday, December 18 (end of class).

We will do peer evaluations in class. You will do a parent evaluation at home which will be due Wednesday, December 19.

We will spend Wednesday, December 19 in class finalizing your paper. We will have the computer/writing lab available that day.

The final research paper with all notes, outlines, drafts and Works Cited will be due on Thursday, December 20.

There will also be several worksheets given throughout this process which are not included in this summary of due dates. Be sure to complete those as they are assigned in class.

Guidelines for Writing Your Research Paper

The purpose of this assignment is to:

• Learn researching skills.
• Learn to put your research findings into a research paper format.
• Learn how to give credit to your sources of information within your text.
• Learn how to write a “Works Cited” page.

To write a successful research paper, follow these guidelines:

• Be sure to follow the steps of the writing process in order (i.e. research, then take notes, then write outline, 1st draft, revise, 2nd draft, final).
• All drafts and final paper must be typed, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, double-spaced.
• Your paper should be made up of an introduction (one paragraph)*, a body (at least six paragraphs) and a conclusion (one paragraph)**.
• You must have a thesis statement in which you introduce three sub-topics.
• Watch out for run-on sentences and transitions between paragraphs.
• Do not use I, me, we, us, you etc. in your paper.
• You should have at least 1000 words in your first draft (click Tools, then word count to find your number of words).
• Include information from at least three sources (one MUST be a book, only ONE may be an internet site--.org, .edu or .gov).
• You must have a works cited page.
• You must have in-text citations from all three sources (see attached sheets).
• Please highlight your citations in your 1st draft.
• Quotations can be no longer than 4 typed lines.
• Do not plagiarize (in other words, you cannot copy straight from books or articles unless you are quoting, you must use your own words).
• You will turn in all notes, outlines, drafts, revisions, works cited pages and anything else we work on in class along with your final draft. Do not throw any of these things away.

*Introduction: The first thing you want to do in an introduction is capture the readers’ attention. After you do that, you will introduce your topic and sub-topics in your thesis statement. Here are some ways you can hook the reader:

• Start with an interesting quote from your notes.
• Start with a startling fact that very few people know.
• Start with a mini-story, anecdote or scenario.
• Start with a rhetorical question (the reader doesn’t answer the question, rather the question gets the reader thinking.

**Conclusion: The purpose of the last paragraph is to let the readers know that this is the end of the paper. Don’t leave your readers hanging, give them closure. Here are some ways to end your paper:

• Summarize and list all sub-topics you covered in your paper.
• End with an interesting quotation or repeat the one you started with along with your own thoughts on the quote.
• End with a story that sums up your paper.
• Tie the introduction and conclusion together be referring to something you said in the introduction.

12/5/07 9th A Christmas Carol

Today we started with 5 minutes for a journal entry.

Next we took the quiz on Stave 1.

Then we spent the rest of class reading the book.

What a surprise!


Bonus question for those of you who check out this site:

Write a list of words Dickens uses to refer to ghosts and turn it in to me for extra credit points.

12/4/07 8th "The Dummer Boy of Shiloh"/research paper

The journal entry today was to write our spelling words five times each.

We finished up "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh," by Ray Bradbury, along with the compare/contrast chart comparing the non-fictional account to the fictional story. We turned the chart in at the end of class.

We are now moving into our research paper. This project with take us through to Christmas break. I will post all deadlines here online. I will also give you a hard copy of all the deadlines associated with the research paper. There are lots of little parts that make up this assignment. Keep up with the small assignments and you will have an easy time of it. If you try to wait until the due date and then turn in a final paper, you will not get full credit for the assignment. The final draft is just a portion of the total assignment.

Today we started by exploring possible topics. Please choose topics that are interesting to you. Next, complete a chart like the one below to help you to choose an appropriate topic for your paper. Remember to choose something you'd like to learn more about. If you choose a dull topic, you will have a dull 12 days.

What I already know:

• topic #1:

• topic #2:

• topic #3:

What I’d like to find out:

• topic #1:

• topic #2

• topic #3:

What sources are available? (is there enough to work with?):

• topic #1:

• topic #2:

• topic #3:

Tomorrow I will post due dates and guidelines.

12/4/07 9th

We spent the class period reading A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.

12/3/07 8th Drummer boys of Civil War

Today we had our spelling test. See Mrs. Cheney to make it up before or after school. Our new spelling list is in the bar to the right.----->

Today we started reading "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh," by Ray Bradbury. This story is historical fiction, meaning the characters in the story are fictional, but the event was an actual historical event. We learned some facts about The Battle at Shiloh last week through an encyclopedia article, a data bank, and a chapter from a non-fiction book. As we read "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh," we are paying close attention to whether or not the fictional story follows the historical facts about The Battle of Shiloh.

You started a chart (page 202 in your lit. book) last week to compare and contrast the non-fictional sources and the fictional story. Please continue to fill in the blanks in your chart as we read the story.

Coming attraction:

We will be starting our research papers this week. Be thinking about a subject you'd like to learn more about. Make sure you choose something that is interesting to you. I hope you'll enjoy the time we spend researching and writing about our discoveries.

12/3/07 9th A Christmas Carol

Happy December!

We started our day with a spelling test. Your new list is in the bar to the right.------>

Today I passed out journal prompts, a book report form and a study guide. You are to work on these things as we read A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. They will all be due on December 20 (that's two weeks from Thursday).

We will have a quiz at the end of each stave (chapter). Remember, if you bought a book, you can highlight important bits of information. All quizzes and the final test will be open book. However, you will need to know your book well enough to find the answers quickly in order to have enough time to complete each quiz/test.

Also due on December 20 is a reflection about a service project of your choice:

Final Project
A Christmas Carol

To go along with learning the plot and details of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, we are going to do a project that will reinforce the theme of the book. Scrooge learned about the importance of helping the needy and the less fortunate through his experiences with the three Christmas Spirits. Your project will be to participate in a service project to help someone who is poor and/or needy during the Christmas season. You may combine your efforts by getting a group together for your service project, you may do your own individual service project, or you may enlist your family to perform your act of service.

You will choose your own service project (we’ll talk about some ideas in class), but be sure to focus on helping the needy in some way. This doesn’t always mean buying things or donating items. You could, for example, donate some time by working in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter with your family. You could shovel the snow from an elderly person’s sidewalk and driveway. There are many ways besides money to help those in need.

After you have completed your act of service, your assignment is to write a 1-2 page typed (double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font) reflection about your project—what was it, how did it make you feel, did you enjoy it, did it help you learn about helping others, etc.

Today we read page 1-9 of Stave 1. Highlights: Scrooge is always described as being cold--icy beard, icy clothes, icy demeanor. As a contrast, Scrooge's nephew comes in warm and red-cheeked from his brisk walk across town. The city is filthy with soot (thanks to the industrial revolution). Scrooge's employee gets only a very small fire (one coal) to warm his freezing hands. Scrooge is approached by a charitable foundation asking for donations to the poor. Scrooge says:

"Are there no prisons?"

"Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

"And the Union workhouses," demanded Scrooge, "Are they still in operation?"

"Both very busy, sir."

"Oh. I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course," said Scrooge. "I'm very glad to hear it."

This reveals Scrooge's heartless attitude toward the poor.

11/30/07 8th historical fiction and nonfiction

Today we started another compare/contrast activity. We won't be writing an essay this time, but we will spend a couple of days comparing and contrasting historical fact and historical fiction.

Today we read three nonfictional articles about The Civil War. You can read these articles on pages 194 - 200 in your red literature book. We learned some important facts about The Civil War, specifically about the "drummer boys." We also talked about the facts and statistics we learned.

After we read the articles together (along with a class discussion) we made a chart like the one on page 202 of the literature book. We filled in the information for the side that says, "Drumbeats and Bullets."

On Monday, we will read "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh," by Ray Bradbury. This is a fictional short story based on the drummer boys of The Civil War. We will fill out the other side of the chart on Monday.

Important things to know:

Elements of Historical Fiction

• set during a real historical era


• contains historically accurate details


• includes fictional characters


• often includes characters based on actual historical figures

Examples of Historical Fiction

• Across Five Aprils, Irene Hunt


• Catherine, Called Birdy, Karen Cushman


• The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth George Speare


• Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis

Click here if you'd like to learn more about The Civil War.

11/30/07 9th group presentations

Group presentations.

We'll start reading the book on Monday, so be ready for a whirlwind of reading, learning activities, quizzes, journal entries, and, of course, a final test. Don't worry, we'll do our best to make learning fun!

Have a happy weekend.

11/29/07 8th revise and edit

Today for a journal entry, we wrote our spelling words five times each.

We focused on revising and editing our 1st draft today in class. I checked the Venn diagram and 1st draft to make sure we'll all on track (and to put a little grade in my book). Then we got together in groups of three or four to do some peer evaluations. Each group member read her/his paper aloud while the other group members listened for the following things:

• hook (not "I am writing my paper about . . .")
• thesis (indicating three sub-topics)
• signal words (see previous entry)
• does the paper compare/contrast the first Thanksgiving with writer's Thanksgiving
• conclusion/closing statement

Each listener wrote a half page about the reader's paper based on the criteria above. The idea is that the reader should use the notes from the evaluators to make good, positive changes in his/her paper. Each student was also assigned to do a self evaluation. If you were not in class today, you should have two or three folks at home evaluate your paper based on the criteria previously mentioned. You should also answer these questions for your self-evaluation:

• Does my paper have a good hook?
• Does my paper have a thesis statement stating three sub-topics?
• Does my paper have three paragraphs in the body, one per sub-topic?
• Does my paper have a conclusion?
• Does my paper have five paragraphs?
• Does my first paragraph have five or more sentences?
• Does my second paragraph have five to seven (or more) sentences?
• Does my third paragraph have five to seven (or more) sentences?
• Does my fourth paragraph have five to seven (or more) sentences?
• Does my fifth paragraph have four or more sentences?

If you answered no to any of these questions, you will need to revise (change) your paper. You will also need to revise your paper based on the comments you received from your peer evaluations.

The final draft is due tomorrow. Please turn all steps of the writing process in this order:

• score sheet (green sheet I handed out today in class)
• Venn diagram
• first draft
• peer evaluations
• self evaluation
• final draft

Good luck and work hard! I expect a lot out of my students, but I know you can do it!

11/29/07 9th grade group presentations

Group presentations today. Good luck!

Remember to study spelling words for Monday.

11/28/07 8th grade 1st draft

We started our day by talking about glossaries. A glossary is a section in the back of a book (often a textbook) that gives the meanings of difficult words used in the book. We will create our own personal glossaries based on the difficult words we find in our daily reading. One of your ongoing assignments is to put a new word in your glossary every time we have reading time in class. Please devote a section of your language arts notebook to your glossary. You will need to include the following in each glossary entry:

• a word you are unfamiliar with
• the book and page number you found the word
• what you think the word means
• an original sentence that shows you know what the word means.

Often times, we can figure out what a words means based on the clues given in the surrounding sentences. You are to guess the meaning of the word based on these clues given in the context of the book. This is a very important skill to develop. I will be checking glossaries from time to time, and you will be graded on having one complete entry for every time we have silent reading in class.

We also worked on our first draft of the comparison/contrast essay about the first Thanksgiving and our own Thanksgiving. A first draft should be written quickly, and should focus on organizing the ideas we gather in our prewrite. Your assignment for tomorrow is to write a first draft based on the following organization:

Introduction (1 paragraph)

• grabs attention of reader
• introduces main topic
• introduces three sub-topics
• 5 sentences

Body (3 paragraphs)

• each paragraph focuses on one sub-topic
• 5-7 sentences per paragraph

Conclusion (1 paragraph)

• summarizes paper
• restates topic and sub-topics
• closure
• 5 sentences

Tomorrow we will be working on revising and editing our first drafts. Make sure you have your first draft ready for class tomorrow.

11/28/07 9th grade group presentations

Work on your group presentation. I will have a projector available for you to use if you would like to show a picture, a slide show, a power point presentation or anything on the computer.

I will be ordering books today.

Presentations will start tomorrow. They will be in this order:

• vocabulary section 1
• time period and background information
• vocabulary section 2
• debtor's prison and work houses
• vocabulary section 3

Each presentation should last at least 10 minutes. Will we get through as many as we can on Thursday and finish up on Friday. Please, please, please do your best work on your presentation so we can all be ready to read and understand the book together.

If you have anything you would like me to make copies of, please give it to me today.

11/27/07 8th grade comparison/contrast

Today we read a short essay about the first Thanksgiving (pages 137-139 in your red literature books). We will be comparing/contrasting the first Thanksgiving with our own modern traditions. When we read or write comparison/contrast essays, we should pay particular attention to the signal words used to alert us to similarities and differences.

comparison signal words:

• additionally
• moreover
• in the same way
• similarly
• both
• correspondingly
• as well as
• besides
• further
• too
• also

contrast signal words:

• except
• despite the fact
• but
• although
• by contrast
• instead of
• nevertheless
• however
• on the other hand
• otherwise

When we see these kinds of words, we can expect a comparison (how the two are similar) or a contrast (how the two are different).

During the next three days, we will be writing an essay comparing and contrasting our own Thanksgiving traditions with the first Thanksgiving. Whenever we write in our class, we follow the writing process:

prewrite (gather ideas):

• brainstorm
• list
• chart
• map
• web
• free write
• outline
• diagram

draft:

• organize your ideas in sentences and paragraphs
• write quickly and don't worry about mistakes

revise and edit:

• have someone read your paper to help you find ways to improve your writing
• read your paper aloud to discover your mistakes
• add detail
• correct mistakes
• etc.

final draft

• make your paper nice and ready to turn in

For our prewriting today, we made a Venn diagram. We will work on the first draft tomorrow in class.

Homework tonight:

• finish Venn diagram
• find one additional source of information about the 1st Thanksgiving (the Internet is a good place to look), decide if is it a primary or secondary source.

11/27/07 9th group presentations

Group presentations, A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, should:

• be at least 10 minutes
• present the information you have been given
• be interesting
• be memorable.

You are required to assess for understanding (find out if the students understood what you presented). There are lots of different ways to assess. You can:

• ask questions to see if the students learned your information
• give a quiz
• play a game
• come up with your own creative form of assessment.

If we don’t learn from your presentation, we won’t understand the book as well. You will be rating each others’ efforts, so everybody pitch in and help your group in order to earn the best grade possible.

We will be grading each others' efforts in our group. Your individual grade on this presentation will depend largely on the rating you receive from your group members.

We worked on our presentations during class today, and we will present tomorrow and Wednesday.

I also gave a spelling list for Monday's quiz. You can find the list in the right bar here on my blog.

11/26/07 8th and 9th

Welcome to a new trimester. I sent home disclosures today. They are due with parent signatures tomorrow.

We're going to have a great trimester!

11/20/07 8th and 9th Last day of the trimester

Today we turned in our textbooks and any last minute reading pages.

FYI, I am changing classrooms. Next tri I will be in room 40.

Good job to all of you hard-working students! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving break.

11/19/07 8th Ray Bradbury stories

I will be calling each student up for an individual conference during class today and tomorrow. We will be going over your final grade for the trimester. Be sure to bring your unused hall passes for extra credit.

While I am conferencing, students will be working from their literature books. Please read the following stories and answer the questions I have outlined below:

• read "The Flying Machine" on page 303
• answer questions 1-4 on page 311
• read "The Dragon" on page 313
• answer questions 1-3 on page 318
• read "The Fog Horn" on page 319
• answer questions 1-5 on page 329

I will be collecting textbooks tomorrow. I will also be submitting final grades for the trimester tomorrow.

11/19/07 9th compare/contrast short stories

I am having individual conferences with students today and tomorrow to go over final grades for the trimester and to make any last minute changes. I will submit grades tomorrow.

During these two days, students should complete the following assignments in their lit. books:

• read page 21o, make chart
• read "The Sniper" on page 212
• answer questions 1-9 on page 217
• read "Cranes" on page 222
• answer questions 1-11 on page 228
• read page 230, then write a comparison/contrast essay about the two short stories you read

We will be turning in our textbooks tomorrow.

11/16/07 8th "The Landlady"

We finished reading "The Landlady," by Roald Dahl, today in class. After we finished, we answered questions 1-5 on page 81 of the literature book. We also completed the writing activitiy on the same page. This assignment is due on Monday.

Journals and reading pages were due today.

Bring your unused hall passes for extra credit on Monday.

11/16/07 9th "The Cask of Amontillado"

Today we read "The Cask of Amontillado," by Edgar Allan Poe, pp. 174-179 in the literature book. After we read the story, we answered questions 1-13 on p. 181. It is due Monday.

Journals and reading pages were due today.

Bring your unused hall passes for extra credit on Monday.

11/15/07 8th "The Landlady"

Today we started with a journal entry. If you missed class, make up your journal by writing a half page on a subject of your choice.

We read from our literature books today. The story we are reading is "The Landlady," by Roald Dahl. You can find it on page 71 in your literature book. This story has all sorts of foreshadowing, or hints about what will happen later in the story. Predicting what will happen in the story is an important part of reading. We use our analytical skills when we predict based on the clues the author has given.

We will be reading this story for the next two days. We will be using our literature books every day for the rest of the trimester.

On Monday and Tuesday you will be reading several Ray Bradbury stories during class. I will have individual conferences with each of you during that time. If you have unused hall passes, I will accept them for extra credit at that time.

11/15/07 9th Edgar Allan Poe

Today we talked about Edgar Allan Poe. We will read his short story, "The Cask of Amontillado," tomorrow in class.

Edgar Allan Poe was one messed up dude! Read the articles about him in your literature book on these pages: 180, 184-186, 187-188, 189 and 190. As you can see, there are all sorts of mysterious circumstances surrounding his life and death. Think about how his experiences could have affected his perspective. Knowing about the life of Poe helps us to understand his stories and poems.

The autobiography was due today.

Don't forget about the journal and reading pages due tomorrow.

Monday and Tuesday we will be reading short stories from our literature books. While you are reading, I will have individual conferences with each of you to discuss your final grade in my class. If you have any hall passes for extra credit, bring them to your conference.

11/14/07 final draft

Today we are in the computer lab working on our final drafts of our autobiographies. The great news about the final draft is that you should already have all the work done at this point. All you have to do now is type up the changes you decided to make during the revision step of the writing process.

Remember:

• 12 pt. Times New Roman
• double-spaced
• 3-5 pages
• great introduction (do NOT use: "My paper is about . . .)
• focus on life lessons learned (nice alliteration, eh?)
• smooth transitions
• include a picture/drawing/collage/illustration/etc.

The final paper will be due at the beginning of class tomorrow. Please staple your paper in this order:

• score sheet
• outline
• first draft
• peer edit sheets
• picture
• final draft

Good luck on your final. I hope you've discovered something new about yourself during this writing assignment.

Coming attractions:

We will be reading some fun short stories in class tomorrow and Friday. Monday and Tuesday we will be having individual conferences. The trimester ends on Tuesday. Don't forget the important due dates shown in the side bar to the right.------>

11/13/07 revise and edit

We follow the steps of the writing process in my language arts class. After drafting, we revise and edit. Today in class we talked about revising our papers.

There are three areas I would like you to pay close attention to. The first is the introduction. The opening paragraph is the first bit of writing your readers will experience. We want our readers to enjoy our writing, so we give them our very best writing in the first paragraph to convince them to keep reading. There are several ways we can hook our readers. Here are just a few ideas:

• start with a question
• create a scenario the readers may be familiar with
• put the reader in your shoes
• draw the reader in with dialogue (this helps the reader feel as though he/she is personally involved in the situation)
• paint a picture with your words (imagery)
• use words and phrases that appeal to the senses

Some things to avoid:

• "I am going to write about . . ."
• "This is a paper about . . ."
• "This is my writing assignment . . ."

We also talked about transitions. You have been assigned to write about three separate experiences that relate to some lesson you have learned about life. It may be tricky to create the transitions between these experiences because they seemingly have little to do with each other. There is, however, one common thread in your experiences--the lesson you have learned. If you focus on the main lesson when you are moving from one experience to another, your paper will have a better flow. Also, use appropriate words to create your transitions.

There are several websites that have good ideas about using transitional words:

http://larae.net/write/transition.html

http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr6.htm

http://jc-schools.net/write/transition.htm

The third thing I would like you to look for when you revise is whether or not you have enough detail about your experiences. Be sure to explain who, what, when, where, why and how when you are describing your details.

To revise, please have two friends or family members read your paper paying attention to your transitions, your introduction, and the details you have included in your description of your experiences. After they have read your paper, they should write down three questions they have about your experiences. You will turn these two lists of questions in with your final paper. You will answer the questions they have asked you in your final draft.

Be prepared to work on your final draft in class tomorrow. This means you should have your first draft completed with lots of notes written in the margins reminding you of the things you need to change to make your paper better. Good luck!

11/12/07 autobiography

Today we worked in the computer lab on the first draft of the autobiography. Your autobiography should focus on three experiences you have had in your life that have taught you something important about yourself. You may use the experience you wrote about in your personal narrative.


The three experiences should be separate events. They should not be similar kinds of experiences. For example, you should not write about three different football games you played in. Instead, you should focus on the lesson you learned about yourself in the most important football game and then choose two other experiences that taught you the same kind of lesson.

Your paper should have an introductory paragraph which includes a small reference to each of the experiences you will be sharing. The body of your paper should focus on the three experiences. The conclusion of your paper should summarize your experiences and tie them together to show how they were meaningful to you. You must have some sort of a meaning tied to your experiences in this paper. I will be taking of points if you do not give me some sort of a meaning in the conclusion. It is very important that you focus on the meaning of your experiences. Please, please, please focus on the meaning of your experiences in your conclusion.


The final paper will be 3-5 pages, typed, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, double-spaced. You are also required to include some sort of visual aid to represent the lessons you have learned. This visual may be one or more photographs, drawings, a collage of pictures from magazines, etc.


The first draft will be due Tuesday, November 13. We will revise in class on Tuesday, then work on the final draft in the computer lab on Wednesday, November 14. The final draft will be due when you come to class on Thursday, November 15.


You will get full credit for the outline and first draft by showing them to me in class on their due dates. I will also require you to turn all parts of the paper including the outline, all drafts, all revisions, the final draft and the visual aid on Thursday.

Your outline is your prewrite for this writing assignment. You may come up with your own outline, or here is one you may cut and paste into a word document to help you create your outline on your home computer:

Outline

Directions: Use the outline form below to help you organize your autobiography. One good way to do this is to choose three experiences, then list the important points under each experience. Section I is for your introduction. Section II is for the body (including each of the experiences). Section III is for your conclusion. Be sure to include the meaning of your experiences in your conclusion. This form is meant to be a guide. If you would like to organize your paper in your own way, feel free to create your own format.

I. Introduction
A. Experience #1________________________________________
B. Experience #2________________________________________
C. Experience #3________________________________________
II. Body
A. Experience #1________________________________________
1.
2.
3.
B. Experience #2________________________________________
1.
2.
3.
C. Experience #3________________________________________
1.
2.
3.
III. Conclusion
A. Meaning exp. #1_______________________________________
B. Meaning exp. #2_______________________________________
C. Meaning exp. #3_______________________________________