Friday, November 12

Website for ‘Save the Union’ debate:

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/feature-articles/2009/feb/The-American-Civil-War–North-and-South.html On Monday in Core All we will hold our “Regional Conferences” so please be prepared to speak about your side of the issue.  You will have approx. 15 minutes to prepare with you group in that period before the conference begins.

Homework:

For Monday Nov. 15-

1. 1st full typed draft of TBAS essay (12 point, Times New Roman, double spaced) Conclusion included.  Here is my example:

Example:

In summary, the system of slavery oppressed generations of individuals and robbed them of their dignity and humanity.  Through resistance such as reinterpreting religious teaching for themselves, slowing down the pace of the forced labor, and fleeing for one’s life, enslaved people were able to gain personal power in a situation where that was threatened.  Slaves ability to take back some control from their masters is important to our understanding of slavery as it reminds us that they were not lifeless victims, but courageous characters in the legacy of American History.  In his book To Be A Slave, Lester puts together these accounts of resistance so that this lesson will not be lost.  In that way, generations upon generations of people can be inspired by this history of oppression.  Essentially, to know about this history of resistance leaves one with a powerful choice – to either silently accept injustice or aggressively resisting it.  The accounts in To Be a Slave demonstrate that even in history’s darkest hour, individuals can triumph in fighting back against systemized oppression.  We can all take lessons from this today.

-include heading and attach template and thesis worksheet

Due Tuesday:

Read Lincoln chapter 5 and complete guided notes. Lincoln5notesREV2010

3. Read section four in Civil War book

Ongoing:

1. Civil War letter #4 due Friday. Nov. 19

2. ‘Bircle’ plot chart for your own short story due Wed. Nov. 17

  • Irwin Scholarship Application due Mon. Nov. 15
  • Eighth Grade Book Award Field Trip Tue. Nov. 16

field-trip-to-libraryrev

Wednesday, November 10

Homework

Due Fri 11-12:

1. Civil War letter #3

2. Third body paragraph and conclusion in template

Ongoing

Due Mon 11-15:

1. First full typed-out draft of TBAS essay

2. Read Lincoln chapter 5 and complete guided notes

Lincoln5notesREV2010

  • Family Conferences on Thu. 11-11- no classes
  • Baby photo for yearbook due Fri. 11-12
  • Irwin Scholarship application due Mon. 11-15

Tuesday, November 9

Homework:

Due Wed 11-10

Writing Workshop- 1. Finish your elevator scenario. Be ready to share.

Ongoing:

1. Civil War letter #3- due Fri 11-12

2. Body paragraph #3 and conclusion (on the template) – due Fri 11-12 (TBAS essay draft #1 due Mon 11-15)

  • Baby photo due Fri Nov. 12 for yearbook
  • No classes Thursday Nov. 11- Family Conferences
  • Irwin Scholarship application due Mon. Nov. 15

Monday, November 8

Due Tuesday:

  • TBAS Paragraph 1 and 2.  You may also do 3 if you are on a roll.  I will check this tomorrow but we will not work on it in class.  Please do this on your template or write it our/type it out.  Either way, you should look at the template so that you don’t forget the steps/what to add.

Due Friday:

  • Civil War Letter #3.  I will try to give you some feedback on the 2nd letter if possible.  If not, use the letter writing guidelines prior to writing your letter.

In Class Activity:Civil War Compromise Activity: Link

http://www.findingdulcinea.combfdbfd/features/feature-articles/2009/feb/The-American-Civil-War–North-and-South.html

Thursday, November 4

Homework:

Due Mon 11-8:

1. Civil War letter #2 is due.  You must have 2 copies of the letter by 8:20AM, one for me and one for your partner. Please use my Letter #1 comments to you in order to improve upon your second letter.  Remember, I will grade your letters as a whole, at the end of the project.  Here is the rubric for grading them: CivilWarLetterRubric.  Your Civil War Letter project is a DOUBLE GRADE in your second Q grade.

2. On the TBAS essay template (REV2TBASEssayTemplate2010) write down all three of your quotations in the space for “Evidence” in your TBAS Essay Template (The Body Paragraphs).  Also write the first draft of your Introduction, using the example introduction that I gave you on the red handout (TBAS essay intro 2010).

BTW – The following materials should be included in your TBAS essay manila folder.  Your final TBAS essay will be graded with all the drafts and handouts, included.

  • TBAS Essay Template (packet)
  • Thesis Worksheet (boxes sheet)
  • TBAS Introduction Example (red)
  • Thesis facts (green)
  • Transition words and phrases (white with boxes)

3. “I’m in Charge” poem e-mailed by one group member to Momii by end of the day Monday (smroberts@lrei.org).

Ongoing:

Due Wed 11-10

1. Writing workshop- finish you “Stuck In An Elevator” writing.  Think about ideas about a central conflict for your short story.

Wednesday, November 3

Homework:

Due Thurs. 11-4

1. Vocabulary quiz tomorrow on Lincoln chapter 3 and 4

2. Finish thesis worksheet (started in class Tue.)

3. Read the second section in Civil War book and start letter

Ongoing:

  • Civil War letter #2- due Mon 11-8
  • Writing Workshop-finish elevator scenario and write down 2-3 possible conflicts for your short story- due Wed. 11-10
  • Edited CORE reflection needs to be in rainbow folder before family conferences!!

Monday, November 1

Homework:

Due Tuesday 11-2-10

1. Lincoln chapter 4, questions (6-15)

Lincoln4QuestionsRevised

2. Continue reading your Civil War book.  Letter #2 due date has been extended till Monday (11/8).  Note: This will be the only extension so plan ahead.

Letter #3 is still due on Friday 11/12.

Ongoing:

**Make sure that you have your CORE REFLECTION in your rainbow folder by end of the day Tuesday:

(CORE reflection edited 1stquarterreflection10)

***We will go to the National Young Adult Book Awards on Nov. 16th.  Try to have at least 1/2 of your book (given by Jennifer) by then.

****This Friday is your first Q Family Conference


Wednesday, October 27

Tonight:

1. Continue reading the first section of your Civil War Independent book.  Your first letter is due on Friday. The letter writing assignment, format and grading rubric are all on the blog in previous posts, please refer to these as you write.  You will also have 30 minutes of class tomorrow, from 8:30-9:00 (and when you complete your Core Reflection) to finish reading and work on writing your letter.  Use this time wisely.

*IMPORTANT* Some pairs have changed due to new book selections. Here are the final, final book partner changes. Thank you for being flexible.  All other people have their original partner:

  1. SAGE AND HARMON
  2. SIMMON AND ELI
  3. ANDREW AND CHE

Ongoing:

  • Writers’ Workshop weekly assignment: Pay attention to the conversations you overhear this week on the subway, in the coffee shop, at dinner, etc.  Pay attention to natural speech patterns.  Record a few short conversations that you overhear (preferably conversations not in school) and bring them in next Wednesday in preparation for our writer’s workshop on dialogue.

Monday, October 25

Due Tuesday:

  1. TBAS: read the second 1/2 of Chapter 4 (pgs. 96-116).  Identify two more examples of resistance from this section and add them to the chart that we started in class.
  2. Read your Civil War Book (the first 1/5 of reading should be completed by Thursday morning).  You will have some time in class on Thursday afternoon to work on your letter, which is due on Friday.

Due Friday:

  1. Civil War Book Letter #1

Click here for the Civil War Book pairs: REVCivil War Letter Pairs2010