Building Background Knowledge for A Long Way Gone: November 10, 2015

Focus: What background knowledge do we need to build to read A Long Way Gone?

1. Warming up with the return of an old friend: www.noredink.com

• Conquering an ACT favorite foe: Parallel structure

2. Transitioning from The Kite Runner to A Long Way Gone by revising our semester focus points:

From the class syllabus:

“Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now...and so we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not a hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector...a dark knight.”  --The Dark Knight

Semester Focus:

Are heroes extraordinary or ordinary?  Where is the line between a “dark” hero and a villain?  What kind of journey do all heroes (and many villains) share, and why does it matter to you?

Reflection: Now that you have finished reading and writing about The Kite Runner, what are your thoughts on the quotation and questions above? See if you can bring KR into your thinking.

Prediction: Look at the image on the front of the book. Now look at the image on the back of the book. Read the description. How do you think this book, A Long Way Gone, will relate to the quotation and/or questions above? How do you think it will relate to The Kite Runner?

3. Building background knowledge for  A Long Way Gone with a focused webquest (and there are some serious incentives, kids)

As you work on your webquests, please have out the following:

• Your student IDs (so I can check books out to you)
• Your Kite Runner books (so I can see your sticky notes or so I can collect your book)
• Your handwritten Kite Runner journals (if you handwrote yours)

HW:
1. Finish the first half of your webquest tonight if you did not finish in class today.

2. The www.noredink.com assignment, "Parallel Structure," is due Thursday. Open-note quiz on Friday.

3. If your Kite Runner annotations are handwritten (sticky notes or journals), and you did not have them in class today, please bring them tomorrow and hand them in before class starts. You may also turn in your book tomorrow if you did not have it with you today.

Wrapping Up The Kite Runner: November 9, 2015

Focus: What do we need to wrap up before moving on to the last 6 weeks of the semester?

1. Warming up with a brief survey about your needs for next year

2. Enjoying a round of book talks

3. Viewing scenes from The Kite Runner with a focus on the bigger picture

4. Working on making final changes to your essays if needed

HW:
1. Final drafts of your hero's journey essays are due TODAY by 3:00 pm. They must be submitted properly to the "Final Draft" folder of www.turnitin.com to be counted as on time.

2. Book talks. Yep.

3. If you need to revise or make up anything (including fishbowl blogs and your summary-response essay), next Friday is the deadline.

4. If you'd prefer to use your own copy of A Long Way Gone, please start bringing it to class this Wednesday. Also, I will need to finish up my second round of annotation/journal feedback this week. If I only conferenced with you once please bring your books or hard copies of your journals to class Tuesday to turn in. If you typed your journal, just make sure it's in your KR folder so I can find it easily.

Wrapping Up the First 12 Weeks: November 6, 2015

Focus: What do we need to wrap up before moving on to the last 6 weeks of the semester?

1. Warming up with a round of book talks

2. Viewing scenes from The Kite Runner with a focus on the bigger picture

3. Working on making final changes to your essays if needed

HW:
1. Final drafts of your hero's journey essays are due Monday, Nov 9 by 3:00 pm. They must be submitted properly to the "Final Draft" folder of www.turnitin.com to be counted as on time.

2. Book talks. Yep.

3. If you need to revise or make up anything (including fishbowl blogs and your summary-response essay), next Friday is the deadline. I extended it since you're working on essay for Monday.

Final Editing: November 5, 2015

Focus: What final revisions can we make to strengthen our writing style?

1. Warming up with a little creative writing designed to strengthen your verbs

• Click HERE if you prefer to type.

• Is your hero jumping over the threshold? Trudging through it? Tiptoeing? 

2. Whipping those verb tenses into shape

• Beware the "ing." 

• Keep all verbs in the present tense.

3. Using SAS Writing Reviser to improve sentence variety

• Click on "Create Essay."

• Play around with your new, robotic peer editor.

• Make all revisions in your original Google Doc, not in this program.

4. Musical chairs peer editing using the rubric from yesterday

HW:
1. Optional: Turn your rough draft into the "Hero's Journey Synthesis Rough Draft" folder in www.turnitin.com. This will help you check for plagiarism and might also iron out any technological wrinkles before you have to turn it in for real.

2. Edit your essay based on today's lessons and yesterday's slides (click HERE if you'd like to see the slides again).

3. Book talks. They're happening.

Sanding and Polishing that Draft: November 4, 2015

Focus: What revisions will strengthen the content and style of our essays?

1. Warming up with the new and improved English 10 writing rubric

• Highlight two areas where you see yourself as strong or distinguished.

• Underline two areas you'd like to improve upon. 

• Circle any places you don't understand/have questions about.

2. Bringing the art to your concluding sentences

• My trick: How do the book and and film end? How does this relate to the rest of your essay?

3. Editing your essays for content and style: click HERE for the editing slides.

HW:
1. Optional: Turn your rough draft into the "Hero's Journey Synthesis Rough Draft" folder in www.turnitin.com. This will help you check for plagiarism and might also iron out any technological wrinkles before you have to turn it in for real.

2. Edit your essay based on today's slides (click HERE if you'd like to see the slides again).

3. Book talks. They're happening.

Cinematic Close Reading: November 3, 2015

Focus: How do we perform close readings of film?

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. 

Working together is success." 

--Henry Ford

1. Warming with a rousing of round of, "What's it mastering/what's it missing?"

2. Offering you a mini lesson on analyzing film

3. Finishing that draft...all the way through the concluding sentences!

A thought: In a synthesis essay, the thesis, the transition, and the concluding sentences are where much of the true synthesis happens.

HW:
1. Tomorrow will be our big day of editing, so please make sure all rough drafts are complete. Also, look for my feedback this week on your Google doc. You will be receiving a 30 point Attempt and Completion grade for finishing your draft by tomorrow.

2. Work on your book talks. Come in for a conference if you need some help or a pep talk.

Drafting, Drafting, Drafting Out to Sea: November 2, 2015

Focus: How can we strengthen the content of our drafts?

1. Warming up with a few book talks?

2. Using Team Shake to shake up your editing

Click HERE for the editing rubric.

3. Exploring how to tie your quotations back to your thesis and how to analyze your film example

Click HERE for the sample essay.

HW:
1. If you did not finish your draft in class today, please do so tonight.

2. Work on your book talk.