Whirligig IX

OM:

Read the following quote from the book. Note the vocabulary definitions. Write for 5 minutes on what this means in terms of Brent’s situation. What is the abscess? How is he working to drain it? Why does it feel good?

From pg. 52: “What he knew without question was that it felt good to be busy toiling in atonement, to direct his feelings outward through his arms and knife , as if draining an abscess.”

Toiling: working

Atonement: satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends, making up for, paying back

Abscess: a localized collection of pus in the tissues of the body, often accompanied by swelling and inflammation and frequently caused by bacteria. (used as a metaphor)

1. Above was discussed. Some writing was shared.

2. Letters were collected.

3. Continued reading story independently.

HW:

~Keep up with packet
~Study spelling
~complete question sheet if not done already

Whirligig VIII

1. Classes were given 15-20 minutes to work on the question sheet for the chapter 'The Afterlife'. Sheets need to be handed in by Friday (minor grade).

2. We discussed a passage from this chapter which illustrates the main character's 'rebirth'.

3. Grades close Friday. Journals should contain 10 to 14 entries. Students were told they can make up missing journals. (Journals count for a major grade.)

4. Last nights homework was not collected. Tonight's homework is to respond, as the character written to, to the letter written. Both letters will be collected tomorrow for a major grade.

~ Study spelling
~ Keep up with Whirligig packet

Whirligig VII

Getting back into the groove after such an unexpectedly long break was something of a challenge today!

Okay! We are keeping the spelling list from two weeks ago. (I'll repost them below.) We went over Whirligig packets today and noted what should be filled in by now. Students should have finished through chapter 3 in the book. I will allow who are behind to sign out books to catch up.

There is an assignment tonight:

You've read enough of this work now to meet some characters and see them inaction. Select a character who interests you and write a letter to that character. Writethe letter as yourself, the reader. In your letter, you can ask the character questions,make comments on what the character has done, give advice about what the charactershould do, or anything else you like.

After you finish the letter, take the role of the character. Read the letter the reader wrote to you and decide what to write back. As the character, you can answer questions and respond to comments and advice.

How to set up your letter:

Paragraph 1: Ask your character questions. Why did they do the things they did? What were they thinking during different events?

Paragraph 2 Make comments to the character. Make statements to your character regarding decisions they’ve made

Paragraph 3 Offer advice to your character

Only the first letter, bolded above, is due tomorrow.

Also, a question sheet was started the last day of school before snow got in the way. They need to have that sheet in class tomorrow!

Students were informed that we are almost at the halfway point in the marking period already. Grades close on Friday!

Here's that spelling list:

1. illiterate - (adj.) unable to read or write

2. afford - (v) to have the financial means for

3. difficult - (adj.) hard to do or achieve

4. responsible - (adj.) accountable for the care or welfare of another

5. suffered - (v) felt pain or distress

6. official - (adj.) of or pertaining to an office or post of authority

7. summary - (n) condensed form; concise

8. collapse - (v) to fall down or inward suddenly

9. volunteer - (v) to offer one’s services; give of one’s own free will

10. illegible - (adj.) not readable or decipherable

Whirligig V - VI

We read half of chapter three today and copied spelling words.

Reminder: 10 extra credit points for spelling definitions done by Wednesday. Also, all Whirligig voacabulary must be in notebooks with definitions by the end of the story. I strongly advise doing this as the words are given.

I will be out again tomorrow for assessment scoring. Students will finish chapter three, complete appropriate questions in packet and finish a question sheet on the chapter.

Whirligig IV

Classes read most or all of chapter 2 today. Tomorrow, classes will take the spelling test, finish reading chapter two, work on the "maine" questions in the Whirligig packet and begin working on Chapter 3 vocabulary.

I will be scoring the ELA assessments so will not be in class tomorrow or next Tuesday.

Extra credit assignment! Inspired by the very amusing book, How Angel Peterson Got His Name by Gary Paulsen, students are encouraged to choose an event: fun, adventurous, silly and dangerous (something a 13 year old boy may typically regret doing). This may be a real or imagined event. The story must include all the elements of a short story (setting, characters, problem, climax, conclusion) and dialogue written according to the rules (new speaker, new paragraph and descriptive speaker tags).

Deadline is Friday the 16th.

Whirligig vocabulary list for chapter 3 is:

speculated
eclipsed
turmoil
plumb
confiscated
wince
contested
detrimental
restitution
mediator
exuberantly
ethereal
atone
retribution
penance
mirage
scrutinized
labyrinth
pristine
toil
mete
deliberate
mesmerized


I'm posting next weeks spelling list now:

1. illiterate - (adj.) unable to read or write

2. afford - (v) to have the financial means for

3. difficult - (adj.) hard to do or achieve

4. responsible - (adj.) accountable for the care or welfare of another

5. suffered - (v) felt pain or distress

6. official - (adj.) of or pertaining to an office or post of authority

7. summary - (n) condensed form; concise

8. collapse - (v) to fall down or inward suddenly

9. volunteer - (v) to offer one’s services; give of one’s own free will

10. illegible - (adj.) not readable or decipherable

Whirligig II & III

Yesterday and today we read chapter one in Whirligig. Packets were distributed and will be worked on as we read the story. Also, vocabulary for chapter one was given on Monday, and students should have used a dictionary in class to write the definitions down, however my substitute didn't quite make sure this got done. I've told all students these definitions, and the packets, will be checked for a grade when the book is finished.

I've also changed the policy for spelling/vocab definitions. Instead of mandating this work, I am continuing to offer the 20 points for having them done my Monday morning, and will now award 10 points if they are done by Wednesday morning.

Spelling Quiz & Whirligig I

Friday:

Took spelling quiz and completed a preliminary exercise in preperation for our next novel.

The spelling/vocab routine is being changed. I am no longer requiring students to write definitions. However, 20 extra credit points will still be awarded anyone who does so by accessing the list on this site and copying the definitions over the weekend. 10 points will be awarded those who complete them Wednesday.

Here's next weeks list and definitions:

applicant (n) – a person who applies, especially for a job

district (n) - a part of a country, city, or county having a particular feature or regarded as a unit for a special purpose

assist (v) - to help; give aid to

extract (v) – to take out by force or effort

contract (n) - a formal agreement between people or groups of countries

compass (n) - a device with a needle that points to magnetic north

concentric (adj) - having the same center

ellipse (n) - a regular oval that can be divided into four identical pieces

protractor (n) - an instrument for measuring angles

excerpt (n) - an extract from a book or film or piece of music, etc.


For Monday:
Whirligig

Chapter 1

whirligig
annotated
reconnoitered
caustic
shaman
turret(ed)
discreetly
perennial
commence
sullen
adept
leper

Note: I will not be in class on Monday.

Pay It Forward- Final Activity II

Finished up eulogy presentations today. Spelling test tomorrow.

Pay It Forward- Final Activity

Haven't been posting regularly this week...

Students are presenting eulogies to the class based on the movie viewed last week, This will represent the first major grade of the third marking period.

This weeks spelling list is as follows (spelling lists will represent math terms in preperation for the math assessment):

1. absolute value (n) – the distance between a given number and zero, written as /n/

2. additive inverse (n) – the opposite of a given number (the sum of a number and this is zero)

3. associative property (n) – changing the grouping of numbers does not change the sum or product in an addition or multiplication problem

4. commutative property (n) - changing the order of numbers does not change the sum or product in an addition or multiplication problem

5. rhombus (n) – a parallelogram with four congruent sides

6. trapezoid (n) – a quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides

7. variable expression (n) – an expression that consists of numbers, variables, and operations

8. multiplicative inverse (n) – the reciprocal of a number (the product of a number and this is
1)
9. parallelogram (n) – a quadrilateral with both pairs of opposite sides parallel

10. prime factorization (n) – expressing a whole number as a product of prime numbers

Pay It Forward II

Continued the movie today. I will be absent tomorrow but classes will continue (hopefully finish) the movie with the subsititute.

Grades close this week. All work owed must be in!

Pay It Forward

Last week classes completed the New York State English/Language Arts Assessment. Preliminary results look very encouraging.

This week classes are viewing the movie Pay It Forward. Students are taking notes in preparation for a writing assignment on the movie, which will take at least 3 class periods to view.

The movie is both a reward for the hard work done in preparing for the state assessment, and effort in its completion, and also as an introduction to the following unit in which justice will be a central theme.

No spelling this week.

State Assessment I

Classes took parts one and two of the state assessment. Part three will be taken tomorrow.

Note: I was out yesterday, so last weeks spelling test will be this Friday.

Reading-Writing Assessment Practice II

Students completed the planning page and started writing the essay which will be finished for homeowrk if not done. Students are strongly encouraged to read their writing silently to themselves and make as many corrections as they can.

Study for spelling/vocab test!

Reading-Writing Assessment Practice

Students completed reading the two passages of part 3 of the practice test and are to finish the constructed responses for homework.

Study spelling/vocab!

Listening Activity - Assessment Practice II

Students listened to the passage one more time (for the benefit of those absent yesterday and to freshen memories) and we worked on the constructed responses together.

Then we worked the planning page for the essay, selecting the notes to use and bulleting the most important items that will complete the essay directions.

Students are to write the essay for homework.

Note: The other language arts teachers and i discussed the advisability of having the students 'dress up' for the state assessment next week. People walk a bit taller and feel good about themselves when dressed formally. Indeed, the boy's basketball team has to wear a dress shirt and tie to school on the day of games.

We are considering asking students to voluntarily do this. More tomorrow.

Listening Activity - Assessment Practice II

Students listened to the passage one more time (for the benefit of those absent yesterday and to freshen memories) and we worked on the constructed responses together.

Then we worked the planning page for the essay, selecting the notes to use and bulleting the most important items that will complete the essay directions.

Students are to write the essay for homework.

Note: The other language arts teachers and i discussed the advisability of having the students 'dress up' for the state assessment next week. People walk a bit taller and feel good about themselves when dressed formally. Indeed, the boy's basketball team has to wear a dress shirt and tie to school on the day of games.

We are considering asking students to voluntarily do this. More tomorrow.

Listening Activity - Assessment Practice

Students copied this week's spelling/vocab list.

Classes began a listneing activity in preperation for next week's state assessment. Note taking strategies were reviewed. Passage was read twice: once for main ideas, second time for details. Constructed responses were started and will be finished tomorrow. The essay will also be started tomorrow and finished for homework.

HW: Spelling/vocab definitions

Benchmark IV

Went over the benchmark exam today with special emphasis on reading strategies necessary for particular questions. Questions that posed particular difficulty were discussed in detail.

A Look Ahead:

Next week we will be taking parts 2 and 3 of the benchmark: the listening portion and extended response. Each require an essay.

Next weeks spelling/vocab list:

they’re
there
their
experience
obstacle
beautiful
persecution
difficult
immigration
definite

A Christmas Carol III

Wrote A Christmas Carol essay today. The directions are as follows:

A Christmas Carol is the story of the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge. Certain events in the story are important in this character’s change. In a well written essay, describe the transformation. In your essay, be sure to:

• Contrast Scrooge’s character with that of the other characters in the story.
• Discuss the importance of each spirit: past, present and future.
• How is Scrooge changed? What is the theme of the story? Explain.
• Include specific details from the story in your essay.

Essays not finished in class must be finished for homework.

Tomorrow we will go over the benchmark exam.

Benchmark III

Took the final benchmark in preperation for the state assessment. The test was given from 8:30 to 9:20, part of 1st and all of 2nd period. The rest of the time students did journal work. They'll all work on the essay tomorrow and go over the benchmark results on Friday.

No homework this evening.