Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Check your grades on Skyward!

Greetings,

Many of you are missing assignments!
Check Skyward! 
Quarter 2 Midterm is Monday (the day we get back from break). 

The WebQuest assignment--the one we did in class on the iPads--is now available in "Helpful Handouts"-->if you have lost your copy, you need to print one out, complete it, and turn it in.

Enjoy Thanksgiving break!

Ms. Lewis

Thursday, November 21, 2013

11/21

Class today:

We finished reading Chapter 1 of TKAM and completed the "Literary Luminary" and "Word Wizard" role sheet and turned them in.

We also read Chapter 2 of TKAM and homework is to do "Connector" and "Illustrator" for this chapter and then read chapter 3 and complete "Summarizer" and "Questioner" role sheets to be DUE on Monday 11/25 (A Day) or Tuesday 11/26 (B Day).

If you do NOT want homework over Thanksgiving break-Read chapters 4, 5, and 6 between now and Tuesday--You can accomplish this by reading about 15 pages a day. You can do it! 

You will meet with your literature circle groups next week and plan who will fulfill what role and when on your reading schedule calendars. 

Thank you for all of your hard work! You guys are truly amazing! 

Have a great weekend! 

Ms. Lewis

Literature Circles Introduction 11/19-20

Hi guys!

Sorry I didn't get this posted by 5 like I said I would. My meeting ran longer than I thought it would.

If you missed our introduction to literature circles this is what we did:

We will be reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" in literature circles. I love lit circles! Reading and discussing this way allows you as the student to take an active role in the learning process. Each group member will be responsible for fulfilling different roles for the group to further the discussion and allow you the freedom to discuss more than one topic and the topics that most interest you from the book. 

To practice this do the following:

Step 1: Watch the YouTube video "For the Birds" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOiyD26cJ2A
You will be analyzing this video to practice the different roles of literature circles. 

Step 2: Download the "Role Sheets" on the right side of your screen--> Summarizer, Literary Luminary, Word Wizard, Connector, Illustrator, and Questioner. 

Step 3: You will write your answers in your composition notebook. 
Title: Literature Circles Practice: "For the Birds" and Underline it.
Then label each of the roles as you go along:
Summarizer:


Connector:



Illustrator:

and so on…

Step 4: Read the instructions for each role and adapt it for the video "For the Birds". 

For example:
Summarizer: In the video "For the Birds" there are many little blue birds sitting on a telephone wire. They begin to bicker until a larger blue bird flies up and wants to join the small birds on the wire. They mock and mimic the big blue bird until he flies over and joins them anyway, seemingly unaffected by their actions. The little birds peck the big big and he falls, pulling the wire down, and causing the little birds to be squished together. The little birds peck the talons of the big bird until he lets go and they go flying through the air, losing all their feathers in the process. The big big laughs at them as they hid behind him. 

Do this for all of the roles except Word Wizard, because there are no words!

Write down any questions you have and come by and talk to me about them! 

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Scottsboro: An American Tragedy

Homework--Follow this link to watch "Scottsboro: An American Tragedy" on YouTube and complete the worksheet (available in Helpful Handouts on the Right -->)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCBV-GhyINY

Watch it in increments or in groups with your classmates!

Have a great weekend,
Ms. Lewis