HW for Wednesday, 2/29

Independent Reading Project Week One:

Please answer the following question about your independent reading book. Be sure to follow the paper formatting guidelines we discussed in class.

Week 1 Question: What book did you choose? Why did you choose this book? If someone chose it for you, why did you agree to it? (100 words)

HW for Tuesday, 2/28

Pick 2 poems that you would like to submit to the Parkmont Poetry Festival -- these may be poems you've written for this class or ones you've written at other times.  Your two poems must be typed and on 2 separate sheets of paper.

HW for Monday, 2/27

Read "The Monkey's Paw" and be prepared to answer questions about it tomorrow -- Tuesday's warm-up will be a brief quiz on the reading.

What's going on in session 4? (Some clues, and your warm up.)

We're more than halfway through the year!  Congratulations!
This session, we're focusing on mysteries . . . oooooh!

We'll start with some short stories, then move on to a novel . . . I won't tell you yet what it is, but I'll give you some clues this week and next, so pay attention . . .

For today's warm up, let's review some literary techniques from last session, and see how familiar you are with this session's techniques.  Try out these warm ups . . .

This one first:
http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz1068229a8.html

Then this:
http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz2309931a72b00.html

Once you've done all of that, try this:
http://zone.msn.com/en/bookworm/default.htm?intgid=gb_FreeOnlineWordTrivia+List_3_book

HW for Wednesday, 2/15

1) Study for your vocab quiz tomorrow.  If you need the words, click here.

2) If you have not completed all three anthology checklists, do that.
Here they are:
Checklist 1
Checklist 2
Checklist 3

3) And remember, IRP is due Friday. See instructions from last Friday.

HW for Tuesday, 2/14

Complete everything on today's anthology checklist.

Daily Warm Up/Instructions for Tuesday, 2/14

By now, you should have completed everything from yesterday's checklist.

So pick up a copy of today's checklist . . .

Work on that during class today.

HW for Monday, 2/13

Complete the checklist!

AND

IRP due Friday!

Daily Warm Up/Directions for Monday, 2/13

Pick up a checklist and go through it step by step.

By the start of class tomorrow, you should have completed all of the steps on the checklist, including the introduction to your anthology -- 250 words (typed, double-spaced, CAREFULLY EDITED), talking about your collection of poems, addressing whatever it is that drove your to choose the poems you did.

HW for Friday, 2/10

Look at today's Warm Up/Directions.  Did you get through step 3?  If not, complete that step this weekend.

AND

Work on your IRP! It's due Friday, 2/17 (we'll do the vocab quiz on Thursday next week so we'll have plenty of time to do the IRPs on Friday).

(PLEASE NOTE: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THE IRP SUMMARY -- the 4-5 paragraph summary of the book -- THIS SESSION.  HOWEVER, YOU MAY DO IT FOR EXTRA CREDIT.)
See detailed project instructions below:
Don't forget the gallery card (here's a link to a sample gallery card).

Creative Project:

Come up with some way to visually present your book. This will not be presented orally. You will post this in the classroom gallery‐style. Your creative project should include a gallery card –with one typed paragraph that briefly summarizes your book and a second paragraph that gives your project a creative title and explains your projects’ significance to the book. Your gallery card should also include any necessary instructions for the viewer on how to interact with your work.

Some ideas . . .

• a diorama of a particular scene
• if there’s a movie version of your book, choose a short scene to que up; you should also print the exerpt from the book and your gallery card should explain how the two scenes (movie and book) are similar and/or different
• create a website about your book that students can go through on their own
• a power point presentation that students can go through on their own
• a board game that two students could play on their own—directions should be simple and printed out
• if food is important in your book, cook something that’s mentioned and bring that in for everyone to try—make sure it is clear why this is relevant to the content of your book
• draw portraits of the main characters or draw important scenes from the book

These projects should be neat and well‐put together, not something you work on the night before it’s due!

Daily Warm Up/Directions for 2/10

Go through these steps, in this order (if you've completed some of these steps already, keep moving forward until you find one you haven't yet done):

1) Compile all 14 of your poems in your google doc (10 poems in the MY FAVORITES category, 2 PEER FAVORITES, 2 ADULT FAVORITES).

2) Label the poems as we've discussed:

#
Category (See above, in all caps)
Name of Poem
by __________

And then, the poem . . .

  You can't move on to the next two steps until I've checked your work on the first two!  

When I say you're ready, move on to step 3 . . .

3) Find/create images to go along with each of those poems.  You may find those on the internet, create them yourselves, or bring images from home.  Each poem will need an image to go with it.  I suggest creating a separate google doc with the images (labeled, so you know which poem they match up with).

4) Write 3 sentence responses to all 14 of the poems -- see previous blog posts for directions.  These responses must be free of grammar/spelling errors.

5) Decide which two poems of your own you would like to include in the anthology.  See Nijole to work on editing those.  Include the edited version in your google doc. (If you get this far, you're ahead of the game!  Good job!)

HW for Thursday, 2/9

All of the poems in your anthology -- except for the ones you wrote -- must include a brief written response following the poem, explaining why you like the poem (or why the adults/peers your talked to liked it), what you notice about it (in terms of poetic techniques), and any other thoughts you have about it.  Each response must be 3 sentences long.  Tonight, please write 5 of those responses in your google doc, after the corresponding poems.  Make sure to carefully edit each response -- points will be taken off for grammar/spelling errors.

Daily Warm Up/Directions for Thursday, 2/9

Please make sure that your google doc now includes . . .

10 poems in the My Favorites category
2 poems in the Peer Favorites category
2 poems in Adult Favorites category

They must be properly labeled -- see the instructions from earlier this week for a reminder as to what that means.  If they aren't properly labeled, you will not get credit for having done the assignment.

If you've done that, begin to compile the pictures for each of the poems.  You may make original pictures, use ones from home, or find images on the internet.

Daily Warm Up/Directions for Wednesday, 2/8

IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED YOUR IMAGE POEM, PLEASE WORK ON THAT.

If you have finished it, you may work on the anthology.  FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS:

Step 1:
Continue compiling your anthology poems in the "Anthology Poems" google doc.  By the end of class today, your google doc should include
10 poems in the "My Favorites" category
2 poems in the "Peer Favorites" category.
1 poem in the "Adult Favorites" category.

Step 2:
When that is done, you will conference with me about which 2 poems of your own to include.  You may need to edit your poems to make them stronger.

Step 3 (or 2):
Once you've done that OR if you're waiting for me to conference with you, you can begin writing your responses to the poems you/your peers/your adult picked.  Each response must be at least 3 sentences long, and should say why you picked the poem (be specific!!!), what you like about it (be specific!!!), etc.

HW for Wednesday, 2/8

TWO THINGS:


1) Ask one more adult what his/her favorite poem is and why.  Bring a copy of that poem in to class tomorrow

2) IRP 6

Type, label and date your response to the following question:

What is your (detailed) plan for your independent reading project? How is it interactive? (200+ words).

HW for Tuesday, 2/7

Finish compiling the 10 poems you want to include in your anthology (not the adult/peer favorites, nor your own writing).  Make sure to include those in the google doc that is mentioned in the instructions for today's daily warm-up.

Daily Warm Up/Directions for 2/7

If you haven't finished your image poem, please do that as your warm up.

Once you've done that, please follow the following instructions on how to start compiling and keeping track of the poems for your anthology.
1.  Create a new google doc and title it "Anthology Poems".
2. Share that document with me (ngedutis@gmail.com).
2.  Once you have a poem you want to include in your anthology, type or copy and paste it into the document as follows:

# (1-10)
Category (My Favorites, or Adult Favorites, or Peer Favorites, or Poems I Wrote)
Title
Poet

Poem!

For example,

#1
My Favorites
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
by T.S. Eliot

Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question. . .
Oh, do not ask, "What is it?"
Let us go and make our visit.

Daily Warm Up for Monday, 2/6

Work on the image poem we started on Friday.
We've crossed out unnecessary words.
Now, write out the words that are left.
Then, put in some line breaks.
Then, you can go through and add NO MORE THAN 7 words!
Be prepared to share!

HW for Monday, 2/6

Ask 2 of your peers to tell you what their favorite poems are.  Be sure to also ask why they like those poems.  Find copies of those poems online and be prepared to share them in class tomorrow.

HW for Friday, 2/3

Read through the poetry prompts below. You will choose 2 of the 3 and write 2 poems. Your poem should be typed and carefully checked for spelling errors.



Each poem must include at least 2 of the techniques we’ve studied – alliteration, rhythm, images, similes, metaphors, personification, onomatopoeia, assonance. Extra credit for including vocabulary words!



Also, keep in mind what we did in class today (Friday) – you can edit your poem. Take out extraneous words! Change broad words like “nice” to specific, more compelling words.



Color. 

1. Chose a color, perhaps navy blue or burgundy or steel grey.

2. Take a 10-to-30-minute walk, noticing everything of that color. If you can't walk, look out the window or look through art books.

3. Now write your poem, using lots of strong verbs. Try to incorporate all of your senses into the poem.



Picture of You. 

Find a picture of yourself that is at least 10 years old and write a poem describing it in detail. Think about the way we did it in class – take out extraneous word, use lots of sensory details.



If/Then. 

1. Write a stanza of 4 to 8 lines where each line begins with the word “If.”
2. Write a similar stanza where each line begins with the word “Then.”



How To. 

Write a poem about “HOW TO” do something. For example, “How to write a poem” or “How to eat a pickle” or “How to tell the difference between me and my best friend.”



We’ll share these (at least one each) in class on Monday.

HW for Thursday, 2/2

Study for tomorrow's quiz!

Daily Warm Up for Wednesday, 2/1

Continue exploring the humuments site from yesterday's warm up.  Do not print anything!  Find your favorite humument and be prepared to share it with the class!