Don't Count the Days...

Make the days...
 Happy Holidays...

 Well done Ernest,  Zack,  Marium,  David, and Jordan. I can see your Membean practice!

Defining Mediocrity

The definition of mediocrity: "excellence ten years ago."
 Dr. Laurie Patton, Dean of Duke University's Trinity School of Arts and Sciences.
Think about what this means as you plan for the new semester:

Expectation: You will read 2-3 books over the break. Some of your will read more!
Optional: Any Membean practice

Congratulations on all your achievements for the first semester. Have a fabulous, relaxing break.

Happy Holidays!

Giving Back...

G/H Class - Authenticity Checker
C/D & E/F
Final 5 minutes of Membean tonight.

Drop your videos in the files in yesterday's post.

What gift will you give your family this holiday season? 

 
Does a grammar technique jump out and hit you?

Digital Essays

Membean H/W: 5 minutes of practice today and tomorrow!

Drop your link to your video into these files by before your class Fri:

C/D Digital Essays

E/F  Digital Essays

Everybody (G/H included)
Most people should be finished with your grammar scripts by tomorrow. You must turn in:
1) a printed color copy
2) a printed black and white copy
3) make sure you have copies for yourself.

DO NOT wait until the last minute to print your scripts in the library. See? Think? Wonder?

Grammar Scripts and Digital Essays

H/W

G/H - Bring a PRINTED copy of your essay for tomorrow. Do not forget to use the proof reading tips from Friday's class

C/D & E/F
Create at least 5 slides for your digital essays
5 minutes of Membean ( you can work for longer if you choose)

Optional: Work on your grammar scripts

Mentor: Digital Essays

Next Week

Here is a breakdown on what to expect for next week. We have a lot to get through and as always...not a lot of time to do it in!

Monday

• 10 mins Membean
• 20-30 mins Learning Reflection for Report Card

C/D Report Card Learning Reflection

E/F Report Card Learning Reflection

• 15-20 mins Independent reading
• 20 mins   Grammar Script writing

H/W 5mins of membean - 20mins of work on digital project

Tuesday

• 10 mins Membean
• 20-30 mins Learning Reflection for Report Card (G/H class only)

G/H Report Card Learning Reflection

• 30 mins  Digital project work
• 30 mins  Grammar Script writing (G/H class 55 minutes)

H/W 5mins of Membean - 20mins of work on digital project

G/H class - Finish your grammar script for Thur

Wednesday

• 10 mins Membean
• 35 mins  Digital Project work
• 35 mins  Grammar Script writing

H/W 5mins of Membean - 20mins of work on digital project

Thursday

• 10 mins Membean
• 35 mins  Digital Project filming (C/D & E/F)
• 35 mins  Grammar Script writing. Performing (G/H class)

H/W Put finishing touching to your scripts
5-10mins optional Membean practice

Friday: Share Day C/D & G/H

• 20 question Membean Consolidation assessment.
• Grammar Presentations and Digital Project viewing

Students are welcome to do more work out of school if you choose to do so. Maximize teamwork. You will only have about 40-60mins of total class time to  write your scripts. 

Value the Journey: The Learning IS the Struggle

Reset your MEMBEAN 'Target Date' to June 5th 2014 (under: your info - link)

All meaningful success comes from struggle. Congratulations on turning in your papers!


Reader's Theatre Script: Grammar Assessment

Make a copy of the presentation template

Presentation Options:

1) Videoed Speech: Just use your camera and video tape your presentation of the written essay.
2) Vlog

3) Paper Slide video

4) Drawn argument: www.sparkol.com

5) Surprise me!

Planning Gird

Wish for Kids, an

SAS high school service club, is offering you a chance to purchase scholarships for elementary and high school children in the Philippines. These scholarships will fund schooling for one year, providing the children with the invaluable gift of an education that they so cherish.

Elementary scholarships are $40 per student and high school scholarships are $65 per student. Please let us know if you are interested and how many you would like to purchase. One of our club members will be happy to come to your classroom to deliver the scholarship gift cards and collect the money. Thank you so much for your support and contributions.

Happy Holidays from Wish for Kids!

Homebase Student of the Week: Kira M.

Due Dates

E/F & C/D - Your PRINTED version of your paper is due FRI.

• An engaging title: Try Title Generator
• Correctly inserted images acceptable
• Name. 1.5 line spacing
• All colors removed
• Final advice - Read your paper to a parent -They can offer an opinion and suggestion 1 change.

G/H -  Due Tues

Paragraph order: Reminder
Intro.
Support 1
Support 2
Support 3 (optional)
Counter
Conclusion

Proof Reading Tips

1) Be precise with verb choice in quote sandwiches.
Does the evidence: indicate, proof, demonstrate, suggest, illustrate, reveal, argue?

2) Find out how many times you are referencing your 'thesis/claim' - Minimum x5

3) Remove most pronouns: You, We , I, It, They

4) Capitalize proper Nouns: The Hurvery Study 1985

6) Grammar Integration: Parallel Structure, Repeated and Double Comparatives,  Superlatives

5) Use Vocaroo to listen for fluency. Recite one paragraph at a time.



Audio recording >> Coming Tomorrow: Vlog - How will your creativity compare with this?

Concluding Paragraph

Membean Assessment tomorrow - Make sure you know the roots that you have met. These questions might trip you up. All these roots are individual based on your progress and are on your dashboard. e.g. see below

Students mentioned below are recommended to do an extra 10 mins of practice tonight:

 Kira Sehgal, Lukas Daniel-Pedersen, Samuel Bodden, Sonia Kingsley.   The Membean system requires recent practice. 

10 minutes of additional practice is suggested for everybody as a refresher ( especially if you didn't practice after Monday night) Optional!

Just out of interest: these images show how much time each student has spend studying Membean this week. The most at the top. The least at the bottom. Of course,  I am to going to say whose name the charts go with, but where do you think you are? E/F class - David - yours is at the top for the most studying!!! Well done!

E/F

C/D Yasmin - you are at the top for your class for time spent studying...Bravo

Today, we learned some steps in order to create a strong close to our essays.

Use these steps to write your concluding paragraph.

Mentor: Claim - Middle students need to learn to use better listening skills during instructional sessions

Key point: Don’t use to CONCLUDE - anywhere else in your piece!

1) Transitional (To summarize, In closing, Clearly, Without question)

2) Restated thesis (said in different words

3) BEST two or three researched facts said differently - Make it clear that you are representing the data using 'referencing' phraseology

3b) Optional - Revisit an anecdote - close the story

4) Call to action  (Tell your audience critics or supporters to do something!)

5) Prognosticating (You get what you want - what changes?)

To reiterate, for consistent and long lasting academic progress to occur, 7th grade students need to learn and consistently implement effective listening skills during instructional sessions.  A poll of 300 teachers showed that almost 90% of these educators always provide verbal clues to test content during their teaching. Moreover, the  findings of the Burton survey, ‘Skills for the 21st Century’ showed that  being an effective listening has the single most impact on academic performance. Stories like  Mary Jones experience will cease to exist if students learn to become active and not passive listeners in school. The next time a student in a classroom is being disruptive, off task, or simply not paying attention to the instructional material, this individual should be politely redirected and reminded of his learning responsibilities. Who knows? Perhaps a time will come in the future when a visitor to any forward thinking school can wander into any classroom and see only engaged, attentive well focused students involved in learning.

Why no green?

Put your conclusions in the file (see Monday's post) for inspection.

FINAL PIECE: Due Friday
G/H - Yours will be due - Next Monday.

Introduction: Reteach

Can you name the different section of this introduction? Could you color code your own piece in the same way?

Nine year old Mary Swanson is excited to return home from school and watch T.V. Sadly, on whichever channel she tunes into she is instantly pummelled with a barrage of commercials promoting toys with fast food products or even advertisements pitching violent video games like Call of Duty. This type of forced indoctrination has to stop. Even though advocates of advertising on T.V. might argue that this bustling industry supports the U.S. economy, a law should still exist that prohibits television commercials that directly target young children.  School aged children are simple too young to make informed decisions about the merits of different products in advertisements. More often than not,  even unhealthy foods and are often manipulated into situations that directly seek to influence children through seemingly innocent advertisements.

C/D & E/F

Tonight your task is to finish writing your counterargument and put into yesterday's file to be graded! (link is in yesterday's post)

Mentor counterargument: Can you see what the different colors represent?

Proponents of the current status quo on advertising argue quite loudly that this industry creates over 10million jobs across the nation.  Their stance is quite logical. Effective advertising leads to profitable  businesses; profitable businesses lead to more jobs, and more jobs lead to  a healthy successful economy. While engaging, their reasoning is categorically flawed. Do  the benefits they state outweigh the pitfalls? The APA estimates that advertisers may spend more than $12 billion per year on ads created to pull in the youth market. Because young children do not understand the actions of advertisers, they will eat the fatty foods without knowing these products could harm them. Therefore in fact, advertising leads to poorer health and poorer health leads to a greater demand on the countries health care system; thus adversely affecting the economy.  The U.S. Healthy Ministry said in 2012 $40 billion dollars in taxpayer money went to fight obesity related illnesses.  The costs simply do not balance out. Clearly,  manipulating, influencing, and persuading students  to eat unhealthy food is wrong.  Advertisements targeting young children has to stop.


Final Rubric: For your reference
C/D & E/F - Final pieces due Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Final Stretch

Types of Opening

1) Rhetorical Question: Is individual choice stifled across America because of mandatory school uniform policies?  (often parallel structure is used here)  

2) Create a scenario:  Picture this. It's a typical Monday morning in suburbia. Two very opinionated tweens are each squabbling over a pair of Feline pants. Each is desperate to wear them at school in order to look cool.  

3) Tell a SHORT anecdote:  Mary Jane Roe walked nervously down the halls of Shane Elementary. After no more that a few steps, the giggles began soon followed by a barrage of   insults. Mary Jane was wearing Wrangler jeans, and this style was simply not cool

Anybody can write an opening: The trick is CONNECTING the  opening  (hook) to your claim/thesis - see how these sentences below relate to the hooks

Example 1)  Answer the question  by referring to the claim e.g. Clearly, the is a dire need to  protect the freedoms of self expression before they become eroded.(state claim)

Example 2) Families around the country can avoid these sibling squabbles if ….(state claim)

Example 3) Sadly, this story is repeated across America. This behavior can only be changed if….(state claim)

EVERYBODY
You must copy and paste your introduction into this file for grading You will receive an error analysis report  and a grade for this piece. The due dates for the other sections of your essay are below with the files attached. By giving you 'process' grades, you have the opportunity to improve before turning in the final paper.

Due: Tue -  Your Introduction
Due: Wed - Your counterargument
Due: Thur: - Your conclusion
Make sure you 'personally' read your supporting paragraphs against the criteria I used for your last graded supporting paragraph grade.
Due: Fri: - Finished piece

C/D & E/F

You should have done 15mins on Membean between last Thurs. & tomorrow.

Comment: You must write a comment based on what you, 'saw, thought, or wondered' about the Invictus so far.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu "I am who I am because of who we all are." Remembering a great leader...

The poem that has come to symbolize Mandala's legacy

Research Based Essay: Officially, I expected finished pieces in during next Friday's class. This is over 3 more hours of class time. - If your progress to date means that you will not meet this deadline, they you need to increase your H/W load!

Next Thur: First Membean assessment - You do not need to study for this. Just make sure you have practiced using the software.

Say Something Nice...

G/H Class -  You should have chosen your supporting ideas and  begun to fill in your powerplans

E/F & C/D - You should have a completed thesis statement and be will on the way to finishing filling in your graphic organizers.


15mins Membean Practice: Due for Next Tuesday. First Membean assessment will be next Thursday. You DO NOT have to study for this assessment. Membean method ensures that words become part of your long term memory. Therefore you should naturally be able to recall their meanings and usage.

Tomorrow: We will write anecdotes and/or scenario openings

Watch this video in preparation for the lesson


Homebase Student of the Week: Jordan



Make a difference in the simplest way...

Finding Supporting Ideas

Research writers take special care to organize their notes into 'Supporting Categories.' THIS  IS THE MOST CHALLENGING STEP OF BUILDING AN ARGUMENT.  Once you have your supporting categories, you can start to build your thesis/claim. Look at the these two samples below:

What categories could these research facts be organized into?

Reading Classes: H/W - Make sure your supporting topics and have written your supporting topic sentences in the graphic organizer. 

Don't just 'talk the  talk' - WALK THE TALK - click link to find out more http://www.dosomething.org/

Research Day

Membean: Feedback 1

C/D & E/F Classes

You should be finished with your research by the end of today.  Many of you will have begun to draft your thesis statements. Remember: Go to an earlier blog post to find links to the thesis generators.

Don't forget: 10 mins of Membean for tomorrow

G/H Class
You will have begun your research. You should have collected your sources and be finished researching by END OF CLASS Thursday.

I was once introduced to the phrase, "what goes around, comes around." It never really clicked to begin with. Now it does...

Let's Get Down to Business...

You are now working independently on your 'Research Based Argument'

Use this file to collect all of your notes for your research based argument:  What is the ISSSSSUE?

Use this resource on MONDAY to for  research: Advanced Search Tips

My expectation is that you have a topic and have collected your four sources by Tuesday. Some of you will have already gone on to begin taking notes. Those of you who have not selected your own topic are STRONGLY advised to choose a topic from this list: (sources linked)

Nuclear Power
College Education
What is a Healthy Diet?
Cell Phones

You must keep up to date by showing your progress through the stages of the report using BOTH the online chart (see right column) and the chart on my white board in the classroom

Reading Classes
H/W - 10 mins of Membean Practice
Suggested H/W: Begin reading and taking notes from 1 or two of your sources.

Due Date for Final Piece: Wednesday 11th C/D & E/F Classes. Friday 13th G/H Classes

Show a little kindness...

Research Based Argument: Presentation Options

Use this link for class: Jumpcut Videos: How to Make One 

Retakes: A number of students have asked to resubmit a piece of work or retake a test. You are very welcome to do so. (Perhaps people are aware of the upcoming report card!) Please come by and see me and write your name down on the board.

Research Based Argument: Coming Soon
We will use this resource on MONDAY to begin our research: Advanced Search Tips

Your topic can be simple -but expertly researched. e.g.


THINKING H/W -Make sure you have an idea for your research based argument. We will begin researching on Monday. Students who don't have ideas will be given a topic to research. (It is better that you have your own). You can ask your parents for ideas


Optional H/W: Thanksgiving Toast

Use your public speaking skills to deliver a Thanksgiving Toast to your family. Take the time to address each member of your family and tell them why that person is so special to you.  This would truly put a smile on your family members' faces. Take care!

Have a truly relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving. Rest, relax, and have plenty of fun. Don't forget your little 'Thanksgiving' toast at the dinner table.


 Enjoying Life  - Sometimes you got a just have a good giggle...
 What would you do it you discovered your parents had eaten all your Halloween candy?

B.E.V.E.S.

Thesis Generator: Use this link

Copy.paste your thesis statement into this doc: Thesis Statement Practice

You will be assessed on your short presentation tomorrow using this criteria.

H/W: Minimum of 15 minutes Membean practice. (Due: Next Monday)

Remember: You must have an idea (that is easy to research) for a topic for your research based argument.

Planning Gird attached here: What is the ISSSSSUE? We will spend both reading and writing classes in December working through this piece. The final due date for your work is Wednesday Dec. 11th This will be an important summative grade.

Progress Charts: This chart will be used to monitor your progress!

Counterargument

Reminder: In class tomorrow (TUE), we will visit the I.S. Book Fair. Bring some cash along with you to spend at the Fair!

Use these steps to build your counterargument:

Thesis/Claim
Even though advocates of advertising on T.V. might argue that this bustling industry supports the U.S. economy through the creation of 1 million jobs each year, a law should still exist that prohibits television commercials targeting young children. School aged children are exposed to inappropriate content, unhealthy foods and are often manipulated into situations where actual bodily harm occurs as a directly result of the products pitched to them in their living rooms.Mentor Text:

Can you spot the steps below that build the counterargument


Proponents of the current status quo on advertising argue quite loudly that this industry creates over 10million jobs across the nation. Effective advertising leads to profitable  businesses; profitable businesses lead to more jobs, and more jobs lead to  a healthy successful economy. However, do the benefits outweigh the pitfalls? The APA estimates that advertisers may spend more than $12 billion per year on ads created to pull in the youth market. Because young children do not understand the actions of advertisers, they will eat the fatty foods without knowing it could harm them. The advertising leads to poor health and poor health leads to a greater demand on the countries health care system thus adversely affecting the economy.  Manipulating, influencing, and persuading students to eat unhealthy food is wrong.

Writing
H/W: Write out the counterargument for either your sports essay or your 1:1 computing essay. You must give this to the class (in small groups) in the format of a short speech! 
Due: Wed
Reading 
Don't forget 15mins of Membean practice for tomorrow. Remember - I can check how long you are on for!

How effectively do you speak in public?


For Next Tuesday: You will be given the freedom to select which research based argument you would like to argue for your final essay. You must be thinking of a topic that you would like to research. You may get ideas from your parents for a topic to research.
All topics must be approved by me first. 6th grade topics (chocolate milk, gun control etc. ) will not be allowed. Step out of your comfort zones!

And the practice begins...

How many words will you learn? -Riya has begun to set the pace!

Top 100 Teen Novels: Which will you read? Add this link to your favorites. Target books from this list to read next

Membean

Membean: Log on Page: Singapore American School

Membean: Share Your Learning Day

Make a copy of this link: Membean - Student Master Why Membean?

Membean Study Cycle

Two Week Cycle:

Week 1: YOU MUST SPEND A MIN. OF 15 MINS on MEMBEAN before TUESDAY!

• Membean in class
• Membean at home
• Membean in class

Week 2:

• Membean in class (up to 15 new words)
• Membean at home
• Quizlet for new words
• Interactive session in class - Share your learning activities
• Membean Assessment (end of week 2)

Students can do extra work on membean to learn more words quicker at ANY time.

What is 'A' Research Based Writing paper?
Many of you might be surprised or disappointed by your progress grade on your 'supporting paragraph assessment today. Effectively building support and elaborating on that support using precisely worded rhetoric is a vital skill for now and in the future. "OK - So what an I doing wrong?" you might ask. Look at how this piece superbly moves from anecdote into evidence and each piece of evidence almost seamlessly builds on the next.

The issue of whether laptops should be under the control of children has both its proponents and detractors. The innumerate possible distractions these devices can create for Middle School aged children is the primary reason why 1:1 computing should not be common place in our schools.  I’m not going to lie.  Everyday I see almost half of my class going on websites that are not relevant to the school work at hand.  Another person who has noticed children getting off task in class is Faria Sana, a researcher on how computer distractions impact kids. One day she was spying on some college students, and noticed that even young adults were on social networking sites or playing games rather than paying attention to their studies.  Lynette Owens, author of “Stricter Filters and Rules Are Not the Answer for Laptops in School”, believes computers are the most motivational tool to help children engage in their work and work harder.  I would like to argue that having a computer sitting by a child’s side is only encouraging him or her to avoid work by play games or going on social networking sites.  Generally, when a child is distracted in class, they are neither working nor learning.  The child may very well end up with lower test scores as a direct consequence of their lack of attention in the classroom.  The article “Research Says… / One-to-One Laptop Programs Are No Silver Bullet,” by Bryan Goodwin, gives a good example.  “After five years of implementation of the largest one-to-one initiative in the United States, Maine's statewide program, evaluations found little effect on student achievement—with one exception, writing, where scores edged up 3.44 points.”  Moreover, Faria Sana claims “Computers distractions can change your grade from a B+ to a B-.”  Not only does the disturbing aspect of computers’ affect children in class.  But they can affect children outside school.  Computer distractions are a ripple effect in which if a student ignores tasks in class, they must do it at home.  Older teengager’s, especially, can stay up very late at night doing work they didn’t finish and/or learn the work that was taught during the day.  I know teenagers have a lot of homework in the first place.  But not working hard and staying focused in school just adds to the bucket load of work.  As a rule, kids who lack sleep will not perform their best the next day.  The article Cellphones/Computers Are Keeping Kids Awake At Night says, “45% of adolescents get less than eight hours of sleep at night (below the minimum hours of sleep for a childs age) caused by school work and games/social networking.” Perhaps if in the future there wasn’t one on one computing, more children would get more sleep, and more children would get higher test scores and learn more than before.

Look at the use of strong word choice (blue words are mine) and the voice of the writer - You can see how my adult voice actually doesn't fit with the text because this student's style is so unique. In addition, look at the depth of the argument. This student did not write '5' llines! -

Learn form this...please!

Superlatives

Make a copy of our new grammar unit: Advanced Superlatives and Comparatives

Make a copy Credibility of Sources

Alternative thesis statement generator: Click Here

Word Study Assessment: Many of you said the the -ing form of a verb is the same as a verb. This is normally not the case.  Watch this video for explanation. We will do a whole unit on gerund phrases as part of our 'Sentence Tools Grammar Units' in the new year.
Superlatives: Recap. Can you put some superlative phrases into your critical analysis of the article?

Coming TOMORROW: Introduction of our revolutionary new way to learn vocabulary and roots: Our new Word Study program...The Membean Method!
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Membean Educator from Membean on Vimeo.

HomeBase: Student of the Week - Kalia

Supporting Paragraph

Use this link to learn how to create a Claim/Thesis statements

H/W: Writing Class
Below is an important mentor text (thanks Maddie) on how to craft your graded supporting paragraph.

This piece of writing (your supporting paragraph) is  due THURSDAY

Bring a small object to class. This can be anything. However, don't spend forever trying to think of something! 

Reading Class

Your analysis of the article is due FRIDAY. I will give you 30minutes of class time tomorrow to work on this.Your finished product will contain:

a) Claim/thesis paragraph

b) Two additional paragraphs with detailed support for your thesis. (Each paragraph should contain multiple paragraph snadwiches)

Don't count the days...Make EVERY DAY count! (Thanks David +1 for contributing)

Learn more here

Structure Your Essays

Use this link to go to: Essay Structure lesson

H/W
Using the evidence collected from today's class, write up the 2nd paragraph of your essay. You do not need to write an introduction or state the claim. Just write the second paragraph. Use either of these questions below to help. You must turn in digitally in Research Based Mini Lesson: file under today's mini lesson title.

1) Your research listed in order of importance
2) The paragraph  that explains the facts. The paragraph will contain:

•          Reference to the claim
•          The Supporting idea
•          Multiple quotes sandwiches
•          Transitional Words
•          Warrants

Due: Thur

Write a  supporting paragraph from either of these two thesis statements.  Remember to begin the paragraph by referencing both your supporting idea and the original claim!

       Despite the fact that an adoption of a  1:1 program in Middle Schools requires an immense capital outlay and more professional development and training for faculty,  these initiatives should be compulsory across all forward thinking schools. Laptop technology in the hands of every child leads to more engaged and motivated students. The empirical data also suggests that students exposed to a 1:1 environment are simpler smarter than those using less contemporary approaches to teaching and learning

Even though teenager students can be more creative using computer software and web 2.0 tools, the use of 1:1 laptop program in middle schools leads to distracted students and the empirical evidence does not prove that students learn more with computers. The extreme financial burden on school to run and maintain computers in the hands of every student solidifies the argument against technology statured classrooms.

Remember: You just need to write '1' supporting paragraph

Validity of Sources

Mentor Text: Why Schools Must Move past 1:1 Computing

Word Study Link: Copy the table into your OWN Word study document: Word Connotation

Word Study Assessment 3 is Wednesday. Make sure you use Quizlet both tonight and Tuesday to practice. This test will include a question that will require you to write '5' sentences that use parallel structure using the words and roots. At least two of the sentences will need to be written in correlative conjunctions.  One question on the assessment will require you to write the root and vocabulary word associated with an image e.g. What root/vocabulary word goes with this image?


For Tomorrow: Writing
Bring your mystery object - Postponed until Thursday
2nd Round of debate - Will your team advance?

H/W - Continue your note taking on analyzing the article. (You may work together  with your partner on this piece): Bring completed notes to class Wed.  - How will you ensure that each team member 'pulls their weight?'

Give a little love...

Weekly Reflection

Use this link to go to your Parallel Structure Assessment

The Great Debaters! -
7th Grade Learning Targets: Know what you are learning. Today in class you were  practising:
Speaking and Listening (S.L. 1&3)

1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

3. Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

Coming Next Week

• Grammar  Unit 3: Advanced Superlatives and Comparatives
• Writing: Thesis Statements/Claims Generator / Counterarguments / Transitional Phrases / Anecdote openings / Emotive language
• Reading:  Text Analysis / Validity of Sources (Bias and Authority) / Target Audiences
• Word Study: Unit 3 Test / Unit 4 Roots

Excellent work this week... Shout out to David H. - Scoring an 'A' on the parallel structure assessment

What is missing in 'our' worlds?

Add your ideas as comments, and maybe we will implement your suggestion in class.

Learning Target 7.8

Today we practiced Target 7.8
RL 7.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims

Kudos to Yasmin - the only student to recognize use of pathos in the images!

Analysis

Writing Classes
Reminders: Make sure you have completed your research using the sources from yesterday's post.
Parallel Structure Assessment is tomorrow. Make sure you have used this site.
Try this exercise: Parallelism (write Correct or 'Incorrect')

Also on the test:

• Can you name/write the x4 types of subjects and predicates?
• How do you spot opening and delayed adjectives/adverbs in sentences?

HomeBase: Student of the Week SAM BODDEN



Tabuelan Typhoon Relief: SAS FACEBOOK page: LINK ATTACHED
Help in any way that you can!

Analyzing Articles

Use this file to take notes: (What is the ISSSSSUE) on the topic: 1:1 Computers in Schools

Options on How to Cite Research

Go to these sources and collect notes on for/against the use of computers in schools.

Oates, John (2005). Computers bad for kids. Retrieved from http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/21/computers_bad_for_schools/

Simon, Dan 2012. Silicon Valley School with no computers. Retrieved from:

http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/tech/2012/03/13/dnt-simon-no-tech-schools.cnn.html

Goodwin, Bryan (2011). One-to-One Laptop Programs Are No Silver Bullet. Retrieved from

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/One-to-One_Laptop_Programs_Are_No_Silver_Bullet.aspx

Cherry, Ashton (2013). 1-1 laptop project for every student.  Retrieved from http://vimeo.com/52923729

Owens, Lynette (2013). Stricter filters and rules are not the answer for laptops in schools.  Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2013/07/one-year-later-lessons-learned-from-11-laptops-in-school/

H/W: You should have visited at least 4 sources (AS A TEAM e.g. x2 each -shared notes) by Friday

Writing

Complete your analysis of the third /fourth source file on the same document you started in class. Drop the document for me to view. (Due: Fri). On Friday, you will debate this topic, this time in small groups. G/H class. You only need to collect research from two sources (one each per team) - We will finish the rest in class.

Optional Further Practice
Parallel Structure: Some extra multiple choice activities - Test is FRIDAY!
Medium Level
Harder Level

Excellent work today on your correlative conjunctions parallel structure sentences

Scary performances today! ENJOY...
FOR NEXT TUESDAY: Bring a mystery object to class. - It needs to be small