Confirmation Bias

$1 Competition Winners - CONGRATULATIONS!

Lesson Recap: Being aware of how your l judgment is easily affected

Take time to really develop your reasoning

Membean Test tomorrow - Do you have your minutes?

Hey Students, 

I just learned about an annual SCHOLASTIC WRITING COMPETITION for American students. The deadline for submission is December 7, so we have to hurry. 

There are several categories including MEMOIR! Please consider revising and submitting your memoir.  If you'd like a critical friend, come to QUILL writing club on Thursdays (3:15-4:15 in M214, my room) and I can help you. 

Other Categories

Personal Essay & Memoir CATEGORY

Category Description

A non-fiction work based on opinion, experience, and/or emotion that explores a topic or event of importance to the author.

Special Instructions

Essays in which humor is the key element should be submitted to the humor category.

Click here to see examples of previous works in this category.

Limits

500–3,000 words.

Talk to me if you have any questions!

Quote Sandwich Introduction

Lesson Recap - Structuring your thinking using quote sandwiches

Bonus - 3 points for each quote sandwich in your $1 challenge piece

The tip for a successful quote sandwich is to 'dissect' the quote in depth

Reminder - $1 challenge writing due tomorrow!

Argument Craft - $1 Challenge Scoring Sheet (updated today!)

Dear Mom and Dad,

For the last few weeks, I have been working on my TRi Time investigation during Homebase. My driving question, which is... (Insert your driving question.).

I intend to investigate specifically…

I was most excited during my investigation this week when… (Describe a moment during TRi Time this week when you were really excited about your investigation, had an aha moment, or were inspired to dig deeper.).

One struggle I had this week was… (Describe a moment during TRi Time this week when you hit a roadblock or weren’t sure what to do next.).

I overcame that challenge by… (Explain how you overcame your struggle or roadblock.).

As I continue my TRi Time work, I could use your help by... (Explain how your parents might help you now.). If you have any tips for me, I would greatly appreciate them

Thanks for your support throughout my TRi Time investigation!

Love,

(Insert your name here)

Argument Craft Moves

For today's lesson:

Make a copy of this file in your digital notebooks and label ALL the Argument craft moves used

Argument Craft Moves - Recap

Argument Craft Moves - Answers

Argument Craft - $1 Challenge Scoring Sheet

DUE THURSDAY

If you do not bring in your work PRINTED - you forfeit your contribution to the challenge.

This dollar activity is a metaphor for life. Can you see how?

This Friday, you will send an email home with a screen shot of your grades in PowerSchool. You may want to get any missing grades updated/work resubmitted before then in order to get less hassle from your parents over the w/end.

H/W - C/D and E/F Class - Bring SG$1 to class. You must bring it in cash.

Lesson Recap

Make sure you understand these concepts

Next week is a Membean week

Test - Fri
30mins -Meets
40mins - Exemplary (some people have minutes to catch up on the semester!)

Enjoy some highlights from last week.

Chaewon and Derek : Bullying Speech

Arya and Pranay's Website

Check your PowerSchool. Do you have missing grades? Last date for resubmission of any work from the 1st Semester: Dec 8th

For Tomorrow

Grammar Paragraph - Opening and Delayed Paragraph (Submitted to Seesaw as video and text - or performed live)


Bullying Presentations - Due Wednesday

This Week

Check your PowerSchool. Do you have missing grades? Last date for resubmission of any work from the 1st Semester: Dec 8th

Argument Writing Format - Resources

Your task is to take a position on whether or not music should be allowed while working. Write an argument essay in which you clearly state your position either for or against music while working, and then support that claim with evidence from the texts you’ve read, “3 Reasons You Should Try Studying While Listening to Music"” and watched “Listening to Music While Studying.” Now you can read, “How Music Could Help You  Concentrate While Studying”


Summatives this week
Grammar Paragraph - Opening and Delayed Paragraph
Bullying Presentations - Wednesday

You will have all class Tuesday to work on these topics

Next Week's Summatives

I am still missing some EMAIL HOME from the last unit - Get these to me before Friday 8pm. After this time, grades will be recorded in PowerSchool . This cannot be resubmitted


C/D and E/F Classes - On Monday, you must be ready to pitch your idea for your final project on bullying. This will be needed to be finished by Wednesday.


Grammar Summative - Opening and Delayed Adjectives and Adverbs - Due Wed. (You will have class time to work on this on Mon. and Tue.)

Sample Video - Even little kids can do this! (These kids are very special though!)

Plan your work like this - Read the tips

Course of Study - Day 4

Last chance - Make sure you bring your 'reading challenge books to class tomorrow - You will receive a responsibility grade

I am still missing some EMAIL HOME from the last unit - Get these to me before the end of the week. Don't let me have to chase you up! - If you do not have a grade in power school - it means I do not have your email yet!

Return all book club books that you have finished with please :-)

Argument  Preassessment

H/W - Go to one last source on 'bullying' and collect information. You will have your last debate tomorrow.

___________________________________________________________________________
This is a pre-assessment for our NEW unit after Thanksgiving. We just want to see what you know on these two skills - Main ideas and Perspectives

Question 1: Listening to Music While Studying
Question 2: How Music Could Help You to Concentrate While Studying

You will have 30mins to finish these two questions

Grammar Recap - Opening and Delayed Adverbs

Instructions for Wednsday's Classes

HomeBase - Tritime project slide show goo.gl/g1iXsN

Instructions for grammar formative

Students may choose their own sentence starter if they want to.

Do your work in google doc first - color code you opening adjectives one color and your delayed adjectives another. Screen shot your work and paste into SEESAW

FYI - typical sample piece

E/F Class - Extra Subjects and predicate practice

Stephen - Jayden - Adam - Richard - Arya - Same paragraph but with an emphasis on advanced subjects and predicates.

Course of Study: Day 2 and Opening Adjectives

IMPORTANT - Return all BOOK CLUB BOOKS to the cart in my room. 

H/W - Take notes on ONE new source from the bullying list - be prepared to share your notes with your partner

Grammar Recap - Opening adjectives

In class tomorrow - you will need to write a short scene using both opening and delayed adjectives. Will you be ready? - Watch this video for help

Growing Ideas - Summative

If you want to know what a 4 looks like - read these excellent pieces from some of your fellow 7th graders

Course of Study: Day 1

Day 1 Tritime - HB H/W - Go to the toolkit. Find one thing on the toolkit that you noticed. Be ready to share that we class tomorrow. (Approx. time to complete - 5mins)

H/W - Watch this video on delayed adjectives to help you with this new sentence technique

For Class today

                                                            Course of Study - Bullying

 Reading Challenge Begins

Grammar Recap

Reflection Email Home

Make sure you have images and EVIDENCE to support your opinions

Next Week - Course of Study - Bullying

Next Week - Reading Challenge Begins

Growing Ideas in Book Clubs

Use these resources to help you with your summative today on the short story - Popularity

Tomorrow Fri - Membean TEST

Minutes needed 35mins/Meets 45/Exemplary 

Book Club Conversation Assessment (Make sure your book club is ready to discuss something significant)

Today's Activity

Discuss an ‘important choice/action/inaction’ that was made by  your main characters or a supporting character. Do you agree with the character's decision? What does the character’s choice teach you about the person, the stage of character change he/she is at, what he/she values, the character’s blind spots, or the message from the story?

Use the lenses that you were given in yesterday’s class to collect your thinking (Interpretive thinking sheet) - examples of lenses

Work Submission

Book club use the graphic organizer to do a video recording in Seesaw (as a team) sharing their thinking/answer to the prompt given above

Interpreting Characters Actions/Inaction

Student Samples - Part to Whole Sumative - Why didn't I get a 4? Read this work and decide what you need to do to improve your grade in your retake!

Lesson Recap - Critiqing character's actions

Next Week

Next WEEK - Membean week - 35mins (MEETS) 45mins (Exemplary) TEST NEXT FRIDAY
Thursday - Growing Ideas in Book Clubs - Summative (text: Popularity)
Friday- Book Club Discussion Summative (Your present book club book)

Subjects and Predicates Grammar Assessment

Lesson Recap: Tracking character change

Part to Whole: Mentor Samples

H/W - Have you done enough practice for your subjects and predicates assessment?
You will get TWO grades. Language grade and a Writing grade. (look below for a BIG tip!)
Grammar Summative is tomorrow: I am telling you EXACTLY what you need to do for tomorrow's writing grammar summative. How will you use this information? It is an open book and open notes assessment!!!

These are mentor samples of answers: Part to Whole
1) Notice how the  argument is structured using transitions
2) Notice how the author's  use analogical thinking

Sample 1

The entire theme of the story is portrayed beautifully on page 249. Sumiko is thinking about Jiichan and the unfair prejudices he’s been through, and how he is still brave and happy. The author writes, “And yet Jiichan had found a type of success. She realized suddenly that he had been a happy man. And a brave one. She spotted a weed and jumped up and pulled it out. Then she saw another one and yanked that out.” Although the sudden transition between contemplating Jiichan’s life journey and pulling out weeds may seem abrupt and irrelevant, it is actually an extremely clever move on the author’s part. In the scene, Sumiko was thinking about how Jiichan has faced many wrongs on his journey of life, but he’s still happy and brave. This angers her, as she feels the way Jiichan and countless others are treated is unfair and prejudiced. In her anger, she pulls out a weed. Then, she spotted another weed. She pulls this out as well. The weeds symbolize the problems and prejudice society has in our world. The fact that there were more weeds, represents how no matter how much we try to solve problems, there will always be more. It also conveys that the victims of the evils of the world can’t fix the wrongs alone, and it is up to us to stand up for them and help right the wrongs in this world that is corruption and prejudice. It is amazing to think that in the beginning of the book, Sumiko wouldn’t have even known about half the wrongdoings of the war and the world, let alone try and fix them, but now, she is trying to help make the world a better place, and inspire others, such as when she pulls the weeds out, helps Mr. Moto with his garden, protects Frank, etc. In the beginning of the book, when Sumiko saw something wrong, she wouldn’t have interfered at all, but rather, kept away and hid her emotions inside. For example, when she was rejected from Marsha’s party, although she was more angry than sad, she didn’t do anything, just walked away. She hid the events, and pretended they never happened, not telling anyone else about being “uninvited” (pg 36). Whereas now, she is willing to be an upstander for people like Frank, when he is being beat by other boys for no apparent reason. By being upstanders, and pulling out the weeds that is the diseased evil of our garden, the world, you are not only making space for other, better flowers to grow, you are also reducing the contagious aspects of prejudice in the world. Only when we pull out the weeds, face evil and stand up for others, like flowers growing in a garden, can our world flourish.

Sample 2
  Suzy Swanson’s way of coping with change and loss was clearly shown on pg. 17 when Suzy’s mom told her about Franny’s death, saying, “Some things just happen.” This scene was vital in expressing what Ali Benjamin the author of “The Thing About Jellyfish” was trying to say; “Like poison hidden in wine, the things hurting us the most are the ones we can’t see.” Usually when things happen without an explanation, we would just focus on moving on. However, Suzy desperately tries to find a reason to explain Franny's death instead of just accepting it.This can be shown when her life starts to revolve around finding a cause for her friend’s death. “... everyone else had just given up.” She was so determined to figure out what happened that she considered traveling to a different continent without her parents. Although it was written all over the text, Suzy didn’t realize that sometimes relationships fizzle out. This was represented most importantly by melting of the pee disks Suzy made. This resembles the relationship between Suzy and Franny and one of the greater themes. As the pee disks started to melt, it symbolises their relationship starting to melt, fizzle out, and tear apart. It also symbolizes the two of them slowly drifting away from each other, until their relationship is no more. The end of Suzy and Franny’s friendship shows that change is inescapable but vital. In addition to that, Franny’s death show is definitely one of the most pivotal moments in the story, but how her death was unexplained shows that change is vital but there isn’t always a reason behind it. Change is a one way street that you have to drive down and there’s no turning back. Just as change is inevitable, so is death. And similar to change, you never know when it’s going to happen and sometimes (like in Franny’s death) why it happens. Dealing with loss and change is difficult; sometimes they are unexplained, but have to be accepted. The events in this story show that, life is like an ocean, you can’t control which way the current flows, but you have to follow the flow.

ASK - If you need help on subjects and predicates, bring a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) that uses a variety of subjects and predicates that flow together about one topic to ASK.

Parts to Whole - Summative Tomorrow ( You can use ALL your NOTES from this week) You will be given a text that you have already read and you will have to explain how one part, captures the whole - using 'analogical interpretation techniques.

Friday - Grammar TEST - Make sure you have studied some of the online practice exercises.
Test will be in two part:
Grammar Grade - Naming different subjects and predicates in a multiple choice format
Writing Grade - Writing a short paragraph that correctly uses different subjects and predicates. Example below

Writing Grading Rubric

4- Students used advanced subjects and predicates accurately in 4 sentences and named them correctly. Some sentence tools are also correctly used

3- Students used advanced subjects and predicates accurately in 3 sentences and name them correctly.

2- Students used some advanced subjects and predicates accurately in  3 sentences and named most of  them correctly. Some errors were present.

1- Students mostly confused advanced subjects and predicates and could not craft at least   3 sentences correctly or name the types of subjects and predicates used.