September 30 or October 1

Freshmen: Today we took a quiz on the first chapter of The Elements of Style and discussed some of the rules contained therein. We primarily focused again on making schema connections as readers. You need to be gathering information for step 2 of our essay process. We will be in the lab on Thursday, and you will have time in class to focus on your sources on Friday. All research is due on Monday. Due for Friday is chapter 2 from Elements.

Sophomores: We focused on a close reading exercise and began a compare-contrast film study assignment. See me for details. The film assignment is due in two weeks. We also took a quiz on chapter 7 from The Power of One; chapter 9 is due Monday.

September 29

Freshmen: Today we began Step 2 in our process, gathering information. We began something I call question-based research, which means basing your research on your topic on questions that came out of Step 1. You are to write one important question on one side of at least 12 of your 3x5 cards. As you research, you then search for answers. On the back, as you find answers, you write brief statements, including the title of the source that you got your information from. If you find important pieces of information not included in your questions, simply take a new card, on side write the piece of information as a topic sentence, and on the back, provide details. Always write down the source of your information. You must have three sources for your essay: either an interview or a survey you create, a non-internet print source, and an internet source. We will go to the computer lab to research on Thursday. All of your information (that is, your 3x5s), must be complete for next Monday. For our next period, finish Chapter I of The Elements of Style.

Sophomores: Today we studied the character of Hoppie, and discussed whether it was possible to separate who a person is from the cultural views a person inherits. We also began a study of various essays from the This I Believe website, which is due in two weeks (10/9). Chapter 7 is due on Wednesday.

September 26

Freshmen: You need 12 3x5 cards for Monday; Chapter 1 from Elements is due the next block period.

Sophomores: Chapter 7 from The Power of One is due Wednesday. Be working your Echoes of the Tao and 3EJ assignments.

September 25

Freshmen: Today we began the first step in our essay writing process, which was defining the problem. We looked at the list of potential essay topics and phrased our best three either as a question or a statement (e.g. We need to raise the driving age. Or, Is there a way to reduce homelessness?). Then we thought of key questions that we, or our reader, would need to have answered in order to understand our topic and our point of view on it. Homework is to do that, and to read for 20 minutes/finish the glossary from The Elements of Style. For Monday, bring in at least 12 3x5 cards.

Sophomores: Today we focused on learning to do a close reading through two exercises, your Echoes of the Tao assignment, as well as a Triple Entry Journal (3EJ). Be working on the Echoes assignment for The Power of One, and complete at least one 3EJ entry. Chapter 4 is due Friday.

September 23

Freshmen: Today we learned about making connections as a reader, specifically text to text, text to self, and text to world connections. Think of these as the places whatever you are reading overlaps with your own story, another story you have read, or things you know about in the world. I used the example of my sophomores: In order to understand The Power of One, my students must make connections to what they know about World War II and aparthied in South Africa, think about times they faced oppression or worked to achieve a goal, and how our main character is in this book changes in ways similar to how the main character changed in our last book. Your task is to google and read the following: Billy Collins and "On Turning Ten"; "Eleven" and Sandra Cisneros. Don't tell me you can't find them, I know you can. The first is a poem, the second is a short story. After reading them, type a one page essay that explains in depth a connection you have (either text to self, text, or world).

We also played a grammar Jeopardy game that previewed what we will learn by reading The Elements of Style. You need to read the glossary, which is due for Thursday, as are your 12 essay ideas.

Sophomores: We took a vocab quiz on chapter 2 and then focused on important literary concepts and applied them to Life of Pi and The Power of One. For homework, Chapter 4 is due for Friday.

The Elements of Style Reading Schedule 2008

The Elements of Style Reading Schedule 2008

9/23 or 9/24 – Begin book.
9/26 – Glossary due; quiz.
9/30 & 10/1 – Chapter 1 due; quiz.
10/3 – Chapter 2 due; quiz.
10/6 – Chapter 3 due; quiz.
10/9 – Chapter 4 due; quiz.
10/13 – Chapter 5 due; quiz.
Start Speak 10/14 & 10/16

September 19

Freshmen: We took a vocab quiz and discussed possible essay topics for you to pursue. We called these things that we think a lot about our "mental itches." You are to think about the questions below and come up with a list of at least 12 possible topics for an essay. I will collect these next class period. Your other homework is to read 20 minutes this weekend, Monday, and Tuesday night.

Questions to Consider:
What problem needs solving?
What situation needs correcting?
What issue needs explaining?
What phenomenon needs exploring?
What choice I’ve made/stand I’ve taken/personal preference needs to be understood by others?
What area of my expertise needs sharing?
What subject that’s close and familiar to me needs to be viewed and considered from a distance?
What point of view needs my powers of persuasion?
What interesting story can I tell?

Sophomores: We will have a vocab test on Wednesday on chapter 2 and I will collect your books that day. Today we reflected on the essays we wrote and discussed Chapter 1 from The Power of One. Finish 2 and 3 for Wednesday. Also, be sure your Tao assignment for Pi is complete, and begin it for Power, too.

September 18

Freshmen: Today we compiled a master list of all the features we noticed were evident in the effective essays we read. This way we can do these things ourselves when we write. Your homework is 20 minutes of reading, and a vocab test will be Friday. Bring The Elements of Style first day of next week.

Sophomores: Today we began The Power of One. The reading schedule is posted here, too. Be sure to carve out the necessary time to read outside of school; I will give you time in class to read as well. Finish Chapter 1 for Friday; your essays are due that day, too. Finish Chapter 3 for Wednesday.

The Power of One Reading Schedule

The Power of One reading schedule 2008:
Date Chapter Due
9/18 Start book
9/19 1
9/24 3
9/26 4
10/1 7
10/6 9
10/13 12
10/20 16
10/27 22
10/31 Finish book by this date

September 16 and 17

Freshmen: We concluded reading the large packet of essays I had for you, and you identified what features these effective essays had. Your homework is to read 20 minutes Tuesday and Wednesday, and get The Elements of Style.

Sophomores: We listened to "There is such a thing as truth" from the This I Believe website. Do so if you were absent. We then listened to Part III of Life of Pi and discussed which story was the "true" story. Read it if you were absent. Bring The Power of One for Thursday and your spiritual journey essay for Friday.

September 15

Freshmen: Today we began a study of what features effective essays have by reading several essays and identifying their strengths. Doing this, we can then imitate them in our own writing. This will continue through our next period. Read 20 minutes tonight and Tuesday. Get The Elements of Style ASAP.

Sophomores: Today we self and peer assessed your spiritual journey essays. Finish Part II from Pi for Wednesday, get The Power of One for Thursday, and have a final copy of your essay for Friday. Late.

September 12

Freshmen: We assessed your essay on the film "More" and discussed the theme of the film. Homework is to read for 20 minutes; you need The Elements of Style for next week.

Sophomores: We discussed the use of lists in Life of Pi, as well as the significance of his name as it relates to the concept of pi. Finish your essay for Monday; finish Part II for Wednesday.

September 11

Freshmen: We introduced the Letter to the Editor assignment. Your letter is due no later than October 9 - you can turn it in any time before then. Read for 20 minutes. Your essay is due Friday.

Sophomores: Your essay is due Monday; Part II is due Wednesday. Have The Power of One for next Thursday.

Life of Pi Spiritual Journey Narrative Compare and Contrast Essay

Life of Pi Spiritual Journey Narrative Compare and Contrast Essay

Much of is Life of Pi about Pi’s spiritual journey. This is something we all go through, though perhaps not as dramatically as Pi does. Examine your spiritual journey, both past and present, and write a narrative essay. Examine what kind of relationship you have with God, a religion, prayer, faith, and yourself. There is no right answer, and no correct journey. The important thing is to get a better understanding of yourself, your beliefs, and your practices. As you tell your own story, compare and contrast yourself and your journey with Pi and his journey by citing at least three pieces of evidence from the text. Many students ask about length; I am not going to specify length for this, because good writing is about depth and clarity of thought, rather than simply the length of the piece.

Your writing will be assessed according to the six traits rubric and is worth 100 points. You must have a typed draft of this essay for class on Monday, 9/15.

Reaction to Sophomore Summer Read Essays 2008

Reaction to Sophomore Summer Read Essays 2008
1. Need to actually read text in order to intelligently discuss it.
2. Address prompt and mode – this was an argumentative piece, not a summary or book report.
3. Provide context early in essays.
4. State thesis clearly early in essay.
5. Underline titles of books and provide author’s name.
6. Use several paragraphs: five paragraph essay would be minimum structure you want to use; typically, a good essay has 8-19 paragraphs.
7. Provide an interesting title.
8. Use homonyms correctly.
9. Spell out all numbers zero to ten. 11 and above write as a numeral.
10. Use specific facts to support generalizations.
11. Do not use a pronoun without making it clear who or what you are referring to: e.g. “They were not effective doing that” is not a good first sentence as your reader has no idea what you are talking about.
12. Write like the person reading your work hasn’t read the book or seen the prompt.

September 9 and 10

Freshmen: Today we self-assessed the paragraphs you wrote about Gang of Four. We continued our method of thinking through observation, induction, and statement of thesis by watching a short film by Mark Osborn titled "More." We then discussed the concept of a five paragraph essay and an outline as two tools (but not the only!) that you might use when writing. My hope is you quickly move beyond this into more sophisticated waters. Your task is to write a five paragraph essay that answers the prompt "What is the message of the film 'More'?" Be sure to provide an interesting title at the top. The essay, typed and double spaced, is due Friday. Also, you must read 20 minutes Tuesday and Wednesday. Be sure to get a copy of The Elements of Style for next week.

Sophomores: Today we focused on your writing, specifically from the summer reading essays, and addressed areas you can improve in. Check out the post marked Reactions for more info. You have an essay assignment, which you can find on the post Spiritual Journey Essay. A typed draft of this essay is due next Monday, 9/15. I have pushed back the Part II due date for Pi - it is due WEDNESDAY, 9/17. We will finish the book together that day.

September 8

Freshmen: Today we continued working on the thinking process of observe, induce, state thesis. We practiced by doing an exercise called "Gang of Four", which you can find at this address: http://jeffhouse.addr.com/writing/gangoffour.htm. SPOILER ALERT: Do not scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page - it tells you the answer. I want to see what you think and why; the right answer is not importance. We also went over the unit 1 vocab quizzes. Your homework tonight is to read for 20 minutes and to write a typed paragraph short essay that explains who killed Whippersnapper and why. Follow this structure for your paragraph: First sentence is your thesis, the next three to five are supporting details, and wrap up with a concluding sentence.

Sophomores: We talked about other famous Richard Parkers in sailing lore, and also introduced the idea of NPR's "This I Believe" essays. Your homework is to write a one page, typed This I Believe statement from Pi's point of view. Adopt his voice, his diction, his tone, his way of writing, and get inside the character as you figure out exactly what he would write if he were submitting to NPR. Do these four things: write from his point of view; write in the first person and imitate his voice and style; use lists; type it, about a page. This is due Wednesday. Finish Part II from Life of Pi for next Monday; there will be a vocab quiz on chapter 1 on Wednesday.

September 5

Freshmen: We took a vocab quiz on Unit 1. We also self-assessed your paragraphs about The Case of the Happy Baby based on our Six Traits rubric. Your homework this weekend is to read for 20 minutes.

Sophomores: Today we focused on the reading comprehension strategy of visualization, or making movies in the mind. We read Chapter 46 and 47 together from Life of Pi and drew the scene(s) that stuck out most strongly in our minds. You need to finish Chapter 53 for Monday. Get The Power of One ASAP - it is our next class text.

The Case of the Happy Baby

The Case of the Happy Baby

“John Wilson doesn’t look much like a murderer,” said Sheriff Monahan as a young man emerged from the farmhouse carrying a naked baby boy.
The sheriff stopped the patrol car behind Wilson’s yellow sedan. He drew his pistol, whispered to Dr. Haledjian to wait, and called: “Raise your hands, John!”
Wilson halted, amazed. He sat his infant son carefully on the fender of his car and lifted his hands. “What’s it all about, Sheriff?”
“Murder. We have a witness who says you entered Moose Long’s bar last night after closing. Half an hour later Mrs. Long found Moose strangled to death with a yellow scarf.”
“That’s a lie. Why—”
“Look out!” cried Haledjian, as the baby scampered onto the yellow hood. Cooing happily, he attempted to stand. Haledjian just saved him from toppling to the ground.
“That witness is mistaken, Sheriff,” Wilson resumed calmly. “I’ve been in this car since eight o’clock last night driving down from Philadelphia. I just arrived five minutes ago.”
The sheriff looked at his watch. “Then drove the six hundred miles between Philly and here in a little over twelve hours,” he said dubiously.
“Can you prove I didn’t” snapped Wilson.
“Nothing could be easier,” declared Haledjian.

September 4

Freshmen: Today we focused on the thought process of observe, induce, state thesis. Your homework is to write a typed, 1 paragraph response to "The Case of the Happy Baby." Open with your thesis, support it with your observations and inductions, and craft a compelling final sentence. Read for 20 minutes. There will be a vocabulary quiz on Chapter 1 tomorrow.

Sophomores: Today we began Part II from Life of Pi. It is crucial that you finish everything through Chapter 45 for tomorrow. Get The Power of One ASAP. We will have a vocab quiz on Chapter 1 Monday.

September 2 and 3

Freshmen: Finish chapter 1 from our vocab book. There will be a quiz on it this week. In class, we began to focus on the concept of a thesis. Read pages 71-77 from Models for Writers. Then answer questions 1-6 on page 77, and do the classroom activity on page 78. Also, be sure to read 20 minutes Tuesday and Wednesday night. You need The Elements of Style for September 17.

Sophomores: Finish through page 27 in your vocab book. Today we built background knowledge to help us understand Life of Pi by sharing the 3 Facts assignment. There will be a quiz on the information presented on Thursday. Finish all of Part I for Thursday - there will be a quiz. There is also an extra credit opportunity. Go to www.thisamericanlife.org. Find the program "Something for Nothing." At least listen to Act III, the "Tao of the Dumpster." (though all of it is interesting). Respond in a one page essay to this prompt: What elements of Taoism (real Taoism) are evident in the subject's life and philosophy? You can get up to 20 points extra credit. It is due Monday.