Thursday, October 29

It'll be Utah 45, OSU 14 on Halloween. If you go trick or treating, the teacher tax is 10%, so bring it in.

Freshmen: Today we focused on Step Six of our Seven Step Essay Process: Revision. Today we learned about the importance of reading your work aloud with a pen in your hand as you focus on ideas, organization, sentence structure, word choice, and voice. Revise and improve your essay for Monday's class and bring a copy to class with you then. Finish up Membean and read twice for 20 minutes over the long weekend.

Sophomores: Today we focused on Taoism in what we're reading and the images and ideas we see in the Tao te Ching. Submit your 10%ed film essay to turnitin.com by midnight Friday. Finish reading Chapters 14, 15, and 16 for Monday's class. Finish up with Membean and keep working on your triple entry journal.

CNF: We continued with our documentary; we'll finish it on Monday.

Freshmen Second Quarter Prayer and Great Thoughts Assignment Explanation

Your Prayer and Great Thoughts assignment will stay the same for the second quarter aside from the following two changes:
1. Rather than type up your entire talk like an essay, you should simply have a outline of your talk. This will free you up to speak more to the class and have better eye contact. You will need to practice your talk multiple times in order to speak in a coherent fashion. Place your outline on the back of your great thought.
2. This quarter, your great thought must come from a work of fiction. I want you thinking about things you have read that have meant something to you and revealed something about life and how to live it. This could be something a character said, or something from the narration, but it does need to be from a book that was meaningful in some way. Like before, talk about the principle the great thought encapsulates.

Tuesday, October 27 and Wednesday, October 28

Freshmen: Today we focused on doing the 10% Solution on your essays. Finish this for homework and bring a typed copy of your essay in to class on Thursday. This should have your original word count, goal word count, and final word count in your header. Read for 20 minutes Tuesday and Wednesday and complete your 20 minutes of Membean. If you choose, you can write a poem similar to Sherman Alexi's "At Navajo Monument Valley Tribal School" where you write a poem in response to a photograph. Bring the photograph and poem to class Thursday for credit.

Sophomores: Today we focused on doing the 10% Solution on your essays. Finish this for homework by Thursday, and you will receive more information then. The essay should have your original word count, goal word count, and final word count in your header. Read chapters 14, 15, and 16 by Monday, and complete your 20 minutes of Membean. I will also collect your Echoes of the Tao assignment as well as your Ideas, Themes, and Images of the Tao sheet.

CNF: Today we continued studying cheating via a documentary.

Monday, October 26

Freshmen: Today we learned about Ken Rand's 10% Solution and how you can use it to become a better reviser and first draft writer. Be sure you can access an electronic copy of your essay during our next block period. Read Chapters 14, 15, and 16 for next Monday and take your Membean quiz tonight.

Sophomores: Today we learned about Ken Rand's 10% Solution and how you can use it to become a better reviser and first draft writer. Be sure you can access an electronic copy of your essay during our next block period. Read 20 minutes tonight and Tuesday, and take your Membean quiz tonight.

CNF: Today we finished reading Chapter 1 from Freakonomics. 

Friday, October 23

Get ready... Utah 31, USC 17.

Freshmen: Today we finished writing the first draft of your essay in class. Type up your essay at home this weekend and bring a paper copy to class on Monday; you also need to be able to access an electronic copy from school in some way next week - either via Google docs, a jump drive, or something similar. Read for 20 minutes and work on Membean as needed.

Sophomores: Today we finished practicing our inductive thinking and thesis formation method and building background knowledge about mid-1900 South Africa by finishing Cry, the Beloved Country. Finish your essay and Chapters 11, 12, and 13 from The Power of One for Monday, as well as any remaining Membean time.

CNF: We began reading Chapter 1 from Freakonomics today.

Thursday, October 22

Freshmen: Today we continued to write the first draft of your essay in class. We will conclude this tomorrow in class. Keep working on Membean, read for 20 minutes, and gather any more information you may need to prove your thesis.

Sophomores: Today we continued working at reading film via our inductive thinking method. Due for Monday from The Power of One are Chapters 11, 12, and 13. Keep working on Membean as well as your film essay.

CNF: Today we continued to study cheating and viewed a short documentary about corruption in sumo.

Seven Step Essay Requirements

The rubric and requirements for your Seven Step Essay is going to look something like this:
Your essay should...
1. Have a clear thesis.
2. Prove the thesis with evidence.
3. Have an interesting title.
4. Correctly use the lead technique stated in the header.
5. Use the summary technique for several of your sources covered in They Say I Say. 
6. Cite sources at least twice, using at least one in-text and at least one blocked citation, using the techniques covered in class lessons and They Say I Say.
7. Follow standard format: double spaced, correct header, look nice.
8. Use standard capitalization, spelling, and punctuation.
9. Correctly use the conclusion technique stated in the header.
10. Use the 10% Solution well.

Tuesday, October 20 or Wednesday, October 21

Freshmen: Today we focused on organizing your information using Question Based Research Strategy, and on Step Five of our Seven Step Essay process, which is drafting the essay. We began writing a first draft of the essay in class, and along the way learned how to do both in-text and blocked citations. You need to have at least one of each of these in your essay, and some of the information that we read in Chapter 3 from They Say I Say will help you with this. We will continue writing your essays in class on Thursday. Read for 20 minutes Tuesday and Wednesday and work on Membean.

Sophomores: Today we began building up your background information about South Africa and continued with our method of inductive analysis by viewing Cry, the Beloved Country. Read Chapters 11, 12, and 13 from The Power of One, due for Monday, and work on Membean.

CNF: Today we finished talking about what the data on our survey about cheating reveals and also viewed a Ted Talk about morality.

Extra Credit Opportunity

Congratulations on checking the blog - you find out about exciting extra credit opportunities that other students might not know about.

If you attend the play, or the Haunted Learning Commons, and write a half page, typed review, you can earn extra credit. It is due next Monday.

Monday, October 19

Freshmen: Today we had our final seminar on Speak. I would like you to read Chapter 2 from They Say I Say tonight. It focuses on how to summarize sources well, something you'll need to do in your upcoming essay. Bring They Say I  Say to class on the block day as well, and find yourself a new book to read for your Weekly Reading assignment. Bring all of your essay material to class on the block day. Work for 20 minutes on Membean this week.

Sophomores: Today we learned a little bit about boxing. Read Chapters 11, 12, and 13 from The Power of One by next Monday. I won't have you do reflections for individual chapters this time. Keep working on Foster's text, your analytical essay, and your film essay. Work for 20 minutes on Membean this week.

CNF: Today we tried some Freakonomics-style thinking as we broke down the data from our survey about cheating.

Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14

This weekend, it'll be Utah 34, ASU 31.

Freshmen: Today we talked about the Second and Third Marking Periods from Speak. You should finish the book for Monday's class, and write a short reflection on the Fourth Marking Period. We also focused further on Step 4, specifically creating a plan and ordering the information for your essay as you envision your essay. Next week we will work on writing the essay, so if you need any more information, now is the time to find it.

Sophomores: Today we focused on Peekay's evolving beliefs, Foster's theories regarding politics and literature, and what truths about life are contained in The Power of One. Read Chapters 9 and 10 for Monday. Also due Monday are your revisions of the essay about Life of Pi. If you are doing a revision, be sure to do the following things: Bring in your original essay, bring in your new essay, and on your new essay, annotate your changes and revisions (that is, make notes on the page about what you changed in your essay). So, for the next several weeks, you should focus on your revision, then your film essay, then your essay about The Power of One.

CNF: Due to the juniors and seniors being gone, we put off starting Freakonomics, and did some other activities instead. We will start full-bore with Freakonomics on Monday.

Monday, October 12

Freshmen: Today our focus was on "Starting With What Others Say" from Chapter One of They Say I Say. The idea was to look at the lead you've written and integrate their advice into it as you revise and improve it. Complete The Second and Third Marking Periods from Speak for our next class, complete with a reflection for each of the two sections. Take tonight's Membean quiz.

Sophomores: Today we focused on some feedback pertaining to your first analytical honors project essays. If you requested comments, you have until next Monday to complete your revision. Read Chapters 9 and 10 from The Power of One for next Monday's class; continue reading from Foster's book and work on both upcoming essays. Take tonight's Membean quiz.

CNF: Today we got an introduction to Freakonomics and some of the key ideas they will focus on. We read the Introduction and the Explanatory Note.

Friday, October 9

Utah 35, Cal 24. If you attend the music concert Friday and write a short review, you can earn extra credit. This is good for all classes.

Freshmen: Today our focus was on different conclusion techniques to try. You don't need to write your conclusion yet, but I want you thinking ahead to which type of conclusion might best fit with the lead you've written and your subject matter. All research should be completed by Monday. Due for the next block period is the Second and Third Marking Periods from Speak. Write a short reflection for each of those sections immediately upon completing it. Conclude your Membean work for the week.

Sophomores: Today we concluded our Break It Down Exercise, where we worked on reading various mediums and various texts using observation and analysis, inductions and synthesis, and thesis formation. You were given a long-term compare and contrast essay film project. Finish everything through and including Chapter 8 in The Power of One, and write a short reflection immediately upon finishing each chapter. Conclude your Membean work for the week.

CNF: Today we concluded our work with Blink. We will start Freakonomics on Monday.

Thursday, October 8

Freshmen: Today we moved on to Step Four in our Seven Step Essay Process, which involves write your lead and creating a plan for your essay. Today our focus was on various lead techniques to try, and your homework tonight is to type up two different leads, using a different lead technique we learned in class today for each one. Identify the technique you are using in your header. Your lead should clearly include your thesis. Print each lead on a separate sheet of paper, and identify the lead technique in your header and place your name on the back. Continue working on Membean and continue reading Speak. Write a reflection once you finish the Second Marking Period and the Third Marking Period.

Sophomores: Today we continued with our observation and analysis, induction and synthesis, and thesis formation exercise. Continue reading The Power of One (Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8 are due Monday, with short reflections) and keep working on Membean.

CNF: Today we wrote an essay in class that focused on the degree to which Gladwell successfully accomplished the three tasks he set out to accomplish in Blink. We will start Freakonomics soon.

Chapters to read from How to Read Like a Professor for The Power of One

Hi. Read these chapters from Foster's for The Power of One:
-Hansledee and Greteldum
-Geography Matters
-Nice to Eat With You
-... More Than It's Gonna Hurt You
-It's All Political
-Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?
-Don't Read With Your Eyes
-Is That a Symbol?
-Never Stand Next to the Hero (extra credit)
Space these out between readings of The Power of One.

Tuesday, October 5 and Wednesday, October 6

Freshmen: Today our focus was on Step 3 of our Seven Step Essay Process: Focus the Data. Your job was to finish up your research, look at all the information revealed by your interviews and surveys, as well as what's on your index cards, and based on the information, craft a solid thesis statement that you can then use your information to prove. Remember, a thesis statement is a defensible argument or claim about your topic. It should be short, clear, and concise, and cannot begin with the word "how." Due to some other concerns, we are moving the due date for the letter to the editor back a week. Continue reading Speak. After finishing the Second Marking Period, write a short reflection; do the same thing for the Third Marking Period. This is due by the next block day.

Sophomores: Today we focused on making observations and analyzing, synthesizing and making inductions, and forming thesis statements when reading art and photography. We will continue with this with music and film on Thursday. This week you should be reading Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8 from The Power of One and working on Membean.

CNF: Today we finished reading Blink and had a few seminar discussions.

Monday, October 5

Freshmen: Today we focused on Speak and had a discussion about the text and some important literary concepts, such as conflict, setting, and theme. Read the Second and Third Marking Periods for next week's block day. Write a half-page reaction for each Marking Period, once you finish reading it. Work on Membean for 20 minutes this week, working at least two different days. Due for next period is your completed interview, or, if you're conducting a survey, enough copies of the survey for the entire class to take. You should have some of your index cards filled out, and you should bring your cards and your sources to class next period.

Sophomores: Today we focused on Hoppie. You should read Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8 this week (due Monday), and work on Membean twice for a total of 20 minutes. After finishing each chapter, write a short reflection or response. It doesn't need to be more than a short paragraph long, but should be done after reading each chapter.

CNF: Today we continued reading the end of Blink.

Friday, October 2

Let's hope Cal wins so that next week game with the Utes is really huge...

Freshmen: Today we met in the library and learned how to access some of the many resources you can use to find sources for your essay topic. You need to come to class on Tuesday with your sources so you can read through them and begin placing information onto your index cards. Due for Monday is the First Marking Period for Speak and your five questions, connections, or comments.

Sophomores: Today we took a quiz and had a discussion about the first four chapters of The Power of One. Finish Chapter 5 for Monday.

CNF: Today we continued finishing up Blink.

Thursday, October 1

Freshmen: Today our focus was on Step Two of our Seven Step Essay Process - Collect Information. We talked about how information can be found many places (websites, interviews, surveys, newspapers, magazines, articles, your own experiences and ideas, and so on), and the forms that information takes (statistics, facts, ideas, quotes, anecdotes, and the like). Tomorrow we will meet in the library and learn how to find information about our topic, and you will print and bring these sources to class next block day. By the block day you need to do the following: Have two sources (one from the internet, another being a non-internet print source), and conduct an interview or administer a survey. You can administer the survey during class on the block day if you wish. Keep reading from Speak and work on Membean as well.

Sophomores: Today we focused on the belief system the main character from The Power of One currently ascribes to. You should finish Chapters 1-4 for Friday's class; work on your reactions to each chapter, Echoes, your 3EJ, and Membean.

CNF: Today we wrapped up some discussion about Chapter 5 and began Chapter 6.