Of the Vocabulary Persuasion....

Here are your vocab words for this week. You will have a test on them next Wednesday/Thursday.

genuine
nuisance
thorough
symmetrical
theory
principle
amateur
acquaintance
accumulate
irrelevant

ESSAYS
Although DISAPPOINTINGLY FEW people actually turned in their last essays- the compositions that were completed were GREAT! Class averages on the LEAP rubric were as follows:
3a: 8.6
3b: 8
4a: not enough data
4b: 6.4 (average of a whopping FOUR papers)
(honors) 5a: 9
5b: 9

Almost every class showed marked improvement. Many of your essays made me laugh out loud. Good work!

Your next composition (remember- these are test grades) will be a persuasive one on one of the topics we've discussed in class the last 3 times:

-removing junk food from schools
-school uniforms
-standardized tests like the LEAP

This will be our biggest project for this 9-weeks and the last essay you complete the entire writing process for before we take the iLEAP (starting April 12th)... which is only 14 days of ELA away!!!!!

Let's rock it!
You

Geaux Saints... and Other Stories

What an exciting time to be in New Orleans!!! We're going to be reading some of Mr. Fujita's diary from the Saints' time in Miami during class this week.

Also, check out this article about eliminating junk food from schools. We will be talking about it next week in class.

Congratulations to 3B- whose good behavior earned themselves a French lesson on Thursday!

A classes: remember you have your vocabulary test tomorrow (Wednesday the 10th.

21 Class Days Until iLEAP!

Homework for next time: Make a Venn diagram or list of similarities and differences of Transformya and Changes. Due Friday/Monday.

Also, you have a vocabulary quiz next time. Your words, in case you've misplaced your list (!!!) are:


optimistic

pessimistic

vicious

naive

acquire

vague

dilemma

perceive

subtle

We're going to the computer lab on Monday/Tuesday next week. Be ready for some serious iLEAP prep.

Also, remember your revised essays and pen-pal letters are both OVERDUE. Please turn them in ASAP in order to receive partial credit.

iLEAP Countdown!

Welcome back!

The iLEAP countdown has begun!

We now officially have only 23 days of English class before the iLEAP. That's 23 days to get our writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary to the level we need it to be to acheive basic, mastery, and advanced on the test. That means we need to use EVERY minute of every class period wisely. This is no time to lay back and act foolish.

I have every confidence that if we continue to work hard, you can all succeed on the ELA section of the test this year. But we need to continue to work hard. Check out the links on the side (especially Louisiana PASS), for helpful practice.

Free tutoring is available after school, and as always, I am available for individual help before school and during lunch by special request. See me to make an appointment.

Let's rock the iLEAP this year!!!!!

Review, Exams, Winter Break Plans

Classes have been most excellent lately, despite the intense flooding outside. I thank everyone who has been working so hard and really making significant progress this year!

Personal narratives are late. They may be turned in, for reduced credit, until Friday. After that, you will receive a "zero." Remember, essay scores count as a test grade.

The interval tests I have graded so far have been AWESOME! All my classes have shown great improvement. The plan is to give your graded work back before winter break, and you will write another, even more improved, final draft of the same essay to turn in when we return in January.

Last but not least: check out www.mscraven7.blogspot.com for super samples of your work!

Personal Narrative: Due Date Next Week!

Next week is a busy one!

We have the interval test (a writing prompt) on Tuesday and Wednesday, and your personal narratives are due Thursday the 10th (A classes) and Friday the 11th (B classes). You will be given 1-4 points on the following criteria:

Sentence Length
Rhythm and Flow
Sentence Structure
Grammar and Spelling
Capitalization and Punctuation
Word Choice
Recognition of Reader (anticipating questions and answering them)
Commitment (making the reader understand why this was important- why should they keep reading?)
Point of view (using 1st person, "I")
Dialogue (conversation, quotes)
= 40 points

You will earn 0-10 points based on the effort you've shown working on your narrative. This includes time management and participating in all steps of the writing process.

This will give you a score out of 50. Double that and it becomes your grade (out of 100).

I am excited to read your stories!

Personal Narratives, Vocabulary

Our next interval test will be the week of December 7th. The writing prompt will be personal narrative. This is especially important to take seriously since the iLEAP and LEAP prompts are usually personal narratives or expository pieces. We will be spending the next few weeks crafting narratives about a time in your life.

For example,

-an embarassing moment
-a bad decision you made
-an adventure you had
-a time you were challenged

Prewriting should already have been completed at this point. We are drafting today and tomorrow. Then we will spend a significant amount of time REVISING our writing to make our essays the best they can be! I am excited to hear your stories!

Also, here are our vocabulary/spelling words for the next couple of weeks:
suscicious
courteous
humorous
courageous
miscellaneous
outrageous
anonymous
mischievous
spontaneous
unanimous

We will be working with these a lot in class, but you are ultimately responsible for making sure you study them enough to be able to participate in the activities in class.

Lastly, please remember that when you are absent, it is your responsibility to see me about work you missed. A few people have not come to make up tests and that is really hurting their grades. Don't let that be you!

Keep up the good work everyone!!!!

PSAs! (Pretty Super Assignment!)

Friday was a great day in most of my classes. Some of you did some OUTSTANDING work on your PSAs. They were very impressive and informative. Here are a couple to check out:


We had a few technical difficulties with a few videos, which we are still working out.

If you did not turn in your PSA yet- it is not too late!!!! For partial credit, you can still present your research this week. (1 letter grade drop for each day late.)

Keep up the good work, and let's get 80% this nine-weeks!

PSA Project

Instead of writing a plain old research paper to demonstrate your awesome data-gathering skills, for this information-resources unit your project will be a public service announcement (PSA). Keep in mind the sample PSAs from class. Your PSA should inform your viewer of a social issue: a problem in our society that merits (deserves) attention. It should be factual, keep your viewer’s attention, and include a call to action. For this project, you may choose to work with a partner or by yourself. Below is the rubric for how your work will be scored: Research/Notes No notes (0) Only one source (2) Quotes and paraphrases from two sources(4) Direct quotes and paraphrases from at least three sources (5) Bibliography in correct form No sources(0) Sources listed, but not in bibliographical form (2) Bibliography attempted (3) Complete bibliography in correct form (5) Length of PSA No PSA to present (0) Less than 1 minute (2) Between 1-2 minutes (4) At least 2 minutes long (4) Overall quality of PSA Poor (0) Mediocre (2) Good (4) Compelling, interesting, includes a call to action (5) Time management & Effort Made little to no attempt (0) Was often off-task during work-time (2) Was usually on task during work-time (4) Used research time wisely, put forth full effort (5) Total ____/25 x 4 = ____/100 You must turn in your notes and bibliography the day that you present your PSA. We will be filming your PSAs in class. For extra credit, you may make a video on your own. See me about scheduling a time after school, before school, or during lunch when you can use the recording equipment. Your PSA is due October 29th (A classes,) or 30th (B classes). Here is an anti-drug PSA from a few years ago: www.psastation.com also has lots of sample PSAs to inspire you.

Production!

Hosheria, Montel, Tajia got to learn a bit about the art of producing. Jake One and Vitamin D helped them lay down a beat at the Community Book Center, with local hip-hop artist Truth Universal.



We talked about starting a club- where Truman students could practice beats and writing songs. Keep that in mind.


Also: as a check to see how many people are checking this blog.... If you are reading this, write "macaroni" on a small piece of paper with your name and period number on it, and put it in the Questions and Ideas Bag. If I see it there by Friday I will give you a prize.


Tajia laid down the percussion beat underneath, Hosheria added some spacey sounds, and Montel is adding that itty-bitty melody as you watch!

Watch out world!

Name Essays

For those of you that are having trouble organizing your name essays- here is one way you can do it:

Remember, we will be revising these on Monday/Tuesday in class. The more work you have done before then, the better we can make your paper.



Paragraph 1: Introduction

Paragraph 2: Why did your parents choose your name?

Paragraph 3: Research on (meaning and origin of your name) from internet websites, dictionaries, or baby books

Paragraph 4: Options:

A. Nickname

B. Middle name

C. Famous people with your name

D. Opinion and feeling. What do you like/dislike or want to change about your name?

Last Paragraph: Summary or conclusion, including "Does my name suit me?" Reaction/comments on research information

Please reach out to me with any questions.

Name Essays, Tests and Quizzes

Remember our unit test is on Thursday/Friday. Interims will be issued Friday too. We will begin our new information resources unit next week.

I have been especially impressed with 3A and 4A lately, and my B classes are showing improvement as well.

Vocabulary quiz today/tomorrow.


We are still working on our name essays. I am planning to collect them the Monday/Tuesday after next. You will be graded on having completed each step of the writing process on time.

__ Prewriting (10)
__ Drafting (10)
__ Revising (10)
__ Editing (10)
__ Publishing (10)

Total ___/50 x2 = ___/100

Friday, 9/18/09

I'm so proud of your hard work during the interval test yesterday and today. Fifth period did especially well. I am working to have them all graded by the end of next week.

HOMEWORK: Review your vocabulary words. Make flashcards. Practice with a friend, sibling, or family member.
Bring THREE PARAGRAPHS about your name on Monday/Tuesday. (This was due today. It will be marked down 2 points out of ten for every day it is late. This is part of a test/project grade.)

Have a good weekend!

Interval

The interval test is coming up on Thursday and Friday. You will be required to write an expository essay. You should use the prewriting technique we talked about today to write a wonderfully detailed and passionate piece. It will be graded using the same iLEAP rubric we have been looking at these past couple of days.

Homework tonight is to complete a bubble-map of your name. This is the first step of the five required by this writing project. You get points for each step of the process that you complete. I will explain the details tomorrow.

Shout out to 3B today for doing an excellent job!

PDREP!

Prewriting/Drafting/Revising/Editing/Publishing. These are the steps of the writing process.

Class went wonderfully today. A big shout-out to my A-day classes for being incredibly diligent and attentive today (a rainy Friday, no less).

HOMEWORK: Create a logical bubble map (at least three main ideas, with two supporting details for each) about your name. See the example and non-example handout I gave you in class for further clarification.

Complex Sentences and the Clave

We had a great day today- 3rd and 4th period were lucky enough to catch a little presentation about music, dance, and rhythm from Brazil, West Africa, Portugal, and Spain. It will be exciting to learn more over the next few weeks. I am going to try to incorporate more readings about these places to tie in to what we're doing day to day in class.

4th period gets a shout-out for being on their best behavior today. Your enthusiasm is contagious!

HOMEWORK is to finish the worksheet on complex sentences if it was not finished in class.
Check out the video on complex sentences (listed in the previous entry) for more help.

You Tube: You Can Still Learn When You're Home Sick!

Thank goodness for the internet!

There are many great, educational videos on youtube. For those of you who are out sick, or who just need a little more review, check out these videos about things we're talking about this week in class.

Subject/Predicate
(Grammar Rock) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGN_NxKIIFM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qKjKC5RFhg

Simple sentences
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESxFRENglPQ&feature=PlayList&p=44A292E4FBC86AF0&index=3

Compound sentences
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM0hY53hlcU&feature=PlayList&p=44A292E4FBC86AF0&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=4

Complex sentences:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A6CiemR8Rk

Here's an extra credit opportunity: Watch this video. Make a list of 20 of the nouns featured in the pictures. For each one, tell if it is 1. common or proper, 2. concrete or abstract.

The Electric Company and Schoolhouse Rock both have wonderful videos for phonics and grammar. You can watch many of them for free online.

Vocabulary Words

These are our vocabulary words for the next couple of weeks.

1. Affection (n.)
2. Assistance (n.)
3. Subconscious (n.)
4. Infection (n.)
5. Gadget (n.)
6. Inhabit (v.)
7. Precede (v.)
8. Premeditate (v.)
9. Submerge (v.)
10. Postpone (v.)

Parents: Please practice these words with your children! Flashcards are great... but also, it is important that the students can use these words correctly. Ask them to use the words in a sentence, and to give you examples of what each one means.

Noun Rap

• A concrete noun is a person, place or thing that you could smell, see, taste, touch, hear, like a bell that rings...
• An abstract noun is an idea you can’t see: happiness, solitude, religion and belief...
• Common nouns are everywhere, names of things of which there are many;
• Proper nouns are capitalized- specific, like Aunt Betty.
• Harvard, Yale, and Truman Middle: these are proper nouns. Specific names of things- that’s how proper nouns get down.
• College, school, class: these are common ones. There are lots of them so you know you don’t capitalize these guys, Son.

• Ideas are abstract, things are concrete.
• (We’ll get the verbs poppin’ the next time we meet.)

Week 3

Happy Monday!

This week we're going to master:
Abstract, concrete, proper, and common nouns.
Simple and compound sentences, subjects and predicates.

Tonight is Back to School Night from 6:30-8:30. Extra credit will be awarded to those whose parents attend!


Homework: a list of as many abstract nouns as you can think of. (You should be able to get at least 15).