Today we finished designing our Pecha Kucha assignment rubric. The assignment is a 6 minute and 40 second presentation for students to share their passions/interests/hobbies. The outline and rubric are linked above.
We also read The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe, a wonderfully disturbing choice for our gloomy Hallowe'en day! Also: so many awesome costumes today! Hope everyone had fun this afternoon during the pep rally/dance/movie/game/study time.
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If you are having difficulty organizing your essay, please download and use the graphic organizer above. Remember that your final essay will not have text boxes or headings (like "Introduction" or "Explanation").
Students had a period in the Learning Commons to work on their essays. The due date for the essay has been pushed back 1 day from Thursday to Friday. This will give students an opportunity to enact peer and teacher feedback this week. Students will be sharing work on Wednesday; remember that the more completed work you bring on Wednesday, the more meaningful and help the feedback you'll receive.
I presented a 400 second long PowerPoint presentation about Leonardo of Pisa (aka Fibonacci) to demonstrate the Pecha Kucha style of presenting. We'll develop a presentation rubric this week and I'll post the expectations of the presentations here on the blog. The essays we are developing for English Language Arts are due Thursday, November 2nd. This weekend, students should be collecting their examples from the text. The next step is incorporating those examples into body paragraphs using the SEES template like we did on the board today.
Also, due Monday, your cards to add to the timeline (see below for examples and instructions). There is a pdf of the novel Fever 1793 here.
You might find it helpful to use the FIND function (ctrl+f) to search for specific examples. Record (on paper or a Word document) the quote and the chapter it comes from. Students had time in the Learning Commons to search for examples from Fever 1793 to include in their essay. Tomorrow I will be demonstrating how to use that example (evidence) in a cohesive paragraph using the SEES model.
In Social Studies, students discussed the role the Crusade's played in the beginning of The Renaissance. Students were also given instructions to compete a time card to add to our classroom timeline. Reminder & Example: The year at the top big enough to see from your seat (if it spans many years, use the starting year or as close as you can figure). A picture (drawing, feel free to trace) of your person/idea/event... A title at the bottom big enough to read from your seat. Here are a few examples from last year: English Language Arts
Students worked with a partner to refine their theme statements based on the following criteria: 1. Clarity - do I understand what is being communicated? 2. Supportability - is there evidence from the novel to support this? 3. Depth - is this statement too obvious? HOMEWORK: Bring 1 perfectly refined theme statement to class tomorrow Social Studies Students received a preview of our Renaissance unit. They will use this to organize information throughout the unit and then as a study guide. We reviewed ideas from yesterday's class. Homework: What were The Crusades? English Language Arts
Students wrote their final short comprehension quiz for Fever 1793 and then brainstormed topics (single word ideas, usually abstract nouns) derived from our novel study. We watched an awesome video about developing a theme statement from a topic and then looked at an example from our novel. HOMEWORK: 1. Choose three topics from Fever 1793 and develop them into three theme statements. 2. Novel study tracking sheets are due tomorrow. Social Studies We brainstormed briefly about the Roman Empire then looked on our timeline for when the Roman Empire took place. We had a quick discussion about the Middle Ages (also known as medieval times or the dark ages) and how the Renaissance was a rebirth of ancient Roman ideas. We spoke about The Silk Road and how it contributed to the start of the Renaissance (connecting to worldview) and we spoke about The Crusades and how they contributed to the Renaissance (connecting again to worldview). HOMEWORK: 1.In our Venn diagram of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism - what would go in the middle? What do they all have in common? 2. If you have any clarifying questions from today's class, bring them tomorrow and make sure you ask. It will help you and probably your classmates as well. We finished reading Fever 1793 today! Tomorrow we'll have a final short comprehension quiz and then start looking at turning a topic into a theme statement for our upcoming essay.
Homework: If you haven't completed your novel study tracking sheet, please do so. It is due on Wednesday, Oct. 25. Tomorrow in Social Studies we'll be looking at a timeline leading up to the Renaissance. On Friday we deconstructed Gordon Downie's poem Tuba and then wrote our own poems in the same style. At the end of class we listened to a little bit of his song, Yer Not The Ocean.
Homework: When we reconvene next Friday, be able to express your thoughts on the song Yer Not The Ocean. Here is a link to the song. Below are the lyrics, and some guiding questions: Again I'm talking to the lake, I'm standing on the rocks You're not the ocean, I'm better to watch Britney Invisible or The Stranger In Myself Than a wall of water just hitting the shelf You're not the ocean, you're up to my toes You're not the ocean, you're not even close Though you're so real and you're more youth every day And you can think and feel and get out of your own way And though I'm nothing, you are just a lake Made to take it and take and take and take You're not the ocean, I'm standing on my toes You're not the ocean, you're not even close You're not the ocean, you're up to my chin You're not the ocean, you're not coming in You're not coming in, you're not coming in, you're not coming in You're not the ocean, you're up to my chin You're not the ocean, you're not coming in You're not coming in, you're not coming in, you're not coming in 1. Who do you think is going to win this standoff, the narrator or the lake/ocean? 2. What do you think it means to be an ocean versus a lake? What are some of the qualities that make them distinct? 3. It sounds like the narrator is pushing back against the water. What could the narrator be resisting? I'm excited to hear any and all of your interpretations on Friday. Have a great week everyone! |
AuthorMr. Spencer teaches Grade 8 Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Drama at Mount Royal School. Archives
May 2018
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