Choice Unit--Day 13

Today students took the final exam on their choice books. If you were absent, the exam must be made up by appointment, before or after school.

Homework: Individual quote analysis and final project (summary + 2nd option) due tomorrow. If you have lost the documents describing these assignments--see Edline.

These assignments are due tomorrow with NO EXCEPTIONS!! If you are absent tomorrow, the assignments must be emailed to me by 3:10 pm and a hard copy must also be submitted upon your return.

Choice Unit--Day 12

Today I did a notebook check while students read outside reading books. Then, we worked on completing choice novel flow maps and studying vocab.

Homework: Choice novel exam tomorrow (including vocab); Individual quote analysis and project due Friday.

If you were absent, please show me your notebook on Friday.

The individual quote analysis requires a Works Cited page. Here are the MLA citation formats for some of the pieces you are including (I have assumed that you will get everything online):

Informative text (online):
Author's last name, first name. "Title of the Web Article." Title of the Web site Date the Article was added to the site. Date you retrieved the article from the Web.

Film:
Title. Dir. (director's name). Perf. (name the lead actors, first name followed by last name, with commas between them). Production company, year of release.

Poem:
Poet's last name, first name. "Title of the poem." Title of the Website. Ed. (name of website's editor). Date the poem was published. Date you retrieved the poem from the site.

Map:
Subject of map (like Dominican Republic). Map. Date created on web. Date retrieved from web. .

Or, you are welcome to visit this site for more MLA information.

Choice Unit--Day 11

We began today's class by sharing passages from yesterday in choice book groups. Then, students worked on the second set of response questions for the choice books.

Homework: Finish your choice book; bring outside reading book to class tomorrow (regardless of whether or not you have finished it); quote tracking bookmark due tomorrow; notebook check tomorrow (see previous blog post for list of choice unit notebook pages).

If you were absent today, start a notebook page entitled, "Response Questions #2" and respond to the following about your choice book:

Author
1. Why do you think the author wrote this book?
2. What would you ask the author if he/she were here? Why?

Characters
3. Do some of the characters seem more “alive” and believable than others? Which? Why?
4. How do the characters change in the story? What makes or helps them change?

Plot
5. Were you able to predict the ending? How? Why or why not?
6. Is there a main point or theme to the story? What? How do you know?

Setting
7. Which part of the story best describes the setting? Why? How?
8. How does the author create the atmosphere for the setting? That is, how does the author give the reader a feel for what it is like to be in the setting?

Mood
9. What was your favorite part of the book? Why? What did the author do to make that part of the book so enjoyable?
10. What was your least favorite part of the book? Why? What could be changed to make that part of the book more enjoyable?

Style
11. What special words or lovely language does the author use in the book?
12. What else that makes this author’s perspective or style unique? (think about the use of perspective shifting, framed narrative, etc.)

Choice Unit--Day 10

Today we worked on close analysis of our texts. If you were absent, please complete the following:

Locate 3 passages of the story that your group should reread, discuss, and think about.
Passages should be important things for everyone to notice, remember, or think about.
Choose a variety of passages, not all the same type--here are suggestions:
*surprising/startling
*confusing (something you wonder if other people "got")
*descriptive writing: figurative language, strong verbs, etc. (identify literary devices)
*important (maybe a clue? foreshadowing?)
*controversial event (elicits different opinions from group members)

Create 3 notebook pages (front-back-front) entitled, “Prominent Passage DJs”
Respond to your passages as dialectical journals.
Dialectical Journals:
*Fold page in half vertically (hot dog style)
*Write quote (with page #)on left side
*Respond to quote on right side (response to quote should be top to bottom of right side of page)

UPCOMING DEADLINES:

Wednesday: Notebook Check, Bookmark Check, Outside Reading Book IN CLASS!
Choice Unit Notebook Items to be Checked:
5/4 Effects of War, A to Z
5/5 Character Analysis
5/8 Response Questions
5/11 Plot of _______
5/12 4-Square Vocabulary
5/15 Conflict and Setting Analysis
5/18 Prominent Passages
5/19 Response Questions #2 (not yet completed)

Thursday: Novel Final Exam (including vocabulary)

Friday: Choice Novel Presentations
Individual Summary and Project Due
Individual Quote Analysis (w/Works Cited Page) Due

Choice Unit--Day 9

Today we analyzed the conflict and setting of the choice books.

Homework: Read assigned pages; work on individual quote analysis and final project.

If you were absent, complete the following in your notebook:

1.Use a multi-flow map to analyze the major conflict in your book.
2.Use a brace map to analyze three parts of your novel’s setting. Each part must have a minimum of 3 details (objects, events, people).

Then, complete the following on a piece of notebook paper and submit on Monday:

Choose one of the maps your group created today. Use the map as prewriting and write a paragraph analyzing either the setting or the main conflict in your book.

TUESDAY, 5/19, IS AMNESTY DAY--COME IN FROM 9AM-10AM TO TURN IN ANY/ALL LATE WORK FOR HALF CREDIT!!

Choice Unit--Day 8

Today we began with group discussions. Then, students reflected on the discussions by responding to some questions at the bottom/back of their own typed questions.

Homework: Read assigned pages from choice book; work on individual quote analysis assignment; work on final project.

If you were absent, please handwrite responses to the following questions on the bottom/back of your typed questions. Turn your questions (w/reflection) into me tomorrow. Reflection questions:

1. What is the most memorable scene from your book thus far?
2. What is one question you have about the group that you would like your group to discuss?
3. What is one question that you expect to be answered by the end of the book?

Choice Unit--Day 7

We began today by using 15 minutes to read our outside reading books. Then, choice book groups got together to 1) review vocabulary to be sure that all group members have definitions, etc.; and 2) review the plot of the book, adding boxes to the flow map created on Monday.

If you were absent, add 4 boxes to your flow map from Monday.

Homework: Read assigned passages; complete discussion questions.

**Requirements for Discussion Questions:
1. 5 open-ended, ORIGINAL discussion questions. That is, questions about your book that will spark and maintain discussion--questions about characters, plot, symbolism, theme, etc. The questions SHOULD NOT have yes/no answers, and SHOULD NOT have a definite answer from the book. Hopefully, someone in your group will disagree with your answer to a question, thus sparking a discussion.

2. For each of the discussion questions, you must provide a minimum, 100-word answer. So, 5 questions and 5 100-word responses.

YOUR QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES MUST BE TYPED!! YOUR QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES MUST ALSO BE ORIGINAL. THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT. IF YOU HAVE THE SAME QUESTIONS AND/OR ANSWERS AS SOMEONE ELSE IN YOUR GROUP, SOMEONE IN ANOTHER CLASS, OR A RESOURCE FROM THE INTERNET, YOU HAVE COMMITTED PLAGIARISM AND WILL FACE CONSEQUENCES FOR ACADEMIC DISHONESTY.