May 21, 2007
Writing and Grammar texts were collected today.
Literature texts were collected today.
All graded papers have been returned at this time.
Students who have a D or F were given a progress report today.
Posted by Abrams at 08:45 AM
May 10, 2007
Warm Up:
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, how would you rate Rod Serling’s “ The may 11 on Maple Street” Act 1? Explain.
Reading:
Read for 30 minutes and record the following on their reading on your reading log.
Night Write:
Who are the "monsters" on Maple Street?
Do you believe people are usually treated as if they are innocent until proven guilty? Explain.
Activity 1:
Go over the Night Write: How do the people on Maple Street single out Les Goodman? What qualities of his cause the reaction? What does this really suggest what is happening on Maple Street?
Activity 2:
Students are to read the bracketed text silently. What perspective is created during the opening of Act II?
Prediction: Do you predict that the neighbors watching the Goodman house will or will not discover anything suspicious? Explain.
Students will read page 676 silently.
Activity 3:
So far the suspicion has been cast on Goodman.
Prediction: Do you predict the suspicion will end with Goodman? Why or why not?
Students will read page 677 silently.
What does Don reveal about Steve to their neighbors?
What is the tone of Steve’s speech?
What type of conflict does Steve’s tone suggest?
Activity 4:
Students will read pg. 678-679 silently to find the answer to the following:
How do Don’s actions advance the plot to the climax?
What happens to the dark figure that is walking down Maple Street?
Prediction: Is the dark figure an alien?
Activity 5:
Read the 1st twelve lines on page and describe the atmosphere.
Prediction:
What do you think will happen next on Maple Street?
Students will read the rest of pg. 682 silently.
Activity 6:
Students are to read the 1st eight lines on page 683. Turn to pg. 667 and reread the opening camera shot of Maple Street. Compare the way the viewer first sees Maple Street and the way it appears now.
Students will read the rest of pg. 683-684 silently to find out who is watching what is happening on Maple Street?
Where are they watching from?
Students will turn in their handouts.
Posted by Abrams at 09:36 PM
Warm Up:
What are the 1st signs that something strange is happening on Maple Street? How do these signs initiate the conflict on Maple Street?
Reading:
Read for 30 minutes and record the following on their reading on your reading log.
Night Write:
How do the people on Maple Street single out Les Goodman? What qualities of his cause the reaction? What does this really suggest what is happening on Maple Street?
Activity 1:
Share the Night Write responses with the students at the table. Share the responses to the warm up, too.
Activity 2:
Review the key events in the play so far. Students are to read the 1st twenty lines of the play on pg. 672 to make the following prediction:
How do you think Tommy will fare in the face of the crowd’s growing irritation with him?
Activity 3:
Students will read the 2nd half of pg. 672 to determine what hint does Steve’s comment give about how characters will react later in the play?
Activity 4:
Students will read the 1st half of pg. 673 to determine what forces are in conflict now? How has the nature the conflict changed?
Read the 2nd half of pg. 673 to determine what happens to Goodman’s car?
Activity 5:
Read the bracketed stage directions aloud. Ask students to paraphrase the main idea of this passage. Read the rest of pg. 674 and page 675 to answer the following:
Why is the problem with Les Goodman considered part of the rising action of the plot?
What does Charlie accuse Goodman of?
Students will turn in their handouts.
Posted by Abrams at 09:22 PM
Warm Up:
What are the 1st signs that something strange is happening on Maple Street? How do these signs initiate the conflict on Maple Street?
Reading:
Read for 30 minutes and record the following on their reading on your reading log.
Night Write:
How do the people on Maple Street single out Les Goodman? What qualities of his cause the reaction? What does this really suggest what is happening on Maple Street?
Activity 1:
Share the responses to the warm up at the tables and a few to the whole class..
Activity 2:
Review the key events in the play so far. Students are to read the 1st twenty lines of the play on pg. 672 to make the following prediction:
How do you think Tommy will fare in the face of the crowd’s growing irritation with him?
Activity 3:
Students will read the 2nd half of pg. 672 to determine what hint does Steve’s comment give about how characters will react later in the play?
Activity 4:
Students will read the 1st half of pg. 673 to determine what forces are in conflict now? How has the nature the conflict changed?
Read the 2nd half of pg. 673 to determine what happens to Goodman’s car?
Activity 5:
Read the bracketed stage directions aloud. Ask students to paraphrase the main idea of this passage. Read the rest of pg. 674 and page 675 to answer the following:
Why is the problem with Les Goodman considered part of the rising action of the plot?
What does Charlie accuse Goodman of?
Students will turn in their written responses.
Posted by Abrams at 09:12 PM
Warm Up:
What is the difference between prejudice and suspicion?
Reading:
Read for 30 minutes and record the following on their reading on your reading log
Night Write:
Take a writing vacation.
Activity 1:
Review a summary of the play: Hysteria is caused by the community’s prejudice and suspension.
Explain that the narrator’s speech is the one that Rod Serling used to introduce each episode of The Twilight Zone.” Read this paragraph aloud to the students.
Activity 2:
Review the importance of stage directions when reading a play. Students are to reread the stage directions silently on pg. 667 to identify the kinds of directions the stage directions contain.
What is the fifth dimension?
The fifth dimension is the dimension of the imagination.
Activity 3:
Students are to reread the 1st bracketed section on pg. 668 to describe the setting. Why do you think Rod Serling chose this kind of place for the setting of the story?
Prediction: Will the people be able to continue their ordinary lives after the flash in the sky? List the evidence used in determining this prediction.
Activity 4:
Students are to reread the bracketed stage directions on pg. 668 to determine what is happening to the people mentioned in the stage directions.
Activity 5:
Students are to read pg. 668 silently to answer the following:
Do you think the events described in the stage directions are included to move the action forward or to hint that something strange is happening? Explain.
Activity 6:
What is the exposition in the elements of fiction? Students will read pg. 669 silently and answer the following:
How does the playwright use dialogue as the exposition?
What is the inciting incident of the play?
What function does the dialogue serve in the plot? (Read the bracketed passage.)
What strange event occurs just before Maple Street loses electricity?
Activity 7:
3 students will be selected to read the parts of Steve, Tommy, and Charlie. Students are to follow along and answer: What opposing force is introduced here?
Predict what kind of conflicts might result from the threat of an alien presence.
How does a conflict relate to the plot?
Activity 8:
Remember: Foreshadowing gives readers clues about events to come in a literary work.
Students are to read the 1st eight lines on pg. 671. What might these lines foreshadow?
How do Tommy’s words intensify the uneasiness people are feeling?
Identify the element of the plot this text contains.
Rising action
Have students guide a student recorder through the completion of a plot diagram using information read in this play. Use chart paper on the easel to complete this activity.
Students are to read pg. 671 and answer the following:
What does Tommy tell Steve, Don, and Charlie?
Posted by Abrams at 09:10 PM
May 09, 2007
Reading:
Read for 30 minutes and record the following on their reading on your reading log:
Genre (fiction or nonfiction)
Date
Title
Reading level
Actual pages read (example 21-47)
Minutes read
One-sentence summary
Night Write:
If you were a resident on Maple Street, how would you have responded to the strange events?
Literature pg. 664-665
Warm Up:
I just heard this morning that the state of Georgia will be extending the school day beginning this August. Write a paragraph explaining your response to this issue.
Activity 1:
Share warm-up responses with the students at your table.
Activity 2:
Play the game of “Gossip.”
Activity 3:
Your emotional response to the warm up and the results of the “Gossip” game are similar to the characters in “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.”
Activity 4:
What is the difference between prejudice and suspicion? Discuss this as a whole class.
Activity 5:
Tell a summary of the play: Hysteria is caused by the community’s prejudice and suspension.
Explain that the narrator’s speech is the one that Rod Serling used to introduce each episode of The Twilight Zone.” Read this paragraph aloud to the students.
Activity 6:
Explain the importance of stage directions when reading a play. Students are to read the stage directions silently on pg. 667 to identify the kinds of directions the stage directions contain.
What is the fifth dimension?
The fifth dimension is the dimension of the imagination.
Activity 7:
Students are to read the 1st bracketed section on pg. 668 to describe the setting. Why do you think Rod Serling chose this kind of place for the setting of the story?
Prediction: Will the people be able to continue their ordinary lives after the flash in the sky? Students will need to list the evidence used in determining this prediction. Students may work on this in their table group.
Activity 8:
Students are to read the bracketed stage directions on pg. 668 to determine what is happening to the people mentioned in the stage directions.
Activity 9:
Students are to read pg. 668 silently to answer the following:
Do you think the events described in the stage directions are included to move the action forward or to hint that something strange is happening? Explain.
Posted by Abrams at 01:13 PM
May 08, 2007
Warm Up:
How has revising and editing improved your writing this year?Homework:
Reading-Students will read their chapter book for 30 minutes and complete a reading log entry answering 5Ws.
Night Write- Complete the portfolio reflection log, if not completed in class.
Activity 1:
Have 2 students pass out the student portfolios and to collect these portfolios at the end of class. After reminding students to put their name on Reflection on Portfolio, read each of the items on the handout to the students. Ask a couple of students to give an example of an answer that would be appropriate for each item.
Using their portfolio, students will complete Reflection on Portfolio. It is imperative that students use their individual portfolio to answer each question with specific detail.
Posted by Abrams at 09:01 PM
Warm Up:
Why is the use of different sentence openers important when writing a paper?
Homework:
Reading- Read for 30 minutes and complete an entry on your reading log answering the 5Ws. If you have turned in documentation for reading 25 books, you no longer must maintain a daily reading log.
Reading logs were collected May 8 for a book update.
Night Write- For extra credit students may use the letter generator (http://readwritethink.org/materials/letter_generator/) to copy and paste their persuasive essay on this website. Students will need to add some information (such as an address) to the letter generator. Students will need to pring and turn in a final copy of this letter to me on Friday, May 11.
Genre charts will be due on 5/11.
Activity 1:
Complete and go over Writing and Grammar Workbook pg. 91 and 92 on using different sentence openers.
Activity 2:
Review how to improve short sentences by adding details. Working independently students will complete Writing and Grammar Workbook pg. 93 and 94 on improving short sentences.
Activity 3:
Students will need to update their genre chart and turn it in to me for a grade.
Posted by Abrams at 08:48 PM
Warm Up:
What elements of writing must be included in a persuasive essay?
Homework:
Reading- Read for 30 minutes and complete an entry on your reading log answering the 5Ws. If you have turned in documentation for reading 25 books, you no longer must maintain a daily reading log.
Reading logs were collected May 8 for a book update.
Night Write-Students will need to submit their essay into e-rater, if this was not completed in class. A printed final copy should be given to me at the end of class today.
Genre charts will be due on 5/11. These have been kept in the student portfolio. Time was given in class today to update these charts.
Papers Collected To Be Graded:
Persuasive Writing Rough Draft
Persuasive Writing Revising and Editing
Persuasive Writing Essay
Genre Chart (if completed)
Activity 1:
Students will have time to update their genre charts.
Activity 2:
Working in table groups students will answer:
Why is it important for no 2 sentences to begin with the same word?
Why is this a challenge for you when writing an essay?
Review using different openers including transitions, subjects, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, independent, or dependent clauses.
Working independently students will complete pg. 91 and 92 in the Writing and Grammar Workbook.
Activity 3:
Students will go to the book fair for 20 minutes.
Posted by Abrams at 08:24 PM
May 07, 2007
Homework:
Reading- Read for 30 minutes and complete an entry on your reading log answering the 5Ws. If you have turned in documentation for reading 25 books, you no longer must maintain a daily reading log.
Reading logs will be collected May 8 for a book update.
Night Write-Students will need to submit their essay into e-rater, if this was not completed in class. A printed final copy must be given to me.
If students will type their persuasive letter and save it to the following site, access to the essay will be available at home and at school.
http://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com/authoring/login/login.jsp. The final copy of the persuasive writing letter will be due Tuesday, May 8.
Genre charts will be due on 5/11. These have been kept in the student portfolio. Time was given in class today to update these charts.
Activity 1:
Working in the MAC lab students will work on submitting their persuasive essay to e-rater.
Posted by Abrams at 01:57 PM
Homework:
Reading- Read for 30 minutes and complete an entry on your reading log answering the 5Ws. If you have turned in documentation for reading 25 books, you no longer must maintain a daily reading log.
Reading logs will be collected May 8 for a book update.
Night Write-Students will revise and edit their persuasive essay.
If students will type their persuasive letter and save it to the following site, access to the essay will be available at home and at school.
http://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com/authoring/login/login.jsp. The final copy of the persuasive writing letter will be due Tuesday, May 8.
Genre charts will be due on 5/11. These have been kept in the student portfolio. Time was given in class today to update these charts.
Activity 1:
Working in the MAC lab students will work on submitting their persuasive essay to e-rater.
Posted by Abrams at 01:53 PM
