Essay Work Time

Students had the entire period to work on their essays. We reviewed some new slides (posted at PS Unified Classroom) about the body, conclusion, and title. Complete drafts should be ready for revision and editing on Monday before class.

A Quiz & Essay Time

We began the day with an online reading quiz and then students continued to work on their essay bodies.

The Body

Today students had the period to continue the bodies of their essays. As they did, I reminded them that their body paragraphs are essentially CRAs, with topics sentences linking back to the thesis or guiding questions, and with transitions taking us from one paragraph and idea to the next.

Introductions & PODs

Today we continued our incremental essay progress, looking at possible PODs and starting the introduction. Slides are at our class page at Unified Classroom, where students will also find the essay template so they may start working on their drafts.

Chunking, Relationships, & They Say/ I Say

Today we started with a little exercise in essay planning, followed by considering how we might begin by reading a bit of They Say/ I Say. Files are at Unified Classroom.

The First Essay Begins...Slowly

Today we worked through some steps designed to get students focused for their first essay which we'll write, mostly together, next week. The slides are posted at Unified Classroom (Class Pages). Students should also be working on chapters 1 through 16 of The Awakening which is due next Thursday, 9/27.

The Awakening Begins

After wrapping up our work with "Eleven" (for now), we had a brief intro to The Awakening and started reading it in class. The reading schedule is below.

More "Eleven"

In 2nd period, we read "Eleven" (see yesterday's blog for period 3) and then we annotated, shared our impressions, and planned a hypothetical essay about the story (see below). Period 2 students should plan the essay for HW tonight.

"Eleven"

Today we wrapped up our figurative language review and then did a bit of writing about being eleven. 2nd period then had a presentation in the auditorium. 3rd period read Sandra Cisneros' short story "Eleven" and should reread and annotate it for HW. The specifics are below.

Figurative Language

Today we wrapped up our discussion of "The Story of an Hour," and then started a review of figurative language.

A Capstone Story

Today we presented the critical lenses from yesterday, and then we moved on to one final short story allowing students to practice everything we've been working on, Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour."

The Basics of Critical Theory

Today we had a look at some of the schools of critical thought, reading and annotating a handout and then using individual critical lenses to take a second look at some of the short stories we've been studying. Groups created presentations and we will present tomorrow.

Defining Literature

Today we spent the period discussing what makes something literature, comparing two passages and coming up with our own working definition of literature.

CRA Revision & "Unified" Classroom

Today students began by review some rules for writing about literature, spent a bit of time reviewing their own paragraphs, and then braved the uncharted waters of PowerSchool Unified Classroom, where they started typing their revised paragraphs. Final drafts are due at Unified Classroom tomorrow.

This is what it means...

Today we had a circle discussion of Alexie's short story, "This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona." For HW, students should do a single CRA paragraph responding to one aspect of the text.

The Rolling Whiteboards

Today we discussed "The White Bedspread" a bit and then groups put together a quick whiteboard presentation, and we concluded class with presentations of their work.
For homework, students should read and annotate Alexie's "This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona," the last of the summer homework stories.

"The White Bedspread"

After sharing, posting and discussing topic sentences from their reading of "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World," students started their reading and annotation of "The White Bedspread." The directions are below and both stories are posted with the summer work at Google Classroom.

CRAs & Drowned Men

We began today by looking at a few of the exemplary CRA paragraphs from yesterday. We spend the rest of the period reading and annotating "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" by Marquez. Students should use their frames to write one good topic sentence about the story for HW. By the way, here's the story in Spanish as promised.

CRA Revisions

Today students met in groups to share and revise CRA paragraphs. Students who weren't here should do the revision assignment (at Google Classroom) themselves. There is also homework posted there. See below.