TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1
Type your latest revisions into your draft, print it out, and bring it to
class for tomorrow's peer conferences.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Assess the two sample papers for word choice. Mark the text for the elements
of this trait, give each paper a score, and write a summary explanation for
the score you gave it.
Continue to revise your draft, especially for details related to the outside
questions: when, where, who, what, and why.
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19-20
PACK your journal, pens and pencils, and camera(s) for Colebrook. Don't
leave home without them!
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18
1. Revise your draft for "show, don't tell." Save and print the new
version. It will be collected in class tomorrow.
2. PACK your journal, pens and pencils, and camera(s) for Colebrook. Don't
leave home without them!
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Continue to finish the basic story and make revisions on your draft. Print
out and bring in your latest copy tomorrow. You must have it in class on
Wednesday.
**** Check out Jeremy's cartoon of "shopping for ideas" on the Handouts and
Guides page!
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16
Do your own work on this. Type a draft of your childhood memoir, double
spaced and size 14 font. Print it out and bring in the copy. If you are
unable to print it, send it as an attachment to me at bcross@darienps.org and
I will print it out for you. Many students find it wise to save drafts on a
flash drive and bring it back and forth to school. That way, work can be
done on the piece on school computers also.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Complete the Leads sheet. For your own memoir, write each one of the six
types of leads on the paper. The samples might be helpful to you, or you may
remember ones we talked about in class.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
Complete both sides of page one in the childhood memoir packet.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Complete the "So WHAT?" chart.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9
Continue to think about moments in your life that have been memorable and
meaningful. Add them NEATLY as bullets to journal entry 18.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6
Period 6 students and parents: A glitch was discovered in the Aspen
gradesheet for this class only. Our in-house specialist is not in school
today, so the situation will not be straightened out until Monday, most
likely. Specifically, the notebook grade showed up as worth a total of more
than double its actuality. It will be corrected as soon as possible. Thank
you for understanding the bump in the road with this new program.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Complete both sides of the There, their, and they're sheet.
Quiz tomorrow on its, it's; your, you're; to, two, too; and there, their,
they're.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4
Complete both sides of the homonym sheet. On side 1, first underline the
13 "its," and then edit where needed. On side 2, just follow directions.
Quiz on Friday: its, it's; your, you're; to, two, too; and there, their,
they're.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2
Complete the homonym sheet, using all your skills.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30
Congratulations on the completion of your first quarter as an MMS Dragon!
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29
Completed journals need to be back on the shelf (on in the drawer, period 8)
by tomorrow afternoon, which is the end of the first quarter. All missing
work must be handed in, as well.
Read and enjoy it.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28
1. Read.
2. Complete journal entry #17 and return the book to the classroom shelf or
drawer (pd. 8). I will be grading entries 11-17 at the end of this week for
the first quarter. Make sure yours is updated before handing it in. There
is
a list of entries under Journal Entries on this website.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27
READ! Continue to tune in to what the writer has put into the text
regarding
Ideas, Voice, and Word Choice.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 26 (Happy Labour Day in New Zealand)
Rewrite the "I was eleven years old" passage using excellent voice. Make
the story come to life through your first person account. Some techniques
are having your character talk, think, feel his body react to what he is
feeling, and observe things and people. Because you won't have time to
fully
develop the entire passage, select the section that pulls you in the mostan
dmake it really come to life. Feel free to use the back, if needed, or use a
computer. Use 20-30 minutes for this.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23
Enjoy reading and studying the pros. Have a great weekend.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22
Read for at least 20 minutes and look for how the author reveals character.
Put sticky-notes to mark those places so you can journal on it tomorrow.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21
Study for tomorrow's "quest" on the Vocabulary 1 list. A practice quest can
be found under Handouts and Guides.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20
1. Riddle project is due tomorrow. Study the grading sheet (also available
on Handouts and Guides) as a checklist and directions.
2. Continue to review Vocabulary List 1 for the "quest" on Thursday.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19
1. Journal entry #14: write a good draft of your riddle, focusing on
vibrant
verbs and precise nouns.
2. Study the two-sided vocabulary list for a "quest" (quiz/test)on
Thursday. A copy of the list is under Handouts and Guides on this website.
I will be on the Boston trip from Wednesday through Friday. Only do the
homework on the day it is assigned; do NOT work ahead of schedule.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15
Complete section 7, Figurative Language, coming up with at least 2 things
for
each of the categories.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14
Complete section 6, using sensory language, by listing at least 2
appropriate
things for each one of the senses. In that section's directions,
eliminate "how or," so that it reads, "describe what your creature..."
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13
1. Thoughtfully complete sections 4 and 5 in your zoo packet.
2. On the grey sheet ("Coral Snakes"), mark the text on the three
paragraphs
for voice. On the back, simply do the Ranking by Voice section. Do not go
beyond that to the second half.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
Research your zoo creature by using reliable sources only. They may be on
the internet or in non-fiction books. Write down, type, or cut and paste at
least five interesting and unusual facts, carefully selected for an audience
of your peers. Also write down the source of each fact you chose.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6
Read for at least 20 minutes as a WRITER! When something catches the
attention of your mind or impacts your emotions, investigate what the writer
put on the page to make that happen. Study the professionals and learn more
about powerful writing.
In preparation for the Bronx Zoo trip on Thursday, think about which zoo
creature you'd like to do your project on. Your writing will take the form
of a riddle which entertains and informs us, your audience, about your
chosen
zoo dweller. What will you hope to learn at the zoo about its habitat,
appearance, and behaviors? What questions do you have that would take you
and your audience beyond common knowledge? How might personification,
similes, metaphors, and sensory language be integrated into your riddle?
We'll begin working on this in class on Friday.
Go to my links and check out the zoo website. This will be be fun to do
prior to Thursday's trip and informative as you do your reseach later.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5
1. Complete a high-quality critique of "Least Favorite Chore" as described
in class.
2. Give your Colebrook packet to your parents today.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1
"Important Details" sheet:
> Write the proper heading on your paper.
> Follow directions in the bullets.
> Of those you checked, circle the check of the six most intriguing,
interesting bits of information.
> Answer the question at the end.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
"Esperanza Rising" passage: read carefully for details and then fill in the
chart on the back.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Journal entry # 10: Oops: My Biggest Mistake! Write an Ideas-rich entry:
> crystal clear main idea/topic
> focused
> show authority
> intersting, unusual details
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Enjoy your weekend and curl up with some good reading material. Your
understanding of the six traits will probably help you appreciate what the
author has done so successfully as you read.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
"Boomer"
1. Mark the text for the trait of Ideas. Use your Ideas rubric as a guide.
2. Also using the rubric, decide upon an appropriate score for this piece
and
CIRCLE it at the bottom.
3. At the bottom, write a statement to support/explain the score you gave
this piece of writing.
Remember, we are only looking for Ideas. Ignore all the other traits.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
On a sheet of printer paper, draw a DETAILED illustration of one of your
fears to match "Life Doesn't Frighten Me." Be sure to put the proper
heading
on the BACK of the paper. Artistic talent doesn't matter; details do. Have
fun!
For those of you who were absent today and missed hearing the book, you
will be able to do this anyway. What frightens you can be real (sharks) or
imaginary (monster under your bed). You may use any drawing utensil and
orient the paper as you see fit.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
"Ranking the Three Papers:" Actively read and mark the text for the 6
traits. Rank the 3 papers and give specific support.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Enjoy reading a good book this weekend and notice how the author applied the
six traits of good writing. We can learn from the pros.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
As you read today, look for an example of the author using one of the Traits
of Writing well. Be prepared to write down the title, author, strong trait,
and example from the text in class tomorrow. Bring your book with you in
order to do this.
The Traits are: Ideas (focused topic and strong details)
Organization (overall structure)
Voice (writer's enthusiasm and awareness of audience)
Word Choice (strong verbs and sensory words)
Sentence Fluency (writing flows smoothly)
(Conventions are not included because it is a published
piece of writing and should be error-free.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Read for 20 minutes.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Notebook entry #6: "Mouse Alert"
> Critique strengths and weaknesses
> Do it in paragraph form
> Use specifics from the text
> Explain in detail.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Notebook entry #4: What Makes a Piece of Writing GREAT?
Fill close to a page with well-thought-out ideas from your knowledge and
experience. We will use this in class on Tuesday.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Some of you took your writing home to work on over the weekend. If you did,
remember the two conditions: you will be the ONLY person working on it, and
you will be sure to have it in school on MONDAY.
Have a great weekend.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
No written work, but keep in mind your "What I Really Care About" piece will
finished in class tomorrow. If you are not ready to do your final copy,
work
on it during study/lunch today or come in early tomorrow morning to work on
your draft.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Complete the Student Survey with top-quality responses, in pen.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
Student Survey: select any 8 questions and answer them well, using a black
or blue pen.
