Tuesday, September 30 ~ Fishbowl & Ch 11

EQ: What are the tricks to getting points in a Socratic Fishbowl discussion?

Socratic Fishbowl: Group 1

HW: Read Ch. 11 & do Journal 12
*Journal 12: Write 2 Discussion questions and a TIED paragraph answering one of your own questions.

Monday, September 29 ~ HC "Epic World Day!"

Fishbowl Instruction & Practice: Which group are you in?

• Group 1 goes tomorrow (Sept.30)
• Group 2 goes Friday (Oct.3)
• Group 3 goes Tuesday (Oct.7)

HW

• Read Chapter 10 & do Journal 11
• Journal 11: Write three discussion questions and answer one of them with a TIED-IED paragraph.

Block Day, September 25-26 ~ PSAT & Ch.9

ROOTS

• Quiz! (15 questions, including roots, definitions & trivia)

DISCUSS

• Go over Ch.8 Journals (Journal 9)

DUE

• Please get your journals document into the google folder for this class. Do NOT share this file with me since it will automatically be viewable to me in the folder (and it will create 80 emails in my inbox! Save me!).
• While you work, let's watch a video.

PSAT

• Critical Reading Section (25 minutes)

ACTIVITY

• Set up Socractic Discussion Circles a.k.a. Fishbowl Discussions.
• Click here for directions.

HW

• Read Chapter 9 & do Journal 10
• Journal 10: Write three discussion questions and answer one of them with a TIED-IED paragraph.

Wednesday, September 24 ~ The Hobbit Ch.8

ROOTS

• join, junct - join
• juven - young
• lau, lav, lot, lut - wash

HW CHECK

• Have a partner read your Journal 8 paragraph. Does the topic sentence give a clear idea to be proven? Does the quote actually prove the topic? Does the commentary thoroughly explain how the quote (evidence) proves the topic?

DISCUSS

• Describe Beorn (what does he eat, look like, care about, hate, etc..)
• How is Beorn like the various descriptions of the Beast in Beauty and the Beast?
• Why is it necessary to the story that Gandalf leave the expedition?
• What is the most important advice hat Beorn and Gandalf give that Beorn and Gandalf give about Mirkwood? Do you think this advice will be followed?

HW: Read Ch.8 & do Journal 9

Journal 9: Choose ONE prompt below to write a TIED style paragraph in response. This time, use two quotes to prove your topic sentence. Technically this is a TIED-IED style paragraph.

• How has Bilbo grown as a heroic character?
• What symbolic purpose do you see in the enchanted stream? (Consider: Does it remind you of objects in other myths or legends? Why avoid them? Why do characters fall into these temptations despite warnings?)
• Who do you think is should be the leader after Gandalf leaves? Why?
• Who is at fault in the ancient feud between the dwarves and the elves?

Tuesday, Sept.23 ~ TIED Paragraph & Hobbit Ch.7

ROOTS:

• hydr, hydra, hydro - water
• ignis - fire
• ject -throw

ESSAY TRAINING:

• Please create a new Notability Doc called "Essay Notes." Add these notes to those: This is the TIED way to write a body paragraph.

T opic Sentences	T: The topic sentences lets the reader know what your subject is and what you are going to prove.  Never use "I" or talk about the essay/paragraph in this sentence.
I introduce Evidence	I: After the topic sentence, you should introduce your evidence or reasoning.
E vidence          (this could be a quote           or logical reasoning)	E: In a Literary Response essay (the type we are working on), this is the quote that demonstrates your point.
D iscuss (aka commentary)	D: You must discuss how the evidence is important in proving your argument as stated in the Topic sentence or Thesis.

*Note: Each element in TIED structure does not necessarily need its own sentence; it just needs to be present in the paragraph. 

 

Example from Lord of the Flies:

Simon makes it clear that the boys are no longer thinking in a logical way. After Sam and Eric find the beast, he reasons out the probability of the beast they described.“Simon felt a flicker of incredulity-a beast with claws that scratched, that sat on a mountain-top, that left no tracks and yet was not fast enough to catch Samneric” (103). Simon's thoughts show how illogical this so-called beast is because it really should have been more deadly if the boys' description had been true.
 

TIED PRACTICE:

At this point in the story, how much of an asset does Gandalf seem to be? (Do his actions seem consistent with the way you think wizards should operate? Why doesn't he do more to "save the day"? Are his powers limited, or is he intentionally refraining from using them?) Defend your answer with a paragraph that uses the TIED format above. Please keep this in your notes AND copy it into the online text assignment on focus called "TIED Paragraph."

 

HW: Read Ch.7 and write one TIED paragraph to answer Journal 8.

 

Journal 8: Is Beorn a safe character? (Some thoughts to consider: What are his virtues? Why is he suspicious of strangers? What about him seems vicious? In what ways is he gentle? How does Bilbo come to understand him?)

 

 

 

 

Monday, September 22 ~ The Hobbit Ch. 6

ROOTS:

• hema, hemo - blood
• here, he - to stick to
• hum human - earth, ground, man

Trivia

• What word describes the part of your blood that can bond to oxygen or carbon dioxide?
• What word describes the action of pulling something out of the earth?
• What word describes the field study that focuses on the recording of where things are placed on the earth.
• What word describes an inner quality that cannot be removed (sticks) from the object/being.
• What word describes the step or level you've earned in a class?

DISCUSS: Ch. 5

• The first three pages of Ch. 5 show how much Bilbo has grown since leaving The Hill. Explain how he has changed and what skills he has gained.
• Tolkien is a very creative writer, especially with descriptions and changing voices. Choose a passage or two that you deem as very cleverly written.
• Part of being a hero is maintaining the value of fair play. Do you believe Bilbo practices fair play with Gollum?
• Can you see any similarities between Bilbo and Gollum?

HW: Read Ch.6
Journal 7
1. Why do you think Bilbo avoids telling the others about the ring?
2. At this point in the story, how much of an asset id Gandalf? Do his actions seem consistent with the way you think wizards operate? Why doesn't Gandalf do more to "save the day"? Are his powers limited, or is he intentionally refraining from using them? Defend your answer.

P.S. A quiz is coming for roots and The Hobbit. Study.

Block Day, September 18-19 ~ The Hobbit Ch.5 Gollum

EQ: How does the use of riddles and songs enrich Tolkien's writing style?

ROOTS:

• greg - herd
• hypn - sleep
• helio - sun

Trivia.... Using your knowledge of prefixes and roots...

• What word means an obsession with self?
• What word means a piece of writing that is at upon the top scale of wit.
• What word means to carry food with in your body?

GRAMMAR

• Click here to practice identifying Fused Sentences and Comma Splices.
• Now move into a little practice using commas. Click here.

ARE YOU A RIDDLER?

• Ten men were in a boat on the river Ganga. The boat turns over, and all men sink to the bottom of the river, yet not a single man got wet! Why?
• Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?
• I’m tall when I’m young and I’m short when I’m old. What am I?
• How can a pants pocket be empty and still have something in it?
• In a one-story pink house, there was a pink person, a pink cat, a pink fish, a pink computer, a pink chair, a pink table, a pink telephone, a pink shower– everything was pink! What color is the staircase?
• If I drink, I die. If i eat, I am fine. What am I?
• Throw away the outside and cook the inside, then eat the outside and throw away the inside. What is it?
• Now you write an original riddle for our class. Due next week!

DISCUSS: Numbered Heads Style

• What kinds of technological inventions have the Goblins made? p.59
• In what ways so far, has Bilbo been an unintentional hero? Why do you think Tolkien allows him to be so lucky?
• How would you describe the relationship between the giants and nature?
• How about the Goblins and nature?
• Name as many quotes with foreshadowing as you can find in Ch. 4
• Cite as many references as you can find to light or dark in Ch.4.

HW: Read Ch.5 and do Journal 6
Journal 6: Consider Gollum: How does he embody evil? What was he like before finding the ring? Describe Gollum’s corruption through its power. Find a passage that explains the transformation.
 

Wednesday, Sept.17 ~ The Hobbit Ch. 4 Goblins

ROOTS

• grad, gress - step, go
• grat - pleasing
• grav -heavy, weighty

GRAMMAR

• Know sooner did Tom sea Balin come into the lite then he gives an awful howl, trolls simply detest the very site of dwarves (uncooked). (Tolkien. 36)

DISCUSS: Numbered Heads Style

1. Why does Bilbo want to hear the elves' opinion of their adventure to the Mountain?
2. Describe Elrond and his leadership.
3. Why do you think Tolkien goes into such vivid description of the countryside?
4. What hints from the story tell you that this tale is a story about good and evil?
5. Describe Durin's Day and what it symbolizes?
6. Share the light/dark images you've found.

HW: Read Ch. 4 and do Journal 5

*Journal 5: Many critics believe Tolkien’s writing reflects his personal dislike for technology. Briefly list the characteristics of goblins; explain how they use the technology they have for evil purposes.

Wednesday's Schedule

Tuesday, September 16

ROOTS:

• gest - to carry, to bear
• gloss, glott - tongue
• glu, glo - lump, bond, glue

GRAMMAR:                                   

• What I say, said Bilbo gasping. And please dont cook me, kind sirs! I am a good cook myself and cook better than I cook, if your see what I meen I'll cook butifully for you, a perfectly beautiful brekfast for you, if only you wont have me for super (Tolkien 35).

LIT. NOTES:
*Please record these terms in your "Hobbit Journals & Notes" document.

Motif: One of the key ideas or literary devices which supports the main THEME of a literary work.  It may consist of a character, a recurrent image or verbal pattern. 
*What recurring, even symbolic images do you see so far in our book?

Slapstick Humor: Low-level comedy in which humor depends almost entirely on physical actions and sight gags. The antics of the three stooges and the modern fourth stooge, Adam Sandler, often fall into this category.
*Please cite a couple of examples of slapstick humor from Ch. 2.

DISCUSS: Ch.2

• According to the letter from Thorin (28), what are the risks, benefits of taking this adventure?
• What does Bilbo forget to take with him? What is Tolkien showing you by including this?
• Thorin makes Bilbo approach the trolls. Is this fair? smart?
• Right now, what are Bilbo's strengths & weaknesses? What does he need to learn to be a hero?
• Why do you think Gandalf left them? Why didn't he kill the trolls?
• Apply the Hero's Journey so far; what steps have been fulfilled?

HW: Read Ch.3 & do Journal 4
*Outlining: As your read on, make sure to mark any references to dark or light (our motif).
*Journal 4: What is the legend about moon-letters? What riddle do they reveal to Elrond? What is Durin's Day?

Monday, September 15

Due: Journal 1. Please copy and past your text into the focus assignment by the same name (West only)

PREFIXES:
* mono - one, single
* mortis - death
* nomen - name

GRAMMAR

• Write a corrected version of the sentence below into your notes:
• "In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit not a nastee dirty wet hole filled with the ends of worms and an ozy smell nor yet a dray bare sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat it was a hobbit-hole and that means comfort" (Tolkien 3). 

JOURNAL

Please create a Notability Doc. to hold your journal responses for Q1.
  Journal 2 - The Cave                                                                                                       
"The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek." Joseph Campbell
When considering this quote and what we learned from the clip (A Hero's Journey),what is your cave and what potential treasure awaits you?

Discuss

• Journal 1: How does the setting reflect Bilbo's personality?
• What do you learn about the dwarves' vendetta in their Treasure Song? Pgs. 14-16
• Does Bilbo really want to go on the adventure?

Context: What factors influenced J.R.R. Tolkien in writing The Hobbit?
Click here and enter the id: mvcs pw: mustangs.

Journal 3: What events in Tolkien's life as well as historical events might have influenced his creation of The Hobbit?

HW: Read Ch. 2 and complete Journal 3.

Block Day ~ Hero's Journey

EQ: Have you bought a copy of The Hobbit yet? Please bring them on Monday!

Due: Two Kinds worksheet-10 pts. (West only)

Prefixes:

• macro - large
• micro - small
• mania - obsession (note this is also a root)

Go over Story Elements PPT using this notes worksheet.

EQ & Discussion: What kinds of patterns do you see in hero stories?

Hero's Journey

• Video Clip: What is the Hero's Journey?
• Application: In small groups, use this chart to figure out how common hero stories fit the pattern. Your group will choose a movie or book to work on together. Some stories may include The Hunger games, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Divergent (basically any story you all know).
• When your group is finished with the chart, please put it into your google drive with the title "Hero's Journey Chart." 

HW: Read Chapter One of The Hobbit and be ready to discuss: How does the setting reflect Bilbo Baggins' character?
*Still need the text? Click here for Chapters 1-3 here.

Wednesday, September 10

Warm-up: Prefixes

• lexis - word
• liber - free, book
• locus - place

Grammar Check: Please write these sentences correctly in an ongoing Notability document.
*These sentences can be fixed with either a semicolon or a colon. Can you guess two rules of when to use colons?

1. Scott used his sister's cell phone to call Kris he lost his yesterday.
2. We watched Garfield A Tail of Two Kittens after school on Monday.
3. Add these to your list when you go to the grocery store bread, milk, lunch meat, and cheese.
4. Shari owns four dogs three of them are poodles.
5. Kayla's school supply list included a calculator, ruler, and protractor for math a composition book, pocket dictionary, and pens for English and a binder.

Finish Two Kinds and worksheet.

HW: Finish the Two Kinds worksheet by tomorrow.

Tuesday, September 9

DUE: Your teacher will check for your Fish Cheeks homework as your are working on the warm-up.

Warm-up: New Prefixes

• in, im - not
• inter - between
• legis (lex) - law

Grammar
EQ: When is it "legal" to use a semi-colon?

• To answer the EQ, read this explanation.
• Now practice with this exercise (Note: a comma-splice is a run-on sentence that has placed a comma where the semi-colon should be).

Go over Fish Cheeks questions.

In 1949, the Communist Party seized control of China, following years of civil war. Like the mother in “Two Kinds,” a number of Chinese who feared Communists fled to the United States. Many of them lost everything except their hopes for a better future. They placed these hopes on the shoulders of the children born in the new land. As you read, note how the daughter in “Two Kinds” deals with her mother’s expectations.

Read Two Kinds and do this worksheet in Notability.

HW: Nope. We will finish in class tomorrow.

Monday, September 8

Warm-up: Prefixes

• ideo - idea
• idios - one's own
• in - in

Intro. Discussion: Agree, Disagree, or Somewhere in the Middle?

1. My parents generally give me wise advice.
2. I like having friends over for dinner with my family.
3. My parents are embarrassing.
4. My parents have had a deep influence on who I am today.
5. I can remember a time when I tried to change myself to fit in.

EQ: What is Tan's purpose in writing this essay? Does she just want to entertain readers, or might she have a weightier goal?
Bio: Amy Tan
*Read this bio from the official Amy Tan website. What parts of her life might have made identity a complex issue.

Read Fish Cheeks and do the "Questions on Meaning" section in a new Notability document.

HW: First section of questions on Fish Cheeks (10 pts.). Use the link above to find text and questions.

Block Day, September 4 & 5

Quiz 1: Prefixes, fragments and Greek gods! Oh me, oh my!
* Grade quizzes in class.

EQ: Is my thesis arguable, something beyond the obviously true?

In-class Essay ~ Summer Reading
    Choose ONE prompt:

Goodbye Zeus!

1. Allusion: Why do companies use mythical allusions to brand themselves and their products? Consider that a name like "Pandora" is more meaningful than "Your Variety Music Station." What is the power of using a mythical allusion?
2. Myth vs. Bible: Why do you believe there are so many similarities between Greek myths and Biblical stories? Please use examples to support your discussion.
3. Favorite: Choose your favorite myth from summer reading. Explain in detail what truth you derived from the story and why it resonated with you. PLEASE do not summarize the story!
4. Value in Tradition: After reading several myths, what value do you believe this tradition gave to the ancient Greek and Roman people? How did knowing these stories create a better society for them?

When you finish, if you would like to get extra credit, complete this crossword puzzle! Just show it to your teacher as you walk out of the door.

HW: Nope. Your free weekend has been well-earned!

Wednesday, September 3 - Summer Essay Prompts

EQ: How many prefixes are in your "Word Roots and Parts"? Can you name them? Define them and give an example?

Warm-up: Prefixes
Add 'em to that special place in Notability.

• graph - write, record
• hetero - mixed, unlike
• homo - same, alike
• idem, iden - the same

Your summer reading essay will be graded using the SAT Rubric.

Discuss possible prompts:

1. Allusion: Why do companies use mythical allusions to brand themselves and their products? Consider that a name like "Pandora" is more meaningful than "Your Variety Music Station." What is the power of using a mythical allusion?
2. Myth vs. Bible: Why do you believe there are so many similarities between Greek myths and Biblical stories? Please use examples to support your discussion.
3. Favorite: Choose your favorite myth from summer reading. Explain in detail what truth you derived from the story and why it resonated with you. PLEASE do not summarize the story!
4. Value in Tradition: After reading several myths, what value do you believe this tradition gave to the ancient Greek and Roman people? How did knowing these stories create a better society for them?

Here is one last Fragment practice before the quiz.

HW: Study for the quiz (roots, fragments, Greek Gods chart) and prepare your notes for an open-notes, in-class essay on Block Day. You may choose your prompt from above. 

 ***IMPORTANT***
BRIDGETTE'S CLASS ONLY - BRING SUMMER READING NOTES!

Tuesday, September 2

EQ: What's a fragment sentence? What does a sentence need to be a sentence?

Warm-up: Prefixes
In your Notability document titled, "Word Roots & Parts" please add these roots with three example words that use the prefix.

• federis - league, pact
• frater - brother
• geo - earth

It's Grammar Tuesday! Go to Grammar Bytes - Fragment Section and complete Exercise 2.

Poster Review - Complete God & Goddess Chart

West's class - New seating arrangement

HW: Get pumped to write your in class essay on block day. Churn up those creative juices so you're ready to go on Thurs. & Fri.