Monday, November 3 ~ Know the last 100 years of the story!

Bridgette's class only: Journals 1-4 are due today. 

EQ: What will your research question be? 

ROOTS

• Quizzes back...Yikes! Another quiz on block day. STUDY!
• medi - half, middle, between
• mega - great
• mem - remember

NOTES

• Click here for lecture notes. You should draw images or add small notes to help you remember information for a quiz later this week. 

Line to apply for the Bracero Program

ACTIVITY

• Fill out the Push/Pull Factor Chart on the Vocabulary document from block day. 

HW: Brainstorm at least 3 questions you would like to research on this topic to help you learn more about the last 14 years of immigration. AND Please title your document as Immigration Journals 1-4 and save them in your Google Drive for grading by 8 a.m. Tuesday 11/4. No late work will be accepted!

Block Day, October 30-31 Happy Halloween!

EQ: Do you know your there, their, they're words?

West only...roots quiz!

ROOTS

• mand - to command
• mar, mari, mer - sea, pool
• matri - mother

GRAMMAR

• Today we will work through some practice with their/there/they're confused words.

IMMIGRATION

• Carousel Vocabulary - Use the definitions hung around the room to get some basic vocabulary before we continue to discuss the history of immigration in the U.S. Click here to get the vocabulary list.

• Today we finish the webquest on immigration.

If you finish early, consider that you get to choose your own research question. What would you like to explore?

HW: Finish webquest
         Bridgette's class only: Journals 1-4 are due Monday, November 3

Wednesday, October 29 ~ Immigration Webquest

Roots
* macr-, macer - lean
* magn - great
* man - hand
* mania - madness

EQ: What does it take to become a U.S. citizen?

Today you will explore more sides of the Immigration debate by working through a webquest.

Each page of the webquest has at least one question. Keep track of these in your Immigration Debate Notes under Journal 4.

Click here to get started.

HW: Nope, we will finish this on Block Day, but you could study roots....hint, hint. :)

Tuesday, October 28 ~ Obama on Immigration

BRIDGETTE'S CLASS - SURPRISE!!! Pop Quiz - Roots 

EQ: What is the current situation with Immigration Reform in the U.S.?

Go over Journal 2.

June 30, 2014 ~ Obama (15:26)
Common Sense Reform Bill is on hold because of disagreement in government.

Journal 3: Obama on Immigration

1. How is the current system broken?
2. What problems are occurring because of it?
3. Why is Congress stuck?
4. How does Obama say we could fix it?
5. What do you think could help the situation?
6. What are three questions you still have?

HW: Finish Journal 3. Feel free to talk to your parents or friends to help you answer these questions. If you want to hear more from Obama click here. Read about the supplemental bill here.

Monday, October 27 ~ Background Info on Immigration

Today we begin learning the background information for our new book, Across a Hundred Mountains.

*During this unit, you will need to keep notes in one document, eventually to be turned in and used in future assignments. Make that note right now in Notability and call it "The Immigration Debate." Start these notes with a these Journal questions below.

Journal ONE

EQ-A: What do you already know about the issue of Mexican-American Immigration? 
 
















EQ-B: Is the U.S. responsible to help people in need from other countries? 
















Continue your journal as you view a quick intro video from the BBC.

Now finish your journal by recording your score to this quiz to see how much you really know about the issue (Don't worry, it's not for a grade, just to open our eyes about the complexity of the issue).

HW: Journal 2 & Buy book (Across a Hundred Mountains ISBN 978-0-7432-6958-2)

Journal 2: Talk to your parents or any other adult about immigration. Record their thoughts on the issue. 

Block Day, October 23-24

Bridgette's Class:

West's Class: Finish projects and watch whatever we can of the movie.

The End of The Hobbit!

Block Day, Oct. 23 & 24

Bridgette's Class:
It wouldn't be right to let Halloween go by without a little Edgar Allan Poe. The Masque of the Red Death is sure to creep you out.                  


Before we read:
EQ: What is allegory?

The rich and powerful might build walls around their sprawling estates to block out the upsetting parts of life. What realities of life must people face no matter who they are?

What is the Black Death?

Who was Poe? What other works from Poe have you read?

Sit back, follow along and be prepared to explain Poe's intended effect in this story.

 The Masque of the Red Death 

Wednesday, October 22

First, please take this survey. The results are completely anonymous.

West: Begin Presentations

Bridgette: Finish Presentations

Projects Due today.....

 Projects are on for Ms. Bridgette!

For Mrs. West.....Oh NO! My whole family is sick and me too. I'm so sorry, but I will not be there today. Projects will have to wait until tomorrow.

For now, enjoy the movie with your food. Have the sub sign a list confirming what everyone brought for e.c. Perhaps one of your students can create that list? If you finish the first movie, feel free to check and see if Ms. Bridgette is finished with the second or start it on Youtube.

Sub, you will have to restart my computer in order to get past my locked password, but the DVD is in the player on the side of my monitor. Use the VLC media player to play the movie.

Projects are now due tomorrow.

Students, please make sure you clean up after yourself five minutes before the period ends. Who will be the timekeeper?

Thank you for making this a good day for our substitute,
Mrs. West

Monday, October 20 ~ Hobbit project due tomrrow!

DUE Today!

• Hard Copy: Your old essay stapled below the Self/Peer Editing Sheets (20pts).
• Digital: Submit your typed essay to Turnitin.com and Google Drive (10pts).
• Please put a note on both items: NO CHANGE or REGRADE (10% optional pts).

Watch movie!

Tomorrow: We feast over projects and music. Make sure your rubric is on Google Drive.

• E.C. for food!

Block Day, October 16-17

ROOTS:

• loc, loco - place
• log, logo, ology - word, study, speech
• loqu, locut - talk, speak
• luc, lum, lus, lun - light

RUBRICS DUE!
Please have these in your Google drive folder by midnight tonight!

GROUP ACTIVITY:

• Get into groups with other people who have chose the same project as you.
• Go around the group and describe your ideas for your project so far. Discuss ways that each person enrich their projects.
• Compare your rubrics and alter them with new ideas you've found.
• NOTE: Consider the bar you are setting for yourself. Your earned grade may not match your rubric if the bar you set is much lower than that of your classmates or what I know you are capable of, so make sure that you bring a legit project on Tuesday!

ESSAYS BACK:

• When you get your essay back, please read over the feedback and familiarize yourself with the piece again.
• Then complete the first six sections of the Peer Edit Sheet on your own.
• Lastly, trade essays with a peer and complete the last section of overall feedback for your partner. 

HW: This weekend you will need to continue working on your project and edit your essay. Please type your essay and upload it to Turnitin.com (See link on right for directions). On MONDAY in class, please turn in your completed peer edit packet stapled to your old essay.

Wednesday, October 15 ~ PSATs today!

ROOTS:
~Continue your notes from before. These roots will add up to a cumulative test.

• leg - law
• levi - light
• liber, liver - free
• liter - letters

E.Q. What makes the difference between an A and a B grade for your project?

Due tomorrow: a completed rubric, tailored for your project.

Tuesday, October 14 ~ Make a Rubric!

NOTE: Today is extended chapel. Click here for the schedule. 

Open
*Check on Google Drive to find the "Hobbit Rubric" file. Use this format to create a tailored rubric for your own project.

PSAT tomorrow!
*Click here for the Schedule.
*Your day starts in your advisory class for testing from 8:10-11:25, followed by 20 minute classes. 
*Remember that the National Merit Scholarship Foundation will have access to these scores. 
*Booklets back. Practice!

Movie

Welcome to Second Quarter!

A new quarter means a fresh start with grades!

Your first two grades this quarter will be earned this week. Let's start off well!

1. Hobbit Journals 10-17: Please put these into Google drive under this same title. I will grade them during first period tomorrow.
2. Hobbit Project: This week will be spent working on the project and enjoying the movie. We will have a hobbit party on Block Day to celebrate the end of our Fantasy unit! Click on the link below to view the project options.

Hobbit Projects

West Class: Claim your projects today! They are due on Block Day!
Bridgette Class: You will claim your projects tomorrow!

Continue watching the movie. 

Block Days~ October 8-9 End of Quarter 1!

In-Class Essay: The Hobbit

• 40 minutes. You may use one pre-made note card.
• Please underline your thesis and topic sentences that match the "because" section.

Movie Time!


Have a great three-day weekend! No HW!

Tuesday, October 7 ~ In-Class essay tomorrow!

EQ: Which prompt from yesterday's blog will you write about tomorrow?
HINT: You may prepare one notecard for tomorrow's in-class essay. I would recommend that your notecard include a CAB thesis and SIX quotes to use in your TIED paragraphs. You will have 40 minutes.

Warm-up: How can you fix this CAB thesis to be in parallel structure?
Although the dwarves did not trust him at first, Bilbo does earn their trust and respect when he saves them from spiders, the dwarves get broken out of the Elven prison and he finds the boat.

Last Fishbowl! (Group 3 leads, but jump in if you still need credit!)

HW: Prepare your notecard for Block Day essay.

NOTE: Journals  10-17 Due Monday (West only)

Monday, October 6 ~ Ch. 18-19

Are these Strong Thesis Statements?

1. The novel, The Hobbit, has a great lesson.
2. My essay is about the lesson on greed in The Hobbit. 
3. Even though the dwarves have a lot to fight for, they become corruptly motivated by greed when confronted by the other people groups who want part of the hoard.

Take NOTES: EQ: How do you write a STRONG Thesis Statement?       *In this case, strong means clear and specific.

1st -Figure out the question.
         *Ex. How has Bilbo grown into a leader?
         
2nd - Answer the question.
          *One possible format to use is the CAB thesis: 
Contest
Although Bilbo began as a meek creature of comforts,
Assert
it is evident that he has grown in courage and skill
Because
because he has rescued the dwarves several times, asserted himself to Thorin, and even confronted Smaug.

3rd - Check it.

• Did I answer the question meaningfully? That means that the reader cannot ask "So what?" or "How?" or "Why?" If s/he can, then you need to clarify, connect your ideas to a larger issue, or narrow your topic down somehow. 
• Did I take a debatable position? If your thesis simply states obvious facts, there is a very good chance you are simply providing summary rather than proving something or explaining something in a new way. You must choose a direction to work toward.
• Is my thesis specific enough? Avoid general words. For example, if you contain words like "good" or "successful," then state what makes it good or specifically what the standard for success is.
• Does my thesis match my body paragraphs? If the topics of your body paragraphs do not match your thesis, then one of them has to change. It is ok to change your thesis. This often happens as your write and think more deeply about a topic. For this reason, many people write the introduction to the essay last. 

For more help, go to this website.
For more practice, go to this website.

Practice: Apply the CAB thesis to ONE of these prompts:

1. In the end, what did the hobbit gain from the adventure? How has this adventure changed who Bilbo is?
2. In the end, Gandalf makes the comment: "You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit?" (305). Do you agree with Bilbo or with Gandalf? If "mere luck" is not responsible for Bilbo's success, what is? 
3. Bilbo and his companions have built a level of trust through the challenges they've encountered. What is Tolkien saying about TRUST in this novel?
4. Many of the characters changed in the novel due to greed. What is Tolkien saying about GREED in this novel?

HW: Read Chapters 18-19 and write a CAB Thesis based on ONE of the prompts above. Group 3-get ready for Fishbowl.

Friday, October 3 ~ Chapters 15-17

Socratic Fish Bowl: Group 2


HW: Read Chapters 15-17 & do Journal 17
         BRIDGETTE'S CLASS ONLY - Journals are due Monday, Oct. 6 - Check Focus for details.

Journal 17: Choose one and write a TIED-IED paragraph.
A. What is noble about Bilbo's actions with the Arkenstone? (Consider: Why does he do it? Would any other character in the story be capable of this? What does it say about Bilbo's ethics? Why does he return to the mountain? Would you have done the same?) 
B. Trace Thorin's moral degeneration. (Consider: What causes him to change? In what ways does he end up being similar to Smaug? Why do you think he is corrupted so easily?)

Thursday, October 2 ~ Chs.13 & 14

Discuss Journal 14: What is an Arkenstone?


Journal 15: Personal Writing Goals

• Today you will receive your Mythology Essays Back.
• Looking at the SAT rubric (in Google Drive) with your essay feedback, what are three areas you could improve in? Write three goals as Journal 15. 

HW: Journal 16: Read Chapters 13 & 14. Brainstorm three discussion questions and answer one in a TIED-IED paragraph.

*Fishbowl Tomorrow! Group 2 is leading. Prepare your questions and quotes!

Wednesday, October 1 ~ Chapter 12

Journal 13: Rewrite the TIED-IED paragraph as a more concise, grammatically correct paragraph.

• Does the topic sentence clearly state what the paragraph is about?
• Are there sentences that do not need to be there? Can any sentences be combined?
• Do all the other sentences work to prove the topic?
• Is the entire quote needed, or could it be summed up in the "I" section with less words?
• Can this paragraph be just as strong without using personal pronouns? 
• Are there any vague or weak words that you can replace with better ones? ("this" is a horrible word for example. Verbs can often be stronger or more specific.)

    I think Gandalf is just like normal wizards. He does not save the day by doing everything because he wanted to give Bilbo and his team a chance to experience difficulties and overcome them, therefore, limiting the time to use his powers. He can understand other languages, has many friends to help and can set things on fire. This is presented in many parts of the story. One of those parts is: "Then he set one alight with bright blue fire, and threw it whizzing down among the circle of wolves. It struck one on the back, and immediately his shaggy coat caught fire, and he was leaping to and from yelping horribly. Then another came and another, one in blue flames, one in red, another in green." (95-96) From this point, we can see, that Gandalf commissions Bilbo with responsibility, saying that their next meeting will depend "on your luck and on your courage and on your sense (128)." Gandalf believes that with training, Bilbo and the Dwarves can finish the job. If Gandalf helped them get through all the difficulties, the journey would be meaningless.

HW: Read Ch. 12 & do Journal 14

Journal 14: Brainstorm three discussion questions and look up the etymology of the name "Arkenstone." What associated meanings do you think Tolkien intended when he named that stone. Please write this journal as a TIED paragraph using a quote from the definition as your EVIDENCE sentence.