Week of April 21, 2008

Monday, April 21st
Bell work~ Word Puzzle & Which character in our short stories can you relate to most? Explain why.
1. Meeting Area Mini-lesson~ “Developing Provocative Ideas, Part 2”
a. Writers will make personal connections with the text by answering the questions: What is important about this story? What does this story say about the world? My life? How does this story intersect with my life? How would I change myself if I took this story seriously?
2. Quiet writing/Conferencing time~ Write an entry answering the above questions
3. Partner Sharing~ Read and discuss (using the book talk format) the entries
4. Wrap up
Homework~ Learning From Characters

Tuesday, April 22nd
Bell work~ Word Puzzle & How hard or easy has it been to do your English homework lately? Explain why.
1. Meeting Area Mini-lesson~ Continuation of “Developing Provocative Ideas, Part 2”
2. Quiet writing/Conferencing time~ Choose a different story to write an entry answering these questions: What is important about this story? What does this story say about the world? My life? How does this story intersect with my life? How would I change myself if I took this story seriously?
3. Share Time~ Volunteers will read their entry to the class
4. Wrap up
Homework~ Learning From Characters

Wednesday, April 23
Bell work~Word Puzzle & What is a cross-text-connetions?
1. Meeting Area Mini-lesson~"Making Cross-Text-Connections”
2. Quiet writing/Conferencing time~Write an entry answering these questions: Which stories are you studying? Who are the authors? Who are the characters? What are the similarities/differences? What is/are the issue(s)? What is the message/meaning of the stories? How can these stories help me (the reader) change my life?
3. Share Time~Read entries aloud to the class
4. Wrap up
Homework~Text-to-Text Connections

Thursday, April 24th
Bell work~Word Puzzle & Rate how difficult is has been to make connections with the texts. Explain why.
1. Meeting Area Mini-lesson~ “Finding a Thesis Statement”
2. Quiet writing/Conferencing time
3. Partner Sharing~Read your possible thesis statement to your partner. Then, volunteers will share with the class.
4. Wrap up
Homework~Crafting Theses Quickly Using a Template

Friday, April 25th
Bell work~Word Puzzle & Rate your difficulty or ease of writing your thesis statement. Explain why.
1. Today we will be going to the library to return, renew, and check out books.
2. Meeting Area Lesson~ “Testing a Thesis Statement”
2. Quiet reading, writing, and conferencing time
3. Partner Sharing~Check your partners thesis statement by reading it and asking the questions essayists ask of a thesis statement: Does it relate to both the 1st and 2nd halves of the text? How can you support this?
4. Wrap up

Week of April 14, 2008
Welcome back! I hope you had a safe, fun, and restful Spring Break vacation. This week, we are going to first review our classroom expectations and the short stories that we read before the break. Then, we will continue in our Literary Essay unit. So, writers keep reading, speaking, observing, and living like writers.

Monday, April 14
1. Bell Work~ What was the best/worst thing that you experienced over Spring Break?
2. Today, we will review the classroom expectations and short stories that we have read so far by playing the game “Tip-Tip-Tell”. Students will create questions on index cards. Then move around the room to music. When the music stops, they will stop and pair up with a partner, take turns asking their question and answering their partners question. If the answer is not known right away a tip id given. If the answer still is not known after the first tip, then another tip is given. Still not known, then the answer is told and the cards are traded. Everyone begins all over again and class continues until 5 minutes are left.
3. Students will fill out a self-reflection sheet.

Tuesday, April 15th
1. Bell Work~ Do you like the “Tip-Tip-Tell” strategy for reviewing material? Why or why not?
2. Mini-Lesson~ “Elaborating on Written Ideas Using Conversational Prompts”
3. Quiet Writing~ Write an entry or two using three to five conversational prompts
4. Share Time~ Share one of your entries with your partner
5. Wrap Up
Homework~ Bringing More of the Test to Reading Response

Wednesday, April 16th
1. Bell Work~ Which short story that we have read do you like the best? Explain why.
2. Mini-Lesson~ “Developing Provocative Ideas,” Part 1
3. Quiet Writing~ Write an entry answering the question: “What is this story really about?”
4. Share Time~ Read and discuss your entry with your partner
5. Wrap Up
Homework~ Finding Elusive Meaning in Texts

Thursday, April 17th
1. Bell Work~ What did you identify as the main idea of the story you wrote your entry on yesterday? How do you know this?
2. Mini-Lesson~ “Developing Provocative Ideas,” Part 2
3. Quiet Writing~ Write an entry answering the question: “How does this story insect with my life?”
4. Share Time~ Read and discuss your entry with your partner
5. Wrap Up
Homework~ Learning From Characters

Friday, April 18th
1. Bell Work~ What similarities &/or differences do you have with a character from one of our short stories?
2. Quiet Writing~ Writers will identify using conversational prompts the similarities and differences they notice between themselves and the characters in the short stories we have been studying.
3. Share Time~ Read and discuss your entry with your partner, then with the class.
4. Wrap Up