Mon/Tues: Nov. 9-10

Good morning!

Here are today's announcements.

Writer's Notebook: What observations have you or can you make about the people around you? Remember you are gathering evidence for the poem we will write later this week.

Literary Totem Poles: Please email your final paragraphs...if you have not already done so.

N0-N0 List:

1. Contractions
2. It
3. Things/Stuff
4. You = Second Person
5. I think/feel/believe
6. There is/are/was

Good Moves:

1. Transitions!

Writer's Workshop!

Essay drafts due today!

1. Edit/revise/type!
2. Insert and bold one appositive per paragraph and one absolute within the entire essay.

Young Adult Novel ~ Deadline Nov. 20

1. Need the first 250 words and a title!

Homework:

• Essay draft due Wednesday...typed!
• Vocab quiz on Friday!

Wednesday, November 4

Group Leaders! Did you make any changes to your totem pole paragraphs? If so, please send me a revised PowerPoint. Let's print and put your Literary Totem Poles together!



Writer's Workshop: Time to get started on that young adult novel...create a character, a setting, develop a plot, choose a title...begin making decisions.



Writer's Notebook: Do you know a "Melinda"? This moment you choose to be either reactive or proactive. Which do you choose?

1. Reactive: In this instance, you would either choose to do nothing or you continue to bully.


2. Proactive: You choose to help this person. How can you...yes, you!...help your "Melinda"?

Grammar Time!

1. Review phrases.


2. Review essay choices.


3. Draft...write some more!

Mon/Tues: Nov. 2-3

Writer's Notebook:

1. Is Speak a novel about life in a high school? In what ways is Merryweather High School similar to your school? In what ways is it different?
2. Why might Anderson have named this school Merry-weather?

Novel Dissection...Speak:

1. Lit Circle Discussion.
2. Essay assignment.
3. Literary Totem Poles: Check paragraph format...proof!

Writer's Workshop: Phrases.

1. Review prepositional phrases.
2. What are appositives?
3. What are abosolutes?
4. Include at least one of each in your totem pole paragraphs. Underline them.

November is National Family Literacy Month: Here's the deal!

1. Your parent/guardian may read one of your required books for you!
2. Discuss the book with your parent/guardian.
3. Blog about your experience.
4. Deadline December 1.

A New Contest for Us! Enter the Young Adult Novel Contest!

1. Need a title and the first 250 words.
2. Deadline: Tuesday, Nov. 24.
3. Here's mine...a drafty draft.

House of Night Fan?

Here's the link to the latest release in the House of Night series...Tempted (chapter one)...should you be interested.

Thurs/Fri: October 29-30

Beta Club meets Friday, Oct. 30 in the library during lunch!

Today's Menu!

1. SSR
2. Read today's announcements here.
3. Writer's Notebook Time: Have you ever felt like there were two "you's" fighting inside you? (Might refer to page 132 of Speak.)
4. Review The Writer Lady = Laurie Halse Anderson. Read her biography and check out the info on Speak.
5. New Vocab List.
6. As you complete the novel, record evidence on the t-chart provided regarding trees used as a symbol.

This nine weeks, we will read three in-class novels/drama: Speak, The Kite Runner or Thousand Splendid Suns, and The Crucible, which will count as four of your six required reads for this grading period. Please complete the other two on your own.

First blog post topic for this nine weeks: The new unit that we are starting is entitled The Bullying Mentality. Prepare a post on this topic in which you give an instance when bullying is the wrong behavior choice and then an instance when bullying is a positive choice. This would be a four-paragraph minimum post.

Mon., Oct. 26

Today's menu includes...

1. SSR
2. Read today's announcements here.
3. Totem Poles...need to organize and get your sections printed.
4. Hand back papers.

Have a stupendous day!

Thurs., Oct. 22

Ready...set...target. Yes, it's that time again!

Now, let's complete the Literary Totem Poles. Below is a slide that I create...a model. I color-coded my paragraphs...no, you do not have to color-code, although the colors do look nice!

I need for you to go get all sixteen slides on one presentation and then email to me so that I can print them for you...yes, in color!

Homework:

1. We are transitioning from A Pioneer Never Quits to the Anti-bullying Unit. Our first read is Speak. This will be a quick read...so get ready!