In Executive Functioning we will be focusing on the often overlooked and underdeveloped study skills and habits needed to be successful not only in school but also in future work  environments. Students will be required to make real-world connections and collaborate with team mates in order to attain skills they will use as adults. Recognizing that students learn in a variety of ways, various strategies will be used in the classroom to help meet the needs of each individual learner.

Q1 Topics Covered: Reading a rubric, following directions, short term goal setting, peer collaboration, group work, nightly timeline method, micro actions, backwards planning in a planner, essay planning, using the post-it note method, appropriate use of AI, using AI to write an email to a teacher, evaluating personal values, reflecting on our own success story, expert practice, Get ready Do Done project planning, reflection writing, appropriate use of artificial intelligence, note taking, sketch-noting, and leadership. In addition, the class visited the writing and math centers and discussed the benefit to using these centers. 

Q2 Topics Covered: Recognizing focused vs. diffused mode, Discovering AI, Organizing time with a digital agenda, tracking due dates & tasks, Using google drive to organize file & folders, Understanding accommodations and how they help, Full understanding of their IEP, Knowledge of self, Recognizing accommodations in the classroom, Resiliency, Recognizing and changing negative self-talk, How to ask questions to get the answer your looking for, Writing emails, Expressing gratitude, Pomodoro Technique, Fighting Procrastination, Recognizing misleading statistics,  and Finding purpose.

Q3 Topics Covered: Annotating Fiction, Creating a Podcast, Discussion Board Writing, Summary Writing, Reflection Writing, Long Term Goal Setting, Feynman Technique to Studying, and Evaluating Personal Values.

Q4 Topics Covered: Benefits of practicing, effects of cheating, Researching and presenting work, creating creative presentations, creating mnemonic devices to remember material, study skills, test taking skills, voice typing, mind mapping, and brain breaks.

Welcome to Foundations English I! In this class we will be reading informational text, short stories, poems and books. While reading, students will answer comprehension questions, practice summarizing strategies and learn how to annotate for different purposes. Students will use story arcs, character maps, and active reading strategies to gain a better understanding of what has been read. Students will learn about; identifying theme, developing a claim statement, citing textual evidence and analysis, rhetorical devices and figurative language. Students will also complete daily journal entries, short writing assignments, as well as collage and craft projects. Through their own writing students will focus on sentence structure, the proper use of grammar, and the importance of the editing and revising process.  Lastly, students are expected to be active learners and participate in all class discussions and activities. 

Welcome to Foundations English II. This year we will be reading both informational text, short stories, poems, books, and even song lyrics. While reading, students will answer comprehension questions, and develop close reading and annotating skills. Students will use story arcs, character maps, and active reading strategies to gain a better understanding of what has been read. Students will learn about; rhetorical devices, figurative language, and the importance of author’s word choice. Students will also write journal entries, essays, and conduct a mini research project that will be presented to the class. Through their own writing students will focus on word choice, proper use of grammar, and the importance of the editing and revising process. Lastly, students are expected to be active learners and participate in all class discussions and activities. 

Unit 1 ~ What Does it Take to Achieve Success?:

In this first unit, we will focus on real life examples of the habits and beliefs that allow people to reach challenging goals. Through the readings, videos, and class discussions, students will determine what ingredients make up the recipe for success. Students will apply their learning of the recipe for success to their own aspirations for the school year to determine what it will take to achieve success this school year.

Unit 2 ~ How Do Characters Change and Grow?:

In the second unit, we will be looking at how people changed through their relationships and experiences. Students will analyze the way characters change through their interactions with others.  Students will learn how to determine and analyze a story’s theme, develop a claim, cite textual evidence, and provide reasoning on how the textual evidence supports their claim. 

Unit 3 ~ What Shapes Who We Are?:

Next, we learn how an author develops a central idea. Students will analyze how interactions, setting and point of view develop complex characters. We will assess how figurative language develops character and theme.  Students will write a compare and contrast essay that will focus on proper MLA formatting, creating a claim statement, incorporating transitions and the quote sandwich method of introducing and analyzing textual evidence to support a claim.  

Unit 4 ~ How Can We be Better Stewards of Our Environment?:

In our final unit for the year, after reading about some of the issues our environment is facing students will use independent research to create a Google Slide Show presentation, drawing from several sources, where they will describe a problem, highlight its relevance to the community, and offer an action item people can do to address the problem. Students will learn how to create a Google Slide Show presentation, a Works Cited page, conduct independent research using reliable sources, and develop their presentation skills.