Tuck Everlasting One Pager

I was not in class today, but you were in good hands with Mr. McClure. You should have received an instruction page that gave you all of the necessary information you needed. This is your chance to prove to me that you are capable of reading and following directions. You got this. You had all of class today to work on it, so whatever you did not finish will need to be completed for homework. This is due in class on Tuesday.

Argument Paragraph

For your final writing assignment for this unit, you're going to be writing a paragraph to answer the question, "Is immortality really worth it?"

Glue the Argument Paragraph Outline into your I.N. on page R55. Then review the instructions in the outline to write your paragraph on L55. You may type your paragraph and glue it in if you'd prefer, but either way, your paragraph must be complete (along with the rest of the work in your I.N.) before you come to class on Friday!

Work Time

Next time you come to class (Wednesday), we will be having our Class Debate. Make sure you have everything completed in your I.N. to ensure that you are fully prepared for the debate. Additionally, don't forget to complete the Tucks and Immortality Worksheet. (I'm collecting this and your notebooks at the end of class on Wednesday!)

If you're unsure about what should be in your I.N., check the Interactive Notebook page at the top of this website for links to each page in the unit!

HOMEWORK:

• Prepare for Class Debate (Wednesday)
• Finish all work in your I.N.
• Tucks and Immortality Worksheet

Tucks and Immortality

As we consider the debate over immortality, it's probably wise to pay extra close attention to those who have actual experience with the concept - the Tuck Family! They're actually living it, so how to they feel about it?

Use the worksheet here to take notes on the different members of the Tuck Family and how they each feel about immortality. Be as specific as possible, and make sure to find evidence to support your claims. This will be due on the day of our Class Debate (Wednesday, May 29th) and you will turn it in so don't lose it!!

HOMEWORK:

• Study for the Figurative Language Quiz this Wednesday!

Figurative Language Practice (L/R49)

Glue the worksheets in on L and R 49 in your Notebook. Then, follow the instructions at the top of the page to practice identifying Similes, Metaphors, and Personification. You will have a quiz on these types of Figurative Language at the end of this unit!

If you finish early, you may work on:

• Character Notes
• Vocabulary Chapter 1-5
• Vocab Four Square
• No Red Ink

HOMEWORK: Finish Figurative Language Practice!

Writing Time

The remainder of the class is time for you to work on writing your Final Argumentative Letter in Google Classroom. Use the outlines I have provided (both in your notebook and on Google Classroom). Whatever you do not finish in class needs to be completed by tomorrow night. (That way, you can enjoy your weekend!)When you finish writing your letter, use the Checklist that we glued into your I.N. on page R42 to review and revise your paper as needed. This will be part of your notebook check on Monday!

HOMEWORK:

• Final Argumentative Letter due Friday (TOMORROW!)
• No Red Ink due Sunday
• Notebook Check Monday
• One Pager due Friday, May 10th

Cell Phone Letter Outline (R41)

In the past when we've written essays, we've gone paragraph by paragraph and worked through them line by line. You're almost Seventh Graders now, and I need to know that you've learned how to do this without my help every step of the way. You can do this. We've been practicing this all year. Use the outline here to guide you as you type up your final draft of your Argument Letter. Glue this outline into your notebook on R41 just in case.

Argument Outline (L42) / Writing Time!

If you did your homework last night, congratulations! You've already got your essay halfway finished! (More or less) Use this outline to plan out your essay. If you finish your outline in class, you can come up to me and get it signed off.

Once you have my signature you are free to start writing! Log into Google Classroom and create a new Google Doc under the assignment titled "Argument Letter Assignment." Use the outlines that you were given today in class to help guide you through how to set up your Google Doc.

If you do not finish your Argument Outline today in class, you will need to finish it tonight for homework and get it signed off on Thursday in class.

HOMEWORK:

• Argument Outline (L42)
• One Pager due Friday, May 10th (CLICK HERE if you lost the instructions)
• No Red Ink due Sunday!

Best Evidence Chart (L40)

Last class we spent time reading some articles about the pros and cons of cell phone use on campus. Then you worked together to collect evidence for both sides of the argument. Today, you'll be reviewing the evidence that you found and sharing it with your classmates to narrow down the best possible evidence to support each claim.

If you were absent today, print this out and review. I've copied down some of the best ones that were shared in class during our class discussions.

R.A.C.E. Practice (L41)

Next class we'll begin writing our letters, so today I want you to get a little bit more practice with the whole explanation/elaboration thing. In your I.N., write a R.A.C.E. paragraph (using the best evidence that we just discussed) to respond to the following questions. (One paragraph each. Don't forget to highlight!)

1. Why should Twin Peaks change the cell phone policy to allow phones during lunch and break?
2. Why should Twin Peaks keep the current cell phone ban policy?

HOMEWORK:

• Finish reviewing/revising your Research Paper. (I'm grading them this weekend!)
• R.A.C.E. Practice (L41)
• No Red Ink due Sunday

What is Good Evidence? (R40)

We've been talking about using evidence to support a claim all year long. By now, you know how to do it. (Or at least, you're well practiced in it.) It's time to take that practice a step further. Gone are the days of randomly selecting a quote from an article and calling it "evidence." Now, we're focusing on good evidence. Follow along as we take notes in class. If you were absent, I've typed up a copy of the notes for you (you're welcome!) so you can print them out, review them, and glue them into your I.N. on page R40.

Evidence Scavenger Hunt (Google Classroom)

Now, I know we all have opinions. Remember, this is NOT a persuasive essay. This is not an opinion piece. I want you to take some time, and do some research. Find some hard evidence to support your claim. Be open minded.

I've collected a handful of articles for you to review that share both the pros and cons of the idea of allowing cell phones to be used freely on campus. As you read, find the best evidence you can find to support BOTH sides of the argument and track them on the Evidence Scavenger Hunt doc. The assignment is in Google Classroom, but if you'd prefer to complete a hard copy to turn in, you can print out the copy linked here.

Reading Time / One Pager Heads Up

We just spent 2 weeks SBAC testing and you had a week off for Spring Break. It is my deepest hope that at some point during the last 3 weeks you found some time to pick up a book. If not, it's time to get reading. You have another One-Pager due on Friday, 10 May 2019. The expectations are the same, but I'm done going easy on you. You must meet all of the requirements exactly in order to earn points. This is an assessment of your independent reading. Treat it as such. (I could always change my mind and have you write a 5 page Book Report instead.....)

Parts of an Argument (R39)

You may be thinking "Ms. Keller, I've done this before. I'm already a pro at arguing." I've got news for you - I'm about to rock your argumentative world.

Up to this point, you've most likely spent a lot of your writing career writing Persuasive Essays. These are not Argumentative Essays. Today you're going to learn why. We've got some really short notes. You can do it. If this is absolutely the hardest thing in the world to ask of you, I've attached a digital copy here. Print it out and glue it in. All that really matters is that one way or another, you've got the notes in your notebook.

What do you think? Would you want to move to Mars? My friends Mark and Alex are debating the idea here in a set of back and forth letters. Although they're written very casually and informally, they contain all of the necessary parts of an argument. Work together with a partner to find each of the following in both Mark and Alex's letters:

• Underline the Main Claim
• Highlight at least 2 reasons they provide and evidence that support that reason
• Circle the Counter-Argument
• Put *stars* around the Rebuttal

Your Turn!

What if I told you that I'm considering applying to be part of the Mars One Mission? Write me a short, informal letter expressing your argument for or against my decision to apply. Remember to include all of the parts of an argument that we've discussed in class today. You will be turning this in before you leave today. Do not waste your class time.

HOMEWORK:

• Review Research Paper Feedback - I'm grading them on Saturday!
• One Pager due May 10th
• No Red Ink due Sunday

Research Paper Work Time

Hopefully by now you've finished at least a rough draft of your Research Paper. If you're not quite there yet, that's okay, but it means you're going to have some work to do over the next two weeks.

If you've been keeping on top of things, use today's class period to work with your partner and review the Research Paper Checklist I've given you in order to make sure that you are ready to turn in your Final Draft on April 12th!

HOMEWORK:

• Give your parents the notice I gave you. (If you lost it, I've included it here.)
• Get a good night's sleep before our next class
• Eat breakfast before school
• Bring earbuds/earphones that PLUG. IN.
• Bring a physical book to read.
• Show up with a positive attitude. It makes a difference, I promise.
• Try out the practice SBAC test on the CAASPP website to get a feel for it: http://www.caaspp.org/practice-and-training/index.html