DAILY CLASS NOTES Thursday Mar 12

1. I COLLECTED Ad Award worksheets. Turn in tomorrow if you were out or if work was not finished.

2. Students planned and presented pitches for commercials that would persuade with Ethos/Pathos/Logos. Most presented and students rated them.

If you were out, see me tomorrow for a makeup assignment.

Daily Class Notes Wed Mar 11

Students completed analyzing commercials together and then independently completed an "award" sheet summing main points learned from the exercises.

SOME students began work analyzing a written argument about Friendship. Marking up the written argument about Friendship is NOT homework.

Daily Class Notes Tuesday Mar 9 ELA HW

1. Collected FINAL ESSAYS and ORGANIZERS from all students who have not received an extension due to illness over the past 10 days. Essays passed in tomorrow will be accepted for a 10 point deduction. (Orange Class will turn them in tomorrow.)

2. Students who have been absent must turn the essay in by FRIDAY at the latest.

3. Students worked on Ad Analysis stations. Directions and the commercials are viewable from the Links on the LOGOS ETHOS PATHOS page of this website. If you were absent, you can make up the group assignment Thursday during the 20 minutes OR on your own tonight using the Ad Analysis sheets attached below.

DAILY CLASS NOTES Mon Mar 9

1. I reviewed all of the HW info about how to complete and turn in the essay.

2. I gave an overview of the upcoming argument writing assignment. Students should begin to think about topics that matter to them that could be researched and argued.

3. We briefly reviewed

• LOGOS--using logic, facts, and details to support a point
• PATHOS-- Connection to emotions or making personal connections to hook a listener and make them FEEL something
• ETHOS--establishing credibility and trustworthiness of the source MAKING the argument
• We looked at a simple paper towel commercial to see how it uses Logos/ethos/pathos. Ads are the most frequent type of arguments we encounter in real life. Analyzing how marketers try to manipulate us is important to your future financial survival!
• Students discussed and shared their analysis. We will look at 4 commercials in groups tomorrow. We noted that celebrity endorsements have no real ETHOS (credibility) and that commercial use PATHOS (humor, connections to celebrities) more than logical facts.

DAILY CLASS NOTES Mar 6

THANK YOU to all for making this one of my best birthdays ever. You are all very kind and fun to be with.

1. The last 2 weeks have focused on learning the basic structure of an effective essay. The parts of an essay have to fit and work together to achieve a purpose the way the parts of the body have to fit together correctly for USE to function.

Groups discussed and then shared how THEY thought a SKELETON can remind us of how a great essay is put together--Here are some ideas that students shared (Orange class will do this MON):

SKULL- is like an opening paragraph--it is where all the big IDEAS are

SPINE: the main idea or essential question exploration that runs through the entire essay.

SHOULDER and HIP joints: the TOPIC sentences of body paragraphs that JOIN the main ideas and question to the points made.

ARM AND LEG BONES: Different body paragraphs that branch off the main idea and offer details

MUSCLE: the evidence and quotations that support the ideas

HEART: The theme or point beating at the center

CLOTHING , jewelry: The vocabulary choice, transitions, commas and periods that make the idea look polished and put together

SKIN: the EXTENSION of why the idea matters that holds everything together.

2. STUDENTS Color coded the opening and closing paragraph sample to show where the SIMILAR ideas are restated in the closing that were introduced in the opening. We discussed some of the ways the model show of how to rephrase similar ideas.

3. Students worked in the lab to write their OWN closings. I conferenced with as many students as time allowed.

Daily Class Notes Thurs Mar 5

I reviewed and students marked up sections of handout on how to structure Openings. Students had about 10-15 minutes to start crafting their OWN opening paragraphs in the computer lab.

Daily Class Notes Wed. Mar 3

1. Logged on to computers and copied all 3 draft body paragraphs into the One-Note draft page in the Christmas Carol section.

2. Students analyzed Sample essay paragraphs #2 and #4 and rated them using a new copy of the rubric from yesterday. Students read silently and highlighted and labeled strengths and weaknesses.

3. Students discussed in small groups and then reported out. Students took notes on the sample they did NOT analyze as other group reported out.

4. Students should have written down at least 3 things you will look for in your OWN essay based on what you learned by reading the samples.

SAMPLE observations from class include:

• ALL quotes should clearly support the topic sentence. If they don't, add or change the quotes OR revise the topic sentence. One sample topic sentence said that Scrooge changed GREATLY, but then only had one quote showing change but 2 about where he started.
• TOPIC SENTENCES MATTER: Be specific--choose wording carefully. One sample began "Scrooge changed in many ways" --which is TOO general since the entire ESSAY is about Scrooge changing in many ways.
• Use a variety of quotes. One examples had 3 quotes that ALL were about the death of Tiny Tim. Use quotes that show you read more than one page and thought about more than one character!
• USE VIVID vocabulary. Do NOT describe anyone as MEAN or NICE!!! You have much more specific and grade level appropriate trait words to use.
• Eliminate unnecessary words and phrases:
  • No need to say "This QUOTE shows." The reader KNOWS it is a quote if it is in quotation marks.
  • DON'T repeat "This shows" after EVERY quote. Its OK to use once but not necessary over and over. Often just putting the reason directly after the quote makes it CLEAR that you are explaining what the quote shows.
  • Use the terms DIALOGUE and STAGE DIRECTIONS, not "quotes"
  • NEVER say, "I will show you" or "This paragraph will show." The evidence will make that clear.
  • AVOID "I think" or "My claim is..." For most of the essay options you do not need to talk about yourself. The reader knows the thoughts are yours because your name is on the essay!
  • Use CTRL F to find names and correct if you often forget to capitalize.
  • If you use a partial quote, use an ellipses (...) to show words are missing.

Daily Class Notes Tues Mar 3

Students reviewed how to use handout to peer review and offer basic feedback to peers on one body paragraph.

• I reviewed the peer review categories AND we peer reviewed one sample paragraph together.
• Students went to computer lab and peer reviewed one body paragraph of a partner's writing.
• Reviewers did not CORRECT other's work, but suggested strengths and weaknesses to work on. Students do not HAVE to accept the reviewers' comments or make immediate changes. The suggestions should help students think about what to add, improve, or tweak as they start their THIRD body paragraph.
• Students filled in a chart on a hard copy review sheet, and copied a strength and weakness onto the peer's draft in ONE NOTE.

I HIGHLY suggest you write in WORD and copy and PASTE a backup into the One NOTE each day so you have a backup of your work that is accessible at school and at home. The One Note Copy helps ME check in if you need help.

Daily Class Notes Mon. Mar 2

It is very hard to summarize today's class, so if you were out, please see me tomorrow. I will be available after school and during the 20 minutes

Here is a quick overview.

REVIEW YOUR ORGANIZERS to be sure that the 3 or 4 text quotes you group together in each body paragraph have MORE in common than just that they all relate to how Scrooge changes in a scene with a ghost of the PAST, PRESENT or FUTURE.

1. Find a WHAT and WHAT ABOUT IT for each paragraph topic.

EACH paragraph topic should have a WHAT (Scrooge changes with ghost if you are doing Option A) and a WHAT ABOUT IT (How SPECIFICALLY does each ghost help Scrooge CHANGE).

• FOR example, YOU MIGHT say that
• Body paragraph 1 shows how PAST helps Scrooge change from a MISER to someone willing to SHARE to help others.
• Body paragraph 2 show how PRESENT helps Scrooce change from a MISANTHROPE to someone who wants to spend time with others
• Body paragraph 3 shows how FUTURE helps Scrooge see that he WAS (fill in your own idea) to (fill in your own idea.

2. CAREFULLY read each question option and underline ALL topic words that you need to cover in your paragraphs.

For example, many people never underlined the words NEGATIVE TRAITS in ACT I Sc 1 and 2, so their planner is MISSING examples of how Scrooge STARTS out before the writer starts discussing changes.

OTHER students included examples from Act II sc 5 for OPtion A organizers, even though the Option SPECIFICALLY says not to. READ CAREFULLY.

3. You can organize your thoughts by TOPIC as well as CHRONOLOGICALLY. (CHRONOLOGICALLY means discussing in the same TIME order that the Script unfolds in.) SO , while you would discuss ideas associated with Past before Present, before FUTURE, you would ALSO plan the TOPICS you 'll focus on with each. Your might give an example of a NEGATIVE trait early in a body paragraph, followed by 2 or 3 examples of change in that trait.

Ex: Body Par 1--MISERLY Start and change

• MISERLY (neg trait) example Act I sc 2)
• Ex of improvement with PAST related to money
• EX of improvement with PAST related to money

EX: Body par 2 -- MISANTHROPIC Start and change

• Hates people (neg trait) example Act I sc 2)
• Ex of improvement with Present related to enjoying people
• EX of improvement with Present related to enjoying people

ETC.

OR you could have

• ONE full paragraph with examples of 3 Negative traits
• and then have TWO or THREE MORE paragraphs showing improvement on each trait in a separate paragraph.

There is not just ONE way to organize your thoughts, but they have to be organized. The 3 details/quotes you use in EACH paragraph must have more in common than JUST that they show change in general.

4. LASTLY--be sure you have underlined or highlighted ALL of the topics you need to cover and the correct NUMBER of specific types of information required by the option.

• For example, if you are doing Option A, you need to include some examples that use ACTION as WELL as DIALOGUE in your essay.
• Option E requires you discuss a MAJOR and MINOR characters to relate to and include POSITIVE and NEGATIVE.

Its a LOT to track so double-check that you hit EVERYTHING in your organizer before you write any more. Better to take the time BEFORE you write than have to do MAJOR revisions or maybe even drop and then rewrite whole sections after you finish a draft.