What causes corruption? What prevents it?

Students read the play "The Picture of Dorian Gray," the tale of a man who sells his soul to a mysterious painting in order to retain his youth. With every corrupt action Dorian takes, however, the painting publicizes his evil.

Today we watched the film, and students took notes about the light and music direction. They also wrote key words that may be factors leading to corruption.

Pride
Distrust
Terror

Finally, some notable quotations from the play include:
"But when your youth goes, your beauty will go with it, and then you will discover that world doesn't want you anymore." (Lord Henry)
"Evil is a thing that writes itself across a man's face." (Basil)
"I will kill the past. When that is dead, I will be free." (Dorian Gray)

Vocabulary Quiz TOMORROW

aqua-water...aquarium
bio-life...biology
gen-birth, race...generation
mater-mother...alma mater
spec-look...inspection
cogn-know...recognize
loc-place...dislocation
nat-born...natural or innate
ped-foot...pedestrian
sign-mark...signature
aud-hear...audience
struct-build...construction
vis-see...visual
photo-light...photosynthesis
therm-heat...thermometer
act-do...activity
mem-recall...remember
tact-touch...contact
cycl-circle...recycle
graph-write...biography

What other cognates can you recall?

Multi-Genre Project

This week, students began work on the Multi-Genre Project (MGP). Each Core was able to choose a topic as a class. Once the class had chosen, I researched the topics and found articles for the students to work with. We focused in class on pulling out the most relevant information from the articles, and had a mini-discussion to ensure understanding of the content.

We will start working on the first part of the MGP, the collage, on Monday. Students will be able to visually represent what they see as the most important information. The second part of the MGP is the informative essay. Students had a little time today to work on the thesis tree, but they will have more time before they begin drafts on Tuesday. We will spend the entire class time on Wednesday working on the essay. Revisions will happen in class on Thursday, and the essay will be due at the start of class Friday, May 3^rd. I will grade their essays according to the Informative Essay Rubric, which is glued into their composition notebooks. Also on Friday, we will begin working on the third part of the MGP, the interview. We will have class time Monday to finish it. Students will create a book cover for the MGP as the last piece of the project. Presentations will be on Wednesday, May 8^th.

Core Topics (Chosen by Students)

Core One: Public Acts of Violence

Core Two: The FBI

Core Three: Terrorist Attacks

Important Dates

April 29^th Collages to be made in class

May 3^rd Informative Essays due at the start of class

May 6^th Finish Interview

May 7^th Create Cover

May 8^th Present Multi-Genre Project

Artist Research Project

After reading a list of forty-four different artists, students were able to choose one artist they would like to research. (Students will have time in class to do the research.) Doing the research will enable students to create a PowerPoint Presentation and a narrative biography. (Both of which they will have time to work on in class.)

The narrative biography will be due on April 11^th. I always expect students to incorporate the Six Traits of Writing into their essays/drafts. Beyond the Six Traits, things that I am looking for in a good narrative biography include: story telling elements, pictures, and a citation page. A narrative biography should sound more like an E! True Hollywood Story than an encyclopedia entry.

Emphasis on the narrative piece in the biography is important because it will make PowerPoint Presentations stronger. If their writing has a story-like feel, then their PowerPoint Presentations will have a conversational quality. The PowerPoint should also include pictures and a works cited page.

To do well on both parts of the assignment, students should do the following:

•  Consult the Informative Rubric (Six Traits)
•  Tell a story – Do not just give facts
•   Include pictures of the artist and the art
• Include at least three credible sources
•  Include a citation page.

Finishing the Argument Essay

     Today, students received feedback and critiques on their argument essay rough drafts. We spent the second half of class making good drafts into great essays. Students will need to complete the second draft of the argument essay over the weekend. On Monday, I expect that students have their thesis trees, rough drafts, and second drafts with them when they walk into class. We will go to the computer lab to type the final copy of the argument essay.

Reminder!

You may not use contractions.
You may not use "I".
Your position must be a "should" or "should not" statement.
You should balance your facts with interpretation.

Slam Poetry

What is Slam Poetry?

 It combines rhythm and vivid language to express the poet’s thoughts on  social issues.

Most poets write about…

differences,

fears,

love,

 and justice.

Poets experiences may include school, family and

world news, and the poetry may form from something real, imagined, or both.

We are going to become slam poets!

Through the use of figurative language and the connection of themes from literary works and our lives, we are going to write our own slam poetry.

What is figurative language?

  --Figurative language puts a picture in the reader’s mind.

“Food?”  Chris inquired, popping out of his seat like a toaster strudel.

Simile: comparison using "like" or "as"

His cotton candy words did not appeal to her taste.

Metaphor: direct comparison between two or more things - one thing IS another

Peggy heard the last piece of cheesecake in the refrigerator calling her name.

Personification: giving human characteristics to animals or objects

Alice's aunt ate apples and acorns around august.

Alliteration: repetition of sounds, letters, or groups of sounds in a series of words

Snap, crackle, pop!

Onomatopoeia:use of words to imitate or describe a natural sound or a sound made by an object

I could eat a horse!

Hyperbole:An extreme exaggeration – so dramatic that no one believe it

Theme 

How do you make inferences and connections to the text?

Examples: Themes from the Civil Rights Unit

Hate breeds hate

Until every American is treated equally, there is no equality 

Even the smallest, youngest people can make a difference

We also watched a slam poet, Devin Murphy.

 http://www.hbo.com/russell-simmons-presents-brave-new-voices/cast-and-crew/team-san-francisco/video/devin-murphy.html

Argument Essay: Rough Draft Due March 7th --- Final Draft Due March 11th

Having just finished our class novel, Three Cups of Tea, we are now moving full force into the argument essay.  Today in class, students organized the research they have been compiling and began working on thesis trees for the essay. At this point, every student should have their position (thesis), supporting details (bullet points), and thesis tree (organized outline of the argument essay). Core three did not make it as far as cores one and two on the thesis trees today, but they will have time in class to work on them tomorrow.  Additionally, tomorrow we will spend the bulk of our time writing our rough draft for the argument essay.

Since next week is ISTEP+, students are not required or expected to work on the argument essay over the weekend. We will spend time in class tomorrow as well as a day next week working on rough drafts of the essay; it will be due on March 7^th. The final copy will be due on March 11^th, and we will go to the computer lab as a class to type it. For students who do not finish typing the essay in class, Mrs. Adler and I will hold Language Arts tutoring (Monday the 11^th) in the computer lab. Students will be able to stay after and finish the essay at that time.

 I strongly encourage students to bring flash drives to class if possible. Doing so will benefit all students, but it is especially beneficial to those who do not finish typing in class and cannot stay for tutoring. After the class time and tutoring on the 11^th, we will not return to the computer lab to finish the essay. Students who do not finish in class and cannot come to tutoring will be able to turn in the essay on the 12^th, and will need a flash drive to do so. 

Argument Essay: 2 Bullet Points/Night

As we have been working through Three Cups of Tea, there have been three themes that stand out. Those topics are as follow: empowerment of education, value of tradition and culture, and persistence no matter the cost. We began thinking about and practicing research/research techniques last week. Before the long weekend, students declared a topic (from the list that was given) to do their individual research on. Today, we started the individual research; tomorrow, we will state our positions (claim/thesis) and narrow in on the declared topic. At this point in the research, students should be compiling a total of three articles and twenty bullet points. The articles should come from the iLibrary from IMCPL Databases and/or Scholastic News Online (links to both sites are on the left-hand side of the blog). Students should not use Google or Bing to find the articles and/or bullet points. The articles and bullet points are a part of an ongoing assignment; therefore, there is no set due date as of yet.
Students should be working on gathering about two bullet points a night. 

Three Cups of Tea: Summary of chapters 1-7

As a class, we have made it through the seventh chapter of Three Cups of Tea. So far, we have learned that Greg Mortenson is a mountain climber, who after losing his way while trying to summit K2 in honor of his sister, ends up in a village called Korphe. Korphe is in Pakistan; the people there welcomed him into their homes, and they helped Greg regain his strength. Greg was so struck by the kindness of the people of Korphe that he promised to come back and build them a school. There was only one problem; Greg had no money to pay for his promise.

Greg reached out to everyone he could, sold all of his valuable belongings, and lived out of his car, all so he could keep his promise. Trying to raise enough money to build a school was a slow and exhausting endeavor. Greg had done everything he knew to do in order to get the money, but he still had not raised nearly enough.

His first big break came when his mother, a principal at an elementary school, called to say that her students heard about what he wanted to do for the children of Korphe, and that they wanted to help. They organized a drive (Pennies for Pakistan), and raised $623.45. Greg’s second break came when a man, Jean Hoerni, read about Greg’s mission in newsletter. Jean asked Greg how much more he needed to build a school. Greg said that he would need twelve thousand dollars to build the school he envisioned. Jean sent Greg a check for the twelve thousand dollars he asked for.

Before Greg could make it back to Korphe to build the school, he stopped in Rawalpindi to buy supplies. He worked with a local man, Abdul, to get everything as cheaply as possible. Greg knew he had to be frugal in order to stay within his budget. Once he had gotten all of his supplies, Greg was ready to travel to Korphe.

Traveling to Korphe was an adventure all of its own. Greg had to stop in the city of Skardu, where he would hire jeeps to carry the supplies. While trying to leave Skardu for Korphe, Greg was reminded of a promise he made to a man named Akhmalu. Greg promised to go with Akhmalu to his village, Khane. Akhmalu told Greg that his people had prepared a feast for him; knowing how little the people had, Greg knew he had to go. Once he made it to Khane, the people tried to talk him into building the school in Khane instead of Korphe. Greg refused and demanded to be taken to Korphe.

Greg reflected on his conversations with the people of Khane and realized that in such a poor area, he seemed like a wealthy man who could afford to build schools in every village. He knew that he would have to be more patient if he was going to be successful. As Greg approached the bridge that would connect him with Korphe, he was greeted by an old friend, the chief’s son, Twaha. Greg and Twaha pulled themselves across the rickety bridge, as the cable car box that they sat in moved in the wind.

Having made it safely across, Greg was finally ready to tell the people of Korphe that he was ready to build them a school. He would have to wait until tea had been served to discuss business, as to not disrespect the people of Korphe’s culture. After having tea, Greg was bursting to tell Haji Ali, the chief of Korphe, his news about the school, but Haji Ali had news for Greg too. Haji Ali told Greg that before the people of Korphe could commit to building a school, they and Greg needed to commit to building a new, safe bridge. Haji Ali told Greg that the bridge was what the people needed now, and that without the bridge, there was no way to get the supplies for the school to Korphe. The chapter ends with Greg drinking tea and thinking about the words of Haji Ali. 

Begin Nonfiction Unit: Three Cups of Tea

Yesterday students sat on the floor in an anticipation activity. Students discussed learning without desks, supplies, and the teacher. Possibly, students in different countries may learn their lessons outdoors in all types of weather.

Students also created a KWPL chart (What I KNOW, What I WANT to Know, What I PREDICT, and What I LEARN.) They filled the first three columns (know, want, predict) to compare three countries (United States, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.)

Today students read the first three chapters of Three Cups of Tea. After learning about Greg Mortenson's mountain journey and promise to build a school, students draw a cartoon strip of the introductory events.

Narrative Rubric: Organization

(page 6)

Organization: logical pattern of ideas that does not overuse a formula

(4) Effective lead, smooth transitions, and logical conclusion based on story events.

(3) Somewhat effective lead. Repetitive transitions/order doesn’t always make sense. Somewhat logical conclusion.

(2) Weak lead. Some order but mostly confusing. Weak conclusion.

(1) No definite lead. Missing transitions. Random details. Writing just stops/no conclusion.

Preparing for Wednesday's Socratic Seminar

We have gathered information about civil rights. The Socratic Seminar is an opportunity to ask questions and share opinions based on what we have read. Refer to these resources to create your questions:

*Jackie Robinson            
*”I Have a Dream”          
*Chief Dan George        
*the Children’s March

Write one factual, two interpretive, and two evaluative questions in your spiral notebook. Refer to the Socratic Seminar notes and question words. Also write one participation goal on the same page as the questions in your spiral notebook. 

Narrative Rubric: Voice and Word Choice

(page 4)

Voice: the convincing personality

(4) Writing comes to life—expressive and shows caring about the topic.

(3) Mostly seems to care about the topic but less expressive.

(2) Some caring but mostly listing information. Too informal or too formal.

(1) Only listing information. Does not seem to care about the topic.

(page 5)

Word Choice: precise and enlightens readers

(4) Sensory language conveys experience precisely. Strong nouns/lively verbs.

(3) Most nouns and verbs are precise. At times, too much sensory language.

(2) Some nouns and verbs are strong but many are ordinary.

(1) Repetitive vocabulary. No attempt at sensory language.

Narrative Rubric: Sentence Fluency

(page 3)

Sentence Fluency: a joy to read aloud

(4) Sentences vary in length and begin in different ways.

(3) Some sentences have different lengths and begin in different ways. Does not have enough rhythm/flow.

(2) Most sentences begin the same way and have the same length. Sometimes re-read to understand.

(1) Stop, re-read, stop, re-read, etc.

Narrative Rubric: Conventions and Idea

Students made mini-books of the Narrative Rubric. For the next two weeks, we will add parts of the rubric, and here are the first two pages.

(Cover)
Six-Trait Writing Rubric

(page 1) 

Conventions: the foundation of writing skills

·         Capitalization

·         Usage/Agreement

·         Punctuation

·         Spelling

(page 2)

Idea: the heart of the message

(4) Reader is engaged/focused through situation. Effective description/dialogue. Fully developed narrator/characters.

(3) Established situation most of the time. Introduced narrator/characters. Most of the time description/dialogue.

(2) Established situation needs work. Introduced narrator/characters. Some description/dialogue.

(1) No established situation/not clear. No narrator/characters. No dialogue.

Six Traits of Writing

Imagine a simple sandwich: two pieces of white bread and one slice of turkey with a little mustard.

Compare that to a gourmet deli sandwich: two asiago cheese buns holding fresh turkey, crisp lettuce, juicy tomato, and creamy Miracle Whip dressing. Each layer is organized and unites into a delicious bite.

Writing is like making a sandwich.

Bread = Ideas, holds the content together

Turkey = Voice, the central personality

Lettuce = Word Choice, precise and adds color

Tomato = Sentence Fluency, flow keeps reader interested

Miracle Whip = Organization, binds the flavors together

Plate = Conventions, foundation of writing skills