Week of February 2nd, 2015

Monday, February 2nd, 2015


Happy Groundhog Day!!!


Do Now: Take out your independent reading books and begin reading! 

II. Reading Logs

Date:              

Book title: (underlined)         

pages read:

Focus Level: Low   Medium   High  (circle one)

Try to write 2 or more sentences. 
1. What did your book leave you thinking about? 

2. If you could jump into your book today and be your main character, what would it be like?  


Share out (5) 

Concept Vocabulary #8

Academic Stance: This means when I am 

in class, I am seated upright at my own desk 

and I am paying attention to the speaker. I 

am not lying down on my desk or putting my 

feet on anyone's desk. Through my body 

language, I show my teacher I am ready to 

get a good grade and move on to High 

School.

II. Where I'm From Poem (read poem aloud) (15) 

Annotate in mesas

- Write questions in the margins
and 
- underline or highlight any words or phrases that have sensory details (smell, sight, sound, taste, touch)

IV. Read over "Where I'm From Poem assignment" (5) 


V. Work on Graphic Organizer independently 

VI. Exit 

HW: Finish 

1) "where I'm from" Packet
- You may use the template or choose to write a rough draft on a separate sheet. 

2) Write your full rough draft 




THIS IS DUE ON THURSDAY!!!

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015

Do Now: Take out your independent reading books and begin reading! 

II. Reading Logs

Date:              Book title: (underlined)         pages read:


Focus Level: Low   Medium   High  (circle one)



1. What do you like about your book so far? Be specific!




IV. Intro to performance Poetry
Video/s (10 min total) 

-Take notes on strengths of the performances 

(2 or more per video) 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8eym-7jeo0&edufilter=8Fgp0EfoQura8l48YfL_rA






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy1AMt0EHog&edufilter=8Fgp0EfoQura8l48YfL_rA


Discuss techniques: 

  

Performance techniques

1) voice projection: speaking at a good volume

so everyone can hear

2) articulation: speaking clearly so all words

can be understood

(The above two words will be our last concept vocabulary words for tomorrow's quiz)

3) timing and rhythm: emphasising the rhythm

of the lines, respecting punctuation, not

reading too quickly

4) mood: varying tone of voice, volume etc to

suit happy / sad bits of a poem

5) facial expression: using expressions to suit

different parts of the poem

6) gesture/body movement: emphasising or echoing the meaning of the poem with hand gestures and body movement

- Pair/Share what strong techniques did the performers use? 

Writing Period (20 minutes) to work on "Where I'm From" poems.V. Work time with your partner on editing and performing your poem (you may edit solo and then practice reading aloud with voice and enthusiasm) 

- Share one positive and one delta with each person


Questions to consider:
1) How many sensory details do you include? 
2) How is the imagery and diction in your poem? 
3) Is the poem four or more stanzas long? 
4) Are you excited about your poem?




HOMEWORK: STUDY FOR TOMORROW'S CONCEPT VOCABULARY QUIZ AND CONTINUE WORKING ON YOUR POEM DUE THURSDAY! MAKE YOUR POEM BEAUTIFUL AND BE PROUD OF YOUR WORK!

Wednesday, February 4th, 2015

Do Now: Take out your independent reading books and begin reading! 

QUIZ: CONCEPT VOCABULARY 

EARLY FINISHERS: PUT FINAL TOUCHES ON "WHERE I'M FROM POETRY" DRAFT. THIS IS DUE TOMORROW!!!!!

II. Prep for Poetry Performances 
(take 5 minutes to find a space in the room to sit with your poem and read it aloud to yourself... You may feel crazy, but this is how we prepare!) 

Name of poet :

I appreciated/liked/enjoyed _______ about your poem

because…

III. Feedback- You will be taking notes on strong performance techniques and poetry writing that you notice in the class today. Take out a blank sheet of paper and write down notes on what you see and hear that could be useful to you!

At the end, you will write 3+ shout outs to your peers as well.
We will share these out at the end of class! 
Remember:
VOICE, GESTURES, FACIAL EXPRESSION, ARTICULATION, and MORE. :)





Be confident and proud of who you are and what you have to share! Nerves are normal and it is ok to be scared. We will all be here even if you stumble or fall! :)




After each performance, we will take 30 seconds to finish our notes. 




IV. Performances 


V. Exit: Shout outs-
Share out with the class
(5+)
If you wrote a shout out down for a peer, please hand them to that peer before you go today! 

HW: If you did not perform your poem today, get ready to do so tomorrow! 

Thursday, February 6th, 2015

Do Now: Take out your independent reading books and begin reading! 

POETRY PERFORMANCES!!!


Stage Fright?! No Problem! We can conquer it together!

Friday, February 7th, 2015

Do Now: Take out your independent reading books and begin reading! 

POETRY PERFORMANCES!!!

Week of January 26th, 2015

Monday, January 26th, 2015



Do Now: Take out your independent reading books and begin reading! 

Name Tags: Please take about 5 minutes and create a name tag to place on your desk so I may learn your names. We will need these each day this week.











I hope you enjoy your reading. I hope you enjoyed your books. If you did not, you will have an opportunity to choose a different text later. For now, this will be your daily launch. 










Please take a moment to fill out your name and block on the front of your journals and open to a fresh page. Write the proper heading and we will begin.

How do I want to present myself to my new teacher? What would I hope my new teacher knows about me?

In journals, answer the following questions about the quote:

1. Do you think it’s in your best interest to make a good impression on your new teacher? Why or why not?

2. Some of you may be tempted to act out or make an unfavorable impression. Why would someone want their teacher to think they are not serious about doing well? What are the consequences of acting out or making a bad first impression?

3. Name one person you think is a leader and describe what makes them a leader.

Moving into Mesas - TURN TO YOUR MESA - This will be your thinking group for the next two months.

1. Introduce yourself to your mesa partners.  (1)

2. Share your thoughts and reactions to the journal launch (4 minutes)  

Be prepared to share your answers with the whole class.

New Entry and Exit Procedures: EMBRACE CHANGE!

In your notebooks, please copy down the following terms and reflect on what they mean in your own life.

Silent launch: When I shake hands with Ms. Mueller upon entering class, it is an agreement that I am ready to be silent and start my work.

Voice: This means that when I speak in class, I use proper voice, proper language and volume. I also answer class questions in a full sentence.

Academic Mindset: I am here to learn. I am here to get an education and become a leader. I am NOT here to waste anyone's time, especially my own.

Growth Mindset: I believe that my abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Brains and talent are just the starting point. I can achieve anything I set my mind to.

Tuesday, January 27th, 2015

Do Now: Take out your independent reading books and begin reading! If you do not have your own book, take the book from under your chair for today and plan on meeting me at lunch or during break to choose a new book.

Journal Launch: Complete copying down the vocabulary from yesterday if you haven't already done so. Indicate you are finished by putting down your pen or pencil and waiting silently.

Silent launch: When I shake hands with Ms. Mueller upon entering class, it is an agreement that I am ready to be silent and start my work.

Voice: This means that when I speak in class, I use proper voice, proper language and volume. I also answer class questions in a full sentence.

Academic Mindset: I am here to learn. I am here to get an education and become a leader. I am NOT here to waste anyone's time, especially my own.

Growth Mindset: I believe that my abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Brains and talent are just the starting point. I can achieve anything I set my mind to.

Journal Launch 2:

What is a "safe space"? Make a list of things you think should be allowed or not allowed in a safe space. Include at least 5 things.

Share out your answers with your elbow partner.

Whole group share out.







Copy down the definition of "safe space". This is your 5th vocabulary concept. We will have an in-class quiz when we reach 10 vocabulary concepts.




A Safe Space is a place where anyone can be able to fully express themselves without fear of being made to feel uncomfortable, unwelcome or unsafe on account of gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, cultural background, religious affiliation, physical appearance, age, or physical or mental ability.  
It is a place where the rules guard each person's self-respect and dignity and strongly encourage everyone to respect others.

Poem: Together, we will read a poem aloud. As I read, please actively listen. Write down at least two observations, questions, comments in the margins.

The Cookie Thief by Valerie Cox

 A woman was waiting at an airport one night

With several long hours before her flight

She hunted for a book in the airport shop

Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see

That the man beside her as bold as could be

Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between

Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene

She munched cookies and watched the clock

As this gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock

She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by

Thinking "If I wasn't so nice I'd blacken his eye"

With each cookie she took he took one too

And when only one was left she wondered what he'd do

With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh

He took the last cookie and broke it in half

He offered her half as he ate the other

She snatched it from him and thought "Oh brother

This guy has some nerve and he's also rude

Why he didn't even show any gratitude"

She had never known when she had been so galled

And sighed with relief when her flight was called

She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate

Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat

Then sought her book which was almost complete

As she reached in her baggage she gasped with surprise

There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes

"If mine are here" she moaned with despair

"Then the others were his and he tried to share"

"Too late to apologize she realized with grief"

That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.  

In Journals: 

When was the last time you made an “assumption” about another person? 

Take three minutes to write this down on your poem paper. 

Two minute share out with elbow partner.

Whole class share out: What are some THEMES or LESSONS we can take away from this poem? Write your lesson or theme on a post-it. We will place these on a poster paper as a reminder not to make assumptions about each other.

Homework: On the back of your poetry handout, write three sentences (minimum) about a time you made an assumption about another person and what the consequences were. This will be collected tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

Do Now: Take out your independent reading book and get lost!

Journal Launch: Think about the poem we read yesterday and write down the following concept vocabulary word #6.



Theme: An idea about life that you find in a story. It is usually in the form of a sentence.

On a post-it, write down a sentence that describes the THEME of "The Cookie Thief." 




We will place these on a poster paper as a reminder not to make assumptions about each other.

Independent Reading Program: Read the Independent Reading Program Requirements with your mesa. We will discuss it together.

Shout-Outs and Call-Outs: In class, we use shout-outs and call-outs to keep us on track and to always do our best. We will practice shout-outs and call-outs now. You can always "call-out" yourself. The only response to shout-outs and call-outs are "snaps" or "I know you/I can do better."

HOMEWORK: Have your independent reading project sheet signed by a parent! Due tomorrow!

Thursday, January 29th, 2015

Do Now: Take out your independent reading book and get lost!










CONCEPT VOCABULARY #7: 

Obstacle: a thing that blocks one's way or 

prevents or hinders progress. A barrier or 

hurdle

Video Launch: Watch the following video and answer the questions in your journal. 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/education/dropout-nation/middle-school-moment/

1. What obstacles does Marina face regarding her achievement?

2. What obstacles to graduation do you face?

3. How do you overcome these obstacles?

4. Why are you here? What is the role of education in your life?

Share out with elbow partner.

Whole class share out:

HOMEWORK: In journals, write down an obstacle you face in life that might make graduating High School a challenge. How will you overcome this obstacle??


* Your assigned independent reading book is due tomorrow. Whatever book you choose tomorrow is the one you must finish for your first book project!

Friday, January 30th, 2015

Do Now: Take out your independent reading book and get lost!

Independent Reading Reflection: Please fill out all three parts of the IR reflection sheet and answer the following questions on the back:

1. What do you like the most about reading?

2. What do you like the least?

3. How can Ms. Mueller best support you in 

reading?

SPELLING BEE QUIZ~~~!!! Good luck! Those of you who get the best grade on this quiz will qualify for our spelling bee! This also counts towards your participation grade so do your best!!!









Independent Reading Book Sign Ups: On poster paper, we will put the name of our independent reading book. Any day you do not have this book OR any day you attempt to read a different book, you will be marked unprepared. Take care of your things!









Weekend Homework: Read your independent reading book!