Agenda
1) Book Splunge
2) Splunge 2
3) Splunge
Homework
Splunge
Today we closed for Thanksgiving with a reprise of the very popular Splunge game. Here’s how it works:
1) Choose teams. So far we have had good success with boys versus girls, especially since we’re already sitting that way in the room. But we’ll change it up soon.
2) Each student chooses a word, then writes a sentence to communicate that word. Then they write the word and the sentence on an index card, except that in the sentence they put in the word splunge.
3) I read one student’s sentence to someone else on that person’s team. If the second student can guess the first student’s word, the team gets a point.
For example, one student wrote I love all splunges, but especially border collies and Australian Shepherds. Her teammate correctly replied, “Dog.”
For the record the Girls won periods 1, 2, and 6, while the Boys won period 5. Obviously, then, girls are smarter than boys, during periods 1, 2, and 6.
Splunge is a fun way to learn state standard 1.3: Clarify word meanings through the use of definition, example, restatement, or contrast.
Definition: He is the Splunge of the United States—the highest elected official.
Example: The iPod nano comes in nine splunges, including red, white, and blue.
Restatement: They are experienced splungers; they have been preparing food for ten years.
Contrast: I thought state standards would be hard, but instead it was splunge.
This week, every student who used one of these four sentence types scored a point. They work.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, 11/25
Agenda
1) Book Club
2) Follow Up Questions
Homework
None
Today we did an exercise on asking follow-up questions. In doing the interview for our Feature Article, each student will write out their first ten questions in advance (We have already done this—it was due today). But then you'll ask five more follow-up questions, each of which is based on the answer to one of the previous questions.
Here's an example, based on interviewing someone about fast food:
First question: What's your favorite fast-food meal?
Answer: Burger and fries.
Follow-up question: What do you have on your burger?
This is a perfect example of a follow-up question. It is based on the answer to one of the original questions and asks for more information about it. Often follow-up questions produce the best quotes for interview articles.
1) Book Club
2) Follow Up Questions
Homework
None
Today we did an exercise on asking follow-up questions. In doing the interview for our Feature Article, each student will write out their first ten questions in advance (We have already done this—it was due today). But then you'll ask five more follow-up questions, each of which is based on the answer to one of the previous questions.
Here's an example, based on interviewing someone about fast food:
First question: What's your favorite fast-food meal?
Answer: Burger and fries.
Follow-up question: What do you have on your burger?
This is a perfect example of a follow-up question. It is based on the answer to one of the original questions and asks for more information about it. Often follow-up questions produce the best quotes for interview articles.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday, 11/24
Agenda
1) Warmup
Tell me about a dangerous situation you were in.
2) Book club
3) Interview questions
Homework
Write 10 interview questions on the worksheet.
During this short week we will be getting ready to do the interview section of our feature article project. Students will write their questions this week, and the interview must be completed by Wednesday, 12/4.
Please note:
1) Only the questions are due tomorrow. Do not do the interview yet.
2) The interview will be due by a week from Wednesday, not the article. We're going to do some research before we start writing.
3) Before the interview, you will write 10 questions on the worksheet. During the interview you will ask those ten questions, and write down the answers. Then you will ask five more follow-up questions, based on the answers you get to the first ten. The completed interview worksheet—with 15 questions and 15 answers—is due on Wednesday, 12/4.
1) Warmup
Tell me about a dangerous situation you were in.
2) Book club
3) Interview questions
Homework
Write 10 interview questions on the worksheet.
During this short week we will be getting ready to do the interview section of our feature article project. Students will write their questions this week, and the interview must be completed by Wednesday, 12/4.
Please note:
1) Only the questions are due tomorrow. Do not do the interview yet.
2) The interview will be due by a week from Wednesday, not the article. We're going to do some research before we start writing.
3) Before the interview, you will write 10 questions on the worksheet. During the interview you will ask those ten questions, and write down the answers. Then you will ask five more follow-up questions, based on the answers you get to the first ten. The completed interview worksheet—with 15 questions and 15 answers—is due on Wednesday, 12/4.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Friday, 11/21
Agenda
1) Warmup
Write 10 sentences about Candy or Food. Each sentence should contain a simile, metaphor, or idiom.
2) Book club
3) Wearing a Raincoat
Homework
Choose a person to interview for your feature article. Write down their name and the danger they faced on a piece of paper and bring it to class on Monday.
Just a reminder that the definitions of simile, metaphor, and idiom are right here.
Wearing a Raincoat is a song by They Might Be Giants. As an exercise we listened to the song and read the lyrics, and then students decided the author's position on drugs. Each student then chose a quote from the lyrics that backed up their interpretation.
The goal was to reinforce the skill of backing up our interpretations with details and explanations from the text. The song, I believe, is about ambiguity, and about how nothing is all good or all bad. For example, even though we teach kids to avoid drugs, Aspirin is a drug, and we don't avoid that.
The song does not mention any specific drugs by name, so it is not clear if it is about medicinal drugs or recreational drugs. However it did provide a good opportunity to reinforce the dangers of drug abuse.
When a student chooses a person to interview for the feature article, there are two requirements:
1) The person must be an adult.
2) The person must have been in some kind of dangerous situation. The first choice is a person who had their house or place of work threatened by a brushfire, like the recent Sylmar fire. But I have students who interview people who experienced the Northridge earthquake, people who experiences hurricanes, one student's dad was on a plane that made an emergency landing. What matters is that the danger was real enough that it affected your behavior.
Most students will interview a family member, but this is not a requirement. Many students interview teachers.
1) Warmup
Write 10 sentences about Candy or Food. Each sentence should contain a simile, metaphor, or idiom.
2) Book club
3) Wearing a Raincoat
Homework
Choose a person to interview for your feature article. Write down their name and the danger they faced on a piece of paper and bring it to class on Monday.
Just a reminder that the definitions of simile, metaphor, and idiom are right here.
Wearing a Raincoat is a song by They Might Be Giants. As an exercise we listened to the song and read the lyrics, and then students decided the author's position on drugs. Each student then chose a quote from the lyrics that backed up their interpretation.
The goal was to reinforce the skill of backing up our interpretations with details and explanations from the text. The song, I believe, is about ambiguity, and about how nothing is all good or all bad. For example, even though we teach kids to avoid drugs, Aspirin is a drug, and we don't avoid that.
The song does not mention any specific drugs by name, so it is not clear if it is about medicinal drugs or recreational drugs. However it did provide a good opportunity to reinforce the dangers of drug abuse.
When a student chooses a person to interview for the feature article, there are two requirements:
1) The person must be an adult.
2) The person must have been in some kind of dangerous situation. The first choice is a person who had their house or place of work threatened by a brushfire, like the recent Sylmar fire. But I have students who interview people who experienced the Northridge earthquake, people who experiences hurricanes, one student's dad was on a plane that made an emergency landing. What matters is that the danger was real enough that it affected your behavior.
Most students will interview a family member, but this is not a requirement. Many students interview teachers.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thursday, 11/20
Agenda
1) Warmup
Write ten questions you would ask someone who has been threatened by a natural disaster.
2) Book club
3) Paraphrasing and summarizing
Homework
None
Note that the questions should include one each of the basic questions of journalism:
Who
What
When
Where
Why
How
1) Warmup
Write ten questions you would ask someone who has been threatened by a natural disaster.
2) Book club
3) Paraphrasing and summarizing
Homework
None
Note that the questions should include one each of the basic questions of journalism:
Who
What
When
Where
Why
How
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday, 11/19
Agenda
1) Citation
2) Book Club (for real!)
3) Feature Article Anticipation
Homework
None
Today we finished the citation exercise that we did not get to yesterday. Students practiced writing a "Works cited:" entry for the mini interview they conducted on Monday. The MLA format for a personal interview looks like this (assuming that I was interviewed today)
McCabe, Pete. Personal interview. 19 Nov 2008.
We had our first day of Book Club today. Everyone sat and read for 10 minutes—it was great to see. Note to parents: ask your kids about the book they're reading.
We also did the anticipation exercise for the feature article, in which students agreed or disagreed with each of the following 6 statements.
1) Writing a feature article is more like writing a story than an essay.
2) A fact is a fact, it doesn’t matter who said it.
3) People who write news have to be objective.
4) Journalism is easy because you just write down what happened.
5) Reporters will lie to make the story seem better.
6) If it’s on the internet, it’s probably true.
For parents, again: see if you can guess whether your child agreed or disagreed with each of these.
There is no homework, but any students who do not finish the anticipation exercise can finish it and hand it in tomorrow (Thursday).
1) Citation
2) Book Club (for real!)
3) Feature Article Anticipation
Homework
None
Today we finished the citation exercise that we did not get to yesterday. Students practiced writing a "Works cited:" entry for the mini interview they conducted on Monday. The MLA format for a personal interview looks like this (assuming that I was interviewed today)
McCabe, Pete. Personal interview. 19 Nov 2008.
We had our first day of Book Club today. Everyone sat and read for 10 minutes—it was great to see. Note to parents: ask your kids about the book they're reading.
We also did the anticipation exercise for the feature article, in which students agreed or disagreed with each of the following 6 statements.
1) Writing a feature article is more like writing a story than an essay.
2) A fact is a fact, it doesn’t matter who said it.
3) People who write news have to be objective.
4) Journalism is easy because you just write down what happened.
5) Reporters will lie to make the story seem better.
6) If it’s on the internet, it’s probably true.
For parents, again: see if you can guess whether your child agreed or disagreed with each of these.
There is no homework, but any students who do not finish the anticipation exercise can finish it and hand it in tomorrow (Thursday).
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tuesday, 11/18
Agenda
1) Warmup:
Write 10 sentences about things people said. Use a different word for "say" every time."
2) Book club (reminder)
3) Write up interview (from yesterday)
4) Citation
Homework
None
Today we continued working on our skills required to write up an interview. The warmup focused on the rules of punctuating a sentence that contains a quotation.
Mr. McCabe said, "Quotations are easy."
1) Comma before the quotation.
2) Capitalize the first word of the quotation.
3) The period (or exclamation point, etc) goes inside the final quotation mark.
We also learned how to do an MLA-style citation entry for a personal interview:
Works Cited
McCabe, Pete. Personal Interview. 18 Nov 2008.
1) Warmup:
Write 10 sentences about things people said. Use a different word for "say" every time."
2) Book club (reminder)
3) Write up interview (from yesterday)
4) Citation
Homework
None
Today we continued working on our skills required to write up an interview. The warmup focused on the rules of punctuating a sentence that contains a quotation.
Mr. McCabe said, "Quotations are easy."
1) Comma before the quotation.
2) Capitalize the first word of the quotation.
3) The period (or exclamation point, etc) goes inside the final quotation mark.
We also learned how to do an MLA-style citation entry for a personal interview:
Works Cited
McCabe, Pete. Personal Interview. 18 Nov 2008.
Book Club details
Every student will be required to read at least one book of at least 100 pages each month that we are not reading a novel in class. The first book club will begin on Wednesday, 11/19 and will end on the last day of school before winter break (Friday, 12/19). Every day in class we will have 10 minutes of silent reading, so students can complete their book. (We may not have book club on Tuesday because of the shortened schedule.)
I have books in my classroom library that students are welcome to read. Students can also get books from the school library or the public library.
After reading the book, each student will fill out a chart of the elements of the story: plot, setting, conflict, protagonist, antagonist, climax, resolution, and theme. The chart will be a graded assignment (20 points).
Details
The book must have at least 100 pages of text (or more!) No comics, Manga, etc. Books can have pictures/drawings, but there must be 100 pages of text.
Once you have finished your book and the elements chart, you can read anything you like during book club. Books, magazines, comics, cheat codes for your Xbox, anything. But you have to finish your book and the chart first.
If you have already started a book, you may use that book for Book Club as long as you have at least 100 pages left to read as of Wednesday.
Note to parents: The Platt branch of the public library has a bookstore that sells books donated by patrons of the library. These books sell for extremely low prices—most paperbacks are a quarter and current hardcovers are one or two dollars. The selection varies wildly but this is a great resource for books. (Many branches of the LA public library have similar bookstores.)
I have books in my classroom library that students are welcome to read. Students can also get books from the school library or the public library.
After reading the book, each student will fill out a chart of the elements of the story: plot, setting, conflict, protagonist, antagonist, climax, resolution, and theme. The chart will be a graded assignment (20 points).
Details
The book must have at least 100 pages of text (or more!) No comics, Manga, etc. Books can have pictures/drawings, but there must be 100 pages of text.
Once you have finished your book and the elements chart, you can read anything you like during book club. Books, magazines, comics, cheat codes for your Xbox, anything. But you have to finish your book and the chart first.
If you have already started a book, you may use that book for Book Club as long as you have at least 100 pages left to read as of Wednesday.
Note to parents: The Platt branch of the public library has a bookstore that sells books donated by patrons of the library. These books sell for extremely low prices—most paperbacks are a quarter and current hardcovers are one or two dollars. The selection varies wildly but this is a great resource for books. (Many branches of the LA public library have similar bookstores.)
Monday, 11/17
Agenda
1) Warmup
Write 10 sentences about the last meal you ate.
2) Book club (announcement)
3) Write 3 questions
4) Interview
Homework
None
Today we started the Research Unit. In this, students will interview an adult who had their home or workplace threatened by a natural disaster. The home or workplace doesn't have to be damaged—just threatened. So, for example, over the past several years wildfires have threatened the Hale Campus. So students can interview any teacher at Hale. Many students have relatives who experienced the Northridge Earthquake.
Students will interview the adult and also research the disaster itself, combining their results into a feature article, like you would see in a magazine. Complete details will be posted on the blog soon.
On Wednesday, we will begin Book Club. Complete details for that will be placed in a separate blog entry.
1) Warmup
Write 10 sentences about the last meal you ate.
2) Book club (announcement)
3) Write 3 questions
4) Interview
Homework
None
Today we started the Research Unit. In this, students will interview an adult who had their home or workplace threatened by a natural disaster. The home or workplace doesn't have to be damaged—just threatened. So, for example, over the past several years wildfires have threatened the Hale Campus. So students can interview any teacher at Hale. Many students have relatives who experienced the Northridge Earthquake.
Students will interview the adult and also research the disaster itself, combining their results into a feature article, like you would see in a magazine. Complete details will be posted on the blog soon.
On Wednesday, we will begin Book Club. Complete details for that will be placed in a separate blog entry.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, 11/14
Splunge
1) Splunge:
What is the definition of rock and roll music?
2) Splunge
Homework:
Splunge
Today we played Splunge. You'll have to ask your kid what it means.
1) Splunge:
What is the definition of rock and roll music?
2) Splunge
Homework:
Splunge
Today we played Splunge. You'll have to ask your kid what it means.
Thursday, 11/13
Agenda
1) Warmup:
If you could travel into the future or the past, and you could ask one question to anyone, who would you ask and what would the question be?
2) 20 Questions
Homework
None
The narrative unit is now over, and we are beginning the research unit. In today's class we had a bit of fun as a reward for the kids hard work on their essay. We played 20 questions, which is a deceptively educational activity for learning logic and also for asking questions, which will be an important part of the research unit's main project, the feature article.
There will be no homework for the rest of the week so that students who did not turn in their essay on time will have the maximum chance to do so.
1) Warmup:
If you could travel into the future or the past, and you could ask one question to anyone, who would you ask and what would the question be?
2) 20 Questions
Homework
None
The narrative unit is now over, and we are beginning the research unit. In today's class we had a bit of fun as a reward for the kids hard work on their essay. We played 20 questions, which is a deceptively educational activity for learning logic and also for asking questions, which will be an important part of the research unit's main project, the feature article.
There will be no homework for the rest of the week so that students who did not turn in their essay on time will have the maximum chance to do so.
Wednesday, 11/12
Agenda
1) Warmup:
What about you should I respect? What do you respect about Mr. McCabe?
2) Gallery
Homework:
None
Final essays were due today. They can still be handed in for credit, but every day late more points will be taken off.
Today we taped everyone's essay to the board. Everyone read the essays, and then voted on which they thought was best. The three essays with the most votes earned a guaranteed A. Peer review is an important part of our class—students need to be able to judge their own work and that of their peers.
1) Warmup:
What about you should I respect? What do you respect about Mr. McCabe?
2) Gallery
Homework:
None
Final essays were due today. They can still be handed in for credit, but every day late more points will be taken off.
Today we taped everyone's essay to the board. Everyone read the essays, and then voted on which they thought was best. The three essays with the most votes earned a guaranteed A. Peer review is an important part of our class—students need to be able to judge their own work and that of their peers.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday 11/10
Agenda
1) Warmup
Pick one of the four stories we read:
How would it be different if you were in it?
2) Gradesheets
3) Essay instructions and Grader
4) Grammar checklist
Homework:
Essay final due Wednesday
Signed gradesheet due Wednesday
Today I gave the students gradesheets showing how they earned their ten-week grades. These must be signed and returned on Wednesday. Getting the gradesheets signed and returned is a graded assignment.
The essay final draft is due on Wednesday. The instructions and grading criteria are posted in the Essay Instructions post.
I gave out a checklist with all the most common grammar mistakes my students make. Read this list during the proofing process and make sure you aren't making these common errors.
1) Warmup
Pick one of the four stories we read:
How would it be different if you were in it?
2) Gradesheets
3) Essay instructions and Grader
4) Grammar checklist
Homework:
Essay final due Wednesday
Signed gradesheet due Wednesday
Today I gave the students gradesheets showing how they earned their ten-week grades. These must be signed and returned on Wednesday. Getting the gradesheets signed and returned is a graded assignment.
The essay final draft is due on Wednesday. The instructions and grading criteria are posted in the Essay Instructions post.
I gave out a checklist with all the most common grammar mistakes my students make. Read this list during the proofing process and make sure you aren't making these common errors.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Essay Instructions
Here are the requirements for the essay. The final draft is due Wednesday, 11/12. It must be typed on the computer—if your printer doesn't work, email the essay to me at pjm4649@lausd.net. If you don't have access to a computer, see me at nutrition or lunch.
Theme Essay
Instructions and Grader
Write a 5-paragraph essay about the theme of one of the four stories we read:
Priscilla and the Wimps, How the World Was Saved, All Summer in a Day, and The Veldt.
Formatting
❏ One page only!
❏ Your name/date/period at the top of the page
❏ Font Palatino or Times, size 12 or 14.
❏ Margins 1.5 inch top, bottom, left, and right.
❏ Indent each paragraph by .25 inch.
❏ Essay printed in Black.
Essay structure
1st paragraph: Introduction
2nd paragraph: 1st body paragraph
3rd paragraph: 2nd body paragraph
4th paragraph: 3rd body paragraph
5th paragraph: conclusion
Introduction
Must have at least three sentences.
1. First sentence tells what character in what story you are writing about.
2. Second sentence tells why the author wrote the story.
3. The last sentence of the introduction is your assertion: The theme of ____ is ____.
Body paragraph
Must have at least six sentences:
1) Topic sentence
2) 1st Detail sentence
3) 1st explanation
4) 2nd detail sentence
5) 2nd explanation
6) Summary sentence.
The essay will be graded on five basic categories:
How strong is the writing
How many of the requirements did you meet
How good is your use of essay techniques (details, explanations, topic sentences, introduction, conclusion, etc.)
How many mistakes are there
How great was your effort
Theme Essay
Instructions and Grader
Write a 5-paragraph essay about the theme of one of the four stories we read:
Priscilla and the Wimps, How the World Was Saved, All Summer in a Day, and The Veldt.
Formatting
❏ One page only!
❏ Your name/date/period at the top of the page
❏ Font Palatino or Times, size 12 or 14.
❏ Margins 1.5 inch top, bottom, left, and right.
❏ Indent each paragraph by .25 inch.
❏ Essay printed in Black.
Essay structure
1st paragraph: Introduction
2nd paragraph: 1st body paragraph
3rd paragraph: 2nd body paragraph
4th paragraph: 3rd body paragraph
5th paragraph: conclusion
Introduction
Must have at least three sentences.
1. First sentence tells what character in what story you are writing about.
2. Second sentence tells why the author wrote the story.
3. The last sentence of the introduction is your assertion: The theme of ____ is ____.
Body paragraph
Must have at least six sentences:
1) Topic sentence
2) 1st Detail sentence
3) 1st explanation
4) 2nd detail sentence
5) 2nd explanation
6) Summary sentence.
The essay will be graded on five basic categories:
How strong is the writing
How many of the requirements did you meet
How good is your use of essay techniques (details, explanations, topic sentences, introduction, conclusion, etc.)
How many mistakes are there
How great was your effort
Friday 11/7
Agenda
1) Warmup
What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you.
2) Ten First Lines
Homework
None
Today we did a sort of peer review exercise where each student wrote down the first lines of ten different essays, for a total of ten points. I find that many students just don't know how to begin an essay. Even those who are comfortable with the use of details and explanations often just don't know how to start.
So now everyone has a list of ten different ways to start an essay. Before you do your final draft, take another look at the list of first lines, and see if you can't figure out a better way to write your first sentence.
1) Warmup
What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you.
2) Ten First Lines
Homework
None
Today we did a sort of peer review exercise where each student wrote down the first lines of ten different essays, for a total of ten points. I find that many students just don't know how to begin an essay. Even those who are comfortable with the use of details and explanations often just don't know how to start.
So now everyone has a list of ten different ways to start an essay. Before you do your final draft, take another look at the list of first lines, and see if you can't figure out a better way to write your first sentence.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Thursday, 10/6
Agenda
1) Write essay—first draft
Homework:
Finish essay first draft.
Today we wrote the first draft of our essay in class. This is a graded assignment—if you finished in class today, you got a ten. Any Any student who was not able to finish in class should finish for homework—if you bring the finished essay to class tomorrow, you'll score a 9.
It is vital that every student bring their essay draft to school tomorrow, because we will be having a peer review session and you can't participate without your essay.
Note: The final draft of the essay, typed on the computer, is due on Wednesday. (Remember, no school next Tuesday.)
1) Write essay—first draft
Homework:
Finish essay first draft.
Today we wrote the first draft of our essay in class. This is a graded assignment—if you finished in class today, you got a ten. Any Any student who was not able to finish in class should finish for homework—if you bring the finished essay to class tomorrow, you'll score a 9.
It is vital that every student bring their essay draft to school tomorrow, because we will be having a peer review session and you can't participate without your essay.
Note: The final draft of the essay, typed on the computer, is due on Wednesday. (Remember, no school next Tuesday.)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Agenda
1) Warmup
Who or what would you vote for and why?
Homework
None
Today we wrote about and discussed the election -- not just the presidential race, but the various state propositions. It was a very energetic class, and I was very proud to see that the students care, and that they are able to disagree while respecting each other's opinions.
1) Warmup
Who or what would you vote for and why?
Homework
None
Today we wrote about and discussed the election -- not just the presidential race, but the various state propositions. It was a very energetic class, and I was very proud to see that the students care, and that they are able to disagree while respecting each other's opinions.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Monday, 11/3
Agenda
1) Warmup
Write a paragraph in which you tell me that Chris is mean. Include three facts:
a) Chris tortures a neighbor's dog
b) Chris kicked a baby in the head
c) Chris refused to help an old lady cross the street
When writing your paragraph, pay attention to four things
• Topic sentence—introduce the subject
• What order do you put the facts in?
• What connecting words do you use to introduce each fact
• The last sentence, which summarizes the paragraph
2) Essay Worksheet
Homework:
Finish worksheet
Over the weekend I came up with a new way to teach the details and explanations part of the essay process. So rather than wait until next year, I decided to reteach this process right away.
1) Warmup
Write a paragraph in which you tell me that Chris is mean. Include three facts:
a) Chris tortures a neighbor's dog
b) Chris kicked a baby in the head
c) Chris refused to help an old lady cross the street
When writing your paragraph, pay attention to four things
• Topic sentence—introduce the subject
• What order do you put the facts in?
• What connecting words do you use to introduce each fact
• The last sentence, which summarizes the paragraph
2) Essay Worksheet
Homework:
Finish worksheet
Over the weekend I came up with a new way to teach the details and explanations part of the essay process. So rather than wait until next year, I decided to reteach this process right away.
Friday, 10/31
Agenda
1) Ghost Storyline
Homework
None
Today we played storyline, a creative writing game. No homework—happy halloween.
1) Ghost Storyline
Homework
None
Today we played storyline, a creative writing game. No homework—happy halloween.
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