Week 8

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you are satisfied with your grade that will appear on your Official Progress Report that will go home next Wednesday, February 29th--they've been sent off to the printer.

This week we will be in a variety of locations, please check the calendar to the right for our location for your class (it's different, different days). 

More examples of how to format and what your paper should look like have been updated on the Resource page.

Our activities for the week will include:

• discussing and choosing your presentation medias (because it's multimedia)
• signing up for your presentation day (Monday 3/5-Friday 3/9, as needed per class)
• an extra credit in-class writing project (it's for charity, so it would be nice if everyone participated)
• working on producing your presentations--due to limited lab time, some presentations may need to be completed at home
• practicing for your presentations, what you're actually going to say, making sure you are inside the time limit
• normal daily and weekly work

Remember, your final deadlines for your Published Final Draft and Final Revised Work Cited are this Friday, March 2nd.  If you're on the step you're suppose to be on, you shouldn't have any homework.  If you're not, you have a lot of homework.

This week's secret word is "cephalopod."  Write it on a scrap of paper and give it to me, with your name on it, and you'll get a ticket.  If you add on the scrap of paper at least two members of the subclasses of cephalopods (their common animal names), you'll get an extra ticket.

Conference Update

Hello All,

Today, while checking vocabulary, I conferenced with each student to check on their progress on their research papers.  By now, according to their deadline checklist, they should already have their drafts done and be working on revisions.  Many students were well on their way to working on this goal.  Some students will have a lot of now-homework over the weekend.

First Official Progress Report

Hello all,

The first official progress report of the semester will go home on Wednesday, February 29th.

As of today, all grades that will impact the official progress report grade have been created in Pinnacle.  If a grade is blank, it is because it hasn't been graded yet (a couple of the assignments aren't due until tomorrow).  Any work turned in on time will be reflected on the progress report.  Any work turned in after the due date will not necessarily reflect on the progress report.

Remember, the last day for late work due before February 28th is due on February 28th.  No exceptions.

Week 7

Hello Everyone!

It was fabulous to meet so many of you at this week's Open House.  As always, if you need anything, feel free to email me at kimberly (dot) bundschu (at) cobbk12 (dot) org or leave me a message at seven seven oh, six oh nine, five four eight one. 

During this long weekend, please remember your deadlines:

1.  You should have at least steps 1-8 done before you return to school on Tuesday, especially:

• Your Works Cited page should already be on turnitin.com
• You should already have all of your notes.
• You should have your intro paragraph done and ready to check.
• You should have at least one body paragraph done done and ready to check.

 2.  Your final paper is due on Friday 3/2. 

3.  We will begin our presentations the very next week, so your presentation needs to be done by Monday, 3/5.

On Thursday, I held mini-conferences with all students.  Most students are well on their way towards completing their papers on time, however, some students will definetly need to work hard in the next couple of weeks.  If you need extra help, I'm available before or after school upon request, and of course, you can sign up for Learning Links.

All late work for the first 6 weeks of the class will be accepted until February 28th with the standard minus one letter grade per day penalty.  Any work with a due date before February 28th will be accepted for credit until February 28th.  Any work due before February 28th and turned in after February 28th will not be accepted.  No exceptions, no extensions.

The secret word for the week is platypus.  If you give me a small note with your name and the secret word on Tuesday or Wednesday (DON'T TELL ANYONE!) I'll give you a ticket.  This is to let me know that you're keeping up with the blog.

Week 6

Hello All!

Open House is this Thursday.  An extra credit opportunity exists for those who attend.  6-8.

This week students should be finishing their notes and putting together their first draft.  Student drafts need to be finished by next Tuesday.

As always, please check the calendar for our meet location.

This week students are continuing to work on and complete their Giant Research Projects.  Final drafts of their Works Cited were due on Wednesday.  Final drafts of their papers are due on 3/2.

Have a wonderful week and an excellent 3 day holiday!

Unofficial Progress Report #2 and Final Deadlines for Make up work

Hello parents and guardians,

Today I sent home everybody's current unofficial progress report for our class.  Again, I'd like these signed and returned on the next school day.  Between now and the end of the 1st 6 weeks, the only grades that will go into the computer will be daily work (activators, reading reflections, and daily grammar practice), vocabulary work and quizzes, and the final draft of the Works Cited Page.  The Giant Research Paper and Presentation Project which students are currently working hard on will be due on after Official Progress Reports go home on February 29th.

All late work for the first 6 weeks of the class will be accepted until February 28th with the standard minus one letter grade per day penalty.  Any work with a due date before February 28th will be accepted for credit until February 28th.  Any work due before February 28th and turned in after February 28th will not be accepted.  No exceptions, no extensions.

Meet in Media Center--Day 23

Your activator is still the same as the past 2 days.  Write Activator 23 with your updated progress.

Today is our last day in the Media Center for research.  By the end of the day you need to make sure you have access to your digital sources (we'll be in the classroom on Monday and you won't have access to them unless you print them (careful of the page numbers) here or at home, or bring in a computer with them saved on it), and your print sources are on the cart. 

About 30 minutes into class, Ms. Bryan will be going over how to make sure your Works Cited page is in proper MLA format.  By this time, you definitely need the citation information for all of your sources (was due on Wednesday) and it should be typed so that we can work on the formats.  Then you'll have the last 30 minutes to finish up any corrections and get your Works Cited draft signed off.

If you finish your Works Cited draft and get it signed off in the first 30 minutes, make sure you talk to me about how to do step 4.

Conferences

Hello All,

Today I conferenced with all students who were present today about their current work.  We discussed all missing work.  A lot was turned in today, and I'm looking forward the rest of the make-up work.

Have a great Thursday!

Writing Lab

Before you continue your research, please go to http://www.turnitin.com/ and check your 2 essays.  Click on each essay's name, then click originality to see your similarity percentage and what words were the exact same as someone else on the internet.  Also click on grade mark to see your comments, grammar notes, and your score on the rubric.  The rubric is located in the bottom right column and looks like a small, grey table of boxes.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.  Once you've checked your turnitin, you should check your pinnacle account to make sure you're not missing any work.  Then continue your research.

Meet in Media Center--Don't forget to check in.

Hello Everybody!
The Activator is the same as yesterday, and is already on the Resources page. 

If you don't have your assigned poet, you need to see me first thing!

4th Block:  Go to the Resource page and read and take notes on the PowerPoint titled How to write bibiographic information.  Come to me with any questions you still have.

Today is your first deadline on your checklist!  When you have your sources and citation list, bring them to me (actually bring me the books, bring me the citation information for the digital articles you've emailed to yourself--that means, yes, you need to email the articles to yourself).  Your checklist must be signed by the end of the period to get full credit for today.  I will not write late passes; I will not call you to remind you. 

If you were not here on Friday or Monday, Ms. Marsala will be calling students to a small group to show them what they missed. 

Have a great day!

Meet in Media Center--Make sure you check in!

The goal for today is to start to gather your research for your Giant Research Paper.  Make sure you complete today's checklist in order.  Make sure you read all of what is expected of you, including where to meet for the rest of the week.

You need to check in to prove that you were here.  Also, I need to see everyone individually when we get to work time to discuss vocabulary and the argument essay due tomorrow.

1. Daily Work:
1. Activator 19:  Look at the first page of your green rubric.  What kind of information about your poet (which you need to get approved by your teacher today before you begin your research) do you need for Part I?  What kind of information do you need for Part II?  Where are you going to begin your research?  (i.e.: Online?  In a book?  At Wheelerlibrary.com in a database?)
2. Starting Tomorrow:  All this week, your Activator will answer the same prompt, but your answer will be different based on how much you accomplished the day before:  Write a brief summary of your progress through your research.  How many sources have you gathered about your poet's life and times?  How many sources have you gathered about your poet's poems?  How many sources have you gathered in total?  How many quotes have you gathered on your note cards?  Which deadline are you currently working on on your Check Sheet? (Remember, these are due Tuesday!)
3. DGP:  We're skipping DPG for this week due to being outside of the classroom so much.  We'll continue week 3 next week.
4. RR:  Since you are reading so much for your research, we won't be recording our Reading Reflections this week, however, what you do have will be due on Tuesday.
2. Get your Author Approved.  Check in with Ms. Bundschu to register your poet.  Remember, only 2 people per class may research the same poet. 
3. Look at your Rubric.  Notice the 2 parts of the paper.  What kind of information do you need for Part I?  What kind of information do you need for Part II?  Hint: for part I you can search for key words such as:  biography, life, (the time period they lived), influences, impact, etc.  For part II, you can search for key words such as: analysis, literature, poetry, (the key words from your rubric, like diction).
4. Step 1 on your research checklist is Gather Your Sources.  You need to have 4 books (or the equivelant) before you begin to take your first note.  Search through Wheeler Library to find information on your author's Life and Times and Influences.  Then, search through Wheeler Library to find information on your author's poetry.  Remember, you need at least one primary source of your poet's actual poems. 
5. Once you gather your sources, and get your Checklist signed by me, then you may begin Step 2.  This is to make sure you know what information is in each source.  Make sure you have all of the information you need for your rubric.  Notice what information you don't have and what information is repeated throughout your sources.

Week 5

This week is all about research for the Giant Research Project.

Our location:

Monday:  Media Center
Tuesday: Writing Lab (1st block in classroom)
Wednesday:  Media Center
Thursday:  Writing Lab (1st block in Media Center)
Friday: Media Center

Tuesday we'll have our Vocabulary Quiz from last Friday.

All of the handouts and powerpoints for the Giant Research Paper are already up on the Resource Page.

Meet In Media Center--Did you check in to be marked "present"?

Today Ms. Bryant and Ms. Marsala are going to show us where to find the information to cite sources using http://wheelerlibrary.com/.  For each database, on a sheet of paper, you need to write down:

1. The name of the database.
2. What steps you need to do to copy the reference information.  (Yes, it's different depending on the database.)

Activator 18:  We have very limited time in the library.  Why is it important to use this time effectively?  What are you going to do to use Ms. Bryant and Ms. Marsala's presentation time the most efficiently?  What are you not going to do?

DGP:  Click here for your Diagram Key.

Webquest

For class today, we're going to have a webquest, based on the information we've already learned about MLA format.  This will help you become familiar with MLA format as you find your own sources and write your own research paper.

This webquest is broken down into steps.  Follow the directions in each step, and write the answers down on your paper.

1.  First go to wheelerlibrary.com.  You can type it in another window or tab.  Or you can right click on the Wheeler High School site and find it on the left hand column.  On the Wheeler Library site, how would you find a copy of your MLA 7th ed. Works Cited Guide?  Which tab is it under?

2.  On that same tab, under the MLA 7th ed. Citation section, which link has the most detailed help information?

3.  Under which tab and section would you find the Databases if you wanted to search an approved database?

4.  In Gale Power Search, I found 5 academic journals that referenced dr suess as a keyword.  What is the title and actual topic of the first source?  (Hint: the title is 6 words long)

5.  Of these 5 articles, which of them actually talk about Dr. Suess?  Is it a good source if you're writing a biography about him?  Why or why not?

6.  Write down how you found the citation information for that source, then write down the citation information.

7.  Go back to Wheeler Library and click on the Student Resource Center.  How many biographies of Dr. Suess are in the database?  For each biography, cite the source and how useful you think the source will be.

8.  Go back to Wheeler Library and search for Dr Suess in the Book Collection: Nonfiction.  How many new sources show up?

9.  Go back to Wheeler Library and search for Dr Suess in Google Books.  How many sources show up?  Choose a primary source and cite it. 

10.  How many full length analysis books have been written about Dr. Suess according to Philip Nel?  What key words did you use to search in Google Books? (Hint: it tells you on page 11 of the book)