Important Update--Make up Socratic Seminars and Vocabulary Remediation

Hello All!

Yesterday's Socratic Seminars went really well.  If you missed our class, there is a make up session for the Socratic Seminar today during Leap Tutoring.  Meet me at 3:35 in the Media Center!  If you can't make this session, then you need to see me to arrange a different time.  It should take about 15 minutes. 

Also, yesterday I passed out 2 very important documents.

1. Vocabulary Remediation.  If you would like to bring up your Writing and Language Summative average, you may replace ONE vocabulary quiz grade by doing this assignment.  You must follow all of the directions carefully as if you don't, you won't earn credit.  This is an opportunity, and not mandatory.  The deadline of Wednesday, May 15th at midnight is a hard deadline.  There will be no late credit.
2. Final Exam Study Guide.  Your final exam for this semester is cummulative for this semester.  You need to be prepared to deal with any of the concepts, elements, devices, and types on that list.  You can do it!

We only have 6 more days til Final Exams!  It's up to you to earn the grade you want in the class.  You can do it!

Week 17--10 days til Final Exams

Hello All!

Last week students completed the Last Story of the Year!

We also passed out the SUMMER READING ASSIGNMENT. Click here if you somehow misplaced your assignment.  Yes, you have to do it.  Yes, a book (or two) from that list.  The assignment for Honors or College Prep is on the 2nd page--read it carefully!

This week we're going to individually complete our Socratic Seminar Questions in preparation for our Socratic Seminar on Wednesday.  Students were assigned this assignment on April 26th, so they know that they need to complete the questions on their own if they aren't here on Monday and Tuesday.

We have our ATA on Thursday!  Remember if you get an A on the ATA, you don't have to take the unit test!

Week 16--15 days til Final Exams

Hello All!

Today (Friday) we went over the MidUnit Benchmark in class and students were given the opportunity to retake that test.  If you missed this opportunity, you need to talk to me about making it up before or after school.  If you don't by the end of next week, your current grade stands. 

This week we'll be reading our final story of the year "How Much Land does a Man Need?"  The handout is on the Current Resources page, and will be collected for a grade on Thursday or Friday (depending on when you'll have this class due to the Assembly on Friday). 

Week 15--20 Days to Final Exams--Persuasive Writing!

Hello All!

This week we're focusing once more on Persuasive Writing--again in preparation for the Georgia High School Writing Test you'll take at the beginning of your junior year.

A shortcut to all of the requirements can be found on the blog (or here).  As a reminder, yes, you won't get any Summative credit unless you follow all 5 steps of the Writing Process--you'll either meet the standard or you won't.  The formative grade in Pinnacle is to show which step of the Process you've completed:

20 Points per step. 

• Prewriting--Short Story Packet page 4
• Drafting--Handwritten on a sheet of paper
• Editing--"Get Feedback" on Essay Scorer
• Revising--Make changes and "Get Feedback" again on Essay Scorer
• Publishing--turnitin.com

Also, if you want an educated guess on what grade you'll earn on this essay, you can use the following chart based on The Essay Scorer Rubric.

If your essay is scored:
     1-3  Your essay will receive a failing grade.

     4  Your essay will probably receive a C or D.

     5  Your essay will probably receive a B.

     6  Your essay will most likely receive an A.

 

You can do it!  We're in a lab 3 days this week to work on this, so you should have plenty of time!

Week 14--25 days to Final Exams

Hello All,

By now your Parallel Reading Abstract should be in turinitin.com under Revision 1 if you turned it in last Friday (before Spring Break), and Revision 2 if you didn't.  Remember, if you're turning it in late, you need to turn it in tonight before midnight for the highest possible grade of a 90, tomorrow for an 80, etc.

This week we're starting with pg. 1322, reading the background information on Chinua Achebe before reading his short story, "Marriage is a Private Affair" (p. 1329), and his response "On Marriage is a Private Affair" (p. 1338).  These Cornell style Notes are due on Thursday, the same day as your Mid Unit Benchmark--which will concern the vocabulary of short stories.  Be sure that you can define the elements and apply them to a story.

25 days to Final Exams.  All of the grades between now and then are already posted in Pinnacle.  I'll get the Parallel Reading Abstracts graded as soon as I can.  Your confirmation of if you turned it in should be in the "Not a Grade" category by today.

Week 13--Beginning of Short Stories and Parallel Reading is DUE!

Hello All,

Your Parallel Reading Abstract is due to turnitin.com on Friday, April 5th! 

You'll need to differentiate between your final published copy and your drafts by turning in the version you want me to grade under the assignment called "Parallel Reading Abstract 2nd Semester -- Revision 1."

If you don't turn in your draft by Friday, you'll need to submit your published copy under "Revision 2" for the late grade.  Yes, even if you're planning to use a late pass.  The "due" date for the late grade is later, so in case you mistakenly upload the wrong file, you'll be able to go back and fix it.  Turnitin.com is set so that once a grade is "due" you can't overwrite the submission.

On Monday, after our vocabulary quiz for unit 11, we're going to be starting our next and final unit, Short Stories.  Monday, you'll receive the packet we'll be using that includes all of your responsibilities and due dates for the rest of the year.  All of these dates are also on the blog's calendar. 

Progress Reports go home after Spring Break, so you'll get your Unofficial Progress Reports this week as a head's up to what'll be on the official report and why it is what it is.  You will get extra credit if you turn these in before Spring Break.

Week 12

Hello All,

On Monday, your Poetry Booklets are due before you leave class. 

The rest of the week will be spent in labs to give you time to complete your Parallel Reading Abstract.  At this point you should have finished your book and written your first draft.

We'll have a Writing Lab Assignment for each day spent in the lab.  If you miss a day, you're still responsible for the assignment--it'll be on the Current Resources page.

You can see the calendar for where we'll meet each day, but I've also included a table below:

Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Lab 1113	Writing Lab	Writing Lab	Lab 1115 (7th period in 1113)

Next week we'll start our Short Story Unit--the last unit of the semester!