Items Due Today: None. Time is given to make sure all students are current with their notebooks, vocab assignments, make-up work, etc.
Due Next Class: Notebooks will be collected. The following items should be complete and up-to-date:
Future Due Dates:
Coming Up: Storyteller guest presenter, Monday, 09/26 during COHORT; Computer Lab 211, Tuesday, 09/27 to type Children's Story Essay. Today's Bellringer: none today What we did today: Reviewed proper format for vocab activities; read "Night", from the Rig Veda, an Indian Epic poem. Discussed imagery (literal/visual vs. symbolic/figurative); in-text vocabulary; connotation vs. denotation; proper method for citing lines in poetry; theme and author's message. Skills: Vocabulary; interpretation of text; visual and figurative imagery. ELA Common Core Standards covered:
Items Due Today: GREGARIOUS vocab page; Basic outline (bullets are fine) of Children's Story Essay (see requirements in previous post)--handwritten, on regular (NOT COMP BOOK) paper.
Future Due Dates:
Coming Up: Vocab Quiz (25 words, see Quizlet link to the right), Thursday, 09/22; Storyteller guest presenter, Monday, 09/26 during COHORT; Computer Lab 211, Tuesday, 09/27 to type Children's Story Essay. Today's Bellringer: none today What we did today: Discussed rigor and necessity of following proper format and paying attention to detail. Worked on "Varying Sentence Openers" rewrite activity. "Varying Sentence Openers" Original (and awful) story prompt:
Robin Hood was hungry. He was voracious. He got his friend’s together. He thought its a good day for donuts. His friend, Friar Tuck, said “Lets go to Disney World”! He said “Sound’s good!” Lets go! So they got in a car; and drove through the forrest to find food at Disney World. His girlfriend was mad cause he wanted to go to, Maid Marian. She broke up with him than. Tenacious he begged her. He loved food more than her, but it was hi’s decision to leave See Lowther's model here. Skills: Punctuation, grammar, mechanics, editing, complex sentences. ELA Common Core Standards covered:
Items Due Today: SPURIOUS vocabulary page, or "anim-", depending on what students submitted last time.
Future Due Dates:
Coming Up: Vocab Quiz (25 words, see Quizlet link to the right), Thursday, 09/22; Storyteller guest presenter, Monday, 09/26 during COHORT; Computer Lab 211, Tuesday, 09/27 to type Children's Story Essay. What we did today: Discussed ONEROUS; reminders about connotation vs. denotation (meaning vs. intent), creating context, punctuating sentences properly; reviewed Essay Rubric for Children's Story; discussed appropriate internet sources and formal style of writing; examined MLA style formatting. Today's Bellringer: none today Summary what we did this past week: video prompt response from So You Think You Can Dance 2011, "Fix You" by Coldplay; finished Epic of Gilagmesh group projects; began Children's Story group projects (during 8th, only); vocabulary review; "How to Write Great Paragraphs". Skills: Context, punctuation, MLA style, creativity, collaboration, decision-making, summary ELA Common Core Standards covered:
Parents and Guardians,
Please use the following link to request a 10-minute conference time at Open House, Tuesday, September 20, 2016. Conferences are for Lowther's Cohort English I,II,III/AP courses only, and will be held in Lowther's classroom (123). Due to time constraints, only TEN appointments are available during Open House, so requests will be processed in the order received. If all times are taken, I will contact the parent/guardian to schedule an alternate time. Confirmation of times will be emailed to the parent/guardian by Sunday evening. Completing the form IS NOT confirmation of an appointment. Students do not have to attend the conference, and may be asked to step outside if they are present. If the parent/guardian will unexpectedly be late, or unable to keep the appointment time, please email Mrs. Lowther so she can move on to the next appointment to stay on schedule. REGISTER HERE See you soon! --Lowther Task One (Individual): Analyze your story/book, and include the following:
Task Two (Group): With your group, select ONE of children’s books/stories to dramatically present to the rest of the class. You must include the following:
Items Due: Composition Book with "aer-" vocab page and Gilgamesh homework Due Monday, 09/12: ambi-/amphi- vocabulary page Coming Up: Finish Enkidu's Dream group project; Due Friday, 09/19: OFFICIOUS/SPURIOUS vocab; Due Monday, 09/19: anim- vocabulary page; Vocab Quiz (25 words), Thursday, 09/22 (see class word wall or Quizlet) What we did today: Worked in groups to visualize and expand upon "Enkidu's Dream of the Underworld" from Epic of Gilgamesh. Today's Bellringer: If you could trade lives with anyone, who would it be, and why? Skills: Creativity, text analysis, inference, visualization
ELA Common Core Standards covered:
National Core Arts Standards covered:
Items Due: TENACIOUS vocabulary page Due Wednesday, 09/07: Finish Gilgamesh summary page in Composition Book. Download PDF copy of the textbook reading, if needed. REDO TENACIOUS page, if needed (almost everyone!). Due Thursday, 09/08: VORACIOUS and "AER" vocabulary pages. Coming Up: Finish Summer Assignment presentations during 8th period Thursday; Epic of Gilgamesh character analysis. What we did today: Discussed how to properly write vocabulary sentences that show context. Read excerpts from Epic of Gilgamesh, and worked in groups to complete page in Comp Book. Today's Bellringer: none today Skills: Creativity, giving reader context, character analysis ELA Common Core Standards covered:
National Core Arts Standards covered:
Items Due: none for today.
Due Friday, 08/26: Genius hour idea proposal. Coming Up: Summer Assignment presentations during 8th period, Thursday; no 8th period Tuesday 08/30, due to school-wide mock testing schedule. What we did today: Finish definitions of different types of story. Today's Bellringer: None today. Manipulation of Content: Continuing from yesterday's class, students formed into groups and came up with their own definitions of the following genres of storytelling: myth, fable, folktale, fairytale, legend. As a class, we decided upon an official definition of each, and wrote them on vocabulary cards to be used throughout this week. Discussed independent/dependent clauses, introductory clauses, word choice, parenthetical phrases, complex sentences, comma placement, importance of varying word choice. Link to "The Two Wolves". Vocabulary: anthropomorphosism, hyperbole, embellish, myth, fable, folktale, fairytale, legend, moral, defames. Skills: Creativity, activating prior knowledge, ability to work well with others, grammar/mechanics ELA Common Core Standards covered:
National Core Arts Standards covered:
Items Due: last call for school forms; summer assignments.
Due Friday, 08/26: Genius hour idea proposal. Coming Up: Summer Assignment presentations during 8th period, Tuesday and Thursday. What we did today: Board Post-It prompt; discuss Genius Hour; begin discussing storytelling. Today's Bellringer: "Find a quote that MOTIVATES or INSPIRES you. Write it on a Post-It note with the author's or speaker's name." Manipulation of Content: Students wrote down a quote that motivates or inspires them. This quote will be used at a later time. We discussed the concept of Genius Hour, and students were given the "Genius Hour Project Proposal" form and "Genius Hour Rubric". We began discussing storytelling, with the question, "What makes a good story?" We brainstormed on the board, as students threw out suggestions or were encouraged to think more deeply. Skills: Creativity, activating prior knowledge. ELA Common Core Standards covered:
National Core Arts Standards covered:
Friday, August 19, 2016 Items Due today: school forms; summer assignments Coming up next week: Genius Hour proposals due Friday, August 26. More information to come. Summer Assignment presentations. Literary devices and Into the Woods. What we did today: brief bellringer (on board); collected housekeeping/paperwork; distributed art supply boxes; reviewed and submitted summer assignments; finished "Summer Vacation" presentations; read There Are Those. Today's Bellringer: "FRIENDLY FRIDAY: Use your dry-erase marker to describe what makes a good friend." Manipulation of Content: Students wrote their bellringer response on the board, then we shared them with the class. We discussed how being a good friend can help someone with depression, and why it's important to always support, not tear down, each other. (Connection from yesterday's 8th period discussion). After completing the "Summer Vacation" presentations, students offered suggestions about what could be learned about each other from the activity, and how it was essential to give me a quick glimpse into students' baseline skill set. There Are Those was used to make connections with students, and help them understand they are part of a special group of like-minded students, as well as get them thinking about abstract art and poetry. Skills: Writing, public speaking, creativity, improvisation; empathy ELA Common Core Standards covered:
National Core Arts Standards covered:
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Toady was the first day we had 8th period, which we'll have for 15 days, before students rotate out to another content area. We took the time to complete the mandated suicide prevention training by watching an informational video about depression and warning signs; discussing the school-distributed handout with helpful links and resources; then responding to "No One is Alone", from Into the Woods. Please review with your child the information provided in the handout, and let me know if you have any questions or concerns. |
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katherine.lowther@clark. Archives
August 2017
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