CHAT Writing 1 Class Notes–Week 3 (1/25)

Greetings!

We had a fun, fast-paced class today where we accomplished a lot!

We started out with our Quick Write and students had a choice of prompts to write about:

• What is a favorite childhood memory?

• What is one of the best days of your life?

• What was a highlight of your week?

They shared some interesting stories!

After that, we dove into a Grammar lesson on simple sentences.  Since we haven’t had time in the past few weeks to focus on grammar, we took an extended amount of time to dig in and catch up. The topics were Subject-Verb agreement and Compound Subjects and Compound Predicates.  Using the doc camera and big screen, we worked through several examples where we practiced identifying subjects and predicates and made sure those two were in agreement, and looked at how to vary sentences by inverting that order.  Students should complete and correct their worksheets and hand them in next week.

Next, we switched gears to the Writing portion of our class where we talked about the Urban Legend Rough Drafts.  We briefly discussed the fact that they need four reliable sources and use at least four MLA Style citations and a Works Cited page.  We are building on skills they acquired in the first semester, and there are materials students can access on Google Classroom with information on those skills.  Students had some time to Peer Review a classmate’s essay using the Peer Review sheet.  If they didn’t finish in class, they should have a friend or family member complete it at home.  Once they get feedback from me, they are clear to begin recording their Final Drafts.  

In Literature, we had a short check-in about the Animal Farm.  We are getting momentum in the story now and we reviewed the ballad that was sung in chapter 1–”Beasts of England.”  We discussed how the song was filled with descriptive images, hope for a bright future of what life will be like when they finally get rid of the oppression of man.  After that, we stood up and sang it to the tune of “O My Darling Clementine.”  In true capitalist style, enthusiastic singers received a grammar homework coupon.  (In true communistic style, they ALL received one! ;)  As homework, they are to read chapters 5 & 6 and complete 3 Study Guide questions.

Homework 

Subject-Verb Agreement

Complete Subj-Predicate/Inverted Order

Simple Sentences (Compound Subjects)

Simple Sentences (Compound Predicates)

Urban Legend Rough Draft (if not yet done)

Urban Legend Peer Review

Read Chs. 5 & 6

Ch. 5 & 6 Questions

Links for this Week

MLA Citations Review & Works Cited Review

O My Darlin’ Clementine Karaoke (for “Beasts of England”)

Writing 1 Class Notes–Week 2 (January 18)

 Today’s class absolutely flew by!  I think it must have been because we were having fun?  At least I can speak for myself.  Here’s a recap with some links.

We started our day with a Quick Write as usual.  Students could choose from a list of prompts I had gathered from some of my previous classes:

• What are some of your pet peeves?

• What do you do that really annoys other people?

• What is the grossest thing you've ever eaten?

• What is the best and worst part of your house?

After that, we did a deep dive in the Writing section of our class about our upcoming essay–Urban Legends.  Since they are required to research and have at least four sources of information, we had a mini-lesson on vetting RELIABLE sources of information.  Since our world is so full of “misinformation”, fake news and bias, I want to help students sharpen their critical thinking skills as they assess where information is coming from and whether it should be trusted.  To that end, I introduced the “sniff test”--I  mean the CRAAP test (is that any better?)  We watched a video and took notes on Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose.  As they are choosing resources, they should put each one through this reliability test.  We discussed the fact that on its own Wikipedia is not a reliable source because it lacks authority.  However, it is a valuable site as a source of other linked sources. In other words, Wikipedia is a good place to start their research, and should not be a stand alone resource.

After that, we read aloud the Mentor Text for this essay.  They were given a checklist and then found different pieces like hook, thesis, roadmap sentence, transitions, quotes and so on.  They compared notes with their group and discussed the essay’s effectiveness.  The Rough Drafts are due next week (1/25). Bring a hard copy to class for peer review.

Grammar

As I mentioned, the class time zoomed by and there was just enough time for me to introduce this semester’s grammar focus:  Basic Sentence Patterns.  I handed out two worksheets and students are to complete and correct them.  Don’t forget to mark your corrections!

Literature

This is where we were pinched for time.  I didn’t get to go over this part very much in class, so please read this carefully:  keep reading Animal Farm (ch. 3 & 4) and complete a Quiz on Google Classroom over chapters 1-4.  The assignment “What Makes A Good Leader?” is due next week along with a quick Discussion Question on Google Classroom on a leader’s top character quality.  Finally, students should prepare for a class discussion by reviewing the 4 Square Discussion questions.

Homework

Urban Legend Rough Draft–Bring a hard copy to class for Peer Review!

Sentence Patterns–N-V

What is a Sentence?

Read Ch. 3 & 4 of Animal Farm

Animal Farm Quiz Ch. 1-4

“What Makes a Good Leader?”

Discussion Question;  Top Character Quality

Four Square Discussion Questions

Links for this Week

Basic Sentence Patterns

CRAAP Test

Writing 1 Class Notes–Week 1 (January 11)

 Hello Dear Students,

It was good to be back together again in the new year!  The sun was even shining, which matched the shining faces I saw 🙂

We started the day out with a Quick Write.  They had a choice to either write about National Kiss A Ginger Day (yes, that’s a real day!) and National Tea Day.

After that, we previewed the Spring Syllabus, Homework Checklist and Late Homework dates linked below.  We highlighted the important due dates and took a brief look at what this semester has in store.

The first essay for Writing this year is a persuasive essay about Urban Legends.  I am excited about this topic and writing an essay right along with them!  We discussed what an urban legend is and watched a video about six fairly famous ones.  After that, we talked about their mission:  to explain an urban legend, discuss why so many people believe it’s true and then to convincingly debunk it.  This essay will require researching (they need four reliable sources) and MLA citations and Works Cited page.  As such it is a more involved paper that will involve many skills we have learned so far.  This week, we tackled the Pre-Write (due next week) and discussed the structure of how they might organize their paper.  Next week, we’ll talk about how to vet reliable sources and review MLA citations.

After that, we switched gears to introduce the novella Animal Farm.  After thinking about the three topics of Leadership, Government and Equity students had some time to discuss with each other and with the large group.  They had some interesting insights!  They especially had a lot to share on the topic of equity/equality.  There were some that argued that though we are all created with equal rights, some people have different gifts and therefore, in reality, it is impossible for everyone to be “equal.”  How smart is that!!  And in the current culture we live in, I am really glad to hear this common sense!  I told them that as the novella unfolds, we will see more of these themes.  

After our spirited discussion, we listened to the audio version read aloud for a few minutes.  They should continue reading (Ch. 1 & 2) and answer 3 Study Guide questions.  They also have a Vocabulary Worksheet that they should be filling out as they read–it will be due at the end of the unit.  To shed light on the background of the novella, they are to complete an EdPuzzle video on the Russian Revolution and read the Introduction to Animal Farm.  They should take the Quiz on the introduction after they have read it.

We had enough on our plate with a new essay and novel to introduce, so we will jump into Grammar with both feet next week–no Grammar this week;)

Enjoy your weekend!

Blessings, 

Mrs. G

Homework

Syllabus

Homework Checklist

Homework & Late Dates

Urban Legend Slide Show + Video

About Essay 1:  Urban Legends

Urban Legend Pre-Write

“What is Animal Farm” Slideshow

Read Ch. 1 & 2

Animal Farm Vocabulary Worksheet

Ch. 1 & 2 Study Guide Questions

EdPuzzle:  Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution

Introduction to Animal Farm

Introduction to Animal Farm Quiz (GC)

“What Makes A Good Leader?” Response (due Week 3)

Writing 1 Class Notes -- Week 15 (December 14)

 Greetings!

We had a wonderful day today.  I try to get most of the hard work of the class done before this last week so that we could have some fun on this final day.  

Homework & Grades

Students handed in their final drafts of their Essay 4:  A Leads to B and Essay 4 Endnotes. I will go over the essays and any other homework that was handed in; my goal is to have final grades out soon.  I mentioned to the class that I will take any homework submitted by December 17 at 11:59 p.m. If there are any questions, please contact me.  Because I have final drafts from all of the classes, I know that I won't have the essays and homework ready for final grades until after Christmas.  Look for them some time after the New Year.  

A Test

First, we had a review in the shape of a Jeopardy game.  Most of the categories were related to A Christmas Carol, but there was one for Christmas jokes.  I divided the class into 4 teams, and they took turns answering questions.  There were 20 questions which they answered or tried to answer; when they got the wrong answer, the next team had an opportunity to “steal.”  It was a fairly competitive game.  (By the way, research also indicates that using gamification to ignite learning increases recall, retention, and cognitive growth.  So while we were having fun, we were still intellectually engaged in our topics.) After that, I handed out the paper test with 20 multiple choice questions.

A Contest

Following the test, we had the Annual Writing 1 Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest–there were some other choices for coloring and word searches too (as per their request last week.)  They were pretty intent on their drawing and coloring, which I complemented with some Christmas music.  We also enjoyed a Hot Chocolate Bar and cookies–thanks to the students who brought treats to share.  The class really enjoyed this wrapping up time together.

Links for this Week

Writing 1 Class Notes -- Week 15 (December 14)

Reindeer Games (all of the links for today's class)

Ugly Christmas Sweater Template

Gamification & Learning

ACC Vocabulary Worksheet (40 pts.)

ACC Vocabulary Quiz

Essay 4:  A Leads to B Final Draft

Essay 4:  A Leads to B Endnotes

My prayer is that all of you have a great Christmas that includes lots of love and laughter!

Blessings,

Mrs. G

Class Notes–Week 14 (December 8)

 We had a wonderful day in class today.  A lot of the hard work of the semester is over, so our "work" today was a little more fun.

No Quick Write today

Writing

I have graded the rough drafts of Essay 4:  A Leads to B. They should have them in their inboxes by now.   I really enjoyed reading these; they've chosen some fascinating topics, and they're becoming better writers.  The final drafts and Endnotes are due next week.   

Grammar

I took the Parts of Speech Post-Test in class today.  With the exception of the last page, it was identical to the Pre-Test.  

The best way of learning grammar is through lots of reading and writing. Direct instruction of grammar is important and helpful, and combined with literature and writing it can be pretty potent.  Next semester we'll be working on sentence structures.

Literature

First, I reminded the class about the A Christmas Carol vocabulary worksheet that is due next week.  If they have been defining four vocabulary words from each Stave as they have been reading, it should be a simple matter of finishing. It is worth 40 pts, so it is a bigger project.  

Along with that, they were assigned A Christmas Carol Vocabulary “Quiz”--they got started on it after the test and can finish it at home.  It is due next week.

Next is when we had some fun.  We will finish our second book, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.  The class was divided into groups and, after looking at some examples, they chose an Improv type of presentation topic using A Christmas Carol characters and scenes.  They were to create a one minute story , a late night talk show, a news broadcast, a mime of a scene, or a new ghost for Scrooge.  I look forward to presenting them next week!

Next Week

Our last week of the semester is next week, December 14.  All work should be handed in by that date.  That said, they will be given until Sunday, December 17 to get any last work in.  They should not wait until then to do their work and hand it in.  Next week we will have our "Classy Classmas Party."  I will bring warm drinks, and students can bring goodies if they like.  We will combine work & play:   During the first part of the class,we will have the A Christmas Carol Final Exam followed by the Improv Presentations.  The rest of the class time we’ll spend enjoying Christmas games, music and holiday cheer. 

Assignments for Next Week:

Essay 4:  A Leads to B Final Draft

Essay 4 Endnotes

Be ready to present your ACC Improve presentations

ACC Vocabulary

ACC Vocabulary Quiz (Take Home)

Writing 1 Class Notes–Week 13 (November 30)

Students were energetic and ready to engage today.  I can’t believe we are nearing the end of the semester already!

Quick Write

Yesterday, November 29th was C.S. Lewis’ birthday.  Today’s QuickWrite is in honor of him.  After listening to the opening paragraphs of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, students invented a character of their own.  They used Lewis’ genius opening lines to imitate:

“There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he/she almost deserved it.

Students shared some amazing character descriptions.  I was impressed!

Writing

Essay 4 Rough Draft and Pre-Writes were due today.  Students had the opportunity to read and give feedback to each other on their Rough Drafts.  When you get comments and feedback from me, then you’ll start the process of revising and editing.  The Finals are due December 14–the last day of class.

Grammar

We had a fun and helpful Grammar review today.  We played a classroom version of the game “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” where we went over key grammar concepts from IVAN CAPP.  They should be prepared for the Grammar Post-Test that we’ll do on paper in class next week.  A helpful tip is to review the Grammar Pre-Test from the beginning of the semester before next week. The post-test will be the same, but will have some extra questions at the end.

Literature

Because this was a big review week for Grammar, we did not discuss Stave 3 of A Christmas Carol.  Next week we will work with the text in class.  Attention!!  I did not assign this in class–but Stave 4 and Study Guide questions are due next week.  There is also a Discussion Question posted.

Blessings on the rest of your week.

Mrs. G

Homework

Study for Grammar test

Read Stave 4 of ACC

Stave 4 Study Guide Questions

Discussion Question–The Best Scrooge

Essay 4 Peer Review (if you didn’t do it in class)

Links for this Week

QuickWrite (12/1)

“Who Wants to Be A Millionaire” Words of the Day Review

Grammar Review Packet

“Who Wants to Be A Millionaire” Grammar Review Game

Writing 1 Class Blog