Wednesday 9/30/15 ~ What's in Your Closet Wednesday

Homecoming Scoop
*Assembly: Powder Puff Games on field
*ASB out 4th, Powder Puff Peeps out at 10:50


ROOTS

• glu/glo - lump, bond, glue
• grad, gress - step, go
• graph, gram - write, written 

Blood Brothers

• Start reading Ch. 3 

HW: nope 

Tuesday 9/29/15 ~ Happy Tourist Tuesday!

Homecoming Scoop
*Assembly: Mr. Pageant
*ASB out for 4th, HC Court, contestants out at 10:50.

*Schedule:Monday- Thursday

• First 8:10-8:50 40 min.
• Second 8:55-9:35 40 min.
• Break 9:35-9:45 10 min.
• Third 9:50-10:30 40 min.
• Fourth 10:35-11:15 40 min.
• Assembly/ Activity 11:20-12:25 65 min.
• Lunch 12:25-1:05 40 min.
• Fifth 1:10-1:50 40 min.
• Sixth 1:55-2:35 40 min.
• Seventh 2:40-3:20 40 min.
• Buses leave at 3:30

ROOTS
* mono - one single
* mortis - death

BLOOD BROTHERS

• Continue reading Chapter 2 and finish Journal 15 

Monday 9/28/15 ~ Happy 'Merica Day!

It's Homecoming Week!!! Today is 'Merica Day.
*Pep Rally to Intro the Court
*ASB dismissed 4th period, HC Court, dancers and band dismissed at 11:00.
*Schedule:Monday- Thursday

• First 8:10-8:50 40 min.
• Second 8:55-9:35 40 min.
• Break 9:35-9:45 10 min.
• Third 9:50-10:30 40 min.
• Fourth 10:35-11:15 40 min.
• Assembly/ Activity 11:20-12:25 65 min.
• Lunch 12:25-1:05 40 min.
• Fifth 1:10-1:50 40 min.
• Sixth 1:55-2:35 40 min.
• Seventh 2:40-3:20 40 min.
• Buses leave at 3:30

ROOTS

• gest - carry, bear
• glos/glot - tongue

JOURNAL CHECK #1

BLOOD BROTHERS

• Discuss Ch.1 & your journal.
• Watch this video to explain the recent past between Palestine and Israel.
• Start reading Ch. 2

Before you read Ch.2, you may want to know a couple of things:

Journal 15

• The scripture he talks about with the dove is referenced in several of the gospels (Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:32). Why do you think the dove image is used to describe the way the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus? Why not an eagle or hawk for example? Want more? Click here. 
• Who was the Queen of Sheeba?  
• What is Elias' struggle between his reading of the Beatitudes and his situation? 

HW? Nope...we'll continue reading and working tomorrow.

Block Day 9/24-25 ~ Who is Elias Chacour?

EQ: Have you posted your Annotated Bib. to Turnitin.com yet?

RESEARCH Info shared:

• First group with 2-3 students who shared a similar research question.
• Discuss what you learned with the group. Develop a list of the ten most important tid-bits that you could share with the class in order to educate them on your issue.
• Share these with the class.
• Record what you hear in Journal #13 as short, bullet-point notes.

Prefixes & Grammar: Quiz 2

• With your quiz, please also write one legal compound sentence using three words that include a prefix from our list. Please underline those words. (When you finish, work on Journal 14, number 1 please.)

BLOOD BROTHERS

• First, meet our author, Elias Chacour! Let's read about him in the articles listed in our blog resources.

Journal #14:
1. How does Elias Chacour label himself? What is the significance of this incredibly complicated identity?
2. In Ch.1, what does Chacour mean by a "man of peace"?

HW: Finish Chapter 1 & Journal #14
Get your Annotated Bib posted on turnitin.com please! (P.S. It will show some "plagiarism due to the citations.)

Wednesday 9/23/2015 ~ Annotated Bibliography...CHECK!

DUE: Annotated Bibliographies in hard copy. Please staple the used rubric to the back.


GRAMMAR

• Bedford Exercise: Please revise any run-on sentences found in the following passage:
• BEDFORD EXERCISE 20–3
  Some parents and educators argue that requiring uniforms in public schools would improve student behavior and performance. They think that uniforms give students a more professional attitude toward school, moreover, they believe that uniforms help create a sense of community among students from diverse backgrounds. But parents and educators should consider the drawbacks to requiring uniforms in public schools.
  Uniforms do create a sense of community, they do this, however, by stamping out individuality. Youth is a time to express originality, it is a time to develop a sense of self. One important way young people express their identities is through the clothes they wear. Of course, it could be argued that the self-patrolled dress code of high school students is stricter than any school-imposed code, nevertheless, trying to control dress habits from above will only lead to resentment or to mindless conformity.
  If children are going to act like adults, they need to be treated like adults, they need to be allowed to make their own choices. Telling young people what to wear to school merely prolongs their childhood. Requiring uniforms undermines the educational purpose of public schools, which is not just to teach facts and figures but to help young people grow into adults who are responsible for making their own choices.

PREFIXES

• Please write a compound sentence (using a semi-colon) that includes words using the roots mitt, geo, and dyn. 
• Review Game

BLOOD BROTHERS

• If we have time today, let's start perusing the biographical resources about our author (they are posted on the side). 

Tuesday 9/22/2015 ~ How will you print this final draft for tomorrow?

Root Prefixes:

• Quiz on Block Day!

GRAMMAR

• IN your notebook, please complete the Bedford Exercise 20-2 (1-5).

RESEARCH

• Look at the rubric here.
• Please take the time to do at least two rounds of peer editing with the rubric.
• Have each editor use a different color of pencil or ink on your rubric. Each editor needs to sign the bottom so that you can get full credit in the peer edit section.

HW: Finish and print the Annotated Bibliography! Bring  it in as a hard copy tomorrow with the used rubric stapled to the back. Wahoooooooo!

Monday 9/21/15 ~ Is your assignment in MLA page format?

DUE: Eight total entries!

Hmmmm? Am I missing any of the roots?    

FYI: Roots Quiz on Block Day! You should know dominus through mitto. Take a look at the list located at the right on the blog. Compare to the roots you've recorded in your journal.

GRAMMAR

• Please take notes from Bedford 20C & 20D in the Grammar section of your notebook.

RESEARCH

How should I format my annotated bibliography?
Click here for an example. 
Basic Rules for overall format:

• one-inch margins (except header is 1/2 inch from top)
• last name page number as header
• Title the page Annotated Bibliography (do not underline, quote, bold or italicize the title)
• Type your research question below the general title.
• Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries (no double double spaces)
• Make sure drop indenting continues throughout the whole source entry
• Double check annotations for Who, What, Why and a quote
• Make sure heading has your name, my name, period number and date

 

HMWK: Two more articles. This will give you a grand total of ten! Now take the ten and check them for MLA format. Pay attention to all of the many details. Use your notes.


DIGITAL ROUGH DRAFT due TOMORROW for peer editing with rubric.

HARD COPY FINAL DRAFT due WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

               

Block Day 9/17-18 ~ Are you MLA fluent? How fast can you cite an article?

DUE

• Please pull up your four completed entries to get credit (20 pts.) while you work on the prefixes. 

PREFIXES

• micro - small
• mitt - send

GRAMMAR

• NOTES: Please click on the Bedford link. Then take bullet point notes on sections 20A & 20B. 

MYTHOLOGY

• Quizzes Returned

RESEARCH

Today you will work in teams of 3 to compete for the chance to earn one free homework/journal assignment pass (a 5-10 point value).

How to win...

• Cite your article quickly and correctly (write big!).
• Write it on the board or stand and display first.
• First team to correctly cite the article wins the round.
• Each round is worth 3 game points.
• Team who wins the most game points, wins the pass.
• Please help in checking other team citations as we look for winners of each round!

HW: Find and cite at least four more articles to answer your key question. This will give you a total of EIGHT citations! (20 points for the last four entries on Monday.)

• See an example here.

Wednesday 9/16 ~ EQ: What is a citation and how do I write one?

PREFIXES

• mania - obsession
• meter - measure

RESEARCH

1. Please post your question here.

2. Review:

• What goes into an ANNOTATION?

3. TAKE NOTES as Journal 12: How do I write a CITATION?

• Click here for a guide, but let's look at the example below for starters. 
• Click here for the Purdue OWL complete guide.

Example Citation:

Foley, Jonathan A., Chad Monferda, Navin Ramankutty, and

       David Zaks. "Our Share in the Planetary Pie." Mongabay,

       31 July 2007. Web. 28 March 2008.

4. Now, let's cite the articles from yesterday together. For future learning purposes, please type this in the same notability document you started yesterday.

• Couple buys boat and saves refugees

HW: Find at least two more articles that deal with your research question. Cite each one with a complete entry that includes both a citation and an annotation. You need to have FOUR complete entries by block day (20 pts.).

Tuesday 9/15/15 ~ What is an Annotated Bibliography?

Prefixes

• locus - place
• macro - large

RESEARCH
*Did you come up with your research question yet? 

First, what on earth is MLA anyway? Check out this chart to demystify the whole research lingo that you will hear in academic settings over the next decade of your life. 

EQ: What is an Annotated Works Cited aka Annotated Bibliography? An annotated works cited or bibliography is a essentially a listing of citations to books, articles, and documents.  Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 100 - 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, aka the annotation.

How do I write an annotation? The purpose of the annotation paragraph is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited -- in short -- you are asked to comment on and/or explain why each source cited is useful. 

• WHO -- Who wrote it and why does this person have authority on the topic?
• WHAT -- What did it say? Summarize & comment on the article; compare or contrast this work with another you have cited -- does it agree or disagree? 
• WHY -- Explain why you think this article is a good addition to your research.  Also, comment on the intended audience -- who was the intended audience and most importantly why was it written.
• See an example here.

PRACTICE

Let's begin by writing an annotation for a couple of interesting articles about the Middle East, which is the setting of our next non-fiction novel. For future learning purposes, please type these two annotation paragraphs in a new notability document called, "Example Annotated Bibliography."

• Couple buys boat and saves refugees
• Why the crisis? 

HW: Start your research (3 annotation paragraphs)
*Find at least three articles that deal with your research question. Now read each one and create an annotation for each (answer the WHO, WHAT, WHY). Each summary must include one quote and a conclusion sentence that explains how the article is significant in answering this key question. Be prepared to turn this in digitally in digital form.

Monday 9/14/15 ~ What would make us understand the Middle East?

Prefixes

• lexis - word
• liber - free, book

Mythology

• Finish up any project presentations.
• Announcement: Quizzes will be back tomorrow. If you missed it on block day, then today is the last day to take it!

Journal #11: Background for Blood Brothers

• EQ: What questions do I need to answer in order to feel like I understand the Middle East?
• Activity ONE: Talk with 3-4 people near you and discuss what your family member(s) said when you interviewed them last weekend (Journal 10). Together, have your group work on a t-chart. Call it Journal #7. In one column, list the things you KNOW about the Middle East. Please be prepared to share your ideas. 
• Activity TWO: Now that we've shared some basic ideas about the Middle East, create a second column. List the questions that you NEED TO KNOW in order to feel like you could understand recent news articles and the ideas you hear from parents and other adults who talk about it. Be prepared to share at least one unique question per group member. 
• Now, circle or write the one question you are most interested in researching and write one-two sentences explaining why this is of personal interest to you. 

HW: Find at least three articles that could answer your research question. Write down the URL's in your journal (You may want to book mark them or copy and paste them to a notability document as well). 

Block Day 9/10-11 ~ Greek Myths Retold and a Quiz!

Housekeeping

• True colors essays back
• Journal 9: Based on your essay feedback, what are two writing goals you are setting for yourself? 

Myths Retold

• After watching the presentations, do you remember the basics of each story? 

PSAT Books will be given today! These books are simply for your personal preparation for the PSAT. Please do keep them because your math classes will need them as well. Bring them to school everyday until your math teachers say you can stop. Feel free to browse through after the quiz.

Mythology Quiz!

HW: Please complete Journal 10 and buy Blood Brothers.

Journal 10
Sometime this weekend, please interview a parent, grandparent or any adult close to you.
Ask them...

• Can you explain to me what is happening with the refugee crisis in the Middle East right now?
• Why do you think there constantly seems to be fighting, wars and conflict in that area of our world? 
• What is ISIS? 
• How much responsibility do you think the U.S. must carry to help that part of the world?

Wednesday 9/9/15 ~ Will your Myth Retold be memorable?

Check-in:

• Are you coming to the Mexico parent info night? Click here to sign up for the email list. 
• Will you be able to finish your Myth Retold today in class? If not, make a plan to finish and present it on block day (next time).
• Have you bought Blood Brothers, our next novel?
• Are you ready for the quiz?
• Prefixes (dominus-legis), fragment sentences, mythology in general.

HW: Finish your Myth Retold.

Tuesday 9/8/15 ~ Are you a story teller?

Prefixes

• inter - between
• legis (leg) - law

Grammar

• Can you identify a fragment? 

EQ: What makes a story told memorable? 

Mythology

• You will be assigned a group and a myth. It is your job to teach the myth, but there is one trick... It must be set in today's world. Use the characters, moral and plot from your myth, but with a modern day flare.
• What is required?
• Due block day! Presentations must be no more than 8 minutes.
• You and your group members must engage the audience in a way that they will definitely remember the myth you've taught them. 
• Think, how can I make my story entertaining and visual enough to get people to pay attention and remember what I've taught? 
• Grade: 20 pts. based on creativity (5), clarity (5), detail (5), and individual effort (5). 

Myths

• Prometheus and Pandora
• King Midas
• Cupid and Psyche 
• Hades and Persephone 
• Pyramus and Thisbe 
• Echo and Narcissus

HW: Buy your Blood Brothers book asap!

Block Day 9/3-4 ~ Mythology Allusions in Advertising

Prefixes

• in - in - ?
• in, im - not - ?

Grammar

• I know it sounds basic, but please, begin your grammar notes with the definition of a sentence. 
• "A complete sentence must have ________, __________ and ____________________.
• Click this page to get more instruction and this one to test your knowledge. 

Poster Time

EQ: Why should we study Greek mythology if they are just false idols anyway? 

Journal #8: Allusions to Mythology in Advertising:

*First copy the definition of allusion

ALLUSION: A casual reference in literature to a person, place, event, or another passage of literature, often without explicit identification. Allusions can originate in mythology, biblical references, historical events, legends, geography, or earlier literary works. Authors often use allusion to establish a tone, create an implied association.

We all know that companies create identity by the power of association. They can use association by name or image. What identity did Honda intend on giving their van by giving the name, Odyssey, to this model?

Assignment: Using your knowledge of Greek mythology and some internet research, figure out why your assigned company or product is named or branded as it is. Then write a brief description to explain why they chose that name/logo (one or two paragraphs). Write your description on the card given in class. To see all images, click here.

A story or two?

HW: Journal #7: Chesterton on Mythology: Read this Chesterton article  and summarize what his answer is to our essential question.

Welcome to Back to School Night!

Thanks for coming!

This is our class blog where you can find the day's agenda, current assignments and curriculum links. Check out our course plan here.

Instructor:
Amber West
(831) 454-6483
amberwest@mvcs.org

Please call or email me if you have any thoughts or questions!

Wednesday 9/2/15 ~ Are your parents coming tonight?

Prefixes

• ideo - idea - ?
• idios - one's own - ? 

EQ: Why should we study Greek mythology if they are just false idols anyway? 

Considering our essential question. C.S. Lewis has a pretty cool answer:

In one way, of course, God has given us the Morning Star already: you can go and enjoy the gift on many fine mornings if  you get up early enough. What more, you may ask, do we want? Ah, but we want so much more -- something the books on aesthetics take little notice of. But the poets and the mythologies know all about it. We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words--to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it. That is why we have peopled air and earth and water with gods and goddesses and nymphs and elves--that, though we cannot, yet these projections can enjoy in themselves that beauty, grace, and power of which Nature is the image. That is why the poets tell us such lovely falsehoods. They talk as if the west wind could really sweep into a human soul; but it can't. They tell us that "beauty born of murmuring sound" will pass into a human face; but it won't. Or not yet. For if we take the imagery of scripture seriously, if we believe that God will one day give us the Morning Star and cause us to put on the splendour of the sun, then we may surmise that both the ancient myths and the modern poetry, so false as history, may be very near the truth as prophecy. At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door.... but all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumour that it will not always be so. Someday, God willing, we shall get in. (from The Weight of Glory).

Journal #6: Lewis Quote: Summarize this Lewis quote. How does it answer the E.Q.?

Poster Walk

• Take notes on the posters in order to prepare for a future quiz. You may put these notes in with your journals, or use this chart as a digital format. 

HW: Nope!