02/08/10 - 02/22/10

Week Focus:
Math Writing
Essay Introductions and research

TweenTribune News and Blog

Awards Project

Directions
Essay Outline:

1 and 2 Expository 
 Compare/Contrast Essay 
Award Nomination Essay


Prewriting Ideas -- gathering, writing, organizing, revising for draft
Drafting and Revising-- ARMS: Add, Remove, Move, Substitute
Goal: Essay -- Expository/Biography
Figurative Language -- revision strategies (ARMS)
http://whatelse.pbworks.com/Revision

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History or Science Book -- find two interesting people -- notes/paragraph on why chose -- share through commenting

2/8 Tween Tribune and Diigo Review for note-taking

2/9 Power Write -- Grammar 2

2/10 Edit; TweenTribune

2/11 Science Direction Writing

2/12 Homeroom

2/17 How to Tween Comment

2/18 Review Tween; Edmodo

2/19 Self-assess log

2/22 Olympic Writing: Word Choice: Verbs, Simile, Metaphor, Consonance

2/23 Strong Verb

2/24 Diigo Research

2/25 Research

2/26 Substitute

3/1 Research review and share

Project: Focused Research for Awards project; first essay due 3/2 Continue projects-- confer with teacher each day; document your work -- Diigo research lesson

Lessons:

Research Topic Focus -- Diigo research notes for those only -- one person first; How to research; how to gather notes; how to synthesize and summarize

Create checklist of research goals together (docs)

Review Essay Requirements (See Awards project directions)

Document daily: CSI
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0ApCrzGH9Dh-odGhmMEZLLXVqOWRFY3BwSzM4SnU3M2c&hl=en

Document Weekly: Writing Log on Writing Process and Traits
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0ApCrzGH9Dh-odERvcnFJaWpCM2VONTkxUVNudGJuTVE&hl=en


Each Essay: Self Evaluate (See also Awards information)
https://docs.google.com/a/my.nsdeagles.org/Doc?docid=0AcLKgmt-9pX_ZGR6d2tiNV8yMGd4cTR3NWdm&hl=en

Math Thinking: discuss graph/comment on learning
Math Writing
Graphs--
What does a graph mean?--
What do you notice? What are the facts? How do you know? Is the graph fair?

Writing in Math
Review: http://writemath4u.blogspot.com/2009/08/finding-facts-9409.html 

2/17 2/18; 2/19 Continue project work:
Edit, Math Thinking/Writing, Research, Synthesize, TweenT

2/19 Self-evaluate
2/22 Begin second research paper

Current Projects:
Awards Project: comparative and persuasive essays
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tU-_d4TheEs8N5k8fMB1OKQ&output=html
Responds to Quotes (Tween Tribune)

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EALR 1: The student understands and uses a writing process.
Component 1.2: Produces draft(s). W
Component 1.3: Revises to improve text. W
1.3.1 Revises text, including changing words, sentences, paragraphs, and ideas.
·       Uses effective revision tools or strategies (e.g., reading draft out loud, checking sentence beginnings, expanding sentences, using an electronic or other thesaurus).
Component 1.4: Edits text. W
Component 3.3: Knows and applies appropriate grade level writing conventions. W
2.1.1 Applies understanding of multiple and varied audiences to write effectively.
·       Identifies an intended audience.
·       Identifies and includes information audience needs to know (e.g., defines scientific terms, makes no assumptions about audience’s prior knowledge).
·       Identifies audience’s interest and knowledge of topic to determine emphasis.
·       Anticipates readers’ questions and writes accordingly.
2.2.1 Demonstrates understanding of different purposes for writing.
·       Writes to pursue a personal interest, to explain, or to persuade.
·       Writes to analyze informational and literary texts (e.g., explains the results of a character’s actions; explains the steps in a scientific investigation).
EALR 3: The student writes clearly and effectively.
Component 3.1: Develops ideas and organizes writing. W
3.1.1 Analyzes ideas, selects a narrow topic, and elaborates using specific details and/or examples.
3.2.2 Analyzes and selects language appropriate for specific audiences and purposes.
·       Selects and uses precise and specialized language in content writing (math language).

October 20 - October 27

Focus:
Research for Election Knowledge; Daily Journals --

Goal: Daily Reflections on research to understand election process and candidate issues to make an informed choice

What issues are important to you? Which issues are important to you and our country?

The Economy? Energy? The Environment? Health Care? Taxes? Iraq? Afghanistan? Security?
https://whatelse.pbwiki.com/Election-Project

Search the Weekly Reader site (http://www.weeklyreader.com/election/)for information on the issues.

Scholastic Issues Pages

Chart: http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/election2008/games/candidates_stand/issues.htm

Game: http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/election2008/games/candidates_stand/

MSNBC Issues in Brief

Monday 10/20
Entry: Base words -- elect, vote, inform, search, represent
Vocabulary and 5W-H for Election Process
https://whatelse.pbwiki.com/Election-Project

Tuesday 10/21
Entry: Write your five words on your Weekly Study Sheet
Respond: What do you know about the election issues?

Scholastic Action:Scholastic Action: p. 19-21 -- What are the platforms of each candidate; Target Notes
Handout: Weekly Reader McCain/Obama Issues;

Focus on Issues (Above) Part of Project for voting 10/23 and 10/29:

Wednesday, Oct 22

Scholastic Magazine: Issues Research
End: Issues (Above) Homework: Share issues with family; Be ready with your opinion (CRT: http://whatelse.pbwiki.com/CRT-Notes)

Daily Reflection:
What did I do?
What are your sources?
I learned that...
My thoughts on the candidates are...

Note to Parents: Students can practice spelling at:
http://www.spellingcity.com/
Click on students. Then click on "Find a List" Then type in "Sheri Edwards"



Thursday October 23 (No spelling test this week)

What are the important transitions?

Read in your Classroom Texts--

Blue Write Source, pages 472-473

Black Write Source 2000 page 106

Yellow Ginn English page 324-32

Discussion/Issue Research CRT Organizer; Question: Which candidate meets your expectations for President based on issues? ISSUES (Above)-- Start comparison with Venn Diagram.
Weekly Reader Vote
Daily Reflection: What did I do? What are your sources? I learned that... My thoughts on the candidates are...

Friday October 24
Entry: What are transition words? Review
Research on issues (CRT or Target) -- Complete Venn Diagram

Practice oral sentences with transitions to compare the candidates.


Monday October 27
Entry Spelling Base words:
issue, belief, part, campaign, persuade, citizen

Prewriting: Venn Diagram to compare/contrast candidates

Assignment:

Use transitions to write to compare the issues of the two candidates. You may express your opinion and include the comparison of facts to prove your opinion.

Use one of the essay formats provided in class. --

Format 1:

Introduction Statement;

First Paragraph: Explain one candidate's issues;

Second Paragraph: Explain the other candidate's issues;

Third Paragraph: Explain similarities of the two candidates;

Summary Statement

Format 2:

Introduction Statement;

First Paragraph: Explain one candidate's issues;

Second Paragraph: Explain similarities of the two candidates;

Third Paragraph: Explain the other candidate's issues;

Summary Statement


OR, Format 3 (if you are expressing an opinion on your choice of candidate):

Introductory Statement;

First Paragraph: Explain similarities of the two candidates;

Second Paragraph: Explain the issues of the candidate you do not agree with;

Third Paragraph: Explain the issues of the candidate you choose for President

Summary Statement

Daily Reflection: What did I do? What are your sources? I learned that... My thoughts on the candidates are...


Complete essay. Choose and work on projects on issues.

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Essential Academic Learning Requirements
EALR 1: The student understands and uses a writing process.

Component 1.2: Produces draft(s). W
Component 1.3: Revises to improve text. W

Component 1.4: Edits text. W
Component 3.3: Knows and applies appropriate grade level writing conventions. W

EALR 3: The student writes clearly and effectively.
Component 3.1: Develops ideas and organizes writing. W
3.1.1 Analyzes ideas, selects a narrow topic, and elaborates using specific details and/or examples.
· Narrows topic with controlling idea (e.g., from general topic, such as baseball, to specific topic, such as “The Mariners are my favorite baseball team.”).
· Selects details relevant to the topic to extend ideas and develop elaboration (e.g., specific words and phrases, reasons, anecdotes, facts, descriptions, examples).

3.2.2 Analyzes and selects language appropriate for specific audiences and purposes.

2.2.1 Demonstrates understanding of different purposes for writing.
· Writes to pursue a personal interest, to explain, or to persuade.
· Writes to analyze informational and literary texts (e.g., explains the results of a character’s actions; explains the steps in a scientific investigation).
· Writes to learn (e.g., science notebooks, math logs, reading response journal, reflection and self-assessment).