Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Announcements and Reminders:  Today for B3 and B4:  Extra credit is available if you behave well for the substitute.  If you still need to turn in or revise your January Book Project (Historical Fiction Background on Edmodo), do that as soon as you can!  Be prepared on February 28 to create the brochure for your Nonfiction February Book of the Month. Collect your information on the pink assignment sheet. Remember to edit your work for our Essential Spelling Words.

Today’s Agenda: 1.  Individual Reading with your own nonfiction book.   If you do not have your book with you, or have finished it, you should be reading another nonfiction book. Are you getting ready to create your brochure on February 28?  What sorts of charts, graphs, table, or other graphic illustrations do you see in your nonfiction book? One Example:  The weight of a bull African Elephant can be up to six and a half tons. To equal six and a half tons, you'd need: I Elephant 80 average-sized men 400,000 average-sized mice [This is an illustration I made  for information I read in the nonfiction book The Elephant in the Bush  by Ian Redmond.] 2.  Examining an example for writing an essay,  then writing one yourself.  Today you will complete (or get as far as you can on)  this packet by the end of class. Part 1.  Small Group Work                    -- You will examine a writing prompt that you will NOT write about.       --Do this in your assigned group from last time.  See the back of this page. “Show Me” (You will not write about this prompt. You will examine the steps a student followed to create his or her essay.) Prompt: Should Students Be Allowed to Eat in School Classrooms Some teachers allow students to eat in their classrooms.  Others do not.  Imagine that your principal is preparing to create a school-wide policy on eating in classrooms.  Think about the effects of allowing students to eat in classrooms.  Take a position on the issue, and write an essay using reasons and specific details to support your opinion.  -- Take turns reading through the steps the student followed.  The reader should stop for discussion.  Is everyone understanding what the student writer is doing?  If you need help, ask the teacher. Notice that the document is already divided up for Reader #1, Reader #2, Reader #3, Reader #4. When you read the completed essay at the end, take turns reading paragraphs. -- After you finish reading and discussing the sample prompt, each of you will individually complete the steps for writing an essay on a different prompt.  Watch for your prompt later on in this packet. Part 2.   Individual Work                  Individually, you will write about the prompt below by following the same steps                 the  sample student followed.                            -- Fill in the spaces provided in your packet.                  -- Your responses should be written in complete sentences. Your prompt is Should Students Use Cell Phones in School? Some schools use cell phones in the classroom for educational purposes. Think about the effects of allowing students to have and use cell phones in classrooms. Take a position on this issue.  Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion. As you write, remember your essay will be scored based on how well you: ·  develop a multi-paragraph response to the assigned topic that clearly communicates your thesis to the audience. ·  support your thesis with meaningful reasons and sufficient details. ·  address the readers' concerns, opposing viewpoint, or counterarguments. ·  organize your essay in a clear and logical manner, including an introduction, body, and conclusion. ·  use well-structured sentences and language that are appropriate for your audience. ·  edit your work to conform to the conventions of standard American English. Use any of the tools available to you, such as the step by step directions and graphic organizers and a dictionary. --  You are expected to complete  (or get as far as you can on) the packet by the end of class.  -- Turn in your finished packet to the top wire basket for your class.

If you were absent: Pick up the packet from Ms. Dorsey or the English handouts file.   Study the example on your own, then fill in the indicated spaces in the packet to write your own essay (on the topic you  are given).  Write complete sentences so  that you do end up with an essay by the time you are done with the packet.