Monthly Archives: January 2013

Challenged and Banned Books

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Why do you think books are challenged or banned? Take a look on American Library Association’s Top 100 Banned/Challenged Book List to understand the censorship and book challenge issues related to many novels, including  A Wrinkle in Time.

Some questions to consider and answer as you learn: 
What is the difference between a challenged book and a banned book?
Are you surprised to see the names of familiar novels, maybe even ones that you’ve read?
What are the issues that are presented as a problem in AWIT?

Vocabulary Log

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Location: Vocabulary Notebook

One new activity that we will add to this semester’s learning is the Vocabulary Log for your Yellow Lists. In your notebook, you have been keeping track of your lists and quizzes, while the activities have been stored in your OWL. Starting this semester, this is the order for your Vocabulary Notebook:

Yellow List
Vocabulary Log
Quiz

The Vocabulary Log is another independent learning opportunity. Here are some of the benefits: 

1. Extends your learning beyond the classroom
2. Helps you to decode the meaning of unfamiliar words 
3. Increases your vocabulary bank for writing and speaking

Here is what your Vocabulary Log will look like:

                                       YL# Vocabulary Log

   Stem  Voc. Word   Print Source   Date Found 
 Example   PRIM   PRIMary  S. S. textbook  1.14.13
                       1        
                      2        
                       3         
                      4        
                 5        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

** You must have at least 5 entries in your log.

** Be prepared to be able to show me the print source if I ask you. 🙂

IWs

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You may post the IWs in the comments below for your classmates. If you do post an IW, be sure to indicate your grade level. For example:

Grade 6
IW #1 —

FISD Student Shares Message on Philanthropy With the World

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I can’t believe that I haven’t shared this link and article with you!

“Amit Banerjee, a freshman at Heritage High School, invited the world to listen to his thoughts about philanthropy on Friday, November 30, at the TEDxKIDS@SMU conference at the Dallas City Performance Hall.

Banerjee’s message was simple. You don’t have to be old or rich to be a philanthropist.”

http://www.friscoisd.org/news/2012/12/07/student-delivers-TEDTalk

(Amit’s TED Talk begins at about 1:21:50)

Here is an earlier article about Amit and his pursuits:

http://neighborsgo.smallworldlabs.com/stories/83666

Good to Great Sentences

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A mentor of mine once told me, “If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.” This stems from our having studied and implemented the philosophy of Jim Collins’ book Good to Great.  I’m always looking for ways to make improving yourself and your learning better or more meaningful, so I’ve come up with “Good to Great” Sentences. 

“Good to Great” Sentences

Learning Targets: I can…
…create good, solid foundation sentences that contain the following parts:
       Subject – Action Verb Predicate – (Indirect Object) – Direct Object – (Object Complement)
       Subject – Linking Verb Predicate – Subject Complement (Predicate Nominative
       or Predicate Adjective).
…enhance and manipulate syntax and maintain clarity when I incorporate phrases and clauses.

Foundation Sentence #1:  S – AVP – (IO) – DO – (OC)
L2: Create or rewrite a L2 sentence from previous writing assignments. Incorporate and be deliberate about the nouns and verbs (and adjectives) that you use. Focus on using powerful nouns and verbs before using vivid adjectives.
L3/4: Enhance and/or manipulate your L2 sentence by incorporating phrases and clauses. Be sure to maintain clarity.

Foundation Sentence #2:  S – LVP – SC (PN or PA)
L2: Create or rewrite a L2 sentence from previous writing assignments. Incorporate and be deliberate about the nouns and verbs (and adjectives) that you use. Focus on using powerful nouns and appropriate verbs before using vivid adjectives.
L3: Enhance and/or manipulate your L2 sentence by incorporating phrases and clauses. Be sure to maintain clarity.

Unit 6B – Wrap-up

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Over the last two days, we’ve revisited the Visual Thesaurus activity from TLT, Chapter 1 to remind us of the “big ideas”.  You were also asked to create thematic statements for the following “big ideas” — responsibility and identity. Now that we have completed the novel and the unit, it’s time to reflect on the themes that you, the reader, were able to  identify.

Location: IRNies

Date                        TLT – Themes/SAR – Novel Wrap-up

Prompt: Identify a major theme in The Lightning Thief. Be sure to provide textual evidence and commentary.

 

Reminders:
Theme (“big idea” + “so what?” – TILL) – Univeral message from the author/text to the reader

SAR = Short Answer Response (has three parts)

A = Assertion: “answer” to the prompt
E = Evidence: textual support to “back up” your Assertion
C = Commentary: How does the Evidence connect to the Assertion? Provide insight that isn’t obvious. Commentary is not a restatement of the evidence.

Blogs and Twitter

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Get ready to blog and tweet in full-force this semester! Reread the blogging protocol before Friday. After Friday, everyone’s blog will be connected to this blog site.

LTs: I can…
…enhance my communication skills through blogging.
…create opportunities for deeper connections to my classroom learning.
…connect and reflect on my classroom learning through real-world connections.

Blogs:  You will need to use the “student” blog that you created through www.edublogs.org. This should be different from the “personal” blog that many of you created.

Twitter: We will create this on Friday.