Vocabulary Lesson 3 Feedback & Lesson 4

I returned the students' Decomposition Books, which I graded over the weekend, discussing--with a diagram--the difference between aphelion and perihelion, and the distinction between a geocentric and a heliocentric astronomical system. I also railed against indefinite pronouns, especially something, which should only be used when a less specific term isn't available or intended. Another rant was against students who fail to write and investigate the vocabulary words in the Exercise for each lesson, as well as the words I write on the board every week. I handed out Lesson 4, and I wrote some more words on the board.
Handout: Vocabulary Lesson 4
Homework: Vocabulary Notebooks due Friday, October 10; Lesson 4 Quiz on same day--will include verb forms and auxiliaries
 

No School: Teacher Professional Day

There was no school today in order that teachers could have meetings, trainings, and planning time.
Homework: Students should finish their Bradbury essays, vocabulary notebooks, and sentence portfolios

No School: Parent-Teacher Conferences

Today students had no school so that parents could come in for individual conferences with teachers.
Homework: Students should finish their Bradbury essays, vocabulary notebooks, and sentence portfolios

Lesson Three Vocabulary Quiz

Students handed in their Bradbury essays (120 points) and their vocabulary notebooks for the Lesson 3 check. Then they took the Lesson 3 quiz. Students who finished early worked on their Sentence Portfolios.

The Five Verb Forms in English

I handed back and made some comments about the Beatty writing assignment, which will go into student writing portfolios. Then I did a lesson on the five verb forms in English. Students took notes, asked questions, and practiced their knowledge of irregular verb forms using a practice chart.

Finish Sentence Portfolio

It's time for students to catch up by reading Hiroshima and taking their written quiz; moreover, I will change those quiz grades to zeroes on October 1st. I handed out and discussed the Fahrenheit 451 essay rubric; the essay is due on Wednesday. Students finished up their sentence portfolios by the end of the class period.
Handouts: Transitions; Bradbury Essay Rubric

Sentence Portfolio: Compound Sentences

I gave a lesson on the three ways to combine two independent clauses into a compound sentence. Now students have all they need to know to complete their Sentence Portfolios. I reviewed sentences with students throughout the class period.

Vocabulary Work Day

Students used the class period to find derivatives for their vocabulary notebooks. Lesson 3 is due next Wednesday, due to the short week.

Monday and Tuesday Classes

MONDAY: Vocabulary Notebook & Quiz Returns, Lesson 3, Phrase and Clause Review
I returned and reviewed graded notebooks and quizzes, including the extra credit questions. There is a third version of the test for students who were absent on Friday. At the end of the period, students took notes as we made generalizations about clauses and phrases, and we did a little white board review so I could plan our grammar unit.

TUESDAY: Clauses: Sentence Portfolio Requirements
After a few reminders, students worked on writing their sentence portfolios. Tomorrow's class will be devoted to working on vocabulary notebooks.
Homework: Bradbury Essay due Wednesday, September 24

 

Lesson 2 Vocabulary Quiz

Students handed in their vocabulary notebooks for Lesson 2, which were due today. Then they took the Lesson 2 Quiz.

Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach"

I reminded students about the vocabulary notebooks and quiz tomorrow, with a few studying suggestions. I explained the Soapstone approach to analyzing poetry, and students practiced it on "Dover Beach," which is included in an important passage in Fahrenheit 451. We discussed the poem at the end of the period.

Vocabulary Work Day

During our short 40-minute period, students worked on collecting derivatives for Lesson 2 in their vocabulary notebooks, which are due on Friday.

Quiz Review and Essay Assignment

I returned and discussed the Lesson 1 vocabulary quizzes. Students should complete their notebooks  before the quiz so they will be more prepared. Students copied the writing prompt for the Bradbury essay: Discuss how Guy Montag's interactions with other characters in the story contribute to his internal conflict and ultimate transformation. The essay is due on Wednesday, September 24th. We discussed the structure of the essay; outlines are not required, but I will be happy to look at them and give suggestions for a writing plan.

Fahrenheit 451: Writing about Beatty's Speech

 I suggested a few words to add to this week's Lesson 2 vocabulary notebooks: logorrhea, pandemic, gynomastia, biogenesis, and pathogenesis. I checked the t-charts assigned as homework last Friday, and students wrote about Beatty's speech: According to Beatty, how did society evolve into the dystopic future of Fahrenheit 451? Students handed in their writing at the end of the period.

Fahrenheit 451: Beatty's Speech

I began class with a short lesson on homophones and homographs, nice selections for the Lesson 2 vocabulary notebook. Working in small groups, students read and discussed Beatty's monologue in Part 1 of Fahrenheit 451 and gathered textual evidence for his main points in t-charts.
Sophomore counselor Mrs. Rightley talked to students at the end of the class period about the services offered by the counseling office.

Fahrenheit 451:Part 1

Today I returned the reading quizzes. Based on their understanding of Neil Gaimon's "Introduction", groups brainstormed  sci-fi scenarios, especially If this goes on.... We then continued to discuss Bradbury's science fiction classic in light of Gaimon's scenario.

Fahrenheit 451 and Hiroshima Clips

Students took a written quiz about Fahrenheit 451. [5th period: Using details from the novel to show your careful reading, discuss the protagonist's relationship with his wife. 6th period: Using details from the novel to show your careful reading, discuss the protagonist's relationship with his Clarisse.] We began discussing Part 1; students should remember to bring their books to class tomorrow so we can study passages. I showed a few clips from an HBO documentary called White Light, Black Rain, including some excerpts from Reverend Tanimoto's appearance on This Is Your Life in 1955, and a surviving Hiroshima Maiden.

Vocabulary Lesson 2 & Quote Integration Assessment

Today I gave students feedback about their Vocabulary Notebooks:
1. Accuracy: Make sure each derivative actually comes from the root; investigate word origins.
2. Quantity of derivatives: Productive roots generate a lot of derivatives.
3. Completeness: Collect derivatives for ALL roots, prefixes, and suffixes in the Lesson.
4. Cumulative nature of Lessons: You will be required to remember meanings for ALL roots in ALL Lessons, since they incorporate your previous knowledge.

Next we gathered a few quote selections from the Fuller article so I could assess each student's skills at integrating and citing quotations.

Homework: Read Neil Gaimon's "Introduction" the 60th edition of Fahrenheit 451.