November 27th Update

This week students are taking the Reading and Language Arts MAP during class.

Homework

1.  Start working on the TKAM Argumentative Essay.  Students should use the rubric, checklist, and pacing suggestions to guide their writing.  The final draft of the essay is due on Wednesday, December 13th.

2.  Read for 30 minutes daily.

3.  Finish reading To Kill a Mockingbird OR read the story summary.

Thanksgiving Break Update

I hope everyone has a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving break.  I haven't assigned homework; however, students who want to get ahead can do the following OPTIONAL tasks:

     1.  Finish reading TKAM.  We will go over specific plot events and text details after the break, but we won't be finishing the book together as a class.  Since I'll be sharing plot details, students who don't want the storyline spoiled should finish reading it.
     
     2.  Start working on your TKAM argumentative essay.  The details are posted in classroom.  Students who have questions should email me.  I won't be checking email every day, but I'll try to respond in a timely manner.

After the break, we will be MAP testing.  Students will have class time to work on their essays after they complete each section of the MAP test.  

Week of November 13th

This week we will be focusing on how to craft effective counter arguments.  Additionally, students will analyze documents about people who lived and worked during the Civil Rights movement.  They will then compare/contrast that evidence to To Kill A Mockingbird.  

Term 2 reading menu - Last Friday, we used class time to review the term 2 reading menu.  There's a different format to the independent reading requirement, and I think that students will have more success this term.  As a reminder, students should be reading their personal books for a minimum of 30 minutes daily.

Argumentative Summative - Students will have access to the directions and organizer for the next summative.  They are NOT required to work on it over the Thanksgiving break, but they can get started if they want. 

MAP testing - Reading and language arts MAP testing will take place during the week following Thanksgiving break.  

Homework - Vocabulary (due Friday) & Read for 30 minutes daily

Week of November 6th

Report Cards and MAP reports come home on Wednesday!

Please sign the envelope and return it to school.

This week we are continuing our critical analysis of To Kill A Mockingbird.  On Monday students were asked to think about the question, "Who is qualified to speak for others?"  They read chapter 12 of TKAM and contrasted that to 7 Tips for Writing About Other Cultures. Their goal was to identify and discuss whether Harper Lee was knowledgeable and respectful of the cultures she incorporated into her book.  Later this week students will discuss the character Aunt Alexandria and revisit what we've previously discussed about gender stereotypes.

Homework
-Read for 30 minutes daily
-Complete and turn in missing TKAM annotations and classwork - Due Friday (this will be a formative grade)