All Boys, All Blogged: December 18, 2012

A Few Reminders:

1. We need to keep it extra quiet today.

2. Turn in your A Long Way Gone books.

3. Your final grades will be posted Thursday by noon.  No changes will be made after this time.  

4. You may pick up your presentation rubrics anytime after this morning.

All Boys, All Blogged: December 17, 2012

Focus: Presenting Our A Long Way Gone Projects on Violence and Healing

1. Warm-up:

 

 "A hero is a man who does what he can."

--Romain Rolland, Nobel Prize winner

 

2. Establish presentation order and get your rubrics ready

3. Present your projects!

HW: Bring your A Long Way Gone books to turn in tomorrow (or you will be issued a fine).  Your final is tomorrow (Tuesday) from 7:21-8:46.  

All Boys, All Blogged: December 14, 2012

Focus: Developing your final project for A Long Way Gone

1. Turn in content revisions

• Please remember to highlight all changes on your new draft.
• Staple your new draft to the old draft with the rubric and my comments.

2. A few presentation reminders:

• Take 3 minutes to reread the overview and peruse the entire rubric.
• Practice, practice, practice, using the same public speaking skills you displayed in your book talks.
• Show me your research as you go.

3. Work time, work time, work time!

HW: 
1. Finish your project and be ready to present this Monday.
2. Complete any make-up work (missed fishbowl blogs, grammar revisions, etc.) by Monday.

All Boys, All Blogged: December 13, 2012

Focus: Discussing the resolution (or lack thereof?) of A Long Way Gone

Announcement: If you are choosing to take the vocabulary test today, you may do so at the very beginning of class.

1. Warm-up: Watching an interview with Ishmael Beah

• What are your impressions of and reactions to this interview?

• Please write down thing Beah says in this interview that you find significant.

2. Final fishbowl discussion: Chapter 20-end of A Long Way Gone

HW: Essay content revisions due tomorrow; work on final project.

All Boys, All Blogged: 12/12/12

Focus: Researching your final presentation topic

1. Warm-up: Project Q&A and reminders

2. Collect grammar revisions

3. Work time, work time, work time

HW:
1. Finish A Long Way Gone for tomorrow's fishbowl discussion.
2. Study SAT Lists 1-9 for tomorrow's cumulative test IF YOU PLAN ON TAKING IT.  REMEMBER THAT THE TEST IS NOW OPTIONAL, AND YOU MAY TAKE IT THURSDAY OR FRIDAY.
3. Essay content revisions due Friday.
4. Any make-up work from the last 6 weeks is due Monday.

All Boys, All Blogged: December 11, 2012

Focus: Developing your projects for A Long Way Gone

1. Warm-up: Book talks!

2. Overview of the project rubric

3. Work time, work time, work time

HW:
1. Grammar revisions due TOMORROW.
2. Start studying for Thursday's vocabulary test over lists 1-9.
3. Finish reading and annotating A Long Way Gone for Thursday.
4. Essay content revisions due Friday.

All Boys, All Blogged: December 10, 2012

Announcement: Make-up book talks will take place Tuesday (as in tomorrow).

Focus: To what extent is family a part of a person's identity?

1. Memoir warm-up:

• Tell the story of a typical (or special) day with your family.  Try to include dialogue to reveal the nature of your relationships with your mom, dad, siblings, stepparents, etc.  Remember that you're trying to immerse the reader in a three-dimensional universe by using your five senses.  

• As you write, show the reader what roles your family members play in your life so that anyone could pick up this piece of memoir and have a vivid glimpse of your family's inner-workings.

• *An extra challenge for the brave and bold*: Try creating a metaphor for a member of your family that illustrates this person's role in your life.  Example: "My mother was a lighthouse, guiding us safely to shore when we started drifting away from each other."

2. Fishbowl discussion #6: A Long Way Gone, Chapters 18 and 19

HW: 
1. Essay grammar revisions due Wednesday.
2. Finish reading and annotating A Long Way Gone for this Thursday's final fishbowl discussion.
3. Start reviewing your vocabulary for this Thursday's cumulative test, which will cover all words from SAT Lists 1-9.
4. Essay content revisions due Friday (conference recommended).