HONORS ENGLISH 9Week 8: October 8-12, 2012

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Walk-In: Turn in your roots homework, pick up a white binder off of the shelf and open up to your notes on the This I Believe genre study.

Learning Objective: Students will transfer their knowledge of theme subjects

to identify the core value and theme (statements) to identify the belief statement.

Students will transfer their knowledge of a traditional essay structure and thesis to locate the author’s belief statement to identify similarities and differences between writing situations.

Agenda: This I Believe Immersion Mentor Text # 1

Due Today:Roots Handout

Homework:

TRADITIONAL ESSAY REFLECTION Thinking back to the literary analysis essay,

what is the essay structure that we followed? How were the paragraphs organized?

What type of evidence was used?

What were the lengths of the paragraph like?

What is the relationship between the body paragraphs and the thesis?

THEME VS SUBJECT

While I read page 264 in the blue textbook, identify the differences between theme and subject.

Subject:

Theme:

THIS I BELIEVE IMMERSION: MENTOR TEXT 1 Subject: The subject or main idea of a This I

Believe essay is the core value/belief. This will be one word.

While reading Mentor Text #1 make a list of possible subjects present in the This I Believe essay.

Purpose: The purpose of a This I Believe essay is to express a belief about the core value or subject. This will be a statement, not a single word.

While reading Mentor Text #1, identify possible sentences that you feel may hold the author’s belief statement.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST TRADITIONAL ESSAY WITH THIS I BELIEVE

Compared to the first essay how is the This I Believe Essay structured?

Compared to the traditional essay format, when was the subject or main idea first introduced?

Compare to the traditional essay format, where is the thesis/belief statement and how is it reinforced?

Compare the body paragraphs of a traditional essay. What similarities or differences are there?

Compared to the traditional essay, what type of evidence was used to support the belief statement/thesis?

COMPARE AND CONTRAST TRADITIONAL ESSAY WITH THIS I BELIEVE

Now that you have the noticeings in front of you, what other similarities or differences do you see between the traditional essay and the This I Believe essay?

REFLECTION AND WALKAWAY

Walkaway: What connection do you see between the following elements? Subject Theme Thesis/Belief Statement Core

Value

________ is like ________________ because _________________

________ is like ________________ because _________________

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012

Walk-In: Pick up a white binder off of the shelf and open to your “This I Believe” Notes.

Learning Objective: Students will notice characteristics of a particular genre based

on idea development, organization, craft and style, and conventions.

Based on noticeings students will form a conclusion or hypothesis about the purpose behind different techniques.

Students will understand that the quality of group discussions is proportional to the collaborative efforts of each participant.

Agenda: This I Believe Immersion Mentor Text # 2

Due Today:

Homework:Go to

www.thisibelieve.org and read three more Mentor

Texts and record noticienings by next

Monday

THIS I BELIEVE IMMERSION: MENTOR TEXT 2

Subject/Core Value

Thesis/Belief Statement

THIS I BELIEVE IMMERSION: MENTOR TEXT 2

Ideas/Organization

Craft/Style

Conventions

THIS I BELIEVE SYNTHESIS/HYPOTHESIS Reflect back to your our discussion from yesterday.

Why would the placement of the thesis be at the end of the introduction in a literary analysis essay?

Why does the thesis/belief statement have the option to be at the beginning or end of an essay?

Think back to Be Cool to the Pizza Dude and the noticeings on the chart. What similarities or trends are you starting to see among the This I Believe Genre? Why are these trends present? What purpose do

these techniques serve that may be necessary to the genre?

What differences or unique characteristics have you seen? What purpose do these unique traits serve? Why does the writer deviate from the similarity or trend?

WED/THURS, OCTOBER 10-11, 2012 Walk-In: Pick up a white binder and take out your graphic

organizer for the This I Believe essays where you have been recording your noticeings, and open up to your notes.

Learning Objective: Students will notice characteristics of a particular genre based

on idea development, organization, craft and style, and conventions.

Based on noticeings students will form a conclusion or hypothesis about the purpose behind different techniques.

Students will understand that the quality of group discussions is proportional to the collaborative efforts of each participant.

Agenda: Quick Write Group Exploration Group Noticeings Position Discussion

Due Today:

Homework:Go to www.thisibelieve.org

and read three more Mentor Texts and record noticienings

by next Monday

THIS I BELIEVE SYNTHESIS/HYPOTHESIS Reflect back to your our discussion from yesterday.

Why would the placement of the thesis be at the end of the introduction in a literary analysis essay?

Why does the thesis/belief statement have the option to be at the beginning or end of an essay?

Think back to Be Cool to the Pizza Dude and Just Do It and the noticeings on the chart. What similarities or trends are you starting to see among the This I Believe Genre? Why are these trends present? What purpose do

these techniques serve that may be necessary to the genre?

What differences or unique characteristics have you seen? What purpose do these unique traits serve? Why does the writer deviate from the similarity or trend?

THIS I BELIEVE GROUP EXPLORATION

Preview the following This I Believe essays, from www.thisibelieve.org , written by the following “famous” people.

Identify 4 that you would like to read. Then work with to decide on 3 that your

group will read today. Amy Tan Saying Thanks to My Ghosts Eleanor Roosevelt Growth that Starts from Thinking Muhammad Ali I am Still the Greatest Bill Gates Unleashing the Power of Creativity and

Intelligence Tony Hawk Do What You Love Helen Keller The Light of a Brighter Day Gloria Steinem A Balance Between Nature and Nurture

THIS I BELIEVE GROUP EXPLORATION

Read the three essays your group chose from the “famous” collection. You do not need to record noticeings yet. For each essay, simply rate it out of 5 and briefly explain why.

Amy Tan Saying Thanks to My Ghosts Eleanor Roosevelt Growth that Starts from Thinking Muhammad Ali I am Still the Greatest Bill Gates Unleashing the Power of Creativity and

Intelligence Tony Hawk Do What You Love Helen Keller The Light of a Brighter Day Gloria Steinem A Balance Between Nature and Nurture

THIS I BELIEVE IMMERSION: MENTOR TEXT

Complete this in your notebook. Title: Author: Subject/Core Value

Thesis/Belief Statement

THIS I BELIEVE GROUP EXPLORATION 3

With your group, choose ONE of the This I Believe Essays from the “famous” collection that you would like to record detailed noticings about.

Be democratic when deciding which essay to explore.

Reread the essay and then share and record as many noticings as you can by having each person notice one thing about the organizing concept in the left hand column. Rotate around your group until someone cannot add anything else to your list.

POSITION DISCUSSION

On a half sheet of paper, read the following statements, and write A for agree and D for disagree.

Go with your heart, with your values and beliefs.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2011

Walk-In: Pick up a White Binder and take our your graphic organizer that we use to record our noticeings about the This I Believe Essay on Blockday.

Learning Objective: Students will notice characteristics of a

particular genre based on idea development, organization, craft and style, and conventions.

Based on noticeings students will form a conclusion or hypothesis about the purpose behind different techniques.

Agenda: This I Believe Group Exploration

Due Today:

Homework:Independent This I

Believe ExplorationVocab Workbook

TERM 1 REFLECTION CATEGORIES Learning Experiences: In Class Work & Homework

Thoughtfully completed & On time I am always / usually/ sometimes / rarely prepared for class

Writing: Process, Ideas/Organization, Style/Craft, Conventions (paragraph / essay)

Reading: Comprehension, Literature Study, Word Study (Multiple Choice/Short Constructed Responses)

Attendance: (make up work, communication, etc. . .) Class participation: Active listening, contributing to

whole, small and partner discussions On task behaviors always / usually / sometimes / rarely.

Time Management: Access, Study Hall, Management of Time In Class and outside of class, Long Term Projects

Self Advocacy: Communicating needs, concerns, asking questions

Balance: extracurricular activities (involvement, management of time, advanced planning, prioritizing work)

LIST EACH CATEGORY UNDER A HEADING

STRONG

Always

AVERAGE

Usually

WEAK

Sometimes

Or Rarely

FINAL REFLECTION

Write a paragraph reflection about your learning and performance in Honors English During Term 1.

Look at your average and weak columns on your chart.

Identify two areas that you want to focus on during the next term.

Write a goal for each. Try to write a

realistic and measurable goal. One that you can evaluate with data not just observations.

STEP ONE:

WRITTEN REFLECTION

STEP TWO:

WRITE TWO GOALS

THIS I BELIEVE GROUP EXPLORATION

Read the following This I Believe essays from the website www.thisibelieve.org written by the following teens. You do not need to record noticeings yet. For each essay, simply rate it out of 5 and briefly explain why.

Alaa El-Saad America’s Beauty Lies In Its Diversity Jake Hovenden Inner Strength from Desperate Times Anthony Just Do It Hannah Middle School Should Be More Like

Hogwarts Josh Rittenberg Tomorrow Will Be a Better Day Cherie My father told me I was fat

THIS I BELIEVE GROUP EXPLORATION

With your group, choose ONE of the This I Believe Essays from the teen collection that you would like to record detailed noticeings about.

Be democratic when deciding which essay to explore.

Reread the essay and then share and record as many noticeings as you can by having each person notice one thing about the organizing concept in the left hand column. Rotate around your group until someone cannot add anything else to your list.