Students of the Week 9/29/14

Now that I have gotten routines started and have learned a little bit about each of the students, I realized that I have the opportunity to teach an incredible group of freshmen and sophomores. To honor them and their achievements, I have decided to name a Student of the Week for each grade. This week, I actually did two students for each grade because I was fortunate enough to come across an email from the Detroit Pistons that offered 8 free preseason tickets to one of their upcoming games.

I gave each of the kids two tickets and a certificate for their accomplishments. Look for new Students of the Week every week. Thank you all for your hard work! 

Fact Friday

Fridays have become "Fact Friday" in my classroom. Each Friday, the students and I dig through a nonfiction piece. It has provided a nice break in the week from our regular literature and is helping the kids understand how to read nonfiction. 

Nonfiction is the most common genre adults read in their everyday life, so I feel it is extremely important to introduce the students to this genre. My goal is to show them that nonfiction can not only be informative, but also interesting. 

Here are some pictures of the sophomores reading last Friday. We read a paired text on The Giver. The students read a condensed screenplay for the new movie and then read an article about a chemical scientists are investigating that could reduce terrible memories in the human's mind. 

Reading Strategies

Reading strategies will be extremely important this year as we explore many types of genres and topics. This week we are paying special attention to becoming an active reader. Specifically, we talked about making connections while we read. Here are some of the scenerios we discussed to show how important it is to make connections...

****The students were instructed to read the italicized passage below.

           

            The Batsmen were merciless against the Bowlers. The Bowlers placed their men in slips and covers. But to no avail. The Batsmen hit one four after another along with an occasional six. Not once did their balls hit their stumps or get caught.

What do you notice about your thinking process? How was your comprehension? Your attitude or feelings?

(The students decided that it didn't make any sense when they read it the first time.) 

Then I told them that it was about the British sport, Cricket. 

They decided that it made sense now. Then I asked them to answer these questions. 

Answer these questions:

1.      Who were merciless against the Bowlers?

2.      Where did the Bowlers place their men?

3.      Was this strategy successful?

4.      Who hit an occasional six?

5.      How many times did the Batsmen’s balls hit a stump?

Can you answer these without looking back? … Probably not. Reading is more about just decoding the words. You probably understood all the words in this passage, but didn’t really comprehend what was being discussed.

Reading is an active, constructive process.

            Good readers have a collection of thinking strategies they use to comprehend texts.

           

Some strategies:         

            *visualize (make mental pictures or sensory images)

            *connect (connect to own experience, to events in the world, to other readings)

            *question (to actively wonder, to interrogate the text)

            *infer (to predict, hypothesize, interpret, draw conclusions)

            *evaluate (to determine importance, make judgments)

            *analyze (to notice text structures, author’s craft, vocabulary, purpose, theme, point of view)

            *recall (to retell, summarize, remember information)

            *self-monitor (to recognize and act on confusion, uncertainty, attention problems)

           

Think about this: Have you ever noticed how you can drive your car across town to a friend’s house, day-dream all the way, and still arrive at your destination without much conscious attention to the steering wheel, brake pedal, turn signal, etc? To survive and arrive, you had to constantly monitor the movements of other cars behind, beside, and ahead of you; calculate stopping distances, etc. While at the wheel, you are simultaneously dealing with issues of time, space, physics, and potentially, life and death—and all the while you were wondering who else was going to be there.

The same thing happens when you read: you can “drive” through some texts without explicit self-awareness, especially when the topic is as familiar as the directions to your friend’s house. That doesn’t mean that, driving or reading, you aren’t really thinking. In both cases, you are using complex cognitive strategies, very actively and creatively at the unconscious level.

However, if you are heading off to visit a new acquaintance, in a new neighborhood (we used Detroit as an example), your awareness is elevated. Maybe you study a map or directions first. You have to watch closely to signs, you notice stores, you watch your odometer, etc.

This is probably how you feel when you read something new. Go back to the cricket passage. Even though we know the text is about cricket, we still don’t really understand what it says. We have to investigate other information before this passage can make sense. To do that, we must be active in our search.

Try this passage:

With hocked gems financing him, our hero bravely defied all scornful laughter that tried to prevent his scheme. “Your eyes deceived” he had said. “An egg not a table correctly typifies this unexplored planet.” Now three sturdy sisters sought proof. Forging along sometimes through calm vastness, yet more often over turbulent peaks and valleys. Days became weeks as many doubters spread fearful rumors about the edge. At last somewhere, welcomed winged creatures appeared signifying momentous success.

This probably puzzles you as well. But now reread this passage using this one clue: Columbus.

Now the passage clicks because you have ample prior knowledge about Columbus and his explorations. The second time through, you were using the information you have in your head already about Columbus.

We discussed how important it is to activate the connectors they already have built in their head.As soon as they were able to activate the connector for Columbus, the passage made sense. We talked about how important it is to make connections while we are reading to help with our comprehension and memory. 

Our Classroom

English II Syllabus

English II

Mrs. Carlson

Contact Information:

Email- ecarlson@sandusky.k12.mi.us

Website address- http://www.sandusky.k12.mi.us/

Phone- (810) 648-3401

Conference Period- 2nd hour 9:06-9:58

Planbook.com is now available for parents and students to access my daily lesson plans. Please log in to planbook.com and use my email: ecarlson@sandusky.k12.mi.us and my teacher code: ecarlson

Language Arts 10, Course Description:

In English 10, students will add to the list of various genres of classic and contemporary narrative and informational texts that will be read and analyzed throughout high school with a special focus on American literature.  Tenth graders will connect with and respond to texts through critical response and stance.  They will learn to evaluate for validity and quality, to balance and expand their perspectives promoting empathy, social action and appropriate use of power.  Through the lens of Critical Response and Stance, students assess and modify their beliefs, views of the world, and the powers that impact them.

This course is required for graduation.

Classroom Expectations:

-      Our classroom is a place of learning.  Therefore, you should come to class with the proper items for learning, such as a writing utensil, book, paper, and any other items necessary.  You should also be attentive during instructional time and give your best effort on all assignments.  Lastly, we are all responsible to make sure that our actions do not distract others in the class from being able to learn.

-      Our classroom is a safe environment.  Each student deserves to feel safe expressing his or her thoughts and feelings in the context of our material and the learning process.  Therefore, there will be no taunting, put downs, or unkind teasing tolerated.

-      Our classroom is a place of respect.  As a teacher I will treat each of you with respect.  I expect that you will treat me, as well as each of your classmates, with the same respect.  Therefore, we will not interrupt when others are speaking, we will not take or use things that belong to other people, and we will be considerate of one another’s feelings.

-      Our classroom is a part of the larger Sandusky High School community.  Therefore, we will not do anything in our classroom that would be a distraction to the ability of other students to learn and other teachers to teach.  We will also treat the building, the classroom materials, and the other individuals in the building with respect. 

o   Please observe the expectations of Sandusky High School as delineated in your student handbook. 

o   No food or drinks allowed in the classroom, except bottled water.

Classroom Procedures:

Seating Chart:

          There will be a seating chart for this class.  You are expected to sit in your assigned seat everyday, unless otherwise instructed.

Paper Headings:

          Every paper you turn in should be written in MLA format.

Extra Help:

          I will be available before and after school on an appointment basis. I am always willing to come in and offer extra help for any student requesting assistance.

Absences:

          In the event that you are absent, the assignments that you missed will be found in the Daily Assignment crate at the beginning of the class.  You will be responsible for finding an appropriate time, preferably before or after class, to get those assignments.  Also, I will be happy to explain the assignments and any other information that you missed at an appropriate time, i.e. before or after school, during lunch, or when the class is working quietly on an assignment and I am free to speak with you.

Tardiness:

          You are tardy if you are not in the classroom at the completion of the tardy bell.

Dismissal:

          The bell does not dismiss you at the end of class.  I will dismiss you.  You must be in your assigned seats until I dismiss you.

Syllabus

          This is a required class designed to get you ready for your life after Sandusky. You should not be surprised when you’re working hard in this class and being asked to do things that you have never done in school before.  This is not designed to be a FUN class, but if you work hard and master the skills I am introducing to you, I believe you will find a great deal of satisfaction in what you are able to accomplish.

Major Components of English 10:

-      To Kill a Mockingbird  by Harper Lee

-      Anthem by Ayn Rand

-      Othello by William Shakespeare

-      The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

-      Night by Elie Wiesel

-      Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

-      Selected short stories

-      Argumentative Format for Papers

-      Research Paper and MLA format

-      Other Writing Assignments

-      Vocabulary and Language Development

-      Grammar:  subject-verb agreement, comma usage, sentence variety, parts of speech, phrases, clauses

-      Students will be required to read one book of their choice on their own time per marking period and complete a reading log for that book

-      Students will be required to keep a writer’s notebook

We will be working with several pieces of work throughout the course of the year. Each work will be designed to assist in our quest to meet state standards. The standards we will be striving to achieve are as follows:

Reading:

Main Ideas and Author’s Approach	Supporting Details	Sequential, Comparative, and Cause-Effect Relationships	Meaning of Words	Generalization and Conclusions
Identify a clear main idea or purpose of any paragraph or paragraphs Infer the main idea or purpose of straightforward paragraphs Summarize basic events and ideas Understand the overall approach taken by an author or narrator.	Locate important details Locate and interpret minor or subtly stated details Discern which details, though they may appear in different sections throughout a passage, support important points	Order sequences of events Understand relationships between people, ideas, and so on Identify clear relationships between characters, ideas and so on Understand implied or subtly stated cause-effect relationships Identify clear cause-effect relationships	Use context to determine the appropriate meaning of virtually any word, phrase, or statement Use context to determine the appropriate meaning of some figurative and nonfigurative words, phrases, and statements	Draw subtle generalizations and conclusions about characters, ideas, and so on Draw generalizations and conclusions about people, ideas, and so on

English:

Topic Development in Terms of Purpose and Focus	Organization, Unity, and Coherence	Word Choice in Terms of Style, Tone, Clarity, and Economy	Sentence Structure and Formation	Conventions of Usage	Conventions of Punctuation
Identify the central idea or main topic of a straightforward piece of writing Determine relevancy when presented with a variety of sentence-level details	Use conjunctive adverbs or phrases to express straightforward logical relationships Decide the most logical place to add a sentence in an essay Add a sentence that introduces a simple paragraph	Delete redundant material when information is repeated in different parts of speech Use the word or phrase most consistent with the style and tone of a fairly straightforward essay Determine the clearest and most logical conjunction to link clauses	Recognize and correct marked disturbances of sentence flow and structure	Use idiomatically appropriate prepositions, especially in combination with verbs Ensure that a verb agrees with its subject when there is some text between the two	Use commas to set off simple parenthetical phrases Delete unnecessary commas when an incorrect reading of the sentence suggests a pause that should be punctuated

Writing:

Expressing Judgments	Focusing on the Topic	Developing a Position	Organizing Ideas	Using Language
Show clear understanding of the persuasive purpose of the task by taking a position on the specific issue in the prompt and offering a broad context for discussion Show recognition of the complexity of the issue in the prompt by partially evaluating implications and/or complications of the issue and/or responding to counterarguments to the writer’s position	Maintain a focus on discussion of the specific topic and issue in the prompt throughout the essay Present a thesis that establishes a focus on the writer’s position on the issue	Develop most ideas fully, using some specific and relevant reasons, details, and examples Show clear movement between general and specific ideas and examples	Provide unity and coherence throughout the essay, sometimes with a logical progression of ideas Use relevant, though at times simple and obvious, transitional words and phrases to convey logical relationships between ideas Present a developed introduction and conclusion	Show competent use of language to communicate ideas by: correctly employing most conventions of standard English grammar, usage, mechanics, with few distracting errors use varied vocabulary and several kinds of sentence structure.

Grading Policy

          The following chart is the Grading Scale for this class. 

100-95 is an A                                       76-73 is a C

 94-90 is an A-                                      72-70 is a C-

 89-87 is a B+                                       69-67 is a D+

 86-83 is a B                               66-63 is a D

 82-80 is a B-                              62-60 is a D-

 79-77 is a C+                                      59-0 is an E

Students must also have an overall average grade that is passing using the formula: each marking period is worth 40% and the exam is worth 20% of the semester grade.

*Please make every attempt to inquire about grades before or after class time.  Grades will also be updated weekly on Zangle.

Concluding Thoughts:

          I anticipate that we will have a full and rewarding semester of learning together.  I look forward to working with each of you.  Each of you will contribute your unique qualities to our classroom community and we will all grow as a result of one another.

I have read and understand the rules and mechanics of this class.

Student Name: _______________________________ Parent’s signature: _____________________________

                                                               

Parent email address: _______________________________________________________________________

English I Syllabus

English I

Mrs. Carlson

Contact Information:

Email- ecarlson@sandusky.k12.mi.us

Website address- http://www.sandusky.k12.mi.us/

Phone- (810) 648-3401

Conference Period- 2nd hour 9:06-9:58

Planbook.com is now available for parents and students to access my daily lesson plans. Please log in to planbook.com and use my email: ecarlson@sandusky.k12.mi.us and my teacher code: ecarlson

Language Arts 9, Course Description:

In English 9, students will add to the list of various genres of classic and contemporary narrative and informational texts that will be read and analyzed throughout high school with a special focus on American literature.  Ninth graders will connect with and respond to texts through critical response and stance.  They will learn to evaluate for validity and quality, to balance and expand their perspectives promoting empathy, social action and appropriate use of power.  Through the lens of Critical Response and Stance, students assess and modify their beliefs, views of the world, and the powers that impact them.

This course is required for graduation.

Classroom Expectations:

-      Our classroom is a place of learning.  Therefore, you should come to class with the proper items for learning, such as a writing utensil, book, paper, and any other items necessary.  You should also be attentive during instructional time and give your best effort on all assignments.  Lastly, we are all responsible to make sure that our actions do not distract others in the class from being able to learn.

-      Our classroom is a safe environment.  Each student deserves to feel safe expressing his or her thoughts and feelings in the context of our material and the learning process.  Therefore, there will be no taunting, put downs, or unkind teasing tolerated.

-      Our classroom is a place of respect.  As a teacher I will treat each of you with respect.  I expect that you will treat me, as well as each of your classmates, with the same respect.  Therefore, we will not interrupt when others are speaking, we will not take or use things that belong to other people, and we will be considerate of one another’s feelings.

-      Our classroom is a part of the larger Sandusky High School community.  Therefore, we will not do anything in our classroom that would be a distraction to the ability of other students to learn and other teachers to teach.  We will also treat the building, the classroom materials, and the other individuals in the building with respect. 

o   Please observe the expectations of Sandusky High School as delineated in your student handbook. 

o   No food or drinks allowed in the classroom, except bottled water.

Classroom Procedures:

Seating Chart:

          There will be a seating chart for this class.  You are expected to sit in your assigned seat everyday, unless otherwise instructed.

Paper Headings:

          Every paper you turn in should be written in MLA format.

Extra Help:

          I will be available before and after school on an appointment basis. I am always willing to come in and offer extra help for any student requesting assistance.

Absences:

          In the event that you are absent, the assignments that you missed will be found in the Daily Assignment crate at the beginning of the class.  You will be responsible for finding an appropriate time, preferably before or after class, to get those assignments.  Also, I will be happy to explain the assignments and any other information that you missed at an appropriate time, i.e. before or after school, during lunch, or when the class is working quietly on an assignment and I am free to speak with you.

Tardiness:

          You are tardy if you are not in the classroom at the completion of the bell.

Dismissal:

          The bell does not dismiss you at the end of class.  I will dismiss you.  You must be in your assigned seats until I dismiss you.

Syllabus

          This is a required class designed to get you ready for your life after Sandusky. You should not be surprised when you’re working hard in this class and being asked to do things that you have never done in school before.  This is not designed to be a FUN class, but if you work hard and master the skills I am introducing to you, I believe you will find a great deal of satisfaction in what you are able to accomplish.

Major Components of English 9:

-      To Kill a Mockingbird  by Harper Lee

-      Of Mice and Men  by John Steinbeck

-      Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

-      The Odyssey by Homer

-      Animal Farm by George Orwell

-      Selected short stories

-      Argumentative Format for Papers

-      Research Paper and MLA format

-      Other Writing Assignments

-      Vocabulary and Language Development

-      Grammar:  subject-verb agreement, comma usage, sentence variety, parts of speech, phrases, clauses

-      Students will be required to read one book of their choice on their own time per marking period and complete a reading log for that book

-      Students will be required to keep a writer’s notebook

We will be working with several pieces of work throughout the course of the year. Each work will be designed to assist in our quest to meet state standards. The standards we will be striving to achieve are as follows:

Reading:

Main Ideas and Author’s Approach	Supporting Details	Sequential, Comparative, and Cause-Effect Relationships	Meaning of Words	Generalization and Conclusions
Identify a clear main idea or purpose of any paragraph or paragraphs Infer the main idea or purpose of straightforward paragraphs Summarize basic events and ideas Understand the overall approach taken by an author or narrator.	Locate important details Locate and interpret minor or subtly stated details Discern which details, though they may appear in different sections throughout a passage, support important points	Order sequences of events Understand relationships between people, ideas, and so on Identify clear relationships between characters, ideas and so on Understand implied or subtly stated cause-effect relationships Identify clear cause-effect relationships	Use context to determine the appropriate meaning of virtually any word, phrase, or statement Use context to determine the appropriate meaning of some figurative and nonfigurative words, phrases, and statements	Draw subtle generalizations and conclusions about characters, ideas, and so on Draw generalizations and conclusions about people, ideas, and so on

English:

Topic Development in Terms of Purpose and Focus	Organization, Unity, and Coherence	Word Choice in Terms of Style, Tone, Clarity, and Economy	Sentence Structure and Formation	Conventions of Usage	Conventions of Punctuation
Identify the central idea or main topic of a straightforward piece of writing Determine relevancy when presented with a variety of sentence-level details	Use conjunctive adverbs or phrases to express straightforward logical relationships Decide the most logical place to add a sentence in an essay Add a sentence that introduces a simple paragraph	Delete redundant material when information is repeated in different parts of speech Use the word or phrase most consistent with the style and tone of a fairly straightforward essay Determine the clearest and most logical conjunction to link clauses	Recognize and correct marked disturbances of sentence flow and structure	Use idiomatically appropriate prepositions, especially in combination with verbs Ensure that a verb agrees with its subject when there is some text between the two	Use commas to set off simple parenthetical phrases Delete unnecessary commas when an incorrect reading of the sentence suggests a pause that should be punctuated

Writing:

Expressing Judgments	Focusing on the Topic	Developing a Position	Organizing Ideas	Using Language
Show clear understanding of the persuasive purpose of the task by taking a position on the specific issue in the prompt and offering a broad context for discussion Show recognition of the complexity of the issue in the prompt by partially evaluating implications and/or complications of the issue and/or responding to counterarguments to the writer’s position	Maintain a focus on discussion of the specific topic and issue in the prompt throughout the essay Present a thesis that establishes a focus on the writer’s position on the issue	Develop most ideas fully, using some specific and relevant reasons, details, and examples Show clear movement between general and specific ideas and examples	Provide unity and coherence throughout the essay, sometimes with a logical progression of ideas Use relevant, though at times simple and obvious, transitional words and phrases to convey logical relationships between ideas Present a developed introduction and conclusion	Show competent use of language to communicate ideas by: correctly employing most conventions of standard English grammar, usage, mechanics, with few distracting errors use varied vocabulary and several kinds of sentence structure.

Grading Policy

          The following chart is the Grading Scale for this class. 

100-95 is an A                                       76-73 is a C

 94-90 is an A-                                      72-70 is a C-

 89-87 is a B+                                       69-67 is a D+

 86-83 is a B                               66-63 is a D

 82-80 is a B-                              62-60 is a D-

 79-77 is a C+                                       59-0 is an E

Students must also have an overall average grade that is passing using the formula: each marking period is worth 40% and the exam is worth 20% of the semester grade.

*Please make every attempt to inquire about grades before or after class time.  Grades will also be updated weekly on Zangle.

Concluding Thoughts:

          I anticipate that we will have a full and rewarding semester of learning together.  I look forward to working with each of you.  Each of you will contribute your unique qualities to our classroom community and we will all grow as a result of one another.

I have read and understand the rules and mechanics of this class.

Student Name: _______________________________ Parent’s signature: _____________________________

                                                               

Parent email address: _______________________________________________________________________