Honors English 9

1. Honors English 9 Week 8: October 8-12, 2012

2. Due Today: Roots Handout 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 Homework:

3. 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?

4. Theme vs Subject • While I read page 264 in the blue textbook, identify the differences between theme and subject. • Subject: • Theme:

5. 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.

6. 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?

7. 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?

8. 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 _________________

9. Due Today: 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 Homework: Go to www.thisibelieve.organd read three more Mentor Texts and record noticienings by next Monday

10. This I Believe Immersion: Mentor Text 2 • Subject/Core Value • Thesis/Belief Statement

11. This I Believe Immersion: Mentor Text 2 • Ideas/Organization • Craft/Style • Conventions

12. 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?

13. Due Today: 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 Homework: Go to www.thisibelieve.org and read three more Mentor Texts and record noticienings by next Monday

14. 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?

15. 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

16. This I Believe Group Exploration • Read the three essays your group chose from the “famous” collection. You do not need to record noticeingsyet. 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

17. This I Believe Immersion: Mentor Text • Complete this in your notebook. • Title: Author: • Subject/Core Value • Thesis/Belief Statement

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. Due Today: 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 Homework: Independent This I Believe Exploration Vocab Workbook

21. 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)

22. List each category under a heading STRONG Always AVERAGE Usually WEAK Sometimes Or Rarely

23. Final Reflection STEP ONE: WRITTEN REFLECTION STEP TWO: WRITE TWO GOALS • 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.

24. 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

25. 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.