Friday, September 28, 2012

AGENDA 9/28

Computer Lab T110 - Take Election Quiz and discuss issues/surprises
Complete Election Issues Prior Knowledge Survey

Continue to brainstorm ideas for Election Project with your group members

Confer about independent reading books 

HW: Select potential candidates/issues for Monday! Since there's no other homework this weekend, get started on next grading period's 500 pages of indie reading!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

AGENDA 9/27

Introduce Election Project and get into groups of three
TOMORROW: Computer Lab T110.  Be reasonably aware of the following campaign issues (that is to say, if you've never heard of one or more of the things on this list, ask your parents tonight, consult Wikipedia, etc.):
privatization of Social Security             Obamacare
Medicare                                             Patriot Act
offshore oil drilling                              farm subsidies
debt ceiling                                          online privacy
bank bailout                                         progressive tax
amnesty/path to citizenship                
 President Obama's 2009 Stimulus Plan

Fallacies Group Quiz
View the following commercials and discuss the primary fallacy the commercial employs:

Miller Lite: "Skinny Jeans" 
Little Caesar's: "No Rules!" 
Axe Body Spray: "Billions" 
Fancy Feast: "A Love Story" 
AT&T: "Postcards" 
SoCal Honda: "Helpful: Lesson"
Verizon: "Easy Choice 2.0"


HW: Finish independent reading! Confer with me about your books tomorrow if you haven't already done so...250 pages due! Meet in the computer lab, T110, tomorrow and bring your indie reading book!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

AGENDA 9/25

Make logical fallacies posters using your packet from Everything's an Argument and your notes from the PowerPoint presentation

HW: Finish independent reading! Confer with me about your books soon if you haven't already done so...250 pages due Friday!

Monday, September 24, 2012

AGENDA 9/24


View PowerPoint presentation and add to/complete  your notes 

HW: Finish independent reading! Confer with me about your books soon if you haven't already done so...250 pages due Friday!

Friday, September 21, 2012

AGENDA 9/21

Read through excerpt from Everything's an Argument to learn about logical fallacies


HW: Finish independent reading! Confer with me about your books soon if you haven't already done so...250 pages due Friday!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

AGENDA 9/19

Continue Seminar: Use Guided Reading Assignment for Gretel Ehrlich's "The Solace of Open Spaces," pages 643-650 in the McGraw-Hill Reader, "Our Vanishing Night" by Verlyn Klinkenborg, and Lucianne Walkowicz's lecture "Look Up for a Change"

HW: Independent reading

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

AGENDA 9/18


Seminar: Use Guided Reading Assignment for Gretel Ehrlich's "The Solace of Open Spaces," pages 643-650 in the McGraw-Hill Reader, "Our Vanishing Night" by Verlyn Klinkenborg, and Lucianne Walkowicz's lecture "Look Up for a Change"

HW: Independent reading

Monday, September 17, 2012

AGENDA 9/17

HOLIDAY - "Sense of Place" assignment due to Turnitin.com by midnight tonight!

Friday, September 14, 2012

AGENDA 9/14

Seminar Prep: Guided Reading Assignment for Gretel Ehrlich's "The Solace of Open Spaces," pages 643-650 in the McGraw-Hill Reader

To prepare for Tuesday's seminar, complete the Guided Reading Assignment for Gretel Ehrlich's "The Solace of Open Spaces," pages 643-650 in the McGraw-Hill Reader and review "Our Vanishing Night" by Verlyn Klinkenborg and discuss the following questions with a partner:
1) What ideas do Klinkenborg's essay "Our Vanishing Night" and Walkowicz's lecture "Look Up for a Change" share?
2) In what ways to Klinkenborg's and Walkowicz's arguments DIFFER?

  • Which differences occur because of AUDIENCE?
  • Which differences occur because of MEDIUM/GENRE?
3) Which of Walkowicz's and Klinkenborg's claims do you ACCEPT?

  • What details from these arguments (or experiences from your own life) make you open to these ideas?
4) Which of Walkowicz's and Klinkenborg's claims do you REJECT?

  • Do you reject these ideas because of your personal experiences, other conflicting texts, or something in the arguments themselves?


HW: Finish revising "Sense of Place" writing assignment - final draft due 9/17 to Turnitin.com. Rubric available when you log in at Turnitin.com--click on the little "staircase" icon next to the assignment title.  Tomorrow is the last day to email for extensions!!!
Refer to Pust's sample "Sense of Place" writing assignment for guidance, and please submit drafts to me for comments after you have it peer-reviewed!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

AGENDA 9/13

Vocabulary Quiz over words from The Glass Castle

Read "Our Vanishing Night" by Verlyn Klinkenborg and discuss the following questions with a partner:
1) What ideas do Klinkenborg's essay "Our Vanishing Night" and Walkowicz's "Look Up for a Change" share?
2) In what ways to Klinkenborg's and Walkowicz's arguments DIFFER?

  • Which differences occur because of AUDIENCE?
  • Which differences occur because of MEDIUM/GENRE?
3) Which of Walkowicz's and Klinkenborg's claims do you ACCEPT?

  • What details from these arguments (or experiences from your own life) make you open to these ideas?
4) Which of Walkowicz's and Klinkenborg's claims do you REJECT?

  • Do you reject these ideas because of your personal experiences, other conflicting texts, or something in the arguments themselves?


HW: Finish revising "Sense of Place" writing assignment - final draft due 9/17 to Turnitin.com. Rubric available when you log in at Turnitin.com--click on the little "staircase" icon next to the assignment title.
Refer to Pust's sample "Sense of Place" writing assignment for guidance, and please submit drafts to me for comments after you have it peer-reviewed!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

AGENDA 9/12

Vocabulary warm-up #3 and #4 on words from The Glass Castle
Quiz tomorrow!!!

Bring independent reading book to class every day; bring McGraw-Hill Reader to class on Friday

Watch TEDX Talk by Lucianne Walkowicz, "Look Up for a Change" and discuss:

1) What is Walkowicz's claim? Express her argument in a sentence or two (e.g., In her lecture "Look Up for a Change," Walkowicz contends that...)

2) What benefits and drawbacks of technology does Walkowicz describe?

3) What are your reactions to Walkowicz's argument? What evidence from your own life experiences, or things you have read, seen, or studied, supports your thinking?

HW: Study for tomorrow's vocabulary quiz on words from The Glass Castle, using the vocabulary chart: page 1, page 2, page 3


Finish revising "Sense of Place" writing assignment - final draft due 9/17 to Turnitin.com. Rubric available when you log in at Turnitin.com--click on the little "staircase" icon next to the assignment title.
Refer to Pust's sample "Sense of Place" writing assignment for guidance, and please submit drafts to me for comments after you have it peer-reviewed!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

AGENDA 9/11

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT TONIGHT!
Complete Back to School Night letter for your parents
Practice vocabulary using Crossword and Word search


HW: "Sense of Place" writing assignment - final draft due 9/17 to Turnitin.com
Refer to Pust's sample "Sense of Place" writing assignment
Vocabulary quiz Thursday, 9/13 over words from The Glass Castle

Friday, September 7, 2012

AGENDA 9/7


Grammar: Using Semicolons #1
Format for "Sense of Place" writing assignment
Textbook room to get McGraw-Hill Reader

HW: "Sense of Place" writing assignment - typed rough draft due 9/10 in class for peer revision
Refer to Pust's sample "Sense of Place" writing assignment
Vocabulary quiz Thursday, 9/13 over words from The Glass Castle

Thursday, September 6, 2012

AGENDA 9/6



Continue Seminar: Parenting
To what extent are rules necessary for children's healthy development and to what extent are they restricting and limiting?
  • How much should parents shelter/protect their children?
  • How should parents encourage independence and resourcefulness?
Use excerpts from The Grapes of Wrath and The Glass Castle 
Use Guided Reading assignment to help you discuss article from The New Yorker"Spoiled Rotten" by Elizabeth Kolbert (assignment will be collected at end of class today)


HW: "Sense of Place" writing assignment - typed rough draft due 9/10 in class for peer revision
Refer to Pust's sample "Sense of Place" writing assignment

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

AGENDA 9/5

LIBRARY VISIT
Introduce Independent Reading requirements and Reading Record sheet
Find an independent reading book


HW: "Sense of Place" writing assignment - typed rough draft due 9/10 in class
Refer to Pust's sample "Sense of Place" writing assignment

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

AGENDA 9/4


Seminar: Parenting
To what extent are rules necessary for children's healthy development and to what extent are they restricting and limiting?
  • How much should parents shelter/protect their children?
  • How should parents encourage independence and resourcefulness?
Bring 2 excerpts each from The Grapes of Wrath and The Glass Castle 
Use Guided Reading assignment to help you discuss article from The New Yorker"Spoiled Rotten" by Elizabeth Kolbert (assignment will be collected at end of class Thursday; will be stamped today)


HW: Free Choice Book Letter due to Turnitin.com before 12:01am Wednesday, September 5
"Sense of Place" writing assignment - typed rough draft due 9/10 in class
Refer to Pust's sample "Sense of Place" writing assignment
Meet in the LIBRARY tomorrow to select indie reading books