After viewing the two movie trailers, explicate how they are similar and different. What uses of symbolism did you see in the first and second clip, and which clip did a better job with displaying symbolism throughout the movie trailer?
Monday, December 3, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
The Pigman 2 Discussion
Do you think Mr. Pignati is a believable character? Explain why or why not. Focus on the key word "believable", and use evidence from the text to support your assertion.
Friday, November 9, 2012
The Pigman Discussion Questions
Why is the novel narrated by John and Lorraine, in alternating chapters? How would the book be different if John were the only narrator? What about if it were only Lorraine?
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Students' Character
"Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the
ability to say no to oneself." ~Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Insecurity of
Freedom: Essays on Human Existence, 1967
Reflect on the following quote. How can you relate this quote to your everyday life experiences at school?
(Remember to type your response in a Word document, reread it, spell check it, and copy paste it into the blog. All responses must be written in a respectable manner). Don't forget to respond to at least two other peers.
Reflect on the following quote. How can you relate this quote to your everyday life experiences at school?
(Remember to type your response in a Word document, reread it, spell check it, and copy paste it into the blog. All responses must be written in a respectable manner). Don't forget to respond to at least two other peers.
Your Expectations
Starting middle school can be quite exciting yet scary at the same time. I want to know your thoughts about starting the new school year as a middle school student. What were your expectations? (What did you expect of your teachers, and what were your goals at the beginning of the school year?) It is now the second nine weeks;reflect over your answers to the previous questions. Is middle school what you expected? Explain why or why not. What are your current goals for the second nine weeks?
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Writing Portfolio Assignment for 6A and 6C (Language)
Please read through and print the information about free verse poems. Remember, your show not tell entries are examples of free verse. You must have four free verse poems in your writing portfolio (choose two of your best show not tell entries, write one using your " I am " journal entry, and create one of your choice). These poems must be typed using the typing guidelines already given to you. The due date for your four free verse poems is as follows:
1. All four free verse poems must be typed and emailed to me (lisalavender06@gmail.com) by Thursday, May 17, 2012 by 10p.m.
2. All four free verse poems must be typed and printed off before getting to school on Friday, May 18, 2012. Mrs. Banks will check for your four poems in class (on separate sheets with title). Once your poems have been checked, you are to place them inside your portfolio. Make sure you have your portfolio in class on Friday. I will be at the school to check your completed portfolio soon, so make sure you have everything completed. Anyone who does not have the assignment in class the day that it is due and/or does not have it typed or completed will receive a zero, no exceptions!
Important Advice: Complete your work in time to print at school, before Friday, if you don't have access to a printer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Topic
Anything and everything can be the topic of a free verse lyrical poem. The poem can tell a story, describe a person, animal, feeling or object. They can serious, sad, funny or educational. What ever subject that appeals to the poet can end up in free verse.
Language
The poet attempts to describe his/her subject with language that shows, not tells. For example, instead of writing " We had so much fun today.", the poet would write "They wore smiles all the way home." The idea being that a grinning face is more descriptive of the fun they had. It also leaves a stronger impression with the reader. Free verse poetry tries to capture images , convey meaning ,or emotions through the use of lyrical phrases that will get the poet's message across without a lot of telling. Free verse poets use figurative language devices such as metaphors, similes, and personification to create these phrases.
Five steps to free verse.
Nevertheless, follow your instincts. The best way to write free verse is to start with wild abandon and funnel your choice of words and movement through a tightly-focused editing process. Try these five steps to unleash your inner poet:
Choose your subject and write about it. Get it all out. Stay deep and true to the rhythm of the poetic movement rolling through you, but get everything about the subject down on paper.
Check your rough poem to see if anything is missing. If you need to add a line, or even a stanza, do so. If you’re missing a metaphor, simile, or turn of phrase, add it.
Read the rough poem aloud. Free verse is a rhythmic dance with voice and words, so check the sequence of lines and make sure that one flows into the other.
Move through your poem with an editor’s pen and make sure you’ve selected the words that give proper accent and cadence to the overall poem.
Read the poem aloud until it flows like honey and you feel it inside. That’s a sure sign of a well-completed piece of free verse.
Little Father by Li-Young Lee
I buried my father in my heart.
Now he grows in me, my strange son,
My little root who won’t drink milk,
Little pale foot sunk in unheard-of night,
Little clock spring newly wet
In the fire, little grape, parent to the future
Wine, a son the fruit of his own son,
Little father I ransom with my life.
Winter Poem by Nikki Giovanni
once a snowflake fell
on my brow and i loved
it so much and i kissed
it and it was happy and called its cousins
and brothers and a web
of snow engulfed me then
i reached to love them all
and i squeezed them and they became
a spring rain and i stood perfectly
still and was a flower
Disappointments by Vivian Gilbert Zabel
Every life has a room
where memories are stored:
A box of special occasions here,
Shelves of shared laughter there.
But back in the shadows
Lurks a trunk locked tight,
Not to be opened and searched.
There hide disappointments
Which darken every heart.
Fantasy or Life by Vivian Gilbert Zabel
So often you say you love me,
Yet you seemingly don't know
I cannot live in fantasy's fog,
Always in the blurred drug of dreams.
I need the clear, crisp light
Found in reality's realm of day,
Not the darkness of mere existence.
I Take Back My Tears
By Lilyan H., Tallahasee, FL
I take back my tears
the wasted years
I spent crying
for what never could happen
I take back my heart
my shattered heart
Up off the ground
and back in my arms
I take back my hope
wasted on you
and toss it aside
for it has no meaning now
Nothing you say
no words
no songs
can heal the bleeding wound
That you opened again and again
I walk a free woman
held by nothing of yours
and fly away free
as free as the wind
Couch Potato
By foreverdreaming14, Redmond, WA
Couch potato.
That's what they call her,
Gossipers eagerly relay.
Lazy –
Just another name,
As familiar as her own.
Alone,
They say she has no company,
But she knows it's not the truth.
Company?
Who needs company?
Just people there to judge
The paleness of her skin
Stretched taut over her bones.
How her hair needed a wash,
Maybe, a few days ago.
Alone?
They don't know that she's never alone.
Not in her cluttered room.
On the table sits a book,
The most important one,
The one that gives her the choices,
The answers to her questions.
T-V G-U-I-D-E spells blockish on the cover,
And when the silver screen flips on,
Thousands of unreachable colors.
She leans in close and watches, watches, watches,
Thousands of tiny pixels
Showing her a greater thing.
Lives lived beyond her reach,
Beyond perfection.
And she reaches out and brushes her fingers,
Drifting them across the screen,
To feel the tingle –
Static electricity.
And imagines that they're really there,
Reachable just beneath the tingle.
Couch potato.
That's what they call her.
Maybe it's better that they don't know
1. All four free verse poems must be typed and emailed to me (lisalavender06@gmail.com) by Thursday, May 17, 2012 by 10p.m.
2. All four free verse poems must be typed and printed off before getting to school on Friday, May 18, 2012. Mrs. Banks will check for your four poems in class (on separate sheets with title). Once your poems have been checked, you are to place them inside your portfolio. Make sure you have your portfolio in class on Friday. I will be at the school to check your completed portfolio soon, so make sure you have everything completed. Anyone who does not have the assignment in class the day that it is due and/or does not have it typed or completed will receive a zero, no exceptions!
Important Advice: Complete your work in time to print at school, before Friday, if you don't have access to a printer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Writing Free Verse
Free verse does not have a set pattern of rhyme or rhythm. There are no rules about line length in free verse. You try to keep the words that belong together on the same line, but, sometimes the poet will break these words if he/she wants to create a visual shape to support the poem's message, or feeling that the poet wishes the reader to experience. The poet may wish to put special emphasis on a word he/she has used so he will that word a line to itself, or place it on the next line so the reader notices it or is surprised by the poet's use of the word . Often a poet will end a line because it feels right to him/her to do so. The poet chooses the length of each line and the length of the poem according to the message, or feeling he/she wishes to communicate to his/her reader. When free verse is read aloud the reader can hear the rhythm of the words that the poet has used in his/her poem. Think of it as spoken music. Topic
Anything and everything can be the topic of a free verse lyrical poem. The poem can tell a story, describe a person, animal, feeling or object. They can serious, sad, funny or educational. What ever subject that appeals to the poet can end up in free verse.
Language
The poet attempts to describe his/her subject with language that shows, not tells. For example, instead of writing " We had so much fun today.", the poet would write "They wore smiles all the way home." The idea being that a grinning face is more descriptive of the fun they had. It also leaves a stronger impression with the reader. Free verse poetry tries to capture images , convey meaning ,or emotions through the use of lyrical phrases that will get the poet's message across without a lot of telling. Free verse poets use figurative language devices such as metaphors, similes, and personification to create these phrases.
Five steps to free verse.
Nevertheless, follow your instincts. The best way to write free verse is to start with wild abandon and funnel your choice of words and movement through a tightly-focused editing process. Try these five steps to unleash your inner poet:
Check your rough poem to see if anything is missing. If you need to add a line, or even a stanza, do so. If you’re missing a metaphor, simile, or turn of phrase, add it.
Read the rough poem aloud. Free verse is a rhythmic dance with voice and words, so check the sequence of lines and make sure that one flows into the other.
Move through your poem with an editor’s pen and make sure you’ve selected the words that give proper accent and cadence to the overall poem.
Read the poem aloud until it flows like honey and you feel it inside. That’s a sure sign of a well-completed piece of free verse.
Examples of Free Verse Poems Written by Famous Poets
Little Father by Li-Young Lee
I buried my father in my heart.
Now he grows in me, my strange son,
My little root who won’t drink milk,
Little pale foot sunk in unheard-of night,
Little clock spring newly wet
In the fire, little grape, parent to the future
Wine, a son the fruit of his own son,
Little father I ransom with my life.
Winter Poem by Nikki Giovanni
once a snowflake fell
on my brow and i loved
it so much and i kissed
it and it was happy and called its cousins
and brothers and a web
of snow engulfed me then
i reached to love them all
and i squeezed them and they became
a spring rain and i stood perfectly
still and was a flower
Disappointments by Vivian Gilbert Zabel
Every life has a room
where memories are stored:
A box of special occasions here,
Shelves of shared laughter there.
But back in the shadows
Lurks a trunk locked tight,
Not to be opened and searched.
There hide disappointments
Which darken every heart.
Fantasy or Life by Vivian Gilbert Zabel
So often you say you love me,
Yet you seemingly don't know
I cannot live in fantasy's fog,
Always in the blurred drug of dreams.
I need the clear, crisp light
Found in reality's realm of day,
Not the darkness of mere existence.
Free Verse Poems Written by Teens
I Take Back My Tears
By Lilyan H., Tallahasee, FL
I take back my tears
the wasted years
I spent crying
for what never could happen
I take back my heart
my shattered heart
Up off the ground
and back in my arms
I take back my hope
wasted on you
and toss it aside
for it has no meaning now
Nothing you say
no words
no songs
can heal the bleeding wound
That you opened again and again
I walk a free woman
held by nothing of yours
and fly away free
as free as the wind
Couch Potato
By foreverdreaming14, Redmond, WA
Couch potato.
That's what they call her,
Gossipers eagerly relay.
Lazy –
Just another name,
As familiar as her own.
Alone,
They say she has no company,
But she knows it's not the truth.
Company?
Who needs company?
Just people there to judge
The paleness of her skin
Stretched taut over her bones.
How her hair needed a wash,
Maybe, a few days ago.
Alone?
They don't know that she's never alone.
Not in her cluttered room.
On the table sits a book,
The most important one,
The one that gives her the choices,
The answers to her questions.
T-V G-U-I-D-E spells blockish on the cover,
And when the silver screen flips on,
Thousands of unreachable colors.
She leans in close and watches, watches, watches,
Thousands of tiny pixels
Showing her a greater thing.
Lives lived beyond her reach,
Beyond perfection.
And she reaches out and brushes her fingers,
Drifting them across the screen,
To feel the tingle –
Static electricity.
And imagines that they're really there,
Reachable just beneath the tingle.
Couch potato.
That's what they call her.
Maybe it's better that they don't know
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
You will see six videos following this post. Your assignment is to watch the six videos and respond to the questions given after the last video. In order to get your grade for this assignment, you must respond to my questions and respond to two other peers on the blog. Remember, when you respond, your post must be well thought out, and it can't simply be "I agree with or disagree with...." Your post must be completed by Saturday, May 12, 2012 by 3p.m. Post made after this time will not be graded!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Mrs. Lavender/ Pre-Ap Language Arts
William James Christian k-8 School
(mrslavendersliteratureclass.blogspot.com)
Class Blog Address
The following assignments should be given for the next two weeks of school.
Mrs Banks will give due dates for the assignments, and some of the assignments will be completed in class. Remember, quote responses and journal entries must be completed daily!
Reading
Reading assignments from the Elements of Literature book includes:
1. The Dog of Pompeii” pp. 690-705. Answer all questions on page 705.
2. Informational text link to “Pompeii”pp. 707-708.
3. Complete Test Practice on page 709, along with the constructed responses.
4. “Zlateh the Goat” pp. 710-715
5. “Trial by Fire” pp. 717-718 . Answer all questions on page 718
1. “A Poison Tree” pp. 20-21
2. “The Nomads of Kazakhstan” pp. 22-25
3. North Korea and South Korea pp. 26-28
Language Classes 6A & 6C Only
Diagramming Sentences Lessons 52-57 (Language Workbook)
Writing Portfolio
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Lesson Plans for April 16-19th
Mrs. Lavender/ Pre-Ap Language Arts
William James Christian k-8 School
Lesson Plans for April 16-19th
(Students are out of school April 20th and 23rd)
Monday, April 16, 2012
Reading (All Classes)
I. Quote of the Day: “Being yourself has its limitations. You have to step on the brake and control yourself if you start to annoy or hurt people and their feelings; and society begins looking at you as a nuisance.” ~ Anonymous
Everyday Journal Entry: Describe a time when you were doing something that was annoying to others. How did you recognize your actions were a problem, and what did you do to rectify the problem? Explicate how this experience made you feel. [All journal entries must be at least three full paragraphs and contain at least five vocabulary words.]
[Students shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes of class time to complete their quote response and journal entry daily. Journal entries must be at least three full paragraphs. If a student does not complete the journal entry within the time frame, he/she knows that it must be completed for homework]
II. Students will share their response to the quote and/or share their journal entry. [5minute max]
III. Assignment: Students will independently read and analyze “The Mysterious Mr. Lincoln” pp 544-549 and answer questions 1-7 following the story on page 550
[30 -35 minutes) .
IV. Homework: Students will complete exercise 1 from the lesson 11 vocabulary sheet. All context clues must be highlighted.
Language (6A and 6C only)
I. Students will turn in draft of their memoir (at least three full paragraphs)
Students will come up to the desk to show you their work. Please record if it is completed or not.
II. Students will work with a partner to peer edit their memoir. Peer editing should only take about 10 minutes, and the students will use 20 more minutes to make revisions to their individual paper.
III. Homework: Students must type their memoir and be ready to place it inside their writing portfolio on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Reading (All Classes)
I. Quote of the Day: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” ~John Wooden.
Everyday Journal Entry: Many middle schoolers are concerned about their reputation, which causes them to do things they wouldn’t normally do. How do you feel about this topic, and how does it relate to you as a six grader? [All journal entries must be at least three full paragraphs and contain at least five vocabulary words.]
[Students shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes of class time to complete their quote response and journal entry daily. Journal entries must be at least three full paragraphs. If a student does not complete the journal entry within the time frame, he/she knows that it must be completed for homework]
II. Students will share their response to the quote and/or share their journal entry. [5minute max]
III. Check Assignments from Monday: 15- 20 minute max
(1)Check to make sure students have complete exercise 1 for lesson 11 vocabulary, by placing your initials on their completed paper. After checking for completion, students will check their own papers by using a red ink pen or highlighter. Students will give answers, along with the context clues that they highlighted.
(2) Discuss answers to questions 1-7 on pp. 550. (You will have to check for completion for 6B because the class had to complete any incomplete work for homework, as a result of limited class time. 6A and 6C had time to complete the assignment in class) [Record Both Reading Grades]
IV. Assignment: Informational Text (Making and Supporting Assertions). “Lincoln’s Humor”. Students are to read pages 552-553 and complete the questions, including the two constructed response questions on page 554.
Language (6A and 6C Only)
I. Usage Review (Unit 10, Grammar Workbook)
Lesson 58- Go over the introduction with students and have them to highlight important information. [5 minute max]
II. Partner Work: Students will work with a partner to complete exercise 1 number 1-15. Exercise 1 must be checked as a group, so that students can see how well they have done, but the grade for exercise 1 will not be recorded.
III. Independent Work: Students will work independently to complete exercise 2 numbers 1-15 on page 198. If students do not have enough time to complete the assignment in class, they must finish it for homework.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Reading (All Classes)
I. Quote of the Day: “Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.”
~ Anonymous
Everyday Journal Entry: What does it mean to look beyond the imperfections, and how does this relate to your everyday life? Explicate what makes you happy. [All journal entries must be at least three full paragraphs and contain at least five vocabulary words.]
[Students shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes of class time to complete their quote response and journal entry daily. Journal entries must be at least three full paragraphs. If a student does not complete the journal entry within the time frame, he/she knows that it must be completed for homework]
II. Students will share their response to the quote and/or share their journal entry. [5minute max]
III. Check Tuesday’s Assignment (Informational Text, Making Assertions)
[10 minutes]
IV. Assignment: Students will complete exercise 4 from lesson 11 vocabulary (Non-fiction Text) independently. This assignment will be checked and recorded today. [Students will have 15 minutes to complete the assignment]
V. Homework: Students will complete exercise 2 and 3 from lesson 11 vocabulary.
Language (6A and 6C Only)
I. Students must turn in their typed memoir to the teacher and then place it inside their writing portfolio.
II. Check Tuesday’s assignment (Lesson 58 exercise 2): After the teacher checks for completion, by placing her initials on the work, students will check their work using a red ink pen or highlighter. Students are expected to ask questions if they do not understand an answer. [Grade will be recorded]
III. Homework: Lesson 59 exercise 1
Reminder: Students must select three of their journal entries to place in their writing portfolio, and these entries must be typed and turned in by Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Reading (All Classes)
I. Quote of the Day: When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” ~Alexander Graham Bell.
Everyday Journal Entry: Write about a time you missed out on a great opportunity because of your mindset (attitude). What happened and how could you have benefited from this opportunity? Explicate what you learned from this experience. [All journal entries must be at least three full paragraphs and contain at least five vocabulary words.]
[Students shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes of class time to complete their quote response and journal entry daily. Journal entries must be at least three full paragraphs. If a student does not complete the journal entry within the time frame, he/she knows that it must be completed for homework]
II. Students will share their response to the quote and/or share their journal entry. [5minute max]
III. Group Work: Students will complete the context clues (fill in the blank) sheet for lesson 11 vocabulary. After the students have completed the sheet independently, they will work in groups (no more than three) to compare their answers. If a student realizes he/she has done something wrong, he/she has the opportunity to make adjustments to their context clues, so that they make sense. [30 minutes]
Language (6A and 6C Only)
I. Partner Work: Students will work together to compare their answers to lesson 59 exercise 1. Students are able to make changes to their answers based upon any clarification during partner work. Students will check their work with the teacher.
II. Independent Work: Students will complete lesson 59 exercise 2 independently. (Grade will be recorded)
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Additional Project Information
The following letter was sent home today!
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian,
March 14, 2012
The time has come for my language students to display what they have learned through a creative project. We have been working on the persuasive mode of writing, along with persuasive techniques. The students and I are excited about their propaganda commercial. Each student was given the opportunity to choose a group based upon observed work ethics and behavior. The students understand the importance of working cooperatively and staying focused, in order to get the job done. Once the students selected their group members, they had to work together to think of a product to create and a company name. After doing so, the students had to create a contract, listing the duties of each individual student, and each student had to agree by signing and dating the document. Because some of the programs needed for this project, are not loaded onto the computers in the computer labs, students have asked to bring their laptops containing moviemaker, IMovie, and/or a web cam/digital camera. As a result of strict regulations regarding electronic devices, students bringing these items are required to bring them to my class, so they can be locked in the closet until they come to my class. After using the devices for project purposes only, the devices will be locked in my closet until the end of the school day. Students are responsible for keeping their devices inside their backpack at all times until they hand them over to me. Any student caught with these devices on the bus, inside the gym, during morning care, or any other part of the school grounds will be given the proper consequences as stated in the code of conduct. In order to know if your child has signed up to bring a device, please read over his/her group contract that is attached to this letter. Thank you in advance for your continued support. If you would like to know more about the project, please visit our class blog at (mrslavendersliteratureclass. blogspot.com) and look at your child’s notes.
Sincerely,
Lisa Lavender
231-5286
P.S. Students have been urged to use their time wisely, in order to get most of the project done during their two class work days, which are this Thursday and Friday. All projects are due Tuesday, March 27, 2012. Students will not have a work day on Monday, March, 26, 2012.
Here are some additional notes that should be present inside your child's binder from Monday, March 12, 2012.Additional Project Notes
I. Group Size (3-5) students
a. Create a product to market
b. Product (replica) must be packaged(boxed)
c. Must have two forms of propaganda on the package, along with company’s name
II. Commercial
a. Create a 35 sec- 1min commercial marketing your product
b. Commercial must display two forms of propaganda(different from the package)
**** Please click on the Project Rubric tab for more important information****
Monday, March 12, 2012
Project Rubric for 6A and 6C (Pre-Ap Language)
Propaganda Project Guidelines/Rubric
Mrs. Lavender, Pre-AP Language
Due Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2012
For this assignment your group will be creating a product that you plan to sell, the packaging it will be sold in, and a commercial advertising it on TV. Your main purpose is to use propaganda techniques to persuade consumers to buy your product.
The Product (20 points)
_____(5) Must be able to be packaged in the box you brought in.
_____(5) Must have a name – Be creative!
_____(10) Must have a written description and drawing of the product
Comments:
The Packaging (40 points)
_____(5) Product name must be clearly visible
_____(5) Must use the box you brought in
_____(5) Must have the creator’s name visible (that is you!)
_____(15) Must use two forms of propaganda
_____(10) Must show effort and creativity
Comments:
The Commercial (40 points)
_____(5) Must advertise the product
_____(15) Must use at least two forms of propaganda (different from packaging)
_____(10) Must have a written script describing what the viewer will see and hear.
_____(10) Must show effort and creativity
Comments:
TOTAL PROJECT SCORE ___________/100 points
Names of Group Members: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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