WOD: vicariously (adv) -- done or suffered for the benefit of someone else. I lived vicariously through her adventures to the Greek island of Naxos.

Went over speech guidelines and rubric. Speeches to begin on Monday, with volunteers. You have your schedules for the rest of the week. Practice. Practice. Practice!

Novel Projects handed in today. We formed literature circles in groups of 5.
Each one of you in your group had to: 1)Show and discuss your project 2)Discuss how the main character changed from beginning to middle to end. 3) Read out loud at least one good passage and say what it means and why you selected it. 4) Would you recommend this book? Why or why not?

On a piece of paper, write the answers to all #2 and #4 questions and hand in. At the top of the paper, remember to put the name of the book and the author.

Writer's Notebooks weekly check. Hurray for keeping up. Sad for those not getting the easy 5 points/week and seeing what free writing can do.

Fabulous quotes gathered from each other over this past week:

"I felt the sun beating on my back, the whisper of the wind stealing secrets from my soul."

On Thursday, we finished up vocabulary #4 and enjoyed the surprise quiz on it. We traded and graded, of course.

Novel assignment due Friday, BOP. No lates on this one. If you will not be here, have someone else bring in your work. Make sure you staple the self-assessment sheet to your written element.

Speeches have been moved up to Monday, March 2. I will give out a schedule on Friday. Anyone who wants to volunteer to give their speech on Monday gets extra credit.

HW: Novel assignment. Be sure to bring your novel to class on Friday.

Speeches. What an amazing speech President Obama gave to Congress on Tuesday night.

We watched part of it, observing for impact, gestures, main topic and even conclusion. And what were his incredible examples and details? For one, an 8th grade girl from South Carolina who wrote a letter asking Congress not to cut education spending. And she was there, next to Mrs. Obama, getting cheers from the President and Congress and having the very words from her letter quoted by the President in his speech. Letters do matter. Hers did.

President Obama: "I think about Ty'Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina, a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom.She had been told that her school is hopeless. But the other day after class, she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this chamber. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp.The letter asks us for help and says, "We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself, and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina, but also the world. We are not quitters.'...That's what she said: "We are not quitters."

Rest of the period was worktime: novel project, writer's notebooks, speech, vocabulary #4.

We used classtime (extremely well, actually) to work on novel project, speeches, or, writer's notebooks work, or if you had nothing else to do, (!) new Vocabulary #4.

Nearly everyone has received their first semester portfolios. You have done incredible jobs of reflecting on yourselves and your work, as well as figuring out new goals. You should be mighty proud. I know am. Gold stars are on their way! (Can't wait to show your parents in May!)

Look out high school: the Twin Hills kids are on their way.

Returned from vacation ready to roll! More than half the year is over, and you are that much closer to summer vacation and then high school. Yeah!

Handed back compare/contrast essays and portfolios. On overhead, looked at "benchmark"* essays, copies of compare/contrast essays considered the best, the second best, average and below average.

Time to work on rough draft of assignment for novel project. Work time in class on Tuesday, though the computer lab is probably not available. Bring work to do.

Novel assignment due Friday, BOP. No lates on this one. If you will not be here on Friday, have someone else bring in your work. Or, make arrangements with me ahead of time.

Speeches have been moved up to Monday, March 2. I will give out a schedule this week. Anyone who wants to volunteer to give their speech on Friday gets extra credit.

*benchmark, (n) -- a point of reference from which measurements may be made; something that serves as a standard by which others may be measured or judged

Working on your conclusion for your persuasive essay speech? Try these handy tips provided by a University of North Carolina writing class.

Remember to bring draft of your final project assignment for review by me.

Enjoy the sound of the rain. See you Monday at school.

We had a great "play" reward day on Friday, trip to Coraline and Confessions of a Shopaholic and cool Taiko drumming assembly.
Now, have a great vacation.
Remember to read your novels and be ready for:

On Monday, Feb. 23, I will collect a draft of the assignment you created for your final project for your 2nd semester novel. I will grade your draft. This is to make sure you are on track and not putting the assignment together at the last minute. Final novel project is due Friday, Feb. 27. There will be no late passes on this.

Returned rough drafts of persuasive essay/speech and discussed. Take notes from board on effective speeches. Make sure you address the other side and refute that point of view. Examples: skateboarding, cell phone use in school, country music. Don’t rant at the beginning. Say something interesting and draw in your listener then get to your main point.
See Write Source guide on speeches for more help.

Writer’s Notebooks writing on Valentine’s Day prompts. Pick one. Write.

Have writer’s notebooks out for weekly check and any questions on rough drafts.

HW: Due Monday Feb. 23: A draft of the assignment sheet for your final project on novel.
Feb. 27: Final project novel due. No lates.

Completed quiz on Vocabulary #3. Traded and graded that and vocabulary context sentences and definitions.

Worked on speeches and handed in rough draft of persuasive speech/essay. I will return these on Thursday so you can have as much feedback as possible.

Speeches will be assigned to begin on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Those who want extra credit can volunteer for Monday, Feb. 23.


Make up vocabulary quizzes on Vocabulary #2 for those many of you absent last week will be given at lunch on Thursday. Be there.

Coming Up:
On Monday, Feb. 23, I will collect a draft of the assignment you created for your final project for your 2nd semester novel. I will grade your draft. This is to make sure you are on track and not putting the assignment together at the last minute. Get working on that now so that you can concentrate on reading over mid-winter vacation.

Handouts – in class. Vivid Verbs worksheet
On speeches -- Read in Write Source, pgs. 348-354

Work on speeches. Rough draft due EOP Weds. Can use computer lab today only.

Remember: well defined thesis, detailed evidence, one opinion, some facts/examples/evidence; sound, logical reasoning; anticipate listener (audience) concern


HW: Study for vocab quiz #3 and context sentences due.
Rough draft of speech due EOP Weds.


Speech: 3 min max, don’t bore me. Will start Tues 2/24. EC for Monday, 2/23 volunteers.

Vocabulary #3 handout. Write definitions, parts of speech and 12 context sentences for each word. Due Weds., and quiz on vocabulary words. Spelling counts. Use a real dictionary, not the Internet. Discover how words are related by leafing through a BOOK, not just plugging in a word and having something else search it for you!

Active reading strategy. Show me. How many pages read? Sign sheet with name of book and author and your strategy. Discussed final assignment ideas.

Persuasive essays and speeches. Finished discussing "Darkness at Noon." What is the writer's point of view. What does he want you to understand?
On speeches, see help on p. 416 of literature textbook. Choose your topic for your persuasive speech from my list of 35 topics or one of your own. For Tuesday, choose a topic and brainstorm it. Bring that work in on Tuesday. You will have to do a written draft of your speech in essay form and will then convert it to a speech, using notes, not memorizing.

Guidelines for choosing and speaking:

• Pick a topic you care about; get a strong thesis
• Find examples; direct it to your audience;
• Give speech a title, and answer title in the thesis statement, like a prompt.

HW: Tues: Speech topic choice and brainstorm
Weds: Vocabulary definitions and sentences and quiz.

Vocabulary #2: study for 5 minutes, take quiz, trade/grade. Hand in.



Writer's notebooks were checked. 5 points. Remember, 10 minutes and one page a day.



On compare/contrast essay: Before you hand in, get one of the grade sheets to do a self-assessment. Give yourself a grade. Then attach that sheet to the top of your work and hand in.



Persuasive essays and speeches. Begin reading on p. 408 of literature textbook. Class discuss.



HW: Active reading strategy check for novel. Bring in your book and your "evidence" of active reading strategies. I will check on your work. Have you come up with a final assignment for your novel? Bring that with you to work on and discuss.

QW: Write a real or imaginary diary entry focusing on fear, hope, or regret. Can begin with: I hoped that;I will always fear;I will forever forget.

Punctuation handout in class. Apostrophes 1&2; Using the right word 2, 3 & 4.

HW: Final draft compare/contrast essay. Study for vocabulary #2 quiz.

Class time to work on compare/contrast essay. Rough draft checked by me EOP Weds.

Final draft due Friday, includes a self- or peer-edit; rough draft and Venn or chart brainstorm diagram.

Vocabulary sentences. Traded/graded. Handed in.

Finished rough draft of letter to President and Mrs. Obama. Final draft, typed, and in proper business letter format is due Weds., BOP. (Information on formal letters in The Write Source, p.243.)

Can start work on compare/contrast essay. Work time in class on Weds. to do rough draft.
Final draft due Friday. Make sure you read directions on handouts. Transition words for compare/contrast essay, p. 106, The Write Source.

HW: Final draft letter to President and Mrs. Obama. Typed. BOP

New vocabulary list. Worksheet. Exercises in class. For homework, 12 context sentences.

In class, finish presidential children exercise. Form groups. Answer questions as a group.

Individually, write a letter of advice to President and Mrs. Obama, on raising their daughters in the public eye. Letter will be graded and it will be sent. Rough draft finished in class on Tuesday.
Final draft, typed, due Weds. Follow proper letter format.

HW: Tues. 12 context sentences from new vocabulary. Vocabulary quiz on Friday.

Work on rough draft of letter to the Obamas. Rough draft of letter will be written during class Tuesday. Final due Weds.