Author Visit

Today is a little different:

Period 4 and 6: This post does not have anything that is required of you! You should check the homework, though. It only helps. Also, feel free to look through the author interviews and watch one. They're pretty cool.

Period 3 and 5: we are going to take attendance and then immediately leave for the Little Theatre to listen to Brian Wells, author of TPMS Book of the Month The League and the Lantern.

Period 1: See below

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Work on your RACE paragraph
3. Author Interviews

Author Interviews:

Period 1, since we can't go see Brian Wells today and we're not going to jump ahead of everyone else, I have found a resource that I want us to take advantage of. 

Using the link above, please go look through the list of author interviews and find ONE that you would be interested in watching today. They are all 10 minutes long or more.

You will need headphones. 
If you don't have headphones, find a friend & pick an author together.
If that doesn't work, find a quiet place.

Period 1 EXIT TICKET QUESTION:
What is one thing you have learned about the writing process from your chosen author?

Reminders/Homework:

• Finish your RACE paragraph on Google Classroom. Due next class.
• Ms. Black will hopefully be spending time on Sunday/Monday giving you all some feedback on your documents.
• READ A BOOK
• at least two books read by October 22
• Come see Ms. Black at RAM with your rubric if you want to talk about revising your presentation scores

R.A.C.E Response

Source

Today's Goal: Learn a writing strategy called "R.A.C.E." that you will use and build on all year. 

The Plan:

1. Turn in your homework, open Google Classroom and then READ!
2. RACES! (On Google Classroom)
3. Write your first RACES paragraph for Language Arts class. (Also on Google Classroom, on the same document as #2)
4. Reading Expectations

Reading Expectations
The first quarter progress reports just went out, and the first quarter ends on October 25.

Your expectation is to read TWO WHOLE BOOKS by October 22. Many of you are already in the middle of a book. Many of you have finished a book recently. GREAT! Keep reading.

What counts as a book? Books and nonfiction books you read from cover to cover that are novel length. If you're reading comics or graphic novels, you and I can decide together what counts as an appropriate amount. The short answer? More.


Reminders/Homework:

• finish writing your RACES paragraph at the bottom of your RACES notes. (Due by next class)
• READ
• Have you finished reading a book from start to finish this year? Please fill out the "I FINISHED A BOOK!!" form! 
• Your All About Me Presentation scores are up. Some notes:
• If you received a score less than 21/30, that means you haven't passed yet. That's okay because you WILL! You will be expected to present again in front of the class. Talk to Ms. Black at RAM or after school about a day for this.
• If you received a score of 21/30 or more, you may choose to present again in front of the class or you may present after school. It is possible the changes you need to make do not require presentation at all, so please use the rubric to decide when it is returned to you. Please speak with Ms. Black during RAM or after school for notes.
• DO NOT LOSE this rubric. Put it in your Language Arts folder and keep it. We will both be mad if you end up needing it again.

Heroes and Courage

Today's Goal: We're going to try to define the word "courage." 

The Plan:

1. Open Google Classroom and then READ
2. Hero/Courage Notes (on Google Classroom)
3. Courage Acrostic Poem (I have this on paper, but if you're absent, you have access to it at this link.)

Hero/Courage Notes:
You will find this in Google Classroom and it consists of three things:

1. A quickwrite: What makes a true hero?
2. An example brainstorm
3. A t-chart to begin defining what courage is and what courage is not

Reminders/Homework:

• Finish your Courage Acrostic Poem if you do not finish in class.
• Have you finished reading a book from start to finish this year? Please fill out the "I FINISHED A BOOK!!" form! 
• Your All About Me Presentation scores are going up, probably this afternoon. Some notes:
• If you received a score less than 21/30, that means you haven't passed yet. That's okay because you WILL! You will be expected to present again in front of the class.
• If you received a score of 21/30 or more, you may choose to present again in front of the class or you may present after school. It is possible the changes you need to make do not require presentation at all, so please use the rubric to decide when it is returned to you. If you aren't sure, please speak with Ms. Black during RAM or after school. 
• DO NOT LOSE this rubric. Put it in your Language Arts folder and keep it. We will both be mad if you end up needing it again.

Academic Presentations Part TWO!

Please note: most of this looks just like the last post, but there are some additions. 

Check the reminders/homework.

Today's Goal: Learn about our peers and their interests as we listen to each other present "All About Me." Practice being a respectful audience and confident, academic presenters.

The Plan: This should look familiar.

1. Read!
2. All About Me Presentations
3. All About Me Reflection (fill this out AFTER you present)
4. Have you finished a book since the school year started? Have you finished THREE books? Please fill out THIS FORM each time you finish reading a book from start to finish. 

Don't forget the advice your peers have for you during your presentation:

• Speak to the audience, not to the screen
• Make your voice louder than you think it needs to be, so the people in the back can clearly hear you.
• Say MORE than what is on the slides. Your slides don't have very much information on them. They are not supposed to. That's because you're going to talk about it, not read it.

Reminders/Homework:

• Have you finished reading a book from start to finish this year? Please fill out the "I FINISHED A BOOK!!" form! 
• This let's me know what you're reading, how long it's taking you to read your books, and what books I should be recommending! I require you to read regularly. This is one of the ways for you to show me.
• Check out Overdrive! It's a great way to check out books digitally. The directions are on this blog post.
• Turn in the work that you are missing or the work that needs revision.

Academic Presentations: All About Me

Today's Goal: Learn about our peers and their interests as we listen to each other present "All About Me." Practice being a respectful audience and confident, academic presenters.

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. All About Me Presentations
3. All About Me Reflection (fill this out AFTER you present)

Reminders/Homework:

• All About Me:
• Period 1,3,5: Presenting on Monday, September 17
• Period 4,6: Presenting on Tuesday, September 18
• Your presentation should be done by the time you walk into class!
• Turn in syllabus documents and One Word Projects into the inbox. I would really like to remove the zeros.
• Check out Overdrive! It's a great way to check out books digitally. The directions are on the previous blog post.

MAPS Testing (and Overdrive information)

Today's Goal: Begin the reading portion of the MAPS test, and if you finish, move on to the language portion.


The Plan:

1. Get your book and chromebook out on your desk. You should have nothing else.
2. MAPS test
3. Read if you finish both tests

Reminders/Homework:

• All About Me:
• Period 1, 3, 5: Presenting on Monday, September 17
• Period 4, 6: Presenting on Tuesday, September 18
• Your presentation should be done by the time you walk into class!
• Turn in syllabus documents and One Word Projects into the inbox. I would really like to remove the zeros.

Bonus information: OVERDRIVE!

You have access to a digital library to read books and listen to audiobooks. It's called Overdrive.

If you do not know how to access it, use the following slides to help you. I have also linked these slides on the sidebar for future reference.

All About Me Slides and Google Classroom

Today's Goal: All About Me!

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. Google Classroom Sign-Up (if you're absent, please find your code on the MyConnect calendar)
3. All About Me brainstorm (must be completed before moving on to the digital slides)
4. All About Me creation (found on Classroom and Google Slides)

All About Me Requirements

ALL ABOUT ME PRESENTATION GUIDELINES:

You will be creating a Google Slides presentation to present to the class that will help your classmates get to know you better. Your presentation must include the following:

1. Title slide with MLA Format Heading and a picture of yourself.
2. FIVE additional slides with information about yourself.
1. hobbies
2. family information
3. Interests
4. Anything else you think would be interesting to share!

You will be graded based on the rubric below. Please ensure that your final presentation follows the guidelines outlined in the rubric.

Speaking: Professionalism - Google Slides presentation is professional and looks responsibly done. All text is easy to read and the pictures that are included are relevant to the content. PVLEGS!	10 points
Speaking: Content - Presentation is 6 slides long (1 title page and 5 information pages) and includes an appropriate amount of information about you. Each slide has at least 1 picture and 2-3 points of text.	10 points
Speaking: Presentation - Presenter speaks loudly and clearly when presenting in front of the class. Presenter makes eye contact with classmates and the presentation is between 3 and 5 minutes long See PVLEGS	10 points

Listening - You will also receive a "listening" score. This is where you practice giving your full attention and avoiding side conversations. Don't forget the social contract we made!

5 points

Due Dates:
Period 1,3,5: Presenting on Monday, September 17
Period 4,6: Presenting on Tuesday, September 18
Your presentation should be done by the time you walk into class!

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What if I don't know how to put a picture of me on a slide?
• Lots of people in the room know how to do it. We will support you!
• Your chromebook can take photos
• If you have a physical picture, I can help you take a photo of it and send it to you on Google Drive.
• Can I put a video in my slides?
• I wouldn't.
• Can I pick a different theme/fonts?
• YES! Please make it personal to you. When you open your slides, you can press the button that says "theme" to change it.
• If you are Google Slides: EXPERT level, check out Slidescarnival.com. You can copy slides from there and put it into your presentation. BUT this is high level stuff so if you're not confident, don't add more stress.

Reminders/Homework:

• All About Me:
• Period 1,3,5: Presenting on Monday, September 17
• Period 4,6: Presenting on Tuesday, September 18
• Your presentation should be done by the time you walk into class!
• Turn in syllabus documents and One Word Projects into the inbox. I would really like to remove the zeros.