Happy Autumn...and Halloween!

Halloween week is the perfect time to indulge in a little Edgar Allen Poe!  Today students watched a short biography of Poe, a quick video to introduce "The Raven", and a YouTube video of Christopher Walken performing this famous Poe poem.  Students will work in groups to analyze the ballad structure (including elements of fiction), literary allusions, rhyme scheme, rhythm and beat, and symbolism.  Next, they will work with a different group to plan a performance of two stanzas.  For their performances, students will consider the use of their voices, gestures, and musical instruments to convey the mood and meaning of the words.  We will wrap up this study of "The Raven" with a quiz.

If time allows later this week, we will read "The Tell-Tale Heart", also by Poe, and perhaps "The Monkey's Paw", by W.W. Jacobs.

I'm asking that students take home their "I Am From" projects this week, though I'll be sad to see them go.  If you can remind your child if they haven't come home with it yet, that would be helpful.

Homework:

The only homework this week is to finish up and share with me the "Rikki Tikki Tavi" essay, if not already done (it was due at the end of last Friday's class).

The Writing Life

Last week, students took a test on the story "Rikki Tikki Tavi".  It was designed a la MCAS/PARCC style questions in order to embed test-taking practice, and questions were intended for students to demonstrate their understanding of the story as we read and discussed it in class.  The final question was an open response (short essay), and based on students' writing, I am differentiating writing practice this week.  Some students will be reading additional material on Kipling and the story and writing a group essay based on that; other students are completing an essay exemplar with a partner, and then working on one of two other essay topics.  This writing practice is differentiated to accommodate the varying needs within each class.  Students will engage in the writing process of brainstorming/outlining, drafting, editing, and revising.  As we are working on these essays in class, potentially each student can accomplish all or most of each day's work in class; however, if they need extra time for each part, they will finish it up for homework.  Below is an outline of what should be completed each day.

Homework:

Monday:  check Aspen for missing assignments and turn in asap.

Tuesday:  complete essay organizer

Wednesday:  complete roughly half of essay draft

Thursday:  complete draft

Friday:  revise essay to turn in on Monday (if not completed in class)

"The great war begins!"

Rikki Tikki Tavi's war, that is, fought against the great cobras Nag and Nagaina, in his efforts to protect his new family and become their "house mongoose."  This week we are reading the classic tale "Rikki Tikki Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling.  We will explore the behaviors that humans and animals have in common; the idea of heroes and anti-heroes in the story; and consider whether this is more than just a simple children's tale.  In light of Kipling's background and the time period of the story, students will ponder whether Kipling was trying to paint a picture of colonial England.  Could it be that Rikki Tikki represents the British and the cobras represent the Indian people?  Or that Rikki Tikki symbolizes the Indian that acculturated and sided with the British?  Is it possible that "the great war" was not just between predator and prey in the wild, but between two very different countries and their people?

As we'll be reading and working with this story in class, the only homework this week is to finish reading choice books and completing any overdue responses.  It might be a good time, if you haven't done so already, to check Aspen with your child to determine if there is missing work to be completed.  As well, I am offering an extension activity for the choice book for any student interested in going the extra mile!  I've asked them to see me for instructions, and they are linked below.

Independent Reading Extension Activity

Nice Long Weekend...Back to Work!

This weekend I went to New York City to visit my daughter, and my mother, who hasn't been in the city since I was in college (!!), joined us.  She got the full experience of a packed subway, endless walking, as well as a bumpy taxi ride!  We visited South Street Seaport, where my daughter's office building is located, and the World Trade Center memorial.  The following day, we meandered around the NY Botanical Gardens to see the special exhibit of glass artist Dale Chihuly, whose work was installed around the grounds.  Throughout were posters of poetry written by NYC school children who were inspired by the gardens and Chihuly's creations; it reminded me of past visits we have made to the Smith College pond and art museum to find inspiration for poetry.  I hope we can do something similar again this year!

This week students are reading Mark Twain's "The Californian's Tale", a story inspired by the time he spent in mining camps out west during the Gold Rush.  They will identify various elements of fiction in the story, and examine Twain's use of "local color" to describe the setting.

Students should be wrapping up their choice book reading this week.  A final response is due on Friday.  They will take a vocabulary quiz on Friday to also wrap up list #2.

Homework:

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday:  Read w/sticky notes; final response due Friday.  Vocabulary quiz on Friday.

Californian's Tale questions

Students are Engaged in Active Reading!

We are kicking off the week with a new list of vocabulary words.  Students have recorded them in their binders, and there is a link below to a deck set on quizlet.  In addition to the activities we do with the words in class, students can use quizlet to study and play games with the words.

Tomorrow we will read a short story by O. Henry titled "After Twenty Years".  It has a little twist at the end that spurs the reader to think about the characters and issues of loyalty and friendship.  Students will work in small groups to examine setting and tone, characterization, foreshadowing and the twist ending, and themes, and they will present their findings to the class.

Students will take a benchmark test three times this year to help me monitor their growth and progress with ELA concepts.  The test was created by ELA Department faculty, and it mirrors MCAS/Parcc style.  This is not only good test-taking practice for students, but teachers use the benchmark data to inform their instruction.  These scores will not be inputted into Aspen nor counted towards students' report card grades; they are merely informational for teachers.  That being said, I plan to administer the first session of the test on Thursday.

As I read students' reading responses this weekend, I was pleased to see that, for the most part, they seem to be enjoying their choice novels.  They also demonstrated in their responses that they understand the difference between summary and response, as well as the elements of fiction.  The icing on the cake for me was that many students wrote about the author's use of language--and words from vocabulary list #1 were popping up, too!

Homework: 

Monday:  read w/sticky notes; response #2 due Wed.
Tuesday:  response #2 due tomorrow (preferably typed)
Wednesday:  read w/sticky notes; bring choice book in tomorrow
Thursday:  read w/sticky notes
Friday:  read w/sticky notes; next response due Tuesday 10/10

Quizlet: Vocab list #2