Thanks to the heroics of Tom, our young couple is saved! Just as the villagers begin to mourn his loss (again!), he makes his appearance, having saved Becky, and becomes the glittering hero (again!). Injun Joe is not so fortunate, unable to find his way out of the dark labyrinth of the caves. As Tom dreams up their next adventure, the final plot thread will be tied up: what becomes of the treasure?
Tom embodies Twain's quote about illusions; he is forever searching for the next adventure, pursuing his dream of the moment. Through him Twain conveys truths about the complexities of human nature and the notion that perhaps we never really "grow up"; or if we do, he implies the hope that we maintain the carefree illusions and dreams of childhood.
My parting wish for students is to hold on to your illusions, pursue your dreams, and don't just exist, but live! Search for "buried treasure", try on different personas (well, maybe not a robber or pirate!), have fun with your friends, and try not to get into too much trouble! Know that we are all a little bit grown up and a little bit childish, and that our dreams help to make us dynamic characters as we write the stories of our lives.
Homework:
Monday: Rd. ch. 34; add to packets; check Aspen and turn in anything missing asap.
Tuesday: Finish packet; turn in tomorrow.
Books and packets will be collected on Wednesday.
Monday, June 19, 2017
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Oh, the twisted plot Twain weaves...."
Students are hot on the trail of the buried treasure--buried in #2 under the cross! As they follow Tom and Huck on this new adventure, they're also wondering: will Injun Joe follow through with the "revenge job"? Will the boys escape his menace? Is there hope yet for Tom and Becky? Will the mischievous Tom ever "grow up"? Despite being three quarters through the book with only a week left to read, there is still a lot of plot to unravel!
Students are wrapping up their vocabulary work with a mini-project due Thursday, along with their Personal Dictionary Logs. Next week, upon completion of our reading, they will turn in their packets along with their books. Then, we will watch the movie "Tom and Huck" to compare and contrast this film version of the novel.
HOMEWORK:
Tuesday: Work on vocab project
Wednesday: Finish ch. 29 if needed; finish vocab project--due tomorrow w/PD logs
Thursday: Finish ch. 30 if needed; add to packets as needed
Friday: Read ch. 31/32; add to packets as needed
Tom Sawyer Vocab Activity
Students are wrapping up their vocabulary work with a mini-project due Thursday, along with their Personal Dictionary Logs. Next week, upon completion of our reading, they will turn in their packets along with their books. Then, we will watch the movie "Tom and Huck" to compare and contrast this film version of the novel.
HOMEWORK:
Tuesday: Work on vocab project
Wednesday: Finish ch. 29 if needed; finish vocab project--due tomorrow w/PD logs
Thursday: Finish ch. 30 if needed; add to packets as needed
Friday: Read ch. 31/32; add to packets as needed
Tom Sawyer Vocab Activity
Monday, June 5, 2017
"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow just as well."
Funny words from Twain, but ones I'm hoping students save for the lazier days of summer! It seems that students are keeping up with the reading; I am trying to give them time each day to at least begin the chapters. I've plotted them out on a calendar to finish the book by the end of the year, reserving two days at the end to watch the movie, Tom and Huck.
At the same time, students have been adding words to their personal dictionaries and doing some activities around elements of fiction. Our class discussions of the novel center around summarizing the story, analyzing characters, examining Twain's language, and identifying broader statements that Twain seems to make about human nature through the antics of Tom and his community.
On Thursday I will give a writing assessment based on the novel. Students will have a choice of four prompts; they will write on ONE and share their short essay with me by the end of class. On Tuesday I will give them the general topics of the prompts (Twain's language and character analysis) so that they can think about and perhaps decide which they want to do; if they wish, they could also make some notes on the general topic they choose. The assessment will be open book and open note, if the student makes notes to use.
HOMEWORK:
Monday: Finish rdg. ch. 13/14; begin "Escape to Jackson Island" page in packet.
Tuesday: Finish rdg. ch. 15/16; add to packet pgs. Think about writing topics; make notes.
Wednesday: Finish rdg. ch. 17/18; add to packet. Think about writing topics; make notes.
Thursday: Read ch. 19, 20; Ch. 21: read first long paragraph and last section only.
Friday: Finish rdg. 22, 23, 24; work on vocabulary activity (due Thursday 6/15).
At the same time, students have been adding words to their personal dictionaries and doing some activities around elements of fiction. Our class discussions of the novel center around summarizing the story, analyzing characters, examining Twain's language, and identifying broader statements that Twain seems to make about human nature through the antics of Tom and his community.
On Thursday I will give a writing assessment based on the novel. Students will have a choice of four prompts; they will write on ONE and share their short essay with me by the end of class. On Tuesday I will give them the general topics of the prompts (Twain's language and character analysis) so that they can think about and perhaps decide which they want to do; if they wish, they could also make some notes on the general topic they choose. The assessment will be open book and open note, if the student makes notes to use.
HOMEWORK:
Monday: Finish rdg. ch. 13/14; begin "Escape to Jackson Island" page in packet.
Tuesday: Finish rdg. ch. 15/16; add to packet pgs. Think about writing topics; make notes.
Wednesday: Finish rdg. ch. 17/18; add to packet. Think about writing topics; make notes.
Thursday: Read ch. 19, 20; Ch. 21: read first long paragraph and last section only.
Friday: Finish rdg. 22, 23, 24; work on vocabulary activity (due Thursday 6/15).
Monday, May 29, 2017
"Success is a journey, not a destination..."
"...It requires constant effort, vigilance, and reevaluation."
Wise words from Mark Twain, that I bear in mind this week in particular. Having progressed from a scratchy throat to pneumonia and missing three days last week, I'm afraid I left students without a road map for their reading journey with Tom Sawyer. Thus, on Wednesday (Tuesday being a combined service/field day), I plan to evaluate where things stand with the reading, and make sure that everyone is on the same page, so to speak, before continuing on.
I do hope that students have accessed an audio version to read along to if they enjoy doing so. Once I assess the state of our journey, I will figure out the itinerary for the rest of the week!
Homework:
Wednesday: Catch up night: should be read through ch. 9
Packet: pg. 1 complete; pg. 2 & 3 begun with what we've read so far
Thursday: Finish reading ch. 10; add to packets as needed; everyone at this point should have 5 words completed on their personal dictionary log
Friday: Finish rdg. ch. 11 & 12; add to packets
Wise words from Mark Twain, that I bear in mind this week in particular. Having progressed from a scratchy throat to pneumonia and missing three days last week, I'm afraid I left students without a road map for their reading journey with Tom Sawyer. Thus, on Wednesday (Tuesday being a combined service/field day), I plan to evaluate where things stand with the reading, and make sure that everyone is on the same page, so to speak, before continuing on.
I do hope that students have accessed an audio version to read along to if they enjoy doing so. Once I assess the state of our journey, I will figure out the itinerary for the rest of the week!
Homework:
Wednesday: Catch up night: should be read through ch. 9
Packet: pg. 1 complete; pg. 2 & 3 begun with what we've read so far
Thursday: Finish reading ch. 10; add to packets as needed; everyone at this point should have 5 words completed on their personal dictionary log
Friday: Finish rdg. ch. 11 & 12; add to packets
Monday, May 22, 2017
"Out of the public schools grows the greatness of a nation." --Mark Twain
Noted for his humor and keen insights, the iconic and prolific American author Mark Twain is often quoted. Students will begin to unfurl the layers of personality and thought embodied by this writer, first by watching an A&E Biography and the as they explore themes in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. They will examine the way in which the elements of fiction work together to create this novel: the ways in which the author develops setting and characters; the episodic structure of the novel and intertwining plot lines; and the language choices Twain made, including dialect, to accurately portray the setting and characters.
Students will keep track of the characters and twisting plot events in a packet of organizers. As well, they will record new words they encounter on their Personal Dictionary logs, which will be shared in class and used in a mini-project. The book is available on audio (which, on occasion, we will use in class), and I encourage students for whom listening helps to read along to an audiotape.
While these are our academic goals, my wish is for everyone to enjoy the antics of the mischievous Tom Sawyer and the rollicking tale of his adventures! For, as Twain also stated: "I never let my education interfere with my learning." If students can relate in some ways to this historic peer Tom, they will hopefully come away with an appreciation of a classic author as well as some timeless themes about human nature.
HOMEWORK: (Please note: if Thursday's Service/Field Day activities are cancelled due to weather, the following may change) (YES, service day is rescheduled; please note amended schedule below):
Monday: None.
Tuesday: Finish reading ch. 1, 2, 3
Wednesday: Finish rdg. ch. 4 & 5
Thursday: As needed depending on what was finished in class: Finish rdg. ch. 6; do Ch. 6 activity sheet; find 3 words you don't know (NOT dialect words, but ones you can actually use) and record on personal dictionary log (use example as your model).
Friday: As needed, depending on what was finished in class: Read ch. 7-8-9; do "Murder in the Graveyard" packet page
Students will keep track of the characters and twisting plot events in a packet of organizers. As well, they will record new words they encounter on their Personal Dictionary logs, which will be shared in class and used in a mini-project. The book is available on audio (which, on occasion, we will use in class), and I encourage students for whom listening helps to read along to an audiotape.
While these are our academic goals, my wish is for everyone to enjoy the antics of the mischievous Tom Sawyer and the rollicking tale of his adventures! For, as Twain also stated: "I never let my education interfere with my learning." If students can relate in some ways to this historic peer Tom, they will hopefully come away with an appreciation of a classic author as well as some timeless themes about human nature.
HOMEWORK: (Please note: if Thursday's Service/Field Day activities are cancelled due to weather, the following may change) (YES, service day is rescheduled; please note amended schedule below):
Monday: None.
Tuesday: Finish reading ch. 1, 2, 3
Wednesday: Finish rdg. ch. 4 & 5
Thursday: As needed depending on what was finished in class: Finish rdg. ch. 6; do Ch. 6 activity sheet; find 3 words you don't know (NOT dialect words, but ones you can actually use) and record on personal dictionary log (use example as your model).
Friday: As needed, depending on what was finished in class: Read ch. 7-8-9; do "Murder in the Graveyard" packet page
Monday, May 8, 2017
"Poetry begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, homesickness, a love sickness." --Robert Frost
It is truly awesome to witness students finding their voice through poetry. With inspiration emanating internally and externally, students have written on a variety of topics: from grizzly bears to kittens, from olives to vanilla, from Broadway to the Mojave desert. Our next two poems will be more personal in nature, as students will be asked to explore their thinking as well as their inner landscape.
The inspiration for our first poem this week is Francis Picabia, a French artist and writer who once said, "Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction." Pondering that idea, students will reflect on instances in which their own thoughts on a subject changed. After brainstorming some ideas, they will draft a poem to reflect their transformed viewpoint.
Later this week, students will be asked to explore their "inner landscape" of thoughts and emotions. Again, following some reflection and jotting of ideas, they will craft a poem that depicts their internal world.
On Friday, during my absence (my daughter graduates college this weekend!!), students will take the ELA benchmark test they took in the beginning of the year. In preparation, they will read an excerpt from "Diary of a Part-Time Indian" on Thursday night. On Monday, they will retake a writing mechanics benchmark quiz given earlier in the year. Please note that grades on these tests DO NOT affect students' report card averages, nor will these grades be posted on ASPEN. They are mandated tests for my information only.
Finally, please see the link below for the Poetry Cafe invitation (a copy was given to your student). This will be a fun way to celebrate the writing and reading of poetry that students have accomplished, as well as to bid farewell to our student teacher, Neil Vercellin. No need to RSVP, but students may ask you if they can bring in a snack or drink to share (no nuts or soda, please!).
Homework:
Monday: Finish "Our heads are round..." brainstorming chart
Tuesday: Finish draft of "Our heads are round..." poem
Wednesday: Prepare final draft of poem; turn in tomorrow.
Thursday: Read "Diary of a Part-Time Indian" excerpt; work on inner landscape poem brainstorming
Friday: Inner landscape final poem due Tuesday 5/16.
Our Heads Are Round...poem instructions
Our Heads Are Round... poem brainstorm chart
Inner Landscape brainstorming chart
Poetry Cafe Invitation
The inspiration for our first poem this week is Francis Picabia, a French artist and writer who once said, "Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction." Pondering that idea, students will reflect on instances in which their own thoughts on a subject changed. After brainstorming some ideas, they will draft a poem to reflect their transformed viewpoint.
Later this week, students will be asked to explore their "inner landscape" of thoughts and emotions. Again, following some reflection and jotting of ideas, they will craft a poem that depicts their internal world.
On Friday, during my absence (my daughter graduates college this weekend!!), students will take the ELA benchmark test they took in the beginning of the year. In preparation, they will read an excerpt from "Diary of a Part-Time Indian" on Thursday night. On Monday, they will retake a writing mechanics benchmark quiz given earlier in the year. Please note that grades on these tests DO NOT affect students' report card averages, nor will these grades be posted on ASPEN. They are mandated tests for my information only.
Finally, please see the link below for the Poetry Cafe invitation (a copy was given to your student). This will be a fun way to celebrate the writing and reading of poetry that students have accomplished, as well as to bid farewell to our student teacher, Neil Vercellin. No need to RSVP, but students may ask you if they can bring in a snack or drink to share (no nuts or soda, please!).
Homework:
Monday: Finish "Our heads are round..." brainstorming chart
Tuesday: Finish draft of "Our heads are round..." poem
Wednesday: Prepare final draft of poem; turn in tomorrow.
Thursday: Read "Diary of a Part-Time Indian" excerpt; work on inner landscape poem brainstorming
Friday: Inner landscape final poem due Tuesday 5/16.
Our Heads Are Round...poem instructions
Our Heads Are Round... poem brainstorm chart
Inner Landscape brainstorming chart
Poetry Cafe Invitation
Monday, May 1, 2017
"A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language." --W.H. Auden
In this digital age of speedy, temporal, and inundating communication, it seems important to always bear in mind the power of language. Writing poetry allows us to pause, to reflect on ideas and emotions, and figure out the most effective way to convey their essence. As students grapple with choosing "just the right word, not its second cousin", as Twain once stated, their awareness of language raises to a new height. When they play with literary devices to create fresh new imagery for their reader/listener, they take ownership of language that they can call their own. The distillation of words and imagery in a poem demonstrates the power of language, which is the gist of our poetry unit. If students can feel empowered to convey thoughts, ideas, experiences, emotions, and humor by using language to create unique images, then they are truly poets.
Today we are reading some of Pablo Neruda's odes to foods, and students will write their own. Later in the week we will read odes to various people, and students will try their hand at that type of ode as well.
Homework:
Monday: Complete brainstorming for food ode.
Tuesday: Food ode draft due tomorrow for conferencing.
Wednesday: Final draft food ode due tomorrow.
Thursday: Complete brainstorming for person ode.
Friday: Person ode due Monday.
Neruda's Food Odes
Food Ode Brainstorming Sheet
Today we are reading some of Pablo Neruda's odes to foods, and students will write their own. Later in the week we will read odes to various people, and students will try their hand at that type of ode as well.
Homework:
Monday: Complete brainstorming for food ode.
Tuesday: Food ode draft due tomorrow for conferencing.
Wednesday: Final draft food ode due tomorrow.
Thursday: Complete brainstorming for person ode.
Friday: Person ode due Monday.
Neruda's Food Odes
Food Ode Brainstorming Sheet
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