October 3rd

IN CLASS:
We are going to practice crafting a message, using audience awareness.

1. With a partner, you will construct a group explanation of the car accident. You will each submit this document to Google Classroom.

You were in a slight, no-injury, car accident...
As a group, you will construct an explanation of the accident for three different audiences..
1. Your parents.
2. Your insurance company.
3. Your Best Friend.

Consider the purpose of communication AND audience awareness. What needs to be included? What needs to be omitted? What about the tone? What is the ultimate purpose for each audience?

Use your notes to craft your explanation.

FOR Wednesday: 

1. Review and take notes on the Writing to an Academic Audience link...
FOUND HERE:
Audience Awareness Advice- Formal Audience

2. Open a Google Doc., then pick THREE of your classes that you are enrolled currently.

    a. Imagine you have been assigned a 3 page paper on a subject that you are currently studying in each class.

    b. You are going to do a thorough analysis of what you think EACH teacher/audience will or will not want in the written communication from you..  This can be a list/bullet points.

    c. To consider when doing this analysis: The information found above (academic audience link) + questions to consider that I gave you  + your experience so far in that class + explicit references from the teacher + implied directions from the teacher

    d. Make sure that you consider the "stuff" you want back from the written communication, so you can make sure that you have a realistic expectation of what your communication needs to achieve.

EXAMPLE:

Characteristics you may mention:

Precise attention to grammar and mechanics.

Following citation guide to the letter.

Sources need to be strong and reputable.

Needs knowledge info... does not want knowledge level info..

September 27th

1. Introduction to the Art of Communication. Induction into "Writing Boot Camp".

2. Step #1 of Writing: Audience Awareness:

President Obama's White House Correspondence Dinner Speech

President Obama's Newtown Speech

Audience Awareness Speech Evaluation Handout

3. Read and take notes on the following information on Audience awareness. Put this in a place that you will easily be able to access this information.

Writing for an academic audience HANDOUT

4. Quiz on Friday over this information.

September 26th

You have submitted your annotated bibliography... YAY! It's done!

We are getting started today with the World of Writing!

To do this, we are going to start with a grammar/mechanics conventions diagnostic test to
see what components we need to attend to as we work to improve our effective written communication...

This quiz is located on Noredink.com.
You were given your class code during class.

Please complete the quiz by 3:00 PM on Wednesday, September 27th.

After you have finished your quiz, it will take you through your missed questions.
I would suggest you do this!

September 25th

1. Your complete Annotated Bibliography is DUE today at the end of the class period today.

Please Review:

• The checklist you used for the first annotation and check it against annotation 2 and 3. 
• Make sure that your 3 annotations are alphabetized... not in the order that you completed them.
• Look at the sample annotated bibliography with multiple sources and make sure that your annotated bibliography looks EXACTLY like this sample.. spacing, formatting. 
• Double check your MLA citation for each annotation.
• Go thoroughly through the scoring guide for this assignment. (Found in Friday's post).

2. Upload to Google Classroom BY THE END OF CLASS.

Friday, September 22nd

1. You are coming to class today with your 2 sources that you have already read and noted.
2. Using your cleaned up/perfected Annotation #1 as your guide, you will be creating annotations for sources 2 and 3.

VERY IMPORTANT:

• You will be adding these two annotations to your document with your already written/edited ANNOTATION #1. 
• You will need to ALPHABETIZE your annotation entries... SO, the first one you have written MAY become the second or third in order... it will depend upon the authors of the two sources you have found.  
• DO NOT repeat the MLA Heading with each new annotation.  You will just be adding the two sources to your already established document. Look again at the sample annotated bibliography with instruction. This source has multiple annotations. Your document will look like this. 

3.  Create your citation for your next source. Look at the database citation suggestion, but double check it against the OWL guide.


4. Write your three paragraphs for this source. 1st: Summary. 2nd: Assessment. 3rd: Reflection

5. Repeat for your 3rd source.

6. Review the entire document. Use the checklist that you were given for the first annotation to help review your following 2 annotations.  Compare it AGAIN to the sample annotated bibliography with the multiple sources.

7. Review the scoring guide for this assignment: Found HERE: Annotated Bibliography Scoring Guide

Your complete ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY with three annotations is DUE at the end of class on MONDAY, September 25th to GOOGLE CLASSROOM.

September 20th

1. You have come into class today with your FIRST annotation printed off and ready for review.

2. You will have TWO classmates review your annotation. You will utilize the following checklist to review and proof the first annotation. Annotated Bib Peer Proof Checklist.  Have each proofreader use the same checklist sheet.

Proofreaders: In addition to using the checklist to review the annotation, also open up the sample annotation example to make sure that they look IDENTICAL!

3. When you get your proofed/reviewed annotation back after being examined by TWO classmates, thoughtfully make adjustments/corrections.  You will want to look through the sample annotation example, yourself, as you are cleaning up/perfecting this first annotation.

NOW....

4.  You will be finding... on your own... TWO MORE SOURCES for your argument to add to your annotated bibliography.

Please visit the LMC Databases to find your ideal sources: LSNHS LMC Research Databases

You have already been guided through the process of:

• Evaluating an effective source
• Note taking when reading a source
• Finding the correct citation information on a source, and writing it, using MLA formatting

For FRIDAY, September 22nd:

Bring to class your two articles that have been read and have your thorough notes with you. Replicate the process we used for the first article.

September 19th

Today you will be creating the first annotation from the "Book World" article that you prepared for today.

1. Take out the sample annotation that you marked yesterday. Also, open up the sample Annotated Bibliography with Instruction link that we examined yesterday. It is the perfect "how to" for the Annotated Bibliography.

2. Open up a Google Document and start formatting your page- Header, MLA heading, Colon title, etc.

3. Provide the bibliography information citation first. Yes, look at the bottom of the source for this information, BUT, double check that it is updated to MLA 8 edition. To do this, check HERE: Online Database Citation- MLA  Scroll down to online database citation example, and make sure that you have all the needed information.. take out what you don't need.

4.  Start writing your 3 paragraphs... FIRST- The Summary of the article. SECOND- The Assessment of the source (use the LMC guidelines). THIRD- The Reflection of how the source can be used in your argument. You will need to add TWO direct quotes from the article within the three paragraphs. Make sure that you introduce your quote.. and cite it correctly. 

Davidson explains that "she has used technology to help her students work more effectively in groups" (Roth).

** Note that Davidson is the author of the BOOK that ROTH is reviewing in the article.
** Also note that I used the word "that" in my introduction of a quote.. this means NO COMMA.

REMINDERS:

• Write in 3rd person POV... no "I" and, really no "YOU". 
• Double spaced
• Block indent of all of the paragraphs
• Citation uses hanging indent on second and sequential lines of the citation
• Look at the example and then look at your formatting... identical? 
• Do you have 2 direct quotes from the article within your writing? Cited correctly?

FOR WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY:

5. When finished, you will need to PRINT OFF your annotation for class on Wednesday/Thursday to bring TO class. You will not use the digital copy for class... nor will you be allowed to print during class.

September 18th

REMINDER: SCHOOL PICTURES are on WEDNESDAY!

1. Introduction to the Annotated Bibliography.

An annotated bibliography is a critical review of specific secondary source material that will be used in a research project/paper. This assignment requires that you read a source carefully, be able to summarize the argument, assess its value as source material, reflect upon its usefulness in aiding your research.

Think to a works cited page at the end of a paper/project. This is a list of books/articles/etc. that have been used in constructing an effective argument within a paper. An annotated bibliography is this list, but notes (annotations) are added with each source explaining the following 3 things:

• Summary of the source
• Assessment of the source
• Reflection of the value of the source to a specific project

2. We will first look at a sample annotation. We will be calling one source (i.e. book/article) with its explanation of the three actions above as an "annotation".

As you look over the sample annotation, please label/mark the following components:

1. Header with last name and page number
2. MLA standard heading (with name, instructor, etc.)
3. Colon method title
4. Double spacing :)
5. Correct citation for the source (book)
6. Block indention for all three paragraphs
7. Source Summary Paragraph
8. Example of a summary statement. 
9. Source Assessment Paragraph
10. Example of a sentence where the source is being assessed. 
11. Source Reflection Paragraph
12. Example of a sentence where the author is reflecting in how this source can be used. 
13. 3rd Person POV writing

3.  After you have marked the important "to notice/replicate" items on the sample annotation, please look over the full sample of an annotated bibliography found here: Annotated Bibliography with INSTRUCTION

4. To get us started on our Annotated Bibliography, I am going to make this round a little easier on you all, by giving you the foundation of a thesis/claim/argument, which you will be finding two articles to support.

Pick your argument

• Technology enhances learning in a secondary classroom by giving students access to more information. 
• Technology detracts from learning in a secondary classroom by minimizing the need for critical thinking skills. 

I will also be supplying your first source for this argument. You will be writing your first ANNOTATION FOR THIS SOURCE.  FOUND HERE: Book World: Technology in the Classroom 

FOR TUESDAY:
1. Read and take notes on the "Book World" article.  Remember, you are going to be asked to summarize it, assess it, and reflect upon its use for your argument. Go through the process of assessing a source (learned from the LMC presentation).  Mark specific quotes that are supportive of the stance you are taking. Thoroughly take notes. This will help the next step of creating our first annotation (on Tuesday). Source evaluation is IMPORTANT... use this process to thoughtfully train in evaluating sources.

September 11th

1. PLEASE TAKE the following DISTRICT READING SURVEY: Reading Survey

The Alchemist and Harry Potter Aphorism Google Slide Project: 

You have gathered examples of aphorisms from The Alchemist. You have also double checked their classification of an aphorism and discussed their meanings. From this, you have been looking for the meaning of these aphorisms in another text, Harry Potter. 

You will now be constructing a Google Slide presentation of your findings. This project will be due FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15th at the end of the class hour.

The requirements for this project:

1. Present 5 aphorisms from The Alchemist cited correctly using MLA.
2. Explain how each aphorism is actually an aphorism (the checklist).
3. Meaning of each aphorism.
4. Explanation of why and how each aphorism is significant in The Alchemist. 
5. An example from Harry Potter showing where the meaning of each aphorism from The Alchemist can be applied.
6. Reflection upon how The Alchemist and Harry Potter have similarities beyond the surface story/plot.
7. Reflection of the importance of aphorisms in understanding a text beyond the surface level.
8. Works Cited Slide- MLA Citation
9.  Title slide with an academic title and your name.
                           How to write a title LINK HERE: Writing an academic title
10. 5 images minimum throughout presentation.. must be cited on page of image and in works cited page.

Citation Questions:
MLA In-text Citation
Cite a book
Cite a Film
Cite a Digital Image
Sample Works Cited Page

This date is significant in American History and representative of the best of the American/Human Spirit.... Please take some time to look through the stories that came out of the devastation and darkness. On this day, I think of a famous anecdote told by Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers)...

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'"

911 Memorial Site

Pentagon Memorial Site

Flight 93 Memorial Site

CSPAN Video Clips- 9/11

   

September 6th

1. Review the definition of APHORISM. Add to the aphorisms you have already gathered from The Alchemist. 

Small Groups:
Jalen
Logan
Hannah
Taylor

Brennan
Kierra
Parker

Karsyn
Vander
Seth
Natali

2. Continue the timeline of events in The Alchemist from your last point in your notes. This is an evaluation assignment... what are the most significant events that have occurred? What do they lead to? How do they develop characterization?

3. Finish reading The Alchemist for Friday, September 8th.

Tuesday, September 5th

1. Keep up with the reading schedule. The Alchemist is finished for Friday of this week.
2. Make sure that you have a list of APHORISMS in your notes from The Alchemist. This was assigned over a week ago... I will be checking your list on Wednesday, September 6th. Have these clearly marked in your notes.