REMINDERS

1. Your Seedfolks Open-Notes Quiz will take place on WEDNESDAY, October 1!

2. Bring your character wheels with you to use on your quiz. Afterwards, your finalized wheels will be collected and will count as a test grade.

3. Bring your notes from today's collage presentations so you can earn some extra credit on your quiz! (Good job today, by the way!)

4. Thursday and Friday will be spent in the computer lab. You will be working on a final creative writing project based on Seedfolks. This project will be DUE at the end of Friday's class period; budget your time accordingly! (Project details will be given out after you take your quiz on Wednesday.)

5. Be sure to bring in your copy of Seedfolks for collection. Failure to turn in a book means a) that you will be charged for it, and b) that YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE A COPY OF OUR NEXT NOVEL.

Outlook for Next Week: Mostly sunny with a chance of The Outsiders :)

See you in Room 215! Be good!

This Week in a NUTSHELL

*For a list of your on-going Seedfolks homework assignments, please see previous blog entry.
*Remember: we will be checking topic sentences for your open-ended question (How does the movie Nightjohn illustrate the importance of communty?) at the beginning of class tomorrow.

*For those of you who did not hand in your movie questions, please do so immediately! Don't forget, you are losing ten points for each day the assignment is late!

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1. This week, we will focus on our first formal writing assignment: an open-ended question response based on the movie Nightjohn. Today, we discussed requirements and scoring. We also looked at two example pieces (a "4" and a "0").

2. Tomorrow, we will make sure everyone is up and running with an effective and well-developed topic sentence. You will have a portion of the period to begin work on the rest of your paragraph. Whatever you do not finish will become homework.

3. Wednesday will be a peer editing/teacher conferencing day. In order to participate, you must have a rough draft! Please come prepared and ready to work productively!

4. We have set aside lab time on Thursday so you can type final drafts of your open-ended responses. This will also be a great opportunity to do final proofreading and editing of your work. Your final draft will be worth 50 points and will be collected at the end of the period; do a great job!

5. On Friday, we will be discussing Seedfolks, the concept of "social capital," and other ideas that go along with themes of community and connection.

To Thursday... and BEYOND!

PLEASE NOTE: YOUR NIGHTJOHN QUESTIONS - TYPED, IN COMPLETE SENTENCES, AND NEATLY ORGANIZED - ARE DUE ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22! THIS ASSIGNMENT COUNTS AS A 52 POINT QUIZ GRADE.

*For homework tonight (9/18), please read Chapters 3 ("Wendell") and 4 ("Gonzalo") of Seedfolks and complete the next two character wheels.

Remember, in the "What Character Says" section, choose a quote from the chapter and put it in the following format: "I walked back there that evening and checked on the beans. They'd picked themselves up and were looking fine" (15).

*The rest of your Seedfolks reading schedule is as follows:

for Monday, 9/22 - "Leona" and "Sam"

for Tuesday, 9/23 - "Virgil" and "Sae Young"

for Wednesday, 9/24 - "Curtis" and "Nora"

for Thursday, 9/25 - "Maricela" and "Amir"

for Friday, 9/26 - "Florence" and "From Seed to Seedfolks"

BE SURE TO COMPLETE A CHARACTER WHEEL FOR EACH CHAPTER! Include good details in each section!

Seedfolks, Nightjohn: Class Update

Good morning, Periods 3, 4, and 9,

*In class, we are watching the movie Nightjohn, which centers on two of our important themes: literacy and community. Make sure you are keeping up with the questions in class. Remember, answers must be typed and handed in for a QUIZ GRADE after we finish viewing the film.

*Today, you received our first class novel, Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. This novel, too, centers on the theme of community. We talked about the idea of a community garden and how it allows people in urban settings to connect in a common space and make things grow. Remember, tonight you must read the first two chapters, "Kim" and "Ana." Be sure to complete your CHARACTER WHEELS for these two chapters.

*These books are brand new, so take good care of them! Keep your novel in a safe place! Take good care of it, so you won't owe us money at the end of the unit!

Update - 9/11/08

Hello, Periods 3, 4, and 9! Here are some reminders for you:

1) For tonight, please review the article we read in class. There are six bold words listed on the back. Using context clues - and/or a dictionary if you are unsure - please define these terms as best you can. This homework will be checked TOMORROW (9/12); please make sure you are prepared.

2) Remember to have a parent review and sign the class late work/homework policy. The bottom portion must be returned by MONDAY! This, too, will count as a homework grade.

Have a fantastic weekend! Be safe and make good decisions.

First Blog Assignment

The following sentences were taken directly from last week's in-class writing on "connecting to others."

Each one contains an error or errors in spelling, punctuation, or sentence structure.

Please copy and paste the sentences into a new blog post on your page and retype them correctly. When you are finished, click "Publish Post." Happy blogging! :)

1. Its good to get to no others.
2. It is important because meeting new friends can be helpful throughout high school we can reach out to others and get to know them.
3. Its awesome to meet someone who is totally different then you.
4. We get to know what there like.
5. When your sad and you need someone to talk too you have a friend.
6. It is good to make new frends cause can never have enough.
7. Sometimes we need to meat knew people in order to grow.
8. Connecting to others is important weather your willing to or not is up to you.
9. You could learn alot about them.
10. Friends some times bring out the best in you. Show you who you truly are.

Practice

Hello, Periods 3, 4, and 9! Here are some directions to follow to really get your blogs up and running so that you can get the most out of them! Ready? Here we go:

1. Open a new window and go to your blog page. Click "View Blog." Click "Customize" in the top right corner.

2. Click the "E-mail" tab.

3. If you are in Period 3 or 9, type cmancuso@hpregional.org, hstrout@hpregional.org into the BlogSend Address box. Click "Save Settings." (This step will allow all your blog posts to be automatically e-mailed to both of us!)

4. If you are in Period 4, type hstrout@hpregional.org into the BlogSend Address box. Click "Save Settings." (This step will allow all your blog posts to be automatically e-mailed to Ms. Strout!)

5. Go back to your blog page. Again, click "Customize." This time, click "Add a Gadget."

6. Scroll down until you see "Link List." Click the "+" sign on the right.

7. If you are in Period 3 or 9, type "Ms. Mancuso/Ms. Strout's Page" in the title box. In the "New Site URL" box, type the following: hsmenglish.blogspot.com. Click "Add Link." Click "Save."

8. If you are in Period 4, type "Ms. Strout's Page" in the title box. In the "New Site URL" box, type the following: hsmenglish.blogspot.com. Click "Add Link." Click "Save."

9. Go back to your blog page and click on the new link you created. It should bring you to our class page!

10. Once you are back on the class page, leave a comment to show that you can use that feature. Click "0 Comments." Write a short note in the "Leave Your Comment" box. Click "Publish Your Comment."

11. Congratulate yourself on a job well done!