Friday, January 15, 2010

Happy Friday! Today we spent some time going over a little packet that I put together to help you with your revisions of your final Kaffir Boy essay. Click here to download.

In addition, click here to download the supplemental grammar packet that contains info on how to correct some common grammatical errors. These resources came from Writers Inc. and Painless Grammar, two really helpful writing books that we will be referencing again several times over the semester.

The rest of the period was spent having some Friday Fun - Musical Round Robin Writing!! I can't wait to read your goofy stories on Tuesday.

Enjoy the long weekend and as always, don't get arrested. REMEMBER...YOUR FINAL ESSAY SUBMISSION IS DUE ON MY ACCESS BY MONDAY NIGHT AT 11:59 PM! EMAIL ME IF YOU NEED ANY LAST MINUTE HELP OR IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Today we finished Amandla!, discussed it as a class, and watched some of the additional special features, one of which happened to be a sing-along, which many of you loudly participated in! You kids are such goofballs. =)

After completing your viewing guide and turning it in, we wrapped up our discussion of the book and also checked out Mark Mathabane's website, which contains many photographs of his life both in Alexandra and in the United States as well as videos and resources to learn more about Africa. Click here to visit the site.

We also spent some time talking about the devastating earthquake in Haiti and some things you could do to help. One way to help is to donate ten bucks to the Red Cross. Text the word "Haiti" to 90999.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Today, following a brief class discussion on some of the main points of the film Amandla!, we went over some of the questions on your video guide and then continued watching the documentary. We will finish this up on Thursday during class, and I will collect your viewing guides then.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Today we began watching the amazing documentary film Amandla! and responding to some critical thinking questions as you watched. Click here to download the viewing guide.

Currently I am in the process of uploading feedback on your drafts on My Access. Your feedback will be available by Thursday, and you will have until SUNDAY NIGHT AT 11PM to revise and submit your final essay draft. To view my comments, click on the voice bubble icon and you should see sections of your draft highlighted in blue. Click the hyperlink for each and a window containing my comment should pop up. In the meantime, you will have the opportunity to complete additional submissions if you like, just email me to give me a heads up if you want me to take a look at it.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Today was our second day in the writing lab. Based on the feedback you recieved from My Access when you submitted your first draft yesterday, you spent some time adding to and revising your essay. By the end of class today, you should have revised your first draft, submitted your draft a second time (make sure you have written a minimum of five paragraphs), and examined your score. I will be reading your drafts over the weekend and providing feedback for you to look over by Monday. Have a great weekend!!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Today we were in the computer lab to begin drafting your Kaffir Boy essay. Mountain Range has adopted a cool new online writing program called My Access, and this is what you will be using to write this essay. Click here for a copy of instructions for using My Access. Everything else you need is on your account, which is accessible from any computer with internet capabilities. We will be working on this mostly during class time in case you don't finish, in which case it will be up to you to work on it from home.

Click here to go to My Access.

Due Dates:

First draft submission by tonight, Thursday.
Second draft submission with revisions by the end of the day Friday.

Third and Final draft submissions by Tuesday (we will be working on it again during class on Monday.)

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Happy New Year!! I hope all of you had a wonderful vacation and are looking forward to the last half of the school year...

Today, as planned, you took an open book quiz on the remaining chapters of Kaffir Boy which you had to finish over break. The rest of the week this week will be spent working on your essay assessment for this unit and finishing up some last book activities.

Good to have you back! =)

December 18, 2009

Have a great break!! Enjoy your holidays and get some rest! Don't forget, you need to finish Kaffir Boy by Tuesday, January 5 and complete the constructed response. You will have a reading quiz on the book when you return. Download the constructed response sheet by clicking here.

Webquest: Kaffir Boy and Apartheid South Africa

Today you will be conducting some research and obtaining some important background knowledge to supplement our reading of Kaffir Boy. The information you will collect in this webquest will also support what you will be doing in Ms.Cody's class these next few weeks.

Your Webquest and accompanying packet are due today by the end of class. Anyone that is off task will result in a loss of points. Good luck!

Step 1. Download the packet by clicking here or getting a copy from the P: Drive under the "Teachers" folder (directions on board.) This will be the packet that you fill out and turn in.

Step 2. Follow the instructions on the packet. Here are the links you will be visiting for each step:

1. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/lo/countries/za/za_overview.html

2. http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~cale/cs201/apartheid.hist.html

3. http://africanhistory.about.com/library/bl/blsalaws.htm

4. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/mandela/

Step 3. Once you have completed your Webquest, address the following question below and post your responses here as a comment to this post. Type your response first in a Word document, proofread and save. Copy and paste the text into the "Comment" field, don't forget your name and class period, choose the "Anonymous" option unless you have a Google account, and click "Publish Your Comment."

Consider our unit essential question and theme: How do societies use power to affect change? Based on what you have learned about Apartheid so far, how did the government exercise their power to affect change in South Africa? What were some of those changes?

Please respond in a well-developed paragraph. This is due by Friday, before class.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Today, we reviewed Chapters One and Two in class. We also discussed your assignment, your Reader's Response #1. Click here to download. This is due on Thursday, so don't forget! The rest of the period was spent independently reading. For homework, please read to Chapter 6 by Thursday.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Today, to prepare for reading Kaffir Boy, we conducted a gallery walk. Posted around our room were various images and quotes regarding Apartheid in South Africa. As you walked around the room, you recorded your personal responses and questions regarding each quote or image. Everyone then returned to their seats and we discussed the themes that emerged from viewing these images and quotes. Oppression, poverty, racism, discrimination, freedom, conflict, power, and protest were all themes that you suggested and that we recorded on the board. Next, we discussed your predictions about what this book is about, based on what you saw in the gallery walk. After sharing your thoughts, you got out your notes and took down some definitions to some key terms, including what Apartheid actually is and what the word "kaffir" means. After a brief power point and slide show, I passed out your books and we read Chapter One aloud in class. For homework, please read Chapter 2 by Tuesday.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Today students took a test on Falling Leaves and I collected your books. If you were absent, you have until next Wednesday to make it up!

Monday will mark the beginning of our new unit - Africa and Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane. Yay!!!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Today you shared your vocabulary books and I checked them for completion. We also went over what will be on the Falling Leaves test tomorrow. Remember, the test covers up to page 140. The rest of the period was spent participating in small group discussion and review of the book, and also composing a MEAL paragraph that asks you to apply our unit essential question to the content of Falling Leaves, which was due at the end of class. To help you study, please see the vocabulary review power point by clicking here.

Good luck! =) Please email me by 8pm tonight if you have any questions. megan.l.alvarez@adams12.org.

Monday and Tuesday, November 9-10, 2009

We integrated with Ms. Cody these past two days to participate in a simulation to prepare you for your social studies unit on India. After viewing a power point that introduces the Indian social caste system and taking notes, the class broke into groups and established rules for each caste for the classroom. Names were then drawn out of a hat to determine which caste each student was assigned. Each student was also assigned two students to observe during our two integrated periods this week. Your observations (and ours) will help determine each student's grade according to positive dharma and karma. The remainder of the period was spent working on a specific task in your caste group related to Falling Leaves. Click here to see the weekly calendar and instructions, and see me if you have any questions.

For homework, read to page 140 by Thursday.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Today you took a quiz on Chapters 1-7 in the book. If you were absent, you have until Wednesday to make it up, so don't forget to see me if this is the case! For homework, please read to page 117 by Monday.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Today we spent some time discussing the reading and going over some key scenes and passages in Falling Leaves. I also collected your Chapter 1-6 questions. We reviewed our vocabulary terms, and then the rest of the period was spent doing some independent reading. For homework, please read to page 90.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

NO CLASSES TODAY - EXPLORE/PLAN TESTING FOR 9TH GRADE

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Today we briefly went over the reading and then spent the majority of the period creating vocab flip books using vocabulary terms from the text. The books you created in class today are going to be used and added to throughout the unit, so don't lose them! See me if you were absent and need instructions on how to make them. Click here for Vocab List #1. In your vocab books you need to include the following:
1. the word and the part of speech
2. a picture or comic that represents the definition
3. a sentence that uses the word correctly

For homework, please read to page 74 by Thursday.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Today we continued discussing some key themes in our new book, Falling Leaves, and connected them to our unit theme and essential questions. We went over the first chapter and prologue, looked at a brief power point that covered some background info about China and about foot binding, and then you spent the rest of the period independently reading. For homework, please read to page 34 (Chapters 2-4.)

October 31, 2009

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Be safe this weekend and don't get arrested. =) Here is a funny Halloween story to enjoy:

Us and Them by David Sedaris

Here are some other ones that I love. Feel free to post your favorites here, too.

1. Bunnicula by Deborah Howe

2. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

3. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

4. Haunted: Stories of the Grotesque by Joyce Carol Oates

5. The Telltale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe

6. The Witches by Roald Dahl