Genesis: Reading continued in workshop format.  Students completed their science fiction literature circle discussions this week.  They also gained experience with a reader-response critical approach to literature through the “letter-essay” (the reading workshop literature by Nancie Atwell).  Students developed and turned in letter-essay body paragraphs that explored personal understanding of a text.

Legacy: Students watched and responded to The Day the Earth Stood Still, and also reviewed class graduation speeches.  Next week we will have our special goodbye G/E class.

Explorers: Students worked with the House Theater to develop dramatizations of their science fiction plot concepts.  Next week we will have our special goodbye G/E class.

Genesis: Reading Block 2: Paragraphs and sentence openers due Monday 6/1 at latest.  Reading Block 3: None.  (Writing: Final portfolios due Monday 6/1!)

Legacy: Any straggling reading logs are due by Tuesday 6/2.

Explorers: None.

Genesis: Your final literature circle discussion/role sheet packet is due tomorrow 5/29!

Legacy: Turn in your log of independent reading books for Trimester 3 by the end of the week.

Explorers: None.

Genesis: Block 2 Reading: Literature Circle #2 Meeting/Role Sheet due Wednesday 5/27!  Last meeting/role sheet on Friday!

Legacy: Turn in independent reading log by the end of the week.

Explorers: None.

Genesis X Block: Students worked on filming/storyboarding clips for iMovie editing.

Genesis: After book chats, students chose their science fiction literature circle books and began reading them during workshop.  We held our first literature circle meeting.  We focused on four-line grammar analysis skills, and students practiced identifying nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions in sentences.  Students continued developing their choice writing portfolios in writing workshop.

Legacy: Students developed and completed their final Fahrenheit 451 assessment.  This “learning agenda” helped students reflect on the nature of dystopia in the novel while practicing text analysis skills.  All students created incredible extensions to the book!

Explorers: Students worked on their science fiction story development using plot line elements.  They pitched their work to their fellow classmates for next week’s House Theatre work.

Genesis: Literature Circle Discussion #2 on Wednesday 5/27!

Legacy: Turn in Trimester 3 reading logs by 5/29.

Explorers: None.

Genesis: Prepare reading and role sheet for Literature Circle #2 (Block 2: due Wed 5/27).  Study sheet for Friday 5/22’s grammar quiz!

Legacy: Continue work on differentiated final assessment for Fahrenheit 451 (Block 2: due Thu 5/21; Block 3: Fri 5/22)

Explorers: Independent Reading Contract due Thursday (Block 5).  Science Fiction Project collaboration this week!

Genesis: Prepare reading and role sheet for Literature Circle #1 (Block 2: due Wed 5/20; Block 3: Thu 5/21)

Legacy: Continue work on differentiated final assessment for Fahrenheit 451 (Block 2: due Thu 5/21; Block 3: Fri 5/22)

Explorers: Independent Reading Contract due Wednesday.  Science Fiction Project collaboration this week!

Genesis: Prepare reading and role sheet for Literature Circle #1 (Block 2: due Wed 5/20; Block 3: Thu 5/21)

Legacy: Continue work on differentiated final assessment for Fahrenheit 451 (Block 2: due Thu 5/21; Block 3: Fri 5/22)

Explorers: Independent Reading Contract due Wednesday.  Science Fiction Project this week!

Genesis: We wrapped up our Civil War literature circles this week.  Students had chosen the book in this genre last week, reading Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Mary E. Lyons or Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen.  I was impressed by the quality and depth of students’ literature circle discussions.  Literature circles depend on individual student contribution, and the level of role sheet discussion preparation that students completed for homework was high.  They did a fantastic job Discussion Directoring, Illuminatoring, and Connectoring!  We also focused on grammar/4-line grammar analysis this week, analyzing Phillis Wheatley’s diction after responding to critical thinking questions emerging from one of her poems.  Students will be assessed on their parts of speech mastery next week.  In preparation for their quiz, they are working on collaborative stories that apply the parts of speech with a memorable context/concept.

Legacy: Students developed RAFTs informed by their reading of Fahrenheit 451.  A RAFT is a curriculum strategy that relates Role, Audience, Format, and Topic.  This differentiated approach allow students to exercise creativity within a critical response to a text.  Students’ RAFTs are going well!  They are due Monday 5/18.  We also kept up on our current events with a reading of the article “Don’t!” from this week’s New Yorker.  The article linked self-control capability with future academic/life success–ask your student about it!  Students designed their own experiments to continue the studies’ research during X Block.

Explorers: Students developed their graduation speeches during writing workshop time.  These speeches explored a theme that could communicate an audience “call to action”; students worked to integrate famous quotations with their recollection of personal experiences.  Students also read and discussed selected science fiction stories and in preparation for a collaborative project next week.