Wednesday, November 30

Starter:  Review project description for Part 4. On a scratch paper, answer the following questions.

• NAME
• What genre will your project employ?
• What perspective do you hope to communicate?
• What appeals do you intend to use?
• What needs do you have?

CRITIQUE TOMORROW
Sketch, draft, idea, or whatever you have so far....

Work Time:

1. Essay Revisions (inlcuding sentence craft: active verbs and conciseness!  See yesterday's resources)

2. I-Controversy Parts 4 and 5  (CRITIQUE ON PART 4 TOMORROW!)

3. Conference with Jessica?

4. Honors:  Sign up for a conference with me this week when you are done with your draft.

5. Read 1984.  The goal is to be through Section 1 by Friday.

Tuesday, November 29

Announcements:

• Wednesday is normal school schedule.  Friday is modified day with classes in the morning and NEST in the PM.
• EXHIBITION is next Wednesday, December 7 at iAM Music from 5:30-7:30.  Because of space, each of you will be required to exhibit for one hour of the two.  The other hour you can spend as audience members, engaging your peers in substantive dialogue.
• Exhibition crew:  Can we check in?  Does anyone want to make an exhibition poster?  PR?

Starter: Review rubric and my comments.  Everyone has an opportunity for further revision!  Sign up for conference with me?

IMPROVE YOUR SENTENCE CRAFT!

Conciseness (or "streamlining") and Active Verbs

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.— William Strunk Jr. in “The Elements of Style”

Review these resources and apply the wisdom to your essay: 

Conciseness

1. Some strategies on making your writing more concise. (Source: Purdue OWL)

2. Writing Clearly and Concisely (Source:  Professional Communication Society)

Active Verbs 

1.  Active vs. Vague

2.  Active vs. Passive

Work Time:

1. Essay Revisions (inlcuding sentence craft: active verbs and conciseness!)

2. I-Controversy Parts 4 and 5 

3. Conference with Jessica?

4. Honors:  Sign up for a conference with me this week when you are done with your draft.

5. Read 1984.  The goal is to be through Section 1 by Friday.

Friday, November 18

Starter:  What are you thankful for?


By the end of the hour today...

• Submit Parts 1-3 of your I-Controversy project with the cover letter in the body of the email (see below for cover letter prompts)
• Show me your sketch or let me know your idea for Part 4. We will have a critique of our sketches/ideas on Wednesday, November 30
• Check out a copy of 1984
• Honors:  Submit your inquiry question and your sources to me by email.  We will conference the week after break about your essay.  A first draft is due at the time of your conference.  

Possible uses of your work time:

• Do you want another critique?  Exchange projects with a peer and give each other some feedback!
• Final refinements of your essay
• Work on Parts 4 and/or 5
• Read 1984
• Honors research and drafting

Thursday, November 17

PROJECT WORK TO DO LIST

• Refine Parts 1-3
• Sketch/plan Part 4
• Work on Part 5 (Reflection)
• Honors essay
• Conference with Jessica?
• Let Jessica know if you need any materials for your visual project
• Check out and READ 1984

When you submit Parts 1-3, don't forget about cover letter!  (Scroll down to yesterday)


1984 Reading (or listening) Due Dates
Part One (pp 1-104): by Friday, December 2
Part Two (pp.105-224):  by Friday December 9
Part Three (pp. 225-326):  by Friday, January 6
SEMINAR:  Monday, January 9

If you prefer, you may listen to the audio.  If you do this, please follow along in the reading!

Wednesday, November 16

Starter:  Sign up for Osprey Week!

Parts 4 and 5 Revised

Mini-lesson:  Visual Rhetoric 
Go take a tour of Ashley's class project on display in the hallway.

• Sketch/Project Proposal for Part 4 due on Friday, November 18
• Exhibition December 7 at IAM Music Institute

FINAL REVISIONS FOR PARTS 1-3
1. Self-Critique for Parts 2 and 3


2. Optional: During work time, trade essays with a partner and give each other a critique on the same parameters.

3. “COVER LETTER”:  When you submit your final draft to me, please include answers to the following questions in the body of the email:

1. When you look at the rubric, which areas do you think you are most successful in?  Explain.
2. Which areas do you believe you need to work on most?  If you could keep revising, what would you do? Explain.
3. Which of your arguments do you think is stronger?  Why?

Tuesday, November 15

TODAY'S OBJECTIVE:  Finish Parts 1-3 IN THEIR ENTIRETY!!!!  

If you made alternative arrangements for your critique, please carry through with that plan.

If you are done and want to preview the project reset of Part 4, you can do that here.

If you want to begin writing your reflection, it can also be located on page 2 of the same document.

Honors:  Research!

WHO NEEDS A CONFERENCE????

Monday, November 14

LAST PROJECT PUSH BEFORE BREAK!

• Parts 1-3 due Wednesday for final critique.  Due FINAL FINAL by Friday at the end of class.
• We are changing up Part 4 a bit. Switching from performance piece to visual expression (which could be a video-taped performance!). More info coming...
• Conference with me this week!
• Honors Crew:  Let's check in right now!

CRITIQUE: PART 3

Groups of 3:  Share your document with both of your partners.  Partners should each make a fresh copy and share the copy right back with you.

Analysis...

• Highlight what you believe to be the THESIS in yellow.  
• Comment in the margin if you have suggestions on how to improve the thesis statement.
• Highlight the TOPIC SENTENCE of each sentence in blue.  
• Is the topic sentence clear and does it establish the focus of the paragraph?  Does everything in the paragraph work to support the topic sentence?  Comment in the margins on these elements.
• Highlight where you see concrete EVIDENCE in green.
• Is there evidence missing?  Are they adequately connecting the evidence to the overall argument?  Comment in the margins on these elements.
• Check the MLA citations.  Is the author setting them up the way that you understand to be correct?

***If you cannot locate these different elements clearly, comment such in the margins.

Feedback...

Review the Writing Rubric

Use the criteria in the rubric to give AT LEAST 3 substantial pieces of feedback in the margins on how the author can improve the essay.

When finished critiquing both, work on revising and drafting Part 1-3.

Friday, November 11

Get great work done today, students!  I hope you all have an industrious Friday and a fabulous weekend!


Draft of Part #3 Due Monday!!!


TO DO
1. Please review the following writing resources.  In my experience as a writer and a writing teacher, attention to these elements can greatly improve the fluency and sophistication of your writing.  Find places in your essays that could benefit from this writing wisdom.

• Active/Passive Voice
• Conciseness

2. If you did not do so yesterday, please review guidelines for MLA citations.

• Please review the guidelines for setting up quotes.
• MLA In-text Citations
• Revise your own citations according to MLA Guidelines

3. Review this sample Works Cited pages and ensure that you are formatting yours correctly: .  Click around on the OWL's resources to examine how to construct these citations.  Here is the one for electronic sources.  If you use a citation generator, check it against the sample.

4.  If you did not do so yesterday, email an exit ticket:

• What successes are you having in this project?
• What strugs? 

5. Honors:  Work on research for your historical analysis essay.  By Monday, submit your topic and a list of resources that you plan on using.  

Thursday, November 10

Starter:

On the whiteboards, craft your THESIS FOR PART #3

Part 3 – Look carefully at the con side. (750 Words Min., Third Person, 3 Sources Min.)

• Thesis Generator:  Overall, where is the con side coming from?  What is driving this side of the argument?
• In this section, be sure to present the best arguments for the con side, and analyze those arguments using some criteria, framework, or classification system.  For example, you might look at the ideological and factual arguments separately; or, you might focus your analysis on the quality or character of the sources; or you might demonstrate how each part of the argument boils down to some foundational American ideal.  
• Min. Requirements: Proper in-text citation and use of quotes, use of 3rd person argumentative style of writing, works cited page, at least one reference to an ideological stance or American value you see connected to the arguments on this side.

Self-critique and revise it based on the criteria:

Good claims…

• are debatable
• are specific and focused
• avoid stating the obvious
• are clearly and eloquently stated
• avoid the first person (AVOID “I think, I believe, My opinion is, etc.”)
• can be supported with sufficient evidence

MLA citations:  

• Please review the guidelines for setting up quotes.
• MLA In-text Citations
• Revise your own citations according to MLA Guidelines

Work Time Today...

• If you need to conference with me, let's do that today!
• Revise Parts 1 and 2 with an attention to the rubric and yesterday's feedback.
• Finish yesterday's critique if you were unable to do so yesterday.
• Draft of Part 3 due for critique on Monday.

EXIT TICKET:

What successes are you having in this project?

What strugs?

Wednesday, November 9

CRITIQUE

Groups of 3:  Share your document with both of your partners.  Partners should each make a fresh copy and share the copy right back with you.



Analysis...

• Highlight what you believe to be the THESIS in yellow.  
• Comment in the margin if you have suggestions on how to improve the thesis statement.
• Highlight the TOPIC SENTENCE of each sentence in blue.  
• Is the topic sentence clear and does it establish the focus of the paragraph?  Does everything in the paragraph work to support the topic sentence?  Comment in the margins on these elements.
• Highlight where you see concrete EVIDENCE in green.
• Is there evidence missing?  Are they adequately connecting the evidence to the overall argument?  Comment in the margins on these elements.

***If you cannot locate these different elements clearly, comment such in the margins.

Feedback...

Review the Writing Rubric

Use the criteria in the rubric to give AT LEAST 3 substantial pieces of feedback in the margins on how the author can improve the essay.

When finished critiquing both, work on revising and drafting Part 3.

Tuesday, November 8

Announcements:
Think-tankers:  Let's check in today!

Modified due dates:  
Critique Part 2 on Wednesday, November 9
Critique Part 3 on Monday, November 14
Parts 1-3 due November 16


Starter:  Please write your thesis statement down on the mini-whiteboard


Mini-lesson:  Making claims
Revise your thesis statement based on these criteria!

Good claims…

• are debatable
• are specific and focused
• avoid stating the obvious
• are clearly and eloquently stated
• avoid the first person (AVOID “I think, I believe, My opinion is, etc.”)
• can be supported with sufficient evidence

Please get out your project plan (show me!) and use it to compose your draft.

Monday, November 7

Dear students:
Alas, I will miss you today, but I am confident in your ability to be industrious and do beautiful work.  At this point, you should have already turned in your research notes and be ready to draft Parts 2 and 3 of your I-Controversy.  I have decided to push the first critique back to Wednesday, November 9 to give you an extra day to work on the draft of Part 2.  You are welcome.


Exhibition Think Tank meeting tomorrow at lunch!


Today, please do the following:

1. STUDENT MODEL ANALYSIS

Make a copy of the STUDENT SAMPLE ESSAY.  Read through Part 2 carefully and annotate according the following instructions.

• Highlight what you believe to be the THESIS in yellow.
• Highlight the TOPIC SENTENCE of each sentence in blue.
• Highlight where you see concrete EVIDENCE in green.
• Answer as a comment on the document: How does looking at this model help you get a sense of what you need to do in your own project?

2. PLAN YOUR ESSAY 
If you have an outlining/planning system that works for you, by all means, use it!

Let your plans include the following:

• What is your thesis?  How might you craft an engaging introduction that leads into it?
• What claims will you make that support your thesis?  What will be the focus of each paragraph?  Craft topic sentences that capture the supporting claims for your thesis.
• What evidence will you use to support the topic sentence in each paragraph?  (Are you missing evidence to support the claims?  Do you need to do more research?)
• How will you connect your evidence to the topic sentence with your analysis?  (What does your evidence show?)

Here is an ESSAY OUTLINE TEMPLATE if it helps you.  Not required, but use it if you are so inclined.

3.  DRAFT PART 2!!!!!!!!  Be ready with a complete draft for critique on Wednesday.

Thursday, November 3

Starter: (on scrap paper) What are your goals for work time today?

PROJECT WORK
1. Try to wrap up research.  Please submit research notes by tomorrow at midnight.
2. Begin drafting Part 2 if you are ready. 
3. Use your time wisely!!!
4. Conferences

Exit ticket:  (on same paper as starter)  Where are you in your project process?  What do you need to do moving forward?

EXHIBITION THINK TANK MEETING TUESDAY AT LUNCH!  Thanks to all who are willing to participate in this!

Advisory: College Counseling Info

Reminders: Tonight! Jess is doing a Scholarship and Financial Aid Understanding Information Session from 5pm-7pm in the Commons. You and your parents should come.

FAFSA INFO! IMPORTANT INFO!!

1. The FAFSA is a free application you and your parents fill out  for federal aid for college.
2. This application determines two things: first if you qualify for the pell grant ($5,750 in free money) and determines what amount of student loans you qualify for. Second: it generates your EFC (estimated family contribution) the amount the federal government believes your family is able to spend on college.
3. Your EFC is electronically sent to each college you apply to and your colleges build financial aid packages based off of this number.
4. You always want to fill out the FAFSA even if you don’t qualify for the pell grant because the document will be used within your college and many scholarships.
5. The FAFSA opened up in October of this year and you will use your parents and your 2015 taxes to complete. Make sure to fill it out as soon as possible for the maximum amount of aid.

***Jess will go over more of this information in her information session this evening. ***

Activity: Uploading Schools Students have applied to in Naviance.

(Follow instructions in the link)

Wednesday, November 2

Project Work Time:  Keep on keeping on...
Follow yesterday's guidelines for work time.


Please be mindful that you are researching with RELIABLE SOURCES.  Here is a checklist to determine the quality of your sources.

Tuesday, November 1st

STARTER:  Google Form on project topic/question

EXHIBITION THINK TANK?

Please sign up on the board if you are interested in helping design a dope exhibition.  

PROJECT WORK TIME

1. Conferences:  Please check conference schedule to make sure you are on it.  If you signed up for today but did not turn in your essay, you will likely go Thursday.
2. Research this week for Parts 2 and 3.  If you have not already begun, here is the template for the research notes.  Research notes due on Thursday, November 4.
3. Review Model Essays for Part 2 and 3

HONORS: Preview Document-based Historical Analysis Essay

This link exists now on my project tab, for your reference….

CLICK HERE FOR GOOGLE FOLDER OF RESOURCES FOR I-CONTROVERSY PROJECT