Grades Updated

All grades on Pinnacle are currently up to date with respect to work handed in in class and through Google Drive.

Keep up to date on your grades through Pinnacle:
In school: 192.168.8.7/Pinnacle/PIV
Outside of school: http://pinweb.lisbonschoolsme.org/pinnacle/piv

12.20 - Assignment Completion and Revision

At the beginning of class today, we watched two videos of baby sloths to help soothe and relax everyone before getting into our work. The focus for today was on completing and revising assignments before break.

The break is an opportunity for everyone to get caught up on and revise work. What was not finished today in class should be finished when we return from break. Assignments which we were focused on today include:

Poetry Out Loud theme prompt

Poetry and Language

Summary, Paraphrase, and Quoting Exercise

Research Project:
find resources (at least 7)
add resources to their bibliography
create note cards (40 overall)

Individuals should also be working on any other assignments that they need to complete or revise.

The sloth videos from today were:

Homework:

If you have not done so already, everyone should have their 7 sources (at least) and at least 10 notecards for their research project.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

Keep up to date on your grades through Pinnacle:
In school: 192.168.8.7/Pinnacle/PIV
Outside of school: http://pinweb.lisbonschoolsme.org/pinnacle/piv

12.19 - Research (Sources, Bibliography, Notecards)

We spent today in the library computer lab where everyone had time to find resources, add resources to their bibliography, and create note cards for their research project.

For the research project, everyone should have:

7 sources (more are fine)
40 notecards which summarize, paraphrase, or quote resources.


Homework:

Continue to gather resources and create notecards.
By the end of break, everyone should have their seven sources and at least 10 notecards.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

 

Keep up to date on your grades through Pinnacle:
In school: 192.168.8.7/Pinnacle/PIV
Outside of school: http://pinweb.lisbonschoolsme.org/pinnacle/piv

12.18 - Poem Themes

In today's class we were looking at the themes and significance of the poems that people selected to recite for Poetry Out Loud. We first finished the recitations that we did not get to yesterday.

Everyone then had the period to work on their response to the Poetry Out Loud theme prompt.
I was on hand to answer questions.

During this time, individuals also took turns going online to fill out the Endicott Research survey about their perceptions of our school.


Homework:



Finish the Poetry Out Loud theme prompt if you did not do so today in class.

Complete the Summary, Paraphrase, and Quoting Exercise sheet and the Poetry and Language sheet if you have not yet done so.

Continue finding resources for your research paper related to your class project.

Complete work associated with your team's project as necessary.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

Keep up to date on your grades through Pinnacle:
In school: 192.168.8.7/Pinnacle/PIV
Outside of school: http://pinweb.lisbonschoolsme.org/pinnacle/piv

12.17 - Poetry Out Loud Presentations

At the beginning of class today, we finished the remaining Poetry Out Loud recitations.

We then went down to the library where everyone had time to find resources, add resources to their bibliography, and create note cards for their research project.

For the research project, everyone should have at least seven sources (more are fine) and 40 notecards which summarize, paraphrase, or quote resources.


Homework:

Finish the “Poetry and Language” sheet if you have not yet done so.

Complete the Summary, Paraphrase, and Quoting Exercise sheet and the Poetry and Language sheet if you did not do so in class.

Continue finding resources for your research paper related to your class project.

Complete work associated with your team's project as necessary.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

Keep up to date on your grades through Pinnacle:
In school: 192.168.8.7/Pinnacle/PIV
Outside of school: http://pinweb.lisbonschoolsme.org/pinnacle/piv

12.16 - Poetry Out Loud Performances

We started today's class with a review of the Poetry Out Loud rubric. In reviewing the rubric, we got familiar with the poem "Litany" by Billy Collins. We then used the Poetry Out Loud performance rubric to assess a recitation of the poem by a three-year-old fan. Below are the videos we watched in class.

After everyone had a chance to evaluate the three-year-old's performance, we discussed the rubric. Students then had a few moments to review their poems and we used the rest of the class to deliver recitations.

We will have time tomorrow to complete the last few recitations and have follow-up recitations for anyone who feels their recitation today did not represent their best form.


Homework:

Finish the “Poetry and Language” sheet if you have not yet done so.

Complete the Summary, Paraphrase, and Quoting Exercise sheet and the Poetry and Language sheet if you did not do so in class.

Continue finding resources for your research paper related to your class project.

Complete work associated with your team's project as necessary.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

Keep up to date on your grades through Pinnacle:
In school: 192.168.8.7/Pinnacle/PIV
Outside of school: http://pinweb.lisbonschoolsme.org/pinnacle/piv

12.13 - Summary, Paraphrase, Quoting Review & Poetry Out Loud Recitations

We started class today by reviewing the Summary, Paraphrase, and Quoting Exercise with which everyone was working yesterday. We did this by way of also looking at how to create note cards that use these elements in Noodle Tools. A screencast of this review is available below (while not the most concise review, it does cover the main points).

We then took a look at the “Poetry and Language” sheet which will help everyone get into some specific analysis of their poem. This will be helpful next week when we close this unit with some in-class writing analyzing individuals' poems.  To review this sheet, I shared a copy which I had completed for my poem (Poetry and Language exemplar). In looking at this example we covered the following two main points for unfamiliar words and familiar words.

1 - Unfamiliar Words - If there are words that you don't know, look the words up in the dictionary. Then explain what that part of the poem means accounting for your new understanding of the word.

2 - Familiar Words - For words that you do know, look up their meaning in the dictionary to get a sense for how they are different from other similar words (e.g. how is "terrible" different from "bad"). Then discuss how that word relates to the meaning of the poem (why did the author say "terrible" when they could have said "bad"? How does "terrible" affect the meaning of the poem).

Everyone had about fifteen minutes to revise previous responses if necessary or complete the assignment. Further revisions or work on the assignment should be completed for homework if it was not completed in class.

We then took a look at the Poetry Out Loud competition scoring rubric that we will be using to assess students' performances. I went over the rubric with everyone and then we watched a sample Poetry Out Loud performance for the poem "The Song of Powers."

We then created a presentation order on a volunteer basis. I ended up presenting my poem, "To a Mouse". Recitations are being recorded so that I can assess the overall performance in class and then go back and assess the accuracy of the recitation later. This is also helpful if anyone has a question about why they received a particular score. People will be able to recite their poem another time if they wish to improve their score.

We will finish presenting poems on Monday.


Homework:

Be prepared to present your Poetry Out Loud recitation for Monday if you did not present today.

Finish the “Poetry and Language” sheet if you did not do so today in class.

Complete the Summary, Paraphrase, and Quoting Exercise sheet and the Poetry and Language sheet if you did not do so in class.

Continue finding resources for your research paper related to your class project.

Complete work associated with your team's project as necessary.

Complete/revise work as appropriate. 

12.12 - Summary, Paraphrase, and Quoting (Substitute)

I was out sick from class today so a substitute was covering the class today. The directions for the substitute were as follows:

Students should complete the “Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation Exercise” sheet.
They should have a copy of an article from their research project to use for this.
If they don’t they can print one from one of the back computers (they should find the paper, print it, and then be done with the computer).

Students can then complete the “Poetry and Language” sheet using their Poetry Out Loud poem.
They should have a copy of their poem. There are some black and yellow books behind the teacher’s desk if they don’t have their poem. They can also print the poem from the Poetry Out Loud site.

If students have extra time they can do any of the following:
    complete the “Poem Tones” worksheet they got on Tuesday.
    quietly work at memorizing their Poetry Out Loud Poem
    other work that can be completed independently




Homework:

Complete the Summary, Paraphrase, and Quoting Exercise sheet and the Poetry and Language sheet if you did not do so in class.

Practice your Poetry Out Loud poem in preparation for our presentations on Friday.

Continue finding resources for your research paper related to your class project.

Complete work associated with your team's project as necessary.

Complete/revise work as appropriate. 

12.11 - Project Team Meetings and Research

We started class today by reviewing what makes effective meeting minutes (clear, specific details).
Project teams then had 15 minutes to meet in which one person in each group kept the official minutes. Priority in keeping minutes should be directed to people who have not yet taken any minutes and then to anyone who needs to revise their meeting minute grade.

I presented each group with specific questions to address in their group and take note of in their minutes (see below).

(Click Image to Enlarge)

We then went down to the library to continue finding sources relevant to individuals' project topics.
For class tomorrow, everyone should have a useful article with which we will be able to work.


Homework:





Bring in a source for your research project that should be helpful to you in writing your paper.

Practice your Poetry Out Loud poem in preparation for our presentations on Friday.

Continue finding resources for your research paper related to your class project.

Complete work associated with your team's project as necessary.

Complete/revise work as appropriate. 

12.10 - Poet Warrior

We started today's class by watching two Poetry Out Loud performances from Poetry Out Loud's competitions. In watching these presentations everyone took note of the following two elements in their writer's journals:

1 - What tones do you see the performers using in their recitations? How do they communicate these tones to their audience?

2 - These performances are in a recitation style. Based on what you observe, what are some of the characteristics of the recitation style?

After everyone had a chance to respond to these questions, we discussed everyone's answers. Significant points that people noticed were:

Performers communicate their tone via expression in their voice, facial expression, how quickly or slowly they speak, how quietly or loudly they speak, and using pauses in their recitation.

Characteristics of the recitation style are delivering the poem while standing in one place, communicating emotion through the use of voice and facial expressions, and using dramatic hand gestures. While hand gestures are dramatic, we also noted how they were not over done. Gestures are used at very specific moments to make certain parts of the poem stand out.

We then began working with a Poetry and Tone sheet which will help everyone to start thinking about the tones and emotions that are present in their poem. Everyone had time to copy their poem out onto this sheet and to begin to analyze tone.

After 10 minutes, we took a break to practice reciting our poems. Everyone first practiced reciting their poem with a partner. I then introduced a recitation game called "Poet Warrior" that people could play with their partner as sort of a challenge and way to help keep the continued repetition engaging.

Details of this game are as follows:

(Click Images to Enlarge)

We practiced our poems until the last ten minutes of class. In the last ten minutes of class, everyone returned to working on their Poetry and Tone sheet (now hopefully with a better understanding of their poem through the additional practice in reciting and working with it).


Homework:

Practice your Poetry Out Loud poem in preparation for our presentations on Friday.


Continue finding resources for your research paper related to your class project.










Complete work associated with your team's project as necessary.

Complete/revise work as appropriate.

12.09 - Research

At the beginning of class today, we reviewed the research schedule for our research projects. We then went down to the library computer lab to continue doing research. In the lab, I handed out updated grade reports. For tomorrow, everyone should have an article related to their topic that should be useful to them in writing their paper.


Homework:

Bring in a source for your research project that should be helpful to you in writing your paper.

Complete work associated with your team's project as necessary.

Complete/revise work as appropriate.

12.06 - Finding Resources, Bibliography

Our focus for today's class was on finding research sources using Marvel and Google Scholar and then on using NoodleTools' bibliography feature to log and properly cite these sources. Information on these processes is available in the LHS Research Guide under the following sections:

Using Marvel
(For information on using Google Scholar see the tutorial screencast below)

Works Cited

NoodleTools Bibliography

I also recorded the tutorial given in class through the screen casts available below:

Homework:

Begin conducting research for sources that will help you to answer your research question and sub-questions.

Practice your Poetry Out Loud poem.

Work associated with your project as appropriate.  

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

Keep up to date on your grades through Pinnacle:
In school: 192.168.8.7/Pinnacle/PIV
Outside of school: http://pinweb.lisbonschoolsme.org/pinnacle/piv

12.05 - Using Questions to Start Searches

We started today's class with everyone working in their project teams to type up the research questions and sub-questions that teams generated yesterday after reviewing the LHS Research Guide documents on these areas. Groups then also worked to brainstorm relevant search terms that would help them find relevant information for their topics.

These pages were shared with me on Google Docs so that I could share them with the rest of the project team members and everyone would have access to them. If you need access to these documents, please contact Mr. Collins at ccollins@lisbonschoolsme.org .

We then reviewed these questions and search terms as a class to revise and edit them as well as to help give people a stronger sense of what makes an effective question. In this discussion I also addressed using search terms to find relevant information and then looking through good sources for other key words to use in future sources.

Researchers can also be thought of as "Information Predators."

(click image to enlarge)

We then went down to the computer lab and everyone had time to start trying out some of their search terms.


Homework:

Practice your Poetry Out Loud poem.

 

Work associated with your project as appropriate.  

 

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

 

Keep up to date on your grades through Pinnacle:
In school: 192.168.8.7/Pinnacle/PIV
Outside of school: http://pinweb.lisbonschoolsme.org/pinnacle/piv

12.04 - Research Questions and Search Terms

Our main focus of class today was getting ready to do research related to the projects that project teams have undertaken this semester. In preparation for this, everyone read the following sections from the LHS Research Guide:

Main Research Question
Sub Questions
Search Terms

and then summarized them using the Explain Like I'm Five summary format that we used for our work with the belongingness hypothesis.

Once everyone had completed this, project teams met to share what they had taken away with respect to these areas and to generate a research question and sub-questions that are relevant to their project area.

Homework:

Practice your Poetry Out Loud poem.

Work associated with your project as appropriate.  

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

Keep up to date on your grades through Pinnacle:
In school: 192.168.8.7/Pinnacle/PIV
Outside of school: http://pinweb.lisbonschoolsme.org/pinnacle/piv

12.03 - Poem Message and Imagery / Noodletools Sign Up

At the beginning of class today, everyone practiced reading their poem out loud for three minutes. In doing this, everyone was encouraged to read the poem once through and then repeat reading it until time was up or repeat specific sections until the end of the 3 minutes.

Next, we returned to working with the illustrated stanza sheet for the Poetry Out Loud poems people have selected. Today, we focused on the question on the back at the bottom of the sheet:

Identify some key images from the poem that you feel are important to the overall meaning of the poem.
Describe how these images enhance the overall meaning of the poem.

 

In class we discussed how these responses should contain the following pieces of information:

1- Identify and explain the theme/message of the poem (using examples from the poem).

2 - Two images/moments that are key to understanding/appreciating this theme.

3 - Discussion of why these images/moments are key to understanding this theme.

 

Everyone had about 20 minutes to respond to this question. 

 

We then went down to the library to get everyone signed up on Noodletools for our research project related to people's projects. In the sign up, everyone used the following information:

MLA - advanced for citation style

Project Names = FirstName LastName - Project (Senior Citizen Outreach, Ice Rink Renovation, or Winter Clothing Drive)

Projects were shared with the drop box "Civic Action 2013"

 

Homework:

If you did not do so in class, finish the processing question on the back of your illustrated stanza sheet for your poem.

 

Practice your Poetry Out Loud poem.

 

Work associated with your project as appropriate.  

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

 

Keep up to date on your grades through Pinnacle:
In school: 192.168.8.7/Pinnacle/PIV
Outside of school: http://pinweb.lisbonschoolsme.org/pinnacle/piv

12.02 - Illustrated Poetry & Belongingness Revisions

We started today's class by talking about memorization and how a key to memorization is connecting with what you are memorizing in different ways. One way that people have found helpful in connecting to something they have to memorize is to clearly visualize what they are saying.

To engage this memorization technique I provided students with an illustrated stanza sheet for their poem. I described how to go about completing this sheet. It is important for drawings to be detailed so that each person is very clearly developing clear visual imagery to go with their poem. This does not mean someone has to be a good artist, they just have to have a drawing with plenty of detail. I used the first stanza of my poem "To a Mouse" as an example in class (see below).

Illustrations should have more detail than this illustration.
Due to time constraints, I sketched out the first few ideas for my illustration.

Everyone then had 25 minutes to work on illustrating the stanzas (or visual sections) of their poem.
If you did not finish illustrating your poem in class, do so for homework.

We then reviewed class performance on the belongingness assignments (Explain Like I'm 5: Belongingness and letters to Rufus Wainwright regarding his song "One Man Guy). Overall feedback on class performance and specific information regarding how to approach the assignments is available below.

 

(click image to enlarge)

 (click image to enlarge) 

(click image to enlarge) 

 (click image to enlarge) 

Homework:

If you did not do so in class, finish your illustrated stanza sheet for your poem.

Complete or revise the ELI5: Belongingness or Hugg/Wainwright Response Letter as necessary.

Complete missing work and revise any assignment that scored below a 92.

 

Keep up to date on your grades through Pinnacle:
In school: 192.168.8.7/Pinnacle/PIV
Outside of school: http://pinweb.lisbonschoolsme.org/pinnacle/piv