MAP, or Measures of Academic Progress, testing in our classroom is ending tomorrow, and that means the real deal is about to begin. Student accountability never meant as much as it will in the coming weeks. Some of the things to look forward to are listed below.

  1. Student websites will be activated, and that means a Writer’s Workshop will be in full swing – better get those proofreader’s marks out.
  2. We will begin our first novel (well, it’s actually a novella), Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. Get ready to take a look at who you think you are and what your plans are for your future.
  3. Our first short fiction project-based learning (PBL) unit will commence right on time for All Hallows Eve.

Student Websites

The Great Student Blog Project is one of my favorite things we do. It empowers you to determine how you are viewed by the widest possible audience. It gives you a real sense of the importance of integrity, honesty, and empathy. You will definitely put yourself out there.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach is one of the easiest reads I have ever done, and yet one of the most important things I have ever read. It opens doors of self-perception you never knew were there. To cover this, I will read the book aloud, and you will work your way through the text by listening very carefully to come to your own very personal understanding of the text and yourself.

Fiction Unit #1 – Oooooh Scary!

Edgar Allan Poe, W.W. Jacobs, Shirley Jackson, Joan Aiken, and Frank R. Stockton will take us on a journey full of suspense, foreshadowing, twists, turns, and irony the likes of which you will never appreciate if you don’t read their work. This will be fun – not like one of my recent surprises. For this unit, you will listen to the story read by the actual authors, read aloud with classmates, read to yourself, and sometimes read by yourself. We will use these actual masterworks to gain exposure to this exciting genre while we work toward mastery of some of the most fundamental literary concepts & techniques.

In addition to all this, you will still be responsible to complete

  • Personal Novel Reading – Daily 20 minutes of reading in your personal novels which comes with logging your reading on your Independent Reading Logs and writing journal entries when needed. REMEMBER! Your journal entries are designed to help you write the best possible Approach Paper for your book. This month’s Approach Papers are due 9/30. Approach Papers will not be taken late unless you have already made arrangements with me.
  • Article of the Week – These are due every Friday, and this Friday is no exception. Thanks to those of you who’ve turned them in early – gave me a head start. You can go back to my post from last week to grab one of the articles I posted, or you can go to Kelly Gallagher’s site to grab one off his list. REMEMBER! If you use his site, the article on the top of the list is the most current one.
  • Vocabulary List Work – The new vocabulary list will be up after 9:00 PM tonight. In class, students will create POSTERS for our Word Wall, and post necessary details on the Vocabulary List #2 Post. You will have to create VISS Charts and Artifacts for the list. They can be turned in anytime between now and next Tuesday. The test will be next Friday – rain or shine.
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