Here are your 5 responsibilities (5 Grades):

Responsibility #1 – Read the Book – Daily & Weekly Check

You will have to read aloud in class. (100%) – you all have “A”s right now.

Review Reader’s Theater techniques if you like. Do what ever you have to do to become willing to read. Your participation grade for class will be determined by your willingness to read this book in class in addition to your willlingness to participate in other in-class activities.

Responsibility #2 – Chapter Summaries – Individual Work – Daily & Weekly Check

You will have to write a one sentence plot summary for each chapter. This is a challenge for the students to summarize important information in just one sentence. This is especially good for focusing on gathering important information from a reading assignment (Boyd). The sentence should include pertinent information such as who does what to whom, when, where, how, and why (WDWWWWHW).

So, answer this question in one sentence: Who did what to whom, when, where, how, and why?

For the Summary Grade:

  1. You must have rough drafts of summaries. (50%)
  2. You must have the final form written on one sheet entitled Chapter Summaries – Final Drafts. (50%)

Four people will check each student’s summaries. Each student will rewrite it making any corrections necessary and signing off before handing it over to another person, etc. etc.  There are five steps in the process:

  1.  
    1. John writes his one sentence summary, then hands it to Alice.
    2. Alice reads it, checks it, rewrites it, signs off, then hands it to Geoffrey.
    3. Geoffrey reads it, checks it, MAYBE rewrites it, signs off, then hands it to Pauline.
    4. Pauline reads it, checks it, MAYBE rewrites it, signs off, then hands it BACK to John.
    5. John writes it onto his Novel Final Draft Summaries Page, then John gets his grade.

Responsibility #3 – Blog Discussion Interaction – Individual Work- Weekly Check

You will have to get to a computer that offers internet access somehow, somewhere – and often (pretty much once a week). I will check your participation weekly.

In my research for resources on this book, I found a discussion that completely blew me away. It seemed too awesome to pass up.

I am using the framework from a discussion that was designed by someone else (another 8th grade teacher somewhere else in the world). I am not giving you the name of that teacher, the URL of that teacher’s website, or anything else related to the discussion that teacher created. I withhold this information for one reason – I do not feel that 100% of you will practice integrity. Some of you may cheat (and you know it’s true). My apologies, but some of you haven’t earned it yet. For information on the reference (I have not created the discussion we will be using), please have your parent/guardian email me at school. Thank you all for your understanding with this.

For the discussion grade:

  1. You will have to respond to the post I start. (50%)
  2. You will have to respond to at least one classmate’s post. (50%)
  3. You should be able to find a computer at one or more of the following locations in your local community: your house, a friend’s house, the school media center, the Tamarac Library, the Sunrise Library, and any other ideas you may be able to come up with.
  4. Anyone, and I mean anyone, in this day and age can get to a computer that has internet access.

Responsibility #4 – Vocabulary – Individual Work – Weekly Check

You will have to prepare Vocabulary Improvement Startegy Sheets (VISS). The definition you supply on the VISS must match, or be appropriate for, the way the word is used in the text. I will begin a separate discussion for the vocabulary assignment when i want you to begin working on it. I will check this weekly.

For the Vocabulary Grade, the following items are required:

  1. Word & Part of Speech (25%)
  2. Personal Clue – Synonym, or Antonym, or Other Langauge  (25%)
  3. The Word Used in the Sentence in the Book (25%)
  4. The Dictionary Definition (25%)
  5. EXTRA CREDIT- A definition of your own creation based on what you know about the word.

Responsibility #5 – Test Question Writing – Group Work- Weekly Check

I will be setting up new groups. Be prepared to practice acceptance, tolerance, and patience. You may not like your group (Welcome to the real world!). When writing Multiple Choice questions, make sure you follow the instructions for how to create valid distractors. This will be very similar to the assignment we were doing for The Time Machine, but with two small differences. I will check this weekly.

  1. I will tell you what category you have to write questions for.
  2. You will have to write 2 different types of questions for each chapter. Options are:
    1. MC & SR
    2. SR & LR
    3. MC & LR
    4. LR & MC
  3. Get it? Not SR & SR, or LR & LR, eh? OK . . .

———————————————-

As you can see above, I’m prepared for you.

My job will be easier this quarter than it has been my whole career. giggle.

WHY? BECAUSE I’M READY FOR YOU.

Grading will be simple and straight forward. What you see on this page is the plan for success. USE IT!

What should you look for now? Mainly, two things: Blog Posts and Vocabulary Lists. You know me, other fun stuff will occur.

Reference(s)

Boyd, Barry L., Formative Classroom Assessment: Learner Focused. The Agricultural Education Magazine, v73 n5, March/April 2001.

The BLOG Discussion Framework reference furnished to parent/guardian upon request– email me.

Thanks for everything. You are a great bunch of intellectual giants. I’m not being sarcastic.

If you have any questions about what is expected post them to this thread.

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