The Year of the Hangman – Ongoing Responsibilities
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:
- You must have rough drafts of summaries. (50%)
- 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:
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- John writes his one sentence summary, then hands it to Alice.
- Alice reads it, checks it, rewrites it, signs off, then hands it to Geoffrey.
- Geoffrey reads it, checks it, MAYBE rewrites it, signs off, then hands it to Pauline.
- Pauline reads it, checks it, MAYBE rewrites it, signs off, then hands it BACK to John.
- 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:
- You will have to respond to the post I start. (50%)
- You will have to respond to at least one classmate’s post. (50%)
- 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.
- 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:
- Word & Part of Speech (25%)
- Personal Clue – Synonym, or Antonym, or Other Langauge (25%)
- The Word Used in the Sentence in the Book (25%)
- The Dictionary Definition (25%)
- 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.
- I will tell you what category you have to write questions for.
- You will have to write 2 different types of questions for each chapter. Options are:
- MC & SR
- SR & LR
- MC & LR
- LR & MC
- 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.
i love this assisgnment i think who ever thought of this is a genius
I agree w/ Kelsey and all the others up there. Those test questions are such a pain!! My group didn’t even complete them last time for the Time Machine! It makes the work boring, and it makes the book less enjoyful. Anything we can work out here?!?
THiS ASSiGNMENT iS PRETTY iNTENSE MAY i SAY=)….
=] i AGREE WiTH SABRiNA. ARE YOU GOiNG TO ADD A CATCH, LiKE… DURiNG THE TiME MACHiNE WHEN WE HAD TO DO FROM CHAPTER 4 & ABOVE THE TEST QUESTiONS. ;-/
Mr.Moshe…
Is there some sort of catch to this assignment? Like are you going to suddenly make us write “FCAT QUESTIONS” four chapters into the book? Because maybe this assignment might be a little too easy..
Everyone pretty much had a problem with all the work from the Time Machine because that is what everyone is saying. I had no problem with the summaries, only the fact that you thought it would be fun to make us write FCAT style questions while everyone was still getting used to the summaries..
I only hope that we dont have to deal with that again.
i agree with sean when the summeries are only one sentence a lot of the weight is just lifted off our sholders. It is a lot lees streesful this helps us a lot. Thank you Mr. Moshe.
This time the work was basically broken down until it had no more to it. Thanks. =) This book sounds interesting but I can’t wait until we get to “The Book Without Words”. I read the first few pages of it and it starts off really good. **YES IT HAS WORDS IN IT**
I agree with Catherine I like how the summaries for this book only have to be one sentence it makes the work eaiser and the book more fun i also agree that freak the mighty was the best book so far. I like the idea that we are only working with One other person in the class it makes everthing more organized….. I also like the fact that we only have to write two questions for the story that too makes it eaiser. I think that this book looks more interesting than the others but you cant judge a book by its cover…. One more thing I enjoyed was working with other people in the classroom to create a play. In my opinion it makes the book more fun, and it teaches you about the book when everyone presents their plays to the classroom…… This book looks like alot more to read than the Time Machine but I think that Mr.Moshe made the assignment look easy!!!!
Amber V,
sorry if we dont agree on things I personally think we should get more work we are ADVANCED. But anyways this is a place to say ur opinion so that was mine.
-Alexis J.
the fact that the chapter summeries are so short and that there’s less work than the time traveler but we are going to have to do way more summeries. Plus we are an advanced class so we can handle it
i agree with sean a one sentence summary may be hard but it is so much easier thanx MR.MOSHE for the cooperation
Ya i guess all this work isn’t so bad at least it help us understand the book more. Not like the other books which were harder to understand with less work. And it not like the work is really hard.
i think that the assignments are complex but if you review the instructions gaven to us about tree times you will have a better understanding.
alexis ur cazy the amount of work we get does not matter because with any amount of work were still learning plus mr.moshe makes it so we will work and also get to finish the book. in the time machine my group didnt even get to finish the book cause all the work we had to do.so this makes it easier for all of us….
ALL THE WORK THAT WE DO iN CLASS iS ALOT OF WORK BUT i KNOW WE CAN DO iT BECAUSE iF THEY PUT US iN THiS CLASS iS BECAUSE WE CAN HANDLE THE WORK AND THE CHAPTER SUMMARiES HELPED ALOT BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH i DiDNT UNDERSTAND THE BOOK THE TiME MACHiNE, WHEN i MY GROUP DiD THE SUMMARiES iT HELPED ME ALOT TO UNDERSTAND THE BOOK!! =]
I also like the fact that the chapter summaries are less complicated and less stress. The one sentence method will help a lot. It may seem like a lot, bt i share hope it ends up being better then it looks.
Im happy to know that were getting less work but think that when we had more work we learned more about the book. One sentence summarys seem a little on the easy side dont ya think? But people are right for the “Time Traveler” it was alot of work it very little time. So maybe for this book we can have more work and extended time needed. Hope I diddnt ruin the flow, I seem to be the only one who thinks we should get more work…
Mr. Moshe,
It seems like easy work really, but why do the books we read have to be so short? But yes I agree the work is extremely light, not as nuch as I imagined!
I hope so, too–I love “What If?” history novels, along with just war history in general.
I like the thought of doing less work for the chapter summaries,but I hope this book will capture my intrest.
Well this book leaves me with only a couple questions…I never knew G.W was awaiting execution?? is that true?? i will come back with more questions
I like the idea that the assgniment for this book way better for the last. I find it alot more effective because i teaches us how to summarize things in one sentence. Although someone said that the time machine was going to be more inteesting than Rebel. It wasn’t, but this book looks alot more interseting and better than the last two books we read.To me, Freak the Mighty was the best.
I think that Mr.Moshe is doing the right thing by not making us do those long chapter summaries. They seem to be much easier, and more effective. This book will be much more intereting than our previous ones.
I agree with Mr. Moshe all we have to do is practice and we will all get better at it and we do not have to worry about it
HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!!!!
I also think this book will be interesting and yes we do have to do test questions but only two per chapter instead of three.
i THiNK THAT THiS BOOK iS GOiNG TO BE iNTERESTiNG, i MEAN THiER ALL iNTERESTiNG BUT THE WORK MAKES iT SO BORiNG…i MEAN NOT ALL OF iT BECAUSE SOME OF THE WORK, FOR EXAMPLE DiSSCUSSiON QUESTiONS MKE THE BOOK SO BORiNG AND i THiNK THAT iF WE TOOK SOME OF THE BORiNG WORK OUT THEN THE BOOK WOULD BE WAY MORE iNTERESTiNG!!
Hi, so wait i dont get it. We’re getting new groups right? But last time at the end of the Time Machine, youh asked us if we like our groups. Why can’t we just keep them if we all agree on it. Well the book sound like its going to be good.And im glad we dont have to write 3 questions because those were kind of hard. I dont mind the summaries especially now that thier one sentence long. =] WAiT ! ..Kaveena said we’re only working with one other person . But wouldn’t we get the work done much faster if we worked in groups of 3? Write back.
P.S. HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYBODY =]
Practicing
i think this book will be interesting and the assignments does look easy i wonder do we have to do test questions too like we did for the time machine
OOOO…..and as for the two person working group thingy…..It soundz much easier and less drama…lets please do that ,more often so I can just throw more work for my partner to do than I could ever……..jus jokin!!!!
I think this book will be intresting. But you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, but it might be like The Time Machiine, I thought it would be interesting but it was too confusing. But this one seems interesting. And it obiously longer than all the othr nes we’ve read so far. And it would be interesting to read what the author thinks might have happened if the Americans would have lost. So I looking foward to reading this book.
At first it looked really hard. But after I read the information on everything, now it does’nt seem so bad. But it’s still a little confusing!
Weeeeeell…………What do I think about this lovely long over-drawn assignment? i think it is alot of work which I agree wit Nicole’z first comment and as for the Time Machine that was a load of work to complete and it took quite a long time to do it. But this seems….meaning this: The Year of the Hangman assignment is gone about in much easier steps, especially the sentence summaries,much more easier then the summaries to the Time Machine.
I myself agree that the previous book we read required a substantional amount of work, but we were put in critical thinking because we were thought capable of accomplishing tideous school work! Since we have read books in this class before, we should be more prepared and willing and able to complete the work the comes before us more easily. We all wish that the work was easy, but when you have a negative attitude about it, it’ll make it even harder! So, my advice, have a more positive attitude, and the work will come by more clearly and easier. Hope this helps, Amanda.
Mr Moshe` when are you going to post the Vocabulary BLOG? Tonight maybe? Because i have some words to post that i found off the internet.
Thanks Mandi. Ya the summaries do break it down so if you forget half-way through the book instead of going back & reading it you just look at the summary for that Chapter & read it.
I am so for reading this book. I think this might be the best one I always look foward to reading these books but, it’s just the work I mean the chapter summary and the vocabulary I see the purpose but, what’s up with the question’s I think that’s a little extra and it makes reading this book boring and dull but, other than that I look foward to reading this. ; )
As for my opinion i think that this should be way more easier than the time meachine because mr.moshe has narrowed the work down so we shouldn’t have no problems at all…. So i think we’re going to have much fun doing this!!!!!
i agree with nikki it may be alott of work but i think we have the knowledge to be able to get it done ! the summarys were a good idea because if i didnt understand the chapter that well my group would break it down for me in a paragrapgh and then i unstand it .. im glad we are working on a new book. i hope it good!
-AMANDA
Thats a lot of work.Thanks for breaking it down for us. I hope this book is interesting.Its planned very well and i hope it turs out okay.
The work can be very complex sometimes , but if we try to do it straight through and listen to what everybody else has to say.
Ok Mr.Moshe` you win. I uderstand that, but some students don’t & this book seems longer than the other books, because the words are smaller than the other books. I like doing the summaries & vocabulary but the Test Questions are sometimes hard & don’t go with the Chapter you are reading & some Test Questions you really like & go with just about….. EVERYTHING but we can’t keep using them over & over again. Yes, your right we did improve on what we did than, before we started the “Time Machine”. I also, agree with Paras this book it looks like you broke it down MUCH BETTER.
I’m just worried that I’m/my classmates aren’t going to get it done in time. The Chapters don’t seem that long; about 11 pages each or a couple pages more.
*YES I DO SEE THE TRAYS.*
Well now since I am in class and you explained it to me it seems much easier.
I hope it is.
Thanks for really breaking it down for us, and for the help!
I understand what to do waaaay better now.
I like this new plan much better than the old one.
ya this book was so long but the mane reason wh is because we started and stopped.We didn’t go straight through
No that is not what is meant by my response. Although it is true.
I mean to say that you, as a class (all 100 of you) have shown me you can:
1. handle the workload;
2. understand the assignment;
3. need further help with certain topics.
This has nothing to do with me and what I can make you do. To focus on that point would be rather petty. You are better and smarter than that.
The fact that I determine things concerning your education when it comes to what assignments you are assigned is completely beyond your control.
I agree with Mr. Moshe.
Just saying that it’s too much work won’t stop him from giving it to us, so what’s the point?
Here is my fair and tempered response to your support for taking the easy way out of doing what is necessary.
How easy it is to say, “I can’t!”
When you come into class on Tuesday, take a look at the trays where you turn work in. They are full. Full of work your classmates completed. Full of chapter summaries, test questions, and even some extra credit work. THose trays are filled with work – work from students who normally never turn work in. So, don’t attempt to tell me, “we . . . couldn’t get it all done.” The full trays and exemplary effort the greater majority of your classmates put into the second semester attests to that. So I repeat, you are very skilled at this point. All of you.
You, who have a hard time focusing but got the work done.
You, who can’t sit still, but sat still long enough to get the work done.
You, who want to tell me “I can’t do it.” Yes, even you.
You can do it. I know you can. Your completed assignments and grades illustrate that fact.
You can do it.
I agree with Neha. I think for the book “The Time Machine” we did too much work & couldn’t get it all done. I think if you are going to give us alot of work then you should give us more time to get it finished.
i think this is way too much work
how long do have to do all of this work
just saying