Monday, 16 November 2015
WELCOME BACK! 
Hello again, Vocabulary Victors! Today we are going to try
something a little different to kick off our new unit of vocabulary
study. Let’s see if you can use your EFFORT and CREATIVITY to think
of words (NOT on this week’s list) that belong to the word families
we will be studying this week to help you as you tackle our list today
during class.
Task:
Beginning with part B of your Vocabulary Unit 4 Active Word List,
list 2-3 words that you already know that you think belong to this
week’s word families (form, apt/ept, pos/pon, fig). If you feel
ready to make an educated guess about the meaning of the roots,
give it a try!
Monday, 16 November 2015
1.
“Words We Already Know” Sharing/Review
2.
Vocabulary Unit 4 Active Word List
•
•
•
3.
Work with your table group to match the vocabulary words for this week with their BEST
definitions. You may choose to use a print dictionary or Merriam-Webster Online (Linked to
our class homepage under “Helpful Links”).
Remember to use ALL your resources, including all definitions, synonyms and antonyms,
parts of speech, and example sentences!
When you think you have all words matched, check with a teacher and immediately begin on
ws #1.
Begin on Vocab 4 ws #1—If you finish early, turn it in and use Quizlet to create
flash cards and review games!
Homework/Reminders:
Finish Vocab ws #1 and bring all “TSOAH” supplies tomorrow!
FORM – (L) “to form or make; to establish”
misinformation = (n) untrue or wrong information
reform = (v) to bring back to rightness, order, or morality fix
formative= (adj) occurring at the time of most influence hw (vs. test)
teen years (vs. old age)
APT/EPT – (L) “to fit”
inept = (adj) unskilled; clumsy opposite of adept!
adept = (adj) skilled; expert at opposite of inept!
aptitude = (n) skill or suitability for usually natural
POS/PON – (L) “to put or place”
posit = (v) to put forth; assert
impose = (v) to forcibly place upon
disposition = (n) attitude or mood long term
FIG – (L) “to shape”
figment = (n) something invented or imaginary
effigy = (n) a figure constructed in mockery mockery=imitation
prefigure = (v) to predict a later thing or event synonym for predict
Monday, 16 November 2015
Today, we will TRY using Acuity to give you some practice in areas where
you struggled during our recent testing. These lessons are designed
especially for you, so use them well 
Task:
Log into Acuity. Find the icon that says “Study” Click on this, then click on
Language Arts. You should see activities, lessons, and assessments that
have been assigned to you based on your Acuity performance.
If we are still having issues with accessing assignments in Acuity, we will
work on Renaissance Skill Building instead. You will pick up where you
left off last week, but this time you will do all work EXCEPT the reading
and the final quiz on your own paper. When you are ready to quiz, let me
know!
Stick with it—we will work out the glitches 
Do your best work!!!
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
Welcome Readers! Authors use figurative language in their writing to really pull
a reader in. We recently focused on a text that was very figurative in its
description, and we are going to dig a little deeper to understand why. First, we
must make sure we know exactly what happened!
Turn in last night’s vocab homework and take out your discussion
questions for “The Story of an Hour” from last week. Use
COOPERATION and INITIATIVE to review you answers with your
tablemates to improve your answers and share why you think Mrs.
Mallard died.
Be ready to share your ideas in 5 
What is Figurative Language?
• Figurative language gives a meaning that is far more
interesting than language that is literal (dictionary meaning).
• It uses words or expressions to enhance the meaning.
• It is imaginative and conveys not just the facts but bigger ideas
and connections.
• Figurative language in this piece includes similes, metaphors,
and personification.
Number your paragraphs for easier discussion.
Review your reading of “Story of an Hour” and mark all
examples of figurative language with an FL. Be ready to
discuss. Strive to find 10 examples in the text!!!
How does the FL develop Mrs. Mallards
dilemma as a woman freed from the
bonds of marital restrictions and a grieving
widow?
Analytical Paragraph
• Topic Sentence:
• BLENDED Supporting Quote, “____________________” (#).
• At least three supporting sentences that explain how the
figurative language helps the reader to understand Mrs.
Mallard’s dilemma
• Concluding sentence (No Forrest Gump allowed!)
How does the FL develop Mrs. Mallards
dilemma?
Find a METAPHOR in the text that supports an answer to our questions.
The use of figurative language develops the dilemma in
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. For example, “When
the storm of grief had spent itself, she went away to her room
alone. She would have no one follow her” (1). This use of
metaphor allows readers to see how intense her grief was. Just
like a rain storm, Mrs. Mallard’s grief was all-consuming and
then passed over her within no time at all. This quote shows
that she is conflicted in her feelings of sorrow and her newly
found freedom. It is evident that the use of this metaphor
develops a dilemma for Mrs. Mallard dealing with her feelings
towards her husband’s death.
How does the FL develop Mrs. Mallards
dilemma as a woman freed from the
bonds of marital restrictions and a
grieving widow?
Analytical Paragraph: Simile
• Topic Sentence
• BLENDED Supporting Quote, “____________________” (#).
• At least three supporting sentences that explain how the
figurative language helps the reader to understand Mrs. Mallard’s
dilemma
• Concluding sentence (No Forrest Gump allowed!)
With your group, write an analytical paragraph that answers our
same questions, this time using an example of SIMILE in our text.
Use our example to help you if you get stuck, and WORK
TOGETHER 
You must turn this in before you leave.
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
Welcome to English Topics!
As you know, I have been on a quest to use our resources to
help you grow as a reader and prepare you for our upcoming
Acuity testing. Today, we are trying another way to give you
additional independent reading and analysis practice with
immediate feedback on your progress.
Take INITIATIVE and use the instructions on the table by the
door to create a NewsELA account and register for English
Topics using the code provided. When you have successfully
registered, WAIT.
Practice your GOOD Reading Strategies!
BEFORE reading:
• Preview and Predict before you start reading each piece—what can you expect? Make some
predictions.
DURING reading:
• Create Mental Images--Visualize—when your “mental movie” turns off, stop and reread, as this is a clue
that you are no longer understanding your reading.
• Use background knowledge to make connections
• Talk to the text: Ask questions and make inferences
AFTER reading:
• Determine the most important ideas
• We are reading several articles on a similar topic, so synthesize information—put it together to help
you understand each article better.
• Review your results!!!
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Remember theme (or central idea, as it is sometimes called)? Theme is the LIFE
LESSON of the story that can apply to anyone and their dog!  It should not
reference the characters of the story, but instead should connect to anyone in our
world. Try it out using the THEME STATEMENT template from the table by the door.
Task:
Pick up the entrance ticket and create a theme statement for “The
Story of an Hour.” Remember a topic is a 1-3 word summary of
what the text is about (love, trust, friendship, equality…). The
theme is the life lesson or GENERAL message your text conveys
about that topic.
What makes a strong analytical
paragraph?
• With your group, read and “grade” the 3 anonymous
examples of Figurative Language paragraphs.
• Rate these paragraphs based on a high, medium, and low
standard.
• List these in your chart and provide some notes of praise
and constructive feedback for how to improve.
• Question these things:
• Is the topic clear and question answered?
• Is the textual evidence formatted correctly? Is it blended and
cited?
• Do their details support the main idea, NOT just a summary?
• Is there a strong conclusion?
• Refer to the R.A.C.E.S. rubric.
How does the FL develop Mrs. Mallards
dilemma as a woman freed from the
bonds of marital restrictions and a
grieving widow?
Analytical Paragraph: Personification
• Topic Sentence:
• BLENDED Supporting Quote: “____________________” (___).
• At least three supporting sentences that connect quotation to
your main idea—NOT just a summary of the story!
• Concluding Sentence
Using all notes and resources, write an analytical paragraph that
answers our same questions, this time using an example of
PERSONIFICATION in our text.
What you don’t finish, is homework
Bring all AR materials tomorrow!
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Hello, Radical Readers!
Today we are going to start with AR reading time and move on to
individual conferences (I’ll be gone on Friday, so we are
conferencing early this week!), so make sure you have your BOOK
AND READING LOG ready to go for today.
Start by filling in your grades from Harmony on your weekly grade
check sheet. Keep your sheet and iPad handy! Create a new entry in
your reading log and immediately begin reading. I will call you up to
my desk individually for a quick grade check and individual
conference. We may negotiate other tasks for today during our
conference.
Thursday, 19 November 2015
Hello, Radical Readers!
Today we are going to focus on AR reading time, so make sure you
have your BOOK AND READING LOG ready to go for today.
Show RESPONSIBILITY, INITIATIVE, and EFFORT!
Turn in last night’s homework—your PERSONIFICATION analytical
paragraph for “The Story of an Hour”!
Add an entry in your reading log and start reading immediately 
I will survey the class regarding library needs, and we will visit the
library in small groups to renew and exchange books as needed.
Thursday, 19 November 2015
Greetings, Writing Wizards
Today, we are going to work on narrative writing, write stories
with characters, plot, setting, and conflicts.
With your table groups, discuss what makes a GOOD story.
You can think of a variety of “texts” such as movies, tv shows,
graphic novels, short stories, rpg video games, documentary
films, biographies, etc. to inspire your thinking. Think of your
favorite narrative and what makes it so great. Discuss and be
ready to share in 5!
Today’s Prompt
Write a story with YOUR CHOICE of the following opening
sentences…
“I’d rather be anywhere but here,” sighed the pilot as he (or
she) blew the dust off the old map.
“I’d rather be anywhere but here,” muttered the thief as he (or
she) leapt across the ravine.
“I’d rather be anywhere but here,” whispered the detective as
he (or she) shook my hand.
Friday, 20 November 2015
Happy Friday
Turn in last night’s homework, Vocab ws #2, and immediately
begin reviewing for your Unit 4 quiz. Get with a partner or
small group of your choice, and get ready to display your
vocabulary skills! You have 5 minutes to prep for today!!!
Friday, 20 November 2015
1. Vocabulary Unit 4 Quiz—turn in when finished and
immediately begin reading.
2. AR Time
3. With 20 minutes left in class, Fluency Journaling
Have a great weekend 
Dreams and Goals
Everyone has dreams, goals, and ambitions. There are times in
everyone’s lives when they don’t achieve a dream in the way
they expected, or they don’t meet a goal as they would have
wished.
It stings, but NOT getting everything we want the moment we
want it is part of what helps us grow. It teaches us important
life skills like flexibility, patience, problem-solving,
resourcefulness, effort, and perseverance. After all, if dreams
were easy to achieve, we wouldn’t value them all that much,
would we?
For today’s journal, write about a dream or goal you had but
did not achieve (at least not immediately). What went wrong,
and how did the experience change you?
Friday, 20 November 2015
To kick off our English Topics class today, you will complete a 15 minute fluency writing and
reflection. This is for my eyes only, so please be honest, detailed, and explain your ideas fully.
Prompt:
As you know, we have been on a quest to help you improve your writing,
reading, and analysis skills in English Topics class. Although we have had some
ups and downs with technology lately, we have tried several methods to help
you improve: a short reading, research, and writing project, whole-class
assignments and discussion, Renaissance STANDARDS DRIVEN Skill Building
with nonfiction articles, NewsELA Reading Comprehension practice, personal
conferencing and goal setting, and AR support.
What do you think is working well to help you grow as a reader and writer?
Why? How is it benefiting you? What do you feel you MOST need to work
on moving forward? Explain. If you were the teacher of English Topics class,
what would you change for the remainder of the grading period to help
students be more successful?
Friday, 20 November 2015
Today, we are going to continue our reading practice to help prepare
you for your next round of Acuity testing, coming up just after
Thanksgiving Break!
Your job today is to use Read Theory WELL to help you practice and
monitor your personal reading progress.
1. Log into Read Theory (your username and password are in your
folder)
2. Click on your next assigned article, and do your BEST work for
the entire class period!!!
Monday, 23 November 2015
Hello, Radical Readers!
Today we are going to focus on AR reading time, so make sure
you have your BOOK AND READING LOG ready to go for
today. Show RESPONSIBILITY, INITIATIVE, and EFFORT!
Add an entry in your reading log and start reading immediately

I will survey the class regarding library needs, and we will visit
the library in small groups to renew and exchange books as
needed.
Monday, 23 November 2015
Today, we are going to continue our use of Renaissance to help prepare you
for your next round of Acuity testing, coming up just after Thanksgiving
Break!
I have created close reading assignments in Renaissance that match up
with skills you need to refresh based on our most recent Acuity results.
Follow the steps below to get started:
1. Log into Renaissance
2. Click on Read an Article and choose English Topics Q2
3. Click on your next assigned article, and do your BEST work for the
entire class period!!!
Tuesday, 24 November 2015
The Great ELA Games have arrived 
In preparation for our much deserved game day, give some
thought to the LIFELINES we use when we PLAY to LEARN.
On your handout, jot down ideas of lifelines we use when we
play games with cooperative groups to improve our skills.
Add a little description. HOW do we use these lifelines?
Be prepared to discuss your ideas with the class.
Today’s Work
As a reward for your awesome stick-with-it-ness and grit after
lots of heavy reading, writing, and analysis over the past few
weeks, you get an awesome (yet totally standards based) ELA
Game Day!
Go to your numbered game station, and work with your
collaborative group to PLAY and LEARN. Remember to use
your lifelines and focus on the standards you can practice by
having some “word work” fun with classmates.
Be prepared to reflect on each of your game experiences!
Tuesday, 24 November 2015
Hello, Radical Readers!
Today we are going to focus on AR reading time, so make sure
you have your BOOK AND READING LOG ready to go for
today. Show RESPONSIBILITY, INITIATIVE, and EFFORT!
Add an entry in your reading log and start reading immediately

I will meet with your today
to discuss your AR and English goals!