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Tag: Interactive Notebook

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L.A. 8

We are wrapping up Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet. This week, we talked about dreams and irony, and we also did a little bit of acting in the form of tableaux. Students are also practicing finding the main idea in a piece of complex text. I've also started to grade notebook checks on Interactive Notebooks: students must have pages complete and neat in order to earn 100%.

Contemporary Lit.

In Contemporary Lit., we are still making our way through Macbeth, slow and steady. We are finishing up Act 4 with some discussions on prophecies, and we had a little fun making our own spells and comparing Macbeth to Harry Potter. We also talked about socioeconomic class and how it relates to Macbeth. Next week, I plan on finishing reading Macbeth, then wrapping up the unit after the New Year by writing an essay about it.

Writing Lab.

After practicing a few pre-writing strategies, we have started our "Gift of Gratitude" scrapbook with the first writing assignment: a Memory List. Students are writing out 25 memories of the subject of their scrapbook, with ten pictures. Memories need at least 2 full sentences each.

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L.A. 8

We are continuing to read Romeo and Juliet this week, and should be nearly done with Act 1. We've added lots of pages to our Interactive Notebook, including a journal entry and notes on Act 1 Scene 1 (1.1). We will also do a small art project this week - creating masks similar to the ones Romeo and Juliet would have worn on the night we met. During this time, we will discuss various symbols in the play, such as stars, and how we can represent them on our masks. Homework includes Main Idea Paragraph #2. These Main Idea Paragraphs are part of the school wide initiative to help students understand complex texts and increase literacy scores on state testing. With weekly practice, students will become pros at recognizing the main idea of any text. 

Contemporary Literature

We are over halfway through Macbeth. This week, we are finishing up Act 3. We have discussed the roles of ghosts in literature, the role of guilt in our lives, and the motif of deception and truth in the play. As part of the latter motif, we created masks that explored the idea of lies revealing truths about certain characters. We also read about the Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare's authorship - did William Shakespeare really write the work attributed to him, or was it Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford? 

Writing Lab.

It's a new session of Writing Lab.! We're off to a great start this trimester with our new cohort. We've begun by discussing the challenges we face that keep us from writing - anything from distractions and difficulties with spelling to feeling insecure and tackling bad memories. We also talked about various strategies we could use to combat these difficulties. Before we begin our "Gift of Gratitude" scrapbook, the project that will be the focus of the entire class, we are practicing various writing skills, such as Significant Details and Show, Don't Tell. 

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L.A. 8

Before the break, we began our Interactive Notebooks. These notebooks involve a lot of time and work - much of class has been taken up with cutting, gluing, writing, and coloring. However, this time will pay off, as all this work will aid in comprehension of Shakespeare and his language. We've discussed how to dissect the old-fashioned language so that students will have strategies in how to approach Shakespeare. This is very important! Many students are overwhelmed when they first see Shakespeare, so starting out with these strategies will make Romeo & Juliet more approachable and less stressful. We've also discussed iambic pentameter; the prologue to Romeo & Juliet; and will begin Act 1. 

Contemporary Literature

We're about halfway through Macbeth, having started Act 3 this week. Before Thanksgiving break, we learned how to write thematic statements and practiced using Disney songs (they can be really useful in language arts because they tell a whole story in less than 5 minutes!). We've also done more acting and played with the language in Macbeth by translating it into Modern English and translating Modern English into Shakespearean English. We've been discussing topics such as power, masculinity, fate, and appearances vs. reality, which the students really seem to enjoy. 

Writing Lab.

It's our last week! All of our hard work is coming together as we gather our writing pieces into our scrapbooks. I have provided students with binders, folders, and art supplies - although they are not required to use any outside crafting supplies, they can if they want to. Students will be graded on effort, creativity, and their productivity in class during the next three days. On Friday, we will celebrate by showcasing the finished products in class. Students can also bring snacks and treats to share if they want. 

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L.A. 8

We started Romeo and Juliet this week! First, we had some discussions about what we want in a romantic partner, what our parents and guardians want in our romantic partners, and what would happen if those things clashed. We also acted out a modern-English translation of the play, and had a lot of fun with it. We will be making interactive notebooks this week that will serve as our Romeo and Juliet workbook during this unit. Students can decorate the cover however they want, but the need to treat the inside of the notebook like a school workbook. 

Contemporary Literature

We're in the middle of Act 2 in Macbeth. We've done some work on thesis statements, as well as had a few debates about some of the themes in the play. We also had an impromptu discussion about the incident in Baraboo that has recently made national and international news. The ability to make claims and back it up with evidence when speaking translates directly into the same skills in writing. 

Writing Lab.

This week, we wrote a Dedication Page for our scrapbooks. This is the last writing assignment. The rest of the trimester will be spent editing and revising our work, then putting together our scrapbooks in a visually pleasing way.