Spring Break: Projects and Deadlines

We have several projects going as we move towards the close of the second grading period, Thursday, April 5th. (Our next book will be To Kill a Mockingbird. I can't wait!)

OPEN HOUSE LETTER: A word-processed draft, placed in an envelope, is due on Monday, 3/26; the final draft--perfectly edited--is due Wednesday, 3/28.

FOUND POEM: We will start these in class today. Your word-processed found poem (with the hand-copied draft attached to the back) is also due on Monday, 3/26.

OUTSIDE READING BOOK: You have been reading from this book for a few weeks now. Please finish it before you return to school after break.

NINTH-GRADE RESEARCH PROJECT: We have spent the last few classes going over the components for this short paper. Please bring a word-processed draft to class on Friday, 3/30. I will go over in detail the requirements for the works cited piece in class on Wednesday of that week. The final drafts will be due Tuesday, 4/3.

Open House Letter and Outside Reading Book

Today, you received directions for your Open House letter. A word-processed draft, folded and placed in an unsealed envelope, is due on Monday, March 26th, the day you return from Spring Break.

I strongly suggest you write your letter before break so that you can bring it to me for editing suggestions. Consider, too, getting another adult whose writing expertise you admire to help you edit.

You should also return from break with your outside reading book read and marked. We will meet in the library that day to begin working on our electronic presentations.

Tonight's Homework

Do you have homework tonight? Yes! Be sure to read for a minimum of thirty minutes per night from your autobiography or biography. You should be tracking the items listed on your handout. You must be finished with the book by March 26th, so pace yourself accordingly.

P. S. Good work on analyzing the research articles in class today.

Night Letter

We composed most of the letter on Night in class yesterday. Your task is to finish composing the letter tonight. When you bring it to class tomorrow, you should have your outline stapled to the back. Also, highlight and label your thesis statement and the two required sentence patterns.

Don't forget to bring your autobiography or biography to class!

Biography or Autobiography

Tomorrow, you will bring your selected biography or autobiography to class. Ms. Koval and I are creating a fun project for you to complete for your books. It will include interactive multimedia presentations and original book reviews to post on Shelfari.

You will need to have read your book by Monday, March 26th. I will give you a handout with directions in class tomorrow for what you need to track as you read. There are five categories; you will need to have a minimum of ten notecards or Post-its.

Outline for Your Letter

Don't forget to fill in the outline for your letter by Monday, 3/5. You may continue drafting, if you like, at home, but we will have time to write in class on Monday as well. Tip: Be very specific in your evidence. Go back to Night and find passages that support your point.

We worked with some variations on the prompt and thesis statement structure today. For example, if it is easier for you to write about three reasons why your reader should read Night and watch Schindler's List, do so. Also, if you find a sentence pattern (something other than a simple sentence) that better suits your thesis, try it out and show me on Monday.

Don't forget to bring your food journal and new outside reading book on Monday, too.

Photo Memoir, Outside Reading Book, In-class Essay

1. Don't forget to spend an hour or more revising, editing, polishing your photo memoir for Tuesday. If you would like some extra editing help, please bring a copy of your memoir to tutorial on Monday.

Again, you should have your papers stapled before the bell rings in this order:

• final draft
• peer review
• rough draft
• brainstorm

2. It is also time to select another outside reading book. This time, your book should be an autobiography or biography, two hundred or more pages in length, and, if at all possible, related to something that interests you.

Please bring your book to class on Monday, March 5.

3. I have been called last minute to a district meeting on Tuesday. YOUR PHOTO MEMOIR IS STILL DUE on Tuesday; the substitute will collect it.

We were scheduled to write an in-class essay on Night on Tuesday and to finish watching Schindler's List on Thursday. We will switch the order of these activities, so that we write the essay on Thursday instead.

Remember to bring your copy of Night, GraphoMania, and the Freshman English Handbook to class on Thursday.

P. S. How is your food journal going? Be sure to track everything you eat and drink, so you will have additional data for our upcoming research paper.