Assignments for April 2 - 6, 2012

**Reminders:

• Index cards are needed no later than Wednesday, April 4th.


• Students may come into the classroom to work with research sources before and after school (except on Monday morning when I have hall duty).


• Though there is no formal homework assigned each evening, students should be working on their research project nightly. Students will have time to review sources during some class periods, but there will not be sufficient time to conduct all research in class.


• Don't forget the tribute to Shakespearean England on April 23rd!

Monday - The class will finish its introduction to plagiarism.

Tuesday - Students will discuss how to avoid plagiarism and be introduced to the note- and source-card system.

Wednesday - Students will complete their overview of the note- and source-card system. Students should have a research occupation selected by today.

Thursday - Students will work with sources to begin researching their research topic.

Friday - No school today.

Assignments for March 26 - 30, 2012

Monday & Tuesday - Students taking STAAR tests, no classes

Wednesday - Students will complete "The Shakespeare Stealer" and discuss its historical context.

Thursday - Students will be introduced to the upcoming research project and grade expectations for this term.

Friday - Students will review plagiarism and begin discussing the basic notecard system for research.

**Students should have index cards for note and source cards by Monday.

STAAR Resources

Look on the left side at the bottom of "Pages" to find the notes from today's STAAR Academy workshops. I hope this helps! Let me know if you still have questions.

Approach to Writing Tips

See the bottom of the "Pages" list to the left for the suggestions for working through the writing that we discussed in class yesterday.

TEA Release Test Website Link

The website we discussed in class yesterday is
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=3839&menu_id=793.
Remember, check out the short responses only, not the essay scoring guide. Also remember you may NOT double-stack lines or simply mildly suggest an answer as those have done. Your rules are different. You must clearly, specifically write out your answer statement and write only on the lines given, not in between.

If you have questions, contact me at karen.thompson@killeenisd.org.

My thoughts will be with all of you on Monday!

Assignments for the Week of March 19 - 23, 2012

* Remember, we have a textbook check this week. Please bring in both books to be checked prior to Friday.

**This weekend will be the last opportunity for the STAAR Academy. We will offer general reviews for all components of the test during the 1st session and a test strategies review during the 2nd session. I hope to see you there!

Monday -
Today we will review basic terms and concepts related to drama. Homework: Complete the grammar packet distributed the Friday prior to spring break --1st period will get it today.

Tuesday -
Students will review grammar packet responses and begin utilizing drama concepts and techniques using "Stealing Shakespeare" from our textbooks. Homework: Complete Anne of the Green Gables reading packet.

Wednesday -
Students will review the Anne of the Green Gables reading packet responses and complete "Stealing Shakespeare." Homework: Complete "Hungry Bears Prefer Minivans" reading packet.

Thursday -
Students will review the "Hungry Bears" reading packet responses and finish any last-minute drama notes. As a class, we will review STAAR testing strategies. Homework: None

Friday -
Students will complete their STAAR strategies review. Homework: None.

Change of Plans . . .

Because of the time it took to complete the stories in class yesterday and because I need to get a real understanding of what you can do in the limited time of 45 minutes, our "A Celebration of Grandfathers" quiz will take a new shape. This has become a take-home OER quiz. Answer the following prompt in ten lines or less:

In what way does Anaya's grandfather influence his character?

Remember, this is a short response (OER) and must be no longer than ten lines. Your response should be in APE format (Answer, Proof, Evidence), and the you must TAG (provide the title, author's name, and genre of writing) it in the first line.