Hello My Dears and My Darlings!

We started today's class by exchanging our Open-Ended Responses (assignment slide in PowerPoint posted below) with a partner and checking them for the following elements:

1. A topic sentence that answers both questions
2. 3 direct quotes from the text that support the idea in the topic sentence
3. 3 sentences of explanation (1 for each direct quote), showing how the quotes support the topic sentence
4. A concluding sentence that reinforces the main idea

After checking our writing, we then moved on to Journal Entry #4 (assignment slide in PowerPoint below).  After briefly discussing the quote, I allowed students to work to accomplish 2 tasks.  1) If their open-ended responses needed to be revised, I asked my classes to complete that revision before the end of class.  2) If their open-ended responses did NOT need to be revised, I asked my classes to complete Journal Entry #4 in class.

Homework: I will be checking Journal Entry #4 at the beginning of class tomorrow.  I hope to collect all my students' journals before we take our test on The Catcher in the Rye.

Happy Writing! :) EHock

P.s. If you haven't yet turned in our "Developing Theme Statements" activity, please do so as soon as possible. 

Greetings!

We started today's class with a homework check: Journal #3.  If the assignment wasn't complete, you can still earn back half the points if you get it to my by Monday.  

After our homework check, we got into small groups to brainstorm potential answers to the open-ended question that we started yesterday (posted on slide in PowerPoint below). 

After discussing potential answers, we watched a short video (link posted below).  The video discussed theme and symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye.  We answered 4 discussion questions (see PowerPoint) about the video as a class, and then I gave students time to begin their open-ended responses with my help.

Homework: Complete open-ended response for Monday.  Please include a main-idea, 3 direct quotes, explanation of how those quotes support the main idea, and a concluding sentence.  This only needs to be one paragraph long, but it should be a thorough paragraph. 

Happy Writing! :) EHock

Hello!

We started today's class with a reading quiz.  The quiz was a little bit longer due to my absence yesterday (Chapters 22-26).  Students in periods 7 & 9 are now finished with The Catcher in the Rye! (at least the reading part)

After our reading quiz, I collected our "Developing Theme Statements" assignment, and assigned Journal #3 (assignment slide in PowerPoint posted below) which students began writing in class.  Journal #3 needs to be at least 1 page (front and back).  Push yourself to write more than your wrote in the last journal entry!

Homework: Complete Journal Entry #3.  There will be a homework check first thing tomorrow.

Happy Writing! :) EHock

Hello! 

On 9/25 my afternoon English III classes had a substitute.  They were asked to do 2 things:

1. Read Chapters 25-26 in The Catcher in the Rye.  There will be a reading quiz on chapters 22-26 on Thursday, Sept. 26th. 
2. Complete the Developing Theme Statements activity we started on Tuesday.  I will collect it at the beginning of class on Sept. 26th.

If students didn't finish this work in class, they should finish it for homework.

Hello My Dears!

We started today's class with a reading quiz on The Catcher in the Rye chapters 19-21. 

Afterwards, we reviewed what belongs in a theme statement (title, author, topic of theme, your opinion on that topic, how/why).  I showed each class some examples from other students (they are included in my PowerPoint posted below).  After we discussed these examples, I asked students to get into pairs and create 1 theme statement (written on the back of the worksheet until I approved it).  Students then worked on creating a 2nd theme statement individually.  We will spend about 10 minutes tomorrow finishing the exercise by finding supporting evidence for both of our theme statements.  Although the handout has room for 3 potential themes, we will only be completing 2 at this time.

Homework: Read Chapters 22-24.  There will be a reading quiz tomorrow.

Happy Reading! :) EHock

Hello My Dears!

We started today's class with a reading quiz (chs. 16-18).  We will be finishing The Catcher in the Rye by Wednesday or Thursday of this week.  Catch up if you have fallen behind.

After our reading quiz, I asked to students to answer some review questions about theme.  We discussed what theme statements should look like (there are slides with details and examples in the PowerPoint).  We ended our discussion by coming up with our own theme statement as a class.  We will continue these activities/discussions tomorrow in class after our reading quiz.

Homework:  Read chapters 19-21 of The Catcher in the Rye.  You do not need to complete the activity we started in class today - we will finish it together tomorrow.

Happy Reading! :) EHock

Our class did not meet on Friday, 9/20/13 because of the Pep Rally. 

Please read chapters 16-18 for Monday, there will be a short reading quiz. 

Happy Reading!  :) EHock