Freshman/Sophomore English
4th Qrtr Spring 2007

Robert L. Slater

Clearview High School


                   
Deadlines and Commitments will appear here.
BASMATI Grade Check

MID-TERM GRADE DAY: Tuesday, May 22nd.
Final Grade Day: Thursday, June 21st.
  1. Personal Intro: Due May 4th.
  2. Narrative essay: Due May 18th.
  3. Expository essay: Due June 13th.
  4. Persuasive Essay: Due June 20th.
                  
Day 43 - 6/21: GRADE DAY
Day 42 - 6/20
  1. In-Class Persuasive Essay:  Why should you be offered a place at Clearview in the fall? Consider the Big Three on the front wall: 
    1. Be here, Be on time.  The first step to success is showing up. 
    2. Do your best and make progress toward completing your high school program. 
    3. Contribute to the community/Don’t disturb the environment.

      It should be a hand written five paragraph essay with an intro and conclusion.
Day 41 - 6/19
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #17: Welcome to the end of the school year 2006-2007.  What did you learn this year academically and personally?  How will you use what you learned in the future?  Consider specifically your plans relating to CHS next year.
Day 40 - 6/18
  1. Expository Essay: Turn in Final Draft.
  2. Review Basmati and work on any other missing assignments.
Day 39 - 6/15
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #16: Are you planning on graduating?  When, where, how and why?  (I know who! ;-)  What will it do for you if you do?  What is your family's educational experience?
  2. Expository Essay: Edit from Rob's suggestions.
Day 38 - 6/14
  1. Expository Essay: Edit from critiques and turn in to Rob.
Day 37 - 6/13
  1. Expository Essay: Exchange Rough Drafts for critiques.
Day 36 - 6/12
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #15: Tell me about the writing assignments in this class.  How where they difficult/easy?  Too many/not enough choices of topics?  Too much time for drafts?  Critiquing: how did it help/hurt?  What have you learned/improved in your writing?  
  2. Expository Essay: Finish Rough Draft of body paragraphs.
Day 35 - 6/11
  1. Reading #12: Expository Essay - Under the Bridge.
    1. What does this expository essay teach (expose to) the reader?
    2. Who do you think is the intended audience?
    3. What does the writer do to engage the readers attention?
    4. How does the writer conclude the essay?
  2. Expository Essay: Writing Rough Draft
Day 34 - 6/8
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #14: Tell me about the trip to the Zoo (if you didn't go to the zoo, tell me about another journey.  Details! STSTS!
  2. Expository Essay: Finish Research, edit outline.
Day 33 - 6/7
  1. Trip to the Zoo: You could write an extra credit narrative if you wish...  
Day 32 - 6/6
  1. Expository Essay: Today you will decide on your topic and the outline of your paragraphs.  
  2. Example:
    • Topic: Robert Heinlein - Dean of American Science Fiction Writers
      • Intro: Who was he?
      • Early years - WWII
      • WWII - death in 1988
      • Conclusion - What are is influences/impacts?
Day 31 - 6/5
  1. Reading #11:  "How People Flew..."  Expository Essay.  
    1. Write 3 sentences relating facts from the essay.
    2. How did the writer introduce and conclude?
    3. Brainstorm a list of at least 10 topics that you would like to expose to people.
SWITCH
  1. PLATO Learning System: Fast Track Language Arts Assessment.
Day 30 - 6/4
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #13: Tell me about the thunderstorm last night (or some other day/night when weather impressed/impacted you.
Day 29 - 6/1
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #12: Tell me how you decide to believe something you hear, see on television or read.  Give an example of something you haven't believed that you later found out was real and something the you have believed that turned out not to be true.
Day 28 - 5/31
  1. Letter to Me: Take the letter you wrote to yourself; edit it, expand it and type it in a letter format.
  2. Finish Edits.
  3. PLATO
Day 27 - 5/30
  1. Reading #10C:  The Dying Detective.  Please finish reading and answer the following questions
    • Close Up: 2, 4, 5
    • Conflict: 1,2
    • Rob's Q: Would you want to see this play performed?  Why/why not?  Specifics, details.
  2. Check-in.  BASMATI
Day 26 - 5/29
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #11: What do you remember from the reading of "The Dying Detective" last week.
  2. Reading #10B:  The Dying Detective
    1. How far did you read today?
    2. What do you remember from last Friday's reading?
    3. If you didn't remember what you read last Friday what did you (or could you do) to refresh your memory?
    4. What do you like/dislike about reading a script format?
Day 25 - 5/25
  1. Reading #10A:  The Dying Detective - P122 in Cascade.
    1. How is reading this play different from reading fiction, non-fiction, internet?
    2. How far did you read today?
    3. Describe the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: Traits, habits, appearances, voice, etc.
Day 24 - 5/24
  1. PLATO Check-in.
Day 23 - 5/23
  1. Mid-term Check-in.  BASMATI
  2. Finish Narrative Edit
Day 22 - 5/22
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #10:  Today I want you to write a letter to yourself to read when you have been out of school for five years.  I would like you to predict what you will be doing.  Who are the people still involved in your life?
  2. Exchange your narrative essays for critiques.
  3. Edit your narrative using the critiques.
Day 21 - 5/21
  1. Reading:  
Day 20 - 5/18
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #9:  Tell me about presentations and you.  What sorts of presentations have you made in or out of school?  What was the experience like; facts and feelings?  Then if you haven't written half a page ask me a Q.o.t.D. that I can answer.
  2. PLATO or Narrative Essay
Day 19 - 5/17 - Come see Culminating Project presentations this afternoon.
  1. CHECK BASMATI
  2. Work on any missing Assignments
Day 18 - 5/16
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #8:  Why do you come to school?  
[Rob's Sample Q.o.t.D. response.] I come to work everyday.  Once or twice a year I ask myself why.  Most of the time the answer is clear and I don't even think of asking the question.  So why do I come to work?

 I come because I know that there are students here that I may be able to reach in a way that no one else can.  There are so many things to teach, from academics to personal politeness to music, drama and Spanish, from Shop to rebuilding computers to using software.  I know that here I can make a difference in a thousand little ways and maybe some of those will turn into big ways.  I am also strangely suited for this job. The flexibility and mix of skills that I have learned in my life get accessed here well.  

I get to see progress everyday.  I get to learn things in order to teach them.  My students teach me and challenge me to learn more.  

When my students have been out of school for years, even if the didn't graduate, they call me up.  They send me e-mails.  The come visit with their babies and their spouses.  The tell me about marriages, deaths, schooling, careers, awards and activities.  

Then of course there is the fact that I need to work, not only to pay for health insurance, house payments, plane tickets, birthday presents  and tuition; but also because I would go crazy sitting at home without human beings to interact with.  As much as I'd like to have more time to write songs, poetry, plays, short stories and novels, I couldn't do any of those full-time and be a happy person.  I need the human contact and the feeling that I am doing something worthwhile.
  1. Narrative Essay or PLATO.
Day 17 - 5/15
  1. Reading #8: Hatchet excerpt. As you read keep track of your engagement with the text.  If you lose focus and forget what you just read write a note about when it happened.
    1. Quickly write down what you read in this section
    2. How does reading this compare with the reading yesterday?3
    3. What do you remember from yesterday's reading?
    4. How far did you read?  
  2. Narrative Essay: Finish the rough draft of your narrative essay.
Day 16 - 5/14
  1. Reading #7: Hatchet excerpt. As you read keep track of your engagement with the text.  If you lose focus and forget what you just read write a note about when it happened.
    1. Quickly write down what you read in this section
    2. How does reading this compare with other readings we have done in this class?
    3. How far did you read?
    4. What was your emotional response?  
  2. Narrative Essay: Finish the rough draft of your narrative essay.    
SWITCH
  1. PLATO Learning System: Fast Track Language Arts Assessment.
Day 15 - 5/11
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #7:  Take the timeline of your life and pick one episode to write about.  This will be your first narrative essay.
  2. Narrative Essay: 2 pages, double-spaced, multiple paragraphs, details.  First Draft due at end of Period Monday.
Day 14 - 5/10
  1. Reading #6: Friends for Life
    1. How old do you think the writer was when he wrote this essay?  What clues make you think that?
    2. This is a sample of a narrative essay.  How is it different from an essay like "the Grizzlies?"
    3. Pick out three examples of interesting/memorable writing.
  2. PLATO Learning System: Fast Track Language Arts Assessment.
Day 13 - 5/9
  1. PLATO Learning System: Fast Track Language Arts Assessment.
Day 12 - 5/8
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #6: Create a timeline of your life.  Turn a piece of notebook paper on its side and use the lines to describe the points.  It need not be even yearwise.  I want 20+ events.  You may start before your birth with any significant events like your parents getting together or older siblings births.  What good and bad things made you into the fabulous person you are today?
  2. Finish Final edit - Personal Intro.
  3. PLATO Learning System: Fast Track Language Arts Assessment.
Day 11 - 5/7
  1. Editing/Critiquing
Day 10 - 5/4
  1. Intro Rough Draft Due
Day 9 - 5/3
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #5: What constitutes good writing?  Tell me about an experience when you enjoyed reading.  What made it interesting and enjoyable.
Day 8 - 5/2
  1. Reading #4 - Teens in the 1950s/One Hot Night - Critique.
Day 7 - 5/1
  1. Q.o.t.D.  #4: Tell me about someone you have looked up to in your life.  How have they helped you.  Describe their traits, habits and life experiences and how that connects to your life.
Day 6 - 4/30
  1. Reading #3 - Levi's Gold. Write a summary of the essay.  It should be about 4-6 sentences.

Day 5 - 4/27

  1. Q.o.t.D.  #3: Respond to one or more of the following: Describe the moments as vividly as possible.  Use all five senses Sight, Touch, Scent, Taste, Sound. STSTS.
  • Tell me about your earliest memory.
  • Tell about the biggest surprise of your life.
  • Tell me about an unforgettable dream.
  1. PLATO Learning System: Fast Track Language Arts Assessment.

Day 4 - 4/26

  1. Reading #2 - Unforgettable Grizzly Bears:  P 36 in Journeys
    • Close Up: Qs: 2-4
    • The Essay: 1-4
  2. PLATO Learning System: Fast Track Language Arts Assessment.

Day 3 - 4/25

  1. Q.o.t.D.  #2: Tell me about your experience with Tests.  What is easy/hard?  Tell me about feelings as well as facts.
  2. PLATO Learning System: Fast Track Language Arts Assessment.
           

Day 2 - 4/24

  1. Reading #1 - You Can't Take it with You. P 75 in Journeys
    • Close Up: Qs: 1-4
    • Plot: 1-3
    • Character: What do you think of Basil and what he did to his family?  Was he reasonable?  How would you have acted?
  2. PLATO Learning System: Fast Track Language Arts Assessment.

          

Day 1 - 4/23

  1. Introduction: Rob's Course Organizer
  2. Concept of Question of the Day: Q.o.t.D.  1/2-1 page handwritten with paragraphs, proper grammar. [or typed 150-250 words.]
  3. Q.o.t.D. #1 -  Tell me about your experience with language in and out of school.  What do you love/loathe about English classes?  What do you like to read?  Then tell me an anecdote (little story) about your recent life.
  4. PLATO Learning System: Fast Track Language Arts Assessment.
          


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This page was updated on 08-May-07