Jennifer Holzhausen's Homework Blog

August 31, 2015 (Blue)

B1/B2 - We discussed "Boy, You Fight Like a Girl," and I checked DEN's.  We mapped out strengths and weaknesses for the article.  Our conversation also took us into the virtual reality world of Second Life.  We discussed online avatars, virtual worlds, virtual economies, etc.  With the remaining time, students worked on preliminary thesis statements for the three articles and the claims they plan to make for each of them.    Assignment: Read "The 15-Year-Old Legal Whiz" (on Moodle) and complete a DEN.   Copy and paste your three thesis statements into the double-entry for next time. I will check those when I look at your DENs.

B4 - Vocabulary Assignment for "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?" DUE.  Students were given a few minutes to look over notes, then they took a quick Plot Diagram Quiz in class today (on paper). Students were given 2 choices for their journal prompt today: 1. Write about how you handle or deal with fear. What do you experience when you are really scared?  2. Do you know someone who has experienced PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)? Write about what you know about this condition.  Several students volunteered to share their journals. For much of the rest of the block, we read "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?" (p. 752-759) and the Interview with Tim O'Brien: The Naked Soldier (p. 760) in the online textbook together. We stopped to discuss it as we read. Assignment: Please answer the following questions about the story from today: 1. Why do you think the author kept referring to the main character as "Private First Class Paul Berlin" and not just “Paul”?  2. Why do you believe Private First Class Paul Berlin kept laughing?  In addition, please answer questions #4, 5, and 6 from page 761 in the online textbook (www.classzone.com).  Be sure to write your answers in at least two complete sentences.  Submit the assignment through the link on Google Classroom (link will be posted tomorrow during G4).

August 28, 2015 (Gold)

G1/G4 - In class today, we reviewed the five parts of the Plot Diagram.  Students worked on Story Scrambles in small groups for the opportunity to earn some extra credit while putting the pieces of two different stories together in chronological order.  For the remainder of the block, students completed a notes worksheet on Character, Narrator, and Point of View (on Moodle).  Assignment: Complete the vocabulary assignment (on Moodle) for "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?" and study the five parts of the plot diagram for a quiz you will take next time. Be sure to know what happens in any story within each of the five parts of the plot diagram.

 G3 - I checked Double-Entries for "A Shared Sadness." We discussed the article and the various communities in which we are a part.  Next, we charted out the strengths and weaknesses of this article.  We briefly discussed the sample paragraphs from "The Plug-In Drug," and groups began working on revisions to their paragraphs.  Assignment: If you have not registered for the course through IU, please finish that process before the end of the day. The deadline is today.  Read "Boy, You Fight Like a Girl" and do a double-entry. Submit it through Google Classroom. Work on supplementary readings.

August 27, 2015 (Blue)

B1/B2 - I checked Double-Entries for "A Shared Sadness." We discussed the article and the various communities in which we are a part.  Next, we charted out the strengths and weaknesses of this article and updated notes for Sherry Turkle's article from last time.  We briefly discussed the sample paragraphs from "The Plug-In Drug" (as time allowed), and groups may have been asked to work on a revision before the end of the block. B2 students were pulled out for a meeting today, so this agenda was shortened to the most important aspects of the day.  Assignment: If you have not registered for the course through IU, please finish that process before the weekend. The deadline is tomorrow, August 28.  Read "Boy, You Fight Like a Girl" and do a double-entry. Submit it through Google Classroom. Work on supplementary readings.

B4 - In class today, we reviewed the five parts of the Plot Diagram.  Students worked on Story Scrambles in small groups for the opportunity to earn some extra credit while putting the pieces of two different stories together in chronological order.  For the remainder of the block, students completed a notes worksheet on Character, Narrator, and Point of View (on Moodle).  Assignment: Complete the vocabulary assignment (on Moodle) for "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?" and study the five parts of the plot diagram for a quiz you will take next time. Be sure to know what happens in any story within each of the five parts of the plot diagram.

August 26, 2015 (Gold)

G1/G4 - Quiz: "A Sound of Thunder." After the quiz, students took some notes over Cause and Effect then Synonyms and Antonyms. We completed a Cause and Effect chain for "A Sound of Thunder." For the rest of the block, students were asked to complete an exit slip (worksheet) on Synonyms and Antonyms. Assignment: None. 

G3 - DEN for "The Flight from Conversation" DUE (through Google Classroom). We discussed the article and the double-entry assignments in class today. Students mapped out some strengths and weaknesses for the article in their notes. If time allowed, we looked at the sample analysis paragraphs groups wrote in class last time.  For the remainder of the block, I shared a recent song and a commercial related to our conversation today.  Assignment: Read "A Shared Sadness" by Russ Parsons (link on Homework Calendar on Google Classroom) and complete a double-entry notebook assignment.  Please be patient with me on the Summary Rough Drafts. I will get to them as quickly as I can.  Right now, I am still trying to figure out a grading system that will work for me.

 

August 25, 2015 (Blue)

B1/B2 - DEN for "The Flight from Conversation" DUE (through Google Classroom). We discussed the article and the double-entry assignments in class today. Students mapped out some strengths and weaknesses for the article in their notes. In B1, we looked at the sample analysis paragraphs groups wrote in class last time.  For the remainder of the block, I shared a recent song and a commercial related to our conversation today.  Assignment: Read "A Shared Sadness" by Russ Parsons (link on Homework Calendar on Google Classroom) and complete a double-entry notebook assignment.  Please be patient with me on the Summary Rough Drafts. I will get to them as quickly as I can.  Right now, I am still trying to figure out a grading system that will work for me.

B4 - Quiz: "A Sound of Thunder." After the quiz, students took some notes over Cause and Effect then Synonyms and Antonyms. We completed a Cause and Effect chain for "A Sound of Thunder." For the rest of the block, students were asked to complete an exit slip (worksheet) on Synonyms and Antonyms. Assignment: None. 

August 24, 2015 (Gold)

G1/G4 - "A Sound of Thunder" Homework Questions DUE (through Google Classroom). Students worked in groups today on a close-reading activity with "A Sound of Thunder." They were asked to complete it in their groups by the end of the block, but some will need to finish it as homework. Assignment: Finish the group activity before class next time. It has already been submitted. Study for a quiz over the story ("A Sound of Thunder") and the 5 vocabulary words. The vocabulary assignment has now been graded.

G3 - Summary Draft #3 DUE for Mrs. Northouse’s comments.  During “the collection,” I asked groups to generate some questions from the first unit for potential use on the 5th paper (through a live form posted on Moodle), then we transitioned into and began Unit #2, The Critique.  New homework calendars are posted on Google Classroom. Groups went through a list of relevant discussion questions for this unit, we went through the notes on The Critique paper (on Moodle), I distributed copies of the supplementary readings for this unit, and eventually went through the Double-Entry notebook (DEN) assignment (notes and template on Moodle). With the remainder of the block, students read “The Plug-In Drug” (handout) and generated a sample group analysis paragraph. Assignment: Finish your group’s sample analysis paragraph for next time. We’ll share and go through those in class next time.  Read "The Flight From Conversation" and complete a one-page, typed DEN for this article.  Submit it to me through Google Classroom. Begin reading the supplementary readings.

 

August 21, 2015 (Blue)

B1/B2 - Summary Draft #3 DUE for Mrs. Northouse’s comments.  During “the collection,” I asked groups to generate some questions from the first unit for potential use on the 5th paper (through a live form posted on Moodle), then we transitioned into and began Unit #2, The Critique.  New homework calendars are posted on Google Classroom. Groups went through a list of relevant discussion questions for this unit, we went through the notes on The Critique paper (on Moodle), I distributed copies of the supplementary readings for this unit, and eventually went through the Double-Entry notebook (DEN) assignment (notes and template on Moodle). With the remainder of the block, students read “The Plug-In Drug” (handout) and generated a sample group analysis paragraph. Assignment: Finish your group’s sample analysis paragraph for next time. We’ll share and go through those in class next time.  Read "The Flight From Conversation" and complete a one-page, typed DEN for this article.  Submit it to me through Google Classroom. Begin reading the supplementary readings.

 B4 - "A Sound of Thunder" Homework Questions DUE (through Google Classroom). Students worked in groups today on a close-reading activity with "A Sound of Thunder." They were asked to complete it in their groups by the end of the block, but some will need to finish it as homework.  Assignment: Finish the group activity before class next time. It has already been submitted. Study for a quiz over the story ("A Sound of Thunder") and the 5 vocabulary words. The vocabulary assignment has now been graded.

August 20, 2015 (Gold)

G1/G4 - Students took and finished the notes we started last time on Plot and Conflict. Journal Prompt: Are you a rule-follower, an accidental rule-breaker, or a rule-breaker? Write half a page about your experiences with the rules.  As an extra credit opportunity, I had students introduce a partner and his/her position on the rules.  Several students stepped up for this opportunity. Many did not. After some discussion, students were asked to read "A Sound of Thunder." It is NOT in the online textbook, so students can access a link to the story through Moodle. The homework questions are posted on Moodle as well. Students could work for the rest of the block on their assignment. Assignment: Read "A Sound of Thunder" and answer Homework Questions #1, 2, 5, 7, 9. Be sure to answer each question in at least 2 complete sentences. The story and the questions are posted on Moodle.  Your homework should be submitted to me through Google Classroom before class on Monday.

G3 - Draft #2 of the Summary DUE.  We discussed some of the bigger issues I am seeing in the spot-checks, then we discussed adding MLA citations for quoted material, statistical information, and specific examples. Students should also include references to the author throughout the summary. Remember to use third-person, formal writing style.  Students peer-edited in three 7-minute rounds. For the remainder of the block, we watched a recent Dateline episode which looks at related conformity and obedience experiments.  Assignments: Draft #3 of the Summary due to me for my comments on Monday.  This will be your official Rough Draft. Please submit them through Google Classroom.  Please be patient and give me some time to go through them to comment thoroughly. Once you receive notification that it has been “graded,” you will have one week to get your final draft completed and submitted to me. Revise, type, or print goals as instructed individually.

 

August 19, 2015 (Blue)

B1/B2 - Draft #2 of the Summary DUE.  We discussed some of the bigger issues I am seeing in the spot-checks, then we discussed adding MLA citations for quoted material, statistical information, and specific examples. Students should also include references to the author throughout the summary.  Remember to use third-person, formal writing style.  Students peer-edited in three 7-minute rounds.   For the remainder of the block, we watched a recent Dateline episode which looks at related conformity and obedience experiments.  Assignments: Draft #3 of the Summary due to me for my comments on Friday.  This will be your official Rough Draft. Please submit them through Google Classroom.  Please be patient and give me some time to go through them to comment thoroughly. Once you receive notification that it has been “graded,” you will have one week to get your final draft completed and submitted to me. Revise, type, or print goals as instructed individually.

 Mrs. Northouse was out for the afternoon, but this is what should have happened...

B4 - Students finished the notes we started last time on Plot and Conflict. Journal Prompt: Are you a rule-follower or a rule-breaker? Write half a page about your experiences with the rules.  After some discussion, students were asked to read "A Sound of Thunder." It is NOT in the online textbook, so students can access a link to the story through Moodle. The homework questions are posted on Moodle as well. Students could work for the rest of the block on their assignment.  Assignment: Read "A Sound of Thunder" and answer Homework Questions #1, 2, 5, 7, 9. Be sure to answer each question in at least 2 complete sentences. The story and the questions are posted on Moodle.  Your homework should be submitted to me through Google Classroom before class on Friday.

 

August 18, 2015 (Gold)

G1/G4 - Today was partially built-in as a catch-up day. I touched base with students about missing work. In G4, I had several students who needed to finish or make-up pretests in reading comprehension and writing. In G3, we then read pages 24-27 out loud together (online textbook). For the remainder of the block, students took digital notes on Plot and Conflict (notes worksheet posted on Moodle).  We did not finish the notes today, so we will finish them on Thursday.  In G4, we were only able to read page 27.  We'll catch-up next time.  If you were absent from G1, please make a copy of the digital notes worksheet on Moodle and copy the notes in class on Thursday.  There is no additional assignment.

G3 - Zimbardo Draft #1 Summary DUE.  I returned goals in this class today and asked for additional information or for students to type and print. We discussed the article and the experiment for quite a while, then we returned for peer-editing. For the remainder of the block, we watched a documentary about the experiment which featured some original footage and interviews after the fact. Assignment:  Please choose one of the three summaries (Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo) and complete a second draft.  Pay attention to the feedback you have been given on all three of your drafts; there should be useful comments to help you improve your paper. Be sure to keep electronic copies of ALL of your drafts. Save a copy of Draft #1 and rename it Draft #2 for your revisions.  Submit that to me prior to class next time.  Revise and/or type your goals as instructed. Print if requested.