Jennifer Holzhausen's Homework Blog

January 31, 2017 (Gold)

G1 - In class today, students watched a documentary over The Scottsboro Boys and their trials. They were asked to take notes over the video as they watched it.  This took the entire period today. No Assignment!

G3 - Chapter 11 Study Guides or Learning Logs DUE. Students were given a few minutes to look over Chapter 11 prior to taking their quiz.  After the quiz, students wrote a half-page journal response about how realistically Golding portrayed the themes of Power and Leadership in the novel. I asked them to comment on their own leadership skills and abilities as well. After sharing a few journal responses, students were asked to begin reading Chapter 12.   I passed back quite a bit of graded work today. I am getting close to being caught up at this point. Please check PowerSchool to see what you are missing. Green check marks without a score on PowerSchool indicate that I do have the assignment from the student, but it is not graded yet.   Assignment: Finish the book. Complete the Chapter 12 Study Guide or Learning Log.  Be ready for a final quiz next time.

G4 - 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.  For the rest of the block, groups worked on their sample analysis paragraphs for "The Plug-In Drug."   Assignment: Read "Boy, You Fight Like a Girl," by Alex Pham, and complete a double-entry.  Work on supplementary readings.

January 30, 2017 (Blue)

B1 - Quiz: Chapters 8-11. After the quiz, we started going through some notes and information about the trials of the Scottsboro Boys. There is a Google Slides presentation posted on Moodle, and I distributed several handouts today. Students took notes, responded to questions, and we discussed everything as we went through the materials together.  Students chose a "homework question" and responded to the question in their journals. That is all we had time for today.  In class next time, we will watch some documentary footage about the trials before going back to the second half of To Kill a Mockingbird next week.  No Assignment! If you are interested, you can attend the Shakespearean Monologue Competition tonight and type a half-page reflection for 5 points extra credit.

B3/B4 - Chapters 9-10 Study Guides or Learning Logs were DUE.    Students were given a few minutes to review Chapters 9-10 before taking the quiz. Quiz: Chapters 9-10.  After the quiz, students wrote a half-page journal entry about “Mob Mentality.” For the rest of the block, we began reading Chapter 11 together.   Assignment: Read Ch. 11 and do the Study Guide or Learning Log. Be ready for a quiz over Chapter 11 next time.   If you are interested, you can attend the Shakespearean Monologue Competition tonight and type a half-page reflection for 5 points extra credit.

January 27, 2017 (Gold)

G1 - Quiz: Chapters 8-11. After the quiz, we started going through some notes and information about the trials of the Scottsboro Boys. There is a Google Slides presentation posted on Moodle, and I distributed several handouts today. Students took notes, responded to questions, and we discussed everything as we went through the materials together.  Students chose a "homework question" and responded to the question in their journals. That is all we had time for today.  In class next time, we will watch some documentary footage about the trials before going back to the second half of To Kill a Mockingbird next week.  No Assignment! If you are interested, you can attend the Shakespearean Monologue Competition Monday night and type a half-page reflection for 5 points extra credit.

G3 - Chapters 9-10 Study Guides or Learning Logs were DUE.    Students were given a few minutes to review Chapters 9-10 before taking the quiz. Quiz: Chapters 9-10.  After the quiz, students wrote a half-page journal entry about “Mob Mentality.” After lunch, we began reading Chapter 11 together.   Assignment: Read Ch. 11 and do the Study Guide or Learning Log. Be ready for a quiz over Chapter 11 next time.   If you are interested, you can attend the Shakespearean Monologue Competition Monday night and type a half-page reflection for 5 points extra credit.

G4 - Double-entry assignments for "The Flight From Conversation" DUE. We discussed the article and the DEN assignment for quite a while. I then shared a Ted Talk by Sherry Turkle.  After discussing her Ted Talk, we spent some time mapping out the strengths and weaknesses of Turkle's article.  At the end of the block, we listened to a recent pop song and discussed the significance of the lyrics.   Assignment: Read "A Shared Sadness," by Russ Parsons (link on Google Classroom), and complete a double-entry notebook assignment for this article. Begin reading the supplementary articles for this unit.

January 26, 2017 (Blue)

B1 - Journal: Write about the first time you saw snow or some other natural (weather) phenomenon.  After sharing a few of their journals, we went over the vocabulary for Chapters 10-11.  For the remainder of the block, we began reading and discussing Chapters 10-11 together. Assignment:  Read Chapters 10-11, do the study guide for Chapters 10-11.  Please be prepared for a quiz over Chapters 8-11 next time.

B3/B4 - Chapter 8 Learning Logs or Study Guides were DUE. Students were given a few minutes to review Chapter 8 before taking the quiz. Quiz: Chapter 8.  After the quiz, students wrote a half-page journal entry about a life lesson or moral lesson they wish they could share with one or a group of the boys from Lord of the Flies.  After sharing a few of their responses, we began reading Chapters 9-10 in class. Assignment: Read Chapters 9-10 and do the Study Guide or Learning Log for next time.  Be ready for a quiz.  

 

January 25, 2017 (Gold)

G1 - Journal: Write about the first time you saw snow or some other natural (weather) phenomenon.  After sharing a few of their journals, we went over the vocabulary for Chapters 10-11.  For the remainder of the block, we began reading and discussing Chapters 10-11 together. Assignment:  Read Chapters 10-11, do the study guide for Chapters 10-11.  Please be prepared for a quiz over Chapters 8-11 next time.

G3 - Chapter 8 Learning Logs or Study Guides were DUE. Students were given a few minutes to review Chapter 8 before taking the quiz. Quiz: Chapter 8.  After the quiz, students wrote a half-page journal entry about a life lesson or moral lesson they wish they could share with one or a group of the boys from Lord of the Flies.  After sharing a few of their responses, we began reading Chapters 9-10 in class. Assignment: Read Chapters 9-10 and do the Study Guide or Learning Log for next time.  Be ready for a quiz.  

G4 - Rough Drafts of the Summary were DUE. In class today, we started our Cyberspace unit for the Critique.  Students discussed a series of questions related to the topics we will be covering. I distributed quite a few handouts for the binders. We went through the Critique assignment, then students read an article called “The Plug-In Drug,” which we will be using for practice with the Critique unit.   At the end of the block, we walked through the Double-Entry Notebook assignment. Assignment: Read "The Flight from Conversation, by Sherry Turkle, and do a Double-Entry Notebook assignment (DEN) for next time. A link is provided on Google Classroom, and a template for the assignment is posted on Moodle.

January 24, 2017 (Blue)

B1 - Quiz: Chapters 4-7.  Journal: "Tell me about your neighbors. At this point in the book, the kids have quite a few interactions with their neighbors, and it is a big part of their day. There are positive and negative interactions with those neighbors, so share a few of your own."  After sharing a few of their stories, students worked on vocabulary for Chapters 8-9, then we went over it together. For the rest of the block, we read most of Chapters 8 together. Assignment: Read Chapters 8-9 for next time.

B3/B4 - Learning Log OR Study Guide for Chapters 6-7 DUE.  Quiz: Chapters 6-7.  In class today, students were asked to write one paragraph to analyze one of the important symbols from the book.  For the remainder of the block, students were asked to read and work on their assignment while I passed back graded work.  Assignment: Read Chapter 8 and complete the Learning Log or Study Guide for Chapter 8.  If you are behind on the book, please get caught up as soon as possible.

January 23, 2017 (Gold)

G1 - Quiz: Chapters 4-7.  Journal: "Tell me about your neighbors. At this point in the book, the kids have quite a few interactions with their neighbors, and it is a big part of their day. There are positive and negative interactions with those neighbors, so share a few of your own."  After sharing a few of their stories, students worked on vocabulary for Chapters 8-9, then we went over it together. For the rest of the block, we read most of Chapters 8 together. Assignment: Read Chapters 8-9 for next time.

G3 - Learning Log OR Study Guide for Chapters 6-7 DUE.  Quiz: Chapters 6-7.  In class today, students worked with a partner or small group to analyze one assigned symbol from the book. For the remainder of the block, students were asked to read and work on their assignment while I passed back graded work.  Assignment: Read Chapter 8 and complete the Learning Log or Study Guide for Chapter 8.  If you are behind on the book, please get caught up as soon as possible.

G4 - Draft #2 of the Summary DUE. Students worked on tweaking goals while I checked their homework. After checking their draft submissions, I went through a list of potential problem areas. Students made copies of their drafts to share with their groups then completed three rounds of 10 minutes each for peer-editing. For the remainder of the block, we watched a related Dateline episode on conformity and obedience.  Assignment: Revise your paper one more time. Draft #3 will come to me through Google Classroom as the "Official" Rough Draft for the Summary. I will comment on those heavily, so please get them as clean as possible for me.  Use the information in the common errors document along with any comments I have given you about errors that need to be remedied. If you print one copy for me for next time, you will receive a little bump toward Participation at the end of the 9 weeks.

January 20, 2017 (Blue)

B1 - In class today, we watched an episode of The Little Rascals to compare with the setting and backdrop of To Kill a Mockingbird. Students then reflected in their journals on how the episode connects with the book so far. We shared a few of those journals, then we went through the vocabulary for Chapters 4-7. As time allowed, we began reading Chapter 4 together. Assignment: Read Chapters 4-7. Be ready for a quiz next time over Chapters 1-7.

B3/B4 - Study Guides for Chapter 5 DUE. Quiz: Chapter 5.  After the quiz, students were asked to complete a Write To Learn Argumentative Essay.  With the remainder of the block, students were encouraged to read silently and begin working on their assignment.  Assignment: Read Chapters 6-7 and complete a Learning Log or Study Guide for these chapters for next time. Be ready for a quiz.

January 19, 2017 (Gold)

G1 - In class today, we watched an episode of The Little Rascals to compare with the setting and backdrop of To Kill a Mockingbird. Students then read through an article called "Impact of the Great Depression on Family and Home" and reflected in their journals today on Depression-era topics such as how this time period affected Children, Wife, Husband, and Marriage. We shared a few of those journals, then we went through the vocabulary for Chapters 4-7. As time allowed, we began reading Chapter 4.  Assignment: Read Chapters 4-7. Be ready for a quiz next time over Chapters 1-7.

G3 - Study Guides for Chapter 5 DUE. Quiz: Chapter 5.  After the quiz, students were asked to complete a Write To Learn Argumentative Essay.  With the remainder of the block, students were encouraged to read silently and begin working on their assignment.  Assignment: Read Chapters 6-7 and complete a Learning Log or Study Guide for these chapters for next time. Be ready for a quiz.

G4 - Zimbardo Draft #1 Summary DUE.   We discussed the Zimbardo article and the experiment for quite a while then spent some time peer-editing. For the remainder of the block, we watched a documentary about the experiment which featured some raw, 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 both of the previous drafts; there should be useful comments to help you improve your paper. Be sure to keep electronic copies of ALL of your drafts. Save and upload this one as Draft 2 with your name and the author’s last name in your document title.

January 18, 2017 (Blue)

B1 - We started the block by finishing presentations from last time and by viewing two short video clips to go along with our ongoing conversation about racism and prejudice. Students wrote reflection pieces in their journals about the discussions and the videos we have seen. After sharing a few of those reflections, I asked students to complete a vocabulary pre-reading activity for Chapters 1-3 of To Kill a Mockingbird.  We went over that together,  I then distributed copies of the novel, and we started reading Chapter 1 of To Kill a Mockingbird in class.  Assignment: Read Chapters 1-3, and be ready to discuss it next time.

B3/B4 - Chapter 4 Study Guides OR Learning Logs were DUE. Students were given a few minutes to look over Chapter 4 prior to taking the quiz today.  Quiz: Chapter 4.  After the quiz, students wrote a half-page journal entry on the following question: “Can people change?” I steered them toward negative examples but asked them to avoid all names. The class was then divided into pairs to examine and document several textual examples of sensory details used in the book. For the rest of the block, we started reading Chapter 5.  Assignment: Read Chapter 5 and complete the study guide or Learning Log for Chapter 5. Be ready for a quiz next time.  After the quiz next time, you will be asked to complete a Write To Learn writing prompt.