PLEASE VISIT CLASS WEBSITE FOR UPDATES

September 26-30

FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL!

So here we are at the start of a brand new school year. And look at you! You survived your first day of school. Not only did you survive, you totally crushed it! I'm so proud of you!

Now, you're here because of a certain schmavenger schmunt assignment, amiright? Well, if you are, below this message is where you will find the "comments" section. Follow the task instructions and it'll be golden. 

Please note: I must approve of all comments before they show up. Submit only once!

BUT BEFORE YOU GO: BOOKMARK THIS PAGE FOR THE FUTURE!!!

May 30 to June 3rd- Last week of Ancient Rome

May 16-20

VAA Book Readings at the Vashon Bookshop

May 2-6 2016

This week closes up our Greece unit, and welcomes in the Smarter Balanced Assessment. Greece projects are due Monday and will be presented to the class throughout the week, after we finish testing for the day. Students bringing baked goods or time sensitive projects will present on Monday, all others will be randomly selected to present.

Artist Allison will be here to help students complete their Artists' Books, and to inform us about our authors' readings at the Vashon Bookshop. Read more about our night at:  http://www.vashonbookshop.com/

Technology baffles me. If you click on the picture below it should enlarge. And then, just tilt your head. Clearly picture rotation is far beyond my skill set. sigh.

April 4-8

Excavation of Thera in schmancy art format

March 21- 25th

March 14-17

YOUR NEXT WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
(I'll introduce this to you the week of the 21st)

On Demand Write                          

Historians have long debated which ancient civilization was the most technologically advanced.  (“Technologically advanced” means who had more and better “stuff” to make life easier.) Mesopotamians may have come first with their fancy wheel and cuneiform, but were they more advanced than the Egyptians who perfected mummification and pyramids, or was it the Indus Valley people, who planned their cities so precisely?

Citing at least 3 different sources of information that you’ve gathered, and ACEing in great detail, please choose which of these three civilizations you believe had the most advanced technology. (That means you can only choose ONE civilization!) There is no required minimum length, but it may not be more than two pages front to back (4 sides).  You may use all notes and type if you choose. You have until the end of the class to complete this task.

FYI: Wonder Theme Essay

Wonder Theme Essay

The theme of a literary work is its underlying central idea, or the generalization it communicates about life. At times, the author’s theme may not confirm or agree with your own beliefs, but even then, if it is skillfully written, the work will still have a theme that illuminates some aspects of true human experience.

Questions for Theme Analysis in Wonder

1.    What do characters do that helps illustrate this theme?

2.    What do characters say that helps to illustrate this theme?

3.    What events take place in the work that help to illustrate this theme?

4.    What does the narrator say that helps to illustrate this theme?

Writing your Essay

·       First, pick one theme to write your essay analysis.

·       Next, you need to form your thesis statement.

·       After deciding on a thesis, you need to form a rough outline using the provided example. You will need to provide at least three examples from the book to illustrate the theme, which will be the components of your body paragraphs.

·       You will need two quotes per body paragraph. Don’t rely on the quotes to explain themselves. You need to ACE your work by leading into the quote, and also comment on the quote after you quote it. You need to effectively show how the quote helps to prove your point.

Follow the outline below-

·        Introduction paragraph-

Use one or two sentences to express your personal opinions on the subject of the book. (DO NOT WRITE THE WORDS, “I THINK” ANYWHERE IN YOUR PAPER!)

o   State the theme you chose from the book (thesis)

o   Describe in general, how the author expresses such theme, i.e. by using characterization, setting or conflicts, etc. (this will be where you lead in to your body paragraphs)

·        Body paragraphs-

Write at least 3 body paragraphs to explain how the author expresses the theme in his book. To describe each example, you need to include the following information.

o   What happened? What did the character do to show the theme?

o   What did the character say or think (quotes from the character, or the narrator)?

o   What is the consequence of his/her action?

·        Conclusion

o   Restate your theme

o   Write your final thought. (DO NOT WRITE THE WORDS, “I THINK” ANYWHERE IN YOUR PAPER!)

After you construct your outline, you need to create a rough draft. I want this to include at least your introductory paragraph, with your thesis and what your body paragraphs are going to contain, and a conclusion paragraph that paraphrases the main idea of your paper.

After you complete your final essay, you need to CAREFULLY proofread it, or have someone else proofread it.

I want these to be typed, Times New Roman, size 12, double-spaced, with your name, date, period and the title “Wonder Theme Analysis” in the upper right hand corner heading.

You will be turning in to me your outline, rough draft, questions, and final paper, so save it all. If you have any questions, please ask me. 

March 7-11

This week we continue our unit on Ancient India. 

The final copy of your Wonder essay is due Wednesday. 

Your RVF and storyboard for our Artist in Residence, Allison, are due Thursday. 

If you would like to learn more about Allison you can visit her web page at: http://www.allisontrundle.com/

Wonder Theme essay

www.shmoop.com/wonder

• Use ellipsis if the whole quote is not needed…

Please try to follow the format we used in class when you write you paper. 

In your rough draft, due THIS THURSDAY, you will need to have:

1. an introduction 
2. a transition into each body paragraph 
3. fully ACEd body paragraphs 
4. a conclusion.                          

(Please note: this is an example only, and a poorly done one at that.)

INTRODUCTION: 100% of kids with facial disfigurement like ice cream. (HOOK)In the novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio, (BOOK INFO) the main character Auggie has a facial deformity that causes people to stare at him and judge him. (BACKGROUND INFO) These hurtful actions lead to the novel’s theme, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” (THESIS STATEMENT)

TRANSITION SENTENCE

Example #1: Summer ignores the way Auggie looks and sits with him on the first day of school. “I sat with him that first day because I felt sorry for him. That’s all…He’s just a kid. The weirdest-looking kid I’ve ever seen, yes. But just a kid.” This quote shows that Summer had compassion for Auggie before she really got to know him. Now that they are friends she doesn’t have to think twice about sitting with him, she sits with him because she likes him.

Example #2: Just as Summer chose to sit with Auggie and not her friends, Jack Will chose Auggie over popularity. “Fourthly, now that I know him, I would say I actually do want to be friends with August. At first, I admit it, I was only friendly to him because Mr. Tushman asked me to be especially nice and all that. But now I would choose to hang out with him. He laughs at all my jokes. And I kind of feel like I can tell August anything. Like he's a good friend. Like, if all the guys in the fifth grade were lined up against a wall and I got to choose anyone I wanted to hang out with, I would choose August.” When Jack Will chooses to be friends with Auggie instead of being popular he does it in a very dramatic way, he punches Jullian! Jack was able to endure the “freeze out” of the other boys at Beecher Prep because his friendship with Auggie was so strong. Like he said in the quote, of all the kids at school to hang out with, Jack would pick Auggie.

TRANSITION SENTENCE

Example #3:

There were many people in Auggie’   XXXXX   XXXXX   XXXXX

Conclusion: Invitation or challenge-So the next time you see someone who looks different, take the time to get to know them before you make judgments about them.

Theme in the novel Wonder body paragraphs rough draft

February 29- March 4

Please click on the picture below to see the whole thing.

Egypt Festival Manners 2/12

When visiting, please use your best Museum Manners:

·         Do Not Touch - All works of art at Museum Filanoski are one-of-a-kind objects, and cannot be replaced.

·         Protect the Art - It is a good idea to stand about 3 feet away from works of art.

·         Food, drinks, and; gum are not permitted in Museum Filanoski- Food, drinks, and gum need to be left at home or put in the trash, unless they are a part of the exhibit.

·         Put away your coats, hats, umbrellas, and; bags - Store these items in the halls. Coats and purses can be bulky and damage a project without you being aware of it.

·         Keep small children and babies with you at all times.

·         No running - You could bump into something and hurt yourself or a work of art.

·         No cell phones- It’s perfectly fine to snap pictures of the students and their art, but if you need to take a call or feel the need to update your social page, please leave the room.

Egyptian Festival Week!

February 1-5

January 25-29

This week marks the end of the semester. We're half the way through our year. I've really enjoyed these first months of school, and getting to know you: You're my FAVORITE kid!

• Please remember that any re-do, missing, or late assignments MUST be turned in to me no later than Tuesday. 

• Put all work needing to be scored in the IN box.