Book Reviews!

Does your book love book get the stamp of approval?

The Goal: Review some models of book reviews from past 9th graders in order to learn the ways in which you will write your own book reviews.

The Plan: 

1. Read
2. Read some example book reviews
3. Write in your English Journal 
4. Time to work on your HOMS essay (or your book review if you are done)

GOAL 1: Looking at Awesome Book Reviews!
Book Reviews are a little more informal than the essay you are finishing up today. I need to teach you about them now because I, unfortunately, will not be here on Tuesday.

Step 1: Read the awesome book reviews below! They were written by my former students.

Example One: Uglies

Example Two: Winger

Step 2: In your English Journal, write about what makes these book reviews excellent. What are the qualities that make it strong? What is the difference between a book review and a summary?

GOAL 2: Work on your essays!
They are due today at 4pm. I'm locking you out of your essay at that time, unless you sent me an email yesterday indicating your request for an extension and the date/time you are requesting.

We need to talk about MLA Formatting. Your essay (Just the writing portion at the top) needs to be double spaced. The following is a picture of what your heading should look like:

IMPORTANT HOMEWORK/DATES

• Tuesday, January 19th - I will not be here. You will have time to work on your vocabulary work and to write your book review (in your own document). I expect you to be respectful to your guest teacher.
• Wednesday, January 20th
• TRANS vocab work is due
• Thursday, January 21st - Book Review PRINTED VERSION due, with MLA formatting
• BY MIDNIGHT: Book Review submitted on Turnitin.com (you'll learn about this on Wednesday.)
• Friday, January 22nd - Vocab Root Test (AB/TRANS)

Figurative Language Practice

Hello everyone, I apologize that I cannot be with you today. I fully expect that you will be respectful to the adult in the room who is here in my place!

Today's Goal: Identify and analyze Cisneros' use of figurative devices in The House on Mango Street.





The Plan:

1. Read for 10 minutes quietly.
2. Take your House on Mango Street quiz. (NO books. You have 15 minutes.)
3. Work on the figurative language worksheet. You may work with the people around you to have conversations about the work, but ultimately, you have to write down your own words. You also should not be speaking any louder than necessary to quietly talk to the people at your tables. This is due at the end of the period.
4. Catch yourself up on your English Journal Assignments (See chart to the left). If you are missing any, the instructions should be found on the blogpost from that date. I would also recommend asking a peer to help/explain it to you.

Homework:

• Read House on Mango Street pages 46-52, and flag one thematic concept in each vignette
• "Chanclas"
• "Hips"
• MAL Root Handout Due Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 16
• You will have one more HOMS reading quiz before break. It is on Friday, December 18

Introduction to a Two-Chunk Paragraph

Today's Goal: Using everything we have discussed, practiced, and learned so far this year, we will learn the basic structure of a two-chunk paragraph, gather evidence, and write your own.

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. Brainstorm the concept of childhood innocence
3. Take a look at the evidence of simile and metaphor you gathered in "Laughter" (pg 17-18) 
4. Two Chunk Paragraph Introduction
5. Practice writing a two-chunk text analysis paragraph in your English Journal using the "Laughter" vignette. The Topic Sentence you should use is below. The evidence will come from the similes and metaphors you wrote from "Laughter"

Two Chunk Paragraph Organization: (You can copy and paste this and use the labels for organizational purposes).

Topic Sentence: In “Laughter,” Cisneros illuminates Esperanza’s child like innocence when she compares her family’s style of laughter to the laughter of her friends

TCE 1:

Commentary 1A:

Commentary 2B:

TCE 2:

Commentary 2A:

Commentary 2B:

Concluding Sentence:

Homework:

• Read House on Mango Street (pages 31-38) and in each, flag one quote that relates to a thematic concept on your bookmark (a picture of the bookmark is in the sidebar if you need the list)
• "Alicia Who Sees Mice"
• "Darius and the Clouds"
• "And Some More"
• I have a number of you that need to make up the first House on Mango Street quiz. You need to do that by Friday, or it'll become a permanent zero.
• I also have a number of you that have not joined Remind.
  Period 3 Click Here to join (it will let you join by email OR phone)
  Period 4 Click Here to join (it will let you join by email OR phone)

White Flight

"...in the meantime they'll move a little farther north from Mango Street, a little farther away every time people like us keep moving in" (Cisneros 13)

Today's Goal: Learn about "White Flight" and how this phenomenon is represented in The House on Mango Street.

The Plan:

1. CLICK HERE for the Mango Street Quiz
2. Seal your Letters to Your Future Selves in envelopes!
3. Explore the Dot Map of the United States by looking at Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago (and more if you'd like.
4. Read "White Flight Never Ended"
5. Read "Those Who Don't" Together
6. Write in Your English Journal

Questions for your English Journal:

1. Based on the article, what is white flight and when did it originate?

2. After looking at Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago on the dot map, what do you notice about the demographics of these cities? What observations did you make, and what questions does it leave you with?

3. What connections can you make between what you've observed, and the vignette "Those Who Don't?"

4. Our vehicle for understanding this issue is Esperanza, our protagonist. How do you think this phenomenon impacts Esperanza’s identity?

Homework:

• You have a literary devices quiz tomorrow.
• Finish your classwork in your English Journal
• I have a number of you that need to make up the first House on Mango Street quiz. You need to do that by Friday, or it'll become a zero.
• I also have a number of you that have not joined Remind.
  Period 3 Click Here to join (it will let you join by email OR phone)
  Period 4 Click Here to join (it will let you join by email OR phone)

My name; my identity

Today's Goal: Look closely at a small piece of text from House on Mango Street in order to analyze the narrative and figurative devices used to convey an idea

You need two tabs open on your computer because you're going to use all of them today:

1. This blog (always!)
2. Your English Journal (in Google Drive)

The Plan:

1. READ!
2. Check in about yesterday. How'd it go? What worked? What was confusing? What information do I need to know?
3. Close reading of My Name and some practice analysis in your English Journal
4. My Name Assignment Introduction

My Name Narrative:

After rereading the vignette "My Name" together as a class, and doing some analysis of her character, you will write a short narrative that explores your own name. 

CLICK HERE for an example!

CLICK HERE for the rubric!

Homework:

1. Work on your My Name Narrative. It's due on Tuesday, December 8. It should be typed and printed.
2. Write your Letter to Your Future Self (bring it to class on December 9)
3. Continue studying your literary devices. Quiz on December 10.
4. Read your OWN BOOK! (In-class reading will not be enough!)

Quote Integration (TCE Practice)

Source: How To Empower Your Mind Through Reading

Today's Goal: After we begin reading The House on Mango Street, we will practice using quotations from the novel to support an argument.

The Plan:

1. Read! Yay!
2. Talk about the the Letter to your Future Self
3. Learn about your English Journals
4. House on Mango Street reading!
5. Quote Integration Activity (which you will write in your English Journal!)

Quote Integration Activity:

You will be given a statement that makes an argument about something that has occurred in the book (This is called a Topic Sentence), and a direct quote from the book (This is called Evidence).

Your job is to take that quote and embed it in a sentence that gives context to the evidence you are using. You will also give it a proper MLA Citation. There is no partial credit for this. You will all learn how to do this beautifully.

Helpful transition words that might be useful.

Homework:

1. Read Vignettes 1-4: "The House on Mango Street;" "Hairs;" "Boys and Girls;" "My Name"
2. For every vignette, place one sticky note on a quotation from the book that relates to at least one of the thematic concepts listed on your bookmark (make sure to label the sticky).
3. You're going to have a quiz tomorrow on those vignettes. (This is your fair warning.)

Orienting Ourselves in History

Oh man we have so many things to do today. We can totally do it. I believe in us.

Today's Goal: Explore a little bit of historical context for our class reading, The House on Mango Street, while simultaneously learning about our Chromebook procedures and a few other tools we'll use this year.

The Plan:

1. Read! When the bell rings, you have a book out.
2. Sign up for Remind. We should have done this yesterday. I forgot.
3. Learn about Chromebook procedures
4. Access a tool called "Go Formative" and practice using it together. (I'll give you the code in class)
5. Start reading The House on Mango Street.

If you are absent, you'll need to visit me one day soon to learn about Go Formative so you may try it out yourself (and complete the assignment.)

Homework:

1. Get your Student Data Form and Syllabus Signatures submitted
2. Check out The House on Mango Street (They have enough copies, I promise!)
3. Make sure you have a book love selection to read in class!