Friday, September 27, 2013
Thunder by Seth
Thunder
A cool mist sprays down,
Hostile clouds loom darkly,
Fiendish thunder strikes.
A cool mist sprays down,
Hostile clouds loom darkly,
Fiendish thunder strikes.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
A Lifelong Friendship by Ji Hye
A Lifelong Friendship
Even though friends are in different directions,
They are all memorable friends.
Best friends share their secrets,
They know many about you.
Best friends trust themselves forever,
They never leave your side.
Friends help when you fall.
Friends are the real support to you.
Friends are the warmth when your heart is cold,
Friends are the smile on your face.
Best mates are forever,
Best mates can’t be forgettable in your whole life.
Reading Response Guidelines
Reading Response assignments should have:
*Details that show you have read the book, DO NOT WRITE A SUMMARY
*What you thought about as you read or your opinion or feelings about; the whole book, certain chapters or pages, events, characters, problems, solutions, author’s style, sense of humor or seriousness
*Support and/or explanation of your thoughts
*Quote or point out a part of the book that supports what you are saying
ON THE WHOLE BOOK
What genres, authors, or topics do you generally enjoy?
What do you like best about your book? Why?
How did the book make you feel? What reaction did you have? Why?
What themes are explored in the book? How does the author make his point about the theme? What reaction do you have to the theme as presented in the book?
CHARACTERS
Have you ever felt like any of the characters? When?
Did the characters in the book remind you of other people or yourself?
How would you have reacted given the exact circumstances?
How do you feel about the characters? With which character do you identify most closely? The least? Why?
Which character would you like to be? Why? What personality traits do they have that you would like to have?
SETTING
Why did the author choose the time and place that he did? Was it a good choice? Why?
Did the setting remind you of anyplace? Describe and compare them.
PLOT
What is your favorite part? Why? You must support this with quotes and explanations.
Look at the beginning. Why did the author begin the way he did?
What is your reaction to the ending? Does it work? Why?
MORE READING RESPONSE POSSIBILITIES
*Did this book make you laugh? Cry? Cringe? Smile? Wonder? Explain your reaction and give quotes or examples.
*What was the worst or most disappointing part of the book? Why?
*What is the author saying about life or living with this book?
*What parts of the book seem most believable? Most unbelievable? Why?
*What do you think might happen if the book continued? What would happen next?
*Do you think the title fits the book? Why or why not?
*Comment on the tools the writer uses. Comment on dialogue, description, imagery, word choice, and style.
*Select the five moments of greatest tension or conflict in the novel.
*What questions would you most like answered by a character after reading the novel? Answer them.
Monday, September 23, 2013
So What Does the Universe Taste Like by Annie Sun
<< So What Does Universe Taste Like? >>
So, what does universe taste like?
I bet it tastes like ice cream, said one of the children.
No! I think it taste like fruits, argued one of the children.
Universe MUST taste like chips, shouted the boy.
More and more children joined the conversation.
Arguing becomes more and more intense.
They huddled in a big circle, and reasoned with each other.
They debated loudly about their own opinion.
But one stood away from them, far away from them.
They called her the “lonely orphan”.
She looks lost like she doesn’t belong in this planet.
Your father died, your father died!
They would usually tease her like that.
She is always in silence.
Her father did die in space a few years ago.
Her father leaves a hole of pain in her heart.
What do you think universe taste like?
Asked one of the children.
I think it taste like the tears of my father,
Said Livy.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Monday, September 16, 2013
The View from LDI
[caption id="attachment_213" align="aligncenter" width="529"]
Hanging Around[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_215" align="aligncenter" width="658"]
Rock Out![/caption]
[caption id="attachment_212" align="aligncenter" width="617"]
Ready to Go![/caption]
[caption id="attachment_209" align="aligncenter" width="798"]
Balance[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_210" align="aligncenter" width="617"]
Mr. Cormack Leading the Way[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_208" align="aligncenter" width="2448"]
The Morning After the Storm[/caption]
Hanging Around[/caption][caption id="attachment_215" align="aligncenter" width="658"]
Rock Out![/caption][caption id="attachment_212" align="aligncenter" width="617"]
Ready to Go![/caption][caption id="attachment_209" align="aligncenter" width="798"]
Balance[/caption][caption id="attachment_210" align="aligncenter" width="617"]
Mr. Cormack Leading the Way[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_208" align="aligncenter" width="2448"]
The Morning After the Storm[/caption]Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Peer Revision Guidelines
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="546"]
Student Generated Guidelines for Peer Revision[/caption]Step 1: Writer introduces assignment to reviewer(s).
- What is the purpose of this writing?
- What do you consider the strengths of this writing?
- What are your concerns, if any, about the writing at this point?
- Describe the revision and editing that you have done on this paper.
Step 2: Choose one method agreed upon in class.
- Read Aloud
- Print and mark up
- Exchange and comment (computer)
- Discuss and take notes
Step 3: Constructively review for the key questions below, the concerns of the writer, or share any other feedback. Be positive, be helpful, be a writing teammate.
- are there sentences that you had to read more than once to clarify their meaning?
- how many times does the writer use forms of the verb "to be"?
- did the writer stay focused and share original and fresh information or perspective about the topic?
- does the organizational structure enhance the ideas and make it easier to understand? Or does it overpower the ideas like too much perfume in a crowded elevator?
- would you keep reading this piece if it were longer? Much longer?
- do the words and phrases create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind?
- Can you feel the words and phrases flow together as you read it aloud?
- how much editing would have to be done to be ready to exhibit?
***Remember to submit ALL parts (clean first draft, first draft with comments, new draft) to Coach Koch
Process Writing Project
During the term you will complete one writing assignment each week, unless otherwise specified. They include:
Follow the prescribed process, meet all deadlines, and commit to making these pieces exceptional, and you will earn the full point total. Generally, you may choose your own topics for each assignment; however, I will be happy to offer suggestions if needed. In some cases you get a directed topic, but I will avoid that as much as possible. You can complete these assignments in any order you wish, but you need to do one of each type.
The G7 Writing Rubric is available her or on Studywiz.
For these assignments we will follow specific steps when writing. The steps are designed to promote a successful written product through following a proven writing process.
Brainstorm – Include a brainstorm for ideas based upon the topic of your piece. You can use any brainstorming style that you feel comfortable with.
Rough/1st Draft - Include a rough draft in which you organize your brainstorm into working document.
Get Help - Asking for assistance is an essential element to the writing process. We will always complete this portion of the process in class; however, if you miss that day, require more work than class time allows or just want to get ahead, you can have your paper edited by a friend, parent, other teacher or fellow student. We will follow a specific revision process in class, and your editors will give you feedback based on 6+1 traits.
Next/Final Draft - Submit your next draft to Mr. Koch with a Process Paper Submission Form. Your final draft should be a flawlessly written piece that you/we deem “Publishable”. It will be assessed by me using a scale of “Ac”=Accepted, “Re”=Revise and “E”=Edit. You may resubmit your paper as many times as you need, before the end of the quarter, to earn an “Ac”.
- Reader Response - your personal reaction to a book you have read for this class
- Creative Fiction – a story you made up
- Original Poetry – any form or style
- Personal Narrative – non-fiction about you
- Business Letter/Technical Writing
- Expository Essay – Compare/Contrast, Persuasive or other thesis-driven style of academic writing
Follow the prescribed process, meet all deadlines, and commit to making these pieces exceptional, and you will earn the full point total. Generally, you may choose your own topics for each assignment; however, I will be happy to offer suggestions if needed. In some cases you get a directed topic, but I will avoid that as much as possible. You can complete these assignments in any order you wish, but you need to do one of each type.
The G7 Writing Rubric is available her or on Studywiz.
For these assignments we will follow specific steps when writing. The steps are designed to promote a successful written product through following a proven writing process.
Brainstorm – Include a brainstorm for ideas based upon the topic of your piece. You can use any brainstorming style that you feel comfortable with.
Rough/1st Draft - Include a rough draft in which you organize your brainstorm into working document.
Get Help - Asking for assistance is an essential element to the writing process. We will always complete this portion of the process in class; however, if you miss that day, require more work than class time allows or just want to get ahead, you can have your paper edited by a friend, parent, other teacher or fellow student. We will follow a specific revision process in class, and your editors will give you feedback based on 6+1 traits.
Next/Final Draft - Submit your next draft to Mr. Koch with a Process Paper Submission Form. Your final draft should be a flawlessly written piece that you/we deem “Publishable”. It will be assessed by me using a scale of “Ac”=Accepted, “Re”=Revise and “E”=Edit. You may resubmit your paper as many times as you need, before the end of the quarter, to earn an “Ac”.
How to Make a Haiku by Erica Boland
How to make a Haiku
by Erica Boland
Five syllables here,
Seven syllables right here,
I made a Haiku.
Reading Response
Reading Response assignments should have:
*Details that show you have read the book, DO NOT WRITE A SUMMARY
*What you thought about as you read or your opinion or feelings about; the whole book, certain chapters or pages, events, characters, problems, solutions, author’s style, sense of humor or seriousness
*Support and/or explanation of your thoughts
*Quote or point out a part of the book that supports what you are saying
ON THE WHOLE BOOK
What genres, authors, or topics do you generally enjoy?
What do you like best about your book? Why?
How did the book make you feel? What reaction did you have? Why?
What themes are explored in the book? How does the author make his point about the theme? What reaction do you have to the theme as presented in the book?
CHARACTERS
Have you ever felt like any of the characters? When?
Did the characters in the book remind you of other people or yourself?
How would you have reacted given the exact circumstances?
How do you feel about the characters? With which character do you identify most closely? The least? Why?
Which character would you like to be? Why? What personality traits do they have that you would like to have?
SETTING
Why did the author choose the time and place that he did? Was it a good choice? Why?
Did the setting remind you of anyplace? Describe and compare them.
PLOT
What is your favorite part? Why? You must support this with quotes and explanations.
Look at the beginning. Why did the author begin the way he did?
What is your reaction to the ending? Does it work? Why?
MORE READING RESPONSE POSSIBILITIES
*Did this book make you laugh? Cry? Cringe? Smile? Wonder? Explain your reaction and give quotes or examples.
*What was the worst or most disappointing part of the book? Why?
*What is the author saying about life or living with this book?
*What parts of the book seem most believable? Most unbelievable? Why?
*What do you think might happen if the book continued? What would happen next?
*Do you think the title fits the book? Why or why not?
*Comment on the tools the writer uses. Comment on dialogue, description, imagery, word choice, and style.
*Select the five moments of greatest tension or conflict in the novel.
*What questions would you most like answered by a character after reading the novel? Answer them.
*Is what you are currently reading/viewing or studying challenging you in any way? In what way?
*What is puzzling you as you are reading at present? (About the author, characters, ideas etc.) What specific questions are being raised by what you are reading?
*Can you make any connections between what you are reading/viewing and everyday life, history, situations in the world, any other subject you are studying or your own life?
*Write down 3 questions you have for an author of a text you are reading/viewing/studying at present. Explain why you have asked those questions and what you think the answer would be.
*What are you learning about yourself from what you are reading/viewing/studying? (Your own values, attitudes and beliefs)
Monday, September 9, 2013
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Already A Month by Louisa Song
Already a month has passed by from the first day of school. Time flies by so quickly you don’t even know what you got done. Here is the recap of another great week!
In the beginning of the week, we talked about current events such as issues dealing with Syria, Afghanistan etc. We talked about issues in the Middle East, what connections it had with the world. This was then a good lead into our geography part of the week. We studied various terms like isthmus, peninsula, archipelago, gulf and so on. After our geography-illustrated dictionary with definitions and images, we took a quick test just to see how much we understood with geography.
Using all of our geography knowledge, we started a project called Ravali. Ravali is a made up island in the pacific ocean that is 22 km wide at it’s widest, has a lighthouse on the west, airfield on the east etc. There was a list of important locations of different buildings on the island. Using the terms we learned earlier and our drawing abilities, we tried our best to visualize and draw this fictional island.
In our language arts section, we continued with our tradition of one process paper a week, and we really got into the routine of first draft, second draft and final draft. We also read a short story called “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. We learned how to identify irony, setting, character, tone, theme, vocabulary etc. From The Lottery, we selected another set of vocabulary words to study.
We finished the week off with a nice talk about the LDI trip next week! We already chose all our tent mates, dorm mates and gathered our supplies for a perfect trip. We talked about rules and regulations, expectations with behavior, safety, the itinerary etc.
We look forward to a wonderful bonding time at LDI and another great week ahead of us!
In the beginning of the week, we talked about current events such as issues dealing with Syria, Afghanistan etc. We talked about issues in the Middle East, what connections it had with the world. This was then a good lead into our geography part of the week. We studied various terms like isthmus, peninsula, archipelago, gulf and so on. After our geography-illustrated dictionary with definitions and images, we took a quick test just to see how much we understood with geography.
Using all of our geography knowledge, we started a project called Ravali. Ravali is a made up island in the pacific ocean that is 22 km wide at it’s widest, has a lighthouse on the west, airfield on the east etc. There was a list of important locations of different buildings on the island. Using the terms we learned earlier and our drawing abilities, we tried our best to visualize and draw this fictional island.
In our language arts section, we continued with our tradition of one process paper a week, and we really got into the routine of first draft, second draft and final draft. We also read a short story called “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. We learned how to identify irony, setting, character, tone, theme, vocabulary etc. From The Lottery, we selected another set of vocabulary words to study.
We finished the week off with a nice talk about the LDI trip next week! We already chose all our tent mates, dorm mates and gathered our supplies for a perfect trip. We talked about rules and regulations, expectations with behavior, safety, the itinerary etc.
We look forward to a wonderful bonding time at LDI and another great week ahead of us!
The Passive Voice
The Passive Voice
The passive forms of a verb are created by combining a form of the "to be verb" with the past participle of the main verb. Other helping verbs are also sometimes present: "The measure could have been killed in committee." The passive can be used, also, in various tenses. Let's take a look at the passive forms of "design."
| Tense | Subject | Auxiliary | Past Participle | |
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Present | The car/cars | is | are | designed. |
| Present perfect | The car/cars | has been | have been | designed. |
| Past | The car/cars | was | were | designed. |
| Past perfect | The car/cars | had been | had been | designed. |
| Future | The car/cars | will be | will be | designed. |
| Future perfect | The car/cars | will have been | will have been | designed. |
| Present progressive | The car/cars | is being | are being | designed. |
| Past progressive | The car/cars | was being | were being | designed. |
Thursday, September 5, 2013
The Game by Bill King
The Game
“Concentrate! Don’t Be Nervous!” screamed Coach Koch.
At the same time Parker’s heart was pumping fast. This was the 2013 World Series, and his team was down by one run. The bases were loaded, and there were two outs. His hands were sweaty, and he wiped them nervously on his shirt. He was getting ready for the pitch. The crowd was screaming out of their minds. It was the loudest cheer Parker had ever heard. But it wasn’t the only screaming Parker heard.
“Keep your eyes on the ball!” shouted Coach Koch.
Parker took a huge deep breath as the ball rushed out of the pitcher’s hand. He closed his eyes, and swung with all of his muscles. But sadly he missed.
“Strike one!” yelled the umpire.
Now Parker’s hands began to shake.
“Come on Parker! Get your mind into the game!” screamed Coach Koch.
“I’m trying,” whispered Parker.
Before he noticed, the ball was on the way. He swung the bat and missed again.
“Strike two!” yelled the umpire.
Now Coach Koch was irate and screamed, “What’s wrong with you! Can’t even hit it!”
Parker wiped the sweat off his forehead. His whole body was shaking. Parker got ready.
“Strike three!” yelled the umpire as the ball slammed into the catcher’s mitt.
“Good game,” said Parker
“Seriously!” shouted Coach Koch
Parker chucked the controller against the wall and shouted, “Dad! That’s what happens when you stand behind me and shout while I’m playing MLB 2K13!”
“Oh, sorry. Lets go get some ice cream.”
D.O.G.S.T.A.I.L.S.
D - Date When was the map made?
Is it still reliable?
O - Orientation What are the principal directions shown, and
how are they shown?
G - Grid What kind of grid system is used?
(Latitude/Longitude or Coordinates?)
S - Scale Is there a map scale?
T - Title What is the title of the map?
What is the time and place of the map?
A - Author Who made the map?
I - Index Does the map have an alphabetical listing of
places and a grid?
L - Legend Does the map have a legend that explains the
map symbols?
S - Situation Does the map show this location in relation to
other places, such as an inset map?
Is it still reliable?
O - Orientation What are the principal directions shown, and
how are they shown?
G - Grid What kind of grid system is used?
(Latitude/Longitude or Coordinates?)
S - Scale Is there a map scale?
T - Title What is the title of the map?
What is the time and place of the map?
A - Author Who made the map?
I - Index Does the map have an alphabetical listing of
places and a grid?
L - Legend Does the map have a legend that explains the
map symbols?
S - Situation Does the map show this location in relation to
other places, such as an inset map?
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Follow the 2013 Diamond Dragons
Monday, September 2, 2013
In Case You Want to Know
I will post more detailed information on Studywiz at the conclusion of class each day, but this is a general overview of the homework for this week.
Please email me at anytime if you have questions, or even better, leave a comment on this post if you find this info helpful.
-PK
Monday - Follow up on The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Tuesday - Rough Draft Process Paper #3
Wednesday - The Lottery Vocabulary and Independent Reading(30 min)
Thursday - Second Draft Process Paper #3
Friday - Independent Reading, Review Map Making
Please email me at anytime if you have questions, or even better, leave a comment on this post if you find this info helpful.
-PK
Monday - Follow up on The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Tuesday - Rough Draft Process Paper #3
Wednesday - The Lottery Vocabulary and Independent Reading(30 min)
Thursday - Second Draft Process Paper #3
Friday - Independent Reading, Review Map Making
A Look at Last Week by Sunny Lee
I can’t believe how fast this week went by, but take a look at all these things we got done!
We studied some new vocabularies from the story “Harrison Bergeron” and we made another mini project on each word defining it’s meaning.
We also learned some geographical vocab, as we went a bit further in our unit of geography. We finished our chart of geographical terms. We put the definition and a visual for each word.
This week for writing, we finished our second process paper, but we had to choose another type of writing that we wanted to do. For example, if we wrote a poem for our first process paper, we had to choose another type of writing our second paper, like a business letter. A large number of us chose to write a business letter this week, that's why Mr. Koch also gave us a mini lesson on how to write one.
During our mentoring time on Friday morning, we joined 7-8 in their classroom to decide on our dorm/tent mates for our LDI trip coming up in 2 weeks! We all can’t wait for it and we hope to have a fun time there!
We studied some new vocabularies from the story “Harrison Bergeron” and we made another mini project on each word defining it’s meaning.
We also learned some geographical vocab, as we went a bit further in our unit of geography. We finished our chart of geographical terms. We put the definition and a visual for each word.
This week for writing, we finished our second process paper, but we had to choose another type of writing that we wanted to do. For example, if we wrote a poem for our first process paper, we had to choose another type of writing our second paper, like a business letter. A large number of us chose to write a business letter this week, that's why Mr. Koch also gave us a mini lesson on how to write one.
During our mentoring time on Friday morning, we joined 7-8 in their classroom to decide on our dorm/tent mates for our LDI trip coming up in 2 weeks! We all can’t wait for it and we hope to have a fun time there!
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