Block 1 English 9 25/26

 Students had a brief read of their personal novels today - we then did a quick seat change.  Students spent the block working on their paragraph outlines - many were not able to get a clear topic sentence on the page ( and did not follow up with a trip to the Writing Lab at lunch) - If this is the case, students should be popping into tutorial. Next block will be all about planning their paragraphs, and they will do their rough-draft writing in the subsequent block.

 Today students watched a scary "Veldt" video, by Deadmau5. We talked about what makes an effective hook - and looked at their "Seven Snappy Starters" homework. We discussed theme in "The Veldt" - and students set about planning their upcoming paragraph work. All writing will take place in class, or in the Writing Lab - NO WRITING WILL HAPPEN AT HOME.  

Today students learned the term allusion and reviewed foreshadowing, setting, symbol, conflict, and theme.  In small groups, those students who had handed in their work on time were able to receive feedback from classmates on their work. They discussed answers, but also checked that the work was titled properly, that quotes were incorporated and properly cited, that there was no 1st-person, that pronoun use was accurate, and that the answers made sense.  Groups were also investigating the connection between setting, conflict, symbol, and theme in the text. They were asked to come up with two symbols from the text and explain them, and to write a theme statement.  Few followed the steps for writing a theme statement - and most could do with a re-think.  Next class we will continue to look at theme, and begin working on paragraph writing in earnest. 

Students began the block with a comma quiz, after which they read their personal novels. Students handed in the hard copies of their homework, and picked up the following: "A Time and a Place" - I statement sheet a sheet on run-on sentences, and sentence fragments a sheet called "Seven Snappy Starters" a sheet of transition words for use in ongoing writing Anyone who missed today's quiz, or the sheets, should come to tutorial as soon as possible.  For homework , students are choosing one of the three possible topics at the end of the "Seven Snappy Starters" sheet, and then writing seven snappy starters for that topic - as per the example on the sheet (regarding exercise). Anyone wishing to get a big ahead should be thinking about the overarching theme in "The Veldt."  

 Students began the block with reading their personal novels, and doing a Comma Review - there is a comma quiz next class. We then read the "The Veldt," with students highlighting advanced technology/negative impacts of technology as they read. We concluded the block with a brief discussion of some aspects of the story. HMWRK - The assignment for "The Veldt" will be on Teams. As per the last work, please bring a hard copy to class to work with.   

 Students began class  by doing some comma work and reading their personal novels. Students looked at the feedback on their previous assignments (some never handed them in, so they will be at a disadvantage for the next work (specific apologies to those final few who did not get the feedback - hopefully it is there at the time you are reading this)). Students received their theme statements, and we went over some possible examples.  We discussed the positive and negative impacts of technology, before students received "The Veldt." No homework, other than to think about what technology existed in the 1940's.  We will read next class.