New Blog

This week we are trying out the new blog. Most of you started your posts during class and some of you may have even finished. You are responsible for two posts.
1. The first is your "I Am" poem. 
2. The second is your recap/response to Hurricane Sandy detailing your experience of seeing it all unfold and what you may have done on your day off from school (at least 8 sentences).

You must include a picture in each post.

You can access the blog by clicking on this link:

http://kidblog.org/BestBlock/

Your posts are due no later than Saturday at 5pm.

Happy Blogging! :-)

Symbolically Speaking...

This week we will spend sometime discussing symbolism and talking about our summer reading, Tangerine. First, it is important to understand symbolism and why it is used in literature.

Symbolism is the practice or art of using an object or a word to represent an abstract idea. An action, person, place, word, or object can all have a symbolic meaning. When an author wants to suggest a certain mood or emotion, he can also use symbolism to hint at it, rather than just blatantly saying it.

Symbolism is often used by writers to enhance their writing. Symbolism can give a literary work more richness and color and can make the meaning of the work deeper. 
In literature, symbolism can take many forms including:

• A figure of speech where an object, person, or situation has another meaning other than its literal meaning. 
• The actions of a character, word, action, or event that have a deeper meaning in the context of the whole story. 
  
  
  

"Symbols are everywhere in our lives. Traffic signs, advertising logos and religious images all provide visual information that transcends the physical world. Think of the Apple logo--It's really very simple, silhouette of an apple with a single leaf at the stem and a small bite taken out of the top. Show that logo to nearly anyone in the world, and they will immediately recognize it. The Apple logo represents a whole network of products, images and emotions. Amazing doesn't begin to describe what our mind is capable of doing in terms of converting a simple image into something utterly profound. "

As you are going about your everyday life this week, take time to observe all the symbolism around you. Take note of sounds, images, or the written word. For your blog post, choose two symbols that one may come across in everyday life. Briefly describe each symbol and what it represents (2-3 sentences for each).

Becoming the Teacher

This week I want you to put yourself in the shoes of a teacher! You are going to evaluate a student's written response to the following MCAS question:

Based on the excerpt, explain why it took many years for hamburgers to become popular in the United States. Support your answer with important and specific information from the excerpt.

(The excerpt was handed out on Monday: "The Pioneers" by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson.)

Think about what we have discussed in class, and utilize the rubric below to help evaluate the student's response. You must state whether the student should receive a 1, 2, 3, or 4 and explain why. Your evaluation must be at least 5 sentences long. You may respond to another classmate's post and tell whether or not you agree with their scoring and why or why not. 
Your post is due no later than Friday at 5 pm.

The Student's Response

Scoring Guide and Sample

Score	Description
(4)	The response is a clear, complete, and accurate explanation of why it took many years for hamburgers to become popular in the United States. The response includes important and specific information from the excerpt
(3)	The response is a mostly clear, complete, and accurate explanation of why it took many years for hamburgers to become popular in the United States. The response includes important but often general information from the excerpt.
(2)	The response is a partial explanation of why it took many years for hamburgers to become popular in the United States. The response includes limited information from the excerpt and may include misinterpretations.
(1)	The response is a minimal explanation of why it took many years for hamburgers to become popular in the United States. The response includes little or no information from the excerpt and may include misinterpretations. OR The response relates minimally to the task.
(0)	The response is totally incorrect or irrelevant, or contains insufficient evidence to demonstrate comprehension.

The Hook

During class this week, a majority of our time will be spent focusing on writing and understanding how important it is to captivate our audience. People are rarely going to want to read something if they find it boring! 

We will discuss hooks and how they are designed to grasp and pull something--- and in this case it is the reader's attention. Hooks are so vital to writing because they arouse curiosity and interest in readers and give them that I can't put it down feeling. 

This week I want you to read the following writing prompt and draft a catchy introductory paragraph. Think of all the various hooks we have discussed and choose one to best grasp the attention of your reader (quotation, anecdote, startling fact, analogy, question). Your paragraph must be at least 8 sentences long and contain a thesis statement or claim, which is the main idea that the rest of your essay will explain in more detail. Feel free to comment on each others' and advise or encourage your classmates!

BE ADVISED: YOU ARE NOT WRITING A WHOLE ESSAY. You are just responsible for 8 sentences that will HOOK the reader and state your thesis/claim.

WRITING PROMPT

Imagine that for one day you could trade places with anyone you choose. The person could be real or imaginary, from the past or from the present.

In a well-developed composition, identify the person you would want to trade places with, explain why you would like to trade places with this person, and describe how your day would be different as this person.

YOUR POST IS DUE NO LATER THAN SATURDAY OCTOBER 13, 2012 at 5pm.