Vocabulary
Week 20
1. ingenious – characterized by cleverness or originality of invention or construction, clever
2. blanch – to whiten by removing color; to bleach
3. captivate – to attract and hold the attention of, or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; to enchant
4. exalt(ed) – to raise in rank, honor, power, character, quality; to elevate
5. deprecate – to express earnest disapproval of; to urge against or belittle
6. improvise – to compose and perform or deliver without previous preparation; to make or provide with whatever materials are available
7. credulous – willing to believe or trust too readily, especially without proper or adequate evidence; gullible
8. decibel – a unit used to express the intensity of a sound wave
9. farce – a light humorous play, where the plot exploits the situation more than the characters
10. brackish – slightly salty; having a salty or briny flavor
11. martyr – a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion, belief, principal, or cause
12. perennial – something that is continuing or recurrent
13. epitome – a person or thing that is typical of or possesses to a high degree the features of a whole class
14. orient – to adjust with relation to ones surroundings
15. syndicate – a group of individuals or organizations combined or making a joint effort to undertake some specific job or carry out specific transactions or negotiations
16. novelty – the state or quality of being new, unique; newness
17. patron – a person who is a customer, client or paying guest; a person who supports with money a institution, event, the arts, charity or cause.
18. catty – slyly malicious; spiteful, catlike
19. proliferate – to increase in number or spread rapidly and often excessively
20. depreciate – to reduce the purchasing value of; to lessen the price of
21. grapple – to hold or seize another; to wrestle or engage in struggle with
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, April 25th, 2011
Language Arts Quick Hits
* Research Paper Rough Drafts - DUE TODAY 4/25 - Students research paper rough drafts were due today. I tried to take a moment and meet with each student individually to look over their rough draft and make comments. Students were then given time to make corrects and edits in class.
Students seem to be struggling most with introductions and conclusions as well transition sentences - logically transitioning from one paragraph to the next. Some
students are also struggling with how to best organize and group their information, which may be a product of weak or poorly crafted outlines. Have your student read
their paper out loud to you, making corrections as they read.
Students who had their rough drafts completed received full credit for their work, which has been updated in the online gradebook (please note that I was unable to get
through every rough draft today and will complete this process tomorrow.) Students who did not have their rough draft, or had incomplete rough drafts were docked
benchmark points.
* Research Paper Final Draft DUE: FRIDAY 4/29 - With rough drafts being completed and students making final edits, papers should be completed and turned in on time. If your student is unable meet this deadline, please contact me before Friday.
* Week 20 Vocabulary - Students were given time in class to complete the vocabulary which I have listed below in this email and will also post on my blog. I will be checking definitions tomorrow and we will have a quiz on Friday.
* Reading Responses - Reading Responses were collected today and new ones passed out. Remember, Reading Responses are a daily responsibility and missing responses are detrimental to a students overall grade. Students can always get an extra Reading Response from my classroom or download one from my blog.
* MAP TESTING - our next round of MAP testing will be next Monday and Tuesday and will take up the entire block on both days.
Vocabulary – Week 20
ingenious
decibel
syndicate
blanch
farce
novelty
captivate
brackish
patron
exalt(ed)
martyr
catty
deprecate
perennial
proliferate
improvise
epitome
depreciate
credulous
orient
grapple
* Research Paper Rough Drafts - DUE TODAY 4/25 - Students research paper rough drafts were due today. I tried to take a moment and meet with each student individually to look over their rough draft and make comments. Students were then given time to make corrects and edits in class.
Students seem to be struggling most with introductions and conclusions as well transition sentences - logically transitioning from one paragraph to the next. Some
students are also struggling with how to best organize and group their information, which may be a product of weak or poorly crafted outlines. Have your student read
their paper out loud to you, making corrections as they read.
Students who had their rough drafts completed received full credit for their work, which has been updated in the online gradebook (please note that I was unable to get
through every rough draft today and will complete this process tomorrow.) Students who did not have their rough draft, or had incomplete rough drafts were docked
benchmark points.
* Research Paper Final Draft DUE: FRIDAY 4/29 - With rough drafts being completed and students making final edits, papers should be completed and turned in on time. If your student is unable meet this deadline, please contact me before Friday.
* Week 20 Vocabulary - Students were given time in class to complete the vocabulary which I have listed below in this email and will also post on my blog. I will be checking definitions tomorrow and we will have a quiz on Friday.
* Reading Responses - Reading Responses were collected today and new ones passed out. Remember, Reading Responses are a daily responsibility and missing responses are detrimental to a students overall grade. Students can always get an extra Reading Response from my classroom or download one from my blog.
* MAP TESTING - our next round of MAP testing will be next Monday and Tuesday and will take up the entire block on both days.
Vocabulary – Week 20
ingenious
decibel
syndicate
blanch
farce
novelty
captivate
brackish
patron
exalt(ed)
martyr
catty
deprecate
perennial
proliferate
improvise
epitome
depreciate
credulous
orient
grapple
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Vocabulary
Week 19
1. arson – a the malicious burning of another’s house or property, or the burning of one’s own house or property, as to collect insurance
2. calamity – a great misfortune or disaster, grievous affiction
3. lieu – in place of, instead of
4. medley – a mixture, or jumble
5. dubious – doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt
6. robust – strong and healthy, hardy, vigorous
7. bedlam – a scene or state of wild uproar and confusion
8. pique – to affect with sharp irritation and resentment, especially by some would to pride.
9. squabble – to engage in a petty quarrel
10. avail – to be of use or value to; profit; advantage
11. vestige – a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer present or in existence.
12. belittle – to regard or portray as less impressive or important than appearances indicate
13. facile – moving, acting, working, proceeding; easily done or performed
14. meticulous – taking or showing extreme care about minute details; precise
15. belie – to show to be false; contradict
16. lout – an awkward, stupid person, clumsy, ill-mannered poor; oaf
17. pugnacious – inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome, belligerent
18. domineering – inclined to rule in a dominating fashion, overbearing; tyrannical
19. embody – to give form to, to personify or exemplify, to represen
20. marvel – something that causes wonder, admiration or astonishment
21. spurious – not genuine, or authentic, untrue
Week 19
1. arson – a the malicious burning of another’s house or property, or the burning of one’s own house or property, as to collect insurance
2. calamity – a great misfortune or disaster, grievous affiction
3. lieu – in place of, instead of
4. medley – a mixture, or jumble
5. dubious – doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt
6. robust – strong and healthy, hardy, vigorous
7. bedlam – a scene or state of wild uproar and confusion
8. pique – to affect with sharp irritation and resentment, especially by some would to pride.
9. squabble – to engage in a petty quarrel
10. avail – to be of use or value to; profit; advantage
11. vestige – a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer present or in existence.
12. belittle – to regard or portray as less impressive or important than appearances indicate
13. facile – moving, acting, working, proceeding; easily done or performed
14. meticulous – taking or showing extreme care about minute details; precise
15. belie – to show to be false; contradict
16. lout – an awkward, stupid person, clumsy, ill-mannered poor; oaf
17. pugnacious – inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome, belligerent
18. domineering – inclined to rule in a dominating fashion, overbearing; tyrannical
19. embody – to give form to, to personify or exemplify, to represen
20. marvel – something that causes wonder, admiration or astonishment
21. spurious – not genuine, or authentic, untrue
Monday, April 11, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Language Arts Update (RESEARCH PAPER INFORMATION)
RESEARCH PAPER
Due: Friday, April 29th (or earlier if completed in advance)
Length: 5-7 pages, typed, double-spaced, not including bibliography
Supplies: 100 note cards, notebook for rough draft, clear plastic cover/binder for final draft
Scoring Rubric: Click here to view or download!
As you may be aware we started working on our research papers the week before spring break. This assignment is quite intensive and can be overwhelming for students who are absent, fall off task or procrastinate their efforts. This is especially true considering we will also be covering our regular language art curriculum (i.e. vocabulary, grammar, mechanics). To date, we have now spent over two weeks in the school's media center helping students get started by selecting manageable (but interesting) research topics, finding and citing sources, generating a bibliography and most recently reviewing proper outline format.
Click here to download a copy of the Brooks Media Center Research Schedule.
http://www.box.net/shared/foagsfp7ui
Students who were absent because of illness or holiday travels may need assistance getting up to speed. I am available before and after school and during most lunch periods to assist students - but they will have to find time on their own to go to the Oak Park Library or Brooks Media Center to locate source material and submit necessary benchmark materials.
I have reformatted much of the information presented/handed out by Ms. Nelson, who conducts the first portion of the research paper while we are in the media center. This is why this email has not arrived to you sooner. The documents included in this email will help you and your student understand the various steps they need to complete to stay up to speed and complete work in a timely fashion. Yesterday (4/4/2011) was our last day in the media center (during our regularly scheduled language arts class) - this means students will have to take their own initiative (with our help) to complete any portion of the research paper which should have been completed using our time in the media center and its resources.
It is important that students get up to speed as quickly as possible and stay on task, so that they can take advantage of time and opportunities presented to them in future classes. Obviously they will be unable to read, make note cards, or begin an outline if they don't obtain proper/pertinent source material (i.e. books, journals, articles, web content, ect.). Having this material is absolutely crucial for their success, and the more source material/information they have the easier it is to draft the paper. In addition, they are learning and must cite this information in a bibliography.
Following is an outline of benchmarks and resources to help you and your student:
Click here to download a copy of the 6th Grade Research Paper Scoring Rubric.
http://www.box.net/shared/j70ynsfurg
NOTES:
* The highest possible score for a research paper’s final draft is (20) twenty points – where a student receives a (4) four, the highest score, in each category.
* Students will receive additional points for staying on task and completing benchmark deadlines – for example: finding source materials, completing source cards on time, completing their Easybib.com bibliography on time, completing portions of their rough draft on time.
* Students who plagiarize work or submit work that is not their own will receive harsh penalties on their final grade for the research paper.
March 14th-18th - We started with a pre-quiz to see what students already knew about research papers. Then we discussed what a research paper is, why research papers are useful, and how they are used academically. We proceeded to read chapter 11 in our text books, which discusses the various steps and components of a research paper and even models an example of a good research paper. Students were directed to start thinking about topics that would be interesting to them. It was suggested that they pick a topic that is interesting to them, but that they know little about. The topic should not be too narrow or obscure (a'la painite), nor should it be too broad (World War II). A good topic will be interesting and accessible to the student and have multiple source materials that can be easily gathered and understood.
This is a link to download the pre-quiz we took on research papers.
http://www.box.net/shared/kl6usb6xqa
March 21-25 - Students have selected research topics and were introduced to the Brooks Media Center's resources. Ms. Nelson conducts these classes and explained what are considered quality/credible sources in both print and on the internet. Students were directed to find at least four sources on their research topics (2) two books/print sources,(1) one encyclopedia source, and (1) web/internet source. Obviously, it is strongly encouraged that students find additional source material outside of school - considering the limitation of the schools media center. Additionally, students who were unable to find sufficient source material were encouraged to change their research topic to something more manageable.
As students located source material they were taught how cite their sources using media source cards in the library. Filling out these cards was a benchmark requirement for the research paper. Citation cards can be acquired in the media center, however - I have also created a source card download that has an example of each type of source card as well as a website evaluation form.
If your student has missed either of these benchmarks they can download these forms from this email or my blog to complete and turn in. Students who were not absent or failed to take advantage of class time will be penalized for late work. Excused absences will be given extensions to complete benchmarks.
Download a copy of the blank source card examples here.
http://www.box.net/shared/7vcg3zcyrl
Download a copy of the website evaluation form here.
http://www.box.net/shared/o0oghy9stt
Students were encouraged to gather additional source material or review existing source material over the spring break so that they would be prepared to begin making note cards upon their return to school.
April 4th-8th - Students should have gathered all their source material and have it properly cited on citation cards. Students should have also completed website evaluation form and had any websites they are using as sources approved by a teacher. Ms. Nelson gave students a lesson on how to properly create and organize note cards. Students will be working on note cards in language arts this week, and will need to come to class prepared with all their source material, index cards or some other kind of note card and something to write with. The note cards will be key for students to effectively begin their research paper's rough draft.
NOTES:
* Note cards should contain facts from their source material and indicate which source it came from. Ms. Nelson modeled this process and students had to take notes on the process to before being allowed to use media center resources.
* Note card facts should not be complete sentences copied out of their sources material. This is because when it comes time to write the paper - short, incomplete blurbs will help student create sentences using their own words, rather then copying source material.
* Students should have roughly 20 note cards from each of their sources. 80 total cards is considered the minimum number of cards required to complete their outline and ultimately their research paper. This is a benchmark skill.
* Each note card should contain a different fact. There is no point for duplicate cards stating identical facts. The idea is to have a wealth of different information and facts to be organized into categories and eventually paragraphs.
Students were also taught how to create a bibliography using the website EasyBib.com. The process is very simple when students have their source cards filled out in advance. Students simply input the information on their source cards into the proper fields and the website saves and generates a printed bibliography. Completing a bibliography in the media center was also a benchmark task.
Directions to help you and your student complete these benchmarks outside of school can be downloaded here. This download includes step by step directions on how to use EasyBib.com, organizing note cards and how to use Webspiration (a program which helps organize facts/ideas into an outline).
I have put together a helpful guide on how to use EasyBib.com, Webspiration (for outlining), and how to organize note cards. This document should prove quite useful and address questions your student (or you) might have regarding organizing and formatting information for bibliographies and outlines.
Click here to view or download a copy of this helpful document.
http://www.box.net/shared/s671bah7l6
Please encourage your student to stay on task and use class time wisely. Additionally, I have encouraged students to begin writing as soon as they have completed their outline. Writing a paragraph or two each night is much more manageable then trying to type an entire paper in one or two evenings.
Thanks for all your help - please don't hesitate to contact me with further questions or comments. This email will also be posted on my blog.
Sincerely,
Mr. Madel
6.1 Language Arts
Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School
jmadel@op97.org
RESEARCH PAPER
Due: Friday, April 29th (or earlier if completed in advance)
Length: 5-7 pages, typed, double-spaced, not including bibliography
Supplies: 100 note cards, notebook for rough draft, clear plastic cover/binder for final draft
Scoring Rubric: Click here to view or download!
As you may be aware we started working on our research papers the week before spring break. This assignment is quite intensive and can be overwhelming for students who are absent, fall off task or procrastinate their efforts. This is especially true considering we will also be covering our regular language art curriculum (i.e. vocabulary, grammar, mechanics). To date, we have now spent over two weeks in the school's media center helping students get started by selecting manageable (but interesting) research topics, finding and citing sources, generating a bibliography and most recently reviewing proper outline format.
Click here to download a copy of the Brooks Media Center Research Schedule.
http://www.box.net/shared/foagsfp7ui
Students who were absent because of illness or holiday travels may need assistance getting up to speed. I am available before and after school and during most lunch periods to assist students - but they will have to find time on their own to go to the Oak Park Library or Brooks Media Center to locate source material and submit necessary benchmark materials.
I have reformatted much of the information presented/handed out by Ms. Nelson, who conducts the first portion of the research paper while we are in the media center. This is why this email has not arrived to you sooner. The documents included in this email will help you and your student understand the various steps they need to complete to stay up to speed and complete work in a timely fashion. Yesterday (4/4/2011) was our last day in the media center (during our regularly scheduled language arts class) - this means students will have to take their own initiative (with our help) to complete any portion of the research paper which should have been completed using our time in the media center and its resources.
It is important that students get up to speed as quickly as possible and stay on task, so that they can take advantage of time and opportunities presented to them in future classes. Obviously they will be unable to read, make note cards, or begin an outline if they don't obtain proper/pertinent source material (i.e. books, journals, articles, web content, ect.). Having this material is absolutely crucial for their success, and the more source material/information they have the easier it is to draft the paper. In addition, they are learning and must cite this information in a bibliography.
Following is an outline of benchmarks and resources to help you and your student:
Click here to download a copy of the 6th Grade Research Paper Scoring Rubric.
http://www.box.net/shared/j70ynsfurg
NOTES:
* The highest possible score for a research paper’s final draft is (20) twenty points – where a student receives a (4) four, the highest score, in each category.
* Students will receive additional points for staying on task and completing benchmark deadlines – for example: finding source materials, completing source cards on time, completing their Easybib.com bibliography on time, completing portions of their rough draft on time.
* Students who plagiarize work or submit work that is not their own will receive harsh penalties on their final grade for the research paper.
March 14th-18th - We started with a pre-quiz to see what students already knew about research papers. Then we discussed what a research paper is, why research papers are useful, and how they are used academically. We proceeded to read chapter 11 in our text books, which discusses the various steps and components of a research paper and even models an example of a good research paper. Students were directed to start thinking about topics that would be interesting to them. It was suggested that they pick a topic that is interesting to them, but that they know little about. The topic should not be too narrow or obscure (a'la painite), nor should it be too broad (World War II). A good topic will be interesting and accessible to the student and have multiple source materials that can be easily gathered and understood.
This is a link to download the pre-quiz we took on research papers.
http://www.box.net/shared/kl6usb6xqa
March 21-25 - Students have selected research topics and were introduced to the Brooks Media Center's resources. Ms. Nelson conducts these classes and explained what are considered quality/credible sources in both print and on the internet. Students were directed to find at least four sources on their research topics (2) two books/print sources,(1) one encyclopedia source, and (1) web/internet source. Obviously, it is strongly encouraged that students find additional source material outside of school - considering the limitation of the schools media center. Additionally, students who were unable to find sufficient source material were encouraged to change their research topic to something more manageable.
As students located source material they were taught how cite their sources using media source cards in the library. Filling out these cards was a benchmark requirement for the research paper. Citation cards can be acquired in the media center, however - I have also created a source card download that has an example of each type of source card as well as a website evaluation form.
If your student has missed either of these benchmarks they can download these forms from this email or my blog to complete and turn in. Students who were not absent or failed to take advantage of class time will be penalized for late work. Excused absences will be given extensions to complete benchmarks.
Download a copy of the blank source card examples here.
http://www.box.net/shared/7vcg3zcyrl
Download a copy of the website evaluation form here.
http://www.box.net/shared/o0oghy9stt
Students were encouraged to gather additional source material or review existing source material over the spring break so that they would be prepared to begin making note cards upon their return to school.
April 4th-8th - Students should have gathered all their source material and have it properly cited on citation cards. Students should have also completed website evaluation form and had any websites they are using as sources approved by a teacher. Ms. Nelson gave students a lesson on how to properly create and organize note cards. Students will be working on note cards in language arts this week, and will need to come to class prepared with all their source material, index cards or some other kind of note card and something to write with. The note cards will be key for students to effectively begin their research paper's rough draft.
NOTES:
* Note cards should contain facts from their source material and indicate which source it came from. Ms. Nelson modeled this process and students had to take notes on the process to before being allowed to use media center resources.
* Note card facts should not be complete sentences copied out of their sources material. This is because when it comes time to write the paper - short, incomplete blurbs will help student create sentences using their own words, rather then copying source material.
* Students should have roughly 20 note cards from each of their sources. 80 total cards is considered the minimum number of cards required to complete their outline and ultimately their research paper. This is a benchmark skill.
* Each note card should contain a different fact. There is no point for duplicate cards stating identical facts. The idea is to have a wealth of different information and facts to be organized into categories and eventually paragraphs.
Students were also taught how to create a bibliography using the website EasyBib.com. The process is very simple when students have their source cards filled out in advance. Students simply input the information on their source cards into the proper fields and the website saves and generates a printed bibliography. Completing a bibliography in the media center was also a benchmark task.
Directions to help you and your student complete these benchmarks outside of school can be downloaded here. This download includes step by step directions on how to use EasyBib.com, organizing note cards and how to use Webspiration (a program which helps organize facts/ideas into an outline).
I have put together a helpful guide on how to use EasyBib.com, Webspiration (for outlining), and how to organize note cards. This document should prove quite useful and address questions your student (or you) might have regarding organizing and formatting information for bibliographies and outlines.
Click here to view or download a copy of this helpful document.
http://www.box.net/shared/s671bah7l6
Please encourage your student to stay on task and use class time wisely. Additionally, I have encouraged students to begin writing as soon as they have completed their outline. Writing a paragraph or two each night is much more manageable then trying to type an entire paper in one or two evenings.
Thanks for all your help - please don't hesitate to contact me with further questions or comments. This email will also be posted on my blog.
Sincerely,
Mr. Madel
6.1 Language Arts
Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School
jmadel@op97.org
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