Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Class Work Leftovers. . . . Please get back with your partner(s) to finish the GUM activity. . . GUM Demons - Let's get rid of them. Directions: Working with a partner, decide which of these demons you will research and show the class how to correct: commas in a series commas in dates commas after introductory phrases commas with independent clauses semicolons with independent clauses semicolons with conjunctive adverbs punctuation of book, movie, television, newspaper, CD, and magazine titles punctuation of short stories, poems, songs, magazine articles, and newspaper titles

• First, return to your group to review the rules.


• Second, use at least two sentences as examples of the correct use.


• Third, share the information with the class.


• Fourth, give them a sentence to write correctly. This can all be done on chart paper or on the white board.


• Fifth: Share with the class - teach us.

Part II Share your first three slides with the class. Refer to the guidelines. Did you do the following:

• Include a title page? Is your name on it?


• Place no more than 4 bullets on a slide?


• Use no more than 6 words per bullet?


• Use colors that can be seen?


• Use footless fonts?


• Balance the photos on the slide?

Homework

1. Create the next section of your PowerPoint. Refer to Monday's post for the specific guidelines.

2. Don't forget that you must include a Works Cited page at the end of the slide show. Work on it as you go along. Remember that EasyBib can make this an easy process.

3. Bring your show to class on Friday - jump drive or e-mail.

Class Work 1. Have you identified a problem to use as the topic of your PowerPoint presentation? If so, write it and your name on a PostIt and post on the board. Cluser the PostIts by category.

2. Guidelines for PowerPoint presentation

• Slide #1: Title and Your Name


• Slide #2: Identify the problem


• Slides 3, 4, 5: Explain the causes of the problem


• Slides 6, 7, 8: Explain the effects of the problem - prove that the problem exists


• Slides 9, 10, 11: Call to action - give the viewers concrete examples of what can be done and explain what difference their actions will make.


• Slide 12: Works Cited

3. Taking a look at the PowerPoint scoring rubric - this will guide your slides. (Handout from Friday) Also, see 14D p. 233+ in The McGrawHill Handbook for information on slide presentations. See Chapter 13 as well. Page 223 - 224 13b has examples.

4. Overview of "How to" give a presentation http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/rub.pres.html

******** GUM Demons - Let's get rid of them. Working with a partner, decide which of these demons you will research and show the class how to correct:

• commas in a series


• commas in dates


• commas after introductory phrases


• commas with independent clauses


• semicolons with independent clauses


• semicolons with conjunctive adverbs


• punctuation of book, movie, television, newspaper, CD, and magazine titles


• punctuation of short stories, poems, songs, magazine articles, and newspaper titles

First, find the rule(s). Second, use at least two sentences as examples of the correct use. Third, share the information with the class. Fourth, give them a sentence to write correctly. This can all be done on chart paper or on the white board. Homework Create the first three slides of your PowerPoint. Be sure to keep track of your sources on EasyBib. Bring them to class on a jump drive or e-mail the slides to yourself so you can access them in class on Wednesday.

Wednesday

Class Work

Did you rate any of the following in your critique?

Critic's Choice
1. Audience
2. Message/purpose
3. Speaker: poise, stance, clarity of voice, eye contact, preparation, knowledge of subject, voice
4. Application - What can I do?
5. Cost
6. Practical application: Can this really be done?
7. Is this real or a scam?
8. Visuals
9. Music
10. Charts/Graphs
11. FACTS/evidence Charisma Handout:

Critique Rubric - Did you write a Pulitzer Prize critique, or does your critique belong in the recycling bin?

First: Read your critique out loud to the others at your table - groups of four, please. Move if you need to "grow" your group.

Second: Pass your paper to the student on your left. Read that paper and check for GUM - grammar, usage, and mechanics.

Third: Get your paper back and pass it to the student on your right. This student will use the check list to give you some good advice for revision.

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Return of essays - take a look at yours. Use the notes on the page to know what items to practice in the list from your on-line book.

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Homework Finish the critique. It is due on Friday. You will submit the draft, peer editing sheet, and the final copy.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Class Work 1. Take a close look at the review/critique you located for homework. Break it down paragraph by paragraph to discover how the writer composed the review.

2. Evaluate the review/critique. Did you like it? Why or why not?

3. What techniques can you use when writing your own critique of An Inconvenient Truth?

4. Here are some steps for writing your critique: http://www.ehow.com/how_2278441_write-movie-critique.html

5. This link has everything you wanted to know about writing a critique about a documentary and then some! http://www-english.tamu.edu/pers/fac/muana/docureview.pdf

6. This is a quick review of comma rules: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/powerpoint.htm Click on the House of Commas.

Homework

1. Follow the guidelines and write the draft of your review of An Inconvenient Truth. It should be no longer than two double spaced pages. Bring a paper copy to class on Wednesday.

Critic's Choice 1. Audience 2. Message/purpose 3. Speaker: poise, stance, clarity of voice, eye contact, preparation, knowledge of subject, voice 4. Application - What can I do? 5. Cost 6. Practical application: Can this really be done? 7. Is this real or a scam? 8. Visuals 9. Music 10 Charts/Graphs 11. FACTS/evidence 12 Charisma

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Class Work
1. If you have not already done so, submit your essay.
2. What is Mother Nature really saying? What's her point? Please see the handout for directions - grab your camera - and go outside.
3. Return to class and complete the worksheet with your partner.

Homework

1. Read "So Mother Nature Had a Boyfriend." This essay makes a point by using humor. Answer the following:
a. Was the humor effective? What lines were humorous?
b. Did you like the essay? Explain.
c. To what extent is humor an effective persuasive technique?
Bring the essay and your responses to class on Friday. Also bring your copy of "Saving the Songs of the Sea."

Monday, March 20, 2011

Class Work

1. Welcome back! If you are ready, you may submit your Between Worlds paper today. If you would like some extra time, Wednesday will be fine.

2. Read "Saving the Songs of the Sea" - group activity - paper handout - sorry, I cannot send this one via e-mail attachment! (Save the last word for me.)

3. Mother Nature will be the focus of our next unit.

Homework

1. Bring your camera phone or pocket camera to class on Wednesday for an outdoor assignment - weather permitting - weather is almost always permitting in our neck of the woods!

2. Read "Tilling a New World" in Between Worlds - pp. 276-278. Select three of the six questions to answer on p. 278 under Thinking about the Text.

3. If you have not already done so, work on the next grammar assessment in the on-line text book. If you finished the first one, and most of you did, you should be able to begin the second assessment.