Argument Unit - Credible Sources

The internet seems infinite. Even if you spent every second of every day viewing as much as you possibly could, you'd never get to the end of the internet. The amount of new content added to the internet today alone would be too much to view in a lifetime. Isn't that insane?

And ANYONE can add content to the internet at any time. Even me! All I had to do was provide an email address and a few personal details, and some fools gave me a free blog that I now use to mold the minds of the future leaders of our country. Scary, huh?

Luckily for you, I am a (mostly) sane person with (mostly) sane goals. I use this blog for good, not evil, but the same can't be said for everyone who adds content to the great and powerful World Wide Web. There are a lot of people out there with questionable motives, and sometimes it's hard to know what you can and can't believe on the internet.



Honest Abe sure knows how to drive home a point, doesn't he? ;)

As you're researching on the vast, infinite information highway, it's important to remember that not everything you click on is going to have the most rock solid information. You're going to come across a lot of information that is based purely on opinion instead of facts. OR, information that is stated as fact, but no facts are cited. Beware of the article (or video or infograph) that doesn't provide sources!



How about some examples, eh?

Unreliable sources:

• Wikipedia.org - Wikipedia is a great website, chock full of information on just about any subject you could think of, BUT it can be edited by anyone, so watch out for it. The folks who run Wikipedia do their best to fact check everything, but sometimes misinformation slips through the cracks. Your best bet is to check the links at the bottom of the Wikipedia page - a lot of times that's where the author got their information, and it's where you can get information, too.
• Debate.org - Great site for forming opinions and seeing what the public thinks about an issue, but that's about it. Please don't use debate.org as a source of information, because it is impossible to know if what anyone says there is true. 
• TheOnion.com - This is a satirical website, meaning all of the articles written here are a joke - usually a joke that pokes fun at a real issue. The thing is, they can sometimes sound serious, and people are fooled by satirical websites like The Onion all the time. If you think something that you're reading is satire, let us know, and we'll help you figure it out.
• Anything that seems too one-sided may not be credible. 
• Anything that doesn't site sources is unreliable.
• Anything that's out of date (more than a few years) is questionable. 

Credible sources:

• Newsela.com - We like it, and we want you to use it whenever possible. The articles are taken from newspapers around the world, which means the stories have been fact checked. See if they have anything about your topic!
• Local newspapers/news stations - They all have websites, and are usually a little less biased than national news channels.
• Websites that end in .gov (government) have information that has been thoroughly researched.
• National newspapers like The Washington Post, The New York Times, and USA Today also have information that has been thoroughly researched. 
• Websites that are CURRENT usually have more accurate information than those that are outdated.
• Websites that have links to their sources are usually more trustworthy.
• Websites that are objective (unbiased) tend to be more reliable than those that are biased.

Here is a handy checklist to use when checking the credibility of your sources. If you have any questions about whether a source is credible or not, please let me know!


Once you have finished this lesson and the Media Bias lesson, head on over to Google Classroom and start part two of the scavenger hunt. Good luck!

Argument Unit - Media Bias

As you are researching for your final project, you have probably come across some pretty biased information. What's bias? I'm so glad you asked! Allow me to illustrate bias with an example.

Right now, kids from both Team J and Team S are reading this lesson. So, let me ask you this: Who do you like better - me or Miss Mosher?

This is a hypothetical question - I don't need or want to know the answer. :) BUT I can guess what the results will be. By and large, Team J kids probably chose me and Team S kids probably chose Miss Mosher. And why? Because you're biased. Bias, more simply put, is favoritism. It would make sense for Team J kids to like me better because they see and interact with me every day. Likewise, Team S kids like Miss Mosher better for the same reasons. Most people like what they know.

What does this have to do with your research? Everything! The internet is media, and media is full of bias.

Typically, media is divided up into two major camps: liberal or conservative. Most media outlets fall somewhere between those two extremes. MSNBC is typically viewed as more liberal leaning, whereas FOX News is seen as more conservative.

But how do you know the difference? Student News Daily has a really great (and unbiased!) article that you can read here: http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/ Many of you chose controversial topics such as abortion, gun control, or marriage equality - each of which is discussed from both perspectives in the link above. It's a great read if you're wondering which side of things you typically fall on - liberal or conservative?

To help you understand bias more deeply, please view this prezi: https://prezi.com/o9ovcyvm8x28/media-bias/ The author of this prezi talks about different types of bias and provides great examples. Pay special attention to the blue underlining in the examples. This is something that will really help you determine whether your sources are biased or not, so view it more than once if you need to!

Once you've completed this lesson and the Credible Sources lesson, head back to your Google Classroom page, open part two of the scavenger hunt, and get searching!

Literary Essay - Gathering Evidence for Body Paragraphs

It's time to start thinking about body paragraphs, and the first best step is to reread your story and plan out your evidence. Watch the video below for a better understanding of how to think through your body paragraphs.

Now it's time to find your evidence. You will need a copy (digital or paper) of your story to read, of course, but rereading your story isn't enough. You have to be organized for your evidence to be effective. So, back in Google Classroom, use the attached organizer to gather and elaborate on the evidence you find. Good luck!

Try Not to Laugh

Oh my goodness. I can't even get past the first video without losing this challenge.

Try it!

Analyzing Fiction - Point of View and Dramatic Irony

Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. Most stories are told from either first-person point of view or third-person point of view. “Death by Scrabble” is told in first-person point of view. (Remember, "Heading Home" was told in the rarely seen second-person point of view.)

Sometimes, a writer gives the reader more information than the narrator or a character has. By doing so, the writer creates dramatic irony, a forceful contrast between what the reader knows to be true and what the narrator or character believes.

Have you seen The Lion King? It was one of my favorite movies as a kid, and one of those rare Disney movies that my brothers and I all liked (they weren't usually all about the princesses), which means we ended up watching it A LOT. We even bought the soundtrack and made our mom play it over and over again in the car. I can still sing every word to every song from that movie. I'll spare you a concert. :)

What you might not have realized when you watched that movie as a kid is that it's an excellent example of dramatic irony. I know, I know - that's not a term you're familiar with, but just stick with me here. Read this hilarious comic for a definition of dramatic irony:

Source: theoatmeal.com

The comics below are good examples of dramatic irony as well. We (the audience) see and understand what's about to happen, but the characters do not.

So, how does that apply to The Lion King? Watch this:

And then watch this:

Scar tells Simba that he is responsible for Mufasa's death and convinces Simba that he needs to run away and never return. Simba spends the rest of the movie dealing with the overwhelming, soul-crushing guilt that he caused the stampede that killed his father, never knowing that Scar actually murdered Mufasa and scared Simba off so he could be the king. 

That's dramatic irony. The audience knows all along that Scar is the villain, but Simba never figures it out until the end. And that's important because, as everyone knows, Simba is the rightful king and the only one who can take power back from Scar after he's completely ruined the Pride Lands by over hunting to feed his hyena army.

Now that you know all about dramatic irony, head on over to our Google Classroom page for your assignment!

Analyzing Fiction - Suspense

Today in class we read the short story Heading Home by Ramsey Campbell. It's a very short story with a LOT of suspense packed in, and almost all of you were totally surprised by the ending. I love stories like that!

If you've ever watched a scary movie, read a creepy book, walked through the woods in the dark, or have been left home alone at night, you've probably experienced the sensation of suspense. It's that uncomfortable nervous feeling you have when you're not sure what's going to happen next, but you can almost guarantee that it won't be good.

In movies, suspenseful moments are pretty easy to identify. The following movie clips are some of the most famous suspenseful scenes of all time. Cue the foreboding music!

Jurassic Park (1997): Velociraptors want to know, "Why you no want to hang out with us, childrens?"

Jaws (1975): The shark attack that filled my nightmares. Warning: there will be blood.

The Dark Knight (2008): The Joker has a totally psychotic social experiment. Fun on a boat!

 

While movies have the luxury of music, lighting, and set design to create nail-biting, breath-taking, heart-pounding moments, in stories, we depend on the author to provide suspense for us. Not an easy task! So, how do they do it? I'm so glad you asked!

After you've read and annotated the short story Death by Scrabble by Charlie Fish, you will need to visit this website to learn all about how writers create tension (suspense) in a story. Taking notes on that page would be helpful, but is not required. Once you've studied that page closely, head on over to Google Classroom for your assignment!

Analyzing Fiction - Justifying Evidence

Howdy ya'll! Today we're going to be talking about how to justify the evidence you collected to prove your theme. Sound confusing? It's not so bad!

The first thing you need to understand is that not all evidence is created equal. The process you'll go through today will help you identify the information that you want to keep and weed out the stuff that doesn't really help make your case. So, let's talk a little bit about evidence, shall we?

Good evidence...

• directly supports the idea you are presenting.
• is clearly explained on how it supports. (This is what you're doing today!)
• is directly from the text.

Bad evidence...

• somewhat supports your idea, but it's a stretch. Not super clear; feels forced.
• is not explained; just listed. 
• is all summarized and very brief.
• doesn't support the complete idea you're presenting.

Ugly evidence...

• doesn't support your idea at all.
• seems random.
• has no explanation.
• just plain doesn't exist!

In the video below, I'll walk you through my process and then you'll do the same with your story. Remember, to prove a theme, you need to have evidence from throughout your entire story. So, you may have a theme that is strong, but maybe you haven't considered all of the evidence you could include. 

Analyzing Fiction - Finding the Theme

Hey kids! Time for another mini-lesson video from yours truly. Only fifteen minutes this time! Notes are optional but definitely encouraged. Go ahead and watch the video for your next assignment. You will find your actual assignment in Google Classroom. Enjoy!

(Optional) More resources for finding theme:

• This teacher is awesome. Watch his video. It's way better than mine...and shorter! ;) 
• This is a great anchor chart. Feel free to copy it as your notes to keep in your mini-lesson section of your binder.
  

Logging in to Google Classroom

Google Classroom is an awesome tool that can help our flipped classroom be more streamlined and organized. I'm really looking forward to using it with you guys! But before you use it, you'll have to log in. Here's how you do it!

 

1. Go to google.com.
2. Click "sign in" at the top right hand side of the page and enter your sign in information.
3. If this is your first time signing in, it will ask you to accept the terms of your Google account. Please click that you accept.
4. Now that you're signed in, it takes you back to google.com. You'll have to do a search for google classroom to find it though. Click on the first search result you see.
5. This should take you to a page that has your name on it and asks if you're signing in as a student or a teacher. Click student. Duh.
6. Next you'll see a big chalkboard with a plus sign in the right hand corner. Click on that to add your hour and put in your class code. You'll only need to do this once.
7. Now you should be in! Look around and see what there is to see. Please answer the reflection question and get the test assignment done. Have fun!

Class codes:

• 1st hour - 4prfwo
• 2nd hour - bx913bi
• 6th hour - 843qpk
• 7th hour - qu28jg3

If you want to use your phone or tablet, that's cool, too. There is a Google Classroom app that you can download free of charge. You will also need to download Google Docs to be able to work on and turn in assignments.

Hahahahaha!

For my The Fault in Our Stars lovers out there. This shirt is the best! :)

You can buy it here: http://www.lookhuman.com/design/54121-the-fault-in-our-pizza

Analyzing Fiction: Explicit vs. Implicit Information

Howdy all! Today instead of just watching or listening to me in a video, I have an activity for you that you'll do with your group. Read the post all the way through, and then get together with your group to complete the activity. If you have any questions, comment below or let me know!

Before we get started, go ahead and get a note page set up to look like this:

An important part of analyzing fiction is being able to use a combination of explicit and implicit information to make an inference.

Yeah, I know. I'm pulling out the big guns with those words. They'll be less confusing once we define them though.

• Explicit – information that is clearly stated so there is no room for confusion or questions. (The prefix ex means OUT. So this is information that's out in the open for anyone to see.)
• Implicit – information that is implied or suggested, but not clearly stated. (The prefix im means IN. So this is information that is hidden in the text.)
• Inference – a conclusion made based on both information/evidence and reasoning.

Now that we've defined those words, let's practice identifying explicit and implicit information with some movie trailers. Movie trailers attempt to balance explicit and implicit information. They reveal enough explicit information to give you a sense of the movie’s premise, yet they rely on implicit information to capture their viewer’s imaginations. If the movie trailer has been successful, the audience will be intrigued enough about the movie to pay to see it.

Watch this trailer of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 and record as much explicit information as you can on the left side of your t-chart.

There's a lot of information there, so watch it a couple of times if you need to. When you are finished recording explicit information, get together with your group and try to brainstorm the implicit information revealed in the trailer.  Any implications about Prim perhaps? Or what Katniss will do to President Snow?

Let's try again with another movie trailer. This time, let's watch the trailer for something less familiar. On your t-chart, write Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials. As you watch it, record as much explicit information as you can on the left side, and then once again, brainstorm the implicit information on the right.

Are you starting to see how the explicit information and the implicit information work together in movie trailers to make you want to see a movie?

And, now for your assignment! It's only a five minute video! ;)

And a quick shot of my example in case you need to refer back to it:

That's it from me! Work with your group and have fun! :)

Analyzing Fiction: Summarizing Review

Hi guys! Welcome to a new week of school! You'll be responsible for watching three videos this week, so make sure you're keeping up with your work. I'll have another one ready for you to go tomorrow night.

Also, don't forget your vocab quiz over "gen" words is on Wednesday. Anyone who made an additional study guide will get extra credit points on the quiz! If I have your packet because you handed it in late, be sure to get it from me so you can study.

Your first video this week is about summarizing for fiction. We talked about this quite a bit last year, and some at the beginning of this year when we were talking about responses, but making sure you have summarizing down to a science is a big part of being able to analyze fiction well, which is what we're getting into this week. See the video below for my example using "A Retrieved Reformation".

And here is a clearer shot of my finished summary in case you'd like to read it again:

This week, you'll be working with a small group to read a short story that you'll choose together. There are 3-4 options, so hopefully you'll be able to agree on one. ;) The stories are all laid out on the jellybean table, and you will find your and your group member's names near the collection of stories meant for you. Spend some time checking them out, and then decide on one you'd all like to read.

I'm going to talk in class about what you'll do once you have your story chosen, but part of it will definitely involve a summary, so keep this mini-lesson in mind as you move forward.

Since notes for this video were optional, what I would like you to do is leave a comment on this blog that tells me your goal for summary writing this week. What is something you need to work on when it comes to summarizing? What did you see in the video that you'd like to try. Let me know below for participation points!

Short Stories by O. Henry

Hi guys!

On Monday we officially start our Analyzing Fiction unit, during which you'll have the opportunity to choose short stories to read and analyze. The genre of short stories is hard to define, but usually they focus on a set number of characters, typically take place in one location, and have one central conflict. Short stories utilize literary elements such as character development, plot, and theme, but to a much lesser extent than novels do. They can be any genre and any length, but most are under thirty pages or so.

See what I mean? Short stories are tough to define! 

Today in class, everyone read "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry for our Analyzing Fiction pretest, but it will also serve as our mentor text for the next couple of weeks. I'm going to link to the story here in case you ever need it at home.

"A Retrieved Reformation"

O. Henry is considered by many to be the master of short stories - having written over 600 in his lifetime! Some people really enjoyed "A Retrieved Reformation", so I thought I'd also link some of O. Henry's other short stories. Here are some of his most famous ones:

"After Twenty Years"

"The Gift of the Magi" (One of my favorites!)

"The Ransom of Red Chief"

"Last Leaf"

And here is a link to a whole lot more! Feel free to use any of these to write your next reading response!

Week of 9-8-15

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I want to try to update the blog weekly to let you know what's going on in language arts. Better communication with parents is a huge goal of mine this year, and I want to make sure you're as in-the-know as possible when it comes to what your kids are doing.

We started using the flipped classroom model in language arts last week, and it was pretty successful. Below this post, you'll see four posts from Friday that show reflective conversations about how the kids think the flipped classroom is going, and they seem to love it so far. I do, too! It was a really great week, and I look forward to continuing with this model throughout the school year.

Here are a few thoughts from our first week:

• Many of the students chose to watch the videos at school instead of at home. This is fine, but each video takes between 30-45 minutes to watch, which means it takes up almost all of their language arts hour. If they have other obligations to fulfill during our LA time, they may need to start watching the videos at home, after school or during study hall time. If students use their time wisely, they should be able to watch the videos during class, but they shouldn't count on always having a free day to view them - especially if they wait until the last minute.

• The students had two mandatory videos last week and one optional video. I strongly suggest they watch the optional videos, but they are not required. The mandatory videos are taking place of the instruction I used to do during class time, so those definitely need to be viewed by every student. Next week, we will be starting note-taking during each video, and students will get a participation grade for taking notes as they watch.

• I like the pace of mini-lesson videos so far. Two mandatory videos a week seems pretty manageable. If I need to do more lessons, I will most likely just teach them in class as a group. Optional videos will continue to pop up, but may not be something you see every week. 

• After each video, I would like to include links to other resources. If you watch the video with your student and aren't sure they get the concept, or if you just see them struggling, feel free to use these extra resources to help. Parents regularly ask me how they can help at home, so I thought that might be a feature you would find useful.

As for this week, your kids took a Performance test today. Tomorrow is for makeups and talking about Performance results, and they also have a language packet (gen root words) due. We will have an analyzing fiction pretest Thursday and Friday. No videos for this week, but they will most likely have one to watch over the weekend! Keep a look out! As always, please let me know if you have any questions. Feel free to leave a comment on this post or email me at samantha.boehle@pekin.net. Have a great week!

Flipped Classroom Reflection

Alright, guys. We've been working under the flipped classroom model for a week now. What do you think about it so far? What are the pros and cons now that you're in it? Let's talk about it!

Flipped Classroom Reflection

Alright, guys. We've been working under the flipped classroom model for a week now. What do you think about it so far? What are the pros and cons now that you're in it? Let's talk about it!

Flipped Classroom Reflection

Alright, guys. We've been working under the flipped classroom model for a week now. What do you think about it so far? What are the pros and cons now that you're in it? Let's talk about it!

Flipped Classroom Reflection

Alright, guys. We've been working under the flipped classroom model for a week now. What do you think about it so far? What are the pros and cons now that you're in it? Let's talk about it!

OPTIONAL - Process for Writing a Reading Response

Hey guys, I thought it might be helpful for you to see the thinking process I use to write a reading response. Check out the video below if you'd like! Below you can see a picture of my completed response. Don't forget that we have Reading Response Organizers that will help you write a great response! See you tomorrow!

My finished response:

 

 

Analyzing Fiction - Making Inferences

Alrighty, here is your next video! Sorry about all of the delays, but I finally have this figured out, and all of the videos will be crystal clear from here on out. Woohoo!

Before you hit play, make sure you have a piece of paper, something to write with, and something to write on. You will be taking notes as you watch.

When you're done, read independently, and don't forget to keep track of your thinking on post its as you go!

Optional:

• Need more help with inferring? This page has some great practice exercises: http://www.laflemm.com/reso/inference.html
• This is a great anchor chart about making character inferences: http://www.clipzine.me/u/clip/66361099411310263987
• Scroll down a bit on this page to see two awesome anchor charts on inferring theme: http://missklohnsclassroom.blogspot.com/2012/10/anchors-away.html

Keeping Track of Thinking While You Read

Oh, guys. It has been a night, let me tell you. I apologize for not getting this up sooner. There were so many complications...I can't even talk about it right now because I'm too exhausted from it all. Anyway, here is your first online mini-lesson. I tried filming using my iPad, but due to some of those complications I mentioned, I had to switch to my computer. I just watched a couple minutes of this, and the sound is awful. It sounds like I'm underwater. I'm sorry about that, but I'm honestly not sure how to improve it. This first attempt was definitely full of trial and error!

Anyway, watch this and do what I say! :)

Testing, testing. Are you out there?

I've had twelve new page views today, so I know some of you are checking for videos! Yay! I did this really quick test video, but I will be back in a bit with more. See you soon!

Intervention Discussion: Fever 1793, Chapters 27-Epilogue

Ideas for Poetry Creations

Your end product for our poetry unit is supposed to be a piece created by you, but inspired in some way by the poem you chose. Not very specific, is it? There are so many possibilities! This could be overwhelming, but check out some of these beautiful options for turning your poem into a piece of art.

Remember when we talked about the different forms of poetry and I mentioned concrete poems? Concrete poetry—sometimes also called ‘shape poetry’—is poetry whose visual appearance matches the topic of the poem. The words form shapes which illustrate the poem’s subject as a picture, as well as through their literal meaning. Here are some examples:

This poem isn't really about a cat, but it does use the metaphor of a cat, so the cat was a clever choice of an image to use.

This one actually is about drinking coffee, but still a cleverly drawn concrete poem.

You could also draw or paint a picture and then use concrete poetry for part of the image.

Another option I love are these altered book pages. You could use any page from pretty much any book to create one of these works of art inspired by your poem. Check out some of these outstanding examples:

These are beautiful examples of altered book pages. See how the creators of these works emphasized certain words to make a poem? And then they artfully decorated the rest of the page? If this is something you're interested in, let me know, and I'll copy a page out of any book for you.

Another cool option are these art journal pages. Get some inspiration from your poem, and create a work of art paired with words of your own or some of the words from your poem - maybe just a few lines that you love.

Many, many, many more examples here! Check them out - there are seriously tons.

Or you could even record parts of a poem on a physical object that reminds you of your poem. Whatever speaks to you! I love this seashell example!

If you love artful text (I totally do!), you could copy a part of your poem in a creative way and then make an illustration to go along with it. This awesome book of illustrated Walt Whitman poems is a perfect example:

All images found here. Click the link for more!

Whatever you decide to do, just have fun and put as much of yourself into it as you can! This is your chance to truly express your creativity in a really cool and poetic way. Embrace it and find something that holds meaning for you!

Intervention Discussion: Fever 1793, Chapters 24-26

Let's discuss Chapters 24-26 here!

Intervention Discussion: Fever 1793, Chapters 20-23

Let's discuss chapters 20-23 of Fever 1793 here!

Analyzing Poetry - The ARTWARS Method

Please excuse the goofiness of this video! It's a little silly at times, but the maker of this tutorial has some great ideas about how to analyze poetry. This is one of about a hundred methods that you could use to pick apart a poem to discover its meaning. We'll be watching this as a class next week, but feel free to watch it today to prepare yourselves!

Intervention Discussion: Fever 1793, Chapters 16-19

Discuss Chapters 16-19 of Fever 1793 here!

Figurative Language Videos

As you've probably noticed by now, poetry is full of potentially confusing figurative language. Understanding the types of figurative language that poets use most often might help you decipher some of the poems you've been reading. Use the videos below to teach yourself about figurative language!

Similes and Metaphors in pop culture. Hilarious and accurate!

A great video highlighting the difference between personification and anthropomorphism:

Onomatopoeia (sounds represented in word form) is pretty popular in songs, but you might not have noticed before.

Hyperboles are extreme exaggeration, and musicians LOVE to exaggerate. :)

Online Poetry Resources

A list of 180 poems (one for every day of the school year!)

An awesome archive of poetry! On the left side of the page, click a category and read away.

The following links are to some amazing spoken word poetry. Pretty powerful stuff.

• "Shrinking Women" - A powerful spoken word poem about weight and gender roles in a young woman's family
• "To This Day" - A beautifully illustrated spoken word poem about three people's struggle with bullying
• "Explaining My Depression to My Mother" - A poem about a young woman trying to explain her depression and anxiety to her mom, but her mom just doesn't get it
• "For Teenage Girls" - A poem encouraging teenage girls to live fearlessly and passionately. 
• "To the Boys Who May One Day Date My Daughter" - A letter to teenage boys (and girls) everywhere from the father of a girl raised with love and strength
• "Rigged Game" - A critical look at how the educational system treats English Language Learners (kids who don't speak English as their first language) 
• "Declaration of Independence" - A young woman's passionate stance on racism in America

Intervention Discussion - Fever 1793, Chapters 11-15

Intervention discussion about chapters 11-15 of Fever by Laurie Halse Anderson. Post comments and questions below.