October 20 - October 27

Focus:
Research for Election Knowledge; Daily Journals --

Goal: Daily Reflections on research to understand election process and candidate issues to make an informed choice

What issues are important to you? Which issues are important to you and our country?

The Economy? Energy? The Environment? Health Care? Taxes? Iraq? Afghanistan? Security?
https://whatelse.pbwiki.com/Election-Project

Search the Weekly Reader site (http://www.weeklyreader.com/election/)for information on the issues.

Scholastic Issues Pages

Chart: http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/election2008/games/candidates_stand/issues.htm

Game: http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/election2008/games/candidates_stand/

MSNBC Issues in Brief



Monday 10/20
Entry: Base words -- elect, vote, inform, search, represent
Write a second draft of your ideas so far. Use paragraphs with specific details.
What animal is your research about?
How does your animal survive the Arctic?
How is global warming affecting your animal?
How are we as humans contributing to your animal's problem?
How is the problem of global warming affecting us?
Will what we do change the polar environments?
How do you think these changes may ultimately affect us?
Intro to Election Project; PowerPoint Intro Ballot and Letter Home https://whatelse.pbwiki.com/Election-Project

Tuesday 10/21
Entry: Write your five words on your Weekly Study Sheet
Respond: What do you know about the election issues?

Scholastic Action:Scholastic Action: p. 19-21 -- What are the platforms of each candidate; Target Notes
Handout: Weekly Reader McCain/Obama Issues

Focus on Issues (Above) Part of Project for voting 10/23 and 10/29:

Wednesday, Oct 22


Scholastic Magazine: Issues
End: Issues (Above) Homework Wednesday or Thursday: Share issues with family; Be read your opinion (CRT)
Daily Reflection: What did I do? What are your sources? I learned that... My thoughts on the candidates are...

Thursday October 23 (No test this week)
Entry:

What are the important transitions?

Read in your Classroom Texts--

Blue Write Source, pages 472-473

Black Write Source 2000 page 106

Yellow Ginn English page 324-32

Discussion/Issue Research CRT Organizer; Question: Which candidate meets your expectations for President based on issues? ISSUES (Above)

Weekly Reader Vote

Daily Reflection: What did I do? What are your sources? I learned that... My thoughts on the candidates are...

Friday October 24
Research on issues (CRT or Target)
Research/Issue game based on information to gather further information.


Monday October 27
Entry Spelling Base words:
issue, belief, part, campaign, persuade, citizen

Create a Venn diagram comparing the ideas/isues of McCain/Obama.

Assignment:

Use transitions to write to compare the issues of the two candidates. You may express your opinion and include the comparison of facts to prove your opinion.

Use one of the essay formats provided in class. --

Format 1:

Introduction Statement;

First Paragraph: Explain one candidate's issues;

Second Paragraph: Explain the other candidate's issues;

Third Paragraph: Explain similarities of the two candidates;

Summary Statement

Format 2:

Introduction Statement;

First Paragraph: Explain one candidate's issues;

Second Paragraph: Explain similarities of the two candidates;

Third Paragraph: Explain the other candidate's issues;

Summary Statement


OR, Format 3 (if you are expressing an opinion on your choice of candidate):

Introductory Statement;

First Paragraph: Explain similarities of the two candidates;

Second Paragraph: Explain the issues of the candidate you do not agree with;

Third Paragraph: Explain the issues of the candidate you choose for President

Summary Statement

Daily Reflection: What did I do? What are your sources? I learned that... My thoughts on the candidates are...

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Essential Academic Learning Requirements
EALR 1: The student understands and uses a writing process.
1.1.1 Analyzes and selects effective strategies for generating ideas and planning writing.
.
1.6.1 Applies understanding of the recursive nature of writing process.
· Edits as needed at any stage.
1.6.2 Uses collaborative skills in adapting writing process.
2.1.1 Applies understanding of multiple and varied audiences to write effectively.
2.2.1 Demonstrates understanding of different purposes for writing.

3.1.1 Analyzes ideas, selects a manageable topic, and elaborates using specific, relevant details and/or examples. --Uses personal experiences, observations, and/or research to support opinions and ideas

Component 4.1: Analyzes and evaluates others’ and own writing. W
4.1.1 Analyzes and evaluates writing using established criteria.
4.1.2 Analyzes and evaluates own writing using established criteria.

2.2.1 Demonstrates understanding of different purposes for writing.
· Writes to pursue a personal interest, to explain, to persuade, to inform, and to entertain for a specified audience (e.g., writes to persuade classmates about a position on required school uniforms, includes narratives/poetry in portfolio).
· Writes for self expression.
· Writes to analyze informational and literary texts.
· Writes to learn (double-entry journal in math, social studies, or science; letter to teacher assessing own work; reflection).

9/24 Spell It, Draw It, Reflect on It -- What R U LRNING?

Wednesday, 9/24

Entry: Turn in spelling homework.

Add to or redo your illustration from Monday. Use your notes. Label with adaptations.

Write a gist statement of all the information you have read so far about your people/animal.

Write your source on your notes; include the title, author, URL.

Example:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html
Global Warming: Frequently Asked Questions
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Climatic Data Center
David Easterling and Tom Karl, National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, N.C. 28801

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What questions are still needed?

Present research to the class. Discuss questions still needing answers.
Continue research.

9/23 Polar Research: What do you still need to know?

Tues 9/23
Entry: 1)
Spelling: 5 Words; --- choose your five spelling words from your Personal Spelling List and write them in the first column of your Weekly Word Study Sheet. Homework due tomorrow.
Then start 2)

2) Be prepared for discussion about these questions at 11:40 (Panel Experts).
How have the people and animals living in the arctic Beaufort Sea area adapted to their extreme environments? To be prepared, find your requirements for your research and continue your research. If you research, you may continue the project. Remember your google search techniques:

Use double quotations (“ “)
use to look for words in exactly the order in which you enter them

• "arctic fox"
• "polar bear"

Try minus sign (‐)
use to exclude a word from your results

• vikings ‐minnesota
• "polar bear" -grizzly

Add a site request

site:edu
site:org
site:gov

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Goal Review: Prewriting Strategies to create researched presentation: research, paraphrasing, key words, spelling, citing sources, draft, summaries, gists

Power Writing on research topic; highlight key words; gist statements.

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Presentation Research
Project: We have been asked to create a presentation as part of International Polar Year. We must prepare a brief (approximately 5 minute) presentation to persuade the countries of the United Nations of the interconnectedness of changes in the polar environments, their respective community, and the global community.

Learning Goals
Use the writing process to gather ideas, draft information, revise for clarity, edit for readability, and publish for persuasion.

Understand how life adapts to live in the Arctic. Understand what affects life in the Arctic. Anaylze the connection of those effects on the Arctic, our community, and in the world.

Gathering Ideas: Research Strategies Review
Prewriting Strategies to create researched presentation: research, paraphrasing, key words, spelling, citing sources, draft, summaries, gist

Look at your notes and label them to show you can: (These you should already have done):
___ Paraphrase notes using main ideas and facts section by section.
___ Add your connections (opinions, experiences, knowledge, feelings).
___ Use your own words (paraphrase)
___ Identify key words.
___ Check spelling.
___ Write your source.

Identify in your entry tasks where you can:
___ Begin a draft
___ Paraphrase (use your own words)
___ Identify key words (labels, highlighting)
___ Use correct spelling
___ Identify your source
___ Write a summary (briefly explain main ideas in your own words)
___ Write a twenty-word gist statement that includes all the main ideas in your research
___ Identify addition questions and needed facts

How will these research and writing process strategies help you create your persuasive presentation?

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11:40: Volunteers play experts in a panel discussion to answer questions from the audience.

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Polar Problems, continued

For 9/22

Entry: Draw a picture of your researched people or animal living in the Arctic. Use your notes. Label your picture.

Question: How have the people and animals living in the arctic Beaufort Sea area adapted to their extreme environments?

________________________________________________

Spelling Base Words: catch, tackle, write, work, agree

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Review: Who and what live in the Arctic? What is your research focus?

Terms to review: behavioral adaptation and biological adaptation; interconnectedness

First: How will we remember what we read?
Review Note-taking Strategies
Summarizing and Gist Statements

Tasks and Resources:
https://whatelse.pbwiki.com/Polar-Problems

Note-taking Review:

http://www.englishcompanion.com/Tools/notemaking.html
Download graphic organizers that fit your style

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_note-taking_system
Cornell Note-taking

http://www.englishcompanion.com/pdfDocs/cornellintro.pdf
A Cornell Note How to from Jim Burke

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=13&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cls.utk.edu%2Fpdf%2Fls%2FWeek2_Lesson14.pdf&ei=Q6nNSIi6EpmWsAPzveCIBw&usg=AFQjCNH7f7Yl42v76z7A7vTNVasFmh372A&sig2=2Uf9paP1E6149TW_HYzPiA
How to search google

https://whatelse.pbwiki.com/Google-Search-Lesson
Our google lesson

____________________________

Today's Work:

Begin research of your people or animals using organizing questions provided. Have the people and animals adapted? How? What do you think others need to know?

As you discover interesting facts, let me know. Remember, you're helping me update my resources for next year ?) Great work on google searching!

So Far

___________________ What have we learned so far? ___________________

Draw a picture of the Arctic Ocean and the animals in it.
How have these animals adapted?
Are these animals affected by us?

Take a quick quiz about the Arctic: https://whatelse.pbwiki.com/Arctic

______________________________________

Read the Team Roles and remember:
Whether you are a team member or working alone, these roles must be completed for your project. If you are working alone, you are responsible for all roles.

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Our Project and Questions

• Based upon what you've learned about plant, animal, and human adaptations in the Beaufort Sea communities, how do you think global warming affects these species?
• Does what we do in ____________ (name of students' local area) really affect the life in the Beaufort Sea area?
• Do you think our actions affect life in other polar regions, such as Antarctica?
• How might what happens in these polar regions affect us and others around the world?

https://whatelse.pbwiki.com/Polar-Problems

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Check out the area:

Find the NORTHERN PACIFIC AND ARCTIC.

Find the Arctic Ocean-Beaufort Sea.

List the facts on paper: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How

http://www.mcbi.org/shining_sea/s2ss_globe.htm

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Write a 20 word gist statement explaining the main idea of what you read yesterday.

______________________________________

Wy du wee nede two lrn too spel?

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How do we remember what we read? Note-taking Strategies

Two columns

Facts/Main Ideas Connections (to yourself, your knowledge, your experience, etc.)

Read a section. Review and discuss what it says and what the main idea is. Use your own words in your notes. Check your spelling before reading the next section.

Gist Statements: Twenty words that summarize ALL the most important ideas of the day's work.

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Which do you want to research and why?
* Ringed seal
* Polar bear
* Inupiat Eskimos
* Athabascan Indians
* Arctic cisco
* Beluga Whales
* Bowhead Whales
* Kind Eider
* Loons
* Thick-billed Murres
* Guillemots
* Porcupine caribou
Albatross
* Elephant seal
* Fur seal
* Arctic fox
* Arctic Hare
* Caribou
* Arctic Tern
* Puffin
* Lichen
* Arctic moss
* Collared Lemming
* Musk Ox
* Narwhal
* Walrus

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How will you find information? Learn how to use your Google search bar effectively:

https://whatelse.pbwiki.com/Google-Search-Lesson

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Ok. We're caught up. That's where we are now as of 9/19.