Mrs. McCahan (mick-CACK- in) 8/20/15 Objective: To write a paragraph To review syllabus Bellringer: What’s going on in your head? Grab a paper from the

Mrs. McCahan (mick-CACK- in)8/20/15

Objective: To write a paragraphTo review syllabus

Bellringer: What’s going on in your head? Grab a paper from the front table. Fill it out with at least four images or ideas. Now elaborate on one of them in a paragraph response on the reverse. Why is this idea “in your head” this first day of school.

www.english8room103.wikispaces.com

You should have a notebook for this class. Each day record date, objective, bellringer response.The supply list for this classconsists of the following:*notebook*folder*highlighters * headphones*flash-drive*planner

new puppyMarco Island

vacationMy kids’ first day of school

the pool

What I want to get accomplished this year in this room

Friday

When writing a paragraph,don’t forget the following:

1. Topic sentence (Underline and label TS)2. Supporting details(Number sentences 1, 2, 3, and so on)3. Internal transitions(Circle transition words)4. Concluding sentence (Underline and label CS)

8/21/15Objective: To review syllabus

To introduce & practice Freytag’s Pyramid

What’s your favorite children’s book? What is the conflict in the book? What is the climax of the book?

Ray Bradbury – what we will know and be able to do…

· Closely read a passage · Identify and define similes, metaphors, imagery, personification · Annotate a text · Use Freytag's Pyramid for literature analysis · Discuss plot · Discuss conflict · Analyze a character · Identify and define a noun · Make an inference · Discuss author's style · Write a five-paragraph essay · Define unknown words (using a dictionary)

HOMEWORK:

* bring notebook Monday

* return syllabus Monday

* visit my website this weekend

*** BONUS due Monday

www.english8room103.

wikispaces.com

http://www.english8/

8/24/15

Objective: To read aloud and make annotations

BR: Put your first and last name on your syllabus and submit it to the appropriate colored bin on computer cart. Also submit your bonus if you did it.

What is science fiction?

Made up stories often set in other worlds, on other planets, or in the future that use scientific or technological ideas in believable plots.

Close Reading Techniques --techniques “good readers” use to digest and understand a passage predictions- guess what will happen nextinferences- your thoughts + what the book says = inference!literary techniques- find imagery, similes, metaphors, personificationquestions- ask a question of the textconnections- connect the situation in the text to your life, a movie, a book you readcharacter developments- make notes about a change in charactersetting details- notice the when and wherecomments- make a comment about a plot development or characterclarification- restate a scene in your own wordssummaries- summarize a scene in simpler termsvocabulary- underline & define unknown words These are the types of annotations you will make!

"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury begins by introducing the reader to a house that cooks, cleans, and takes care of virtually every need that a typical United States family could be assumed to have. The reader enters the text on the morning of August 4, 2026 and follows the house through some of the daily tasks that it performs as it prepares its inhabitants for a day of work and school. At first it is not apparent that anything is wrong, but eventually it becomes clear that the residents of the house are not present and that the house is empty as a vacant hotel room. As the story continues, no direct explanation of the family’s absence is revealed, but the silhouettes of a woman, a man, two children, and their play ball are described as having been burnt in black and charred into one side of the house. The inhabitants are only memories. The house is described as standing amidst the ruins of a city; the leveled urban area is described briefly as emitting a "radioactive glow".

"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury begins by introducing the reader to a house that cooks, cleans, and takes care of virtually every need that a typical United States family could be assumed to have. The reader enters the text on the morning of August 4, 2026 and follows the house through some of the daily tasks that it performs as it prepares its inhabitants for a day of work and school. At first it is not apparent that anything is wrong, but eventually it becomes clear that the residents of the house are not present and that the house is empty as a vacant hotel room. As the story continues, no direct explanation of the family’s absence is revealed, but the silhouettes of a woman, a man, two children, and their play ball are described as having been burnt in black and charred into one side of the house. The inhabitants are only memories. The house is described as standing amidst the ruins of a city; the leveled urban area is described briefly as emitting a "radioactive glow".

setting

vocab

vocab

simile

imagery

What happened to the people?

metaphor

setting setting

vocab What happened to the city?

Sounds futuristic

common nounproper nounplural noun

Homework: Add five words from the story to your vocabulary chart. Be sure at least TWO are nouns. Define these words.

8/25/15

Objective: To analyze plot and character in a short story

BR: Please have your homework out on your desk. Be sure your name is on it.If you only had one hour of sunshine, what would you do and why? (one five-sentence descriptive paragraph)ORWrite a 6-10 line list poem(for a challenge use couplets) Things to do with one hour of sunshine

by Mrs. McCahan

Step outside to feel the warmth on my faceTake a quick dip in the pool at my mom's placeStudy my kids' faces in the natural lightLook at each flower bloom in sightRun around the yard to feel the rays on my skinPlay a game of tag to see who'd winLay in the grass and soak up the raysDay dream of all the past summer days

Ready?""Ready."

"Now?""Soon.""Do the scientists really know? Will it happen today, will it?""Look, look; see for yourself!"The children pressed to each other like so many roses, so many weeds, intermixed, peering out for a look at the hidden sun.It rained.It had been raining for seven years; thousand upon thousands of days compounded and filled from one end to the other

with rain, with the drum and gush of water, with the sweet crystal fall of showers and the concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal waves come over the islands. A thousand forests had been crushed under the rain and grown up a thousand times to be crushed again. And this was the way life was forever on the planet Venus, and this was the schoolroom of the children of the rocket men and women who had come to a raining world to set up civilization and live out their lives.

"It's stopping, it's stopping!""Yes, yes!"Margot stood apart from these children who could never remember a time when there wasn't rain and rain and rain. They

were all nine years old, and if there had been a day, seven years ago, when the sun came out for an hour and showed its face to the stunned world, they could not recall. Sometimes, at night, she heard them stir, in remembrance, and she knew they were dreaming and remembering and old or a yellow crayon or a coin large enough to buy the world with. She knew they thought they remembered a warmness, like a blushing in the face, in the body, in the arms and legs and trembling hands. But then they always awoke to the tatting drum, the endless shaking down of clear bead necklaces upon the roof, the walk, the gardens, the forests, and their dreams were gone.

All day yesterday they had read in class about the sun. About how like a lemon it was, and how hot. And they had written small stories or essays or poems about it:

I think the sun is a flower,That blooms for just one hour.That was Margot's poem, read in a quiet voice in the still classroom while the rain was

falling outside."Aw, you didn't write that!" protested one of the boys."I did," said Margot. "I did.""William!" said the teacher.But that was yesterday. Now the rain was slackening, and the children were crushed in the great thick windows."Where's teacher?""She'll be back.""She'd better hurry, we'll miss it!“

They turned on themselves, like a feverish wheel, all tumbling spokes.

“Ready?""Ready."

"Now?""Soon.""Do the scientists really know? Will it happen today, will it?""Look, look; see for yourself!"The children pressed to each other like so many roses, so many weeds, intermixed, peering out for a

look at the hidden sun.It rained.It had been raining for seven years; thousand upon thousands of days compounded and filled from

one end to the other with rain, with the drum and gush of water, with the sweet crystal fall of showers and the concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal waves come over the islands. A thousand forests had been crushed under the rain and grown up a thousand times to be crushed again. And this was the way life was forever on the planet Venus, and this was the schoolroom of the children of the rocket men and women who had come to a raining world to set up civilization and live out their lives.

"It's stopping, it's stopping!""Yes, yes!"Margot stood apart from these children who could never remember a time when there wasn't rain

and rain and rain. They were all nine years old, and if there had been a day, seven years ago, when the sun came out for an hour and showed its face to the stunned world, they could not recall. Sometimes, at night, she heard them stir, in remembrance, and she knew they were dreaming and remembering and old or a yellow crayon or a coin large enough to buy the world with. She knew they thought they remembered a warmness, like a blushing in the face, in the body, in the arms and legs and trembling hands. But then they always awoke to the tatting drum, the endless shaking down of clear bead necklaces upon the roof, the walk, the gardens, the forests, and their dreams were gone.

All day yesterday they had read in class about the sun. About how like a lemon it was, and how hot. And they had written small stories or essays or poems about it:

I think the sun is a flower,That blooms for just one hour.That was Margot's poem, read in a quiet voice in the still classroom while the rain was

falling outside."Aw, you didn't write that!" protested one of the boys."I did," said Margot. "I did.""William!" said the teacher.But that was yesterday. Now the rain was slackening, and the children were crushed in the great thick

windows."Where's teacher?""She'll be back.""She'd better hurry, we'll miss it!“

They turned on themselves, like a feverish wheel, all tumbling spokes.

Margot stood alone. She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair. She was an old photograph dusted from an album, whitened away, and if she spoke at all her voice would be a ghost. Now she stood, separate, staring at the rain and the loud wet world beyond the huge glass.

"What're you looking at?" said William.Margot said nothing.":Speak when you're spoken to." He gave her a shove. But she did not move; rather she let herself by moved only by him

and nothing else.They edged away from her, they would not look at her. She felt them go away. And this was because she would play no

games with them in the echoing tunnels of the underground city. If they tagged her and ran, she stood blinking after them and did not follow. When the class sang songs about happiness and life and games her lips barely moved. Only when they sang about the sun and the summer did her lips move as she watched the drenched windows.

And then, of course, the biggest crime of all was that she had come here only five years ago from Earth, and she remembered the sun and the way the sun was and the sky was when she was four in Ohio. And they, they had been on Venus all their lives, and they had been only two years old when last the sun came out and had long since forgotten the color and heat of it and the way it really was. But Margot remembered.

"It's like a penny," she said once, eyes closed."No it's not!" the children cried."It's like a fire," she said, "in the stove.""You're lying, you don't remember!" cried the children.But she remembered and stood quietly apart from all of them and watched the patterning windows. And once, a month

ago, she had refused to shower in the school shower rooms, had clutched her hands to her ears and over her head, screaming the water mustn't touch her head. So after that, dimly, dimly, she sensed it, she was different and they knew her difference and kept away.

There was talk that her father and mother were taking her back to earth next year; it seemed vital to her that they do so, though it would mean the loss of thousands of dollars to her family. And so, the children hated her for all these reasons of big and little consequence. They hated her pale snow face, her waiting silence, her thinness, and her possible future.

"Get away!" The boy gave her another push. "What're you waiting for?"Then, for the first time, she turned and looked at him. And what she was waiting for was in her eyes."Well, don't wait around here!" cried the boy savagely. "You won't see nothing!" Her lips moved."Nothing!" he cried. "It was all a joke, wasn't it?" He turned to the other children. "Nothing's happening today. Is it?"They all blinked at him and then, understanding, laughed and shook their heads. "Nothing, nothing!""Oh, but," Margot whispered, her eyes helpless. "But this is the day, the scientists predict, they say, they know, the sun. . . .""All a joke!" said the boy, and seized her roughly. "Hey, everyone, let's put her in a closet before teacher comes!""No," said Margot, falling back.They surged about her, caught her up and bore her, protesting, and then pleading, and then crying, back into a tunnel, a

room, a closet, where they slammed and locked the door. They stood looking at the

Margot stood alone. She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair. She was an old photograph dusted from an album, whitened away, and if she spoke at all her voice would be a ghost. Now she stood, separate, staring at the rain and the loud wet world beyond the huge glass.

"What're you looking at?" said William.Margot said nothing.":Speak when you're spoken to." He gave her a shove. But she did not move; rather she let herself by moved only by him

and nothing else.They edged away from her, they would not look at her. She felt them go away. And this was because she would play no

games with them in the echoing tunnels of the underground city. If they tagged her and ran, she stood blinking after them and did not follow. When the class sang songs about happiness and life and games her lips barely moved. Only when they sang about the sun and the summer did her lips move as she watched the drenched windows.

And then, of course, the biggest crime of all was that she had come here only five years ago from Earth, and she remembered the sun and the way the sun was and the sky was when she was four in Ohio. And they, they had been on Venus all their lives, and they had been only two years old when last the sun came out and had long since forgotten the color and heat of it and the way it really was. But Margot remembered.

"It's like a penny," she said once, eyes closed."No it's not!" the children cried."It's like a fire," she said, "in the stove.""You're lying, you don't remember!" cried the children.But she remembered and stood quietly apart from all of them and watched the patterning windows. And once, a month

ago, she had refused to shower in the school shower rooms, had clutched her hands to her ears and over her head, screaming the water mustn't touch her head. So after that, dimly, dimly, she sensed it, she was different and they knew her difference and kept away.

There was talk that her father and mother were taking her back to earth next year; it seemed vital to her that they do so, though it would mean the loss of thousands of dollars to her family. And so, the children hated her for all these reasons of big and little consequence. They hated her pale snow face, her waiting silence, her thinness, and her possible future.

"Get away!" The boy gave her another push. "What're you waiting for?"Then, for the first time, she turned and looked at him. And what she was waiting for was in her eyes."Well, don't wait around here!" cried the boy savagely. "You won't see nothing!" Her lips moved."Nothing!" he cried. "It was all a joke, wasn't it?" He turned to the other children. "Nothing's happening today. Is it?"They all blinked at him and then, understanding, laughed and shook their heads. "Nothing, nothing!""Oh, but," Margot whispered, her eyes helpless. "But this is the day, the scientists predict, they say, they know, the

sun. . . .""All a joke!" said the boy, and seized her roughly. "Hey, everyone, let's put her in a closet before teacher comes!""No," said Margot, falling back.They surged about her, caught her up and bore her, protesting, and then pleading, and then crying, back into a tunnel, a

room, a closet, where they slammed and locked the door. They stood looking at the

door and saw it tremble from her beating and throwing herself against it. They heard her muffled cries. Then, smiling, they turned and went out and back down the tunnel, just as the teacher arrived.

"Ready, children?" she glanced at her watch."Yes!" said everyone."Are we all here?""Yes!"The rain slackened still more.They crowded to the huge door.The rain stopped.It was as if, in the midst of a film, concerning an avalanche, a tornado, a hurricane, a volcanic eruption, something had, first,

gone wrong with the sound apparatus, thus muffling and finally cutting off all noise, all of the blasts and repercussions and thunders, and then, second, ripped the film from the projector and inserted in its place a peaceful tropical slide which did not move or tremor. The world ground to a standstill. The silence was so immense and unbelievable that you felt your ears had been stuffed or you had lost your hearing altogether. The children put their hands to their ears. They stood apart. The door slid back and the smell of the silent, waiting world came in to them.

The sun came out.It was the color of flaming bronze and it was very large. And the sky around it was a blazing blue tile color. And the jungle

burned with sunlight as the children, released from their spell, rushed out, yelling, into the springtime."Now don't go too far," called the teacher after them. "You've only two hours, you know. You wouldn't want to get caught

out!"But they were running and turning their faces up to the sky and feeling the sun on their cheeks like a warm iron; they were

taking off their jackets and letting the sun burn their arms."Oh, it's better than the sun lamps, isn't it?""Much, much better!"They stopped running and stood in the great jungle that covered Venus, that grew and never stopped growing, tumultuously,

even as you watched it. It was a nest of octopi, clustering up great arms of flesh-like weed, wavering, flowering this brief spring. It was the color of rubber and ash, this jungle, from the many years without sun. It was the color of stones and white cheeses and ink, and it was the color of the moon.

The children lay out, laughing, on the jungle mattress, and heard it sigh and squeak under them, resilient and alive. They ran among the trees, they slipped and fell, they pushed each other, they played hide-and-seek and tag, but most of all they squinted at the sun until the tears ran down their faces, they put their hands up to that yellowness and that amazing blueness and they breathed of the fresh, fresh air and listened and listened to the silence which suspended them in a blessed sea of no sound and no motion. They looked at everything and savored everything. Then, wildly, like animals escaped from their caves, they ran and ran in shouting circles. They ran for an hour and did not stop running.

And then—In the midst of their running one of the girls wailed.Everyone stopped.The girl, standing in the open, held out her hand."Oh, look, look," she said, trembling.They came slowly to look at her opened palm.In the center of it, cupped and huge, was a single raindrop.She began to cry, looking at it.They glanced quietly at the sky."Oh. Oh."

door and saw it tremble from her beating and throwing herself against it. They heard her muffled cries. Then, smiling, they turned and went out and back down the tunnel, just as the teacher arrived.

"Ready, children?" she glanced at her watch."Yes!" said everyone."Are we all here?""Yes!"The rain slackened still more.They crowded to the huge door.The rain stopped.It was as if, in the midst of a film, concerning an avalanche, a tornado, a hurricane, a volcanic eruption, something had, first, gone

wrong with the sound apparatus, thus muffling and finally cutting off all noise, all of the blasts and repercussions and thunders, and then, second, ripped the film from the projector and inserted in its place a peaceful tropical slide which did not move or tremor. The world ground to a standstill. The silence was so immense and unbelievable that you felt your ears had been stuffed or you had lost your hearing altogether. The children put their hands to their ears. They stood apart. The door slid back and the smell of the silent, waiting world came in to them.

The sun came out.It was the color of flaming bronze and it was very large. And the sky around it was a blazing blue tile color. And the jungle burned

with sunlight as the children, released from their spell, rushed out, yelling, into the springtime."Now don't go too far," called the teacher after them. "You've only two hours, you know. You wouldn't want to get caught out!"But they were running and turning their faces up to the sky and feeling the sun on their cheeks like a warm iron; they were taking

off their jackets and letting the sun burn their arms."Oh, it's better than the sun lamps, isn't it?""Much, much better!"They stopped running and stood in the great jungle that covered Venus, that grew and never stopped growing, tumultuously, even

as you watched it. It was a nest of octopi, clustering up great arms of flesh-like weed, wavering, flowering this brief spring. It was the color of rubber and ash, this jungle, from the many years without sun. It was the color of stones and white cheeses and ink, and it was the color of the moon.

The children lay out, laughing, on the jungle mattress, and heard it sigh and squeak under them, resilient and alive. They ran among the trees, they slipped and fell, they pushed each other, they played hide-and-seek and tag, but most of all they squinted at the sun until the tears ran down their faces, they put their hands up to that yellowness and that amazing blueness and they breathed of the fresh, fresh air and listened and listened to the silence which suspended them in a blessed sea of no sound and no motion. They looked at everything and savored everything. Then, wildly, like animals escaped from their caves, they ran and ran in shouting circles. They ran for an hour and did not stop running.

And then—In the midst of their running one of the girls wailed.Everyone stopped.The girl, standing in the open, held out her hand."Oh, look, look," she said, trembling.They came slowly to look at her opened palm.In the center of it, cupped and huge, was a single raindrop.She began to cry, looking at it.They glanced quietly at the sky."Oh. Oh."

A few cold drops fell on their noses and their cheeks and their mouths. The sun faded behind a stir of mist. A wind blew cool around them. They turned and started to walk back toward the underground house, their hands at their sides, their smiles vanishing away.

A boom of thunder startled them and like leaves before a new hurricane, they tumbled upon each other and ran. Lightening struck ten miles away, five miles away, a mile, a half mile. The sky darkened into midnight in a flash.

They stood in the doorway of the underground for a moment until it was raining hard. Then they closed the door and heard the gigantic sound of the rain falling in tons and avalanches, everywhere and forever.

"Will it be seven more years?""Yes. Seven."Then one of them gave a little cry."Margot!""What?""She's still in the closet where we locked her.""Margot."They stood as if someone had driven them, like so many stakes, into the floor. They looked at each other and then looked away.

They glanced out at the world that was raining now and raining and raining steadily. They could not meet each other's glances. Their faces were solemn and pale. They looked at their hands and feet, their faces down.

"Margot.One of the girls said, "Well . . .?"No one moved."Go on," whispered the girl.They walked slowly down the hall in the sound of the cold rain. They turned through the doorway to the room in the sound of

the storm and thunder, lightening on their faces, blue and terrible. They walked over to the closest door slowly and stood by it.Behind the closed door was only silence.They unlocked the door, even more slowly, and let Margot out.

How did Ray Bradbury start his story?Why did Ray Bradbury start his story in this manner? What was the effect?

Use a new color of highlighter and highlight each time Bradbury mentions Margot’s being alone, separate, different, or lonely.Why does Bradbury use repetition? What is the effect?

8/26/15

Objective: To compare and contrast a print and media source

BR: What are three close reading techniques good readers use? Do you use these techniques in other classes?

HOMEWORK TONIGHTVocabulary 6-10

Close Reading Techniques --techniques “good readers” use to digest and understand a passage predictions- guess what will happen nextinferences- your thoughts + what the book says = inference!literary techniques- find imagery, similes, metaphors, personification, irony, symbolismquestions- ask a question of the textconnections- connect the situation in the text to your life, a movie, a book you readcharacter developments- make notes about a change in charactersetting details- notice the when and wherecomments- make a comment about a plot development or characterclarification- restate a scene in your own wordssummaries- summarize a scene in simpler termsvocabulary- underline & define unknown words These are the types of annotations you will make!

A summary of "The Veldt" by Ray BradburyGeorge and Lydia have it all, and that's exactly what they've given their children. The couple have purchased a Happy Life Home, and they've purchased it for $30,000.00. Just think; it cooks your food; it does your laundry; and it dresses you. Breakfast, lunch, dinner: all you have to do is sit at the table and your every wish is granted. You are washed and bathed, massaged and coddled, rocked like a baby to sleep, and transported through your home without having to move a muscle, all of this luxury and yet, they've even upgraded. At half of the cost of the house, a mere $15,000.00, they've added an enormous nursery. Nothing is too good for their children, or is it?The nursery can be anything the kids desire. It can be the beach or a fairy tale. They can travel anywhere they'd like, experience anything the world has to offer, and do it all from the enormous addition that was made to their home. The room comes complete with wind, hot sun, and yes, even "odorphonics.": it even smells like the places you visit! You'd never know the places weren't real, or are they real?The story opens with Lydia drawing her husband into a conversation about their children. The nursery has become her children’s best friend! She is visibly worried that they are spending far too much time in the nursery, that the places they're visiting aren't suitable, and that the fact they have chosen the African Veldt as their escape of choice is alarming. Her children are little criminals!She wants her husband to call the psychologist for her children, but she wants him to call the psychologist for the house too! The "happy home" that they talk to, the home that talks back, that they thank for its every service; the home that was supposed to make their lives perfect, it isn't perfect, and she's crying. She wants to leave; she feels as if she's become unimportant, that she's not needed. She's no longer the caregiver, no longer a wife, no longer a mother, and she isn't wrong to worry!

A summary of "The Veldt" by Ray BradburyGeorge and Lydia have it all, and that's exactly what they've given their children. The couple have purchased a Happy Life Home, and they've purchased it for $30,000.00. Just think; it cooks your food; it does your laundry; and it dresses you. Breakfast, lunch, dinner: all you have to do is sit at the table and your every wish is granted. You are washed and bathed, massaged and coddled, rocked like a baby to sleep, and transported through your home without having to move a muscle, all of this luxury and yet, they've even upgraded. At half of the cost of the house, a mere $15,000.00, they've added an enormous nursery. Nothing is too good for their children, or is it?The nursery can be anything the kids desire. It can be the beach or a fairy tale. They can travel anywhere they'd like, experience anything the world has to offer, and do it all from the enormous addition that was made to their home. The room comes complete with wind, hot sun, and yes, even "odorphonics.": it even smells like the places you visit! You'd never know the places weren't real, or are they real?The story opens with Lydia drawing her husband into a conversation about their children. The nursery has become her children’s best friend! She is visibly worried that they are spending far too much time in the nursery, that the places they're visiting aren't suitable, and that the fact they have chosen the African Veldt as their escape of choice is alarming. Her children are little criminals!She wants her husband to call the psychologist for her children, but she wants him to call the psychologist for the house too! The "happy home" that they talk to, the home that talks back, that they thank for its every service; the home that was supposed to make their lives perfect, it isn't perfect, and she's crying. She wants to leave; she feels as if she's become unimportant, that she's not needed. She's no longer the caregiver, no longer a wife, no longer a mother, and she isn't wrong to worry!

8/27/15

Objective: To write a compare/contrast paragraphTo analyze character

Bellringer: Put your homework on the corner of your desk.

What are some transitions you use when comparing?

What are some transitions you use when contrasting?

Likewise similarly equally in addition additionally also like

On the contrary, but, however, nevertheless, yet, on one hand, on the other hand, rather, or, nor, conversely, at the same time

Bring headphones Friday!

Analyzing a character in a story calls for looking at his or her interactions with other characters and conversations. Really knowing a character entails identifying the three defining moments for the character, the two critical choices that character made, and the one pivotal person in that character’s life. Analyze these three aspects of the character you chose.Defining Moments (Scenes in the story that told you something unique or new about the character. These scenes told you WHO the character truly is.) 1.2.3.Critical Choices (These are decisions the character made, either consciously or subconsciously, that changed the character or the outcome of the story.)1. 2. Pivotal Person (This is the one person that affected the character the most, either positively or negatively)

What is the one choice you made or was made for you that drastically affected who you have become?

“If someone out there doesn’t agree with me, then somewhere a village is missing their idiot.”“No dog ever peed on a moving car.”“That dog don’t hunt.”“Don’t make me put your head in my blender!”“This ain’t my first rodeo son!”

a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea

8/28/15

Objective: To discuss author's styleTo respond to a quote

BR: Define the following word:

STYLE (i.e. author's style)

What is unique about Ray Bradbury's writing?

www.raybradbury.com- USE FIREFOX!

Homework: Grab Bradbury's obituary from front table before you go!

http://www.raybradbury.com-/

science fiction genresimiles, metaphors, imageryfuturistic settingambiguous/uncertain endingtheme- being different

8/31/15

Objective: To use pre-reading strategies To make predictions

BellRinger:

Get your homework out (noun obituary).Submit to bin in front.

Grab a small slip from the front table. Record the statement on your slip in your notebook:

((After visiting with your classmates, record your "I think" statement about the prediction you can now make about the story))

I think....

Homework: Record and define ten vocabulary words from "The Pedestrian" on your chart VIDEO CLIPS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwXyX5b43W0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1BQPV-iCkU

9/1/15Objective: To discuss plot, character and conflict ina short story.

Bellringer: Have your vocabulary chart out on your desk.

Ray Bradbury said, “The great thing about my life is that everything I’ve done is a result of what I was when I was 12 or 13.”

At age 12, 13, 14…What are you? Write 3-5 sentences about yourself as Bradbury quote suggests…



9/2/15

Objective: Read a short story and model what good readers do

BellRinger: Read the following words, and using what you know about Bradbury's style, make a prediction about what today's story ("Marionettes, Inc.") will be about. This prediction should be a sentence or two in your notebook.

tick-tick-tick secrecy no strings attachedmarionette business freedomcellar clientwife marriage HOMEWORK—

Record and define ten words on your chart from "Marionettes, Inc."

9/3/15

Objective: Analyze a short story by looking at plot and character

BR: Staple/ submit your “Marionettes, Inc.” packet and cover sheet.

Write down the following study topics:

STYLE notes4 Freytag’s Pyramids3 Bradbury storiesClose Reading Techniques

Now, respond to the quote on the next slide…

Test tomorrow

9/3/15 period 4

1.5 Quality of Writing

Objective: To review for test tomorrow To write a paragraph response to literature

Bellringer:Consider the prompt below. What is a good topic sentence for the paragraph response question?

There was an important conflict in “All Summer in a Day” Name the conflict (Was it character versus character, self, or nature?), explain the conflict, and describe how it was resolved.

In “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury the main conflict is that Margot is bullied by William. First, this is a character versus character conflict. In addition, William does not like Margot because she lived on earth and knows about the sun. Finally, the conflict is resolved when her classmates lock her in a closet and feel bad that she missed the sun. In conclusion, Margot never got to see the sun.

Nettie’s a robot

1990- bar & neighborhood OR cityBralingSmith(NettieBraling 2)

Character vs selfBraling is in a loveless marriageCharacter vs CharBraling vs his wife

1. Braling has a marionette2. Business card3. Smith returns home4. $ missing5. Wakes Nettie

1. B tries to return B2 to box

2. B2 says he’s in love with Mrs.

3. B2 fights with B4. Phone call5. Braling is locked

in box

Braling 2 will love Mrs. Braling


What is Ray Bradbury's style?

(An author's style is his or her unique way of writing; that is, certain techniques the author uses often, repeated themes or subject matter, and genre)he uses: dialogue, imagery, similes, metaphors

recurring themes: loneliness, being different, harmful technology

also:ambiguous/uncertain endingsshort in lengthfuturistic settingsscience fiction genre

Test reviewWhat to Study

* 4 FP’s* Style notes* Stories* Close Reading Techniques

9.9.15

Objective: To correct exams To write a well-developed paragraph

Bellringer: Submit your homework to the bin.

NOTEBOOK QUIZ

Homework- paragraph response: defining moments

In “Marionettes, Inc.” by Ray Bradbury there are a few different techniques used to understand the story. First, the reader can look at various literary techniques, like imagery. Bradbury describes Nettie a lot. Another technique is making inferences; a reader can guess about character and plot based on the story. I thought Smith would follow his friend’s example and get a robot too. Finally, a good reader makes predictions about what will happen next. I predicted Nettie was a robot. In conclusion, there are some key techniques that readers use to understand a story.

When reading Ray Bradbury’s stories the reader can see that he has a his unique writing style; in the story “The Pedestrian,” his style is clear. First of all, the story is in the science fiction genre. Another aspect of his style is his characters are often lonely and different from everyone else, like Leonard Mead. Thirdly, he uses imagery a lot to describe setting and character. Therefore, Bradbury’s style is revealed in this story.

9/10/15

Objective: To review essay terminology and formatTo brainstorm a new essay prompt

Bellringer: What is your favorite brainstorming technique?

What is another one youcould try?

9/11/15

Objective: To use an outline to organize an essay

BellRinger:Get your outline out.An essay needs a BIG 3. What is a BIG 3?

What is your BIG 3 for this essay assignment?

Look at the attention getters on the next page...

OPENERS- Attention Getters- Introduction Ideas

Five ways to “hook” a reader!!!

1. Startling statement: Shock the reader with a funny, weird, or surprising idea, and then preview your ideas. Finally add a thesis.

2. Question: Writers begin their piece asking their readers to stop and ponder their inquiry. Preview the BIG 3 and end with the thesis.

3. Short Story or Anecdote: Writers cite an example or provide a brief narrative (story) related to their subject in order to capture their audience’s interest. Next, quickly preview paragraph topics and end with the thesis.

4. Quotation: Writers cite a catchy or subject-related statement made by someone in authority on their topic. Quote a song lyric or saying. Use something your mom/dad/grandma always says. Explain the quote briefly, preview three ideas, and connect the idea to the thesis.

5. Three Interesting Words: Write three attention-getting adjectives to describe your topic. Add a preview sentence for each paragraph topic; then end with a clear thesis.

Openers/ attention getters/ways to “hook” a reader

1. My trip to the emergency room was the best day ever! 2. Cautious, studious, and boring are three words I would never use to describe myself. 3. My mom was in her room crying. My little sister was sitting at the foot of the bed. I heard a car speeding away out front. 4. My dad always says, "don't drop your arm when you bat." 5. How could the birth of twins negatively affect your life?

What is a moment that has defined your life? Three defining moments have defined my life. Next, certain decisions I have made have also changed me. Finally, I have a pivotal person in my life. Defining moments, certain choices, and a pivotal person have made me who I am.

Cautious, studious, and boring are three words I would never use to describe myself. I am a risk taker. My key events that have shaped me have been very exciting. I am not a great student, and certain choices I have made have proven that. Furthermore, the pivotal person in my life has made my first thirteen years a blast! Certain moments, choices, and my dad have affected the person I am today.

Conclusion

Transition + restate thesis (NOT EXACT SAME WORDS)

Review body paragraph topics in 2-3 sentences

Poignant concluding sentence: Connect somehow to the attention getter.

Furthermore, my life has been shaped by moments, choices, and my mom. Defining moments have affected me positively. Two distinct choices made for me have impacted my life. Finally, my mom has always helped me when I needed it the most. That trip to the emergency room sure was a great day for me and my family!

Overall, my short life has been shaped by key events, decisions,

and one special woman. A few defining moments have made me more

responsible and kind. My two important decisions have shaped me

too. Finally my mom is a very influential figure in my life. Even

though my life was altered by a tragic event that left me in the

emergency room, life is full of moments like this, and I have to learn

from them.

9/14/14

Objective: to complete rough draft of an essayto revise an essay

BellRinger: What is a thesis?

Which of the following is a good thesis for this essay?A. There are many moments in my life that have shaped me.B. Defining moments, key decisions, and one person have greatly affected me.C. Choices I have made and a few events have made me who I am.

Finish your rough draft which is five paragraphs. Bring it to my desk when finished. It will be graded for 15 points. ALL students must complete this before you go!

Next, grab a Revisions sheet and two highlighters from the front table.

Complete ALL revisions. DO NOT miss any. When finished, I will grade them. This must be completed before you leave class tomorrow.

When your revisions are checked, grab a laptop. Be sure too get the one assigned too you on the list on the front of the cart!

9/15/15

Objective: To revise and type an essay

Bellringer: Take the following MLA format notes

MLA format Times New Roman fontSize 12 fontDOUBLE SPACEDone inch marginstitle centeredMLA heading (like this>)

Chloe Smith

Mrs. McCahan

English 8 period 5

23 September 2011

Moments, Choices, and Mom

Tim Weaver

Mrs. McCahan

English 8 period 4

19 September 2012


My trip to the emergency room was the best day ever! I had a concussion and twenty

stitches in my forehead when I was eight years old; I had to be homebound from school for three

weeks. This experience helped me become a better student. In addition to this defining event, I

had two more events that shaped who I have become. I also made some tough choices. Finally, I

have one pivotal person in my life: my mom. Defining moments, crucial choices, and a pivotal

person have greatly affected who I have become!

9/16/151.5 Quality of WritingObjective: to type essaysBellringer: ESSAYS due FridayThursday(when you walk in!)

Define thesis

This essay is in MLA format. What are the requirements of MLA format?

Look for the following in the essay sample: AG- Preview 1,2,3- thesis

Tim Weaver

Mrs. McCahan

English 8 period 4

19 September 2012








This is how your first page should look!

* Check font style & size* Check margins- one inch on all sides* Check date- military style* Do you have a title?

If you cannot get your essay typed by Thursday for any reason (printer out of ink, no computer, no paper, etc.)- Hand-write your essay in blue or black pen on lined paper for minimal points deduction!

Tim Weaver

Mrs. McCahan

English 8 period 4

19 September 2012








Due Wednesday

I’m DONE, now what?Read silently for pleasureGo to the library and get a book. Mrs. Knier got some

great new books!Conference with Mrs. McCahan (per her request)Work on assignments for other classes

*If you have problems doing these tasks quietly, I will provide another assignment.

9/16/15

Objective: To view a movie adaptation of a short storyTo review vocabulary words from short stories

BR: First, submit your essay- staple a rubric on THE BACK (available in front of the period bins).

Second, get your vocabulary list out. Record three of the words, parts of speech, and definitions in your notebook. Pick three "good words;" that is, be sure to pick the three words you may use again someday in your life.

If your vocabulary list is missing anything, work on it now. Tomorrow the list will be graded. If there are words that are simplistic, unacceptable, or ones you couldn't find in the dictionary, replace them with better words.

HOMEWORKScience Fiction Setting

Paragraph

9/16/15 period 4

1.1 Learning to Read Independently

Objective: To review vocabulary words from short stories and science fiction

BR: First, submit your essay- staple a rubric on THE BACK (available in front of the period bins).

Second, get your vocabulary list out. Record two of the words, parts of speech, and definitions in your notebook. Pick two "good words;" that is, be sure to pick the three words you may use again someday in your life.

9/17/15

Objective: to use vocabulary words correctly in context

BR: Submit homework to bin. Make sure the five words are circled and the figurative language & imagery is underlined!

From your list of three words from yesterday, use two correctly in ONE sentence about your favorite Ray Bradbury story. Underline the two words.

Next, get your vocabulary list out; put away everything else except a writing utensil.

When you are done with the vocabulary quiz, staple the vocabulary list to the back of the quiz and submit it to the bin. The stapler is on the table.

I. There are two ways to join sentences: A. comma conjunction (for, and, nor, but, yet, or, so)B. semicolon(Remember: sentences are HEAVY; therefore, they need TWO DOTS of Super Glue to stick them together)That person kept me in line; he also made me become a better person.That person kept me in line, and he also made me become a better person.(NOT~ That person kept me in line and he also made me a better person.)II. Spell out numbers 1-10 and grades 1-12 in words!I have had three defining moments. (NOT~ I have had 3 defining moments.)My parents split up when I was in fourth grade. (NOT~ My parents split up when I was in 4th grade.)

Documents

Mrs. McCahan (mick-CACK- in) 8/20/15 Objective: To write a paragraph To review syllabus Bellringer: What’s going on in your head? Grab a paper from the