Week of 092811 - Three Day Week

Stations Sheet 092811

8 Panel Story Map

This week is a three day week. Two in class assignments are due this week that must be completed as homework:
1. Journal with notes from six word memoir card - 10 points for Journal and 5 points for brainstorm from card (Due Tuesday at beginning of class).
2. Mayan Class Structure Activity based on last week's notes (Due Wednesday in class).

In class, we will be working on the following this week:
1. Paint World Maps - several students are close to finishing, a few still need to ink before painting.
2. Star Girl - Read new novel in class, starting with books on tape version this week.
3. Rewrite Writing Assessment (in class rewrite only) - Tuesday and Wednesday. Due Wednesday at end of class.

Above all, students must resolve any late or missing assignments reported in Power School this week, since Progress Reports for grades at or below a C - will be mailed out next week. Students will be given time to meet with Mr. Rodgers during work sessions in class each day.

Fixing Late and missing assignments in LASS7

Several students have turned in late or missing assignments after receiving grade sheets this Monday and graded work posted on the grade sheet. Students were directed to verify the recorded grades on all assignments, find recording errors or omissions from work passed back. Assignments that received zeroes for grades on are the responsibility of each student to meet with Mr. Rodgers, during class work sessions, during class or after school. Lunch time and SSR appointments are possible if scheduled in advance with Mr. Rodgers to turn in work, get missing materials necessary to complete assignments and discuss grade issues. In all cases, students are highly encouraged to be proactive with their grades and turn in late work as soon as possible since late work penalties accrue every day the student is at school.

I also want to encourage parents to discuss their son or daughter's grades when reviewing PowerSchool. It is very important that parents not only review overall class grades, but also examine the assignment grades for each class to find out how grades are computed. In LASS7, all class grades are based on a 90 - 80 - 70 percent straight scale, by adding all points earned divided by total points possible. This calculation is computed by PowerSchool.

PowerSchool does show a letter grade for each assignment, but for all intents and purposes these letter grades have little bearing on the final class grade. If a student earns a three on a five point assignment, losing two points possible, and the letter grade shows a 60%D, students and parents should not be alarmed, but instead should ONLY refer to the final class grade.

Parents and students alike that are earning a low grade, should first turn in missing work before wondering why the grade is otherwise so low. If this is a pattern on the student's part, then I will definitely work with the student and the parent to get the missing work taken care of. It is no surprise, however, that a student that is missing several assignments in PowerSchool that the final grade will be low and most likely below the student's full potential.

Intro to Stargirl and Plot Chart notes

Plot chart discussion notes.

Students must take projected notes in class during presentations. Student notes are due at the end of each unit and are graded as a packet for quality and quantity.

Week of September 19 - 23, 2011

Stations Sheet, Sept. 23

This week in LASS7 -
1. Discuss Mayan Class structure, Calendar and Artifacts found at the De Young Museum permanent Mesoamerican Collection.
2. Writing - Six Word Memoir exercise (to be used for future, student generated journal prompts) and a journal (a time you gave or received HELP)
3. Water Color World maps are finally ready for painting this week, and two stations are dedicated to this process.
4. Poetry recitation will be finished by Wednesday.
5. Grammar quiz on Friday, following activity with types of sentences.
6. Beginning of our first class novel, Stargirl, with plenty of literature concepts to help understand the structure of the novel (and out six word memoirs). This novel is an excellent fictional memoir, character driven plot line, that allows for several writing extensions with many twists and surprises along the way.

Grades Posted for almost all assignments. Fixing missing assignment grades.

Almost all students have started off on the right foot, doing their best work, participating in class activities and turning in homework on time. Most students are well organized.

Some assignments may show a zero - that assignment was most likely not turned in to me. I use zeroes for all missing assignments, regardless of the reason to guarantee that students will act to fix the zero.

Please read my advice and policies handout for Fixing Zeroes in Powerschool.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, please send me an email.

Homework for tonight, Tuesday

Two written assignments from stations will be checked tomorrow for five points as being on track with the weekly assignment list. Most students reported that they have already finished one assignment. Each class was given enough time between Monday and Tuesday for some students to complete the work at each station. As a class, we had about 20 - 25 minutes for each station, two on Monday, and two on Tuesday.

Incomplete station work from class becomes homework each evening.

LASS7 - Week of Sept. 12 - 16

Handouts:
Weekly Stations Sheet - includes the three Essential Questions

A copy of the the Robert Haas Poem is available here for the class assignment.

Poetry Literature Response Questions

Due Dates -

Journal is due on Thursday, Sept. 15
All other work is due Friday, except the final map.

LASS7 - Week of Sept 6 - 9, 2011

Station Sheet - assignments list

Story assignment details from character cards

Speaking Rubric - to be used for Poetry Reading AND for story telling assignment

Journal Rubric to be used to grade journals

Painted World Map Sequence - refer to the second half of this page for directions of the final 12x18 painted map.

Labor Day off this Monday, Back to School Night this Thursday.

This coming week is a four day week. As a result of the shortened week, we will engage in assignments that are more active this week in stations. As such, we have several activities that are hands on, and either need students to focus on artistic technique for our water colored world map, or practice public speaking strategies when they present their first selected poem to the class.
Besides that, students will use excerpts from last week's journal (Three Friends on a deserted island - who and why) to tell a story about how a character description, randomly assigned from a classmate's journal, will be the main protagonist needed to save the day in a story outlined, and told by each student. Students will work with story building ideas (setting, plot, conflict, climax, resolution), outline a basic storyline and tell their stories to their group. The groups will discuss the stories, make suggestions, and tell their stories in order to decide which story was interesting and was presented in an engaging manner. This activity will culminate in a class-wide story telling round, where the best story from each group, chosen jointly by the group and Mr. Rodgers, will be presented and judged by the entire class.
It should be a great week. Of course, there will be five stations, with extra time for painting and practicing poetry and story telling.