Chinatown - my homework from our tour guide, Linda Lee

In the Buddhist temple, Linda Lee had me throw a Jah Stick, an ancient fortune telling system from China. The function of such devination in some cultures is binding, in that the person receiving the reading must try to fulfill it. But for most people any reading is not much different than enjoying reading a horoscope based on your sign or the signs of your friends. These reading are entertaining or even humorous.

My reading for stick #41 can be found here

Having studied some Chinese Philosophy and Religion in college, including the I Ching, I have come to view randomly generated reading such as these as a reflective tool, not unlike journal writing, where I contemplate the realities of my current situation, how I can improve within my life, and how I can improve on my strengths and address my weaknesses in my current reality. I do not view most random readings as predictors, or as an inevitable future based on the literal message of the reading. Simply put, I take reading such as these with a healthy grain of salt.

I sent all driver's sons and daughters an email for their parents.

Here are the students who parents are driving: Cooper, Natasha, Angelica, Sean, Carmen, Julia, Brady, Victor, Emily.

Drivers should show up to Room 601 at 8:40 am.

Thanks again.

- Posted by Mr. Rodgers

Send individual questions and concerns to erodgers@lcmschools.org

Chinatown Driver update and work due Thursday...

First, I would like to thank all of the parents that have volunteered to drive for the Chinatown Field Trip this Friday. Since we needed to get a couple of extra drivers up through today, I will send out a confirmation list of drivers for Friday. Thanks to all of the parents that sent me emails in the last 24 hours - we may have too many drivers, but until I get to school Thursday, and verify final drivers, I cannot be too sure.

For confirmed drivers (by 2 pm Thursday) - The school requires that all drivers submit a cell phone number, auto make and license plate number, and make a copy of their driver's license and a copy of current auto insurance information (insurer and policy number). You may make a photocopy of your license and write the information on a piece of paper that will be kept on file with the school for this field trip. If you have previously submitted this information for a prior field trip, then all I need is a cell phone number.

If you have not signed and sent in your permission slip for the field trip, you must bring it to class on Thursday.


Work Due Thursday -
As discussed in class Wednesday:
1. Irregular verb worksheet.
2. two attempts at writing your passage in the alphabet of your culture.

Some Alphabets for Culminating Projects - Due Thursday

Your HW due Thursday, is to write out a draft attempt of your quote in the alphabet of your culture.

Many groups had alphabets, others defaulted to English letters. As pointed out in class, regardless of the actual alphabet, the style of the letters, known as a typeface have evolved considerably since the Medieval Era in Western Europe. Famous manuscripts of Medieval texts in each language can be found to demonstrate these styles.

Here is a list of some alphabets for each region covered in our culminating projects.

If you have a poem, literary passage, or famous quote (15 word min) select 2 - 3 lines of the poem or passage and practice writing your piece in the alphabet of your culture's language.

Although not exact, we are trying to transliterate, that is write the sounds of English using the foreign alphabet. Each alphabet has its exceptions to transliterating, where some sounds may not appear in the foreign alphabet. If that is the case, then each student must decide on a consistent combination of foreign letters for these missing sounds.

Note on assignments: writing the passage at least two times are due on Thursday. The more your practice, the better the final product will be. The final product will fill an entire 8-1/2 x 11 page with black inked letters, and an attempt to draw the letters with the wide and narrow strokes found in the calligraphy of the script when a quill is used.

African Story Telling Performance Pics

View them here.

We need drivers for Friday's Chinatown field trip

Several students still have not turned in their field trip forms. In both classes we are very short of drivers. If you can drive this Friday, please email me even if your son or daughter has had you sign the field trip form already.

Email me here...


- Posted by Mr. Rodgers

Updates - Due Tuesday, March 032613

Due - Detail

0326 - Type and Print out LitGroup Cycle Two assigned writing

0326 - Culminating SS7 Group - Early Assignments
Each Individual - PRINT OUT EACH assignment before class:
1. Current Event - article and write-up (see previous blog post for handout)
2. Two different maps per group member - find and printout a copy from the internet of each - one historical and one covering a modern detail
3. An excerpt from one piece of literature of at least 15 words - - find and printout a copy from the internet of each - a poem, quote, passage from a story or famous literary source - from the time period if possible, or from a more recent time period including modern if no time period piece can be found

For the Group
4. One copy of a traditional or medieval script alphabet for the group - find and printout one copy.

SS7 Culminating Project - first assignments...

A couple of you have emailed me during class about the directions from the SS7 Project Handout. The ONE thing that is due next Tuesday is a complete Current Event article and write up. The others things due on the list, were the need to only FIND the resources on the list to completing these assignments in the future.
On Tuesday, what is due per individual members in each group is the
1. Current Event write-up
2. the source materials per person(meaning saved in Google Docs and in notes with links to those materials AND a print out of each web resource):
a. One modern and one historical map printout
b. One piece of literature, poem, proverbs, or longer quote
3. the alphabet script (one copy for the group)
- Posted by Mr. Rodgers

Send individual questions and concerns to erodgers@lcmschools.org

SS7 Culminating Project

Here are the directions for the first set of assignments for individuals for your SS7 project. You must coordinate with your group to make sure that all individual assignments are unique to group members and are not duplicate articles, maps, poems, pieces of literature, quotes, pictures of art, etc. 

Handouts:

First assignments - culminating project

Current Event

Sub Plan for Wednesday, 3/20

I will be out tomorrow, working with Mr. Utic, Mrs. Halpern, Ms. Hancock, and Dr. Pitts all day.

Here are the basic activities that you must work on with the substitute teacher:

1. Library Periods 1/3 - work on the following:

a. Work in your SS7 Culminating project groups - 

i. complete the research guide for the library - this should take most of the period.

ii. check out a book on your SS7 topic, culture, or nation

b. If done here, you may work on:

i. Spelling Unit 14

ii. Journal due Thursday

iii. Read silently.

2. Upon return to class:

a. Get in LitGroups from last week - work on Week Two activities. The sub will read your names, remind you where to go, and pass out the appropriate readings. Use your directions and poetry sheets passed out last week.

b. last 10 - 15 minutes - Watch DVD - Dreams - Japanese Legends adapted for modern times

Journal Entry - Due 032113

After the SS7 Test today, the following journal was assigned - due on Thursday.

Journal:
2 parts

1. Explain your African Story
a. summarize
b. explain the theme - the lesson or the moral of the story
c. Explain what powers or forces each animal or character seem to have

2. What were some of the successes and problems your group had with adapting, practicing, and performing your story.
a. list and explain what worked in your group.
b. list some suggestions for solving some of the issues your group had.

Did you study the SS7 text? Hope so....

See you tomorrow.... Study well.

3/18/13 - Work this week...

Due - Detail
0318 - Finish African Story Performances
0319 - Ch 12/13 Test - Text version of study guide here
0320 - Library Period 1/3 - work on SS7 Culminating Group Project
0321 - LitGroup2 - Week 2 activity complete first draft in class
0322 - LitGroup2 - Week 2 activity typed copy in class AND Google Doc in Writing Portfolio
0322 - SpC14
0325 - SpT14

Ch 12/13 Study Guide

Here is the combined study guide written by students. EQ questions will be specified in class and on this blog tomorrow...

Ch 12/13 Study Guide

Lit Circle Work due this week - updated

Due - Detail
0313 - completed Lit Group assignment (due after first ten minutes of class)
0314 - typed LitGroup assignment in Google docs Writing Portfolio folder (this must be visible and in the correct shared folder with Mr. R) - AND bring a typed copy for edit as well.
0315 - typed LitGroup cycle one, weeks 1 - 4 (rough drafts go home 0313)

Format for file names for all LitGp typed drafts as follows:
First name and last initial, LG number of cycle, Activity number - as follows

Example:
Eliott R LG1 - 3 (this would be LitGp cycle one - activity 3)

All works must have a title at the top center of the page and the first and last name of the author after the word 'by' on the following line after the title.

- Posted by Mr. Rodgers

Work this week starting 031113

Here is the work schedule and due dates for this week and the start of next week:

Due Date - Detail

0313 - Complete LitGp#2 - Week 1 (In class time - M, T, W(15 minutes))

0314 - African Storytelling Performances

0315 - SS7 Culminating Project a. prospectus, b. group and individual project outcomes list

0315 - Ch 12/13 Study session

0319 - Ch 12/13 Short Test

Photos from African Masks on March 8

Here is the link... You must be signed into your school email account in Google to view these pics.

Journal Entry from March 1

We had a substitute teacher on Friday, March 1. The entire Language Arts Department had an all day planning session.

The Journal entry for March 1 that was due at the end of class was:
What animals, natural features, forces of nature, or superhuman powers do you have in your dreams?

A couple of students were either absent or did not turn the journal in. Do this tonight for homework if you did not turn it in.

Journal now due Thursday - here is the prompt

Tell about a time that you helped someone or someone helped you. Pick one of the people in the story and give them a superhuman power based on how they helped you (they helped you'd find something because they have X-ray vision and could see it through walls). Next, give them the quality of an animal that would enable this power somehow - eagle or owl sight of a bird.


- Posted by Mr. Rodgers

Work this week starting March 4; Grades

Date - Details
0305 - CST 7th Grade State Writing Assessment (all core)
0306 - Ch 12/13 notes (4 terms and 2 EQ questions per chapter) due
0307-8 - African Mask Art Activity (all core both days)
0313 - LitGroup #2 - Week 1due

Grades -
Don't check your final grade until Wednesday Morning, 0306. There are one or two assignments that need to be entered in each subject before grades are finalized. Most errors have been caught and corrected. A couple of pieces of makeup work are still being sought (all work has been verified to be in my possession).

Sub Plans from 3/1 - 3 assignments in class

Here is the basic summary of the three activities in class for March 1 -

1. Turn in Current Event.
2. Complete Current Event Scavenger hung - and turn in - Cannot be completed if absent, must be turned in if present.
3. Read and Practice African Story. Develop a dance that represents the animals and/or various elements of the story.

Here are the detailed sub plans with details about each activity.

Your African Story groups are as follows:

1. Core 1

                                               i.     Tortoise and the Baboon: Kyle A, Raya, Carmen, Mateo

                                             ii.     Spider and Squirrel: Raul, China, Andrea, Victor

                                            iii.     Test of Skills: Morgen, Kyle B, Cooper, Caroline

                                            iv.     Spider’s Web: Nicholas, Jackson, Maja, Riley

                                              v.     Thunder and Lightning: Liam, Kimon, Emily, Emma, Samuel

2. Core 2

                                               i.     Tortoise and the Baboon: Natasha, Trevor, Brady, Isabelle

                                             ii.     Spider and Squirrel: Megan, Brian, Julia, Darren

                                            iii.     Test of Skills: Lauren, Mika, Alejandro, Aiden

                                            iv.     Spider’s Web: Sarai, Kevin, Oliver, Craig, Angelica

                                              v.     Thunder and Lightning: Claire, Nicholas, Aaron, Audrey, Hannah 

Africa stories will be performed next Monday in class with our masks.