Assignments

__The House on Mango Street __ > their recorded strategies to participate in a variety of small and large group discussions. The book is riddled with literary > devices such as similes, metaphors, and alliteration, all of which students will be expected to recognize and apply as they > practice their own writing. __The House on Mango Street__ unit will culminate with students writing a five-paragraph essay > analyzing the main character, Esperanza Cordero.
 * This book is a series of short vignettes about a young Hispanic girl's coming-of-age in a low-income section of Chicago. As we read this novel, students will record their thoughts, categorized in the Six Thinking Strategies, in a flip book. They will then use
 * Unit KUD [[file:HOUSE ON MANGO STREET UNIT KUD.doc]]
 * Flip Book Guidelines [[file:HOMS Flip Book.doc]]
 * Mind Web Guidelines [[file:HOMS Mind Web Guidelines.doc]]
 * Questions for response 5/10: Pages 39-52 [[file:FeetRiceChanclasHips.doc]]
 * Questions for response 5/11: Pages 53-66 [[file:FirstJobPapaBornBadElenita.doc]]

 Independent Research Project >> >> >> >>
 * During our Holocaust unit, students will conduct research over a topic of their choice. Choices are provided to students in one of three teacher-designated tiers, which are designated by class performance to date.
 * This assignment will be co-taught with our Media Specialist, Erin McConnell. Mrs. McConnell will provide students with information on different types of resources available, where to find these resources, how to keep track of research and resources, how to document sources appropriately, and how to avoid plagiarism.
 * Sources
 * What types of sources are available, and how do we get to them? [[file:Finding Sources.doc]]
 * Iowa AEA Online Website. NSJH student user ID and password can be found on the bookmark handed out during class. The EBSCO (use Student Research Center) database and World Book Web will be the most beneficial.
 * Web Search Strategies in Plain English Video: http://www.youtube.com/embed/B8aYoVpdz8o
 * How to Use Wikipedia Effectively for Research Video: http://www.youtube.com/embed/NeO0p42puXY
 * Document to keep track of sources as you go [[file:notes_tracker.pdf]]
 * Organizing your research to prepare for writing your paper, two recommended formats [[file:Research Paper Outline.doc]] [[file:Research Paper Web.doc]]
 * The Elements of an Excellent Essay[[file:The Elements of an Excellent Es]]
 * How to write an introduction paragraph and a thesis statement [[file:Introduction Paragraph.doc]]
 * MLA Informational Handout: What is MLA? Why use it? How to use EasyBib [[file:MLA Mini Lesson.doc]]
 * MLA 7 Reference Guide [[file:easybib-mla7-guide.pdf]]
 * Parenthetical Citations (MLA Format) [[file:easybib-mla-parenthetical-guide.pdf]]
 * EasyBib: Automatic bibliography and citation maker.


 * The assignment guidelines/expectations, grading rubric, and topic options are below.
 * [[file:I Search Expectations.doc]]
 * [[file:ISearchRubric.doc]]
 * [[file:YellowISearch1.doc]][[file:PinkISearch2.doc]][[file:BlueISearch3.doc]]

Skills Tutor
 * Students will work in the Skills Tutor program throughout the year. This addresses North Scott Language Arts Benchmark 5. Second semester we are focusing on the language arts skills of punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and usage. All students have taken a pre-assessment in each of these areas, and were placed in an appropriate level based on their pre-assessment score. Once the student has been placed in the appropriate level, the program then assigns individual tutorial activities based on their weaknesses as indicated by the pre-assessments. Students may re-do the lessons leading up to the quizzes, but may only take the quizzes once. Quiz scores are added to the grade book. Skills Tutor can be accessed from any computer. The address is: ac.corek12.com

 Independent Reading Projects
 * This class requirement is in alignment with the Iowa Core Essential Skills and Concepts reading curriculum, which states that all students will "i ndependently read a significant number of books and text each year. This reading should include both fiction and nonfiction in a variety of genres. " In Language Arts class, students must read at least three book per quarter. Students may choose the books they read independently, but they **must be appropriate for grade and reading level**.

__**Summary Requirements (Required for every IRP):**__

__**IRP 1** (Due after the first three weeks of the quarter): Applying the 6 Thinking Strategies to our Independent Reading__
 * 6 Thinking Strategies IRP Options (Choose 1): [[file:IRP 6TS Options.doc]]
 * IRP 6 TS Packet Version 1 (if this is the option you've chosen): [[file:6 TS IRP Version 1.pdf]]
 * IRP 6 TS Packet Version 2 (if this is the option you've chosen): [[file:6 TS IRP Version 2.doc]]

__**IRP 2** (Due after the first six weeks of the quarter): Responding to our Independent Reading__
 * Reading Response IRP Options (Choose 1): [[file:IRP Reading Response Options.doc]]

__**IRP 3** (Due at the end of the quarter): Sharing our Reactions to our Independent Reading__

Six Thinking Strategies
 * Since 2007, the North Scott School District has implemented use of the Six Thinking Strategies, which educators use to explicitly teach the thinking process. The thinking process can be broken down into six different categories of thought, and through explicit instruction, modeling, and practice of these strategies, research has shown that students exposed to these strategies improve their reading and thinking. A more detailed explanation of each of these thinking strategies can be found on the district web page. In Language Arts, students are regularly required to apply these strategies to their reading. This addresses North Scott Language Arts Benchmark 1. A variety of assignment links using the Six Thinking Strategies can be found below.


 * Six Thinking Strategies Power Point Assignment, Rubric, and Template (for students with accommodations):
 * **Inferring** Mini-Lesson Power Point and Handout[[file:StudentInferring.ppt]], [[file:Inferences Graphic Organizer.doc]]
 * **Synthesizing** Mini-Lesson Power Point[[file:Accommodated Synthesizing.ppt]]
 * **Questioning** Mini-Lesson Power Point and Handout (Q.A.R.) [[file:Revised Questioning.ppt]], [[file:qar_map.pdf]]
 * **Connecting** Graphic Organizer [[file:Making Connections.pdf]]
 * **Determining Importance** Graphic Organizer [[file:Sifting the Topic from the Deta]]
 * **Visualizing** Activity [[file:Silver1]] [[file:Silver]], [[file:Silver Vocab]]

Flowers for Algernon , ,
 * Based on MAP and ITBS scores, students will read one of two versions of Flowers for Algernon (abridged/unabridged). As they read they will document Charlie's development of the Six Thinking Strategies as well as his character development by using the graphic organizer below:
 * The culminating activity will consist of students completing one of the following tiered activities, which will be assigned based on level of understanding as measured by graphic organizer of Charlie's use of the Six Thinking Strategies:

Reading Skills The following skills and resources are addressed in class, though this list is not comprehensive: (Users must have ActivInspire to view flipchart documents)
 * In Language Arts, students will regularly work on skills-building lessons to improve reading comprehension. The majority of these assignments will be differentiated by student reading ability (as measured by MAP, ITBS, Skills Iowa, etc.) and/or student proficiency with the specific skills sets (as measured by teacher-created pre-assessments in addition to previously mentioned assessment tools). This addresses North Scott Language Arts Benchmarks 2 and 3, which are aligned with the Iowa Core Essential Skills and Concepts reading curriculum. The Iowa Core states that each and every student will use a variety of skills and strategies to comprehend nonfiction and informational text, and use a variety of strategies and skills to comprehend and interpret fiction."
 * Inferring [[file:Making Inferences.flipchart]]
 * Main Idea [[file:MainIdeaSupportingDetails.flipchart]], [[file:Understanding the Main Idea.doc]]
 * Cause and Effect [[file:CauseEffect.flipchart]]
 * Context Clues [[file:Context_Clues.flipchart]]
 * Compare and Contrast
 * Sequencing
 * Graphic Cues
 * Problem/Solution

Lyrics and Literacy
 * In alignment with the Iowa Core Essential Skills and Concepts reading curriculum, as well as North Scott Language Arts Benchmark