PERSONAL TECH, "Apple's Full-Sized Tablet, No Longer So Full-Sized"

Here's the reading for today, a review of the new iPad Air from Time's website.

First, take the Reading Notes we are learning this week in Section 9.1.

Then, analyze the context of the following words in Section 7.1.

Here are the words -- hint: the definitions of three of them are about the most important change in the new iPad's design.

excel
portlier
diminutive
deficiency
svelter

"How long is the ideal nap?"

"How long is the ideal nap?"
ideal
optimum
fatigue
aviation
dozing
groggy
implemented

OCTOBER 24, 2013 "Moto X Review," by Kellex

Open This Page, Then Read the Rest of the Directions: Here's a review of the new-ish Moto X from Motorola.
Required Products: 1. Write a Central Idea Statement for this reading (skill 5.1.).
2. Write Text Evidence Sentences for this reading (skill 1.1.).

Claim List for Text Evidence Sentences

1. The writer does not usually care if the phone has the lastest, faster processor inside it.
2. The writer's wife did not like the Moto X.
3. The writer thought that the new features in the phone were good additions.
4. You can turn the camera on at any time by simply holding the phone above your head.
5. By choosing a less sharp screen, the Moto X has an incredibly long battery life.

Here are the assignments that CAN be completed (CHOOSE AT LEAST ONE, but you should do more if you are not proficient in skills):

Think about whether or not you need to do any of this to show that you are proficient at a skill. Check your notebook.

2.1. Chain of Main Ideas
4.1. Construct a Thesis for the essay prompt (below, in orange highlighting).
6.1. Copy and paste the first four paragraphs and do a SEETH Analysis.
6.2. Write the 3?RT Persuasive Introduction for the essay prompt below.
7.1. Context Analysis: Here are the word lists, remember, it's two sentences, "I can tell from the sentence that the word's job is . . . ." and then "I can tell from the paragraph that the meaning is . . . "
WORD LIST:
contours
bezel
high-end
portion
verdict

Essay Prompt: "A friend of yours is considering purchasing either a Moto X or an iPhone 5s. Which of these do you recommend she purchase? What reasons do you have for your recommendation?"

OCTOBER 23 High-Interest Reading Opportunity: Mexico Fires Soccer Coach

High-Interest Reading Opportunity/Soccer Wednesday: "Mexico's Soccer Coach Says He's Been Fired"
Options:
2.1. Write a Chain of Main Ideas
4.3./7.1.Read and analyze the Tier 2 Vocabulary Words: penchant, numerous, dismal, sacked.
5.1. Write a WHOWHATWHY sentence that expresses the central idea of the article (it's not that the Colts beat the Broncos).
6.1. You can analyze the LAST four paragraphs by identifying which of the SEETH elements you believe each sentence represents.

Preview Lesson: RI9. Allusions

An allusion is a reference to a story that it is presumed that everyone knows. A good reader will recognize allusions and understand how they affect the meaning of the story. Do you know who King Midas is in legends? If not, you won't be able to understand the coach's nickname, or the writer's point about the nickname. Look it up online.

OCTOBER 21, 2013 "Andrew Luck Puts His Stamp on Colts"

High-Interest Reading Opportunity: "Andrew Luck Puts His Stamp on Colts"

Options:

2.1. Write a Chain of Main Ideas
4.3./7.1.Read and analyze the Tier 2 Vocabulary Words: vanquished, subsided, storied, unflappable, ensuing dimished.
5.1. Write a WHOWHATWHY sentence that expresses the central idea of the article (it's not that the Colts beat the Broncos).
6.1. You can analyze the LAST four paragraphs by identifying which of the SEETH elements you believe each sentence represents.

2.1. Foreign Language-Language Arts Interdisciplinary Reading

Objective: To practice the skill of summarizing an informational reading by making a Chain of Main Ideas.

Most people in our class have signed up to learn Italian. One of the most interesting thing about Italian history and culture is the Roman Empire, the most powerful group in Europe for centuries. While they spoke Latin, the language that eventually mutated into modern Italian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese through blending with local languages, the empire was centered for most of its reign in Rome. Here's a biography of one of the most important people in human history, the Roman emperor Julius Caesar.

2.1. WEEK OF RESPECT READING

This week is the Statewide "Week of Respect," where everyone in our schools' communities are asked to stop and think a bit about bullying, in order to try and become a little more considerate and respectful of other kids. This article,  "A Boy the Bullies Love to Beat Up, Repeatedly," from The New York Times.1. Click on the title of the article to open the link in new page.
2. Write a "Chain of Main Ideas" summary.
3. For discussion afterward, consider (you don't need to type up an answer): "What would you do if you were the teen being bullied? What would you say or do if you witnessed this bullying?"

2.1. Foreign Language-Language Arts Interdisciplinary Assignment

Hey, we taught all our students the Chain of Main Ideas summarizing technique in September, but it's really the type of thing that is learned more through practice. So, your Foreign Language teachers have been nice enough to let us practice with a reading about the importance of their subject.

Here's the reading: "Why Study a Foreign Language."
Write a Chain of Main Ideas summary or it.

Review:
1. Read the paragraph.
2. Ask yourself, "WHO is this paragraph about? WHAT are they doing or WHAT is happening to them?"
3. If you think you know, write it down as a sentence, e.g., "Jackie Robinson faced prejudice when he was in the armed forces as a young man." Jackie Robinson is the WHO and  faced prejudice when he was in the armed forces as a young man is the WHAT.
4. If you don't know, the paragraph again, once. Don't spend more than fifteen seconds thinking about any paragraph -- in that time, you could just read it again.
5. After two readings, take your best shot and write down a WHO+WHAT. Move on. Sometimes, you can get away with not understanding one of the paragraphs. Don't let yourself get stuck.

MAKE SURE YOUR SENTENCES ARE IN YOUR OWN WORDS. DON'T COPY AND PASTE OR YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW IT.

6.1. Writing an Introduction for a Logical Essay W.1.a.

This week, we're learning how to turn the theses we wrote last week into introductions that use rhetorical questions and sophisticated, formal language.

Here's a video that shows how to do this in the easiest way possible. Remember, all of our classic versions of these will look like this - 

Don't you wish that there was a easy way to write a good introduction for your persuasive essays? If we master a pattern, can't we then save time to use to learn other things? Don't people use these kinds of formulas all the time to solve problems? Recently, students have come to me and said, "We don't know how to start these essays, we feel stuck." The optimal choice is to start by mastering a good formula: it's easy, it saves time, and it helps students solve problems in their lives.

???RT = Question for SR1, Question for SR2, Question for SR3, "Recently" + Topic, Thesis - that's it.

Here's a video to teach this - watch it if you feel unsure about how to do this.

6.1. Writing a 3?RT Logical Introduction W1.a.

What are we doing this week? Practicing writing an the easiest introduction paragraph to a persuasive or explanatory/logical essay. 

How hard is it? Really easy, actually - and this year, a majority of you may already know it. 

How do you do it? Look below to read the Mastery List for Writing a 3?RT Logical Introduction 

How do I get my three grades? 
Novice: Know the pattern. 
Proficient: Apply the pattern pretty well to five of the theses we wrote last week. The theses should already be in your Google Drive folder. 
Expert: Write great rhetorical questions for at least five of the theses.

5.5. "The Country That Stopped Reading"

"The Country That Stopped Reading" from The New York Times

1. Write a "Chain of Main Ideas" Summary
2. Write a Central Idea Statement

5.4. Writing a WHO+WHAT+WHY Central Idea Sentence

5.4. "My Own Harlem"

L6. Vocabulary Unit 1, Synonyms and Antonyms

5.2. "Zoo," If the Main Characters Knew the Theme, They Wouldn't Have to Go Through the Complications and the Climax RL2.

I am watching everybody work on their Five Finger summaries and am impressed with the general progress of the group. I am noticing a general issue with the summaries, so I thought I could save time and write a quick review lesson on it. If everybody is having the same problem, it makes sense to assume that I have not effectively explained or shown how to solve it yet.

So . . .

The problem with these summaries at this point is that they are not yet explaining how the complications and climax explain how the protagonist/main character learns the theme. A story works, is machine to deliver necessary insights about life. In a successfully plotted story story, there are no random plot events or details whatsoever. So, the plot complications and climax teach the main character how to resolve the conflict. The theme is what the person needed to understand to solve the problem.

Let's think about "The Treasure of Lemon Brown" to try and understand this better.

Greg is a kid who is arguing with his dad (external conflict) about not being able to play basketball (desire). This argument is stressing him out, because there are two values - "basketball" and "being a good son" - that are at war in his head.

So, because he's mad, he leaves the house to try and get away from the conflict. But it's raining, so he finds shelter. Because of that, he meets Lemon Brown. They start off in conflict. However, the thugs that come in show Greg and Lemon that the outside conflicts of the evils in the world require them to work together, to care about each other. The thugs attacked because they heard Lemon Brown had a "treasure." However, that treasure turns out to be newspaper clippings about his achievements that his son had with him when he died in war. Notice how weird (which in good stories, is NEVER RANDOM, but always just "weird at first") it is that Lemon Brown doesn't simply say, "Wait, you guys have it all wrong; my treasure is just some old newspaper clippings. They're worthless." He can't say that; it would betray his son's memory to call them worthless, so he chooses to face danger rather than betray his love of his son.

Now, how does all this stuff affect the conflict? It is WEIRD at first, but not RANDOM. Most students picked an acceptable theme out of the story - I think that the theme must be about parents and kids. In order to "get" the story, you have to be able to explain how the story about Lemon Brown helped Greg solve his problem in his mind.

Also, note that many, many, many fiction stories are about choosing what is most valuable in life. This is why we need these silly stories to help us live our lives. Otherwise, we will just take the values that our parents taught us (which is mostly good, but then we can never really "be" ourselves, and so we want to take our family and community values and add to them) or commercials teach us (which is bad, since it is not a soda company's job to care about us, but to sell soda, and so the values they teach us will help them, and maybe not us).

So, understand that your job in summarizing a story will require that you explain how the complications and climax allow the main character to resolve their conflict by teaching them the theme.

We're going to try it today with the great, short short story "Zoo" by Edward Hoch. Construct your summary in Google Drive.