WELCOME! BELL WORK FOR MONDAY: [2 min] Good News Share [8 min] Commas for lists  MENTOR TEXT: “Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and undone. Dawn and doom was in the branches” (Hurston 8).  Write your own 3-4 sentences that use commas in a list.  Share with your table. Do you need a comma before and? Why or why not?  Discuss as a class. Think about how this affects the fluency of your sentences.  Record commas in lists rule/notes in your binder in writing resources.

Monday 2/24/2012 In your journal, complete the following questions as you reflect on the research paper you just turned in. DO NOT write down the questions. ALWAYS answer in complete sentences. 1. Do you feel like you knew how to complete all of the steps of this research assignment with confidence? Why or why not? 2. Do you think you tried your best? Why or why not? 3. What would you have done differently to make this a more successful assignment? Be honest! 4. After completing this assignment, do you think you have a better understanding of how to conduct research and cite sources? 5. What would you change about the actual assignment if you were the teacher? Be specific.

The 4 Square Today we will focus on how to complete the informational 4 square. The purpose of a 4 square is to break down a text and examine how those parts create meaning and the fulfill the author’s purpose. SO…this is called analysis This is a necessary skill in college as well as every day life.

What does the text say? After actively reading the article and talking to the text, you are ready to tackle the 4 square. The first box is asking for explicit meaning, or what the text is saying directly. You find the content of this box by going back and re reading. Essentially this is a summary of the main points. Take about 5 minutes in your personal domain to write the summary. You will have time to compare with your table.

What does the text mean? Here, you are not to give specifics from the text and a new summary. Instead think:  What is the reason this article was written?  What is the author's point? So, the answer here is implicit, or not directly there. You must do some thinking and read between the lines. Take 5 minutes in your personal domain to complete this box. We will share out later.

How does the text say it? Now that you know what the text says, and what the author’s point is, you are to take a close look at HOW the author makes his/her point. This means you are to look at:  The format of the text  Is it argumentative? Then the author may use a counterargument.  Does the author use evidence from valid sources? Give examples.  What kind of tone does the author use? This helps you understand the purpose as well. Is he/she making jokes? Then it’s a playful tone Is he/she being sarcastic? Serious? Informative? You MUST use examples from the text in quotations, to support what you are saying.  Take 5 minutes to complete this box in your personal domain. Be prepared to give specific examples when we share out.

So what does it mean to you? NEVER write the following in this box:  I don’t connect with this text.  It doesn’t meant anything to me.  I don’t care.  I don’t know. Instead, think outside the box. - Why do you think it is important to know the information in this article? - Can you relate what you read to your life or that of someone you know? How? - What did this article make you think of? - Is the information in this article related to something else you have read? Assuming you actually read? Take 5 minutes to complete this box in your personal domain.

Final Notes Always write in complete sentences, DO NOT use bullet points. You should end up with 4 paragraphs. Take a look at the 4 square break down before you start reading so that you know what to look for. TALK TO TEXT!! It makes your life so much easier when you go back and re read.