1. 01/06/15 (A) 01/07/15 (B) Literary Letters
LL: Students will write persuasive letters to authors, explaining their personal connections to a chosen text.
NF: Students will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of nonfiction texts.

2. Writing Warm-Up in your Writer’s Notebooks
Writing Warm-Up in your Writer’s Notebooks! Finish the following story in your Writer’s Notebooks. What happened?! What was it?!
It was your average day at school. Teachers
were teaching and students were studious. We
were all sitting in English class. Ms. Watkins had
just finished reviewing what we did last class. I
was half asleep when we all heard a loud crash
coming from the 7th grade hallway. The lights in the entire building shut off. We were in complete darkness. ...

3. Warm-Up: Text Structure
Blocks 6 & 8
Warm-Up: Text Structure
Use the note you were handed at the beginning of class to circulate the room for notes.
There are 7 stations. (Similar to when we took Genre notes.)
When you are done, sit down quietly and read until your classmates are done.

4. Make-Up & Retakes
ALL make-up, missing, and retake work must be completed by 01/14 and 01/15. Check Clarity!

5. Patterns of Organization
Text Structure
Patterns of Organization

6. What is Text Structure? How information in a passage is organized
We will study six common patterns:
Compare and Contrast
Sequencing/Chronological
Cause and Effect
Problem and Solution
Enumeration/Listing
Process

7. Compare and Contrast Points out likenesses and/or differences
Explains how two or more things are alike/different
Apples & Oranges
Alike
Different
1. Both are fruits.
1. People don’t eat orange skins.
2. Both have skin.
2. Oranges have more juice.

8. Compare and Contrast Signal Words
-Different from -As well as
-Same as Yet
-Alike Either…or
-Like Not only…but
-Similar to Compared to…
-Unlike In contrast
-But While

9. Sequencing/Chronological
Puts facts, events, or concepts in order, traces the development of a topic, lists items or events in chronological order, gives the steps in the process
Chrono = time Logic = order
Example
Jill came tumbling after.
Jack and Jill ran up the hill to fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown.
ALL stories are told chronologically.

10. Chronological/Sequence Signal Words
- First Next
- Second Finally
- Third Following
- Now While
- Before Meanwhile
- After Last
- Then During

11. They performed poorly on the test.
Cause and Effect
Shows how facts, events, concepts happen because of other facts, events concepts.
An action and its results are explained.
Lists one or more causes and the resulting effect (s)
Effect
Cause
They performed poorly on the test.
Students did not learn the material.

12. Cause and Effect Signal Words
-So that As a result of
-Because of This led to
-Thus Then
-Unless Reasons for
-Therefore Consequently
- Since Thus accordingly
-In order to Nevertheless
-If…then

13. Property is being spray painted. Require a license to buy spray paint.
Problem and Solution
A problem is presented and answer is suggested.
Problem
Solution
Property is being spray painted.
Require a license to buy spray paint.
It is presented as a PROBLEM.

14. Problem and Solution Signal Words
Resolution
Resolve
Solve
Concern
Issue
Problem

15. Listing/Enumeration A numbered list (Enumeration) or bullets (Listing)
Order on a list does not matter
Winter Sports:
Football
Basketball
Hockey
Skiing

16. Listing/Enumeration Signal Words
- one, two, three…
Eight, nine, ten
Pete, Lucy, Molly

17. Process A series of actions to accomplish a goal
Information is given step-by-step.
In order to get accepted into college you must apply. Applications require that you answer specific questions about yourself and write a personal essay which must then be submitted by the application deadline.

18. Process Signal Words - Begins with - In order to… - Start here
- Step One

19. Tips to Identify
Ask, “what is the author doing in this paragraph?” Put it in your own words.
Have a hunch? Use the graphic organizer to see if the info fits.
Look for signal words.

20. Practice Read each passage.
Determine how the text is organized: cause and effect, compare and contrast, chronological order, sequence / process writing, problem and solution, enumeration/listing
Raise your hand to say which text structure is used.

21. Popular Sports
Football and baseball are two of the most popular sports in the country. They are similar in some ways. For one, they are both team sports, and they both require players to advance to an end or “home” point on the playing field. However, football, unlike baseball requires players to carry the ball to the end zone, while in baseball, it is the defending team that controls the ball while it is in play.

22. The Magic Blanket
One day while walking home from school, he found a magic blanket. When he covered himself with it, he turned invisible. At first he used his power to play all kinds of tricks on people. Then he’d turn invisible and hide things, or move a cup when someone was pouring juice to make a mess. He had a lot of fun. But then one day, he found that he couldn’t take the blanket off. He was just stuck invisible. Meanwhile, he quit playing tricks on people, hoping that he’d be able to take the blanket off and rejoin society, but it didn’t work. He is still invisible somewhere right now, and he is very lonely.

23. Studying for a Test
Believe it or not, as important as it is, many students do not know how to study for a test. Well, studying for a test is easy. In order to study effectively, the first thing that you must do is take out your notes. To begin with open your notes up to the section that you are supposed to review. Read what you wrote in your notebook. When you are done, close your notebook and see if you remember the ideas that you were studying. Still don’t remember? Open your notebook back up a try again.

24. Low Test Scores
Many students have been getting low scores on tests and this is upsetting to parents, teachers, and students. Low test scores show that teachers aren’t teaching effectively or that students aren’t learning. Either way it’s an issue with which we are concerned. I propose the following: any teacher who is giving a test should open up their classroom for study groups the night and morning before the test. Maybe by giving students extra opportunities to study, we can improve students’ test scores.

25. Getting ready for College
Brian’s mother and he are going shopping to get him ready for college. He has decided that he will need a few things to get him started. His list includes:
Sheets
Towels
A lamp
School supplies
Snacks to keep in his dorm room.

26. Eligibility
Being involved in after school sports and clubs is not a right. It is a privilege. Therefore, students have to meet eligibility requirements. If students have any “D”s or “F”s, then they are not allowed to play. Also, if students have behavior issues in class, they cannot be on the team or in the club. Students need to keep good attendance. Consequently, if students miss school, they most certainly cannot come to practice. Being on a team is a lot of responsibility.

27. Answers Compare and contrast Chronological Process
Problem and solution
Listing/Enumeration
Cause and effect

28. Literary Letter
12/17/14: We discussed what it mean to correspond with the author versus complementing the author.
Discuss with the author like you are having a conversation. Tell them what you liked and how/why you grew from that moment.
12/19/14: We discussed what it meant to synthesize what you connected to, not summarize.
The author knows what they wrote. Instead tell them a moment in their book that you can connect to.

29. Literary Letter: Today
Today you will continue to work on your rough draft.
Introductions and Conclusions
Peer Editing
Thursday we will be typing the final finished product in class on the laptops. You do not have to do anything for homework! We will work on this together in class. So any reservations you have today can be addressed on Thursday.
When in doubt, check dates in Google Classroom Slideshows. I make it a point to post any important information.

30. Literary Letter: Today
Introductions:
Beginning of your letter--Sometimes this means sharing something about yourself.
Gently introduce what you want to talk about by the end of your introduction.
Hook your reader!
Read the following excerpt out loud. Then click through to see my thoughts as I read the excerpt. Do you agree with my thought bubbles? Discuss as a class.

31. A good introduction: Dear Bette Green,
Starts general. Good.
Brings it in to the author’s book.
Dear Bette Green,
Some people stay the same after reading a book. But your book tossed my brain all around. The risk you took in writing The Drowning of Stephen Jones makes me want to take a risk...change the way I think. That’s why I’m in this facility. I’ve had trouble changing. Because of books like yours, I now want to speak out against racism and people who hate people without even knowing them.
Titles of books are italicized. Good!
How the book has changed the reader. Good.
In what facility?!?! IM HOOKED.
I like that he mentions what he wants to do after reading the book.

32. Literary Letter: Today
Conclusions:
Refer back to what you mentioned in your introduction if need be.
Don’t leave me hanging!
In the following excerpt, read it out loud and then click through my thought bubbles. Do you agree with what I thought? Discuss as a class.

33. A good conclusion:
Restates life before the book. Cool!
Restates life after the book. Great!
It is difficult to walk through life muddled by a puzzle you can’t seem to solve. This was my life before I read your book. Afterwards, I was enlightened. I had unlocked both my own feelings and those of my mother. A Time for Dancing allowed me to walk in the shoes of a person struck down by cancer. It was a walk I needed to take to understand my mother’s death and to be at peace with it. Thank you for the gift of a lifetime, the gift of understanding and remembering and the gift of tears. I hope your beautiful book reaches many more and enlightens them, too. Thank you.
I like that the Title is also included in the conclusion--and italicized!
Woah. Cancer can be a serious topic. I like that the author of this passage was open to sharing.
Thanking the author here feels also like a compliment--this is a great way to show how the reader has grown and still complement the author!

34. Literary Letter: Today
Read the example literary letter. Use this as a strong model.
Read the Rubric worksheet and double check that you have the requirements.
Peer edit! Rotate your group’s lit letters within the group. Do not swap with another table. Read your peer’s letter. See if there is anything that you would change. Do you ask why? or want to know more? Let them know!

35. When you are done... Return Writer’s Notebooks to the bins.
You do not have homework.
Read your independent reading novel silently.
See you Thursday to type the final drafts!

36. Accelerating Literacy Skills 01/06/15 (A) Vocab Review
V: Students will read to determine the meanings and pronunciations of unfamiliar words and phrases.

37. Writing Warm-Up in your Writer’s Notebooks
Writing Warm-Up in your Writer’s Notebooks! Finish the following story in your Writer’s Notebooks. What happened?! What was it?!
It was your average day at school. Teachers
were teaching and students were studious. We
were all sitting in English class. Ms. Watkins had
just finished reviewing what we did last class. I
was half asleep when we all heard a loud crash
coming from the 7th grade hallway. The lights in the entire building shut off. We were in complete darkness. ...

38. Vocabulary Review
Today you will use the Vocabulary Packet to review your words. Study the words with a partner for 1-2 minutes.
When you are done, return to your desk.

39. Vocabulary Review
On the back of the vocabulary worksheet, write a short story that uses all 15 words.
Be sure that you are using the words correctly (nouns vs verbs vs adjectives).
This is a summative grade worth 30 points. It is due by the end of class. Please turn it in to the IN BIN.

40. End of Class
You are expected to always have an Independent Reading Novel (as indicated by the 7th grade expectations and the homework on my board.)
If you finish all of today’s assignments, please read silently on your own.
There are to be no disruptions. I have given strict instructions that if you do cause a distraction, you are to be sent to the office.