If you want an "A" on your essay, make sure you have shared it with me by today.  If your essay is in really sad shape and you want to work on it over break, write "I'm not finished" near your essay's title.  I will not look at your essay until Friday, Nov.29; however, the most you can expect for a score will be 80% (and it could go down from there).

If you're having problems getting your Works Cited page in the proper format, try this: 
1) Click the cursor at the end of the line above the line you want to indent.
2) Hit the "enter" key (that makes the cursor go to the line you want to indent).
3) Hit the "tab" key.

                                                                      OR

1) Highlight the part that needs to be indented.
2) Control c.
3) Delete.
4) Tab.
5) Control v.

Gobble gobble.

The focus today was on the hit-and-run quote.  Make sure every quote (and paraphrase) is set up with a context (where, when, what circumstance?) and then explained (what is the significance?)  For example, let's look at FDR's famous statement, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."

(Context) When Franklin Roosevelt gave his inaugural speech on March 4, 1933, he addressed a nation weakened and demoralized by economic depression.  (Quote) "We have nothing to fear but fear itself " he proclaimed.  (Significance) With that message of hope and confidence, the new president set the stage for his next one-hundred days in office and helped restore the faith of the American people in their government.

List of possible attributions: add     remark     exclaim     announce      reply    state    comment     respond    estimate     write     point out     predict     argue      suggest     propose    declare     note     criticize     proclaim     complain    opine     observe     think     note

Expository essay due date: Thursday, Nov. 21. at the end of the period.

Those of you who are working on The Metamorphosis, share that with me by Friday, Nov. 22.

The focus today was on the introductory paragraph to your expository essay.  This paragraph needs to contain your thesis, purpose, and point.  Refrain from including evidence in your introduction, but do find an interesting way to lead me into your paper; look in your notebook for How Do Writers Introduce Ideas to help with that.  Your completed paper is due at the end of the period on Thursday, Nov. 21.

You should have several types of evidence at this point and are almost ready to begin your essay.  First, double-check your sources and make sure that they are credible; remember, in order to write a credible essay, you need to have credible evidence.  How to do that?  Well, first, stay away from blogs; if your source has an avatar, run away immediately. What connections do the authors have to the topic, such as, do they have a degree that is related to the topic and is that degree from a well-known university?  Have they been working in that topic for a while?  Look at domain names: .edu and .gov domains are more credible than .com or .net domains. Are you finding the same information on different websites? Then the information is probably good; however, if each source is just quoting each other, there may be a problem: if one of those sources is wrong, then they're all wrong.

When you start writing your essay, you'll need to cite your sources in your text (this is different from the Works Cited page--remember, easybib.com will help you with that).  There are too many different ways to do in-cite quotations, so here is a link to a website that can help.

We spent the day in the library, looking at other sources of information besides the internet.  Continue to research your topic and take notes in your notebook.  Make sure you write down the following (when available): title, author, publisher, date, information to use, type of evidence identified, type of appeal identified.  Use your resource handouts to help you with evidence and appeal.

Tomorrow, we'll be back in the classroom.  I will not be with you, as I have to attend my father's funeral.  So, be good to the sub, and continue with your research.

Your topic was due today, framed in this context: The importance of (your topic).  You'll find out tomorrow if your topic will work or not.  In the meantime, continue the research, looking for evidence that will show the importance of your topic.

I am also doing a notebook check, so make sure you bring it to class tomorrow.

Practice makes perfect, so in your notebook, titled If Only They Could Talk, click on this link to get the article about Easter Island.  Again, go through each paragraph looking for appeals, evidence, and structure.  Before reading the article, click on this link to get some text features; look at the pictures and the captions to get a sense of what the island was and is like.

Your choice of topic for your own expository essay is due this Thursday.
The due date for your completed essay is Thursday, November 21.

Today, we try to put it all together, incorporating text structure, types of evidence, and the 3 appeals as we annotate and analyze expository text for credible information.  The article we'll work on is titled A Change of Heart about Animals, and the link is here.

Also, I'll start a notebook check this Thursday, Nov. 7, so have it ready and bring it every day, along with your Independent Reading Book.

Hello!  As you can see, I'm not here; I'm doing some professional development for the district.  Be on your best behavior for the sub.

Here's what you'll be doing today: 
First, concentrate on finishing any of the text structure work in your notebook (that would be anything, starting from Monday).  Links to the articles will be below, or the sub will have a hard copy.
Next, pick any ONE article from this week and write a Summary in your notebook.  The sub will hand out copies of the summary template which you will give back at the end of the period.  Do not write on the template.
Finally, the sub will hand out the last assignment to do in your notebook.  Again, do not write on it.
HW is any text structure work you didn't finish; and, no, you cannot take home any hard copies.

I'll see your happy, smiling faces on Monday!

Compare/Contrast link.
Sequence link.
Problem/Solution link.
Cause/Effect and Description links are on yesterday's blog.