Monthly Archives: June 2016

June 23, 2016

Exam Review Day 2

I have left feedback on your Evidence of Learning Document: Final Edition. If you would like to speak to me about your course mark, please use this form to book time with me. Or you can email if you feel that better suits you.

Exam review

Today, we will look at our planning responses to the essay-style exam answer for the following prompt:

Consider one novel that you read this semester. Your character undergoes a transformation or major change in this story. Select at least three events that prove that the character in fact changes.

Content marks or what combination of general and specific comments will give me 12 marks?

  1. 12 general points—very unlikely
  2. 6 general points, with an illustration for each point—ok
  3. 4 general points, with 2 examples or 1 lengthy illustration—better
  4. 3 general points, with at least 2 examples both with explanations—best

 

Finally, we will review the My Interpretation of The Joy Luck Club essay and annotate it for content and style.

Style marks:

  1. Introductory sentence/Hook                /1
  2. Sentence variety                                      /2
  3. Spelling and grammar                           /2
  4. Word use and rhetorical use                /2
  5. Concluding sentence                              /1

Continue to review for the exam by practicing with Quizlet or by reviewing the texts you read this semester.

June 21, 2016

Exam Review

Your Novel Research Paper is due today at 4:00.

I have left feedback on your Evidence of Learning Document: Final Edition. If you would like to speak to me about your course mark, please use this form to book time with me. Or you can email if you feel that better suits you.

Today, we will begin the exam review.  I will take some time today to go over how to write a good essay-style exam answer. You can see that there is an exam question that asks you to write in an organized, methodical manner. This means that the answer is organized around a thesis statement and that there is evidence to support your thinking integrated into the answer.

Let’s consider the following prompt:

Consider one novel that you read this semester. Your character undergoes a transformation or major change in this story. Select at least three events that prove that the character in fact changes. 

Content marks or what combination of general and specific comments will give me 12 marks?

  1. 12 general points—very unlikely
  2. 6 general points, with an illustration for each point—ok
  3. 4 general points, with 2 examples or 1 lengthy illustration—better
  4. 3 general points, with at least 2 examples both with explanations—best

Plan an answer to this prompt using one of the above formulas. Be prepared to share your thinking with the class. You have 15 minutes.

Put your thinking on chart paper and share.

Finally, we will review the My Interpretation of The Joy Luck Club essay and annotate it for content and style.

Style marks:

  1. Introductory sentence/Hook                /1
  2. Sentence variety                                      /2
  3. Spelling and grammar                           /2     
  4. Word use and rhetorical use                /2
  5. Concluding sentence                              /1

Continue to review for the exam tonight, and be prepared to ask me questions about it tomorrow.

June 16, 2016

I deserve a…

What is the connotation of the word “deserve”?

de·serve

dəˈzərv/
verb
verb: deserve; 3rd person present: deserves; past tense: deserved; past participle: deserved; gerund or present participle: deserving
  1. do something or have or show qualities worthy of (reward or punishment).
    “the referee deserves a pat on the back for his bravery”
    synonyms: merit, earn, warrant, rate, justify, be worthy of, be entitled to, have a right to, be qualified for

    “the book deserves our greatest praise”
    well earned, merited, warranted, justified,justifiable;
    archaicmeet
    “they clinched a deserved victory”

As you complete your Evidence of Learning Document: Final Edition, and translate that evidence into a mark, how will you talk about your learning?

What else might we say other than “The mark I deserve is ” when what we need to be thinking about is the evidence of our learning?

June 13, 2016

Week of June 13, 2016

Course Due Dates:

Evidence of Learning Document —- This Friday by 4:00 p.m.

Novel Research Project—-June 22 by 4:00 p.m.

Exam Review—June 22 and 23 in class. 

Evidence of Learning Document Final Edition 2016: What might it look like?

Research Novel Project—Remember the process; submit the whole package.

Let’s look at another student sample of a planner, notes and report.

Quotations, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing ANOTHER review

There are tools to help you paraphrase. Compare the differences using the same original text:

“Portrayals of Aboriginal people as being primitive, violent and devious, or passive and submissive, have become widespread in movies and Tv programs and in literature ranging from books to comic strips.
Such depictions became a comfortable frame of reference for Aboriginal people. Even if old Westerns rarely took place in Canada, the stereotypes they conveyed crossed borders” (MediaSmarts).

My paraphrase:

In the 20th Century, First Nations have been depicted as savage, conniving, or naive in the entertainment and news media. These stereotypes although generated for the most part through the American Westerns gained universal usage (MediaSmarts). 

Remember, our goal is to have no more than 5 words the same!

  1. Handyman Dan: Write your own paraphrase;
  2. ArticleWriter Tool: Paraphrases for you;
  3. Paraphrasing-Tool: Paraphrases for you.