Typing Feature Article

I showed my students how to type their Feature Article in class today using columns and inserting features.

Here are the directions:

To create columns:

1) Select all your text
2) Go to Format and select columns- choose 2

To insert features (pictures, graphs, charts)

1) Click on the location where you want to place the feature
2) Copy and paste the feature to that location
3) Select the feature with the mouse
4) Go to Format and select Picture
5) Go to Layout and select either "square" or "tight"
6) Move your feature around so that the text fits nicely around it.

***REMEMBER: The rough draft (using Ratiocination= 50 points of the grade is revising) and the typed final draft is due TOMORROW!!!!!

Homework for 3.24.10 & 3.25.10

The Feature Article Rough Draft (using Ratiocination to edit & REVISE)and typed Final Draft is due Friday, March 26th.

Students who are going on Spring Break early (i.e. they will not be at school on Friday) may turn in their work the day after Spring Break- April 7th.

Spring Break Homework

Many of my students and their parents have been asking me if there will be homework over Spring Break. My answer?


No!


However, there is a great extra credit assignment that will be posted on the Ryan website. It is a practice ELA NYS Exam. Students can turn it in the Friday we return back from Spring Break and the extra credit will go towards the 4th Marking Period.

Homework for 3.22.10

Choose two of the following features to use for your article (photos, graphics, graphs, charts, polls, captions). Create or gather those features and bring to class Wednesday.

Also, the Book Group Wish paper is due tomorrow! Parents must sign the paper.

Homework for 3.19.10

Students need to complete the outline for their Feature Article. We started it in class and they used their graphic organizer to help them write their outline. This is due MONDAY!

IMPORTANT: Each detail for the sections should be written in complete sentences! You must tell me where you got the information. Use your Research Notes and Interview papers to help you fill in the details.

Here is my example:

FA Outline
I. Intro
A. Lead
B. Main Idea Statement: Most people consider Sea World one of the best theme parks because of the brilliant shows and education about animals it provides. However, after the recent fatal attack during a killer whale show, it seems as if this park is no longer safe.

II. Background information about killer whales and attacks in captivity
A. Killer Whales are part of the dolphin family (encyclopedia)
B. Jordan quote: ""I swam with dolphins in Mexico. It was scary because they are really smart and you have no control over what they do."
C. National Geographic: There are more attacks recorded about mammals in captivity versus in the wild.
D. New York Times: A pet chimp attacked a woman last year.

III. Tilikum Incident
A. San Diego News: Tilikum was in the middle of performing a show in front of families and grabbed the trainer's pony tail, yanking her underwater. The trainer died.
B. San Diego News: Tilikum was transferred to the San Diego Sea Work after killing a man who wandered in a Canadian park.

IV. Sea World's Decision to Keep Tilikum
A. Quote from Sea World Owner: "This is really a wonderful animal. His participation in our shows, his engagement in our interactions, it's very important to his overall health and husbandry. He will remain an active, contributing member of the team despite what's happened."
B. Sea World website: They are continuing to run shows
C. Jenn Quote, "I am afraid to bring my daughter there. What is something happens again, and she sees it? That's traumatizing for a little kid- that's traumatizing for me!"
V. Conclusion

Homework for 3.18.10

Current Feature article is due tomorrow- please see "Homework for 3.17.10" for directions.

Also, extra credit is due tomorrow- I will NOT accept any extra credit late.

Homework for 3.17.10

Finish interviewing people for article- DUE TOMORROW!

Find a recent feature article (no older than March 12, 2010) with sections or subtitles- can be about anything. Tape it into your I.R. Book. Outline the article just like we did in class today for "I Heart Nerds." This is due FRIDAY.

Homework for 3.15.10

Begin interviewing people for your article. Record responses just like we practiced in class. This will be checked on Thursday.

***EXTRA CREDIT***

Ok, here it is! Here is the extra credit opportunity for the 3rd Marking Period.

Because of the amount of points given on this opportunity, I will only accept extra credit from students who are currently holding a grade of 89 or below. This is meant to push those students who have been struggling to a passing grade or the next letter grade.

Students who turn the completed assignment in ON TIME will receive 5 points on their LOWEST MAJOR GRADE! **The assignment must be done correctly**


Go to: http://chompchomp.com/handouts.htm
Print out any ten handouts and complete them.


This is due FRIDAY, March 19th.

Homework for 3.12.10

Complete Feature Article Notes Sheet ***Due MONDAY for a grade***

Write ten interview questions for each person you chose to interview (3-5 people). Use the notes taken in class today to help you write the questions. You may not use the same ten questions for every interview!!

Each person should have their questions written on a separate sheet of paper set up as follows:

Name:
Experience:
Date Interviewed:

Questions (10):

Homework for 3.10.10

Find a current event feature article about a recent discovery (medicine, space, historical, etc) and tape it into your I.R. book. (Article must not be older than March 5, 2010). Rate the article based on the Credibility Rubric we created this week and write 3-4 sentences telling me about your thoughts on the topic. **DO NOT write a summary)

This is due Friday.

Homework for 3.9.10

Continue researching your topic. Collect all research in your feature article folder. All research should be brought to class tomorrow, as it will be used for an activity.

Homework for 3.8.10

Continue researching your topic. ***Only the FACT box of your "Evidence Planner"*** Print out any articles, websites, or copies from books and place them in your Feature Article folder.

Homework for 3.5.10

Begin researching your topic. **Use the Evidence Planner completed in class today to help you** Print out or copy any information you find and put it in your Feature Article Folder.

STUDY FOR MIDTERM MONDAY!!!!

ELA Midterm is MONDAY!

Students will be taking a Midterm on Monday. It will cover three units we've already done this year. Most questions will be multiple choice, but there will be a few short response questions.

Students need to study the following units:

-Poetry
-Response the Literature
-Short Fiction

All notes cam be found in the students' Readers/Writers Notebook.

Testing Your Angle

Some students did not finish the questions given in class today, so I am posting them here so they can finish. All questions should be completed by tomorrow (Thursday).

Testing Your Angle

What is your angle?

Answer is COMPLETE SENTENCES!

1. Why is this topic interesting to me?

2. Will I be able to find information about the topic? How?

3. What personal knowledge or experience do I have related to this topic?

4. Is this topic specific enough or it is too general and the same as other topics I have seen?

5. What might be the purpose of this article be?

6. What do I want people to understand or feel about this topic?

7. Who would read this?

Homework for 3.3.10

Find a current event feature article that would appeal to people your age and tape it into your I.R. Book. Answer these questions:

What is the angle of the article?

What does the author want the readers to think about this topic?

What do YOU think about the topic?

Due FRIDAY.

**Remember this counts as a MAJOR grade as part of your reading project.

Feature Article Unit Reading Project

Students were informed of the reading project for the Feature Article Unit yesterday. Every week, students will be expected to find two feature articles. One will be due on Wednesdays, the other will be due on Fridays. Each article will be assigned a series of questions; therefore, I do NOT encourage students to find all the articles ahead of time.

Each article assignment will be averaged into a major grade- it does NOT count as a homework grade.

Students are able to locate articles in a variety of ways: newspaper, magazine, and online publications. Also, each article must be a FEATURE article- not just any article. Students may use their notes to determine the type of article they have chosen.

Homework for 3.1.10

Find a current event feature article about an interest you have (sports, movies, music, hobbies, etc) Tape it into your I.R. Book and write 4-5 sentences about your thoughts on the article (do NOT write a summary). Due Wednesday.