Jigsaw Links and Directions

Group 1:

Your task is to find out about "Operation Pied Piper."

1. Read through "Operation Pied Piper" and "The Day of Evacuation" on the following page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwtwo/evacuees_01.shtml
As you read, take a few "pistachio shell" notes about Operation Pied Piper. What happened? When? Who was involved? Why?

2. Watch the following video with the sound off. Jot down a few more notes for anything that stands out to you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abLgfmzTO64&feature=related



Group 2:

Your task is to find out about English country homes. What were they like? In what ways were they different than the London townhomes from which many children came?

1. Use Google images to search the following (these houses were estates during World War II and are still around today). This will give you an idea of what the country homes looked like:

 Knebworthhouse, Wollaton Hall, Woburn Abbey, Kiddington Manor, Hinwick House

2. Read the first paragraph on the following Wikipage. Take a few pistachio-shell notes to summarize what you read:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_country_house

3. Compare and contrast city life to country life here. This page describes the "wartime homes" that were often in urban parts of England:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/world_war2/wartime_homes/

Group 3: 

Your task is to find out about the author of The Chronicles of Narnia. View this page on Fact Monster to record 6 important facts about C.S. Lewis:

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/narnia-lewis.html

Group 4:

Your task is to help us prepare for Chapter 1 of the novel by defining some vocabulary terms. When discussing the terms with your group, try your best to use a quick synonym or short definition. Here are the terms (record their definitions using http://www.merriam-webster.com/; you may have to look elsewhere for terms that were specific to mid-century Britain). 

splendid

row (as in "We got into an awful row today.")

passages

wireless (as used in mid-century Britain)

looking glass

wardrobe

blue-bottle

inquisitive

muffler

parcels

faun

VERY important reminders/example

- Your final draft is due on Monday, 11/14.

- The content of your paper will comprise the majority of your grade. Did you include all three sections of your opening paragraph, including a strong thesis statement? Did you support your thesis statement in your body paragraphs? Did you wrap your paper up with a closing paragraph that drove your major points home?

- Part of your grade includes grammar and spelling. Encourage a family member to take a look at your paper to make suggestions. Use all tools available to you, such as Spell Check.

- Part of your grade includes the format of your paper. Here are reminders about the requirements:
1. Use standard margins
2. Use size 12 font, Times New Roman - this includes your title
3. Underline or italicize the title of the book each time you use it
4. Indent each paragraph
5. Double-space your paper - avoid extra space between paragraphs
6. Your header should appear in the upper left-hand corner of your paper, exactly as pictured below (with your name and class section). Please look closely at the image below and read each paragraph for additional reminders:

Theme Essay Update

Tonight for homework, please use your proofreading checklist to go over any errors you may have in your paper. Please bring a printout of your paper to class tomorrow if possible. We will peer-edit in class tomorrow and then finish our papers over the weekend. Your final draft will be due on Monday.

Writing Assignment Update

Here are a few announcements for our writing assignment that was initially due next Wednesday:

1. The assignment is now due on Friday of next week.

2. At the end of LA today, each of you should have your document saved to Google Drive. Some of you have also saved your draft to a flash drive or have printed out what you have so far. In order to access your Google Doc at home:
   1. Log in to your TLS Gmail.
   2. Go to the white squares forming a box at the upper right corner of the screen.
   3. Select "Drive" (it looks like a triangle).
   4. View your Google Docs and look for "Cleopatra Theme."
   5. Open the document.

3. Your homework over the break is to draft your first two paragraphs. Use your graphic organizer for the opening paragraph, which should include:
- An opening sentence which grab's the reader's attention, but does not "give away" the main idea just yet
- A little bit of background information on the story, since we are assuming our reader has never read the book (use your plot chart to think of the key events from the story)
- A thesis statement at the end of the paragraph, which states your claim (our claim for this paper is that the theme of Cleopatra is "coming of age")

Your second (body) paragraph should include four examples from the story that "prove" your claim by citing evidence. Use specific examples from the text to support your thesis; show the reader how Cleopatra went from naive and immature to mature and knowledgeable (aware of how the world truly works). We will work on transitions and a closing paragraph on Wednesday and will go through the revision stage on Thursday. My goal is for our paper to be finished by Friday, but if we need more time, we will extend the due date.

Cleopatra Writing Assignment

Hello all! This week we will be drafting a writing assignment on the theme of Cleopatra and will polish them over the break. Remember that we have decided that the theme is "coming of age." We will be drafting these in class and discussing them/proofreading with peers. Your final draft is due when you return (Wednesday, 11/9). Here is what will be required. We will be discussing all of this in class, step-by-step.

I. 3 paragraphs
   A. Introduction/thesis paragraph
   B. Body paragraph 1
      1. Topic sentence
      2. (4) pieces of supporting evidence/details from the story that confirm the theme
      3. Transition sentence
   C. Closing paragraph
      1. Refer back to the plot (we will discuss this in class)
      2. Closing thoughts
      3. Concluding sentence
II. Format
   A. Typed
   B. Times New Roman, size 12
   C. Double-spaced
   D. Header (we will discuss in class)

Please, please, please keep track of the graphic organizers on which we will be working and bring them to class each day. Let's get some writing done! :)

A few reminders...

Please hold on to your Cleopatra books until we are finished with our writing assignment next week. It will be an in-class assignment and we will be taking it step-by-step. Stay tuned for more details.

Hold on to your index cards as well - we will be adding supporting details and a conclusion to the topic sentence we wrote today. We will then clip our cards to a ring to use as a tactile reminder for how to build a paragraph.

Tonight's homework does not require complete sentences; simply jot down 5 facts or ideas that support your class's topic sentence. Do not put them on index cards (a scrap piece of paper will be fine).

Topic sentences:

6-1: Winter, one of the most beautiful seasons, is a time for slowing down.

6-2: Winter is a seasonal wonderland that offers many fun things to do.

Great job today brainstorming some winter-related images and feelings!

*So Proud*

I can't stop telling my friends how awesome you guys were for Open Mic this week. Thank you to everyone who came out to read or to listen. This year we heard some beautiful imagery and touched on more themes than ever, including social justice. I'm super proud of you guys and I had an awesome time. Here are a couple photos from Open Mic, plus a random picture of Joi's colored pencils, which I just liked seeing all lined up on the desk. Also, if you're reading this, please remind me to share with you Ms. Chavis's response to "Slimy Ocean Ham."

A golden phoenix for a golden garden!

 One of my favorite poems by G.A. - it took me back to Manhattan.