2/28 Monday's Notes and Homework

Welcome Back Everyone!

Today in class, we began writing our introductory paragraphs for our research papers.
DO NOT FORGET that our paper is proving that the person/people/job we are writing about shows courage.

If you are having trouble writing your intro, one method you could use would be S.E.A.L.T (this is the upside down triangle I have shown you a couple of times)

You could begin your essay:
S = Statement (this is a broad statement where you could introduce the idea of courage to your reader)
E = Example (you explain your broad statement using an example)
A = Another Example (show a different example than the one your previously used)
L = Linking Statement (this is the bridge between the broad idea, and the thesis. You would use transition words/statements here to redirect your essay towards your thesis)
T = Thesis (the most important sentence in your essay! This is where you put the Subject + Opinion)

Here is an example of the S.E.A.L.T paragraph

" (S) There are many different ways in which a person can show courage throughout their life. (E) They could show courage and bravery by running into a burning building like a fireman. (A) Or they could be daring and fearless enough to jump out of a plane like a skydiver. (L) However, no other form of courage is more impressive than standing up for what you believe in, regardless of what the rest of society believes. That is why Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most courageous men in history. (T) Martin Luther Kind Jr. was courageous because he defied society's unjust laws, and risked his life to stand up for what he believed in.

We will go over this more tomorrow.

Homework: March 3rd, Spelling and Vocab quiz on the research vocab words.
                   March 7th Essays due.
                   All student's who did not receive a 65 or higher on their in class essay's, must have them signed by a parent or guardian by Wednesday March 2nd.

If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at NcowleyPmschools@gmail.com

- Ms. C

2/17 Friday's Message Pre-Vacation!

Have a great February break everyone!

Today was our last day in the computer lab to do our research, so if you feel as though you don't have enough research compiled (meaning, you did not have 10 facts written down from at least 3 different sources) I would suggest spending a little time during break to catch up.

The Must Have List for Ms. Cowley's Research Paper Assignment
1. At least 3 sources from print or other media
                      - at least one must be a book
                      - at least one must be from the Internet
                      - if you have an interview with someone, that would be a 4th additional source
                      - it's a-OK if you have more than 3 sources

2. You must keep tract of what sources you get your facts from! Remember in the packet it states "source___ fact__________" Once you've written down your fact, you MUST identify which source you got that information from.

3. You must use at least 10 facts in your paper from your 3 sources.

4. The paper must have a focus on courage! Don't forget that the purpose of writing your paper is to prove that your topic person/job is courageous!

5. Do not lose any of the papers you've been writing your information on. When I collect the papers finally, you must include with it your 15 guiding questions, and your yellow packet!

If you do not have a computer at home and you want to continue doing research over break, head on over to your local library and sign up for a card if you do not already have one! At the library, not only do they have a ton of fabulous books that could help you with your research, but they also have computers that print there as well! I love love love my local library. Get acquainted with yours!

Additional Announcements:

Tentative Vocab/Spelling Quiz date: Thursday, March 3rd(The words are located on the blog posts dated 2/8 and 2/9)

Tentative Research Paper due date: Tuesday, March 8th

Have a fantastic February vacation! See you all in a week! :)
- Ms. C

2/17 Thursday's Notes

Hello Everyone!

Hope you enjoyed the first day in the computer labs (7th period... I'm sorry about the Dells).

Remember that when you are writing down your source information, you have the title (the name of the article), the URL (the address : http://www.ncowleypmschools.blogspot.com/, ect.) and the date (usually a year). These are the 3 sure things that will be available at every website. The author is going to be a little more difficult, as is the publisher and this will require a little extra searching. I will help you find that information in class if you are having trouble.

It's absolutely a-ok if you want to go home and search around the internet for your courage paper. Just make sure that you put the source information in the yellow packet you have, and identify which facts you took from that source. The more information you have the better!

And for those of you who took the opportunity to re-hand in your Independent Reading Packets, thank you! I am always impressed by those who take the initiative to do better and strive for the best grades possible!

Let's make tomorrow an even more productive day, so that we go into vacation knowing we put in our best effort.
- Ms. Cowley

2/15 Tuesday's Notes and Homework

Hello Everyone!

Today was our last day in the library to do research. Luckily for you, the Mrs. Carr was kind enough to lend us a book cart, full of many of the books you all were using for your research. You will be able to check through that cart and the books avilable and finish up finding your facts from those sources, but you cannot take those books home with you!

If you feel that you don't have enough material from a book/paper source (and I mean at least 2!) then you better get yourself to your local public library. If you do not have a library card, you can still go and do research. You just can't check any items out. The librarians at your local library will be able to help you find books on your topic. TRUST ME! You have a full day off tomorrow, and a full week off next week. I'd use that time wisely, and set aside at least a half hour to go to your local library. Plus, it's a great place that we're lucky to have! Use it!

Thursday we will be in the computer room, beginning our internet research. Make sure you bring your yellow packet and your 15 guiding questions with you to class.

Homework - Due Thursday: If you got a 65% or lower on your independent reading packet, you MUST get it signed by your parents. Any grade - If you do corrections for the parts where you lost points, you can gain back half credit for all of those points! I will not accept corrections for papers with grades lower than 65% unless it is signed. If you did not hand in your independent reading packet, Thursday is the FINAL DAY to hand it in and you will only receive half credit.

If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at NcowleyPMschools@gmail.com. I look forward to meeting many of your parents tomorrow! Have a great day off and see you Thursday!
- Ms. Cowley

2/14 Monday's Notes and Homework

Happy Valentines Day!



Hope you're all having a wonderful and lovely Valentines Day kiddies!

Today in class we started doing research for our research papers. We received "Research & Note Taking Steps" packets, and began looking through library books to find information we could add to our research papers.

When you find a book that will help you write your research paper, you need to properly cite it, or else you could be in danger of plagiarising. When you find your book or article, you must tell me

- the author

- the title

- the publishers information (found on the title page)

- the date (you could find this on the copyright page. There will be the "c" with the circle around it and a date next to it)

- vol = volume (most books are not a part of a volume, but it will specifically say volume if it's part of one)

- pp = total page numbers in the book

- URL (this is for websites)

When you find a fact you want to use, make sure to specify what source you are pulling that quote from. You must specifically state what source that fact is from.

You only have one more day in the library to do research, so make sure that you are focused when you come to class, and make sure you have your research packet with you EVERYDAY!

See you all in class tomorrow!

- Ms. Cowley



2/10 Thursday's Notes and Homework

Hi Everyone!

Today in class we discussed the format of our research papers, and we also started compiling questions that we want answered in our papers.

Here is the format you must follow for your research paper

Intro

- Explain what courage is/ define courage
- Thesis statement (sentence that tells the reader what your paper is about. Subject + Opinion = Thesis)

Body 1

- Introduce background information about your person/persons/group

*We do this so that we can show the person's journey. Remember the example of Oprah. She was so courageous because she pulled herself out of a childhood full of poverty and abuse and worked hard to become massively successful! If you don't have a person you are researching, show when the group was established, why they were formed, ect.

Body 2

- What was the courageous act
- Why was it courageous

*You may have multiple body paragraphs with this same format, because maybe you think that your subject does numerous courageous things.

Conclusion

- Wrap up your essay!
- Restate your main points quickly to remind the reader of what was important

Formulating Questions for Your Paper
We started to make lists of questions that we will answer with the research we find at the library. These questions must be answered in your research paper.

For homework: Make a list of 15 (interesting) questions that you would like answered in your paper. Remember, the deeper more interesting the questions, the more interesting your paper will be!

*Example: One of your classmates who is writing about U.S. Marines asked
Q: What is the percentage of marines that come home from touring overseas that suffer from PMSD (post tramatic stress disorder)?

I won't see you all tomorrow, but I hope you are all great for the sub! Be good and have a great weekend!
- Ms. C

2/9 Wednesday's Notes and Homework

Happy Middle of the Week!

Today in class we discussed what a thesis statement is, and why it is important. But before we get into that, we received nine more fabulous vocabulary words. They are the following:

Research Vocabulary Words

11. web address: Uniform Resource Locator; an address that

specifies (shows and tells) the location of a file on the

internet

12. web site: a set of interconnected web pages, usually including

a homepage that is developed and maintained by a

person, group or organization

13. reliable: capable of being relied on dependable, trustworthy

14. search engine: a computer program that searches documents,

                           especially on the World Wide Web, for a specified

   word or words and provides a list of documents in which they are found

15. citation or an article: includes author(s), article title, source

                                        of journal title, volume, pages, date

16. Internet source: Virtual Reference Collection, any source

found on the internet

17. print source: periodicals (encyclopedia, journals, magazines,

books, newspapers, ect.)

18. book citation: includes: author(s), title, publisher, date

19. Internet citation: generally includes: title of webpage, author,

                                URL, and date retrieved

For homework tonight, you must make flash cards/ notecards for these words. I want the word on one side of the card, and the definition on the other. And fear not those of you who can't find any flash cards in your house! You can make your own out of cut up paper.


Today in class we went over thesis statements.

Thesis Statements

 

Subject + Opinion = Thesis

1.      A thesis tells the reader what the essay is about.

2.      Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3.      The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

In other words, the thesis statement is the boss. Everything in your paper has to be in line with the thesis. You have to be able to connect everything you say in your paper to the thesis.

If you have any questions or concerns please e-mail me at NcowleyPMschools@gmail.com

Hope you all have a great day!

- Ms. Cowley

2/8 Tuesday's Notes and Homework

Hello Guys and Dolls!

Today in class we continued learning about our research papers. We started by writing down the 10 Research Vocabulary words. They are the following (if you do not have these in your notebook, I suggest you copy these down!)

Research Vocabulary Words

1. abstract: a short summary of an article or book

2. summary: expressing or covering the main points

    briefly

3. paraphrase: a restatement or rewording of a text, to

give meaning in different words

4. article: a contribution, by one or more authors,

published in a periodical

5. research: the collecting of information about a subject

6. citation: complete information about a specific item;

                book, article or other format, which enables you

to identify and locate it

7. bibliography: an alphabetical list of books or articles

you have used for research, a group of citations

8. plagiarism: using the ideas or writing of another author and

                using them as your own

9. source: anything or place from which something is obtained

10. cite: to list the important information needed to find the full

                text of a source; this gives credit to the authors of

                articles, books, web sites, or other types of materials

Credible and Non-credible Sources

We then went over what makes a source credible. Credible sources were things like newspapers, news journals, diaries, interviews, published factual books, fact based magazines. Things that were not credible were things like gossip magazines, wikipedia, and any websites where the person writing it did not have a credible background on the subject. We will learn more about this on Thursday.

Paraphrasing

We also discussed how to use the information we find from our sources to help support our arguments. We learned that it's ok to use direct quotes from a source, as long as you give them the proper credit in your paper for that quote.

We also discussed how you can paraphrase these quotes, by making them your own. You still need to cite them as the place where you got the information in your bibliography, however you do not need to state right then and there in the paper ("As stated in July 18th New York Post, Julie Blahblah said...")

Paraphrasing is taking a direct quote and making it your own. For example:

Direct quote: "New York City police officers have incredibly difficult and dangerous jobs considering they deal with crimes and criminals on a daily basis."

Paraphrased quote: Officers of the NYPD deal with many dangers, due to their frequent interactions with criminals.

HOMEWORK!

Tonight for homework you need to make flash cards/notecards for the 10 Research Vocabulary words given to you today. On one side of the card, write the word, and on the other write the definition.

See you all tomorrow!

- Ms. C

2/7 Monday's Notes and Homework

Hello Everyone!

Today we started working on our ideas for our research papers that we will be starting Thursday. First we discussed three different quotes and how they showed three different types of courage.

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.  ~Raymond Lindquist

(This quote is focusing on the idea of showing courage by moving past things that make you uncomfortable. For an example we said a person who moves to a new town and starts a new school can show courage by meeting new people. It could also be showing acceptance and moving past a death in the family, even though it's difficult to do so)

Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway.  ~John Wayne

(This quote shows that courage is facing your fears. We discussed that it's ok to be scared and courageous the same time, because the courage comes in facing those fears, and getting past them. We said as an example that a firefighter running into a burning building to save someone would be courageous, even if they are nervous to do so)

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.  ~Winston Churchill

(This quote means that true, it does take courage to stand up and speak for things you believe in, but it is also being able to listen to what others have to say, and being open-minded enough to accept others opinions. The example we used for this would be someone having to go to therapy. It takes courage to talk about your problems, but more courage to accept responsibility for them and take advice from others)



We then started to brainstorm people we know/jobs/famous people that have shown courage in their lives. Some examples were:

1. policemen

2. firefighters

3. 911 call operators

4. skydivers

5. Lady Gaga

6. Jay-Z

7. Marines/Army/Navy officers

8. Cancer/Disease survivors

9. stuntmen

These are some of the courageous people your classmates will be writing their research papers on. The purpose of the paper is to write about person/job and explain why and how that job is courageous.

Homework: Decide what you will be writing your research paper on, and write down your topic on a piece of paper. You will hand this in tomorrow during class.

*MAKE SURE that whatever you decide will have information that you can research. Meaning you must be able to find newspaper articles/magazine articles/ online information/ books about that topic. You will be using the outside information to help you prove your point. 

2/4 Friday's Annoucements!

TGIF Everyone!

Hope you all feel confident about your in class essays. The reason we only allow two class periods to work on these is for practice for your ELA. That is a timed test, and you need to learn how to manage your time! It's almost as important as getting your thoughts down. If you take too much time, how will you properly answer the question and complete the task?

Next week we will start our research papers, and in keeping with the theme of courage, I want you to brainstorm some courageous people in your life. Think about the courage your character displayed in your independent reading novels. Does any one in your life have that same type of courage? WHat makes them courageous and how do they show it in real life?

Have a great weekend everyone!
- Ms. C

2/3 Thursday's Announcements!

Hello Lovely Students!

INDEPENDENT READING PACKETS WERE DUE TODAY!

If you did not hand it in today, you automatically got 10 points deducted.

If you do not hand it in on Friday, that is 20 points deducted.

And if you do not hand it in Monday, you will receive a 0.

I WILL NOT ACCEPT THESE PAST MONDAY!

Today in class we started our in class essays. They are to be written in class, meaning you can't take them home. At the end of tomorrow you will be handing in your final, finished copy. No extententions will be given on this assignment. 

If you are sitting at home tonight worrying about this essay, check over your independent reading book and the notes you've been keeping throughout your reading. Start cementing in those ideas that you want to cover in your essay.

And don't forget, when you are writing your essay you are allowed to use your independent reading book, but not your notes. So, don't forget that book if you need it!

Good luck on this. I know you all will do great!

- Ms. Cowley

2/2 Wednesday's Homework and Notes

Hello Everyone!
What crazy weather today! Rain, ice and snow at the same time? Yikes.

Today in class we discussed the in class essay that you all will be writing tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday. The essay will be about your current book, and the topic of courage.

In your essay you will need to:
1. Define courage
2. Tell me a character in your book who was courageous
3. Explain how they were courageous
4. Explain why the act was courageous.
5. Explain how their courageous act affected the ending of the book.

Your essay will be made up of an introduction paragraph, at least 2 body paragraphs and a conclusion paragraph.

We reviewed what is expected for these paragraphs.
Intro:
1. Define courage
2. Title and author of the book
3. The character you will be discussing
4. The topic of your essay

Body:
R - restate your point
A - answer the question
F - "for example"
E - elaborate (explain your answer with detail)
T - tie it up

Your packets are also due tomorrow (even if you were not in class today!), and as always if you have any questions or concerns please e-mail me at NcowleyPMschools@gmail.com

Thanks!
- Ms. C

2/1 Tuesday's Notes and Homework

Hello Girls and Boys!

Today in class we continued working on our independent reading packets (remember, they're due THURSDAY 2/3/11).

We went over the Dynamic and Static Character page, as well as the Active Reading Grid page.

Dynamic and Static Character



The Dynamic character (the character that changes)

The Static character (the character that stays the same)

Remember, when you are asked to describe their character traits, make sure you explain WHY they are the way they are. How did the events of the book affect them? Why did it change them? Pretend that when you are writing down your answer, a reporter is sitting next to you asking, who, what, when, where, why, how?

The Active Reading Grid

Frequently asked questions about this page:

1. What if I don't find three words I don't know? There may be words that you think you know the definition, but are a little confused about. Use those words too! The word doesn't have to be completely foreign to you. And if you are a super scholar and know all the definitions, find words that you think your peers may not know and use those.

2. What if I'm not a good artist? What do I do about the visualize section?

I'm not going to judge you on how good of an artist you are, my concern is what amount of effort I think you put into your visualization of the part of the book. Effort is key!

3. How to I answer the infer and question section if I've already read the whole book?

Remember back to what you thought when you were reading it. Remember, each section is assigned a certain number of pages to focus on. Think back to the inferences and questions you were making when you were reading that section.

4. DoI just write down the event I found important?

You write down the important event, but then you have to explain WHY you found it important. I really want to see you explain your answers.

The Independent Reading Packet is due Thursday. If for some reason there is a snow day on Wednesday, your packet is still due Thursday! If you have any questions or concerns e-mail me!

NCowleyPmschools@gmail.com

Can't wait to see all your awesome work!

- Ms. C