Reading, Writing & Making (sense)
Mr Reed's English Class & Highlight Lab- U School
ENG 1 : 2015 New Unit; Launching A New Marking Cycle
Happy New Year! Wow can you believe it, it's 2015. Hope you are ready continue our quest to #DREAM.LOVE.DO at the U School.
I know we do not like that word... (Homework!) So Instead of calling it homework. Let's just say there is lots of work you are going to have to complete outside of school time.
January 1 - Janauary 15
We are launching the new year and reporting cycle with an exciting unit on Informative (Profile) Essay Writing - related to Jackie Robinson’s 9 Values. This unit should take you between 10 - 15 school calendar days to complete. This includes doing work both inside and outside of class.
Please review your progress on the SLATE dashboard. Hard copies have been sent home to your parents.
Here is a preview of what's coming up
New Performance Tasks
The following performance tasks are due during the week by January 8th.
http://afn.schoolfy.com/commentaries/3619 - Annotate / Cornell Notes Student Exemplary Informative / Expository Writing.
http://afn.schoolfy.com/commentaries/3620 - Close Reading- Jackie Robinson Change America Biographies
http://afn.schoolfy.com/commentaries/3626 - Selecting a Topic Based on Jackie Robinson's Values
http://afn.schoolfy.com/commentaries/3627 - Writing Effective Hooks
http://afn.schoolfy.com/commentaries/3628 - Writing Clear & Focused Thesis Statements
See me about missing or past due work like the examples below:
http://afn.schoolfy.com/commentaries/3117 - Open Ended Response "Making a Fist"
http://afn.schoolfy.com/commentaries/3214 - Theme Essay
Big Audacious Performance Task
You are becoming an expert in reading and writing informative / expository text. In particular you can define and explain at least one of Jackie Robinson’s Nine Values: Citizenship, Commitment, Courage, Determination, Excellence, Integrity, Justice, Persistence, Teamwork.
Your BIG Audacious assignment is to write an informative (profile) essay about Jackie Robinson to inform and explain how Jackie Robinson used at least one of his nine values to contribute to society.
Each essay should be at least 500 words long and not exceed 1,200 words in length. Each essay will cite 3 sources of evidence from Jackie Robinson’s biography or other related sources. Your essay will use the MLA citation style and include a Works Cited Page..
See the link below to explore all the performance tasks you will complete to publish your informative (profile) essay about Jackie Robinson..
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cE3vxKmdZOJpYAijgXgPWy5uwfzC6cJ_e5gd2wiKVE0/edit?usp=sharing
Jackie Robinson Breaking Barriers 9th Grade Essay Contest
All students will have an opportunity to enter the Scholastic Jackie Robinson Essay Contest for 9th graders. The winner of the essay contest will have a chance to win a grand prize which includes:
- A trip for two to a game of the 2015 World Series
- One laptop computer or tablet
- One laptop computer or tablet for his/her designated teacher
- A class visit from Sharon Robinson
- One class set of Promises to Keep books by Sharon Robinson and Breaking Barriers T-shirts
The deadline for the contest is March 13, 2015. Entering the contest is not a course requirement, but completing the essay is. Those students who do submit to the contest may earn extra competencies that add towards course credits in English.
Learn more about the contest by visiting this link http://www.scholastic.com/breakingbarriers/grade9/
U School Wicked Problems Media Works Kudos
Kudos to Dymir Black and Diamond Thompson for completing their Wicked Problems Media works. Their work along with other Highlight lab students will be featured on the YouthVoices' Website, that highlights blogs, podcast, videos and other media work of youth from around the country.
Check out the link http://www.youthvoices.net/
Also a big shout out to Ms Veena. Vasudeva and our University of Pennsylvania Research Partners for all their support in the innovation labs.
Stay tuned the Highlight lab will be taking a field trip to the PhillyCam studios.
What is competency-based education (CBE)?
Students must complete Intro to Competency Based Learning Course found on Google Classroom. http://goo.gl/5BIxbv
To learn more: https://sites.google.com/a/philasd.org/competencyeducation/home
Contact Me
Email: sreed@uschool.org
Location: 2000 N 7th St, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Phone: 215.684.3266
Twitter: @boyswritephilly