Fourth period began Romeo and Juliet, looking at the prologue in detail.
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;
Whole misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with [...]

First period worked in pairs to begin revising their persuasive essays (rubric available here). We’ll finish that up tomorrow.
Second period looked at persuasive techniques at use in editorials. We’ll be revising their papers tomorrow and turning them in Friday.
Fourth period began a long unit on Romeo and Juliet. We started by talking about our assumptions [...]

First, second, and seventh periods are all at various stages of the persuasive essay development process.
First period will be done with the first draft today (once students complete homework). Those who did not turn in their work today can get 90% credit for completing the first draft by tomorrow.
Seventh period will be done with the [...]

First period worked on completing their persuasive essay organizational graphic organizer.
Second period should be done with their first draft. We worked on the first draft to day, and we began discussing (or rather, reading about and practicing) transitions.
Fourth period worked on the MLA style of citations.
Seventh period worked on completing their persuasive essay organizational graphic [...]

Last day — not much more to say than that. Well, in fact, there is more to say.
First period continued working on the forum and their persuasive argument planning. Second period did basically the same thing. Fourth period finished watching To Kill a Mockingbird.
Fourth period’s compare/contrast essay will be due at the end of the week [...]

First and seventh period finished up research today for the persuasive essay. They’ll begin writing them tomorrow.
We also began a new forum, based on bbPress. We’ll be using it occasionally to practice our written electronic communication. I hope to begin using Moodle with these classes after the break.
Second period used Moodle to discuss their persuasive [...]

First and seventh periods concluded their research for the persuasive essay. Second period began planning and drafting their essays. Fourth period began watching the film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird.
A painless day.
Homework

Fourth period: answer discussion question on forum.
First, second, and seventh: continue planning persuasive essay.

All classes did research today. It was a relatively painless day for all involved.
Homework
None

The poetry portfolio was due for first, second, and seventh periods today.
First and seventh periods began researching for their persuasive essay assignment. We looked at the project resources and chose one article to read and take notes on. We’ll continue tomorrow on the project.
Second period completed a second day of research. Some began planning their essay; [...]

First and seventh periods completed notes about persuasive techniques. We’ll be applying those techniques next week as we begin our mini-project on persuasive writing.
Second period began researching for the project.
Fourth period looked at issues of organization for compare/contrast essays and began organizing their own essay.
Homework

First, second, and seventh periods: complete poetry portfolios (due Monday 12/14).
Fourth: [...]

First and seventh periods presented their persuasive presentations to see who would win the bit of free time at the end of their class on Monday. We also watched a clip of Derren Brown, the absolute master of persuasion.
Second period went over persuasive techniques.
Fourth period began researching the Scottsboro boy’s trial in preparation for a [...]

First and seventh periods prepared persuasive presentations as part of a two-day anticipatory set for our very short persuasive writing unit. They prepared persuasive arguments in an effort to win a bit of free time at the end of class next week. Second period is one day ahead, having completed the contest today.
Fourth period worked [...]

First, fourth, and sixth periods used the sentence revision techniques we’ve worked on during the week to revise their persuasive essay on capital punishment. Additionally, students began double-checking that they’d supplied three arguments in their papers, and that two of the argument methods (from authority, reason, emotion, etc) are represented.
Second period began Lord of the [...]

First period did some small group work to complete the mini-unit of sentence revision that we’ve been working on this week. We’ll be applying all we’ve learned to our essays on capital punishment tomorrow.
Second period had a guest teacher, and we wrapped up Romeo and Juliet. I was not anticipating the activity to last the [...]

First period worked on combining sentences. We’ll be applying all our new editing techniques to our persuasive essays for the last couple of days of this week.
Second period began the unit on Lord of the Flies. We started by looking at allegories and the best and most famouse example in existence: Plato’s “Allegory of the [...]