Ms. St. John's Class Blog

The third six weeks in-class essay will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 14 or Thursday, Dec. 15. All students will write an essay on the theme of their novel, as well as prepare by taking at least 20 annotations on theme and completing one page of Cornell notes. Extra credit will be given to students who also complete the “statement of theme” handout.

The book list is updated and I will add a few more books by Friday. Students should choose a book from this list or have a book approved by this Friday.

The calendar has been added to the English 8 Magnet page.

The calendar has been added to the GT page.

Parents, please fill out these two forms. Thank you!

Parent/Guardian Contact Form

Parent Participation Form

Head Start Cinema: The City of Austin is showing films listed by the British Film Institute as “films everyone should see by age 14.” All screenings are free.
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/news/nr20110517.htm

NPR’s list of “teen novels for readers of all ages”:
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/30/137456199/hooray-for-ya-teen-novels-for-readers-of-all-ages?sc=fb&cc=fp

Dear Students and Parents,

I’m excited to teach you next year! Don’t let your brains turn to mush this summer. Complete the following summer reading assignments to start eighth grade with an A.

Read two fiction books. One is required: An Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie*. The other is your choice, but it must be on the eighth grade magnet reading list, which you can find on the “book list” tab.

For each book, you will need to complete one of the following projects. To be clear, read two books and do two projects. The first project is due the first day of school (August 22). The second project is due September 16. We begin the year quickly, so it is best if you complete both projects over the summer. Late projects will lose 10 points for every day late.

Option One: Create a book jacket and write an essay. See the rubric below for the guidelines and expectations.

Option Two: Create a prezi (http://prezi.com/) to illustrate your reading and understanding of the novel. See the rubric below for the guidelines and expectations.

*Parents: An Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a funny, heartfelt story and a National Book Award winner. It does contain some inappropriate language. However, I believe this to be an important addition to our curriculum. We study American literature in conjunction with the American history course. We will study early Native American literature, yet I feel it necessary to incorporate some contemporary Native American literature. It may surprise you, but many of our students view that culture as something that happened in the past. Sherman Alexie is an award-winning author living and writing today. Part-Time Indian is taught in many schools and overall, students really like this book because addresses issues to which students can relate. I encourage you to read this book with your student. If you do not want your student to read this, please email Ms. St. John at cindy.stjohn@austinisd.org for an alternative reading assignment.
Here’s a link to the book at Book People: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sincerely,
Cindy St. John

Option One Rubric: Book Jacket and Essay

· Book Jacket: 20 points
o Front cover: original design of character or scene from the novel that interprets the main idea of the book.
o Back cover: A brief description or “blurb” of the plot without giving away the ending.
· Essay: 80 points. Each paragraph is worth 20 points, but paragraphs should flow together with good transitions in order to create an essay. Include an introduction and a conclusion.
o Paragraph one: character. Describe one of the characters in terms of his/her personality, actions and motivations.
o Paragraph two: setting. Describe the setting of the novel and its importance to the plot.
o Paragraph three: conflict (external and internal): Describe the conflict of the book and how it is resolved.
o Paragraph four: theme: Describe the theme of the novel. The theme is the central idea of the story that is universal, meaning it does not include plot summary.

Option Two Rubric: Prezi

· Go to http://prezi.com and create an account (it’s free).
· If you have not made prezi before, you may want to watch some of the short tutorial videos and/or view some of their sample prezis.
· Your prezi should have at least four slides that include visuals. You can make your prezi as intricate as you would like, but these are the basics.
o Visuals: 20 points (one visual per slide)
o Slide one: 20 points, character. Describe one of the characters in terms of his/her personality, actions and motivations.
o Slide two: 20 points, setting. Describe the setting of the novel and its importance to the plot.
o Slide three: 20 points, conflict (external and internal): Describe the conflict of the book and how it is resolved.
o Slide four: 20 points, theme: Describe the theme of the novel. The theme is the central idea of the story that is universal, meaning it does not include plot summary.
· Email the link to your prezi to cindy.stjohn@austinisd.org. Please wait at least a week for a response (Ms. St John will be out of the country for most of June, so wait longer if you send it then). I will send you a quick note to let you know I received it. If you do not receive an email from me, please try again. You will not be able to use the excuse “I sent it,” if it is not received.

Please note, students have an assignment due every Friday.

May 2-3: Mr. Stoops will go over the outline in class. Ms. St. John will take students to the library for research.
May 4-5: Students will type their outline and so online research in Ms. St. John’s class
May 6: Research in Mr. Stoop’s class
*Friday: Typed and printed outline due to both Mr. Stoops and Ms. St. John (you need two copies and you must print them on your own time, emailed outlines will not be accepted)

May 9-10: Mr. Stoops will discuss drafting the diffusion papers. Ms. St. John will discuss crafting good paragraphs.
May 11-12: Type rough drafts with Ms. St. John
May 13: Research with Mr. Stoops
*Friday: rough draft is due to both Mr. Stoops and Ms. St. John (you need two copies and you must print them on your own time, emailed outlines will not be accepted)

May 17: Peer Editing in Ms. St. John’s class
May 18-19: Type revision and annotated bibliography in Ms. St. John’s class
*Friday, May 20: final draft due to both Mr. Stoops and Ms. St. John (you need two copies and you must print them on your own time, emailed outlines will not be accepted)

Mr. Stoops will grade for primarily for content, with some mechanics.
Ms. St. John will grade primarily for mechanics, with some content.

May 23: -10 pts.
May 24: -20 pts.
May 25: -30 pts.
May 26: -40 pts.
May 27: -50 pts. (last day to turn in)

For students who did not finish this in class:

http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/online/2009/taks_g08_read/8reading.htm

Thanks to all who came out to support our schools. There were over 11,000 people at the Capitol that day. More photos coming soon!

photo by John Gusky

photo by John Gusky

photo by John Gusky

photo by John Gusky

The after school TAKS tutoring for this week is postponed to next week. Students may come either Monday, March 7th or Wednesday, March 9th.

The next tutoring dates are Friday, March 25 or Monday, March 28.

“The Shadow of a Crow” (1)
In this chapter, Inman is in the hospital. He was shot in the neck while fighting in the Civil War. Inman has a lot flashbacks usually about things that happened while he was still there (on the battlefield). He talks about how he remembers seeing a lot of dead and bloody injured men. He also talks about the times with his friend Swimmer, who was a part of the Cherokee tribe. While he is having his flashbacks, he is telling the blind man who sits in front of the hospital and sells peanuts. Inman describes him (the blind man) as one who is very wise and can feel whenever people are around him, even if they are silent. Inman misses his home where his love, Ada, is still waiting for him. He thinks about how maybe he could go home and never be caught and killed.
By Emily Saenz

“The Ground Beneath Her Hands” (2)
In chapter two, “the ground beneath her hands,” mainly talks about Ada and how she struggles in life and experiences in her mind. She is forced to take over her father’s farm after his death, but it is a challenge for her; she tries find food under harsh conditions and is forced to have a lonely life. The title of the chapter helps one understand how the chapter will be– the ground beneath her hands—it sounds like the environment and surroundings are affected when her hands touch them. A symbol that is presented in chapter two is the rooster because it is a source of fear and hatred. She lives alone and has no one to help her.
By Jonathan Anicua
As she’s ending her day, she meets Ruby, a young woman willing to help Ada around the house.
By Alexus Martinez

“The Color of Despair” (3)
Inman wandered the roads, recently departing from hospital care. He roams southward, asking for slight direction along the way. When purchasing a snack, two large men and a smith get agitated with Inman and they fight; eventually, Inman prevails. Thoughts and memories flutter back into his head when he remembers the time he first spoke to young Ada at church. After being introduced, Inman loses his words and just stares into his hat. After ending his flashback, he comes upon a river where a young woman takes him across. The ride is fine until they are attacked and have to make some quick decisions. The title reflects on the mood of the chapter.
By Caitlin Anderson

“Verbs, All of Them Tiring” (4)
“Verbs, all of them tiring,” is referring to all the things in this chapter that had to be done. Ruby and Ada observe her place and land in Black Cove to see what things need changes. Ruby had many different ideas that required a lot of supplies. In this chapter, Ruby suggested to Ada to trade her piano for other goods. Ada agreed, but remembered all the memories from the piano. She played the piano at a celebration right after an incident occurred between her and Inman in the kitchen. When the piano was sold, they obtained many supplies and began working. Ada, not used to working, found it very tiring. During breaks, Ruby would tell her life sotry to Ada about how she was always left to do things on her own because her father Stobrod was always gone and did not care for her. One moment in her story where she was stuck to a tree and left all night with no one looking for her made her come to the realization that she had no one to help her but herself.
By Lexi Grimaldo

“Like Any Other Thing, a Gift” (5)
Inman continues on his journey and follows a road that runs along the banks of the deep river. As he trots along the path, he sees the flickering of some kind of light. He follows it until he reaches a man dressed in black leading a horse that is carrying a bundle of white sheets. I think the colors are very important because we see a relationship between black and white, good and evil. He realizes that the man is planning to kill the woman inside the bundle and stops him at gunpoint. They walk back to town and the man in black tells Inman that he is the preacher but he has been having an affair with the woman, who is named Laura. He leaves the preacher tied to a post and puts Laura back in her home. The title describes how fighting easily comes to Inman, like a gift. The chapter ends with Inman meeting a group of gypsies and travelers and how he remembers meeting Ada.
By Joe Anthony Cruz

“Ashes of Roses” (6)
In this chapter, we find Ada and Ruby working in the fields and on the farm. They are working on a winter garden. On the first page of the chapter includes symbolism: “the joe-pye weed was serving as a reminder of how fast winter was approaching.” This chapter is just mainly Ada and Ruby working on the farm. Ada has a flashback in which she envisions meeting a man.
By Trey Montoya

“Exile and Brute Wandering” (7)
This chapter is in Inman’s point of view. Inman is trying to find his way to Salisbury when he meets the preacher again. Inman is told that the man got kicked out of town because of what he did and that he was traveling in the streets. Inman reluctantly takes the preacher (Veasey) along with him. In this chapter, you can find out how messed up Veasey really is.
For a while, Inman and Veasey stop by a river that flows with land, not by the ways of gravity (straight down). This might be a symbol, telling us that life isn’t and will never be a straight flow down the stream. You will twist and turn—that is life.
The chapter name, “exile and brute wandering,” has to do with the path Inman and Veasey take and how bumpy their lives can get, even when they are not by each other.
By Holly Brookhart

“Source and Root” (8)
All sorts of birds are chittering and chattering as if they were talking humans as Ada and Ruby come down the road with their umbrellas. Three crows are fighting a hawk in the sky and Ruby admires their beauty. The two girls begin talking about their fathers and how they sharpened knives. Ada is tired from all the work she had done the past few days and the days to come, but she and Ruby still go to the store and learn that everything there is expensive. They then visit Mrs. McKennet and eat ice cream, after which they hear a story of a tailed person and how he came to be imprisoned even though he was a war hero. Later, they see a heron that appears to be exiled and Ruby tells the story of how her mother would tell her dad that the stork brought Ruby, not him. Ada tells a story of how her father met her mother. The chapter ends with Ada talking about a blue planet, Venus.
By Akia Hampton