Day Thirty-Two:One thing that is hard for students to do is create fictional worlds for their characters. Pixar, a company associated with many hit movies, has done a wonderful job immersing students into their believable, but fake, worlds.
Watch this Ted Talk (remember your headphones!) and then answer the ACECES below: A - What is the author's central idea? What does she want you to get out of her talk? C - Authorize the source fully and provide evidence to support your first reason. E - Explain how the evidence supports your answer. C - Provide additional evidence to support your answer. E - Explain how the evidence supports your answer. S - Summarize your thoughts. If you finish early, take some time to create your own narrative world. Pick a place that is a real place in the world--find pictures to support your description. Also, I always find this clip oddly funny. |
Day Thirty-One:Today, you will view two short animated films: "Anna" and "Dust Bunnies". They both deal with the idea of survival in very different ways.
Watch "Anna" here and write the ACECES below: A - How does "Anna" approach the idea of survival? C - Provide evidence from the film. E - Explain how your evidence proves this point. C - Provide a different piece of evidence from the film. E - Explain how this evidence proves your point. S - Summarize your thoughts |
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Next, watch the short film "Dust Bunnies" and answer the additional ACECES below:
A - How is the idea of survival dealt with differently in "Dust Bunnies"? C - Provide evidence from the short film. E - Explain how your evidence proves this point. C - Provide a different piece of evidence from the film. E - Explain how this evidence proves your point. S - Summarize your thoughts |
Day Thirty:Even though recycling is at an all-time high in the United States, other factors could make all of our collective efforts a waste of time. Due to tensions between the U.S. and China, who has helped us complete the recycling process, our trash may end up in a landfill anyway.
Read the article here and write the ACECES below: A - Why is recycling about to face a crisis? Give two reasons. C - Authorize the source fully and provide evidence to support your first reason. E - Explain how the evidence supports your answer. C - Provide additional evidence to support your second reason. E - Explain how the evidence supports your answer. S - Summarize your thoughts. When you are finished with your writing, you may watch a TedTalk on the possible future (or lack thereof) of recycling. |
Day Twenty-Nine:Climate change is a difficult fact to ignore, but many world leaders are determined to do just that. However, youth around the globe aren't satisfied with that response and are using one of the few tools available to them to protest: their education.
Read the article here and write the ACECES below: A - Why are students around the world protesting against governments regarding climate change? Give two reasons. C - Authorize the source fully and provide evidence to support your first reason. E - Explain how the evidence supports your answer. C - Provide additional evidence to support your second reason. E - Explain how the evidence supports your answer. S - Summarize your thoughts. When you finish with that, read this article from The Atlantic on how recycling efforts in the U.S. are beginning to fail. |
Using the five images shown here, write a short, descriptive paragraph for each. Be sure to use specific vocabulary to make the reader see, hear, smell, feel, or taste what is shown.
The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—'tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning." - Mark Twain With this quotation in mind, feel free to use an online Thesaurus! |
Photographer Gregory Crewdson has earned a reputation worldwide for making some of the most intricate and interesting photographs of anyone in the profession working today. In many ways, his photographs are more like still shots from a movie -- and often as expensive. One shot might cost upwards of a million dollars. Every frame is imbued with deep human emotion and often asks more questions than provides any answers.
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With this in mind, write a short narrative based on the image above. Incorporate the elements below:
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Day Twenty-Six:The spirit of adventure isn't always about being the best or gaining recognition for amazing feats of athleticism. At times, the skills of an adventurer may be put to use for the good of mankind. With great power comes great responsibility. An elite group of cave-divers from around the world understood this when, last year, they were called to Thailand to rescue 12 boys from deadly caverns where every second mattered.
Read the article here and write a short narrative from the first-person perspective of someone on the rescue team. Be sure to incorporate the elements below:
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Day Twenty-Five:Sometimes attempting to be the best at something is less a matter of ambition and more about reconnection. For Heather Anderson, who hiked 8,000 miles of trails across the U.S in less than a year, the adventure was finding herself in nature.
Read the feature here and write a short narrative. Pretend you are Anderson while on a hike. Using sensory details and characterization, write descriptions of the nature you might encounter and your reaction to it. Be sure to use all five senses and provide her thoughts and feelings. |
Day Twenty-Four:Setting goals in life requires a great deal of introspection. You have to look deeply inward to know what is important enough to grab your attention and devotion. For some, this means, for better or worse, risking the very life they wish to make great.
Read the feature here and write a short narrative in the first person as if you are Andrzeg Bargiel on his K2 expedition. Be sure to incorporate the elements below:
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Day Twenty-Three:Often in life the most difficult accomplishments come simply by putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes, doing so requires putting yourself in awkward positions to achieve a very distant goal. In life, this is metaphorically true; for Babsi Zangerl, one of the world's best rock climbers, it is literally true.
Read the feature here and answer the ACECES below: A - How did Babsi Zangerl achieve the title of one of the best rock climbers in the world? C - Authorize the source and provide evidence. E - Explain how this evidence supports your answer. C - Provide more evidence. E - Explain how that evidence supports your answer. S - Summarize your thoughts. |
Photographer Gregory Crewdson has earned a reputation worldwide for making some of the most intricate and interesting photographs of anyone in the profession working today. In many ways, his photographs are more like still shots from a movie -- and often as expensive. One shot might cost upwards of a million dollars. Every frame is imbued with deep human emotion and often asks more questions than provides any answers.
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With this in mind, write a short narrative based on the image above. Incorporate the elements below:
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Day Twenty-One: 18 Around the WorldIn a world that is as connected as the one we live in today, it's easy to forget how diverse people can be. In particular, girls around the globe are often overlooked as individuals with unique character, personalities, responsibilities, and perspectives on life. To help enlighten us, The New York Times recently recruited young women the world over to document what it's like to turn 18 in countries many of us may never see otherwise.
Look over the feature here and answer the ACECES below: A - How would life be different if you had spent your childhood in a entirely different country across the world? C - Authorize the source and provide evidence. E - Explain how this evidence supports your answer. C - Provide more evidence. E - Explain how that evidence supports your answer. S - Summarize your thoughts. |
Day Twenty:Every year, The New York Times conducts an editorial contest for teenagers. Writers may choose from more than 400 argumentative prompts on their website.
Today, you will need to use THIS LINK to choose a prompt from regarding education (#168-236), which cover everything from homework and standardized testing, to bullying and what roles gender play in school. When you have made your choice, read the accompanying articles and write a short response. |
Day Nineteen:In their science classes, students are investigating the building blocks of life: DNA. As technology and innovation merge in today's society, issues surrounding the ethics of biological advancement are becoming an increasing concern.
Click here to read the article and answer the ACECES below: A - How might gene editing be an ethical concern? C - Authorize the source and provide evidence from the article. E - Explain how that evidence helps answer the question. C - Provide additional evidence. E - Explain how that evidence answers the question in a different way. S - Summarize your thoughts on the issue. |
Day Eighteen: Poverty at HomeContinuing with yesterday's bleak portrait of life in school for homeless students, today's article tackles the stark reality for many students when they leave the classroom.
Click here to read the article and write a short narrative following the criteria below:
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Day Seventeen: Poverty in EducationIn a school as blessed as Siegel Middle, we rarely see how poverty outside of school may affect success in the classroom. One principal in Los Angeles, leading an elementary school with the highest population of homeless students in the country, faces the problem head-on.
Click here to read the article and answer the ACECES below: A - How might a student's economic situation at home affect their life in school? C - Authorize the source and provide evidence from the text. E - Explain how this evidence answers the question. C - Provide a different piece of evidence. E - Explain how that evidence answers the question. S - Summarize your ideas. When you are finished, read Parts 1-3 linked at the bottom of the article. |
Day Sixteen: A Really Boring Story: The Other Side of the Boring StoryIt's important to see things from another person's point of view. Learning how to do this gives you perspective on how people think and how the world works, and it generally makes you a more reasonable person yourself.
On Day Five, you read "A Really Boring Story" about a grumpy person's hunt for his favorite breakfast food item. Today, you will read this short story to examine the other character's point of view. This story needs some serious help, though. Revise and edit the story to give it more, let's say, punch. Use this RADAR worksheet to help. |
Day Fifteen: Sensory DetailsIn the same way an author might include sensory details in the language of a story, a filmmaker uses the language of images to tell a story. In the case of "Paperman", the animators use a limited color scheme to get inside the mind of its main character.
Watch the video here and complete the ACES below: A - How do the animators of "Paperman" use color to make a point? C - Provide evidence from the story to back up your answer. E - Explain how the evidence proves your point. S - Summarize your ideas. If you still have time, complete the sames ACES paragraph on this video :) |
Photographer Gregory Crewdson has earned a reputation worldwide for making some of the most intricate and interesting photographs of anyone in the profession working today. In many ways, his photographs are more like still shots from a movie -- and often as expensive. One shot might cost upwards of a million dollars. Every frame is imbued with deep human emotion and often asks more questions than provides any answers.
Fun Mr. Allen Fact: This photo is actually the cover of one of my favorite albums :) |
With this in mind, write a short narrative based on the image above. Incorporate the elements below:
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Day Thirteen: Comma UsageToday's Cav Time work will center around how to correctly use commas. One of the most misused and abused punctuation marks in the English language, the comma requires plenty of know-how to be used properly.
If you already have a NoRedInk account, click here to log in. If you need to set up an account, follow the directions below:
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Day Twelve: Grammar Goofs, Pt. 3Of all the rules in the English language, correct comma usage is easily one of the most difficult. This isn't a problem in only middle school Language Arts class, however, This is an ongoing issue at even the highest levels of our government where using precise language is crucial to helping the world turn.
Read this article and write the ACES below: A - How important is proper punctuation? C - Authorize the source and provide evidence from the article. E - Explain how this evidence supports your answer. S - Summarize your ideas. When you finish, read this article and watch the accompanying video. |
Day Eleven: Grammar Goofs, Pt. 2There's only a minor grammatical difference between the sentence, "Let's eat, Grandma!" and "Let's eat Grandma." It comes down to the presence of the English language's most abused punctuation mark: the comma. However, the difference in meaning is literally a matter of life and death.
The example above is a silly joke, of course, but the use of punctuation in the real world may also have drastic consequences. Read the article and follow the ACES: A - How important is proper punctuation? C - Authorize the source and provide evidence from the article. E - Explain how your evidence supports your answer. S - Summarize your idea. |
Day Ten: Grammar Goofs, Pt. 1!Not everything deserves an exclamation point! In fact, it may be the most abused end punctuation in our culture! Some people may blame texting! A closer look, though, reveals a more underlying problem!!!!
Read the article here! Then answer the ACES: A - How might exclamation points be overused or misused in your world? C - Authorize the source and provide evidence to support your answer. E - Explain how the evidence supports your answer. S - Summarize your ideas. When you finish, click here for a little bonus :) |
Day Nine: The Other Side of HistoryHistory is all about perspective. One national holiday has been the source of controversy in recent years for its skewed telling of history: Columbus Day.
Read the article here. Then, answer the ACE below: A - How has Columbus Day been perceived in different ways since the holiday was created? C - Provide evidence from the article to support your answer. E - Explain how these differing views affect our view of culture in America today. |
Day Eight: One Piece at a TimeIf any accomplishment is worth making, it usually doesn't come cheap. Blood, sweat, and tears are sometimes the least of it. In fact, sometimes it takes a million Legos.
Watch this video and read this article. Then, complete the ACE below: A - What is one major accomplishment you wish to make in your lifetime? C - What are some important steps to making that happen? E - Why is taking these steps worth it to achieve this goal? |
Day Seven: DialogueToday's Cav Time work will center around dialogue in narratives. As a writer, you need to know the various ways dialogue can be used and punctuated correctly.
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If you complete the assignment early, practice creating dialogue in a separate Word doc. |
Day Six: The Upside of TextingIt's true: Social media and smart phones are blamed for just about anything wrong with teens. At times, this makes sense. There's no denying that a person staring at a tiny screen for hours on end might cause unwanted issues. However, there is an upside.
Read this Washington Post article about new research on how texting affects the world. Then, write an ACE response: A - Has texting affected your life more positively or more negatively? C - Provide some evidence from your own experience. E - Explain how this experience has shaped your thinking on texting. |
Day Five: The Really Boring StoryThere's very little worse in writing than a boring story. If you don't believe me, read this awful thing I wrote this morning. It needs a lot of love and you're just the student to fix it for me. Do me a favor: Download it, open it in Word, and give it some much needed improvement.
Using the RADAR worksheet, you will need to Replace, Add, Delete, and Reorder the story to have more life to it. Give it some punch! |
Photographer Gregory Crewdson has earned a reputation worldwide for making some of the most intricate and interesting photographs of anyone in the profession working today. In many ways, his photographs are more like still shots from a movie -- and often as expensive. One shot might cost upwards of a million dollars. Every frame is imbued with deep human emotion and often asks more questions than provides any answers.
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With this in mind, write a short narrative based on the image above. Incorporate the elements below:
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Day Three: Eyes on the FutureRead the article linked below and write a response according to the following:
A - Why is it important to work hard to achieve your dreams? C - Provide evidence of how Alyssa Carson achieved her dream. E - Explain why this evidence supports your answer. Click here to read the article and watch the video. Be sure to wear ear buds! |
Day Two: Sensory ImageryUsing the five images shown here, write a short, descriptive paragraph for each. Be sure to use specific vocabulary to make the reader see, hear, smell, feel, or taste what is shown.
The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—'tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning." - Mark Twain With this quotation in mind, feel free to use an online Thesaurus! |
Day One: The Fortnite EpidemicIn today's lesson, students will annotate an article from Techspot and write a quick argumentative ACE paragraph using evidence from the text.
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