.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Good morning, everyone.  It's time for Mrs. Keith's End of the Year Message!

Normally I would do this in class, but since there is no class, you get a virtual message this year. Please take the time to watch the video all the way to the end - it's important.

I love you all so very much (yes even you, Oscar!) and I'm going to miss you guys terribly! Thanks for an interesting (but still very fun!) year 😊 You know you can always reach out by emailing me at melissa.keith@cmcss.net or by finding my teacher Instagram page (@mrskeithela)

Monday, May 4, 2020

Guys.  It's my FAVORITE holiday (besides Christmas, Thanksgiving, and my birthday, of course). It's National Star Wars Day!

In celebration, I'm giving everyone until Wednesday, May 6 at 11:59pm to turn in their credit recovery assignments!  I will be checking timestamps, and anything not submitted as "turned in" on Google Classroom at/before 11:59pm will not be accepted - no exceptions.

If you've already finished, you do not need to email me or leave a comment in Google Classroom letting me know. I will be going in first thing Thursday morning and checking assignments. As long as you've clicked "turned in" on all the assignments you completed, I will know to go check and grade them. If you didn't click "turned in" at/before 11:59pm on Wednesday, May 6, then they won't be graded. But there's really no need for you to let me know if it's done.

Those doing the grade boost essay, don't forget that's also due on Google Classroom by 11:59pm Wednesday, May 6.

Also, I'll be posting a video on Tuesday, so please make sure you take a minute to watch it sometime this week.

I miss you guys so much! Go watch a Star Wars movie (or at least Clone Wars or The Mandalorian on Disney+) and celebrate today! ⭐

Monday, April 27, 2020

Hey guys, I hope everyone is staying healthy and not going too crazy being home all this time. I know I'm starting to feel the struggle of being at home for the last 6 weeks and I'm so ready for this all to be over. I hope you guys are still staying home as much as possible, though.

Please remember that if you are doing N3 credit recovery, your work must be completed and marked as "turned in" on Google Classroom before 11:59pm on Monday, May 4.

If you are doing the grade boost essay to raise your N3 B, C, or D grade, that must be turned in on Google Classroom before 11:59pm on Wednesday, May 6. This work can be found on Google Classroom under the "Classwork" tab and the "N3 Closure Recovery" section. You have access to the assignment and need to write your essay directly on the assignment sheet that is posted.

Absolutely no late assignments will be accepted due to the district's policy regarding this work.

Also, I'm posting a quick check-in. If you guys can take a quick moment to fill this out, I'd really appreciate it! 😊 You can find it by clicking HERE.

Miss you guys, hopefully you're doing well and staying healthy!!
Mrs. Keith

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Good afternoon! 

As of April 25 at 3:00pm, all assignments that have been marked as "turned in" on Google Classroom have been graded. An email was sent out to your parent/guardian a few minutes ago informing them of your status (either that you have completed the work and you've earned your credit, or that your work is still incomplete and you have until May 4 to submit it for credit). Please refer to the blog link below if you need directions on what to complete, and you can always email me at melissa.keith@cmcss.net

Click here for directions on how to complete the N3 Credit Recovery (only available if you failed N3)

Monday, April 20, 2020

Good morning and welcome to (what feels like) day 3,274 of quarantine 😲

As you may have heard already, CMCSS is offering students who passed N3 with a B, C, or D to complete some extra work to bring their grade up one letter grade.

Here's what this means: If you got a 70-92% in English I on your N3 report card, you have the chance to complete one assignment that I have posted in Google Classroom to bring that grade up. If you have a D in N3 and you do the work, I will change your grade to a C; if you have a C in N3, it will change to a B after you do the work; if you have a B in N3 it goes to an A after you do the work. If you have an A in N3, this opportunity is not available to you, as you already have the highest letter grade you can receive.

Today when you head over to Google Classroom, you will see a new assignment listed under N3 Closure Recovery on the Classwork tab. If you do not see this assignment posted, it's because you either failed N3 and you're doing the grade recovery, or you got an A in N3 and this assignment opportunity isn't open to you.

If you see the assignment, you have until May 6 to complete this and submit it on Google Classroom. I will not offer assistance in completing this assignment since it's basically a test and it's covering stuff that we spent the first 3/4 of the school year learning and practicing.  This assignment is not mandatory! If you are comfortable and happy with the grade on your report card and don't want to do this assignment, you don't have to; this is for students who weren't overly happy with their D/C/B on their report card and want the chance to bring that up a bit.

Also, next week I will be holding class Zoom meetings. I will post the schedule, link, and information on how to access your class Zoom on Google Classroom this coming Friday. These will only last about 30 minutes each, but I hope you can pop in and say hi! 😄

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Good morning, guys!

Just a quick check-in today.

All classes: Keep an eye out for some important information I'll be posting Monday morning.

5th period only: I'm going to hold a Zoom class meeting on Wednesday next week at 1:30pm. I'll post the link to access the Zoom an hour before the meeting; if you've never used Zoom yet, please access the link at least 15 minutes before the meeting starts because you'll need to set up your account and download the app to your laptop. It'll be a chance to talk about what's been going on and to answer any questions you've got about my class or anything else. Plus I'll get to see your faces! It's not required, but I hope you'll try to pop in for a bit.

People doing N3 Grade Recovery: Remember that all of your assignments must be completed by May 4. After you complete an assignment, make sure to return back to the Google Classroom assignment and click "turned in" so I know that it's ready to be graded. I'm logging into Google Classroom once a week to grade assignments, but N3 grades won't be updated in PowerSchool until the district tells us it's okay to do so.

As always, I hope you guys are staying healthy and safe. Feel free to shoot me an email with any questions: melissa.keith@cmcss.net

Monday, April 13, 2020

Happy Monday!

Here is this week's English Continued Learning Library activity. I hope you guys are taking a little time to work on these, even if it's just because you're bored and need something to do. I'd hate for us to come back together in a couple weeks and all of your brains have turned to mashed potatoes over the extended leave!

Click here to access this week's English I lesson

Also, if you're doing N3 credit recovery: I sent an email to you and/or your parent(s) this morning. Please make sure to check that and respond sometime today.

Don't forget to check back here on Thursday this week for a little update and check-in activity! Who knows - maybe I'll have some post-quarantine snacks for the student(s) who do the most check-ins... 😏

Last but not least, MEME TIME! Just be thankful I'm not making you guys Zoom...yet...

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Hey there all you cool Cats and Kittens! 🐅

Each week I'll be posting a check-in for my 5th period class, although if you're in a different period and you're really bored you can check it out, too. Please complete the check-in by clicking here and filling out the form.

If you are working on the N3 Credit Recovery that I called/emailed home about this week, please make sure you're trying to complete at least 2 assignments per week so that you can get them all done before the May 4 deadline. I've already had one rockstar student complete all of their N3 Credit Recovery assignments within the first 24 hours! Also, I will be sending out an email to you and/or your parents/guardians on Monday to do a quick check-in.

Everyone should be checking their school email a few times a week, just as you should be checking Google Classroom and my blog a few times a week. If you don't know how to do this, go to Class Link (the apps) and login using firstname.lastname and your computer password. There is an app for CMCSS Email that you can open and access your school email from. If you are having trouble logging in to ClassLink, make sure your little circle picture in the top-right corner of the browser doesn't say "paused" under it; if it does, click it and click "sync." If this doesn't work, you'll need to put in a tech work order.

If you are having technology issues, you can check out http://techhelp.cmcss.net and put in a work order from home. You can do this on ANY computer, tablet, or cell phone with internet access.

Okay guys, stay safe, stay home, and have a great week!

Monday, April 6, 2020

Welcome back (sort-of) to English 1!

Before we get into things today, I need to give you a couple pieces of information.

This week, your 5th-period teacher will be calling your house to touch base with your parents/guardians about how you're doing and if there's anything you need, as well as to make sure you know how to access the CMCSS Continued Learning Library. I will also personally be calling the parents of every student who did not pass my class during N3, specifically about the information I'm posting below.

Everyone should make sure they are checking the blog regularly - I will be posting check-ins throughout the next weeks and I want to hear from you guys! I'll also be posting important updates from the district, so please make sure to hop on at least once or twice a week to check-in and leave a comment.

If you need to re-add yourself to the Google Classroom, check the Google Classroom tab at the top of this page. The codes reset in January, so if you try using the old code it won't work. I've updated the page to the new codes, so make sure to check there.

Now the really important stuff: I've got information for a couple different "groups" of students. Not all the information applies to every student, so please make sure you check your report card for your N3 final grade before you read the rest of today's blog post.

If you passed N3 (70% or higher):
Every Monday for the remainder of the time we are out of school, the district will post an assignment for you to work on. While this isn't mandatory and will not count for a grade, I really encourage you guys to work on the assignments that are posted and take them seriously. As much fun as it is to be out of school right now, August isn't that far away and your English 2 teachers are going to have expectations about what you should know and remember from English 1. If you take too long of a break not working on school stuff, it's going to be a lot harder in August to be on-track with your classwork; this is true of all classes, not just English.

You can find the district's English Continued Learning Library by clicking this link. This link will take you directly to the English assignments; make sure you click on English 1.


If you failed N3 (69% or lower):
The district has come up with a way that you can recoup a passing grade for N3. As of this morning, there are 10 assignments posted on Google Classroom. You will only be able to see these assignments if you failed N3; if you don't see the assignments and you failed N3, please email me immediately (melissa.keith@cmcss.net).  If you removed yourself from my Google Classroom, please click the tab at the top of the blog labeled "Google Classroom" to find the code for your class period and add yourself back into it.

The number of assignments you will need to complete to bring your N3 grade to passing is based on your N3 grade on your report card:
If you scored between 50% - 69%, you need to complete 5 assignments
If you scored between 30% - 49%, you need to complete 7 assignments
If you scored between 0% - 29%, you need to complete all 10 assignments.

If you are doing less than 10 assignments, you can choose which of the assignments I posted on Google Classroom you would like to complete, but remember you must do all 5, 7, or 10 assignments to recoup your N3 grade.

Please note, you are NOT required to do this; if you are okay with a failing grade for N3 (and therefore S2) then you don't have to do this. However, you will not receive your full English 1 credit and will have to earn that credit another way (summer school, after-school credit recovery, etc.) In order to earn your English 1 credit for S2 before the end of this school year, you will need to complete the number of assignments listed above based on your current N3 grade.

Make sure to read the directions for each assignment carefully. Once you have completed an assignment using the link I posted in Google Classroom, you must return to the assignment on Google Classroom and click "complete." This is how I will know your assignment needs to be graded. If you do not do this step, I will not grade your assignment. This is accountability for both you and me and is, therefore, a required step. If you have a question or concern about an assignment, please don't hesitate to email me. If you are extremely confused about it and email communication didn't clear it up, we can set up a phone conference or a ZOOM video chat.

Here is a quick list of what assignments are available to choose from:
-CommonLit: Conformity
-CommonLit: The Lotus Eater
-IXL: I.2 (to 75)
-IXL: X.4 (to 75)
-IXL: U.3 (to 75)
-Actively Learn: Hope
-Actively Learn: Love at First Sight
-Nearpod: The Odyssey Review
-EdPuzzle: Figurative Language
-Expository Essay: U.S. Census Info Text

Please do not complete previously assigned work from N1, N2, or N3; these will not count. Only the 10 assignments listed above and listed in Google Classroom under classwork as N3 Closure Recovery will be accepted for this.

I know that was a lot of information, so take a moment to process it all and talk to your parent/guardian about it; chances are I've already called them regarding this option to recoup your N3 grade. Like I said, if you have questions please email me and hopefully we can clear it up.

Love you guys and miss you all! Hope everyone is staying home, staying healthy, and using this time off to enjoy a little downtime.  Feel free to leave a comment below and say hi!

-Mrs. Keith

Friday, April 3, 2020

Hi guys! Wow, it's been a while - hope you're all healthy and safe at home during this crazy Coronavirus situation. As crazy as it sounds, I really miss you guys (I'm sure you're enjoying the time away from myself and the rest of your teachers at KHS, though 😉)

A couple of you have emailed me asking about work to do during this time off. I haven't had much of an answer, but that's going to change.

On Monday, April 6, I'll be posting some information here as well as on Google Classroom. It will explain where to access any work, what my expectations are, and give you a little more information on what we are doing until this whole thing is over.  In the meantime, feel free to drop a comment below 👇 and tell me something you've been doing during this time to keep busy!

And, since I know you ALL miss my memes...

Talk to you soon!
-Mrs. Keith

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Today you are taking the district Benchmark Test. Please get out a pencil and put everything else away.

If you are absent today, you will take the Benchmark Test tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Today you'll be going over the answers to the study guide you got on Monday. If you weren't here Monday, it was your responsibility to check the blog for what you missed and work on the study guide on your own before coming to class today.

If you were absent today and couldn't get the answers in class, I will post the answers tonight so you can study for tomorrow.

Now that you've read this, put your laptop away. You won't need it the rest of this week.

A couple reminders:

• Only the 3 assignments written on the late work board can still be turned in (Counterclaim/Rebuttal Nearpod, DWA Practice Essay, and the 2 Actively Learn Texts)
• Those 3 assignments are now late - if you want a grade for them, they must be turned in with a late slip before 2:30pm Friday, March 6. Absolutely no exceptions.
• Benchmark test is Thursday. If you're absent, you must take it Friday.

Monday, March 2, 2020

It's the last week of the grading period!

This week, you've got your Benchmark Test on Thursday. Remember, this is only 15 multiple choice questions and it's over things you already know. Don't freak out.

Ms. Fowlkes is out this week, so please show the sub how awesome I know you can be. 5th period, don't forget our deal...

Today you'll be given the study guide to help you prepare for the Benchmark. The deal is that if you guys get at least 75% of the study guide done before you come to class on Wednesday, the sub will give you all the correct answers to study for the test.  If you're absent today, I'll post the blank study guide on Google Classroom this afternoon so you can have it done on Wednesday.

A couple reminders:

• Only the 3 assignments written on the late work board can still be turned in (Counterclaim/Rebuttal Nearpod, DWA Practice Essay, and the 2 Actively Learn Texts)
• Those 3 assignments are now late - if you want a grade for them, they must be turned in with a late slip before 2:30pm Friday, March 6. Absolutely no exceptions.
• Benchmark test is Thursday. If you're absent, you must take it Friday.

I'll see you guys Friday!

Friday, February 28, 2020

Today, we will wrap up our argumentative/rhetoric unit by looking at a really important topic that I know related directly to a lot of students here at KHS.

To get things started, we are going to complete an EdPuzzle video together. Please pull out a sheet of paper and something to write with. We will watch the video together, but you'll be answering the questions on your paper. Make sure you write your first and last name at the top of the page.

Once we've watched the video, there are 2 Actively Learn articles you will work on today. To access ActivelyLearn, please go to The Apps (ClassLink) and click the ActivelyLearn app at the top of the page (it looks like a bunch of white triangles on a blue square). There are 2 readings assigned to you: "Vaping is an Urgent Threat to Public Health" and "Outbreak of Lung Disease, Including5 Deaths, Tied to E-Cigarettes."

If you are absent today, you'll need to complete the 2 ActivelyLearn readings on your own. Both readings are due by 11:59pm Sunday night.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Today you are taking your District Writing Assessment.

If you started your test yesterday, today is the last day to take it.

If you were absent yesterday, you will start your test today and finish it tomorrow.

If you are absent today, you will finish your test tomorrow.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Today you are taking your District Writing Assessment. This is a 2-day test and you will finish it tomorrow.

If you are absent today, you will begin your test tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Since the practice ACT test is happening today, you'll be spending today in your 1st-period class until lunchtime. During this time, you have a few things to work on in preparation for your District Writing Assessment tomorrow.

First: Please go to Google Classroom and answer the writing prompt. This should be completed using a minimum of 3 complete paragraphs (5-7 sentences per paragraph) and submitted on Google Classroom when complete.

Next: Please go to Google Classroom and complete the CommonLit assignment "Life Isn't Fair - Deal With It." You will need to read that article and annotate it for the author's claim and 3 pieces of text evidence that support the claim, then answer all the questions.

Finally: If you finish both of those and you have extra time, please work on your assigned IXL skills. Those are due Friday at 2:30pm (absolutely NO late IXL skills will be accepted since you've had almost 2 months to complete them).

Monday, February 24, 2020

Good morning and happy Monday! It's District Writing Assessment week (try to contain your excitement 😑) so today will be spent looking at the exact rubric that will be used to grade your DWA. Today in class, you'll read an exemplar (sample) essay and use a rubric to score the essay. 

We're doing this because I want you guys to be super familiar with what's expected to score a 4 on your essays. Each one of you (yes YOU!) is capable of writing a level-4 essay on your DWA and one of the best ways to prepare is to study the rubric. What you do in class today is due at the end of class; you will NOT take this home for homework.

If you are absent today, you do not need to make-up this assignment. Instead, click here to take a look at the rubric on your own. You'll want to focus on the 4-column for each of the listed categories. 

Tomorrow is ACT practice test day and you'll be spending the morning in your 1st period class while the upper classmen take their test. During this time, you will have 2 assignments posted in Google Classroom and on the blog that you'll need to complete. If you finish those and there is still time leftover, you should be working on your assigned IXL skills since those are due this week.

Friday, February 21, 2020

So now that we've got our claim, our intro, and our conclusion (easily 3 of the most important elements of an essay), but now we've got to focus on the 4th element that is essential to an argumentative essay. To cover this, we'll be doing a Nearpod together in class.

Click here to go to Nearpod, then put in the code to start your class's lesson. Make sure you put in the right code, though!

1st Period: HKEOM
2nd Period: QRANX
3rd Period: AZJUN
4th Period: BUKVF
5th period: JKVAW
6th Period: ZCNMY

If you were absent today, please click this link to complete the student-paced lesson.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

So now that you've finished analyzing your article for reasons and text evidence, and you've evaluated which author had the best argument, it's time to develop those thoughts into a claim to answer the prompt we looked at on Tuesday. Pull your notes from Tuesday out, get out the packet you completed for homework, and something to write with.

You will be taking all of that information and using it to develop a claim today, then using that claim to work on an introductory and a conclusion paragraph. Your intro and conclusion paragraphs will be due when you come to class tomorrow because you'll need all of that to develop the next part of your essay.

Remember, all of this is in preparation for next week's District Writing Assessment - give 100% effort!

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Today you'll continue working on what we started yesterday. You'll need to get your packet out of the drawer and continue working on reading and annotating; Ms. Fowlkes is going to give you 10-15 minutes to finish working on it before you move on to the next thing.

If you missed class yesterday, please see Ms. Fowlkes to get the assignment - you'll need to complete it before coming to class tomorrow so you can participate in tomorrow's writing assignment.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

This week we are working hard at preparing for our upcoming District Writing Assessment (Wednesday, February 26 and Thursday, February 27). You will be working on reading and analyzing two (very short) texts, then answering a prompt about which one has a stronger argument. Once we've done that, we'll work on creating introductory and concluding paragraphs, and finally addressing counterclaims and rebuttals.

Listen. I know you think this sounds like a lot. Or that it's going to be really hard. Both of those are wrong. And I promise you, just like I told you on Friday that if you are paying attention and giving 100% effort this week, you will feel so prepared and confident when you sit down to take your DWA next week! If I were there in class today, I'd even give you a pinky promise on that - that's how confident I am about this.

Today with Ms. Fowlkes you're going to be working on dissecting an essay prompt in your notebook. Once you've done that, you're going to be assigned one of 3 topics to read about. Each topic presents a question and then 2 short texts: one in favor of the question, and one opposed to it. You'll start the reading in class today and finish it tomorrow in class; your packet shouldn't leave the classroom today!

Okay, grab your notebook and something to write with, then go ahead and pack your laptop away - you won't need it again today! See you on Friday!

Friday, February 14, 2020

Happy Valentine's Day!

We will be finishing up our DBL today by reviewing some famous quotes and movies for the type of rhetoric they use.  To start class, we will watch a persuasive video, then work together on analyzing the immortal words of a few famous people, and finally, we will view some movie clips and analyze how rhetoric is used in them.

If you are absent today, please make sure to get the quote analysis activity when you return, then complete it and turn it in for a grade.

Don't forget, you only have a couple weeks left to finish your IXL skills, which are for a large assessment grade! You don't want to miss out on that!

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Today you will be taking notes, so get out something to write with. Ms. Fowlkes will provide the note sheet for you, and you will not use your laptop for this.

For homework tonight, please use your notes to complete the EdPuzzle video by clicking this link.

If you were absent today, it is your responsibility to get the notes and complete the EdPuzzle when you return.

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

DISCLAIMER: If your late slip does not have the FULL NAME of the assignment, I will not grade it. If you just write "CommonLit" on it, I have NO idea which one you're talking about and no clue which one you're asking me to grade. If you submit a late slip without the full name of the assignment as it appears on PowerSchool, I will recycle the late slip and not grade the assignment. You've been warned.
Also. If you want your work graded on-time, turn it in on-time. Once you turn in a late slip, I get to it at MY convenience, not yours. Do NOT email me asking about when I will grade it or if I got your late slip. I will no longer respond to these emails.

Today's activity will take place on CommonLit looking at Fake News, something we've already discussed at length. Today we will focus on why people are so drawn to read, believe, and share FAke News.

You will need to go to Google Classroom to find the link to the CommonLit assignment, called "On Twitter, Fake News Has a Greater Allure Than Truth Does." You should be able to complete this assignment before the end of the period, but if you don't it is due tomorrow. If you choose not to work on this in class today and Mrs. Fowlkes tells me you chose not to do it in in class, you will not be given the option to complete this as a late assignment.

Before you start the CommonLit, please answer the 3 questions posted below in the Padlet. You will have to scroll to the right to see the last question:

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Today we will be looking at artists who use their art to create visual arguments about a topic. To start your brains on that path, let's take a look at the following piece of art. Take a moment to really look at what's going on in the picture, then answer the Padlet question:

Once you've done that, you can put your laptop away. The remainder of the activities for today will be on paper. If you are absent today, please make sure to get the Visual Argument Analysis sheet that you missed today. If you are a STEM/Honors student, you will also need the Visual Argument Creation sheet, which is due Monday, February 17.

Monday, February 10, 2020

Good morning!

This week we will be continuing on our DBL (digitally-blended unit) about Animal Farm. However, today my honors and general classes will be getting a presentation from Ms. Harvison, our school counselor, to help schedule for sophomore year. If you missed class today, please stop into the guidance department when you return to get the scheduling sheet from Ms. Harvison.

My STEM classes have already had this presentation from Mrs. Karls, so STEM classes will use the period to complete assigned IXL skills. Remember, these must all be at a 90 before the date I collect them in order to get full credit.

All classes will need their headphones and laptops all week - please come prepared!

Friday, February 7, 2020

It's Friday! 😄

We are going to spend today reviewing rhetorical devices (Ethos, Logos, and Pathos). In just a few weeks, you will be completing another district writing assessment that looks at rhetorical devices; we will spend today and all of next week reviewing and discussing rhetoric and satire in preparation for that.

We will start today with a video that looks at how to use rhetoric to get what you want, then you will complete a Nearpod that covers the different aspects of rhetoric. At this point, this should be review for you but feel free to grab your notes from last month if you need help.  This Nearpod will be due by Sunday, February 9 at 11:59pm. If it asks for a code it's IKZRB.

If you have questions regarding this assignment, please check with Ms. Fowlkes first. If she can't answer it, she will either text me or tell you to email me; please make sure to ask her first, though.

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Today, all classes will report to the theater to see a live performance of Romeo & Juliet!

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

There is a significant amount of you who have decided that since I'm not there every day, you no longer need to complete work and turn it in. Today is Grace Day. I'm allowing you to use today to complete and turn in any missing assignments for my class only. This is NOT a study hall where you can work on things for other classes, play games, listen to music, etc. You can do 1 of 2 things:

• Work on your missing assignments for English I
• Work on your assigned IXL skills which are due in a couple weeks

If you choose to do anything other than this, you will not be permitted to turn in your missing assignments at a later date. Don't waste your one chance for grace.

Ms. Fowlkes will be keeping a list of who uses this class period appropriately and who does not. Don't find yourself on the wrong list.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Today, all classes will be participating in day 2 of the activity you started yesterday in class.

General (2nd, 4th, and 5th period): You will continue working on your One-Pager Poster. If someone new has been added to your group, it is your responsibility to catch them up on the project and make sure they understand how they are expected to contribute. All you need today is something to write with and the PDF text of Animal Farm opened on one person's laptop; everyone else can have their laptops put away.  This assignment is due at the start of class tomorrow, so if it's not done at the end of the period today someone in your group will be responsible for taking it and finishing it before you come to class on Wednesday.

To see some really good examples of really well-done One-Pager Posters, click this link and look through the album of pictures.


Honors/STEM (1st, 3rd, and 6th period): Today is day 2 of the Socratic Seminar. Side A (closest to the windows) will be answering the questions that Side B (closest to the door) will be asking. Remember, you are being graded on the quality of the questions you ask and the answers you give. It's okay to elaborate on or disagree with another student's answer as long as you can support it with an explanation and some kind of evidence from the story. Everyone on Side A must answer at least 1 question today, and everyone on Side B must ask at least 1 question today.

Monday, February 3, 2020

Today, all classes will be participating in a two-day activity.

General (2nd, 4th, and 5th period): You will be working in small groups of 4 to create a One-Pager Poster that looks at the important elements of Animal Farm, including character development, key quotes, themes, symbolism, and rhetoric. These need to be detailed and creative and should show me that you and your groupmates understood not just the basic story of Animal Farm, but all of the components that influenced George Orwell to write it, as well as how that aspects of the novel influenced you as the reader. All you need today is something to write with and the PDF text of Animal Farm opened on one person's laptop; everyone else can have their laptops put away.

To see some really good examples of really well-done One-Pager Posters, click this link and look through the album of pictures.


Honors/STEM (1st, 3rd, and 6th period): Today is day 1 of the Socratic Seminar. Side A (closest to the windows) will be asking the questions and Side B (closest to the door) will be answering. Remember, you are being graded on the quality of the questions you ask and the answers you give. It's okay to elaborate on or disagree with another student's answer as long as you can support it with an explanation and some kind of evidence from the story. Everyone on Side A must ask at least 1 question today, and everyone on Side B must answer at least 1 question today.

Friday, January 31, 2020

The time has come: today, we finish Animal Farm!

Today we will read chapter 10 and compare the ending to your predictions. To start, let's pull-out the written response predictions you did for homework Wednesday night. Be prepared to share with your classmates.

After that, you're going to need to open up the Animal Farm text to chapter 10. This weekend for homework, you're going to have a half-sheet paper that asks you to compare what happens to the different characters in chapter 10, so pay attention as you read and discuss today.

Honors/STEM only: You need to have your final 5 Socratic Seminar Questions posted in Google Classroom by 11:59pm tonight! 

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Hi guys, glad to be here with you today! Don't worry, I'll be back permanently soon enough (although maybe that's disappointing to some of you 😉)

Today we're going to take a look at why people follow the crowd even when the crowd's behavior doesn't make sense. We're going to watch a short video that looks at why people follow the crowd.

We're also going to be reading an article on CommonLit called "Herd Behavior." You can find the article posted in Google Classroom. Today we will read and discuss the article together in class, but you will be responsible for completing the questions on your own tonight for homework.  If you are absent today, you'll need to make sure you read the article and do the questions on your own, then copy the notes I'll post in Google Classroom.

Don't forget your written response predicting the end of the book is due tomorrow - you'll need it for the start of class!

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Before we get started today, make sure you turn in your Chapter 8 Bookmark sheet from Monday. If it's not done yet, remember you need to have it in the drawer by 2:30pm today.

You're going to be reading chapter 9 in class today. Pay attention - as we get closer to the end of the story, there are important things happening that you need to think about and discuss.

Tonight for homework, you are going to complete a written response where you have the chance to predict how the story ends. Think about it as if you were Orwell writing the final chapter of the book; how would you want it to play out? This written response will be due on Friday, but you're going to want to start thinking about that ending as you read today.

At the end of class today, pop into Google Classroom and answer the question that is posted.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Get out your headphones - it's Nearpod day!

Today, you'll be completing a few Nearpods to review Animal Farm chapters 6 through 8. You're welcome to use any notes you need to and use the PDF text, too. You have the entire period to work on this, but what you don't complete in class is homework. These Nearpods should be completed by 11:59pm tonight and are for a grade; you must complete all 4 Nearpods.

Make sure you're using class time appropriately; this is not time to do work for another class (or make-up work for my class), watch random videos or play games, or listen to music. Ms. Fowlkes will be monitoring your work closely, and I can pull up LanSchool and check your progress at any time.  If you are caught off-task, you will lose points on your grade for this assignment.

A couple things to remember:

• Your IXL skills are due in a month. If you haven't started them, you need to ASAP. You can find information about which skills are assigned by clicking the "IXL" tab at the top of the blog. You can also find them by logging in to IXL and going to the full list of Language Arts skills; the ones with a golden star and highlighted are the ones that are currently assigned to you.
• Honors/STEM only: Your Socratic Seminar questions sheet is due tomorrow by the end of the day Thursday.

Click here for the Character Nearpod

Click here for the Chapter 6 Nearpod

Click here for the Chapter 7 Nearpod

Click here for the Chapter 8 Nearpod

Monday, January 27, 2020

Happy Monday, everyone! We will be finishing up "Animal Farm" this week. You'll see that Mrs. Hollis, our wonderful librarian, will be in the classroom this week. She is an amazing educator who knows a lot about literature and Animal Farm, so utilize her for help understanding the text - she's an incredible resource.

Before you start reading today, please go to Google Classroom and take a short quiz over chapters 6 & 7. You can't use any notes, the text itself, Google, or anything else to help you. It's a pretty easy quiz if you read, though. 😃

Once you're done with the quiz, open up the Animal Farm PDF and find chapter 8. For homework tonight, you'll be completing another "Bookmark" sheet like you did for chapters 1 and 2. This sheet will be due Wednesday by the end of the day.

Honors/STEM only: Please check your classroom tab for information on the Socratic Seminar you will participate in next week. There is a video to watch; you will either be watching it as a whole class on the screen or watching it independently - Ms. Fowlkes will explain this. Make sure you get your Socratic Seminar questions sheet done and turned in by the end of the day Wednesday.

Friday, January 24, 2020

Today you'll be reading chapter 6 in class. Go ahead and open up the Animal Farm Full PDF posted in Google Classroom and open it up to chapter 6, then wait quietly.

This weekend for homework, you'll be reading chapter 7. Once you've finished reading all of chapter 7, there are some questions posted in Google Classroom that you'll need to answer. Please have these completed before coming to class on Monday, January 27.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Yesterday you guys each read and annotated an assigned article, then completed STEP 1 of the graphic organizer based on what you read.

Today, you will share what you read with a small group of students. Remember, they did not read the same article as you, so it's your job to teach them about the article - YOU are the expert today!

Please remember that each person in your group will have a full 5 minutes to talk about their article and that even if they don't use the full 5 minutes that it doesn't mean someone else should start talking about theirs. Please wait for Ms. Fowlkes to give you the directions to move on before you switch people.

Go ahead and get out your article from yesterday, the graphic organizer, and something to write with. You will be working with other people who have the same color card as you.

There is also an extended response question posted in Google Classroom that you will need to answer today. Remember that an extended response has a minimum of 5 complete sentences and answers all parts of the question.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Today and tomorrow, we're going to be talking about "fake news."

To get started, go ahead and add to this Padlet by telling me anything that you think of when you hear the words "fake news."

If you're absent today, make sure you get a copy of the graphic organizer from Ms. Fowlkes when you return to class. She will have you participate with a group for part 2 of this activity on Wednesday.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Hope you guys had a fabulous long weekend!

First thing: TURN IN YOUR VOCAB MENU PROJECT BY 2:30PM TODAY! If you don't have it turned in by 2:30pm, you'll need to turn it in before February 4 with a late slip. Every day it's late, you're losing more points from your project grade, so don't wait too long. After February 4, it's a 0 and you will not be able to make it up.

All Classes: Turn in your chapter 5 questions in Google Classroom today.

Honors/STEM: You should have turned in your Rhetorical Speech Comparison activity (Old Major vs. MLK Jr vs. John Lennon) in Google Classroom last night. If you turned it in after 11:59pm last night, you need to complete a late slip in the drawer before I will accept it and grade it.

Today you will be watching a presentation by Mrs. Karls and the guidance department. If you missed class today, you'll want to check with a classmate or with Mrs. Karls directly to find out what was discussed and what is important to you for next school year.

Friday, January 17, 2020

It's finally Friday - you've survived another week!

Today you'll be reading chapters 3 and 4 in class. Whatever you don't get through reading in chapter 4 is your responsibility to finish on your own tonight for homework as well as read all of chapter 5 this weekend. Go ahead and open up the Animal Farm Full PDF posted in Google Classroom and open it up to chapter 3.

Once you've read chapter 5, there are some questions posted in Google Classroom that you'll need to answer. Please have these completed by Monday, January 20 at 11:59pm; after that, you'll need to finish it and then complete a late slip before I'll grade it.

STEM/Honors: Don't forget you have a Flipgrid due by 2:30pm today, as well as your Rhetorical Speech Comparison due Monday by 2:30pm.

All Classes: Your Vocab Menu Activity is due Tuesday by 2:30pm!

Enjoy your long week (no school on Monday)!

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Before we get into it today, a couple housekeeping notes:

• Vocab Menu is due Tuesday by 2:30pm. Anything after that must have a late slip or I won't take it (yes, I'll know that you turned it in after that time even if I'm not here that day!)
• Bookmark worksheet for chapters 1-2 is due tomorrow (Friday)
• Honors/STEM only: Your Flipgrid video is due tomorrow by 2:30pm
• Remember, if you're absent, it's your responsibility to check the class blog for the day(s) you were out and then go ask for the activities/homework you missed
• You should be working on your 6 assigned IXL skills outside of class time. If you need info on that, check the IXL Skills tab at the top of the blog. This is your responsibility to be working on these, and they will be due in about a month - don't wait until the week they are due to start on them!

Today you're going to look at how rhetoric is used throughout Old Major's speech you read yesterday. You'll have the chance to reread his speech and "Beasts of England" that Old Major sang with the animals, then find examples of each of the 3 types of rhetoric: ethos, logos, and pathos.  You should have time to finish it in class, but if you don't you'll need to complete it for homework. This assignment is posted in Google Classroom and will be due tomorrow.

Go ahead and put your laptop away now, because you've got an activity to do before we get started!

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Today you're going to finally begin reading "Animal Farm." Before we get into it, go ahead and get out your notes from yesterday's Nearpod - you can use them to take this short quiz over rhetoric.

After your quiz, head over to Google Classroom and open up the Animal Farm Full Text PDF. Ms. Fowlkes will be leading you through the reading today, but everyone is going to need to be prepared to read. Remember if you read out loud, you'll need to read a minimum of 3 sentences before you can be done. If you're not reading out loud, you are still responsible for following along on your screen! This is not a time to sleep, be on other websites, or work on class assignments. You are also expected to participate in the discussion and answer questions that Ms. Fowlkes or your classmates ask.

Today, you'll be reading chapter 1 and most of chapter 2 in class. Whatever you don't get through reading in chapter 2 is your responsibility to finish on your own tonight for homework. There is also a reading bookmark sheet that you will get today; you will need to complete it based on what you read in chapters 1 and 2. This sheet is due Friday in class.

Okay, go take your quiz and then open up the text. Enjoy the story - it gets crazy!

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Sorry guys, I told you I would be out again, but I'll be back next week. In the meantime, keep on showing Ms. Fowlkes how amazing and incredible you guys are!!

Today, you're going to need headphones for your computer. You're going to be doing today's entire lesson on Nearpod by clicking here after you read the rest of this blog post. You will be taking some notes today, as well, and Ms. Fowlkes will give you the sheet you'll be taking notes on. If the link asks for a code, it's AJPWI.

These notes will be due tomorrow, so what you don't finish in class must be finished at home tonight for homework. If you were absent today, please get these notes from Ms. Fowlkes and make sure you turn them in the day after you return to school.

Also, don't forget that your Vocabulary Menu project is due one week from today! Some of you guys didn't do too well on this project last grading period and it brought your grades down a lot - don't let that happen again! You should be working on this outside of class time. You should also be working on your assigned IXL skills outside of English class, too: during intervention time 5th period or at home, preferably. These will be taken for a pretty big grade sometime at the end of February (another big grade that a lot of you missed out on last grading period). If you need info about what skills and the grading expectations, check the IXL Skills tab at the top of this blog.

And as always, any questions or concerns should go through Ms. Fowlkes first, and then you can email me: melissa.keith@cmcss.net

Monday, January 13, 2020

Happy Monday! 😊

Yes, I'm back today (but just for today). I can't wait to see how awesome you've been for Ms. Fowlkes while I've been gone and meet the few new faces we have in some of our classes!

Today we're going to continue looking at some information about "Animal Farm" and George Orwell. Looking at the scores from Friday's test, it looks like you guys are on the right track for understanding the background that goes into Orwell's novel.  Today we're going to explore a little more about the novel itself since you'll start reading it later this week.

Before we get into it, though, please click here to do a quick refresher about the different characters in "Animal Farm" and who they represent.

Once you're done with that, come back here and open up the "Animal Farm" Lightbox. I will give you the webquest sheet to write down your answers. This needs to be completed before you come to class tomorrow, so what you don't get done before the bell becomes homework (however, you have more than enough time to get it all done if you're paying attention and focused on the assignment). If you were absent today, please make sure to get a copy of the webquest worksheet and turn it in tomorrow.

I'm loving that I get to be with you today - don't worry, I'll be back soon!

Friday, January 10, 2020

If you were absent yesterday, use the study time at the start of class today to study with a partner over yesterday's notes. At the end of class today, make sure to grab a copy of the notes sheet from the sub and copy the notes from Google Classroom (they are currently taken down but will go back up after school today). You also need to get a copy of the Animal Farm Vocab Menu Activity from the sub.

You have 5 minutes at the start of class to study your notes from the week. Once the timer goes off, you'll need to follow the sub's directions to take the test.

After you finish the test, you can use the rest of class today to work on your Vocab Menu, which is due January 21 by 2:30pm.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

If you were absent yesterday, you need to finish the notes posted in Google Classroom. Once done, please check yesterday's blog post to complete the Nearpod activity, as well get the information about the CommonLit homework assignment I assigned last night.

Honors/STEM: Make sure you turn your extended response question into the drawer before you leave the classroom today. If you don't turn it in today, please make sure you turn it in after today with a late slip.

Earlier this week, we talked about the events that led up to Orwell's writing of "Animal Farm."  Today, we're going to look at some of Orwell's main characters and why he used allegory to tell this story.  Before we get into it, please click here to watch this short movie trailer for one of the versions of  "Animal Farm." You'll need headphones.

Once you've watched the video, go ahead and put your laptop away; you will not need it again today.  You will need something to write with, though.

Don't forget, if you didn't get your CommonLit assignment done today, you'll need to turn it in with a late slip after today. Also, there will be a test tomorrow over the notes we've taken this week, as well as the CommonLit you did for homework last night, so please make sure you have studied them.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Today you're going to be finishing up the notes from yesterday.

Important info about IXL: You've been assigned 6 new skills in IXL. You can find them assigned in the IXL program, and you can see a list with info about grading and due dates posted in the IXL Skills tab at the top of the blog. It's your responsibility to locate these skills and work on them on your own between now and the end of February when I take them for a grade. However, you are NOT to work on them during class time unless instructed to - this is work to be done outside of class only.

If you were absent yesterday:

1. Check the blog post from yesterday for important information
2. Get a blank copy of the notes from the sub
3. This evening, check Google Classroom for the notes you missed from yesterday

If you were here yesterday, get out the notes you started taking; we will be finishing those notes today. Go ahead and put your laptop away for now.

Once you're done taking notes today, you'll need to click here to complete the Nearpod activity. However, if you try to complete this before finishing the notes, it's going to be a lot harder to work through the Nearpod. 

All classes: For homework tonight, there is a CommonLit article posted in Google Classroom. This is due tomorrow.

Honors/STEM only: You have an extended response sheet that the sub will give you. Please complete this before coming to class tomorrow. It will be due to the drawer at the start of class on Thursday.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Welcome back to school, and welcome to 2020! I hope everyone had an absolutely amazing 2 weeks at home, and while I'm sure you're not overly excited to head back to school, hopefully we can get back into our routine smoothly.

As we talked about before break, I'm out for a couple weeks while I get things taken care of with my daughter.  However, this is your friendly reminder that I'm in constant communication with my sub, as well as admin and the other teachers nearby (Mrs. Richey, Mrs. Moran, and Mrs. Burkhart) to know what's going on in the classroom while I'm gone. I expect nothing but the absolute most respectful and mature behavior while I'm out, and I will contact parents from home if I need to - there's a lot more opportunity for me to contact them during the school day while I'm home, too!

You will be getting your bathroom passes today, as well as a new seating chart. This seating chart is non-negotiable; don't bother complaining because it's not changing. The sub will use the new seating chart for taking attendance so please make sure you're in the right seat every day.

Okay, so here's what today looks like. You're going to start out by watching this video on your own.  Please make sure you use headphones to watch the video if you have them, but put the headphones and your laptop away once the video is over; you will not need it until the very end of the period.

You'll be taking notes today and tomorrow, and you're going to need those notes to study for a test at the end of the week. I will not post these notes on Google Classroom until after school Wednesday, but they will be there eventually.

Okay, that's all for today. Make me proud!! 😊