Vocab Quiz - Texas My Texas, cont'd - Inquiry Exercise on Regions of Texas

On this day, students:

• Did 5 minutes of last-minute study for the Vocab Quiz over "The Most Dangerous Game"
• Took the Vocab Quiz - Good job, students!
• Finalized their Texas My Texas table/map from yesterday
• Did the first two steps of an Inquiry Exercise on the Regions & Sub-Regions of Texas
• Dragged names of the 4 Main Regions to what might be their correct locations on a map
• Wrote possible names of the 11 Sub-Regions based on their location and pictures of them
• Drew for and chose one of the 4 Main Regions to defend in next week's Regions Debate: "Which of the four main regions of Texas is the best?"

Assignment - Due Monday: Have your final, revised copy of the History of a Classmate completed. Turn in, stapled together or fastened into a folder:

• Title Page
• Final Copy
• Rough-Draft Copy (the one turned in last Monday)
• Research Notes
• Instructions for Essay

Followup on "Game" - Began Texas Geography Unit: Texas My Texas - Google "My Maps" App

Today the 7th Graders of CCS:

Noted how Richard Connell Played a Game with his Readers

Began our study of Texas Geography

• Karaoked "Texas Our Texas"
• Filled out a Table & Map called "Texas My Texas"
• Watched a Tutorial on Using Google "My Maps"

• Began their own Google "My Maps" to further identify "My Texas"

Assignment: Due Friday: Vocabulary Quiz over "The Most Dangerous Game" (See Assignments for 9/24.)

TMDG Vocab - History of Classmate Revision - Logic Picture Puzzle

Students today:
Chose the 10 words they will learn for Friday's Vocabulary Quiz over "The Most Dangerous Game"

• They were encouraged to choose words they will find useful, either in everyday life or for academic or future reading and writing. 
• On the Quiz they should be able to:
• define each word
• use the word in a good sentence that shows they understand the meaning of the word.

Did a Chronological Sequencing Puzzle called "A Short History of America" - They:

• placed 11 pictures in what they considered to be correct chronological order.
• collaborated to come up with a class sequencing.
• speculated as to the time in history they pictures were depicting.
• began identifying CONTINUITIES & CHANGES the pictures illustrated in American (and Texas) history.

Assignments

• Continue revising your History of a Classmate; finished product will be read and critiqued by CCS Principal Dr. Betsy Carpenter on Monday.
• Prepare for Friday's TMDG Vocabulary Quiz, as described above.

Student Short Short Stories - TMDG Vocabulary - Discussion of TMDG

On this day in histlitlogic:

• Students read one another's short short stories entitled "The Most Dangerous Game." Each student's story is posted at his blog.
• Each student examined a page of vocabulary words from Richard Connell's TMDG and defined the ones he knew. A vocabulary quiz will be given Friday based on the words the student isn't yet able to define.
• Had a long, in-depth, incisive discussion of "The Most Dangerous Game." Student-made questions were used first, with teacher-made ones interspersed. Here are a few of them:

• Did Rainsford and Zaroff have a battle to the death at the end of the story?
• Why did the author not put immediately in the story that Zaroff hunted animals?
• Is Rainsford a good person?
• What happens between the last two paragraphs in the story?
• To what extent were the legends and lore about Ship-Trap Island true? Why did these legends exist?

Assignment - Due Wednesday - Venn Diagram Collaboration

• Working together - or on your own, should you prefer - fill out a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting Rainsford and Zaroff as depicted in "The Most Dangerous Game."
• Use lots of detail from the story.
•  I have shared the Google Doc of a Venn Diagram with you, but you may alter it, color code it, make a completely new one (there are jillions of them online), etc. if you like. 
• Including some pictures might add a splendid touch.

History of a Classmate Turn-In - Primary Sources: Handle with Care - Begin "The Most Dangerous Game"

On this day, students:
Turned in & analyzed their "History of a Classmate" Project

• Exchanged "History of a Classmate" essays and read about themselves
• Wrote edits & comments on Post-Its & placed them on the typed pages

Analyzed the trustworthiness of primary sources

• Brainstormed as to reasons why primary sources might not be completely trustworthy
• Compared their brainstormed ideas with a handout called "Primary Sources: Handle with Care"

Began Pre-Reading Activities for Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game"

• Began writing a short short story of their own called "The Most Dangerous Game"
• Began compiling a list of every possible meaning to the word "GAME"

Assignment - Due Tuesday

• Finish writing your short short story called "The Most Dangerous Game" - Post it at your blog.
• Read Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game"
• Write 5 interpretive discussion questions over the story and post them on your blog. - An interpretive question has more than one possible answer and is answerable from the story. Particularly useful are questions about which you have possible doubt as to the answer, for example something in the story you didn't understand.
• Use the Vocabulary for "TMDG" to help you understand what you are reading. We will have a vocabulary quiz over some of these words later in the week.