Author Study I – Finalized Our Books September 4, 2007

We’ve narrowed it down from SEVEN novels to a much more reasonable four for AUTHOR STUDY I this term.  Drumroll please…

Chronicle of a Death Foretold – Marquez

The Sun Also Rises – Hemingway

Like Water for Chocolate – Esquivel

Autobiography of My Mother – Kincaid

Managing the Day-to-Day September 4, 2007

We put together a handy-dandy Weekly Point Sheet to encourage kids to get to class on time & prepared, and (hopefully) to get them to stay on task during Author Study, since they’ll be more self-directed in this class than in any other.

Students earn up to 200 points each week for arriving on time, for bringing the proper materials, for staying on task, and for completing weekly assignments.

To use the sheet – At the start of class, walk around & write in points (in colored pen) for On Time and Prepared. To keep track of Behavior points, just write names in the margins of your grade book or in the notebook you use for taking notes during group discussion. At the end of the period or the end of the day, take 10 minutes to write in Behavior points in each binder (they stay in class) and you’re good to go! At the end of each week, review their Group Work, Journal and Discussion Notes and give scores for each. At the start of the following week, students should have a good sense of how they’re doing.