4-27 Class

Today you did a great job on your last day of in-class research!

Homework:

• All of your notecards will be due the Thursday you return to school, May 3rd.
• You MUST have a good time if you are going to Washington, D.C. and take a lot of pictures so we can make an awesome collage in the yearbook next year!

4-25 Class

Today was yet another opportunity to research and complete notecards. By the time I remembered to come around and check for the Para, Stat, IQ, and DQ, there was only 5 minutes left of class! But I will definitely be coming around to make sure you have them tomorrow :)

Homework: Keep working on your notecards! You have been doing well all week diligently working on them, and if you keep working like you are the notecards will not be due until the Thursday you return from DC :) Keep up the great work!

4-24 Class

We did the same thing in class we did yesterday.

Please remember that tomorrow I am going to look for:

• 1 direct quote
• 1 statistic
• 1 indented quote
• 1 paraphrase

somewhere within your notecards.

You have been very productive these last two days! Keep up the good work!

4-23 Class

Today I looked at your 5 source cards and gave you points. The entire hour you devoted to reading your sources and completing notecards.

Homework:
Everyday this week your homework will be solely to work on your notecards!

Due Wed. 4/25: 1 statistic, 1 paraphrase, 1 indented quote, and 1 direct quote in your notecards somewhere.

**If everything goes well in class this week, all of your notecards will be due the Thursday you return from D.C. If too many people are not taking their work seriously, then notecards will be due on the Wednesday you return.

4-20 Class

Today we went over the "Teaching Life's Lessons in Dollars and Sense" article so we could discuss a proper source card, direct quote, indented quote, statistic, and paraphrase. I think our discussion went really well; some students had a few misunderstandings and I am glad we could bring it all out in the open and make sure that everyone is now on the right track!

For Monday: all 5 source cards are due. While you are working on reading and taking notes on your notecards, I will be checking them off and giving you credit for having them ALL done and done properly.

For Wednesday: you must have an example of a Statistic, Paraphrase, direct quote, and an indented quote on your notecards. Again, I will be coming around and giving you credit for having it done and done properly.

This weekend I would suggest working very hard on your source cards. Also, keep in mind that all of your notecards and research will be due when you return from Washington, D.C. You may want to begin this weekend creating notecards. However, I am also giving you 5 entire class days to work on them and the only homework you will have for those evenings will be to finish your notecards!

If you use your time wisely in class next week, I will give you a break and have all of your notecards due on the Thursday of the week you return from D.C. However, if too many people are off task and do not bring in their sources, they will be due the Wednesday you return to school.

Stay focused on your topic!
Have a great weekend!

4-19 Class

Today we looked closely at an internet article as a source.

We reviewed the four terms we talked about on Tuesday: paraphrase, direct quote (DQ), indented quote (IQ), and statistic.

In the article you had time in class (homework if you didn't finish) to:

1. make a source card for the article
2. find something you wanted to paraphrase for the article and paraphrase it
3. highlight a portion of the paper you wanted to directly quote
4. highlight a portion of the article you considered a good indented quote
5. highlight a statistic in the article

Attempt #'s 1-5, even if you don't think they are right. I would like to discuss all of our mistakes and misconceptions in class tomorrow!

4-16, 4-17, and 4-18 Class (Three Days in Review)

Sorry I was absent on Monday; I was stuck in Orlando on vacation. We missed our plane and had to catch a red-eye flight and an Amtrak train to eventually get home. Know that I much rather would have been here :)

While I was out on Monday (4-16), you worked on Pages 601 Parts A, B, and C and 603-604 Parts A, B, and C. Ms. Evangelista also check off those students who had their 5 resources in early for 5 points extra credit.

On Tuesday (4-17) I made sure to give credit to all the students who had their 5 resources with them. While I was checking with students, I assigned Page 607 #1-20, answers only. Next, I lectured on how to write a proper source card. I also spoke about paraphrases, direct quotes, indirect quotes, and statistics briefly.

On Wednesday (4-18) no one came to class because you were involved in the Human Sexuality discussion.

4-4 Class

Today we had one more day to research in the library. I opened researching a bit more so you could utilize other sites besides MeL. If you worked wisely today, you should have been able to find at the very least, two articles.

HOMEWORK OVER BREAK:

Sources due when we return! You will need to have a total of 5 sources, and 2 MUST be hard sources (actual books or magazines or brochures--they may NOT come from the internet). The other 3 can be anything you'd like! If you bring in your 5 sources on Monday I will grant you 2 points extra credit. If you bring them in on Tuesday, there will be no extra credit. So, in short, you must use your Spring Break to research!

*************

A tentative look at the week we return from break:

(I reserve the right to change/alter due dates as I see fit).

• On the Monday we return, we will discuss how to take proper notes on a notecard and how to create a source card. BRING NOTECARDS beginning Monday, APRIL 16th (and continue to do so for the rest of the month)!!!! I will do a "source check" for those wishing to get a little extra credit!

• On Tuesday I will do another "source check" and begin discussing paraphrases and statistics.
  
  
• On Wednesday I will be gone in the afternoon and you will have class time to start working on your notecards.
  
  
• On Thursday we will discuss indented quotes and direct quotes.
  
• On Friday we will discuss the MLA Works Cited page.

4-3 Class

We started today by going to the library and looking at the Multi-Media website at http://mmedia.shrinestudents.org/.

Next I showed you a great researching resource called The Michigan ELibrary (otherwise known as MeL http://www.mel.org/ (click here to use!).

Under featured resources along the righthand side, you will see MeL kids and MeL teens. Today we investigated MeL Teens. Under the databases on the next page, we used General Reference Center Gold and SIRS Discover Deluxe. At school we are able to use this without any login. However, I noticed at home that I had to either use my driver's license number (which you can use your parents) or my library card number.

MeL is not the only webtool to use to research online, but it is very comprehensive and a great starting out point.

HOMEWORK: Starting today you MUST research! On Tuesday, April 17th, you must physically bring in your 5 RESOURCES! 2 MUST be "hard sources" (actually physical books, magazines, or brochures). The other 3 can be anything you'd like (more hard sources, internet, etc.)

When we return, I will be talking about how to write/what to write on your notecards. It will be very very important that you have all of your resources here on Tuesday! (Remember what I said: if you keep up with me and the due dates, this paper will be a breeze!)

HAPPY RESEARCHING!

4-2 Class

Happy April!

Today we went to the library and used the entry on the blog below to see how we could determine a "real" website from a "fake" website.

No homework this evening. Tomorrow we will be going back to the LRC to begin researching!

Monday's In Class Assignment--How to Evaluate a Website!

Today you are going to read and pay critical attention to one of the following 4 websites. In a Word document, you are going to answer the 4 questions for the website I assign you. Remember to pay close attention to every detail as you view and read the websites!

Website #1 http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
Website #2 http://www.mcwhortle.com/
Website #3 http://www.buydehydratedwater.com/
Website #4 http://www.californiamuseum.org/

On a Word document, type your answers to the following questions IN COMPLETE SENTENCES:
1. Describe the look/design of the website.
2. What company produces/created this website? Does it provide the date in which it was created? (usually this information can be found at the bottom of the website's main page)
3. After reading the information, does it sound believable? Why or why not?
4. Is this a credible source? Why or why not?