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Mystery Unit
Most students
have presented their Book Talks to the class and they were delightful!.
The presentations needed to be three to five minutes in length and those
that were shorter were penalized. This shows the importance of
practicing and timing. Other students typed up their reports and
read them to the class, causing the audience to lose interest. Students
were to have notes only on their 5 x 8 card. These also received a
lower grade since directions were not followed!
If a student has not yet presented, he/she
will not yet have a grade for this assignment. Most will be
completed either Monday or Tuesday. Period 3 is the exception since I
have a meeting at the District Office Tuesday and will not be in class.
We'll finish up on Thursday.
Each student should be reading a G-rated adult mystery. The LRC has
pulled appropriate books from their collection and a list of suggested
authors will be provided. Be sure to have Mrs. Moir’s written
approval or you will receive no credit. Things to ponder during the
unit are:
How do writers keep readers engaged?
How do writers help readers visualize the text?
The
mystery unit has several parts:
·
Write clear responses about the book, following the directions provided.
These can be done during RAM home or at home each evening. A minimum of
ten is required. These will be checked as we go along. The responses
will be worth 50 points.
·
Give a book talk to the class about your book. The book talk will be
worth 100 points.
·
Write a short mystery (250 – 500 words). The mystery will be worth 75
points.
·
Match ten adult mystery authors and their detectives (must be a
series). Worth 20 points
·
Make a mystery word search using at least 25 words. Provide clues to the
words as well as providing the solution. Worth 25 points
·
In
class, watch a mystery and write a review, following the guidelines
provided. Worth 30 points
Responses – due May 6 or May 7, 2010
You
will need to complete at least ten responses .Each will include a quote
from the book and your response to it. On other days, use your regular
prompts as you respond to your reading. Be sure to spread out your
responses and include quotes from the beginning, middle and end of your
book. The format of your responses is outlined below. Please write
legibly, include the page numbers of your direct quotes, use a variety
of the prompts listed below and write a few sentences or a paragraph for
each entry. Think about the reading strategies you are using as you
complete your double entry journals.
Direct quote from text and page number:
·
Include direct quotes from your book.
·
Remember to number your entries and put them in quotation marks.
·
Don’t forget to include the page number.
·
You should have 10 entries total. Remember to spread them out
throughout your book Be sure to pick passages that you think are
significant or interesting.
Your response to the text:
1.This reminds me of… (making connections text-text, text-self,
text-world) .
2.This is important because… (determining importance).
3. I am confused because… and I will help myself by… (monitor and fix
up).
4. I think that this is going to happen because… (predict and
adjust/confirm).
5.I wonder… (questioning).
6. This is a new word for me and now I know it means… (working with
words) .
7.The picture in my head looks like… (visualize) .
8. I like this part because… (evaluate).
9. I am assuming or guessing that… (making inferences).
10. This is what happened… and I think that means… (summarize and
synthesize).
Book Talk due May 6 0r May 7, 2010:
After you read your mystery/adventure
book, you will “sell” it to the class during a short 3-5 minute book
talk. Here are some things to include and think about:
1. Think about how to start your book talk in an interesting way. Don’t
start by saying, “The book I read was…” Start by asking a question,
sharing a personal experience that relates to the book, sharing a short
scene from the book, talking about the author, comparing the book to
other books you know peers have liked, singing a song that relates to
the book, reading the first line of the book…keep thinking!
2 .Brainstorm ways to make your book talk engaging. Include a prop that
represents the book, wear a costume, move around the room a bit, connect
the book to well-known movies, shows or songs, share a visual that you
think symbolizes the book, repeat a certain word or phrase throughout
the book talk, ask a question or two of the audience, ask your audience
to put themselves in the characters’ shoes, keep your book handy as a
prop as well…keep thinking!
3. What to include in your book talk? Don’t summarize the whole story,
and definitely don’t give away the ending! Concentrate on the characters
and the conflicts they face, think about what was good about the book,
and also focus on the mood of the book (how you felt when you were
reading). Think about presenting to the class your own version of the
blurb on the book jacket. You want to convince others to read the book.
4. End with something that leaves your audience thinking. Don’t just
say, “That’s it.” End with a zinger that really convinces your audience
to pick up your book and give it a chance. Try to think of something to
end with that would convince your most skeptical peer to read the book.
5. Basics I will be looking for:
- I will ask you to jot down brief notes on one large index card to
prepare for your book talk. You will be handing that in after your book
talk.
- Maintain eye contact with your audience; don’t read off your note
card!
- Speak loudly enough for people in the back of the room to hear you.
- Articulate and speak with expression as you talk about your book.
- Carefully craft the beginning, middle, and end of your book talk.
Grading for the mystery unit:
Write a mystery story May 10 or May 11.
-
Includes all aspects of a story: exposition, rising action, climax,
falling action or resolution. The story has a detective that is a
well-developed character, a clearly defined setting that contributes
to the excitement, a real mystery and a logical ending. The length
is appropriate (250 – 500 words) and grammar, spelling and
punctuation are all excellent.
-
Includes all or almost aspects of a story: exposition, rising
action, climax, falling action or resolution. The story has a
detective that is a described clearly, a setting that contributes to
the excitement, a real mystery and a logical ending. The length is
appropriate (250 – 500 words) and grammar, spelling and punctuation
meet expectations although some errors may be present..
-
Includes some aspects of a story: exposition, rising action, climax,
falling action or resolution. The story has a detective that is a
described, a setting that may or may not contributes to the
excitement, a mystery and a logical ending. The length is
appropriate (250 – 500 words) and grammar, spelling and punctuation
are developing toward expectations.
-
Some attempt has been made to write a story and include
exposition, rising action, climax, falling action or resolution.
The story has a detective although the reader may not know too much
about him/her. Description of the setting may be lacking and the
mystery and ending may be hard to follow. The story may be too short
and grammar, spelling, and punctuation may be so poor that the
reader has trouble following the story.
F. No mystery story was turned in.
Responses
A. Student completed at least ten
responses, following all directions and writing a variety of thoughtful
responses to carefully chosen passages.
B. Student completed 8 – 10 responses,
following most directions and writing a variety of thoughtful responses
to carefully chosen passages.
C. Students completed 6 – 8 responses
following some directions and including some responses to chosen
passages.
D. Student completed 4 – 8 responses,
following few directions and responding to few passages.
F. Student did not complete responses or
follow directions.
Book Talk
A.
Student engaged the audience with an interesting book talk that hooked
the audience throughout the beginning, middle, and end. The note card
was complete and eye contact, volume, and expression was exceptional.
B.
Students engaged the audience with an interesting book talk that hooked
the audience at some point during the presentation. The note card was
complete and eye contact, volume, and expression meets expectations.
C.
Student somewhat engaged the audience but need more time to develop
presentation. Note card close to complete and eye contact, volume, and
expression developing toward expectations.
D.
Student attempted the book talk but did not engage the audience during
the presentation. Note card was incomplete and eye contact, volume, and
expression do not meet expectation.
E.
Student did not complete a book talk
Ten
authors and their detectives
A.
Assignment is completed, neatly, in pen or word-processed and all
entries are detectives in a series of adult mysteries.
B.
Assignment is completed, neatly, in pen or word-processed and at least
eight are detectives in a series of adult mysteries.
C.
Assignment is completed in pen or word-processed and at least seven are
detectives in a series of adult mysteries.
D.
Assignment is attempted and at least five are detectives in a series of
adult mysteries.
Rubrics for the word search and mystery review will be posted on the
Internet at
www.moir.org/mrsmoir .
Choice Book Project
The
following choices are layered by Bloom’s Taxonomy of thinking skills.
The choices in layer A are higher level and more complex, and they get
simpler as you work down to layers B and C. Challenge yourself and find
something you will enjoy doing.
A (Evaluation & Synthesis)
- Using a variety of materials, construct a museum exhibit and compose a
visitors’ guide that together tell the story of your book.
- In a 1-2 page paper, evaluate your author’s writing style and how
he/she manipulates story elements, choosing examples from the book for
support. (intro/body/conc).
- Design and create a front and back cover/book jacket and write the
first chapter of the sequel to the book you read.
B(Analysis & Application)
- Organize your book’s events on an illustrated plot line, categorizing
events into the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action or
resolution.
- Prepare a written monologue by a main character that analyzes the
choices he/she made and the impact of those choices on the plot of the
book.
- Compare and contrast this book to another you have read in a 1-2 page
paper. (intro/body/conc) .
C (Comprehension & Knowledge)
- Illustrate an adventure comic strip or mystery puzzle that summarizes
the settings, characters, plot/conflicts and themes in your book.
- Write a dramatic script for 3-5 major scenes that when read altogether
explain the plot of your book.
- In a 1-2 page paper, describe how your author hooked you in to the
story and helped you visualize what you were reading. (intro/body/conc).
Dear Students and Parents,
It is with mixed emotions that I inform you that I
am retiring this year. I am excited that I will be able to spend more
time with my grandchildren, that I will not be spending my weekends
grading papers, that my schedule will be my own, and that we will be
able to travel at times other than summer and school vacations (I’ve
long wanted to see the fall colors in New England and it will be
wonderful to be able to spend time in Arizona when it is not so hot!)
On the other hand, I will miss being in the classroom with “my children”
greatly.
I had planned on teaching two more years, but this
year Poway Unified offered a retirement incentive to senior teachers.
This allows the district to replace higher paid veteran teachers with
younger teachers who are lower on the pay scale, thus reducing the
overall payroll expense. When my husband and I reviewed the plan and
analyzed how it would affect our retirement income, we decided to accept
the offer.
I do have to add that the current outlook for Poway
schools provided some impetus to retire now. Predictions (unconfirmed
as yet) indicate that classes will be much larger next year, teacher
classroom budgets smaller, and another pay cut seems very likely. We
have already eliminated most teacher attendance at conferences, seminars
and other professional enrichment activities, and we no longer pursue
WASC accreditation of middle schools. One of my specialties has long
been GATE education but this is no longer a funded activity. I am the
GATE coordinator at Twin Peaks this year, and my budget for enrichment,
parent communication, and activities is zero.
These are all things that make teaching more
difficult, and are factors that went into my decision to retire now.
A definite positive factor for retiring now
is that I have a particularly delightful group of students this year,
and it will be great to go out on a high note – with good memories of
this year’s fine class!
I have heard that some teachers who are “lame
ducks,” like I am now, assume a “short-timer’s” attitude and check out
early. Not to worry! Knowing that this is my last semester at Twin
Peaks makes me want to do all my favorite lessons one more time and try
some new things too. So get ready, students. We’re going to have some
fun!
I am very fortunate that I still love what I do;
for the past nineteen years at Twin Peaks I have never gone “to work”
but always “to school.” Twin Peaks certainly is “home.” I am excited
that I have a few more months to try to make a difference in the lives
of my students.
Parents, thank you for sharing your young people
with me. Teaching is a calling for me, and I receive great emotional
pleasure in helping foster middle school students through what can be a
pretty challenging time in their lives. I appreciate all the support
I’ve received from students, parents, and the fabulous staff at TPMS. I
will miss turning left onto Tierra Bonita every morning!
Sincerely,
Ellen Moir
P.S.: I have always enjoyed it when former
students come to visit and to hear how they are doing. I won’t be in my
classroom after June, but my email,
ellen@moir.org will still be good and I would love to hear from
you.
I am making
some changes for the second semester to reflect the increased maturity
in my students. Rather than collecting signed print outs and
reading logs every two weeks, I will provide a print out at progress
notice time. These will need to be signed and returned. It is still a
good idea to check grades weekly! An additional change will be
with extra credit. While some students take it seriously and write
fabulous responses, others don't. I hope students will continue to
use these reading strategies but I will no longer offer extra credit on
a regular basis. I will provide one opportunity each quarter for
some extra credit points but have not finalized what the assignment will
be. Stay tuned...
An
additional change is that I will enforce the Twin Peaks expectation that
all absent and make-up work will be completed within a week. That means
current assignments must be completed by Friday or will go to a zero.
Students need binder paper and 3 x 5 cards daily. The classroom
supply of Kleenex is almost all gone and we go through two or three
boxes a week. If you could donate one, I would appreciate it. My supply
of paper for the copy machine is also running low -- if you could send a
ream it would be most appreciated. Many thanks, I have received some
Kleenex, a couple of reams of paper and a donation. We could still use
more paper! Thank you so much for sharing.
Dear Parent,
I have exciting news. You can now place your Scholastic Book Clubs
orders online!
Browse all the great monthly Book Club selections at low prices and
order online. Plus, our class earns a FREE book every time a parent
orders online.
Here’s how it works:
-
Use the information below to access the Scholastic Book Clubs Web
site.
-
Browse the titles with your child and place your order with your
credit card.
-
Your order will come to me, and your credit card payment will go
directly to Scholastic’s secure server. There’s no need to send
money to school.
-
After I submit the entire class order to Scholastic, your order will
be delivered to our classroom for your child to take home.
To get started, go to the Web address below and enter our class’s
personalized user name and password in the sign-in fields on the right
side of the page. Note: You do not need to create your own user name
and password.
www.scholastic.com/bookclubs
User Name:
MrsMoirsclass
Password:
read
Ordering
online is the
most convenient
way to use Scholastic Book Clubs. You can order anytime, right up
until the online order due date. You’ll also get instant access to
over 500 additional titles plus online-only specials and discounts.
And don’t forget: Every time a parent places an order online, we
earn a FREE book for our classroom library!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
ELLEN
MOIR
Hello! I am Mrs. Moir (pronounced moyer). Summer seems to be
over (too soon, I know!) and it is time to get back to the business of
learning and preparing for your future. I hope you all had a great
vacation, and are coming back refreshed and re-charged. I am
excited about the new year, and am looking forward to meeting all of
you. Together, we will work hard, have some fun, grow, and
come out on the other end well prepared for high school (some of you)
and for eighth grade (the rest of you).
.
The items my students will need with them every day are listed below:
Supply List
3-ring binder
5 subject dividers with tabs
1 spiral notebook for language arts
4 blue or black ballpoint pens, the stick not the click kind
2 pencils
1 highlighter
2 erasers
1 set (8-12) colored pencils
Notebook/binder paper (not paper ripped from a spiral)
1 package small sticky notes
Ruler to fit in binder
7" scissors (clearly labeled with name)
Small stapler and hole punch -- work should be stapled before
arriving at class
1 metal ring, either 2 or 3 inch, and 3 x 5 inch cards OR
3 x 5 cards and a binder for them (I saw these at Office Depot and they
are great!)
thumb drive
Large "Ziploc" bag or pencil pouch to hold supplies
Book covers In
addition please bring to share:
Large box of Kleenex
1 ream of white computer paper
1 package stick ballpoint pens*Wal-Mart, K Mart,
Target, Office Depot, and Staples usually have good prices for "Back to
School" supplies. If purchasing these supplies would put a financial
burden on you, please let me know and your student can discreetly be
provided for.
Although expectations don't vary much from teacher to teacher there
are usually small differences so I'll include mine here:
EXPECTATIONS FOR
STUDENTS IN ROOM 306
-
Enter the room when you are
ready to SIT QUIETLY.
-
ALL
MATERIALS should be brought to class DAILY (this includes
textbooks, binder paper, writing utensils, pleasure reading book, Planner, etc.).
Paper ripped from a spiral notebook will not be accepted.-
WHEN THE BELL RINGS
you should have paper and pen, books, and Planner out and be ready to
work.
-
Remember that Mrs. Moir expects
all final work to be completed in pen and cursive, if possible. This is hard at first but
connecting letters means you can write faster – the ink is because it is
easier for her to read! Rough drafts may be done in pencil.
-
All students should keep their
hands and feet to themselves.
-
Be respectful and do not touch
ANYTHING belonging to someone else without permission!
-
Take off your hat and throw out
your gum since Mrs. Moir wants to see your shining face and gum is a
Twin Peaks "no no" (Look at the walkways to see why!).
-
Eating and drinking should be
done outside since ants and mice are a problem at Twin Peaks. Water is
fine but please don't use your water bottle as a musical instrument.
-
Please raise your hand and wait
to be recognized before speaking!
-
Follow the advice of Thumper's
dad who says: "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at
all!"
-
If you have a complaint about a
classmate, share it in writing with Mrs. Moir.
-
If you do not understand
something, please ask! Remember that Mrs. Moir's crystal ball is out for
repairs!
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Homework should be done when it
is assigned. It is your responsibility to turn
it in! Should you lose a handout, borrow one and make a
copy of it. Budget problems do not allow for duplicates.
-
When you are absent, call your
study buddy and find out what you missed.
WORK MUST BE MADE UP!
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Turn in assignments on time
since no late work or no name papers will be accepted.
This is a good time for parents and students to sit down together and
discuss some strategies for success. Review my requirements.
Final work in pencil will receive no credit and if you feel your student should be
excused from writing in cursive, please develop a plan for acquiring the skill.
Plan for daily practice and provide me with monthly updates on how the
cursive practice is going. Michael's recently had dry erase placemats with cursive
letters so that a child could practice. I'm not sure that these are always
available but at a cost of $1, it seemed a good study aid! By June, your student
should be proficient in cursive. This
is a California State Standard for students in 3rd grade -- after a standard has
been introduced, students are expected to continue to meet it.
When students are absent, they are responsible for
getting notes from a friend and making up all quizzes and tests. These
need to be made up within a week, or the grade becomes a zero.
Some students neglect to do this, even after several reminders. Please
help!
Middle school asks more of students in terms of workload
and responsibility. As a result, it takes some students a quarter
to figure out how to make things work. I update my grades weekly so
please find a good time each week for the student to check his/her
grades and share them with parents. At that first sign of trouble, email
me at
ellen@moir.org or
emoir@powayusd.com. I usually
respond within 24 hours. Handouts remain a luxury during
these lean times. Last year our publications budget was about
$2.50 per child which meant that we could run off about 80 copies per
child per class but this amount is now between $.55 and $.60 per child
for both hand outs and supplies - for the entire year! I
was very fortunate last year in that some parents helped out with cash donations.
Writing a check to Twin Peaks Middle School and asking that it be
applied to my pubs budget is a huge help!
I will need to post information and many assignment sheets
here and ask students to download it at home. This method will
require more effort on the part of students but is efficient.
If a family does not have Internet access please let me know
immediately! I am open to any suggestions for other approaches to
this dilemma.
Students will need to copy information,
so writing quickly becomes an important skill! If students need a hard
copy of any of these, they may come in at RAM time to finish copying. Another way each family can help is to be sure your
child has school supplies on a daily basis. This means binder
paper (not just spirals), pens, pencils, and 3 by 5 cards Students
who have a runny nose should also plan on carrying tissues. I
think it is very important that our limited funds be spent on things
directly involved with learning and I hope you will agree. Thank
you for your support.
Solutions to Homework Problems
The Department of Education recommends that middle
school students average about two hours of homework each evening. Since
students have four core classes, this means about an hour per subject for
each class meeting. It is important for students and parents to
understand this expectation. Students sometimes complain about a homework load that is too heavy. If
a student is spending too many hours on school work there are several
possible explanations:
The work is too hard. In this case, the parent, teacher, and student
may need to work together to develop a modified program.
The student is going overboard. Some perfectionist students try to
write "The Great American Novel" or a modern equivalent of the Mona Lisa when
the teacher asked for two paragraphs or an illustration. Again, work with the
teacher, who may need to be very specific in providing instructions to your
child.
The student is unclear on how to budget time. A student working alone
in a bedroom sometimes is distracted or is daydreaming and isn't really working
on homework. The kitchen table remains a wonderful location for homework since
parents can be close by to help, provide encouragement and monitor progress.
The "Megan Moir syndrome." My daughter was an avid reader and when
homework threatened this pastime she was known to place her novel inside
whatever textbook she was supposed to be reading. Do any of you have a child who
would do such a thing?
The student is spending hours on schoolwork because he/she wants too!
If the work load seems excessive, help your child keep a "homework
log." Write down the assignments that are to be completed and have
your child estimate how much time each one should take. Devise a
study plan for 30 - 45 minutes and set a timer. When the timer
goes off, debrief with your child. What was accomplished?
What wasn't? Why? How does the child feel about the
productivity during that time period? After a brief discussion,
the child should take a 15 minute break (again, set the timer) to do
whatever he/she wants: have a snack, play outside, call a friend,
etc. When the timer goes off, again meet with your child to
develop the next 30 - 45 minute plan, set the timer, etc. In most
cases, students find that the work can be finished in an hour
and a half to two hours. If this seems excessive, stop to consider the number
of hours a student is involved in a sport. It frequently is over
five hours a week. Hmm...
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Now for some fun stuff!

Here is an important reason that I spent much of my summer in Gilbert*,
Arizona, a Phoenix suburb. This is a picture from last summer with our grandson, Jake, who
had just turned
four. He loves to help me "cook" and is a real expert at salad.
This day, we expanded our horizons to make (and taste) "dirt." The
family all voted that our dirt was great and we can fix it again!
Jake lives with his parents, our daughter and son-in-law, and the only
granddaughter, Kate, who was born on August 15th, 2008! (Watch for
pictures of her first birthday which we had to miss).
Meet Katherine Ellen Bowman:

*Not too many San Diegans boast of their "summer home" in Arizona, but I'm
sure you can understand why my husband and I treasure our time there.
Needless to say, I am happy to be back in the pleasant climate of San
Diego/Poway, but I had to leave part of my heart in Gilbert.
To find out more about me, and see some more pictures, visit "Meet Mrs.
Moir."
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Word of the Day
Merriam-Webster has a word of the day on its site,
www.m-w.com. The large icon below will be here all year. Try it now and
share your findings with me -- who knows, extra credit may be available!
Twin Peaks Middle School, a National Blue Ribbon
School

Eight years ago, Twin Peaks was named a National Blue Ribbon School, the
third time Twin Peaks has received this designation! Schools must first be
recognized by their state--we were a California Distinguished School in
1998-1999. Because Poway has seven of that year's Blue Ribbon Schools, it
may seem commonplace to some people, but this is a very prestigious award.
Remember that only 198 schools nationwide were selected.
Twin Peaks is an excellent school as a result of the efforts of the entire
school community: students, parents, teachers, staff members, PUSD, PUSD
Board, and the Poway community. Take pride in our accomplishments.
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