BELL RINGER 8/26

What is your ultimate goal in life? Write a paragraph that describes why this is your goal.

CHOICES Some people sit - some people try.Some people laugh - some people cry.

Some people will - some people won't.Some people do - some people don't.

Some people believe and develop a plan.Some people doubt - never think that they can.

Some people face hurdles and give it their best.Some people back down when faced with a test.

Some people complain of their miserable lot.Some people are thankful for all that they have got.

And when it's all over - when it comes to an end -Some people lose out and some people win.

We all have a choice - we all have a say.We are spectators in life or we get in and play.

Whichever we choose - how we handle life's game.The choices are ours - no one else is to blame.

Tom Krause - 2000

Line- single row of words Line Break- poet’s choice of where to end one line and begin the nextStanza – group of lines Rhyme- words that sound the same (try and cry)

INTRODUCTION TO UNIT Who am I? Choices and Values

As a group we will… define “choice” and “value” Identify what we most value Set goals for the year Learn about “growth mindset” Learn how to write a paragraph Learn how to make vocabulary flash

cards Read various sources

VOCABULARY – COPY IN NOTEBOOK1. Choice- the right, power, or

opportunity to choose2. Values- a person’s beliefs, morals, or

ethics that they live by3. Qualities- a personality or character

trait 4. Traits- a characteristic of quality of a

person 5. Fixed- non-moving or permanently

placed

Definition:The right, power, or opportunity to choose

Sentence:I had the choice to go to college because I was prepared and had good

grades

Synonym/Example:Decision, choose

Antonym/non example:Opt out

Accept what is given

TermChoice

This is how your vocabulary cards should look

PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH Prompt: Write a paragraph that states your

opinion on school uniforms.

PARAGRAPH COMPONENTS Topic sentence- introduces what the

main idea of your paragraph is Supporting details- Explains more about

the main idea using facts or description to prove why your idea is important

Concluding sentence- the last sentence in a paragraph that sums up the ideas in that paragraph

PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE (Topic sentence) School uniforms are not beneficial to students

because they limit a student’s ability to express themselves, are inconvenient to wash, and make it harder for teachers to learn the students’ names. (Supporting Details) First, when students are forced to wear a certain uniform they cant express their personality because they are limited to a certain color or style. In middle school, students are developing their personalities and limiting them to a light blue polo doesn’t help that. Second, students might only have one pair of pants and one shirt that are acceptable to the uniform policy. That means that the student’s parents or guardians will have to wash those clothes every night. This is environmentally irresponsible and time consuming for working parents. Lastly, teachers only see one color shirt in their classroom and it is very difficult for them to remember the names of students. Imagine if all you saw where light blue polos and khaki pants- wouldn’t it be difficult to remember one hundred names? (Concluding sentence) In conclusion, students shouldn’t be forced to wear uniforms because it limits their ability to express themselves, is inconvenient to wash, and makes it difficult for teachers to remember a student’s name.

PARAGRAPH CONSTRUCTION What was the purpose of the topic

sentence? What was the biggest part of the

paragraph? What do you notice about the order of

the supporting details? What does the concluding sentence do?

YOU PUT THIS PARAGRAPH TOGETHER

CORRECT One of the most important skills to becoming

a cave explorer is a curious nature. First, an explorer must be curious to discover the unknown Earth's interior. He must want to reveal a mystery just because it's there. An explorer must also be curious enough to risk his life in dangerous situations and be able to stay confident through scary places. After all without curiosity, most people would not have the determination to crawl through muddy passages and brave underground bodies of water. This curious nature is an important trait for cave explorers.

CLOSURE Answer questions in complete sentences

What gave you clues of where to put the sentences?

HOME WORK Make the flashcards for your 5

vocabulary words. Due Tuesday

LEARNING STYLE Take the survey to measure your

learning style

BELL RINGER 8/27

Think about an event in your life that has shaped the person you

are. Write a paragraph that describes how this event impacted

you.

IDENTITY TREE A way that we can learn more about

ourselves

I will share mine with the large group You will get into small 3 person groups

and share your identity tree

What is said in class- stays in class

Roots- The values that you have been raised with that make you who you are.

Tree body- the events in your life that have impacted you.

Branches- your goals and dreams that you will try to reach.

QUESTIONS – ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES 1. What event/person do you think was

the most influential in your life? 2. What event/person were you surprised

that made it on your tree?3. Did you share any similar backgrounds

as the people in your group? 4. How did reflecting on your past help

you to shape your future goals 5. Do you think you live up to the person

you want to be everyday?

BELL RINGER 8/28

Write a 5-7 sentence paragraph that describes what or who you

value most.

VALUE FINDER Activity to identify what you value most

QUESTIONS Write the answers in complete

sentences

How do your three values relate to what you uncovered in your identity tree?

How do you think your values affect how you act in daily life?

Do you think your top three values reflect the type of person you are, why?

GOAL SETTING We will write down our top goals on

stars

We will write our MAP goals and reading level goals on a form to track for later

BELL RINGER 8/29Take survey

WHY DON’T WE SEE UNMOTIVATED BABIES?

WHAT HAPPENS?

MINDSET AND INTELLIGENCE What is mindset?

Mental attitude Beliefs

What does it mean to be smart? Are there different types of smart?

PAST IDEAS Your intelligence is fixed- which means

that you can only reach a certain level of intelligence

NOW WE KNOW… The brain is like a muscle that gets

stronger and works better the more it is exercised.

Too often students believe the brainis static, leading them to think talent and giftedness are permanent, unchanging personal attributes that automatically bring later success.

Every time you work hard, stretchyourself and learn something new your brain forms new connections and over time you actually become smarter.

GROWTH MINDSET

READ ARTICLE ABOUT GROWTH MINDSET

Things we can do to be growth mindset oriented

1. Verbal self-corrections2. Test Revisions/ Corrections3. Asking teacher/other students for help

instead of quitting. 4. Advocating for more challenging work. 5. Encouraging yourself and others to

view their setbacks as learning opportunities.

6. Take positive risks 7. Any others?

SCENARIO #1 You were one of the top students in your

elementary school and now you’re in middle school where you find yourself struggling for the first time in your life. Your teacher no longer praises you and other students seem to work less than you do and still make higher grades.

How would a person with a fixed mindset respond? List 3 specific feelings or actions this person would take:

How would a person with a growth mindset respond? List 3 specific feelings or actions this person would take:

SCENARIO #2 It’s always been your dream to become an artist (or

writer). When school starts, you see that an Art (or Creative Writing) class is being offered. In the course description, however, it states that as part of the class, students will review each other’s work and give feedback every week. The idea of having others view your work scares you.

How would a person with a fixed mindset respond? List 3 specific feelings or actions this person would take:

  How would a person with a growth mindset

respond? List 3 specific feelings or actions this person would take:

HOMEWORK You have a vocabulary test and a

paragraph test tomorrow

BELL RINGER 8/30

Study your vocabulary words and parts of a paragraph

VOCABULARY/PARAGRAPH TEST Extra Credit! At the bottom of your quiz answer the

following questions for one point each1. How old am I? 2. Define the term “Cultivate.” 3. Define the term “Colleague.”

DISCUSSION OF HOW TO WRITE A WELL- CONSTRUCTED PARAGRAPH Prompt- Write a paragraph that

describes the three things you most value. Tell why you value them or why they are important to you