Reminder: we have a Dark Ages quiz tomorrow! Don’t freak out – it’s not worth cheating on or losing sleep over, but you can review my pictures and in Schoology to help. I’m also going to let you use my pictures on the quiz.

I showed all of my classes MLA format (how to do it manually and find a template in Word and Docs) and I gave you time to start drafting your essay. I handed back all prewriting charts and showed you my comments and suggestions. I conferenced with a few students and helped a few students organize their essay using text structures.

Please, please, please use your time wisely. I desperately want these essays turned in on time because I have a grading day next Wednesday. If you turn your essay in late, that means <guilt trip> I’ll have to spend my personal time at home on the weekend to grade your late work and poor Eleanor will cry because Mommy will have to Oak ‘Em all weekend long</guilt trip>.

I really try hard to set it up so that you don’t have to work on classwork at home. Please extend the same respect to me. 🙂

I warned you guys on day one that I’m not traditional. So today, we aren’t going to swap papers and edit, we are going to use a process called ratiocination to revise and edit the paper according to the rubric that you, the students, helped devise based on the words you suggested.

Based on the rubric, which you can find in Schoology, I found some activities to do today to make sure we address the rubric. When you get to the Ba-Da-Bing section and the Text Structure section, make sure you click the link provided to make sure you know what you are doing. Just because you attempt a station does not mean you are required to revise your essay with it. For example, if you add sensory details to an example to help make it a showing example, you don’t have to use ALL of the senses that you brainstormed – that would be overkill. If you tried a Ba-Da-Bing and you don’t think it works with your essay, then don’t use it.

This is your essay. We want to add details and depth, but not at the risk of your authenticity. Get this done by Friday. The rough draft will be due on Monday at midnight.