ENGLISH / MS. REISTAD-SCHWARTZ: Composition Book Set Up

Section 1 – Calendar

Set Up:            Label each page (front and back) in the upper right hand corner with the week (week 1, week 2, week 3, etc.) for 10 weeks.

Purpose:         Every day you will write the day’s activities and due dates in your calendar.

Example:

Week 3 Date    Activities        Due Date

Week 2 Date    Activities        Due Date

Week 1 Date    Activities         Due Date 9/4    First Day of School 9/5    Course Syllabus

 

Section 2 – Reader’s Response Journal

Set Up:            Put the dividing tab on the opposite page of the week 10 calendar. Tape in the “Reading: Think About It” handout. Turn the page and write week 1 in the upper right hand corner of the right hand page in the book. Continue the same process for ten weeks.

Example:

Reader's Response                  Journal                        Tape in the                  “Reading: Think                         About It”                        handout

Week 10 Date    Activities         Due Date

 

Reading Goal:   Documentation: Date   Title/Author   Pgs/time   Vocabulary:

Week 1 Reader’s Response:

 

Purpose:         Every week you are to read two hours independently at home. You may choose any reading material you like for your independent reading. However, you need to complete one book each quarter and do a book project on that book. Up to an hour of your independent reading may be assigned reading from another class.

In your reader’s response journal you will set a weekly goal to improve as a reader. You will also document the date, title and author, pages, and time that you read each week. As you read you will look for two vocabulary words that are new or interesting and define these words. Finally, you will write a one page response to what you have read that week. Look to the “Reading: Think About It” handout for ideas of what to write.

Section 3 – Writing Journal

Set Up:            Count five pages for this section (10 if you are counting front and back). You don’t need to number or label these pages.

Purpose:         Approximately once a week you will spend five to ten minutes writing about a topic I give you to practice your writing skills and creative thinking.

Section 4 – Learning Log

Set Up:            Just like the calendar, you will write the weeks in the upper right hand corner of every page up to week ten.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

 

Purpose:         Every Friday you will reflect on what you have learned in class that week. Sometimes I will provide you with questions to answer, other times you will have more freedom to write about whatever you think is important for that week. These weekly reflections will help you write your more extensive reflective essays (approximately one per quarter). Reflections are 15% of your grade.

Section 5 – Vocabulary

Set Up:            Count 20 pages for this section (40 if you are counting front and back). You do not need to number or label these pages.

Purpose:         About every two weeks we will begin studying a new set of 15 vocabulary words and 3-6 Greek and Latin root words. You will define each of these vocabulary and root words, use the words in sentences, paraphrase quotes using the vocabulary words, and complete an exercise packet. At the end of two lessons there will be an assessment.

Section 6 – Assignments

Set Up:            The rest of the composition book is for daily classwork or homework. These pages do not need to be numbered or labeled.

Purpose:         All other classwork or home work, including handouts, will be kept in this section. There will be comp. book checks every couple of weeks or so where I will collect your books to be graded.