Learning+Centers

toc This is where Learning Center projects will be posted.

=2nd Quarter Learning Centers= OVERVIEW: You will study a topic that you don't know a lot about. You will need to define why you want to learn more about it, ask questions to find out more about it, and submit a written and oral presentation.

Due December 18th
For this quarter these are the objectives that you need to complete (all of these can be checked off of your pink sheet): These four are **DUE: December 18th**
 * 3.1.a**: Establishing a purpose for inquiry. You need to choose a topic to learn about, then answer the question "Why am I going to study this?" You need to give me a good reason for deciding to learn about the topic. "Because I want to" is not a good reason. Please think about why you would want to learn something. This can be one sentence long, or one paragraph long.
 * 3.1.b**: You will need to answer questions, and write down the source. The purpose for this is "I can gather relevant information to answer questions." I would suggest using a KWL chart. Print off a KWL chart for each source you use. Write down things that the author of a book or article says that are interesting. For example, if I were learning about how to cook, I would write down something that a famous chef says about cooking. Be sure that you know who says what and that you know where every piece of information you get comes from.
 * 3.1.c**: You will need to do learning center 3.1.b before completing this one. You will need to decide if the answers for the questions are fact, opinion, accurate, or relevant. The purpose for this is "I can decide if the information I find is accurate and relevant, and I can discriminate between fact and opinion."
 * 3.1.d**: **You should do this one first.** You will need to go to [|plagiarism.org] and read about summarizing and paraphrasing. A good place to start would be to click "How to Paraphrase" (on the left side of the page). Be sure to describe what each means in your own words and give credit where you take information from others. I expect at least one page typed about this.

Due **January 8th**
Once you have completed the above requirements, it is time to start your written and oral presentations. They are due January 8th and January 12th, respectively. For the written portion, you need to write a report of what you learned. You should use the notes you took on the KWL chart (if you used a KWL chart) from 3.1.b. You need a 1-2 page report of your information. It must include 3.2.c and 3.2.d, below. The written portion of the learning center is **DUE: January 8th**, which means you should work on it over Christmas break. Please remember, I need 1-2 pages, and it should have your reporting of information without plagiarizing. You should also include your
 * 3.2.a** Select an appropriate format to report your information. For this section, you need to decide the appropriate way of telling us what you learned in your studies. You may choose to do a powerpoint, poster, brochure, research paper, video, oral presentation, written report, or anything else that comes to your mind. For example, if I am learning about cooking something, writing a recipe that I create or demonstrating how to make something for the class would be better choices of presenting information than writing a boring report about it. If you are learning how to make a bookshelf out of wood, you could make a video of you showing what you learned, because showing us in class would not be good (I don't like blood from hands being cut on saws on my floor ;). So, choose something appropriate for what you are learning. **Come see me if you have questions.** All I am looking for in this step is a written statement of how you will present what you learned in 3.1 above.
 * 3.2.b** I can gather information on an idea or concept. Good news: you already did this in 3.1.b. Way to go! That was easy, right?
 * 3.2.c** Reporting information using summarization without plagiarizing. This is an important topic. If you plagiarize, that is very bad. It means that you steal what other people have created and make it your own. You can learn from others, but you just need to tell where you got your information from. This is an application of what you learned in 3.1.d.
 * 3.2.d** Informal contextual citation. One way to avoid plagiarizing is to say who gave you the information. If I am learning about cooking, and my mom told me that I need to punch the bread like a punching bag to make it soft and fluffy, I would write that like this: "__My mom__ said //the best way to make bread light and fluffy is to punch its lights out!//" My source (my mom) is underlined, and what I learned from her is in //italics//. It will help you to underline or highlight the source of your information and put the information you got from them in italics. If you do that, it will be easy for you to see what is your own thinking, and what is the thinking of someone else.

Due January 12th
The following (oral presentation) is **DUE January 12th**.
 * 3.3.a** Purpose for **communication** of inquiry. In 3.1.a, you told me why you want to learn something. In this portion, you need to tell me why you would communicate what you have learned to others. "Because Mr. Jones said I have to" is not a valid reason for communicating it. You need to tell me why you want to tell people what you have learned. Please write at least three sentences describing why you want to tell people about what you learned.
 * 3.3.b**&**d** During the week of January 12-16, we will be presenting. Your goal during this time is ask questions of your presenting classmates when it is appropriate, and act appropriately during their presentations. This means that you should ask questions that are appropriate, stay on topic, speak loudly enough for everyone to hear you, and respectfully listen to the answer to your question. EVERYONE should get these two completed without any problems.
 * 3.3.c** Responding to questions. When your classmates ask you questions as you present, you need to make sure that you are responding properly. That means that you speak loudly for them to hear you, thank them for their questions, and stay on topic.

This is a big project for a learning center, but if you follow these directions and the directions on the pink sheet, you will do very well. This will be worth a lot of points this quarter, so make sure that you are on time and do everything. Ask me questions before it is too late.

=3rd Quarter Learning Centers= You need to complete all of the assignments listed below for credit.Click here for the page on Mr. Jones' calendar that has the learning center details, and printable versions of the learning centers: [|Click here]

Literary Terms (Optional)
This quarter we will be discussing and learning about a lot of new terms and ideas. It is important for everyone to know these terms. They include: exposition, rising action, narrative climax, falling action, resolution, topic, theme, imagery, figurative language, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, onomatopea, internal text structures, glossary, genre, poem, nonfiction, fiction, index, connotation, denotation, personification, setting, and many more. For each term you help define on the "Literary Terms" page in this wiki, you will get 5 points. You will get bonus points for creating anchor links. Look it up if the help section if you don't know what anchor links are.

1.3.a I Can Identify Narrative Plot Structure
For this learning center, you will receive 20 points. You need to choose a story to read (It can be from our literature books, from the internet, from your own book project book, or anywhere else). As you are reading the story, you need to identify 1. The exposition of the story 2. The rising action 3. The narrative climax 4. The falling action 5. The resolution You can [|use this Web site to help you] understand what each of these mean.

1.3.b I Can Describe a Character
For this learning center, you will receive 20 points. You need to choose a story to read (It can be from our literature books, from the internet, from your own book project book, or anywhere else). As you are reading the story, focus on one character, and answer the following questions: 1. What do the thoughts of the character describe about him or her? 2. What do the words of the character describe about him or her? 3. What do the words and thoughts of the other characters describe about the main character? 4. What do the speech patterns of the character describe about him or her? 5. What do the descriptions by the author describe about him or her?

1.3.c I Can Distinguish Topic and Theme
For this learning center, you will receive 20 points. You need to choose a story to read (It can be from our literature books, from the internet, from your own book project book, or anywhere else). After you read the story, you need to answer the following questions: 1. What is this topic of the story you read? You may need to look at the "Literary Terms" page on the wiki to understand what this means. 2. What is the theme of the story you read? You may need to look at the "Literary Terms" page on the wiki to understand what this means.

1.3.d I Can Identify Descriptive Details
For this learning center, you will receive 20 points. You need to choose a story to read (It can be from our literature books, from the internet, from your own book project book, or anywhere else). As you read the story, you need to answer the questions: 1. How does imagery help you understand what the setting is? 2. What descriptive details help you feel like you know what the setting is?

1.3.e I Can Identify Figurative Language
For this learning center, you will receive 20 points. As you read a story, textbook, or anything else, copy down the sentence that uses each of the types of figurative language below: simile metaphor hyperbole personification onomatopeia

=4th Quarter Learning Centers= If you would like to print 4th quarter learning Centers ONLY, please click [|here]. You can still do the Literary Terms for 10 pts each word you add there. Be sure to add pictures, videos, or anything else that would help explain things.

2.3.2 I can edit my writing for:
commas, subject-verb agreement, possessives, capitalization of sentence beginnings, and punctuation. 10 points: For this learning center, you need to edit anything that you have written for my class or another class, and turn in a rough draft with corrections made in RED pen. You need to show that you can edit your writing for the things listed above.

1.3.6 Main ideas and emotion in Poetry
For this learning center, you need to write a poem that is at least 20 lines long and then tell me what the main idea of the poem is and tell me what emotions you are using or feeling in the poem.

1.3.5 I Can Identify Figurative Language
As you read a **POEM** copy down the line that uses each of the types of figurative language below: simile metaphor hyperbole personification onomatopea Bonus points for each one you see that is not listed above. You may need to look at the literary terms page on the wiki to figure out what these words mean.

1.3.4 I Can Identify Descriptive Details
Find a poem that you would like to read. As you read the poem, you need to answer the questions: 1. How does imagery help you understand what the setting of this poem is? 2. What descriptive details help you feel like you are there with the poet?

2.2.3 I can use sensory details in my writing
Go to this website: [] and using the forms there, create five different styles of poems that use senses (hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, smelling).