It's time for a new unit! For the next four weeks, we will be reading Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleishman, and writing about it as well. Most of the work will be done in class, but if students need to check out a book to bring home, they are available, and students may do this at any time without asking. (There is a sign-in sheet, just like there was for Out of the Dust.) Students are encouraged to keep their sticky notes in the classroom books.

Today we first discussed how we figure out words we may not know, and had a little practice. Then students read pgs. 1-8 silently in class. Afterwards, we completed Lesson 1 - Understanding How a Writer Creates Tone (Was Phineas lucky or unlucky? It depends on the tone...) Our prompt for today was "Write about a moment when you were feeling lucky or unlucky. Use details to show the reader your attitude toward this moment and why you felt so lucky or unlucky." This prompt will only be graded for completion (full page).

Homework:
* Find Phineas Gage resources on Edline.
* Read the new Summative Grading Rubric (will be used on 2/27).
* Be on the look-out for a book for third quarter!!