Write a business letter to Mr. Butterfield assignment, due Thursday, Nov. 1

If you are in 9.1, please disregard this first section. As well, your letter is due on Friday by the end of the day not Thursday. 

After the last DPA class Mr. Butterfield wrote me an email. In this email he indicated that this was one of the more lackluster DPA classes he has had with grade 9 students. He takes responsibility for the fact that the activity didn’t go over as well as he hoped. However, he voiced some concerns that included a lack of appropriate clothing that did not enable some students to comfortably participate in outside activities.

Given this, his main concerns regarded how one teacher can supervise 50 kids in different spaces if we move inside and how we can make DPA more enjoyable and physically active. 

In order to help Mr. Butterfield, along with the DPA class in general please respond in business letterform to one of the three concerns:

• How can we make DPA a more physical time in a way that is fun and enjoyable for the majority of students given the constraints we have on space?
• How can we better accommodate the individual interests of students while also ensuring they are supervised by a teacher?
• How can we generally make DPA less of a lackluster experience for all?

__________

For 9.1 please write a business letter addressing something you would like changed either in class or in the school in general. This should be addressed to the person who is responsible for this issue.

Your business letter must include proper formatting as outlined by Mr. Publack as well as include three short paragraphs as follows:

Paragraph 1: Introduce yourself and briefly explain why you are writing this letter (1-2 sentences)

Paragraph 2: What you see as the problem with DPA (3-5 sentences). Here you must get inside the head of a teacher or administrator and consider how they might understand this issue before voicing your own concerns. Then your task is to be constructive and include possible solutions that take into account the constraints that an administrator or teacher has with DPA or another issue (we are your legal guardians during school and must supervise you; the purpose of DPA is to be physically activity which is proven to improve general mood and overall health).

Paragraph 3: Short closing, thanking the reader for reading this letter and considering your request. 

This will be evaluated out of 20 towards your term 1 report card. You will lose 1 mark for every business letter formatting error, spelling mistake, punctuation or grammar issue. The content will be marked for control of sentence structure, clarity, level of professionalism and politeness, along with your ability to see an administrators or teachers' perspective, while offering constructive feedback. Please submit this to Edmodo no later than 3:30 November 1st. 

How to write a business letter videos and October 25 Homework update

Homework this weekend 

Homework for Math/Science-Humanities integration:

For the next little bit we will be linking with Math/Science as part of your Genetics unit. Later next week you will be asked to write a letter outlining your position around an current issue in genetic engineering.

In order to prepare for this, for homework this weekend you are asked to watch the following three-part video by Mr. Publack to learn how to write a letter. As you are watching please take notes in a word document following his directions. On Monday you are asked to turn in a rough draft of your letter reflecting the format Mr. Publack demonstrated.


Homework for Enbrdige Pipeline Project:

On Wednesday we will be doing a town hall style debate around the Enbridge Northern Gateway Proposal. In order to prepare for the final part of this project please ensure that you:

• Complete all your research in the Google doc. for Monday. You will receive a grade on your efforts here. This should include:
• a title, your groups' name, colour coding for each member, your position, 3-4 strongest arguments, supporting evidence connected to particular sources (i.e., if Enbridge claims they will create 900,000 jobs, where did this statistic come from). 

• While you are doing your research please consider 3-4 questions you would like to ask other groups. In order to give each group time to prepare, you will be asked to post your questions so each group knows the questions they will be asked. On Tuesday you will have an opportunity to see the questions and prepare accordingly. 

• Wednesday is the debate. We will be marking this based on the rubric below. You will be marked for your participation, willingness to ask questions, ability to defend your position with strong, referenced supporting details. 

How to write a letter part 1:

How to write a letter part 2:

How to write a letter part 3:




Final two minutes:

October 17th Homework Update

Just a reminder:

The talking to the text assignment is due tomorrow Thursday, October 18th. Please submit via Edmodo.

Ensure you have two separate articles on the Northern Gateway Project pasted into a Word document. From there ensure you have the following talking to the text elements using track changes:

• Monitoring meaning: defining new words; words you are unfamiliar with
• Questions: probing, relevant questions related to issues brought up in the article
• Connections: make connections to other things you have read or seen
• Golden nuggets: key quotes from the text that summarize the central argument or point being made
• Summary: for those looking for bonus marks, include a short summary of the article

Blog post outlining your position on the Northern Gateway Project due Friday, October 19th 

The following sentence frame will help you:

 

Opening: Recently we have been studying…

Thesis statement: After reading several articles and seeing two videos for and against the project I believe that….

Develop:

Specifically, …

More to the point, …

By this I mean that…

Further,  Moreover,

State argument:

One key argument supporting this position is..

There are many arguments supporting my position, but the one I think is most central is…

I believe this because…

Support

____ in the Vancouver Sun writes, “…..”

Here we can see that.. 

High School Orientation changed to Tuesday Oct. 30th at 6:30 pm in the gym

The parent high school orientation session has been changed to Tuesday Oct. 30th at 6:30 pm in the gym. 

Grade 9 Novel Study

After the break we will be doing a novel study and you will have the chance to choose from one of the following three books.  Each student will be working within small groups to understand and analyze the themes, characters and plot of one's chosen novel.  Please discuss with your parents your choice to ensure its appropriateness (your parents may wish to read your book choice in advance).  We will begin the novel study at the beginning of November, and we ask you to wait until we begin the novel study to read the book. 

Of Mice and Men

They are an unlikely pair: George is "small and quick and dark of face"; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a "family," clinging together in the face of lonelinss and alienation.Laborers in California's dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. For George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own. When they land jobs on a ranch in the Salinas Valley, the fulfillment of their dream seems to be within their grasp. But even George cannot guard Lennie from the provocations of a flirtatious woman, nor predict the consequences of Lennie's unswerving obedience to the things George taught him.
Things to be aware of:  This is a classic novel, considered one of the most iconic novels from the 20th century; winner of a Nobel Prize in Literature, the reading level and quality of this novel is not to be understated - this book has changed lives and the shape of modern English.  However, there is a significant amount of swearing and cursing, as well as a lot of violence combined with a disturbing ending.

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Tomorrow, When the War Began

When Ellie and her friends go camping, they have no idea they’re leaving their old lives behind forever. Despite a less-than-tragic food shortage and a secret crush or two, everything goes as planned. But a week later, they return home to find their houses empty and their pets starving. Something has gone wrong—horribly wrong. Before long, they realize the country has been invaded, and the entire town has been captured—including their families and all their friends. Ellie and the other survivors face an impossible decision: they can flee for the mountains or surrender. Or they can fight.
Things to be aware of:  This is a fantastic series for fans of The Hunger Games.  Wonderful characters, and an exciting plot line with diverse teens struggling to overcome a dystopian kind of world.  There is also a second part to this book if you find it as exciting as I'm promising it will be.

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Ender's Game

Once again, the Earth is under attack. Alien "buggers" are poised for a final assault. The survival of the human species depends on a military genius who can defeat the buggers. But who? Ender Wiggin. Brilliant. Ruthless. Cunning. A tactical and strategic master. And a child. Recruited for military training by the world government, Ender's childhood ends the moment he enters his new home: Battleschool. Among the elite recruits Ender proves himself to be a genius among geniuses. In simulated war games he excels. But is the pressure and loneliness taking its toll on Ender? Simulations are one thing. How will Ender perform in real combat conditions? After all, Battleschool is just a game. Right?
Things to be aware of:  This book has won three distinguishing Science Fiction awards, as well as having a movie coming out early next year.  This reading is often used in grade 10 classrooms, with well developed characters and a plot that is exciting and engaging.  However, there is some strong language, and three instances of child-on-child graphic violence.

Literary Blog Assignment #1: Thursday, October 4th

In your next blog post I want you to write about the current book you are reading. Assignment #3: Write a 250-300 word blog post introducing your book. You have freedom to write what you wish, but you may want to explore some of the following themes/questions:

·           -Provide a few sentences to introduce the reader to the book (e.g., name, author, some basic context).

·          -How did you come across the book?

·          -What made you want to read this novel?

·         -What had you heard about this book?

·          -How does what others have to say about the book compare to your experience reading this novel?

This assignment is due Thursday, October 4^th

Evaluation:

For this assignment you will be marked based on the sentence structure section of the PAT rubric. This includes mixing the length of your sentences, varying your sentence openings, and controlling the grammar of your sentences.

Example of varied openings:

• Start with adjectives or adverbs.
  • Deep green, shiny, and clear, the emerald sparkled in the jeweler's case. (adjectives)
  • Loudly and insistently, my mother called me to dinner. (adverbs)
• Start with a prepositional phrase.
  • During rush hour, I avoid the freeway.
• Start with a participle or participial phrase.
  • Shouting his dog's name, Ross headed for the park. (present participial phrase)
  • Cooked to perfection, my father's meal beckoned us to eat. (past participial phrase)
• Start with an absolute phrase.
• All things considered, it was a good day.

Example of varied sentence lengths:

Example: Many really good blues guitarists have all had the last name King. They have been named Freddie King and Albert King and B.B. King. The name King must make a bluesman a really good bluesman. The bluesmen named King have all been very talented and good guitar players. The claim that a name can make a guitarist good may not be that far fetched.

Revision: What makes a good bluesman? Maybe, just maybe, it's all in a stately name. B.B. King. Freddie King. Albert King. It's no coincidence that they're the royalty of their genre. When their fingers dance like court jesters, their guitars gleam like scepters, and their voices bellow like regal trumpets, they seem almost like nobility. Hearing their music is like walking into the throne room. They really are kings.