Monday, August 9, 2010

Another great day in World Literature class!

Today, we administered another diagnostic "benchmark" test to students. This was not for a grade, but just to see what students know, before we really get into teaching. This test took about 30 minutes. In the test, students read short passages and answered questions based upon their reading.

We also introduced students to our "Daily English Log." This is something that we will do most days of the week. This activity is a combination of grammar, vocabulary, and journal writing. All students will receive a grade for today's work on the Daily English Log.

Since we are moving onto our first unit (Multi-culturalism), we talked about personal identity. What is it that defines us, as people? Is it our color, our ethnicity, our language? Is it our school or our physical appearance? I talked a little about my cultural background--I'm Italian, Polish, Russian, and German. I introduced some of the foods and traditions I celebrate from this background.

Students should try to bring photos of themselves to school tomorrow. Tomorrow, all students will be going to the computer lab to create PowerPoints about themselves. They will create slides that define them as people. The slides will talk about family, hobbies, culture, and future goals.