Novel test on The Hobbit

Today was test day on The Hobbit
N-N.T. and S.G. and L.W. and K.M. still need to do the test.

Next Class we'll spend some time watching video of The Hobbit.
For those of you  going to be away for soccer or for the Victoria trip -- keep checking the blog!

Test Tomorrow!

1. The Historical Dragon: we completed a quick worksheet and completed a ten minute in-class writing assignment -- why did people believe that dragons actually existed 500 years ago?
2. Quiet Reading
3. I read and graded the 10minute writes and read a few of them to the class.
4. Students worked on the backside of the worksheet "Wheel of Themes", which provides a nice review for our test tomorrow.
5. To study for the test read the previous blog entry.

Three students still have to hand in their paragraphs on Bilbo's transformation: Lena-Mae, Nii Noi, and Kim.  Please hand them in as soon as possible!

Hobbit Test next Tuesday

1. Quiet reading
2. Go over answers to questions from ch 9 - 11
3. Hand in paragraphs from last day
4. Watch the next sections of the 1977 movie The Hobbit
5. Test next Tuesday on The Hobbit
Homework:
Finish reading novel
Study for Tuesday's test by:
reviewing your chapter questions and answers
reviewing short story terminology (plot, setting, etc. . . )
reviewing the notes we took on "The Hero's Journey" -- there's lots on this to study!
reviewing other work we did with the Hobbit (e.g. Led Zeppelin, Superman and Bilbo as Superheroes

Your Grade 4 teacher didn't tell you the truth!

Today we focused on using connecting words to combine sentences.  We got notes and completed a worksheet.  Interestingly, most students in class did not know you could start a sentence with the word 'because.' (We laughed that our grade 4 teachers told us we couldn't do that). Also, several students are now confident in using a semi-colon in their writing.

Students worked on their paragraph topic:  discuss Bilbo's transformation.  This paragraph was due at the end of class. For this assignment, students were to show me that they can connect sentences well (which is what we learned today, of course!)

Remember, your reading schedule:  you should be finished the novel by Monday (and questions up to and including chapter 14 are due).

I plan on having a final Hobbit test on Tuesday.  Review short story notes, review your notes on "The Hero's Journey" and give some thought to our discussions on how Bilbo is a hero (who is in some ways like Superman, but in other ways isn't).

Time for a chunky piece of writing!

1. We reviewed the grade 9 writing rubric or marking guide
2. I showed three examples of writing below average, average, and above average.
3. We began working on our own paragraph:  discuss Bilbo's transformation.

Below are examples of writing on the topic of Thorin's transformation:
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Discuss Thorin’s transformation in the novel.

This paragraph might not pass:

Thorin is the head of the dwarves.  He has a long beard and a special coloured hat with a tassel.  He is the leader of the expedition and he is the main guy who wants to get their treasure back. I like the other dwarves but Thorin is my favourite.  Bilbo isn’t a dwarf.  He’s a hobbit who helps the group.  Thorin transforms because he changes.  At first he is the head of the group that goes to return the treasure.  Then Bilbo kinda becomes the head.  Like when Bilbo saves them from the spiders blah blah blah blah

This paragraph is average:

In this paragraph I am going to discus Thorin’s transformation in The Hobbit.  Transformation means a really big change and that’s just what Thorin does. He changes from being the leader of the party to showing us that sometimes he loses his focus.  In the opening of the novel, it is clear that Thorin is the wisest of the dwarves and he naturally takes on a leadership role.  He is skeptical that Bilbo will be a useful burglar:  “Very well then. . . suppose the burglar expert give us some ideas or suggestions.” (p. 21) When Thorin says these words, he suggests that he isn’t really confident that Bilbo is good enough to be a part of their quest .  Later he transforms or changes when Bilbo blah blah blah blah blah

This paragraph is above average:

In The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, Thorin Oakenshield is a character who undergoes a significant change or transformation in his perceptions – most importantly, in his perception of Bilbo Baggins.  Like most readers at the start of the novel, Thorin feels that Bilbo Bagins is just an ordinary hobbit who might not be capable of very much at all, let alone being capable of being a burglar good enough sneak into Smaug’s lair and take back their treasure from the malevolent dragon: “Very well then. . . suppose the burglar expert give us some ideas or suggestions.” (p. 21) Here you can imagine Thorin emphasizing the word “suppose” which clearly shows he casts much doubt on Bilbo.  His perception that Bilbo is a homely hobbit who may not be much help at all in their quest is confirmed when they come across the cave trolls.  As a direct result of the bumbling Baggins, the entire party is captured by the trolls and only through the help of Gandalf do they escape death. Surely, at this point Thorin is as confident in Bilbo as he would be in the Trolls’ collective I.Q.  As the novel progresses, however, and as the thirteen dwarves and Bilbo go through the many adventures that take them to the Lonely Mountain, Thorin’s opinion transforms into blah blah blah blah blah