PACE: A Fresh Start for Some, A Continuing Journey for Others

Today, we start our grammar work with MUGS.

Here's how it works:

MUGS (Mechanics, Usage, Grammar & Spelling) Learning and Assessing

Every Monday, you will receive a new assignment and grammar focus on NoRedInk.com. You can choose to complete that assignment or not.  It is formative.  It does not count toward your standards grades.

Every Friday, you will have a quiz over that grammar focus.  This will count toward your standards grades.

You may retake any quiz as many times as you like, as long as you first demonstrate evidence that you have practiced and increased your knowledge by using NoRedInk.com or other resources.

For Example

I take the quiz.  I am unsure of my thinking and skills.  I do not meet standard, scoring a 55 on the quiz. 

So, I use NoRedInk and complete some of the practice exercises.  I take screenshots and send them to Mr. Ryder, who can also monitor student activity on NoRedInk.com.   

Mr. Ryder makes another version of the quiz for me take.  I take and exceed the standard by getting them all correct. 

At the end of the 3rd quarter, the MODE (most frequent) of the scores will be recorded as your MUGS grade.  You will also have MUGS scores from other products (writings, projects) included in the quarter.

After getting set up on MUGS, we will watch a very short film.  Actually, it's a music video from the band, Woodkid.


Woodkid "Run Boy Run" from WOODKID on Vimeo.

We'll do a little activity to see if we can the whole story of this video in as few words as possible.

(Here's what we came up with.)

Which leads us to .  . .

Macbeth.

Macbeth is a long play by William Shakespeare.

Here's the whole thing.

We will read a version that is only 32-seconds long.

The film version we will watch leaves a great deal out.  It was made in 28 days and by one of the greatest filmmakers that ever lived. (Legit.  Orson Welles.  Look him up.)

Here's the whole thing.

Macbeth - Orson Welles from Elariooo on Vimeo.

We will watch a little at a time, discuss, and follow along with the text to see where things change and why.

Now, you have everything you need to go at your own PACE on this work.  There is a folder in the PACE OUT folder with the script, a Spark Notes study guide, and the film.  We'll be working with the play for the next several weeks, so if you want to follow teacher PACE, great! If you want to work through the play on your own terms, AWESOME!  We'll be talking about the teacher PACE project this week and you can choose from there if that's what you'd like to make or if you have other ideas in mind.

HOMEWORK
Blog: 3+ Posts

Req'd Blog Post: Create a teaser poster for a new film version of Macbeth.  Look at these examples of teaser posters, posters intended to generate interest well in advance of a movie coming out.  They tend to be very minimal and only hint and suggest as what is to come in the film.  They also tend to rely and on people already being somewhat familiar with the characters and/or story.

Examples of teaser posters here.

MUGS: Commonly Confused Words 1

Quiz: Friday, Jan 31