Monday, August 31, 2015

Monday - 8/31 - Beginning the College Application Essay

OBJ: Students will listen to a presentation from a college admissions advisor; then will begin planning their college admissions essay.  Discussion will include purpose and audience with multimedia input from college admissions personnel.


WARM-UP: No Warm-Up today due to guest speaker.



  • Guest from College of the Mainland



  • Application Essay Options (A & B) with guiding questions - homework if not completed in class.
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Friday, August 28, 2015

Friday - 8/28

OBJ: Students will continue to learn and establish norms and expectations in this class and will take an active role in establishing interpersonal interactions by establishing a social contract.

Warm-up ... On a sheet of paper, list the things you don't like about how students and teachers interact at times in the classroom. Do not include school rules or curriculum (information taught and tested) - focus on what we have input in. 



Social Contract - students will form groups of 4 - LOOK AROUND AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS INCLUDED. Groups will discuss each of the guiding questions of the social contract and build a list of responses. Once all questions have been addressed, we will compile the group input to create the actual document.

Social Contract Question PPT


Intro Speeches (time permitting)

History of English video (time permitting)
http://youtu.be/H3r9bOkYW9s


***REMEMBER ... the signature pages for the Syllabus AND the Chromebook agreement are due on Monday.  You may print them from the links below if you need additional copies.***

Coach Davis - Syllabus - English IV

SFISD Chromebook Agreement - Davis Eng IV
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Thursday, August 27, 2015

Thursday, 8/27

Obj: Srudents will continue getting to know each other and will view an historical overview of English history.





Warm up/College Word of the Day: 

On a sheet of paper, write down a question you'd like to ask me - and then write what you think my answer will be. 





- finish Intro speeches (new students too) 





- random questions activity ... Using the same sheet of paper as your warmup, you will select 6 of the random question options provided (one at a time) and then, when directed to do so, choose two classmates to answer your question. You'll need to briefly write or paraphrase the question.  You may not question the same person twice.  You MUST get the name of each person you talk to.


  • Do you like Pets?  Do you have any (what kind?  What are their names?)

  • What was the last book you read

  • Do you like to cook?  What kinds of things can you cook?

  • Have you ever visited another country?  Where?

  • Have you ever met a famous person?  Who?

  • What do you like to do in your free time?

  • If you could only eat one food/dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?

  • What qualities do you look for in friends?

  • What was the last movie you saw?

  • If you could choose anyplace in the world to live where would it be and why?

  • What have you never done that you really want to try?

  • What super-power would you most like to have & why?

  • If you had a million dollars that you had to spend - but could NOT spend it on yourself or family - what would you spend it on?

  • What would your dream house be like?

  • If you could change something about the world, what would it be and why?

  • Do you like kids?  Do you want to be a parent someday?

  • What is the best present anyone has ever given you?

  • How do you want people to remember you?

- "A History of English... In 10 Minutes"
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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Wednesday - 8/26 - Day Three - Chromebook Safety, Handling, Etc.


OBJ: Students will learn keys to safe handling of Chromebooks in the classroom and will become aware of all Chromebook expectations.



  • Distribute SFISD Chromebook Agreement and review information.  Signature page due no later than Friday 8/28 - students will NOT be allowed to use Chromebooks in the classroom until they have submitted a completed signature page from the agreement.

  • Chromebook Handling and Use Videos on YouTube ... 






  • Finish Introductory Speeches (as necessary)

  • Review appropriate Google ID expectations.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Day Two ... Getting to Know You

Welcome back for day two - it's a great day for me to get to know you and for your classmates to maybe learn a little more about you. 

You will have 8 minutes to complete your "Introductory Speech Worksheet" and then roughly 5 minutes to plan your 40 second speech.

You may stand beside your desk to deliver this casual speech. You must use your entire 40 seconds ... No bailing out early. At 40 seconds I will instruct you to "finish your thought" .. At that point finish the point you are making and you are finished. Tell us everything we need to know about you in your 40 second time period. 

Keep in mind the expectations of you as an audience when someone is speaking. No phones, no earphones, give them your eyes, and listen to what they are saying. Show them the deserved respect when they are speaking/presenting.

This is a daily grade - but the only way you can lose points is if you don't fill your 40 seconds with info about you OR if you have poor audience etiquette. Those are the only possible deductions. 
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Monday, August 24, 2015

First Day of School 2015-2016

Good morning. Welcome back from the summer break, which probably seemed all too short. This is my blog where you will find important information for our class every day including: our objectives, guiding questions, assignment information and due dates, useful resources, and links to the assignments themselves. My English for class is largely technology-based,so posting information here ensures that you have constant access to it as opposed to hardcopies which are often lost or misplaced. 

If you have questions outside of class, the best way to contact me is through email - Richard.Davis@sfisd.org

If there are materials posted here that you want a hard copy of, you will need to make time outside of class to go to the library to print them. I know that this format will take some getting used to, but it also does a lot more to prepare you for life after graduation. 

I am looking forward to a successful year that ends, not with your graduation from high school, but with you being prepared for whatever adventured you take on after graduation.
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