The plan was for this week to be another week of working in class on notes. And it worked out that way, for the most part. Four of the eleven students in the class had either completed their work or did not bring their sources to class. More on them in a minute…
The other seven students had their sources so they were able to work on taking notes, along with devouring a bowl of snack mix and a package of chocolate mint-filled cookies. The only problem we had was in keeping the chatter under control. These middle/high school students evidently love sharing their research with their friends! (or at least that’s what they told me—not believing it, don’t worry)
In my reminder e-mail, I informed the students if they didn’t bring sources to class, they would be writing an essay. I needed class time to edit completed work and they needed something to do. We first brainstormed a list of common household objects:
I gave the students 5 minutes to decide on one of these topics (or another similar). Then we discussed subtopics and taking notes.
By this time, we had about 25 minutes left in class. Two of the students completed their essay; two completed notes, but not the essay itself.
I spent my time editing the papers that were submitted this week. I’m keeping a running list of common errors or weaknesses that I’m seeing to use as an editing exercise next week. Additionally, I saw few, if any, citations or bibliographic references. We’ll be working on that next week.
I still have students complaining that they can’t find information using the library databases. At this point, it is too late to enforce that. Several students have chosen topics that probably won’t be in there—like Biblical Counseling and the Tabernacle as a picture of Christ.
With only three class periods left, we’ll be spending next week working on introductions, conclusions, and bibliographies. The final two weeks will be spent on essays.
