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Mark Braam » Greetings from Mr. Braam!

Greetings from Mr. Braam!

Hi, I am Mark Braam.
I am an English teacher at Fairfield High School. During the 2022-23 school year, I am teaching five bells of sophomores in College/Career-Ready English 10 and one bell of a fifth-year Journalism/Media course.
In addition to being an English teacher, I have been a journalist for the better part of a quarter century, working both in Washington, D.C., as a sports and political reporter and editor, and here as a news editor and designer at The Cincinnati Post and The Cincinnati Enquirer. You might see me at many school events with a camera in my hands and journalism students at my side!
I hope to meet you all, in the classroom, at parent-teacher conferences, or via Zoom, phone or email; meanwhile, here is my own webpage on the district website.
I have this page for a number of reasons:
1. So I can send home news (and sometimes share photos!) of what we are doing or will be doing;
2. So I can post reminders and class-specific files
3. So I can post some educational videos that I make from time to time;
4. So I can post some links to some great educational resources;
5. So I can permanently post some files, such as the class syllabus and class policies, and update them as needed; and
6. So parents and students can get an easy notification each time that I post something new.

How does this work? On the right side of this page, there is a "SUBSCRIBE" button. If you click on the subscribe button, and register, you will get an email notification every time that I post something new to the page. Please note that there is a separate page for class files, which is actually where most new things will get posted. That means you need to subscribe to both pages, please!

Now, not everything that I post will be earth-shaking(!!!), but at least you will know when and if I do.

This is a good and fast way to pass on news, get copies of homework assignments, and to permanently post some items (such as the class syllabus).

Take a look and see how it works! Please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

Mr. Braam
P.S. Many things are still different this year due to the COVID-19. THINGS WILL CONTINUE TO CHANGE!!!! That means there will also be many messages that will go back and forth, and sometimes from different platforms. PLEASE ... be patient as we all (teachers, students, parents and administrators) continue to adjust, sometimes on the fly.
 

Posts

Text Structure/Features: Lean Acorn Crop

Attached is an article and questions about the NY Times' "After Lean Acorn Crop in Northeast, Even People May Feel the Effects." It primarily asks questions about Text Structures and Text Features. We are doing this in small groups in class on Feb. 5-6 as a review, since many students seemed to be struggling with the concepts.

Reminder: Response #1 Due Thursday, Feb. 5

Just a quick reminder:
* The Independent Novel Response #1 is STILL due at the start of class on Thursday, Feb. 5.
* YOUR RESPONSE IS ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE TYPED AND USE MLA FORMATTING.
We will be back in the classroom on Thursday. I hope you used your time in the computer lab the last two days wisely.

How Slavery Really Ended in America

Attached is New York Times text packet called How Slavery Really Ended in America. Along with the article is a Sequence Organization Chart, a set of short-response questions, plus some multiple choice questions. This was handed out and worked on during a portion of class on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, and is due at the start of class on Monday, Feb. 2, 2015. 

Updated Independent Novel Response Explanation

Attached is a Powerpoint that dissects a sample of the type of responses expected during the Independent Novel Reading assignment. Along with that is a Word Document, put online before this post, that includes the sample response. On one side is the response and on the back is an explanation of what is expected and required This is being covered in class on Wednesday, Jan 28, 2015. Note: The book used in the sample response, "Catching Fire," is not on the reading list.

Why We Proofread ... A Continuing Series

In this digital, phone/mobile device-driven world we live in today, corporate proofreading needs to improve so that companies gain credibility, instead of resembling a blog put together in somebody's basement.
Don't be one of "thme" -- be a good speller and proofreader.
Big thanks to one of my 7th-bell students for finding this ad on his phone.

Independent Novel Sample Response

Attached is a copy of a sample of the type of responses expected during the Independent Novel Reading assignment. Along with that is a Powerpoint, to be put online after this, explaining all the parts of the response. This is being covered in class on Wednesday, Jan 28, 2015. Note: The book used in the sample response, "Catching Fire," is not on the reading list.

Why We Proofread ... A Continuing Series

Would anyone like to have a stake salad? Sounds, er, yummy to me!!!
This was found by one of my 6th-bell students. She reports that it is in Evendale at 10775 Reading Road in front of Sports Plus.

Independent Reading Assignment 2015

Attached is the packet passed out in class on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, explaining the Independent Novel Reading Assignment. It includes due dates, a Reading Log (worth 40 points), a Vocabulary List (worth 40 points) and exercises that we did in class on Tuesday (which is why we had to have the book in class).
This packet AND the novel should be brought to class each day, as there will be opportunities at times to read, plus sometimes we will be doing exercises utilizing the books.
 

REMINDER: Bring Book To Class Monday

One big reminder: You are to bring your independent novel to class Monday, and then CONTINUE bringing it every day until this unit is completed.

We will be using your book to determine your reading pace and how many pages you will need to read per week to finish in time, so to receive points, you need to have your book.
You will be receiving a number of handouts which will explain what is expected.

IDing claims

The attached file was handed out and began in class on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, then completed as HW for a grade to be handed in Friday, the next day
We began going over it in class on Friday, plus we will finish going over it, likely on Monday.
The emphasis is to be able to recognize a claim within a sentence, plus to realize that a sentence may have multiple claims depending on what you follow the claim with.
 

Implicit-Explicit-Infer-IDing Claims

Attached is a PowerPoint about Explicit-Implicit-Identifying a Claim. The portion that is different from an earlier PowerPoint is the addition of Identifying a Claim.
A note-taking and response sheet will be sent shortly. This is classwork begun on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, and will continue over the next day or so.
NOTE: There is a video near the end of the PowerPoint that may or may not work for you depending on your computer system.

Updated 2014-15 Independent Novel List

Attached is an updated (again) Independent Novel list which gives titles, authors, descriptions, settings and Lexile levels  of the books that students may choose from for class.
REMINDER: ALL STUDENTS MUST TELL ME THE NAME OF THE BOOK THEY WILL READ ON TUESDAY, JAN. 20.
STUDENTS MUST THEN HAVE THEIR BOOKS, IN HAND, IN CLASS ON MONDAY, JAN. 26. 
Students will be writing and taking notes in the book (or else using Post-It notes), so I suggest buying your own copy. A list of possible stores and other sources of books may be found in attached document.