May 29 - Finish and turn in your children's book.
May 24 - Continue work on your children's book. We'll finish on Tuesday.
May 23 - Begin work on a creative writing project (children's book - directions on a handout). We'll finish tomorrow.
May 22 - Take the Ender's Game test today.
May 21 - Do a partner discussion on Chapters 13-15 of Ender's Game. Second period discussed and turned this in; first period will do that tomorrow. Go over the test list for the test tomorrow. You should know the definitions of conflict, climax, resolution, irony, dilemma, and characterization. These are all on your literary terms if you were in this class first semester. If you weren't, I gave you a handout today with the definitions we'll use.
May 18 - There was no first period today because of the WOW, and we had only twenty minutes in second period. We began a partner discussion project on Chapters 13-15 of Ender's Game. We'll finish on Monday.
May 17 - Work on avoiding stringy sentences today. With a partner, do Ex. 8, p. 341 in the blue language book orally. Then, on your "Style Issues #2" paper, revise and rewrite any four of the stringy sentences on the handout, "Revising Stringy Sentences," Practice B. Finish Ender's Game for Monday, in first period (no class tomorrow). Second period should finish for tomorrow.
May 16 - Today we reviewed how to eliminate wordiness in writing. We did part of this orally in class and then revised and rewrote one of the paragraphs on the worksheet, "Revising Wordy Sentences." Put this on a new paper entitled "Style Issues #2." We spent the rest of the time reading Ender's Game. First period, be finished with the novel by Monday (no class on Friday), and second period, finish by Friday, May 18. The Chapter 13-15 response will be due on Tuesday, May 22.
May 15 - We spent 15 minutes at the art show today. Then we had time to read Ender's Game. Remember, we need to finish the book by Friday.
May14 - Work on avoiding wordiness in sentence writing today. On your "Sentence Style" paper, do Ex. 9, p. 342 in the blue language book. We turned this paper in today. Finish, share responses, and turn in the group work for Chapters 10-12 of the novel. Continue in Ender's Game. The Chapter 10-12 response is due tomorrow.
May 11 - We began a group discussion on Chapters 10-12 of Ender's Game. We'll finish on Monday. Remember that you need to finish the book by Friday, May 18, so read over the weekend if you need to.
May 10 - Take a quiz on parallel structure today. Finish Chapter 12 of Ender's Game for tomorrow.
May 9 - Do a final review on parallel structure. On p. 111 of the worksheet, "Revising Sentences to Create Parallel Structure," identify the three sentences that are correct. Then revise any five of the incorrect sentences. There is more practice on the other side of the worksheet if you need it. We'll take a quiz tomorrow. Continue in Ender's Game. Finish Chapter 12 by Friday, May 11.
May 8 - Continue to work on parallel structure. On your "Sentence Style" paper, do Practice Worksheet B, "Revising for Parallelism." There are two sentences in each paragraph that need revision. Turn in your Ender's Game 7-9 response. Finish Chapter 12 by Friday, May 11.
May 7 - Work on sentence style, focusing on parallel structure today. With a partner, do the practice worksheet orally. Then, on a new paper labeled "Sentence Style," do Ex. 7, p. 340 in the blue language book. One of the sentences is correct. Rewrite the other four. Continue in Ender's Game. The Chapter 7-9 response is due tomorrow.
May 4 - Take the #3 Ender's Game vocabulary test today. Do a group discussion on Chapters 7-9. We'll share results on Monday.
May 3 - Second period, turn in Romeo and Juliet essays today. Do a final review on common usage problems, turn in your "Usage 2" paper, and then take a usage quiz. Finish Chapter 9 of Ender's Game for tomorrow, and remember that we also have a vocabulary test tomorrow.
May 2 -First period, turn in Romeo and Juliet final papers today. Second period, yours are due tomorrow. Start a new paper today, "Usage Problems 2." On it, put your answers to Ex. 4 and 5, p. 604-608. Then write sentences showing the correct use of reason...that, then, than, try to, and a sentence definining one of our vocabulary words using the structure, "means that..." (like this: Candor means that a person speaks honestly and frankly.) Keep reading Ender's Game. You should be finished with Chapter 9 by Friday, May 4.
May 1 - Continue work on usage problems. In the blue book, do Ex. 3, A, and B, p. 601-602. Write sentences demonstrating the correct use of should have, could have, good, well, fewer, less. Continue in Ender's Game. Finish Chapter 9 by Friday, May 4. First period, remember that Romeo and Juliet essays are due tomorrow.
April 30 - Work on common usage problems today. In the blue book, Do Ex. 1 and 2, p. 598-600. Then write sentences using the following words correctly: accept/except; affect/effect; between/among; bring/take.. Do the vocabulary worksheet, Ender's Game #3. Test/worksheet due on Friday, May 4. You should be at the beginning of Chapter 9 in Ender's Game by tomorrow.
April 27 - Take the Ender's Game #2 vocabulary test today. Continue reading the book. You should be up to Chapter 9 by Tuesday, May 1.
April 26 - Second period got essay drafts back today. The revised, typewritten, final paper is due by Thursday, May 3. Begin work on common usage problems today. On a new paper entitled "Common Usage Problems," do the Diagnostic Preview (pre-test) on p. 594-595 of the blue language book. Write answers only, showing what the problem word is and what it should be, like this: accept - except. There are 27 corrections to make. Do a group discussion on Chapters 4-6 of Ender's Game. You should be reading about 15 pages per day.
April 25 - First period got essay rough drafts back today. The revised, typewritten final draft is due by Wednesday, May 2. Take Part 3 of the CRT.
April 24 - Turn in your Ender 4-6 response today. The next written response for the novel covers Chapters 7-9; finishing those chapters is our next reading goal. The written work will be probably be due sometime next week; we'll set a firm due date when we've finished the CRT's. Take Part 2 of the English CRT today.
April 23 - Get directions for the Ender 4-6 response today. It's due tomorrow, Tuesday, April 24. Go over the new vocabulary words for this week, Ender's Game #2. Test/worksheet due on Friday, April 27. Take Part 1 of the CRT.
April 20 - Take the Ender's Game #1 vocabulary test today. Do the worksheet, "What Are People Saying?" We'll find time to finish on Monday if you weren't able to finish today. Remember that we begin CRT's on Monday, April 23.
April 19 - Turn in your Ender's Game 1-3 response today. Take the title punctuation quiz. We spent the remainder of the time reading the novel. Finish Chapter 6 by Monday. The 4-6 response will be due on Tuesday, April 24. Remember our vocabulary test tomorrow. Also, English CRT's are on Monday-Wednesday next week, so be here!
April 18 - Review title punctuation today. Do Part A of the Chapter Review, p. 695-696. Turn in your "Title Punctuation" paper. We'll have a quiz on this tomorrow, so review the rules in the on-line textbook if you need more review. Do a group discussion on Chapters 1-3 of Ender's Game. The Chapter 1-3 written response is due tomorrow.
April 17 -Turn in Romeo and Juliet rough drafts today. When you get them back, we'll set a due date for the final paper. Review title punctuation today. On your "Title Punctuation" paper, write six sentences: three demonstrating different uses for italics/underlining, and three demonstrating different uses of quotation marks (titles). Have these checked off. Get directions for the Ender's Game 1-3 response, which is due on Thursday, April 19. Finish Chapter 3 for tomorrow, when we'll discuss the first three chapters.
April 16 - Start a new paper, "Title Punctuation," today. On it, put your answers to Ex. 1 and 3, p. 686-692. Write the answers only, not the sentences. Do the vocabulary worksheet, Ender's Game #1. Test/worksheet due on Friday, April 20. Begin Ender's Game. Finish Chapter 3 by Wednesday, April 18. Remember that essay rough drafts are due tomorrow, April 17.
April 13 - Those who were ready recited their 15 lines of Romeo and Juliet today. The window for doing the extra credit has now closed. Unless you need them for your essay, turn in the Headlines, Important Daily Events, and Character Analysis/Pie Chart worksheets today. Do the Act II language link worksheet. We'll correct and turn it in on Monday.
April 12 - We got essay outlines back today. The rough draft is due on Tuesday, April 17. Please ask if you can't read what I wrote or don't understand what I meant on the comments on your outline. Read the play, "As You Like It." Do the accompanying graphic organizer/story pyramid. Remember that tomorrow is the last day to recite 15 lines of Romeo and Juliet for extra credit for the fourth term. This is the only guaranteed extra credit this term.
April 11 - Turn in your essay outline today. When you get it back, we'll set a due date for the rough draft. Finish the calligraphy. If you weren't able to finish, we should be able to find a few minutes later this week.
April 10 - Finish, discuss, and turn in the figurative language work, p. 914-915, along with everything else on your "R&J Odds and Ends" paper. Begin a calligraphy assignment. We'll finish tomorrow. Remember that essay outlines are due tomorrow, and the last day to do this term's extra credit is Friday, April 13.
April 9 - Go over the directions for the Romeo and Juliet essay. Outlines are due on Wednesday, April 11. Read "Dear Juliet" and "Romeo and Juliet in Bosnia," p. 919-922. On your "R&J Odds and Ends" paper, do the test practice, p. 923. Then begin work on the figurative language practice exercise, p. 914-915. We'll finish tomorrow. Remember that if you want to do the extra credit 15 lines of memorization, it's due by Friday, April 13.
March 30 - Correct the Romeo and Juliet test and watch the movie version of Act V.
March 29 - Take the Romeo and Juliet test today. Also, complete the worksheet, "Character Analysis"/Act V Graphic Organizer.
March 28 - Read Act V of Romeo and Juliet and complete the study guide. Remember our test tomorrow, when you should be able to define monologue, soliloquy, and aside.
March 27 - Finish Act IV today and complete the study guide. As a quiz on Act IV, do this: On the back of your "Literary Analysis: Blank Verse" worksheet write six lines (or more) in iambic pentameter, explaining what happened in Act IV. Don't worry about the stressed or unstressed syllables, but do make each line within one or two syllables of ten. If you choose to rhyme your lines, do couplets (two-line rhymes) , as Shakespeare did in the play. Here's a sample from Act III:
Romeo is banished, Tybalt is dead,
Juliet's confused inside her sweet head.
Capulet is mad, as mad as can be
He'll throw her out 'less Ms. Paris, she'll be.
Is it the morning, or is it the night?
Should Romeo stay, or should he take flight?
March 26 - If you didn't turn in your Act III study or limerick quiz on Thursday, do it today. Read Scenes 1, 2, and 3 of Act IV. Complete the study guide through question #14. We'll finish the play on Wednesday and take our test on Thursday, March 29. If you missed any of the reading, be sure to read what you missed to prepare for the test. You should also be ready to write definitions for monologue, soliloquy, and aside.
March 22 - Watch a film version of what we read yesterday. As a quiz on Act III, write two limericks, each describing something different that happened in Act III. Limericks are five lines long, with an AABBA rhyme pattern. The A lines have 8-9 syllables; the B lines have 5-6 syllables.Here's an example:
Romeo was a young man
And into some trouble he ran.
Got married one night,
Then engaged in a fight,
And so from Verona was banned.
March 21 - Read the rest of Act III of Romeo and Juliet and finish the study guide, through #22. We'll turn it in tomorrow.
March 20 - Go over iambic pentameter today. Do the worksheet, "Literary Analysis: Blank Verse." Mark the iambic pentameter in each line and put a check by the three lines that are not exactly ten syllables. On the back of the worksheet, copy six lines of a speech we have already read and mark the iambic pentameter on that speech. Put a check by any lines that don't have exactly ten syllables. We'll put more on this paper and turn it in later. Read Act III, Scene 2. First period also read Scene 3. Complete questions 9-11 in second period, and 9-14 in first period.
March 19 - Read Scene 1 of Act III today and complete questions 1-8 on the Act III study guide. We also watched the movie version of that scene.