Jan. 5 - Read the information on symbolism on p. 340-341.  Then read "The Scarlet Ibis," p. 343 in the literature book.  Do Response and Analysis, p. 356, #6, 7, 9.  This is due tomorrow.

Jan. 4 - Continue work on verb usage by working with troublesome verbs. In the blue language book, do Exercises 9, 10, and 11, p. 539-542. Then write sentences that demonstrate the correct use of the following verbs: 1. lie; 2. lay (as the past tense of lie); 3. has/have/had lain; 4. rise; 5. rose; 6. has/have/had risen. Begin the vocabulary worksheet for "The Scarlet Ibis." Test/worksheet due on Friday, Jan. 8.

Dec. 18 - Take the vocabulary test for "Christmas Memory." First period finished and turned in the language link worksheet for "Marigolds." Fourth period discussed "Christmas Memory." We'll finish the language link worksheet when we return.

Dec. 17 - First period took the literary terms test. Fourth period did the group work on "Christmas Memory" and turned in the response to "Christmas Memory."

Dec. 16 - First period did a group discussion on "Christmas Memory" and turned in their responses. Fourth period took the literary terms test.

Dec. 15 - Read "A Christmas Memory," p. 51 in the literature book. Do Response and Analysis, p. 63, #5, 8, 9, 10. This is due tomorrow.

Dec. 14 - Get the vocabulary worksheet for "A Christmas Memory." Test/worksheet due on Friday, Dec. 18. Finish, share, and turn in "Marigolds" collages. Begin the language link worksheet for "Marigolds." We'll find time to finish it later this week. We had to more 4th period's literature test to Wednesday, Dec. 16 to accommodate a French activity. First period will still have their test on Thursday, Dec. 17.

Dec. 11 - Take the "Marigolds" vocabulary test. Continue work on "Marigolds" collages. We'll take ten minutes on Monday to finish.

Dec. 10 - Do a "Marigolds" art project. Choose a quote from the story and create a collage that illustrates it. We did this in partnerships, but you can do it on your own if you were absent. See me for examples. We'll finish tomorrow.

Dec. 8 - Review active/passive verbs by doing the worksheet, "Identifying and Using Active and Passive Verbs." Do part A as directed. On part B, just identify the four sentences that would be better left in the passive voice. Don't rewrite any sentences today. Put all this on your "Pronoun Review" paper and turn it in today. In the literature book, read "Marigolds," p. 119. Choose three of the following Response and Analysis questions to do: #6, 7, 8, 9, 10. They're due tomorrow.

Dec. 7 - First period, correct and turn in the grammar link worksheet for "Interlopers." Begin work on verb usage. Do the Diagnostic Preview in the blue language book, p. 618-619. Then go over the rules of active/passive voice (explained on p. 537-538 in the blue language book). Do Exercises 7 and 8, p. 538 (on your "Pronoun Review" paper). Do the vocabulary worksheet for "Marigolds." Definitions are in the glossary of your literature book (p. 1093) except for impotent (adj.): powerless; helpless. Test/worksheet due on Friday, Dec. 11.

Dec. 4 - Take the "Necklace" vocabulary test. Discuss "The Interlopers" and turn your work in. First period did a grammar link worksheet for "The Interlopers." We'll take a few minutes to finish on Monday.

Dec. 3 - With your partner from yesterday, do Vocabulary Development, p. 171. Put this on your "Necklace" letter paper. Read "The Interlopers," p. 156. Do the reader's response questions (on a handout). They're due tomorrow. Two weeks from today, Dec. 17, we'll take a literature test. You should be able to write definitions for exposition, conflict, climax, resolution, dilemma, irony, setting, point of view, and characterization.

Dec. 2 - Discuss and turn in your work on "The Necklace." With a partner, do the writing extension assignment (instructions on a handout). If you were absent, do this on your own.

Dec. 1 - Take the pronoun usage test. Read "The Necklace," p. 60 in the literature book. For tomorrow, do Response and Analysis, p. 170, #3 and 6, and the "What's the Difference?" question. To do this, begin with a strong statement of opinion/topic sentence, back it up with two or three reasons, use transition sentences to move from reason to reason, and finish with a conclusion sentence that reinforces your main point.

Nov. 30 - To prepare for a pronoun test tomorrow, do parts A-C of the Chapter Review, p. 567-568 in the language book. Then do a group pronoun practice worksheet. Do the vocabulary worksheet for "The Necklace." The test will be on Friday, Dec. 4. If you didn't turn in your "My American History" acrostic poem last Tuesday, turn it in today.

Nov. 24 - Review the rules for punctuating possessive and indefinite pronouns and determining whether to use a possessive pronoun or a contraction. In the blue language book, do Ex. 4 and Ex. 5 on p. 703-704. Then do a worksheet, "Possessive Personal Pronouns." Finally, write sentences demonstrating the correct use of whose/who's; your/you're; their/they're; its/it's. You may combine two in one, such as It's likely the horse needs its shoes replaced. Have sentences checked and then turn all this pronoun work in. Discuss "An American Story." Do the writing extension for "American History" (instructions on a handout). Put this on your "American Story" paper. Some turned it in today, but you may turn it in on Monday, Nov. 30, as well.

Nov. 23 - Go over the procedure for using pronouns in unfinished construction and do Ex. 7, p. 564 in the language book. Also, begin the chapter review, p. 567. First period did all of Part A; fourth period did 1-10 on Part A. We'll finish later. To finish up our literature unit on considering history in literature, read "An American Story" and "Ex-Refugee is Nominated for Justice Post," p. 262 in the literature book. On p. 566, do Response and Analysis, either #4 or #9, and #7. This is due tomorrow.

Nov. 19 - Take the "American History" vocabulary test. Do group work on the story. We ran out of time, so we'll turn in the work from "Ballad of Birmingham" and "American History" on Monday.

Nov. 18 - Read "American History," p. 565. On p. 575, do Response and Analysis #5 and #6. On #6, read and response to the first two bulleted items only, and since the questions are somewhat the same, you may combine them into one response. Put this on your "Ballad of Birmingham" paper. It's due tomorrow. First period also did the Vocabulary Development, p. 576.

Nov. 17 - Start a new paper, "Advanced Pronouns." On it, put your answers to the who/whom worksheet. Then write two sentences demonstrating the correct use of who and two demonstrating the correct use of whom. Read "Literary Focus," p. 463 in the literature book. Then read "Ballad of Birmingham," p. 464. After reading "The History Behind the Ballad," p. 465 (and reading the ballad again if you need to) do Response and Analysis, p. 466, #5 and 7. This is due tomorrow.

Nov. 16 - Finish the worksheet on objective pronouns. Then use the following combinations in sentences, using the pronouns as objects: 1. Ted and me; 2. him and his brother; 3. us football fans; 4. them and their neighbors; 5. her and her aunt. Turn all this pronoun work in today. Do the vocabulary worksheet for "American History." You may skip #1 (literally) and #9 (linger). You can find the definitions in the glossary, p. 1093, of your literature book. Test/worksheet due on Thursday, Nov. 19.

Nov. 13 - Take the "Beware of the Dog" vocabulary test. Continue work on pronouns. Do a worksheet on nominative pronouns and write sentences using the following combinations as subjects or predicate nominatives: 1. Ted and I; 2. He and his brother; 3. We football fans; 4. They and their neighbors; 5. She and her aunt. Seventh period began a worksheet on objective pronouns. First period also began a worksheet on objective pronouns. We'll finish on Monday.

Nov. 12 - Discuss the similarities between the fictional pilot in "Beware of the Dog" and the real one in "Wounded and Trapped." If you didn't turn your work on these pieces in yesterday, do it today. Read "The Great Escape" (in a packet). Do the "Practice the Standard" reading test as well as the "What Do You Think Now?" question on the back page. Put this on your own paper. Begin work on nominative pronouns.

Nov. 11 - Do a group discussion on "Beware of the Dog." On p. 605, read "Wounded and Trapped" and then answer Response and Analysis, #10, p. 607. Put this on the back of your historical/biographical chart. It's due tomorrow, though many turned it in today.

Nov. 10 - Read "Literary Roots," p. 562-563 in the literature book. Then read "Beware of the Dog," p. 601. On the back of the historical/biographical analysis chart, answer Response and Analysis, p. 607, #6 and 7. Then read "Meet the Writer," p. 603. Finally, fill in the front of the historical/biographical analysis chart. This is due tomorrow.

Nov. 9 - Do the vocabulary worksheet for "Beware of the Dog." Test/worksheet due on Friday, Nov. 13. Complete the test analysis worksheet for the benchmark test we took last week. Do a pronoun worksheet reviewing the function of pronouns. First period also did the Diagnostic Preview, p. 548 in Elements of Language. Fourth period reported on the group work from Friday and turned in the group response.

Nov. 6 - Take the "Caliban" vocabulary test. Turn in your "Soul of Caliban" and "Dog Star" responses. First period, report on group work from yesterday and turn it in. Fourth period did the group work today and will report on it on Monday.

Nov. 5 - On p. 33 of the literature book, read "Dog Star." Do three reader's response questions (on a handout). Put these on the same paper as your "Caliban" response. They're due tomorrow. Begin a group discussion of the two dog stories. We'll finish this, as well as your Caliban obituary/ballad, tomorrow.

Nov. 4 - Discuss "Soul of Caliban" and do a group assignment on characterization. Begin a partner writing assignment (on a handout). We'll finish tomorrow. Keep your "Caliban" work until tomorrow.

Nov. 3 - Correct and turn in the "Cask of Amontillado" grammar link worksheet. Copy new literary term: characterization. If you were absent, be sure to get this from someone. Read "The Soul of Caliban" (in a packet) and do the reader's response questions (on a handout). They're due tomorrow.

Nov. 2 - Do the vocabulary worksheet for "The Soul of Caliban." Test/worksheet due on Friday, Nov. 6. Also do the grammar link worksheet for "The Cask of Amontillado." Fourth period also needed to finish the work on "The Raven." If you didn't turn it in today, be sure to turn it in on Tuesday. Also, we took the Quarter 1 Benchmark Test today.

Oct. 29 - Discuss and turn in the synthesis worksheet on the Poe articles. Read "The Raven." On your "Cask of Amontillado" paper, do Thinking About the Selection," #4, 6, 7, and Critical Thinking and Reading, #1. First period finished and turned this in; fourth period will take a few minutes next Monday to finish.

Oct. 28 - Present and turn in the "Crime and Punishment" speech. Read the four articles on Poe's death, p. 184-190. Complete the synthesis worksheet, filling in one section of the sheet for each article. You should try for at least three support details in each "Supporting Details" box. Then, in the "Synthesis" box on one side of the worksheet, write your conclusion about Poe's death. (Use a structure like this: "Based on the evidence, it's most likely that Poe..." or "After reading these articles, I believe..." You can leave the other synthesis box empty. This is due tomorrow.

Oct. 27 - Discuss "The Cask of Amontillado." Keep your response paper for today; we'll put more on it later. With a partner, do "Crime and Punishment" on p. 181. Do the outline (on a handout) first. We'll present this tomorrow. If you were absent, do this on your own.

Oct. 26 - Read "The Cask of Amontillado," p. 172 in the literature book. On p. 181, do Response and Analysis, #7, 10, 11. This is due tomorrow.